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Tara Phifer

“Beach Body” is So Last Year


I know what it’s like. There was this quarantine thing and life got crazy. Pretty soon the world is being split into two groups, the ones who brought the gym home, and the ones who didn’t. I won’t lie, fitness wasn’t the top thing on my to-do list these last couple of months, and with the stress of a totally different lifestyle, it was far too easy to skip out on a workout or grab that extra snack. So all this happens and the days morph together, and people start talking about the yellow phase, and then the beaches open up and uh oh. You kept hoping things would open up but it just felt so far away, and who needs to stress about a beach body when you’re still wearing slippers to on your zoom calls or FaceTiming your friends from the shoulder up? Well I’ve got a secret that can help you overnight!


Here’s the key to a no stress beach body in the quarantine era, you already have it. Let’s do away with putting a label on body types. Not a single person in the world loves everything about the way they look, not even the people you think are picture perfect. Having an ideal hurts us and can sometimes be disheartening, especially when it comes to your body shape and features. Fashion companies and magazines are getting better at being inclusive and welcoming to people of all shapes and sizes, but we all know they’ve still got major work to do. This is a quick reminder that everyone deals with life differently, and in these crazy times the last thing you should be worrying about is looking good for other people. I know it seems strange to hear a fashion designer and blogger saying this, but let’s be clear, I’m not saying you should forget about fashion, just that your only motivation needs to be feeling good, dressing for yourself, and accepting that this means something different for everyone. The quarantine 15 is real and if you were too busy adjusting to a new routine that you either forgot or couldn’t prioritize an at home workout plan, THAT IS OKAY.


The great thing about life is that every day you wake up with a chance to make a change. So here are some steps you can take right now to alleviate the pressure to appear “perfect”:

  1. Self Discipline

  2. Self Confidence

  3. Self Awareness

Self Discipline:

It’s never too late to start working towards a healthier lifestyle. Even fitness gurus need to wake up every morning and CHOOSE to keep going. Think of every day as a new beginning with a fresh goal. The only time you need to look back or think about set-backs is to see how far you have come. Health and fitness are physical acts, but half the work is based in your mentality. True, working out tests your physical strength, but the mountain that is standing between you and making healthy habits is the mental strength that comes with perseverance and self-discipline. Something to keep in mind is that the beginning of anything is hard. Everything comes with its own set of challenges, but you made it here and you have tackled everything that’s been thrown at you so far, this is no different. It is easy to get overwhelmed, trying to make a fitness routine, figuring out what to cut out of your diet, getting enough sleep without skipping your pre-run stretch session, and so much more. The importance of getting mentally prepared for a new goal is so underrated. Start small, keep your goals realistic on a day to day basis, listen to what your body needs, and work up to the level you want to be at. It won’t happen immediately and you are gonna fight with self-discipline for a while before it becomes a habit, but you know what the best thing is about fighting the good fight? Conquering self-discipline will make it easier to triumph over any other goals you make for yourself in the future. Think of it as a long term investment. Once you get into the groove, make that fruit smoothie, hop on YouTube for your favorite workout, and ride your way to success, it really can be that easy, every day is a choice.

Self Confidence:

This is a must for all my lovely people out there, whether you run every morning or just finished your fourth pizza, self-confidence is the key to so much happiness in life. No matter what you look like, if you don’t feel good about yourself, you won’t glow (unless you’re doused in oil, which, why would anyone want that?). I think a lot of people are like, “yeah, I wanna have self confidence”, but have no idea where to start. I mean, it’s such a large concept, how do you break it down enough to work on anything? When I have a big idea to tackle, it helps me to find one all-encompassing source that has as much information piled into it as possible, that way it can be my go to link/book/documentary for said topic. The last thing you want is to be working on yourself and get stressed about the number of tabs you’ve opened on your computer or scrolling through a list of resources not knowing if any of them will be worth your time. With such a sensitive area, you don’t want to start out already exhausted and uneasy. The whole idea behind self confidence is being solid in your own worth, knowing who you are, and trusting what you have to offer. And since this is too big of a topic to cover in one blog post, I want to share with you a resource that I believe will help you in your journey to become more confident. Click here to view a book about mastering your self confidence!

Self Awareness:

I’m about to say something sensitive so prepare yourself. You might be contributing to the body shaming system that created the idea of “beach bodies” in the first place. It doesn’t make you a bad person and I’m definitely not saying you are doing it on purpose, but if you don’t want to feel pressure based on your looks, its only fair to make sure you aren’t pushing that pressure back out into the world and impacting other people. It is up to us as individuals to be really conscious of how we treat people based on their appearances, being both their physical characteristics and the clothes they are covering them with. Try to be aware of if you judge other people for wearing a bathing suit that you think is too small, or if you focus more on people that are wearing jeans that are tight. If you see stretch marks, tattoos, or fat anywhere on a persons body, ask yourself, “Why am I bothered? What difference does it make to me.” There’s a good chance it is a habit engrained in you to make judgements based on the way people look, when most of the time they are not accurate or even relevant to the situation. Catch yourself if you see someone and think they are too skinny, not skinny enough, too tall, too short, this, or that, or whatever you want to categorize people as. We have a natural desire to put people in a box because it makes the world easier for our brained to handle. In so many cases, this inherent sorting mechanism we’ve created hurts us and our relationship to the people around us. If your self-esteem is being impacted by a judgmental gaze or a picture on a billboard, chances are the person you judge feels the same way. It’s that whole “don’t dish it out if you can’t take it” deal. And if you find yourself body shaming other people, even if its just in your head, take a pause and think about if that might be coming from a place of your own insecurity. Comparing ourselves to others usually does come from not being confident that we are good enough and needing to push others down to build ourselves up, so even if you don’t say anything outlaid to directly hurt that other person, you are feeding into a cycle that won’t be kind to either one of you.




Now that we’ve done some self-analyzing (yay) here’s a more fun part. Whether you’re a fitness mogul or your longest walk is to the mailbox, looking great and feeling better can be part of your day-to-day routine. Since fashion is my passion, I always feel so much more motivated and confident when I look put together. And since this is a post about fitness and confidence, what better way to wrap it up than with a few new athletic-wear finds I’ve come across recently. This sporty chic trend isn’t going away any time soon (not that I want it to) especially with loungewear on the rise and comfy clothing being a big hit for people who spent most of their time indoors for months. So to prep for all those runs I’ll be (hopefully) taking I went on the hunt for a new source of athletic clothing, and found not one but two incredible brands to shop for years to come. Keep reading to find out what I love about them both!!



ACTA is an activewear brand with a purpose. They offer neutrals as well as really vibrant colors that make cute sets and good options to mix and match, always a plus when on the hunt for some universal pieces. They also donate part of their proceeds to a charity of your choice. My most recent buy is being put towards digging clean water wells for people in need. Use my promo code TARA20 for 15% off. Check out their options here.



Astoria is another activewear brand. Their variety is off the charts. I saw innovative silhouettes and a large color range. Their trademark is a more muted color palette if that’s more you speed. They also give you recommendations based on what type of workout you are doing, which can be helpful if you don’t know exactly what you are looking for. Use my promo code TARA2020 for 15% off. Check out their options here.


Thanks for reading. See you again soon!

xoxo,

Tara

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