7 SLIMDOWN RULES TO GET YOU BIKINI READY IN A WEEK

Booked a last-minute holiday? Don't fret, we've got seven easy tweaks to get you feeling lighter and firmer in no time.

How do you slim down and get bikini ready in a week?

'Going hungry isn't good for anyone. Eventually, you'll end up breaking down and overeating', says nutritionist Carrie Wiatt.

Instead, just implement these simple tweaks (and keep it up until you step off that plane) to de-bloat and get lean fast. Cut-out swimsuit, here you come!

1/ ELIMINATE PROCESSED FOODS

They're easy to get sucked into, yet unsatisfying. 'They make you crave more food than your body needs,' says Wiatt. If you can't pronounce the ingredients, the food is off-limits. Or find a greengrocer for foods with no label at all.

Get fit fast: Three quick and easy bikini-body workouts

Not everybody has the time to visit the gym but just a few minutes of these intense exercises can get your heart racing, endorphins flowing and kick-start your metabolism - which can continue to burn calories for up to 24 hours after you've finished.

This basic routine, compiled by British Military Fitness, hits all of your major muscle groups. The exercises are quick and simple and don't require any equipment so you can do them from the comfort of your living room.

The combination of the plank, tummy crunch and burpee tone the whole body, fire up fat burning and build lean metabolism-charging muscle.

How To Stick With The Bikini Body Guide

Starting my Bikini Body Training Guide, or any new exercise regime for that matter, can be quite daunting. You may be doubting your ability or feel like you’re not fit enough. At the same time, it is also a really exciting time! You are full of motivation and are ready to kickstart your new, healthy lifestyle. For most people, the first few weeks can seem really easy. You’re getting up early, you’re training most days of the week, you’re eating healthy. Then you hit the four week mark and you feel like your motivation is starting to slip away. You begin doubting yourself and your abilities again. You begin to choose sleep over training. And you begin eating whatever you want whenever you want. While some people are able to pull themselves out of this slump, others may choose to give up on the program and stop exercising altogether. This scenario is very common, especially if you are new to exercise. While it is perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed, I’ve provided you with some tips to help you push through and get past these barriers:

Blake Lively’s Incredible Bikini Body After Baby! Her Trainer Tells All

Just when you thought bikini season was over, Blake Lively proves that it’s still going strong!

The actress, 28, was spotted in Australia last week shooting scenes for the upcoming shark thriller The Shallows in a teeny, tiny, two-piece — and she looks fabulous. Since giving birth to her daughter James in December 2014 she’s been vocal about pressure on new moms to drop the baby weight. “There’s pressure to lose it…I think it’s silly,” she told the BBC in May, adding that she wasn’t “obsessing” about regaining her pre-baby physique at that time. Clearly her strategy has paid off!

So how did she do it? Lively’s trainer Don Saladino (who Lively said knows “how to kick my butt”) opened up to PEOPLE exclusively about the regimen she started in preparation for the upcoming movie. “This is way beyond having her just look great in a bikini,” he says. “That’s important, but it’s about keeping her energy level high and making sure that, day in and day out when she’s shooting this film, her recovery is optimal.”

With only two months to prep for the beachside shoot, Saladino increased Lively’s workouts from once or twice a week to five or six times a week. “We would do an upper body workout Monday, lower body Tuesday. Wednesday was a playful pool workout where she would do laps,” he says. “Thursday was upper body, Friday lower body, and Saturday we were focusing on the accessory movers: the arms, the shoulders.”

Five Ways To Get in Bikini-Body Shape, FAST!

Struggling to shed that 10pounds you gained over winter?

Worried you won’t have your bikini body in time for summer? We’ve put together five fat burning tips that will guarantee you a bikini body!

Five ways to get in bikini-body shape, fast!

Sweat

We all wish that our bikini body would just appear around summer time, sadly it just doesn’t happen. You’re going to have to start working out. Commit to a strength program, don’t be afraid to lift weights and getting your sweat on. It will not only tone your body up but increase your metabolism. Increasing your metabolism will allow your body to continue to burn fat when you’re not working out. Tip: We recommend working out earlier in the day, this helps kick start your metabolism for the rest of the day

21-Day Bikini-Body Challenge

Get set for summer with health and fitness tips that help tone, cleanse, and whip you into a beach-ready state of mind

DAY 1: GET ADEQUATE AMOUNTS OF SLEEP

Though it may be tempting to stay up watching the contents of your DVR, studies suggest that getting seven to eight hours of shut-eye a night is necessary to ward off weight gain. Separate research done by the University of Chicago and University of Pennsylvania, for example, revealed that sleep-restricted subjects gained more weight over time than those who were well rested. Culprits behind sleep-deprived weight gain are believed to be leptin and ghrelin, two hormones that affect how full you feel. When you’re short on sleep, levels of leptin (an appetite suppressant) fall and levels of ghrelin (an appetite stimulant) rise—so you feel hungrier than you would otherwise.

