Weight-loss plan for your hol!

Planning a late-summer getaway? Show off a hot bod on the sand with this speedy diet and workout plan

If you're lucky enough to be jetting off for some September sunshine, we've got everything you need to ensure your bikini body is ready to wow! Just a week to go? No problem! This seven-day plan will see you shift fat, reduce water retention and bloating, and flatten your tum - all in time for take off! Watch out sunshine, we're coming to get you!

How it works

This seven-day food plan is designed to shift fat by creating a calorie deficit of about 500 calories a day. The average woman needs 2,100 calories a day just to maintain her weight – this plan is around 1,600 calories, so you’re ‘saving’ 500 calories a day. That may not sound enough to get you looking fab in your swimsuit, but thanks to the low-GI carbs you’ll have plenty of energy to burn even more calories as you work out, while the diuretic foods will help to reduce bloat and water retention, pep up a sluggish digestive system, and flatten your tummy. 

Add in our high-intensity cardio and toning fitness plan and you’ll be in great shape to enjoy the summer sun!
 

DAY 1

Food   

Breakfast: 2 eggs, scrambled, with 1 thin slice wholemeal toast (no butter)

Morning snack: 1 apple, 6 almonds.

Lunch: 1 baked salmon fillet on mixed leaves with 2 teaspoons oil/vinegar dressing and 1 wholemeal roll, no butter

Afternoon snack: 1 low-fat yoghurt with ½ pack of blueberries

Dinner: Chicken tikka masala made with 1 skinless chicken breast, spices and 3 tablespoons fat-free Greek yoghurt. Serve with 1 cup cooked brown rice

Workout  

Beginner: Interval training. On the treadmill, 2 mins work (85%)/1 min recovery (65%) x 10. Plus 3-4 upper body, lower body and core exercises from page 74

Intermediate: Interval training. On the treadmill, 2.5 mins work (85%)/1 min recovery (70%) x 10. Plus 5-6 upper body, lower body and core exercises from page 74

Advanced: Interval training. On the treadmill, 3 mins work (90%)/1 min recovery (70%) x 10. Plus 7-8 upper body, lower body and core exercises from page 74

 

DAY 2

Food   
Breakfast: 1 Weetabix with ½ pack strawberries, 2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yoghurt and a drizzle of agave nectar or honey

Morning snack: 2 sticks celery with 2 tablespoons low-fat cottage cheese

Lunch: Small baked sweet potato with ratatouille and 25g crumbled feta cheese

Afternoon snack: 2 satsumas, 2 Brazil nuts

Dinner: Pork stir-fry made with 100g lean pork, and a handful each of sugar snap peas and baby sweetcorn. Toss through a simple sauce: mix together some soya sauce, ginger, garlic and chilli in equal quantities. Serve with 1 cup cooked wholemeal noodles

Workout  

Beginner: Rest day

Intermediate: Rest day 

Advanced: Any cardio, 1 hour (80%)

 

DAY 3

Food 

Breakfast: Porridge made with 40g rolled oats, 275ml skimmed milk, 25g raisins and 2 teaspoons agave nectar or honey

Morning snack: 1 slice melon chopped and wrapped in 2 slices prosciutto (fat trimmed off)

Lunch: ½ carton bacon and lentil soup

Afternoon snack: 1 pear, 25g cheese

Dinner: Quorn Bolognese with 100g Quorn and 1 cup cooked wholemeal spaghetti

Workout  

Beginner: Any cardio, 30 min (75%). Plus 3-4 moves from page 74

Intermediate: Interval training. Bike, 30 secs work (100%)/20 secs recovery (65%) x 10. Plus 5-6 moves from page 74

Advanced: Interval training. Bike, 20 secs work (100%)/10 secs recovery (75%) x 12. Plus 7-8 moves from page 74

 

DAY 4

Food   
Breakfast: French toast made with 1 slice wholemeal bread, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon skimmed milk and pinch of cinnamon, served with ½ carton berries

Morning snack: 1 cup instant miso soup

Lunch: Chicken and avocado wrap made with 1 wholemeal tortilla, 1 skinless chicken breast and ½ avocado. And add 1 teaspoon oil/vinegar dressing.

Afternoon snack: 1 small bunch grapes, 1 Babybell lite

Dinner: 1 skinless cod fillet, baked, served with steamed spinach and carrots

Workout  

Beginner: Rest day

Intermediate: Walk 1 hour (plus incidental walking)

Advanced: Rest day 

DAY 5

Food   
Breakfast: Beans on toast with 1 small can low-sugar baked beans and 1 slice wholemeal toast

Morning snack: 2 carrots with homemade tzatziki, (fat-free Greek yoghurt, mint and cucumber)

Lunch: One can tuna in spring water, 1 boiled egg, ½ can anchovies, drained and blotted, salad leaves and 2 teaspoons oil/vinegar dressing

Afternoon snack: 2 oatcakes, 1 slice lean ham and mustard

Dinner: Tiger prawn kebabs and quinoa tablouleh. Six prawns marinated in garlic, herbs and lemon juice, served with 1 cup quinoa

Workout  
Beginner: Interval training. Bike, 30 secs work (100%)/30 secs recovery (65%) x 10. Plus 3-4 moves from page 74

Intermediate: Interval training. Any cardio, 3 mins work (80%)/1 min recovery (70%) x 8. Plus 5-6 moves from page 74

Advanced: Interval training. Any cardio, 3 mins work (90%)/1 min recovery (70%) x 10. Plus 7-8 moves from page 74

