The 5:2 Bikini Diet To Get Your Body Beach-Ready In Just Six Weeks

After what felt like the longest, coldest winter for years the sunshine finally made an appearance last week.
But packing away those coats and hats means one thing - it’s almost bikini time...
So if you’ve started looking at the scales in horror at the thought of baring all on the beach in a matter of weeks, don’t panic.
This amazing six-week plan will get you looking fabulous for summer, and you can still eat all your favourite foods - you can even have a barbecue!

The 5:2 Bikini Diet lets you eat normally for five days of the week and cut your calories on just two days. If you stick to this simple plan you could lose up to a stone and drop a dress size in time for summer.

So this diet is for you, whether you’re looking for a great new way to slim, want to kick-start your weight loss or just want some new recipes to add some summer sizzle to your meals.
Start today with the first of our three exclusive extracts from new book The 5:2 Bikini Diet and get the beach body you’ve dreamed of...

The golden rules
There are three steps to follow to get into shape for the summer. Keep to these rules and you will lose weight, feel healthier and look great.

• fast – eat only 500 calories for women/600 calories for men – on two non-consecutive days per week.
• eat normally but healthily on the other five days.
• follow the 30-minute workout plan three times a week on your non-fasting days.

• Lunges Stand with your back straight and your feet shoulder-width apart. Stride forward with one leg, bending both knees to 90 degrees and keeping your upper body straight. Pull back to the starting position and repeat with the other leg. 
•  Push-ups Lie face down with the palms of your hands directly beneath your shoulders and the balls of your feet touching the ground. Keep your body straight – your head in line with your back – and raise yourself up using your arms. Lower your torso to the ground until your elbows form a 90-degree angle and then push up again. If you find this too challenging, do it with your knees on the ground until you are strong enough to perform full push-ups.
•  Plank Lie on your front on the floor and then raise yourself on to your forearms and toes so that your body forms a straight line from head to toe. Make sure your mid-section doesn’t lift or drop. Hold this position for as long as possible. Remember, it should never cause pain in your lower back.
• 
   Ab crunches Lie on your back with your knees bent, your feet flat on the floor and your hands positioned either side of your head. Raise your upper body without lifting the lower back off the ground, making sure your chin is tucked in towards your chest. When your shoulders and upper back are lifted off the floor, gently curl back down.
   

Your formula for a successful ‘normal’ day
If you follow these steps, you will have plenty of scope for tasty plates of food without excluding any food group, and it means that you will be able to have delicious pasta, bread, desserts and, of course, a glass or two of wine.

• Eat three healthy, balanced meals a day.
• Have light, healthy snacks such as fruit or yogurt if you feel peckish between meals.
• Do not calorie count or reduce portion size; you are not on a diet.
• Do be aware of what you are eating. Is it necessary? Is it healthy?
• Do allow yourself the occasional treat.
• Cut back on processed food and ready meals.
• Prepare home-cooked food as often as possible
• If you still feel hungry after a meal, wait 20 minutes and see if you are still hungry.
• Do allow yourself a glass of wine or two, a tasty dessert or even a few squares of dark chocolate.
• Cut out the rubbish. Keep the following items to a very bare minimum: biscuits and cakes; crisps; non-diet fizzy drinks; chocolate bars and sweets; beer, lager and cider

What to do on your fast days
You can eat your calories in any order you want as long as you don’t go over your limit but to start with it might be easier to stick to something similar to:
Women - 100 calories for breakfast, 150 calories for lunch, 250 calories for dinner
Men - 100 calories for breakfast, 200 calories for lunch, 300 calories for dinner
Or if you want to tailor the diet to your lifestyle from the start, these questions might help you decide how best to manage your meals on a fast day.

• do you get up early?
• do you work in an office?
• are you exposed to unhealthy food during the day?

If you answered yes to some or all of the above questions then it might be worth considering missing breakfast and having a slightly more substantial lunch. Why? Because eating at lunchtime will make it easier to avoid snacks during the day. If you are rushing out first thing, you should find it easier to miss breakfast.

• are you busy during the day with little time to think about food?
• do you feel cranky if you skip breakfast?
• do you have a morning ritual which involves breakfast and coffee?

If you answered yes to some of the above questions then you should try having a bigger (200–300 calorie) breakfast and then going through until your evening meal. Why? If you are busy at work you will not notice lunchtime.

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