DAY 2: DETOX RESPONSIBLY

Don’t let the bad rap that certain cleanses have received turn you off to the nutrient-rich benefits of juicing. “Doing a three-day juice fast through a program like Blueprint Cleanse or Organic Avenue is a safe and healthy way to detox,” says Oz Garcia, PhD, nutrition specialist to Heidi Klum and Hilary Swank. For maximum comfort and effects, Eric Helms, cofounder of the new Cooler Cleanse (Salma Hayek is his business partner), stresses the importance of easing your body in and out of the practice. One to three days before and after, consume nutritious, easily digestible foods and avoid anything processed, caffeinated, alcoholic, sugary, or artificially flavored. Red meat, dairy products, and nonorganic peanut butter are also on Helms’ do-not-eat list.

Can you get Michelle Keegan's bikini body in 12 days with just 15 minutes of exercise a day?

This summer, “Are You Beach Body Ready?” has become the most controversial sentence in the English language. To my mind though, the response to it is simple: “Er, no”.

Okay, I'm not overweight but disguised beneath figure-flattering dresses, there's a creeping ring of flab around the middle. Not pretty, and also not healthy: it's the stuff that's linked to heart disease and diabetes.

Problem is, as a mum of two with a hectic working week and zero 'me time' at weekends, I've told myself I don't have time to shift it. Usually shortly before diving into the office biscuit jar because, well, who has time for a proper lunch break anyway?

But what if it was possible to shift 7lb of fat in 12 days, doing just 15 minutes of exercise? That's the startling claim behind Educogym, a hardcore diet and exercise programme.

Get a bikini body in 2 months: the ultimate diet and workout plan

THE BIKINI BODY STARTS IN THE BRAIN

It happens every year: spring. It’s around the corner and so is the reality that we will all be sitting scantily clad in bikinis, sundresses, crop tops, maillots, daisy dukes or whatever small articles of clothing we like to wear during the season that follows: summer.

As spring emerges, so do the group boot camps at local parks, the sightings of running clubs and their new recruits splashed about town, and the thought of a juice cleanse becomes a whole lot more commonplace. The scramble is on for tight tushes, lean midsections and toned arms. In the mirror, standing in our skivvies, we decide to put off taking that selfie, as we affirm to ourselves that 10 pounds put on during winter has to go.

20 Easy and Effective Ways to Get Ready for Bikini Season ...

It’s summer, it’s bikini season… are you ready?

If not, well, you and I have a lot in common… we need to get ready for bikini season!

It’s time to tone up, change our diets and little, and figure out all the best ways to prepare for bare!

What do we still need to do?

I have a handy list, ready to go.

Here are 20 easy and effective ways to get ready for bikini season.

I’m ready!

1. TAKE CARE OF HAIR

Step one: take care of the hair down there! Whether you shave or wax (or both), the best way to get ready for bikini season is to tidy up your bikini area… you don’t want anything to distract from how gorgeous you are, right?

30-Day Countdown to Your Best Summer Body

Everything you need to greet the season with a body built for your teeniest bikini

Establish a Baseline

A successful workout program requires tracking and progression, says Brynn Jinnett, owner of the Refine Method in New York City. By keeping tabs of your fitness, you'll be more inclined to improve it. Create a baseline fitness test, making sure to include moves that measure the strength of all of your major muscles. Maybe you gauge things like the number of pushups you can do, how long you can hold a plank, how many lunges you can do in 60 seconds, and how long you can hold a wall squat. Then make it your goal to beat those numbers one month from now.

Become a Front-Loader

If you're trying to slim down, consume a majority of your calories before 3 p.m., says Paul Arciero, D.P.E., a professor of nutrition and exercise science at Skidmore College. People who eat their biggest meals early in the day shed more weight than those who eat the same number of calories with a majority of them later in the day. So keep your dinners light and don't let lunch get pushed back into the late afternoon.

What is the Perfect Bikini Body?

Achieving the Perfect Bikini Body

No matter what time of year it is, it’s never too early or too late to think about how to get a bikini body. Whether summer is right around the corner or half a year away, right now is the best time to work on your bikini body so you have plenty to show off the next time you hit the beach or pool.

By their very nature, bikinis are the most exposing of all swimsuits. While other types of swimwear might allow you to hide or disguise certain parts of your body you would rather not expose to public scrutiny, when you are wearing a bikini, there is no place to hide.

That’s why there is no time to lose when it comes to working on your perfect bikini body. Because everything (or, at least, nearly everything) is in plain sight for the whole world to see, you need to have the confidence that you look your best in order to pull off your bikini body – from bottom to top.

What is the perfect bikini body?

Getting into shape so that you can show off your perfect bikini body requires a head to toe assessment of your current physical condition. Bikinis are unforgiving when it comes to visibility. Only the very naughtiest parts of your body are covered up. Everything else is up for grabs. So the first step to achieving your perfect bikini body is conducting a top to bottom inventory.

