Last Updated on May 9, 2016 by Michael Brockbank
One of the driving factors for a lot of people to lose their winter weight is to look good when they hit the beach. Although slimming down might be on your mind, there may be more involved than just getting rid of that spare tire or cottage cheese legs. Have you ever thought of the mental aspect of hitting the beach? Being ready to unveil yourself half-naked on the sand could have an emotional impact.
Physically Getting Ready for When You Hit the Beach
Personally, I haven’t been to a beach or even a swimming pool without wearing a tank top in a very long time. This is because I am quite self-conscious about my body. Let’s face it, no one wants to say that – unless you’re a YouTube troll. However, I am currently working on changing how I look and feel. Here are some of the things I am doing in order to get my physical self ready to jump into the lake.
Cardio Workouts
I’ve found that cardio workouts are the best when you’re trying to lose weight. While pumping iron is greatly beneficial for increasing muscle mass, I lose far more weight by committing to cardio workouts. My favorite is playing the Xbox Kinect. While wearing my weighted gloves, I will burn between 350 and 400 calories within a half-hour while playing Kinect Sports Season 2 – Tennis. It’s all about keeping your body moving when working out. The longer you can sustain your heart rate, the more calories and carbs you’ll disintegrate throughout the workout.
Better Eating Habits
Eating better will greatly change how you look and feel at the beach. However, I don’t succumb to special diet plans or programs like Weight Watchers. Instead, I try to eat sensible while enjoying my favorite foods. One thing I try to remember is to eat less carbs when I know I am not going to be physically active. Your body will convert carbohydrates into energy during physical activity. If these carbs are not used, they become stored for later. Technically, you can enjoy a cupcake – as long as you’re willing to work it off later. This is how I lost so much weight the first time.
Mentally Getting Ready for When You Hit the Beach
The mental preparation may be the hardest to change. While many people simply don’t care what others think, people like myself are incredibly sensitive to personal impressions. The trick is to be comfortable within yourself to realize that it really doesn’t matter what other people think. Some individuals are simply wired to be asses, regardless of what you do. Most of the time, these people are trying so hard to impress their friends that they’ll say asinine things to get a rise. Trolls will be trolls. You’re working to improve yourself while they work to degrade themselves. Take comfort in knowing that you’re the better person because of this fact.
Do You Hide Scars?
Some people are quite self-conscious when it comes to scars. They see them as some kind of imperfection that needs to be hid. Personally, I think they add character to a person. It’s much like how people are fascinated by tattoos. In reality, most scars might have far more of a story behind them. Based on the people I have met, it seems the ones who have the largest and deepest scars are the ones who are more centered in life. This doesn’t mean you should carve yourself up in order to be interesting, but it does mean you shouldn’t have to hide what you think of as a blemish when you’re at the beach.
You don’t have to look like a super model when you’re ready to hit the beach. As long as you’re comfortable with yourself, there is nothing anyone can do to take away from the experience. If you’re self-conscious like I am, all it takes is a healthier lifestyle to look the way you want when throwing on the bathing suit. Don’t let your fears of what other people might think stop you from doing something you love. Otherwise, you could be running from a lot of things in life aside from the beach.