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 the catalogs. Whenever I feel like not going to the gym, I take a glance at the catalog 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. Visualize 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 visualize 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