Bikini Body Fast: 10 foods that can make it happen

It is not a secret that you have to stick to a diet if you want to get a bikini body fast. But you might also want to know which products will help you to achieve your goal.

Foods for a Bikini Body Fast

Here is the list of top ten foods that help you to boost your metabolism, lose weight and stay fit. Make sure you always keep them in your fridge or kitchen. Here we go!

Bikini Body Fast Food #1: Lemon

Lemon is a must-have. It has all the necessary vitamins and antioxidants that not only give your body extra-protection for viruses but also help to torch fat fast.

Lemon is really nice to start your day with a glass of cold water with lemon. And you can use lemon instead of vinegar as a salad dressing which is much healthier.

The 8 Secrets Behind the Gisele Bundchen Diet Plan

Ever since we first saw Gisele Bundchen grace the covers of magazines around the world, women every are wondering what the Gisele Bundchen diet plan is.

Gisele is the face of Victoria’s Secret. To become synonymous with the world’s premier lingerie brand, Gisele has to have the perfect bikini body; the body that men desire and women want to look like.

If you’re wondering how Gisele achieved her toned bikini body, wonder no more. Based on all her interviews and public pronouncements, here are the 8 secrets to the Gisele Bundchen diet plan.

Gisele Bundchen Diet Secret #1: Eat what you want, but stay under 1600 calories a day

The first step to the Gisele Bundchen diet is to approach it like it isn’t a diet. This means you shouldn’t deprive yourself or feel that you’re about to starve yourself. This is a crucial step because it allows you to adopt the right mindset. Instead of feeling intimidated, you will view the Gisele Bundchen diet as more of an adventure instead of an ordeal where you stop eating stuff you normally eat just so you can get thinner.

7 Highly Effective Ab Exercises for Women

If you want to get rid of the belly fat that’s ruining your one piece bikini, cheer up. You only need to do the 7 ab exercise below in rotation to torch belly fat and start getting the bikini body. Of course, I am not saying you’ll have solid abs overnight. You have to keep exercising on a daily basis. As long as you’re consistent, you should start getting the abs you’ve been dreaming of for a long time. Unlike ab workouts for men, ab exercises for women focus on tension and pressure over a longer time frame. Consistency is crucial.

Best Ab Exercises for Women #1: Forward halfway leg lifts

With your back, butt, and legs flat and straight on the floor, lift your legs parallel and close together. Lift them together. Resist the urge to separate them. Among the many different ab exercises for women you can try, this move is all about feeling the tension in the lower part of your abdomen as well as the back of your thighs. Your thighs can get tightened, too. To maximize tension, don’t go higher than 45 degrees. Make sure to keep your back straight and resist the temptation to cheat by raising your arms to your legs. Keep your arms to your sides.

Get a Bikini Body in 4 Weeks: The Diet Plan

Slim down and get beach-ready with this collection of easy, healthy recipes. Mix and match the meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack for a total of 1,500 calories a day.

Metabolism-Boosting Meals

Burn belly fat and lose inches with delicious dishes that will get you swimsuit-ready but won't leave you hungry. Choose from the meals and snacks on these pages for a total of 1,500 calories a day. Combine this diet with our workout and you'll drop 10 pounds in one month.

A Sample Day on Our Plan

Breakfast: Broccoli and Parmesan Egg Scramble 

Whisk together 2 eggs; set aside. Coat a frying pan with nonstick cooking spray and saute 3/4 cup chopped broccoli florets 2 minutes; add eggs and scramble. Once eggs are cooked, sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan. Serve with a slice of whole wheat toast.

Lunch: Chunky Greek Salad with Chickpeas

Mix together 1/2 cup each cucumber, chopped tomato, and red and green pepper. Add 1/2 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained; 5 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced; and 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced. Toss with 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar and 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons crumbled reduced-fat feta.

The absolutely best and worst foods for a bikini body

The grocery store, the internet, media, the local trainer at the gym (excluding myself and a lot of extremely credible trainers :) ) are all telling you something different when it comes to nutrition. I can totally understand how confusing this may be. I definitely can feel your pain. No wonder why we have so much confusion in the world of fitness & health today. Sad thing is, a lot of people are preying on the weak and vulnerable who just don’t know any better or what to believe. “Take this pill” or “use this for faster fat loss.” How many times have YOU heard things like this? As a personal trainer, nutritionist & fat loss coach myself I can tell you I’ve heard these things FAR too many times.

So what DO you eat to get better body composition? It’s important to note before you continue any further, that without exercise, proper nutrition is certainly not as effective, and vice versa. And when I say exercise, I mean WEIGHT TRAINING. Make sure you are getting on a steady regimen at least a few times a week to start before reading any further. Now that you’ve got your exercise in check, let’s dive into my.

