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Every year around this time, it starts. The social media posts, the “beach body” challenges, the detox teas and of course, the promises that if you just cut carbs, skip dessert, and work out harder, you’ll finally feel confident in shorts and a swimsuit.
And every year, I hear the same thing from clients:
“I just want to lose a few pounds before vacation.”
I understand. Truly.
As women, we’re constantly receiving messages that summer is something we need to prepare our bodies for. But what if I told you that the pressure to achieve a “summer body” is actually making it harder to take care of your health? Let’s talk about why.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel comfortable in your clothes. There’s nothing wrong with wanting more energy, less bloating, or feeling more confident at the pool. The problem begins when those goals become tied to unrealistic timelines and all-or-nothing thinking.
When summer approaches, many women suddenly feel like they’re racing against the clock.
They start thinking:
The result? Instead of building habits they can maintain, they start chasing quick fixes they can’t.
When we feel pressure to change our bodies quickly, we often abandon the very habits that support long-term health.
I’ve seen women:
These strategies may create temporary changes on the scale, but they often leave women feeling tired, stressed, deprived, and frustrated.
And for women dealing with hormone shifts, insulin resistance, chronic stress, or perimenopause, aggressive dieting can make symptoms even worse.
The irony? The harder we push, the harder our bodies often push back.
When a client tells me she wants to lose weight before an upcoming trip, I don’t tell her she’s wrong.
Instead, I ask a different question:
“How do you want to feel on vacation?”
The answers are almost never:
Instead, they say:
Those goals are much more meaningful and much more achievable.
Rather than focusing solely on weight loss, we focus on habits that help them feel better:
These habits support weight management naturally while also improving how they feel every day. Because, let’s be honest, no vacation is improved by being hungry, exhausted, and preoccupied with food. When you go on vacation there are probably specific places you want to eat and different foods you want to try. Being on a restrictive “diet” on vacation is my form of a nightmare, for sure.
One of the biggest misconceptions I see is the belief that confidence lives at a certain number.
Women often tell themselves: “Once I lose ten pounds, then I’ll feel comfortable wearing shorts.”
But confidence doesn’t magically appear when the scale reaches a certain target.
I’ve worked with women who lost weight and still felt uncomfortable in their bodies.
I’ve also worked with women who gained confidence long before significant weight loss occurred because they started feeling stronger, healthier, and more at peace with food.
Confidence grows when you:
The scale can measure weight. It cannot measure self-worth (louder for the people in the back)!
If you’re struggling with body image this summer, here are a few things I encourage my clients to practice:
You cannot control exactly how your body changes.
You can control:
These behaviors improve health regardless of what the scale says.
Many women keep waiting until they’ve lost weight to buy clothes that fit comfortably. Don’t wait.
Wearing shorts, swimsuits, and summer clothes that fit your current body can dramatically improve confidence and comfort. I promise, I have seen it happen over and over again.
Your health journey doesn’t have an expiration date. You don’t need to “fix” your body before June, July, or your next vacation. The healthiest changes are often the slowest ones because they’re the ones that last.
Most people at the beach, pool, or barbecue are worrying about their own insecurities, not analyzing yours. This might sound mean, but it truly is not. We are often so in our own heads that we don’t realize NO ONE is looking at us, thinking, “OMG, I can’t believe she is wearing a bathing suit at the pool with her kid!” Don’t let fear of judgment keep you from making memories.
This is one of the most important mindset shifts I discuss with clients.
Hunger cues may decrease dramatically on GLP-1 medications, but nutritional requirements do not disappear. While I encourage my clients who are NOT on GLP-1s to listen to their bodies and rediscover their hunger and satiety cues. Those on GLP-1s will not have those cues due to the medication altering them.
When appetite becomes unreliable, many people struggle with intentional nourishment, especially in a culture where diet messaging often praises eating as little as possible.
But sustainable health is never built on CHRONIC undernourishment, my friend.
This summer, instead of asking:
“How much weight can I lose?”
Try asking:
“How can I take better care of myself?”
Maybe that means:
Those goals support your health far beyond swimsuit season. Because the real goal isn’t achieving a “summer body.” The goal is feeling good in your body, not just for one vacation, but for the rest of your life.
If you are feeling the need for extra support this summer I am always here to help guide you in making changes to your health WHILE feeling confident in the body you have!
Xoxo,
