OK, so it isn’t bikini weather just yet, but it will be in another few weeks. Before you know it, everyone around you will be driving up to the beach and you’ll still be battling whether to get in that two-piece or not.
While regular cardio and strength training will help you get that Jen Aniston body over the next few weeks, there are a few changes you can make to your diet that will help accelerate the change in how you fit into that bikini, and more importantly, how you feel in the two-piece. ‘Beautiful, confident, strong’ is what we’re after, FYI.
Tip #1: Aim for 1500 calories per day – if you’re solely relying on your abs to be built in the kitchen, then eat smaller portions of what you’d normally eat. The lesser calories you burn, the lesser calories you need to consume.
Tip #2: Go on a plant-based diet – Reason being, you’d get more nutrition from your meals and research has shown that a alkaline diet helps body burn fat at a much faster pace. Ditch meat and dairy for a week, as they might cause indigestion and bloating.
Tip #3: Hydrate with H2O only – No funny business of having green tea or coconut water, despite both being really healthy alternatives to water. But when you’re on a countdown of 7 days to sculpt the body, you need to consume plain water, without it being fancy dressed as something else. Add a lemon wedge, and maybe some strawberries to your water bottle, if you get bored of plain and simple water. And goes without saying, no alcohol for the next week, as well.
Tip #4: Stop chewing sugar-free gum – Seems silly, agreed, but sugar-free gum causes the stomach to bloat. When we’re chewing the gum, the artificial sweetener makes our body believe that we’re craving sugar; notice how you would get hungry after chewing gum. Also, while you’re chewing, your body takes in little molecules of air through the mouth and causes unnecessary bloating in the torso area.
Tip #5: Eat more colourful produce – If you start to get hungry, think outside the celery sticks and carrot combination for a snack. The more colours you add to your snack, the better it would be to curb your appetite. Stock up on purple cabbage (delicious with a big squeeze of lemon and Himalayan salt), red capsicum, artichokes, cucumber, cherry tomato et al. These will fill you up and keep the hunger at bay for hours.
The Bikini-Body Diet
Follow this diet plan for 7-days before heading to the beach:
DAY 1
Breakfast
3 scrambled eggs
1 large grapefruit
Snack
25 almonds
Lunch
Turkey Wrap on wholewheat with lots of veggies and no dressing
1 apple
Snack
1 small piece of cheese on corn thins
Dinner
Spicy chicken and wholewheat pasta or quinoa salad
Side salad and 2 Tbsp olive oil/vinegar dressing
DAY 2
Breakfast
1 slices whole-wheat toast with half an avocado and chopped tomato.
Lunch
Turkey sandwich: 2 slices turkey breast, 1 slice Swiss cheese (melted, if desired), 2 romaine leaves and 2 slices tomato on 2 slices toasted whole-wheat bread.
Snack
5 Triscuits topped with 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
Dinner
Bean quesadilla: Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray and set over medium heat. Slice 1 large whole-wheat tortilla in half and place one piece in the pan to heat for a few minutes. Spread 1/2 cup rinsed and drained canned low-sodium black beans evenly over top. Top with 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup each chopped tomato and onion, and the other tortilla half. Flip and heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cut into 4 pieces, and add 1 dollop non-fat Greek yogurt to each piece.
DAY 3
Breakfast
Loaded vegetable omelette with 2 egg whites and 1 egg yolk
1 banana
Snack
1 Muesli Bar (low in sugar, high in protein)
Lunch
Black Bean and Cheese Burrito
1 apple
Snack
1 small box of fruit and nut mix
Dinner
Steak fajita: Sauté 4 ounces sliced sirloin, 1/2 chopped onion, and 1 chopped tomato in 2 teaspoons olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Place mixture in 1 large whole-wheat flour tortilla. Top with 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, fold, and microwave for 60 to 90 seconds until cheese is melted.
Snack
2 small squares of dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa) with a large cup of peppermint tea
DAY 4
Breakfast
1 cup cooked oats (2/3 cup dry) topped with 1 cup blueberries, served with 1 cup nonfat milk
Lunch
Grilled chicken salad: 2 cups romaine lettuce, 2 ounces (a little less than 1/2 cup) sliced grilled chicken, 1/4 cup rinsed and drained canned chickpeas and 2 tablespoons oil and vinegar dressing (2 teaspoons olive oil plus 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar)
Snack
1 cup plain lowfat yogurt topped mixed with 4 tablespoons chopped almonds and 1/2 cup (16) seedless grapes
Dinner
Grilled lime chicken breast with 1 cup of brown rice and 2 cups of broccoli, zucchini and capsicum.
DAY 5
Breakfast
1 cup sugar-free granola topped with 7 halves or 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, and 1/2 cup (4 large) sliced strawberries, served with 1 cup non-fat milk
Lunch
1 small whole-wheat pita, toasted, filled with 2 tablespoons hummus, 2 ounces chopped skinless chicken breast, and 1 sliced cucumber
Snack
6 Celery sticks coated with cottage cheese and cinnamon
Dinner
Grilled salmon with 1 cup broccoli sautéed with onion and garlic powder in 2 teaspoons olive oil, and a baked 6-ounce sweet potato topped with 2 tablespoons non-fat Greek yogurt
DAY 6
Breakfast
1 scrambled egg, 1 toasted whole-wheat English muffin topped with 1 teaspoon butter, 1/2 grapefruit, and 1 cup non-fat milk
Lunch
1 cup chopped romaine lettuce and 1/2 sliced cucumber topped with 5 ounces drained canned tuna (packed in water) and 2 tablespoons oil and vinegar dressing (2 teaspoons olive oil and 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar)
Snack
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt topped with 1 cup (8 large) sliced strawberries
Dinner
Chicken and rice bowl: Sauté 2 ounces sliced chicken breast, 1/2 chopped onion, and 1 chopped tomato in 2 teaspoons olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Place in a bowl and combine with 1/4 cup rinsed and drained canned low-sodium black beans, 4 teaspoons guacamole, 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, and 1 cup cooked brown rice.
Snack
2 small squares of dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa) with a large cup of peppermint tea.
DAY 7
Breakfast
1 toasted whole-wheat English muffin topped with 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter, served with 1 orange and 1 cup non-fat milk
Lunch
2 rolls of Brown rice sushi (nothing tempura)
Snack
1 sliced cucumber and 2 tablespoons hummus
Dinner
Black bean fajita: Lightly sauté 1/2 cup each chopped tomato and onion in 2 teaspoons olive oil. Place in 1 large whole-wheat flour tortilla with 1/2 cup rinsed and drained canned low-sodium black beans and 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, roll up, and heat in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
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