Keep Your Bikini Body Workout

You worked hard for those curves you showed off at the beach all summer—now hold onto them year-round with this total-body, pudge-preventing workout.

Packing away your swimsuit for the season is hard enough—don’t let the shorter, cooler days of fall undo all the workouts you put into to filling it out. Ward off the winter creep with this equipment-free circuit that can easily be done at the gym or at home.

How it works: Three or four non-consecutive days a week, perform each move in order with little to no rest in between. Repeat the circuit twice more

Total Time: up to 30 minutes

You will need: No equipment

Jillian Michaels' Summer SHAPE Up Workout: Month 1

Don't wait until Memorial Day. Follow this fat-burning program and you'll be slim, sculpted, and so much closer to swimsuit-ready in just 30 days

Jump-Start Your Beach Body

It may still be spring, but we've got bikinis on our minds! If you kick your fitness routine into high gear now, you can avoid the last-minute panic come summer. This three-month plan, inspired by the DVD Jillian Michaels Hard Body ($15, jillianmichaels.com), is your weapon against two-piece angst. Each month Jillian will design a new total-body sculpting circuit that'll have you torching more than 9 calories a minute while you tone every inch. 

Start today and make this the year you actually look forward to swimsuit shopping!

How it works: After the warm-up (on the next slide), do each exercise for 1 minute in order. Repeat the entire circuit (moves 1 through 6) twice more. Squeeze in three of these sessions, as well as two more cardio workouts, a week.

You'll need: A pair of 3- to 8-pound dumbbells.

Six steps to having your best bikini body in six weeks

You may not ever get to compete in the Miss America pageant like last year’s Miss Tennessee Hannah Robison, but you can get your best bikini body by following six simple steps.

Throw out the traditional recommendations of eating high fiber, avoiding gluten, and the myth of "Don't eat at all!"

When you need to get bikini ready, it's best to start now and leave time for the body to reset its internal body clock — then keep the habits regular so you never have to worry again.

This is for all people, all sizes, and all bodies. Feed yourself with the six steps below, and you can be the best version of you in just six weeks.

The Top 5 Celebrity Bikini Bodies

There’s nothing like having a tight bikini body ready for the beach and no one knows this better than celebrities. Every vacation they take is an opportunity for the paparazzi to snap shots of celeb’s bikini bodies and salivate over them on TMZ—or, if the bikini bodies aren’t quite up to par, lambaste them on the Internet with embarrassing pictures.

That’s why celebrities work so hard to keep their bikini bodies in shape.  Not everyone was born with the perfect genetics of a Victoria’s Secret lingerie model—it takes time in the gym and sometimes, a little nip and tuck (we’re not going to condone that as that’s cheating!).  But not everyone has the time or money for a personal trainer.

The Top 5 Celebrity Bikini Bodies

That’s why we’re going to take a look at the 5 best celebrity bikini bodies and show you how you can get similar results.  Ready? Let’s hit the beach!

14 WAYS TO GET BIKINI-READY IN 24 HOURS

We're not miracle-workers, but when the bikini countdown is officially on, there are some last minute hacks to putting your best body forward. See how to tackle everything on the fly, from banishing bumps and bruises to nipping bloat in the bud. (And you're not just hearing it from us—we've got tips from certain swimsuit experts like Miranda Kerr, Gisele Bündchen, and more.)

1. Cut out sodium.

When it comes to bloating, consider salt your enemy #1. It's a sneaky offender at that, so your best bet is to avoid all processed foods, where it might show up as an ingredient under names and in quantities you aren't aware of.

The Best and Worst Foods for a Bikini Body

Eat to stay svelte and feel great in your swimsuit all summer.

Best Food: Leafy Greens

"Not only are leafy greens a great way to add volume to your meals without the calories, but they are chock full of nutrients (vitamins A, C, K, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and fiber) and easy to incorporate into your day," says Mary Dinehart-Perry, a registered dietitian and clinical trials director for Zone Labs, Inc. She recommends swapping out iceberg for spinach in your salads, adding mustard greens or collards to your soups, or dishing up a side of sautéed kale to fill up, fight disease, and look fab in your bikini. 

Best Food: Peppermint

"Peppermint works to reduce bloating and indigestion and soothe the GI tract all around," says Rachel Berman, registered dietitian and director of nutrition for CalorieCount.com. Try mixing up some iced peppermint tea or add a few mint leaves to your water.

10 Workout Tips to Maintain Your Bikini Body Through Fall

Workout Tip: Even If It's Snowing Outside, Pretend It's Warm

"It is extremely easy to enter hibernation mode following the summer," says fitness and wellness expert David Kirsch. "Keep it in your mind-set to always be summer-beach-ready. Get your workouts in earlier versus later because your body tends to have less energy when it is dark."

Workout Tip: Pay Attention to Nutrition

As soon as winter rolls around, we all crave warm comfort foods like a big bowl of pasta. Not so fast. "Eating heavy soups, carbs, and more substantial meals [with] more calories...will contribute to weight gain," he says. "Instead, aim to carry your summer meal plan into winter to avoid the dreaded winter weight."

