Diet & Fitness 

Advertisement

10 bathing-suit tips from real women

10 ways real women prepare to wear a bathing suit.

1. Motivate yourself to exercise (by any means necessary)

'I start in January by digging out last season's bathing suit. After six months of not seeing myself in a swimsuit, I use this scary sight as an incentive to start working out again! I also start looking at some catalogues. Whenever I feel like not going to the gym, I take a glance at a catalogue and the swimsuit that I am going to order, and it really keeps me on track. By the time early summer rolls around, I am ready!' --cl-dawnidoll

2. Look your leanest the easy way

'I cut my carbs and sodium intake, and eat more protein and veggies for a few days before I wear or shop for a swimsuit. I am always surprised at how much less puffy I look -- even though it doesn't really change my size.' --momma212

3. Camouflage flaws with self-tanner

'The night before I go bathing suit shopping, I use self-tanning lotion. In the morning, I wake up and have a healthy glow on my legs. Believe it or not, it really hides imperfections and makes it easier to imagine myself at the beach.' --Lisa

4. Visualise your dream suit

'Before I go out of the house, I stand in front of the mirror in my bra and underwear (I know that sounds weird) and visualise what an ideal bathing suit would look like on me. Most of the time, I can pick out what I want to hide and what I want to show off (if anything). Then I know what kind of suit I want and I start with those' --Carrie

5. Focus on your best parts

'When I look at myself in the mirror (even under the department store's fluorescent lighting) I concentrate on what looks good! If my eyes go directly for the flabby stomach -- I remind myself to look at my nice calves and shoulders. I'll never look like a supermodel in a bathing suit -- so I might as well stay positive about body.' --Suely

6. If you can't be thin, buy rich

'Over the years, I've found the best thing I can do to make myself feel 'pretty' is to invest in things that make me feel good. So, if the perfect swimsuit costs a little more -- so be it! Invest in yourself. The suit will last longer and you'll feel better in it. It will be worth it!' --aklabelle

7. Do a thorough evaluation (in the comfort of your own home)

'I decide what I want in a suit (high neck, good bust support, tummy minimizer, for example). Then I go online and shop or look through catalogues. I always check the return policies before I make the purchase to be sure I can get my money back if it doesn't fit. Then I buy and try until I find one I like. This process may be a little slower than scooping up an armful in a store, but I can try them on in the privacy of my own home. This gives me a better impression than I would get in five minutes in a dressing room.' --Shannon

8. Or do it fast -- like ripping off a plaster

'I decide the colour in advance, usually black. Then I head to the nearest rack, find a full-bottomed black one-piece bathing suit, dash to the dressing room and try it on. I don't even look in the mirror! This is just a size check. If it fits, I dash out of the dressing room, grab a full body wrap to cover my bathing suit and my body and go to the nearest register before I change my mind.' --Mere

9. Remember, it's not the size that counts

'I tell myself to not pay attention to sizes. I think we sometimes get so focused on the size of the clothing, that we ignore everything else. So I don't look at the tags and just buy what fits me!' --cl-miss_scarlet

10. Know that you'll be in good company

'I mentally take a walk along all the beaches I've visited and remember what other women looked like when I was there. I concentrate on the women I saw who were large, clad in bathing suits, and wonderfully unselfconscious. They looked like they were having fun and didn't care what they looked like. I remind myself that I can do that, too. I also remind myself that most people on the beach are more worried about how they look than I do!' --cl-msliz1956

Delicious     Digg     reddit     Facebook     StumbleUpon

  Get the latest iVillage news on your desktop    Sign up for more iVillage RSS feeds

© iVillage Limited 2000-2008. All rights reserved. | © iVillage inc. 1995-2008. All rights reserved.
iVillage Ltd is a UK company registered in England & Wales (3837269) at 80-110 New Oxford Street, London WC1 1HB