When the sun comes out, so do the summer clothes, the vest tops, the summer dresses, shorts… Not an easy time for some! So this is just a reminder that whatever shape you are, you have every right to be out in the lovely weather soaking up the Vitamin D (but not getting burnt, that’s silly) wearing whatever the hell you want!

I had a blip earlier and forgot. I was walking from work to the station in Leeds passing all the young, gorgeous, trendy creatures that hang out in Leeds on a Friday late lunch time. I have no idea if they were actually young, gorgeous or trendy but you know, the skinny ones with perfect hair, perfectly fitting outfits that just emphasize the right amount of the right bit, the fun, adored, successful ones… As I walked along in my shoes that aren’t trainers and therefore uncomfortable and wondered whether those perfect creatures also have jeans that won’t stay up and a top that rides up under my backpack to expose a little spare tyre or two, I had a brief moment of feeling crap. Yep, in that moment I couldn’t think of anything positive to think about my hippo hips and thunder thighs, not to mention my tummy and bingo wings. For a fraction of a split second I wanted to be them.

But of course they don’t actually exist. That vision of perfection, is nonsense. Even if the people I saw were all the things I suggest, that would be just one idea of perfection, one among many may possible others. I look the way I look. End of. So does everybody else. I laughed at myself and snapped out of it. Yesterday I went for a run in lycra crop pants and a running vest . Guess what, the world kept turning. Don’t get me wrong. I have my insecurities  – see above re bingo wings for example, hate them, always had them, even the slightly obsessive gym routine of my late teens or the daily horse riding of my early teens didn’t really manage to tone my upper arms even when there was much more muscle underneath – but hey. I’m not that keen on my thunder thighs either to be fair. But the thing is, none of this impacts on other people so other people don’t get to judge.

Go enjoy the sun, enjoy doing your thing, don’t judge others and don’t let others judging you have any power over you. Remember, the way to a beach body is to take your body to the beach!