Tips for a Bikini Body

Since its first appearance in the 1940's, the bikini has been legendary. But before you dare to wear one, you probably want to tone any existing problem areas. If you opt not to wear a bikini (and most people won't don a bikini) read on for some great tips to look your best in this season's swimwear.

Trouble Spots

The four problem areas that concern most of us, especially during swimsuit season, are as follows: the abs, butt, arms and shoulders – and hips and legs. Not to worry, though. Each of these zones can be improved upon with careful attention to diet and regular exercise.

Here are some cardio exercises to enhance those spots "not yet fit for the beach:"

• Abs. Flatten the abs with aerobic dance exercises that include bending and twisting.
• Arms and shoulders. Work arms and shoulders by using a dual-action elliptical trainer, the kind where you move both arms and legs.
• Hips and legs. Whittle down your hips and legs by taking spin classes.
• Butt. Choose cardio exercises such as running or walking – or use a stair climbing machine.

Five minute toning! Get a bikini body on your tea break

BURN fat fast with these simple five, 10 and 15 minute workouts - as long as it takes to put the kettle on...

fit. toned, beach body. workout, HOT: Get a toned beach body in minutes with these fast calorie burning workouts [GETTY ]

If you're strapped for time but want to get toned for summer these three speedy workouts could be just the thing.

The high-intensity exercises can create washboard abs, toned pins and a pert bottom, with just a few minutes of activity a day.

These moves will also get blood pumping, release endorphins and stoke the metabolism to keep burning calories for up to 24 hours after exercise.

5 reasons to hit the gym

Get motivated and say goodbye to excuses.

body+soul's Donna Duggan takes a look at five of the best reasons to get yourself out of the house and into the gym.

1. Staying active really does beat the middle-age spread

People who keep up an active lifestyle into middle-age gain fewer kilograms over time, a US study has found. "It's the maintenance of the physical activity that's the important thing," says Dr Arlene Hankinson, of Northwestern University in Chicago. "It's not so much about achieving some dramatically high activity level, it's about maintaining a level of daily physical activity over time."

Work those forgotten muscles

These exercises target the areas we often overlook in our training and are crucial in sculpting a well-balanced torso

One of the primary goals of an exercise program is to achieve balance – and I don't mean standing on one leg. A balanced program means all parts of the body are targeted equally. This means not just training the parts of your body you can see in the mirror. These exercises target the areas we usually ignore and should redress any imbalances.

1. Deadlifts

Why? This is one of our prime movements. Learn to do it right and you'll have the strongest, sexiest back ever.

How? Stand with feet hip-width apart and hold a weight in both hands. Brace your core and bend forward at the hips, lowering the weight down your thighs to about a centimetre off the ground. Keep your back in a neutral position by keeping your gaze forward and chest open, sticking your butt out and trying to keep your spine long. You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Pause for a second at the lowest point, then rise back to the start. At the top of the movement, push your hips forward and contract your glutes. Keep the weight close to your thighs the entire time and stop if you feel any sharp lower-back pain.

Beach-ready workout

Get beach-ready with this simple summer workout that can be done anywhere.

There’s still time to get toned for the beach. Damien Kelly’s 15-minute daily workout fits into the busiest of schedules and gives great results.

1. Bent-over rows with a twist

Why? Targets upper back, core and the lower bac.

How? Hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Split your stance, left foot forward. Bend forward at the hips, keeping your eyes forward. Stick your bum out and lengthen your spine. Hang the dumbbell down towards the ground, then pull it up to the front of your shoulder, elbow as high as you can. At the same time, twist your torso to the right. Lower the weight and twist back to face downwards. Move straight back into your next rep.

12 Swimsuit Season Diet Secrets

Dive into all the joys of summer €”and watch that winter weight melt away.

Lose weight for summer

From long hikes and dips in the pool to fresh berries and lingering daylight, there are so many reasons to love summer. Here's one more: It's the best time of year to lose weight, says Pamela Peeke, MD, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and author of Body for Life for Women. "Nature is working with you," she explains. "If you take advantage in the right ways, the pounds will practically fall off your body." We reached out to a panel of pros for their advice on how to get in peak shape this summer without a lot of extra effort.

Skip town

"Vacation presents an amazing opportunity to refresh our routines because it takes us out of our regular environment. Without the triggers for our current habits all around us, it's easier to break existing patterns and form new ones—like, say, amping up your fitness routine or taking time for relaxation."

How to speed up your metabolism without exercising: Five simple tricks to burn fat fast

YOU really can supercharge your metabolism without spending hours in the gym.

Having a speedy metabolism is essential for burning off excess weight. And the faster it runs, the quicker you burn calories.

Because of genetics, some people are born with faster or slower metabolisms than others. Factors like age, weight, diet and your exercise habits can also affect your metabolic rate.

