You've been flicking through the holiday brochures and found the perfect summer retreat.  Somewhere you can totally relax away from the stress of work life and the UK in general.

You've decided that last years bikini is just not what's needed this year and you're going to cause a sensation in the latest on-trend swimwear styles.  All sounds great so far.  That's the easy part, the next part is slightly more difficult!

Getting the perfect beach body to show of that stunning new bikini you've had your eyes on now for long enough that if you haven't already got it already, you have credit card in hand just itching to buy it.

When we say the perfect beach body, we're not talking about the unobtainable model-figures you see on the catwalks.  We're talking about your perfect beach body.

If your a regular at the gym (and no carrying a membership card in your purse does not count as working out) and you always watch what you eat then this guide is not for you.  However if your one of the 99% of women that would just like to tone up a bit before hitting the beach this summer then read on.

There are six simple steps to getting the beach body you want this summer.  How easy or difficult these steps are will depend on what shape your in before you start.  We will go through these below but first a reality check.

You are not going to lose a massive amount of weight in a short time!  Any diet claiming so can be dangerous for your health.  The trick is in achieving a slow and gradual weight reduction and to target this at the areas of your body that your least happy with.

You'll be amazed at how much better you will feel after just 3-4 weeks and much better you'll look.  Not just because of the reduction in weight, but more importantly looking good is all about feeling good.

The better you feel, the more body confidence you'll have, the better you'll look!

Start with your mind

The first step is easy to do but it is the most important step to achieve. If you haven't got the right mental attitude, the "I'm going to do this" mentality then it isn't going to work.  Set yourself a realistic goal, say to drop a dress size, rather than two or three dress sizes.  It is possible to do this and we'll touch on that later.

Drink plenty of water

You should be aiming for at least two litres of water a day, each and every day.  If it is an excerise day then look to increase this by roughly one litre per hour of exercise.  Water aids digestion and helps the body to get rid of rubbish before it has time to be absorbed by your body.  This will help to stop the bloating that you get with junk food - although we are going to cut that out too right?

It's best to drink plain water rather than tea, coffee or squashes.  But if you can't face drinking a couple of bottles of plain water then adding some flavouring is better than not drinking it.  Aim to have a small glass every hour of two to space it out for maximum effect.

Eat little and often

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to NOT start the day of well.  Always start with a healthy and filing breakfast.  It's well known that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Eating breakfast "jump starts" your metabolism and enables your body to burn calories effectively throughout the rest of the day.  If possible aim to eat five small meals between 7am and 7pm, with your main meal at lunchtime rather than late in the evening.  As the day progresses your metabolism will slow down and eating a big meal at 8pm is bad for your body because it will not be digested timely.

Watch what you eat

We're not talking dedicated calorie counting here, just a sensible diet.  Aim to have your 5 a day of fruit and veg.  Try to avoid high-calorie foods and foods that have a heavy fat content, like chips, sweets, doughnuts and ice cream.  Instead look for foods that are high in fibre and low in fat.

You can try to reduce wheat and dairy products as these can slow down digestion too.  It's not difficult to eat a sensible balanced diet and it certainly doesn't have to be boring either.  It is the availability of processed foods, high sugar foods and prepared meals that are the main cause of the growing weight problem.  If you look back at our ancestors they do not suffer like we do now because they freshly prepared all their food.

Cut down on salt

A high salt intake can result in your body storing over two pints of excess water, simply cutting down on your salt intake can drop you a few pounds. Try not to add any salt to your meals as most foods these days already have high salt levels.

Get regular exercise

Yes the one you were dreading. Unfortunately dieting alone can only do so much.  To start shifting serious pounds you need to increase your metabolic rate and the best way of doing this is regular exercise.  Exercise is split into two main categories, aerobic and strength training.  If you want to lose a bit of weight and generally tone your body then aerobic exercise is best for you.  You can read more about exercise in our sportswear guide

Best is a balance of short interval training and some light weight training as this will increase your body's metabolic rate and enable you to burn more calories - even when your not exercising.  Some of the best things you can do are.

Walk for 30 minutes to an hour. Alternate your pace between walking, jogging and some sprinting.
Cycling around your local area or park.
Take up dancing lessons.
Try boxercise or other aerobic fitness programmes at your local lesuire centre or gym.

If you want to shape sagging muscles then lifting weights is the only thing that will work.  You don't have to go silly in a gym, one of the best things you can do is get some wrist and ankle weights and wear them when you are walking or even just cleaning your place.

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