Goodbye Self Conscious, Hello Plus Size Body Confidence; My Journey To Loving Myself In Swimwear!

When I was younger, I had a couple of holidays abroad but those petered out by the time I reached mid junior school.  The next time that I was in a swimsuit in public, around people that weren’t my friends and family, was when I was 10 or 11 when we started swimming lessons at school.

I remember being absolutely horrified as I’d already began to be bullied about my weight at school.

Looking back, I wasn’t fat and I didn’t have lumps, bumps, stretch marks and cellulite but even if I did, why should that be a reason for me to not want to pop on a swimming costume and learn a life skill, fun activity and a great new exercise?

There’s nothing wrong with any of those things and now that I am fat and I do have plenty of lumps, bumps, stretch marks and cellulite, I wish that I had realised that sooner because I let me thoughts steal my happiness for far too long.

Sure I was much taller than many of my peers and more developed but as a September baby, I was almost a full year older than some of them so its no the wonder I developed faster than others.  The issue with my body confidence stayed with me into adulthood and I have been guilty in the past of thinking that I didn’t have a body for swimwear.

Society and the media has this awful way of teaching us that in order to wear a swimsuit or bikini, one must be a size 10 and toned to perfection but that is simply not true, nor realistic for the vast majority of people.

We’re all different shapes and sizes and regardless of whether we’re a size 6 or a 36, we’re all worthy of popping on gorgeous swimwear and lounging around a pool unleashing our inner Beyoncé.  Every body has a body for swimwear.

My confidence around the pool came when I stopped worrying about what others thought about me in my swimwear.  The realisation that people are far more concerned with enjoying their own holiday than looking at my wobbly bits didn’t come overnight but now this body confidence is here to stay.

I guess the same could be said for my confidence online.  In all honesty, even this time last year, I would never have posted a full length photograph of me in my swimwear on my blog but now I genuinely don’t care what others think about how I look in my body.

While I can’t say that I don’t have any insecurities at all or bits that I’d like to be smoother, I love my body, I’m proud of who I am and I’m thankful to my body for getting me to where I am today.

Body confidence has been a bumpy journey for me and theres still a long road ahead. These raw images show me exactly as I am but I have a choice as to how I view them; I could focus on the areas that I’d like to be smoother or the loose skin I’d rather not have or I could focus on the strong legs that carry me everyday, the body that has kept me alive through good times and bad and the beaming smile that comes with feeling confident from the inside out.

There’s always a positive and there’s always something to be thankful for and that is what I recommend you to have as your focus.  The only opinion that truly matters about your body in your swimwear is your own and If you’re feeling far from body confident, then I can promise you that once realise this too, you’ll feel so much happier and more relaxed around the pool on holiday or back home.  You’ll be able to enjoy yourself more and live life to its fullest because you’re not consuming yourself with worry about what others may think.

Everything changed for me when I realised that I am allowed to love my body exactly as it is and that I don’t have anything to apologise for but its something that I still remind myself of every day.

My body is beautiful and yours is too! Its ok for me to love myself in just the same ways as its ok for someone far smaller or larger than I am to love theirs.  We all have a swimwear body to be confident about!

Rather than focusing on my insecurities and what others will think about me, I put my energy into finding gorgeous plus size swimwear and accessories that make me smile whenever I look at them.

I love the Yours Clothing Black and Electric Blue Bamboo Halterneck Swimsuit not only for the pattern but the knotted cut out detail on the front.  The cups are lightly padded, the material is stretchy in that it moves with my body but firm as it holds me in and theres ruching to the body of the swimsuit too, all of which make for a great silhouette and help me to feel more body confident around the pool.

If I feel good on the inside with what I’m wearing on the outside, it definitely has an impact on my confidence!

On my trip to Bali, I paired this swimming costume with a Yours Clothing beach bag, some sparkly sliders and the Yours Clothing Blue and Pink Smudge Print Kimono.  This piece is ideal for your holidays because the pattern can be mixed and matched with so many different pieces of swimwear.

It even looks great worn with a vest top and cropped jeans or linen trousers.  The material is super soft against the skin and it doesn’t crease easily in your suitcase; definitely a selling point for me!

Whether you’re going on holiday this summer or staying at home, don’t let your shape or size put you off popping on your swimwear to enjoy the sunshine; you’re gorgeous just as you are, right in this moment.

Life is far too short to be missing out on the good times, so be confident in your body and enjoy being you!

I hope that this post helps to inspire even one person to feel confident in their own body as that is worth far more to me than the potential nastiness that could be received from narrow minded haters online.

TOP TIP! Remind yourself everyday just how fabulous you look in your swimwear until it becomes second nature; then tell yourself again to make you smile even more!

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How confident do you feel in your swimwear?  What tips would you give to someone who wasn’t feeling body confident?  Where will you be wearing your swimwear this summer; got any holidays coming up?

*These photographs were taken at the incredible Alassari Plantation in Bali. Check them out for unique, luxury accommodation and experience a true taste of authentic Bali.