But the good news is that you can boost the speed which your body burns calories by making a few changes to your routine.

How to Show off Your Curves

An hourglass shape with curves is considered by many people to be the ideal body type. But no matter what your body shape, from boy to athletic to curvy, any one can have an hourglass shape with curves. If you want to highlight or create curves, it’s important to know the right tricks when you’re getting dressed to achieve this look.

Part 1

Wearing the Proper Undergarments

1. Get properly fitted for a bra and shape wear. Having the right sized bra and undergarments, such as Spandex, is important to accentuate or create curves. Ill-fitting undergarments will not enhance your curves, but they may also be uncomfortable.

10 best exercises for the bikini season

Avert post-winter flab crisis with these 10 toning exercises

Winter woollies hide a multitude of sins, but come summer, many of us are saddled with stubborn seasonal flab. Consulting a GP and/or fitness professional is the first step; they’ll help you devise a program for shifting unwanted kilos by surprising your body with a variety of exercises, like these top ten toning tips from Rob Hale, Head of Fitness at Fitness First.

1. Spiderman lunges

Assume the push up position before driving up your right leg so it sits just outside your right hand. Return your right foot to the start position and repeat on the left side. You are now officially a superhero.

Get a Bikini Body That Rocks in 3 Weeks: Training Plan

Throw your muscles a curveball with these new toning exercises for a smoking hot bikini body

Whether you're breaking a sweat regularly or totally slacking, it's time for a change. To get a smoking hot bikini body this summer, you have to shock your muscles to get it into sizzling shape.

It takes about three weeks for a fit woman to adapt to a new routine, says metabolic training expert B.J. Gaddour, CEO of StreamFIT.com. That means as you do a workout over and over again, it eventually gets easier and your body doesn't have to work as hard. In this case, effortless isn't a good thing: When your body isn't challenged, you burn fewer calories and your metabolism and results flatline—exactly what you don't want to happen when your goal is scoring a bikini body.

Sizzle in the sand! Top 10 nutrition tips for the perfect bikini body

If you're about to jet off on holiday but you haven't managed to budge the bulge, these tips could be your last chance to feel fabulous on the beach.

Sweating it out at the gym is a great way of getting fitness and toning up, but if you can't get rid of of the last few pounds if might be down to diet.

Here British Military fitness instructor Mark Wood shares his top 10 nifty nutrition tricks to help you get the beach body you've always wanted. 

1. Abs are made in the kitchen

The key to getting a flat stomach or ripped abs all comes down to what you put in your mouth. No matter how hard you are working in the gym, you cannot out train a bad diet.

How to Get a Sexy Bikini Body

Are you slightly hesitant about wearing your brand new bikini? Do not despair. Here are some tips on helping you to get a sexy bikini body.

1. Eat a nutritious diet.

A healthy diet is the key to creating and maintaining a body that your best critics would kill for. All you really need to do is stay motivated and focused- you'll see results.

• When counting calories, remember that one pound equals 3500 calories.

• A safe and healthy way to lose weight and diet is by reducing your daily calorie intake by 500 calories per day.

Stay Slim and Trim in 10 Minutes

When life gets busy, what tends to get the boot? Exercise. Usually workouts are at the bottom of the totem pole for women and when some spare time arrives, rest is the only option that comes to mind.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, half of American women pass on exercise when their schedules get hectic (only 20 percent cut-down their load at work). The problem is that most women see exercise as an all-or-nothing phenomenon. If you can't complete an hour-long workout at the gym, then why bother?

New research suggests a different approach. A recent Canadian study shows that short bouts of exercise can offer the same health and fitness benefits as working out in one continuous stretch. If it isn't practical to block-out an hour in your day for your workout regimen, don't throw in the sweat towel altogether. Aim to complete at least three 10-minute exercise sessions at various points in your day.

Try these six 10-minute activities to get you moving.

4 Ways to Make the Most of Your Workouts

1. COME UP WITH A STRATEGY

Without one, workout time becomes wasted time. Figure out what equipment you need before you start, says Ed Scow, a certified personal trainer in Lincoln, Nebraska. Grab what you need — dumbbells, stability ball, bands — and put them near a mat or adjustable bench so you can do your entire workout in one place. "You won't expend time wandering from machine to machine or waiting in line," Scow says. "And by creating your own personal space at the gym, you maximize your intensity and efficiency, keeping your heart rate and metabolism up the entire time by moving from one exercise to the next." Don't know where to start? Women's Health's Look Lean & Sexy In Half the Time workout makes workout time planning easy, or just download your favorite workouts to your iPod with the Women's Health Workout to Go. 

2. SWAP THIS FOR THAT

If you usually focus on exercises that work only a single muscle or muscle group (think: calf raises, leg extensions, and crunches), save time by replacing them with compound movements like squats, lunges, and pushups, which work more muscles at once. "Targeting larger muscle groups burns more calories and gives you a total-body workout in less time," says certified personal trainer Nick Tumminello, owner of Performance University in Baltimore.

Lose Weight With This Power Smoothie

Swamp water, green grass gone wrong, salad on steroids. These are some of the first reactions I hear from clients when they make the power smoothie. But then they try it, love it, and can't stop drinking it.

Include this powerful smoothie in your morning routine to help you lose weight, gain energy, improve skin, eat better and get into shape.

By sipping this delicious concoction of greens and berries, you get your required portion of greens for the day and a high number of essential vitamin and minerals. Because of this, the smoothie suppresses your appetite, reduces cravings and gives you a ton of energy for the rest of they day.

Read more: CLICK HERE

Yoga Moves to Strengthen Your Core

The core is a buzzing topic in the fitness world these days, and crunches are often the first exercise that the average person associates with the word. If you're looking to change up your routine, however, practicing yoga is a great alternative to building core muscles. Not only does a strengthened core lead to a reduced risk of injuries during workouts, but it also helps stabilize the body and protect the spine.

Adriene Mishler, a yoga teacher offering classes in Austin, Texas and founder of the online yoga community Yoga With Adriene, is a firm believer in the use of yoga for core strength. Mishler recommends five moves to improve core strength and tighten up the stomach and lower back muscles, all while enjoying the relaxing and meditative benefits of yoga. These moves are not only great for balance and focus, but also for reinforcing your posture.

5 Common Habits That Could Be Making You Fat

Do you think you have a few pounds to lose? Have you tried upping your exercise only to find that you didn't lose weight? Or, maybe you even gained a pound or two (and it wasn't muscle)?

If so, you're not alone and chances are, you suffer from one or more fat habits that keep you from reaching your real potential. 

Here's a look at the most common fat habits and some slim-down solutions.

Overdoing Sports Drinks, Bars, Gels and Blocks

Sports drinks, bars and gels are great and can enhance your performance, but many athletes overuse them and intake hundreds of additional calories.

What is Tabata Training?

There are countless workout styles you've probably heard about over the years, and all of them are meant to help you reach your fitness goals. 

You may want to increase strength, lose weight, improve flexibility or build muscle. Whatever yours goals are, most exercise programs can help you reach them, as long as you stick to the plan.

If you're looking for a new program to add to your routine, you may want to give Tabata try. Tabata training is a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout, featuring exercises that last four minutes.

12 WEEKS TO A COMPETITION BODY DIET PLAN

Got a goal of showing off your hard work in the spotlight? Achieve peak performance and look your best with this detailed training and nutrition plan.

If you’ve always wanted to hit the stage in a bikini or figure competition, this is your time! Our comprehensive plan includes the ultimate workout, nutrition, and motivational tips to help you get a winning physique in just 12 weeks. Give it a try—even if you’re not ready for the spotlight, you’re guaranteed to get into the very best shape of your life. And that’s a goal anyone can aspire to!

The Diet Plan

Get lean all over with this results-driven clean-eating guide.

How It Works: This nutrition program is designed to help you drop fat without losing muscle. In each phase, you’ll have three daily meals and three snacks. After every four weeks, you’ll reduce the number of calories in your diet, without sacrificing protein. In the week before the show, you’ll vary the amount of carbs, sodium, and fluids to help your muscles get that ultracut, superlean look just in time for your moment in the spotlight.

26 - 50 quick ways to a bikini body Part II

(26) Buy flip-flops with a wedge. Heels make your legs look more shapely and add inches to your height.

(27) Bin that baggy cover-all T-shirt you usually wear on the beach and invest in a sarong or kaftan-style top. Choose solid colours for a slimming effect.

(28) Fight cellulite by upping your intake of vitamin C. This nutrient helps keep the layer of skin below the surface strong, stopping fat cells from poking through and causing dimples. Choose citrus fruits, berries, kiwi fruit, blackcurrants, tomatoes and peppers.

(29 )Don’t just lie on the beach – get active on it too. Build sandcastles with the kids, play bat and ball in the shallow water or if there’s room, play Frisbee, rounders or cricket.

1 - 25 quick ways to a bikini body Part I

(1) Make red wine your summer tipple – it has just 100 calories in a small glass. Plus lab research has revealed it contains an antioxidant (called resveratrol) that helps keep the heart healthy and reduces fat cells in our body.

(2) Hang out with people who have a slender beach body. New research reveals we try to “keep up with the Joneses” when it comes to our weight. If people around us are overweight, it’s more acceptable for us to be overweight too.

(3) While you’re on holiday, burn off those lunchtime calories by going for a walk on the beach. Walking on dry sand burns more than twice as many calories as walking on concrete.

5 Tips to Get a Bikini Body for Summer

If thoughts of wearing a swimsuit and exposing your body make you want to hide in the dark, the following suggestions will steer you back into the light.

Cranking up your workouts will help you get fast results. And simple changes can make a big difference. Try switching your 11-inch dinner plates for 9-inch salad plates to help you with portion control.

Here are five ways to help you get a bikini body for summer.

Size Matters

Smaller, more frequent meals will help increase your metabolism. Aim for three meals a day, with small snacks in between. Make sure you get lean protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats each time.

Try this recipe for a healthy mid-morning snack:

• 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder
• 1 tbsp. of peanut butter
• 1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of ice

6 Reasons You're Not Losing Belly Fat

Still can't button your skinny jeans after weeks of exercise and dieting? The experts behind The Bikini Body Diet reveal what's holding you back—and what you can do to finally flatten your belly

You Fall Short on Magnesium

Our bodies require magnesium for more than 300 chemical reactions, including keeping heart rhythm steady and regulating blood sugar levels, but in addition to its health benefits, this nutrient may also aid in weight loss and body shaping. A 2013 study in the Journal of Nutrition found that higher magnesium intake was associated with lower levels of fasting glucose and insulin (markers related to fat and weight gain), and one study from England found that a magnesium supplement may have some beneficial effects on reducing fluid retention during the menstrual cycle, meaning you'll feel less bloated.

Flat-belly solution: Eat more magnesium-rich foods, such as leafy green vegetables, beans, and nuts. Or talk to your doctor about taking a supplement. The recommended amount of magnesium for women under 30 is 310mg, and 320mg for women 30 and over. 

12 Eating Secrets Women with Great Bodies Know

Uncover the path to a slim, shapely, and sexy you simply by following these smart and sustainable eating tips from The Bikini Body Diet by Tara Kraft

The Ultimate Diet Plan

As editors at Shape, the most trusted source of fitness and weight-loss information for women, we spend countless hours thumbing through medical journals, nutrition news reports, and exercise studies. Plus, we're lucky enough to have access to the secrets of the women whose livelihoods depend on staying shapely and sexy: actresses, singers, models, and trainers. With this wealth of information at our fingertips, it's only natural for us to spill the lessons we've learned to our readers.

Enter The Bikini Body Diet. This new book by Shape editor-in-chief Tara Kraft is the ultimate diet and workout plan to help you achieve your best body ever—and maintain it for the long haul. While this program produces results in a matter of days, it's not just a quick fix. This science-backed plan is based on strategies that help women like Tara and our cover models maintain a bikini-worthy body all year long. On the following pages, you'll discover 12 principles of healthy eating that form the foundation of The Bikini Body Diet. Implement these tactics in your own life to transform your body, regain your confidence, and keep it for good!

3 Ways to Get in Bikini-Body Shape Fast

Get a jump-start on swimsuit season with these proven weight-loss tactics.

Now that it's officially spring, it's time to start prepping for warm days, strappy sundresses, and, dare we say it—summertime! While the idea of shedding the winter weight might seem daunting, Ellington Darden, Ph.D., offers three totally doable tips from his new book, The Body Fat Breakthrough, that will help you get the beach body you want this year. 

Need proof that Darden's program works? More than 100 people completed it in Gainsville, Florida, and on average, they lost 30 pounds in 30 days. "Fat loss and muscle gain are two benefits of my breakthrough program," says Darden. "Equally important is to achieve both of them simultaneously—doing so creates a synergistic action."

Get a bikini body in three weeks

Three delicious meals a day, plus two snacks, along with a no-sweat fitness routine. How’s that for a weight-loss plan? In just three weeks, the YOU Bikini Diet, devised by top nutritionist Yinka Thomas, will get you sleeker, slimmer – and ready to hit the beach!

The YOU Bikini Diet works by keeping your blood sugar stable with three meals and two snacks daily. Eating every three hours keeps energy levels high and stops you feeling hungry. The diet is rich in metabolism-boosting fatty acids found in coconut oil, plus mono-unsaturated fats in olive oil. 

Combined with fresh vegetables and fruit, quality protein and wholegrain carbohydrates, 

the diet will help your body burn fat by using its fat stores as fuel. Add in strengthening and cardiovascular exercise, and your body has no choice but to start using its excess fat 

and strengthening muscles – which gives you smooth, strong contours.

Bikini Countdown: 25 Ways to Get Ready for Swimsuit Season

Improve Your Posture

Good posture is the quickest, easiest way to look better -- and several pounds thinner -- in your favorite bikini.  Slouching takes inches off your height and makes your tummy look rounder. Practice good posture by keeping your back straight and your shoulders back. Distribute your weight evenly on both hips. Your body, and your reflection, will thank you.

Start Moving

In the weeks before swimsuit season, aim to move your body more. "It's like putting pennies in a piggy bank," says Pamela Peeke, MD, author of Body for Life for Women. "Every single piece of physical activity adds up." So turn on some music and dance. Try a Zumba class. Use the stairs at work. Every ounce of sweat will bring you closer to your goal.