DAY 6

Food   
Breakfast: American pancakes made with 1 egg, 30g ½ white, ½ wholemeal flour, 150ml skimmed milk. Serve with ½ pack blueberries

Morning snack: 1 apple, 6 almonds

Lunch: ½ carton pea and ham soup

Afternoon snack: 2 squares dark chocolate

Dinner: Grilled 100g lean steak with a sauce made from tomatoes, courgettes and onion, with 1 cup cooked brown rice

Workout  
Beginner: Rest day

Intermediate: Rest day 

Advanced: Any cardio, 1 hour (80%)

 

DAY 7

 

Food   
Breakfast: 1 English muffin, toasted, split and spread with 2 teaspoons peanut butter

Morning snack: 2 celery sticks, 2 tablespoons cottage cheese

Lunch: 1 baked sweet potato with vegetarian chilli

Afternoon snack: 1 pear, 6 walnut halves

Dinner: Stuffed pepper, made with 1 pepper cored and filled with a mixture of 1 chopped tomato, 1 slice wholemeal bread, crumbed, 1 beaten egg and 50g feta cheese

Workout  
Beginner: Any cardio, 30 mins (75%)

Intermediate: Any cardio, 40 mins (80%)

Advanced: Rest day

 

Interval training decoded  Use the percentages listed in the workouts for your level to guide your energy expenditure as you train. Think of 100 per cent as your maximum effort, 75 per cent as a moderate, steady state and 65 per cent as being active rest.

http://www.womensfitness.co.uk/weight-loss/715/weight-loss-your-hol

Fat burning foods

Feeling hungry? There are plenty of foods you can eat that won't pile on the pounds

Fruit and veg

Fruit and vegetables are unlimited (white potatoes are starch, so don’t fill up too much on these – swap for antioxidant-rich sweet potatoes).

Popcorn

Popcorn is easy to make. Just place the corn in a saucepan, close the lid, turn up the heat and wait for them to start popping! Sprinkle with some xylitol if you like them sweet.

Brown rice

Brown rice is packed with nutrients and fills you up too – you can eat as much as you like.

Pulses

Pulses and beans keep you fuller for longer and maintain your energy levels (as well as being a great source of nutrients and fibre).  Pop them into homemade soups, add to casseroles, or add to canned tomatoes, onions and herbs for a hearty (wholemeal) pasta sauce.

Sugar alternatives

Fancy something sweet?  If you are a bit of a baker, make cakes or cupcakes, but replace the sugar with xylitol, use wholemeal self-raising flour and a low-fat margarine. 

Yoghurt

Avoid butter icing.  Warm cakes, especially spicy versions, are lovely with a dollop of 0 per cent fat Greek yoghurt. Grate an apple and add some seed mix.  This is very nutritious and fills you up, and gives you a sweet hit when you need it.

 http://www.womensfitness.co.uk/healthy-eating/871/fat-burning-foods

Benefits of exercise

Step right up! It's the miracle cure we've all been waiting for.

It can reduce your risk of major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer by up to 50% and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%.

It’s free, easy to take, has an immediate effect and you don’t need a GP to get some. Its name? Exercise.

Click on the links below to find out if you're doing enough for your age:

• early childhood (under 5 years old)
• young people (5-18 years old)
• adults (19-64 years old)
• older adults (65 and over)

Exercise is the miracle cure we’ve always had, but for too long we’ve neglected to take our recommended dose. Our health is now suffering as a consequence.

This is no snake oil. Whatever your age, there's strong scientific evidence that being physically active can help you lead a healthier and even happier life.

People who do regular activity have a lower risk of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and some cancers.

Research shows that physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

“If exercise were a pill, it would be one of the most cost-effective drugs ever invented,” says Dr Nick Cavill, a health promotion consultant.

Health benefits

Given the overwhelming evidence, it seems obvious that we should all be physically active. It's essential if you want to live a healthy and fulfilling life into old age.

"If exercise were a pill, it would be one of the most cost-effective drugs ever invented"

Dr Nick Cavill

It's medically proven that people who do regular physical activity have:

• up to a 35% lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke
• up to a 50% lower risk of type 2 diabetes
• up to a 50% lower risk of colon cancer
• up to a 20% lower risk of breast cancer
• a 30% lower risk of early death
• up to an 83% lower risk of osteoarthritis
• up to a 68% lower risk of hip fracture
• a 30% lower risk of falls (among older adults)
• up to a 30% lower risk of depression
• up to a 30% lower risk of dementia

What counts?

Moderate-intensity aerobic activity means you're working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. One way to tell if you're working at a moderate intensity is if you can still talk but you can't sing the words to a song.

Examples of moderate-intensity aerobic activities are:

• walking fast
• water aerobics
• riding a bike on level ground or with few hills
• playing doubles tennis
• pushing a lawn mower

Daily chores such as shopping, cooking or housework don't count towards your 150 minutes. This is because the effort needed to do them isn’t hard enough to get your heart rate up.

A modern problem

People are less active nowadays, partly because technology has made our lives easier. We drive cars or take public transport. Machines wash our clothes. We entertain ourselves in front of a TV or computer screen. Fewer people are doing manual work, and most of us have jobs that involve little physical effort. Work, house chores, shopping and other necessary activities are far less demanding than for previous generations.

Recommended physical activity levels

• Children under 5 should do 180 minutes every day
• Young people (5-18) should do 60 minutes every day
• Adults (19-64) should do 150 minutes every week
• Older adults (65 and over) should do 150 minutes every week

We move around less and burn off less energy than people used to. Research suggests that many adults spend more than seven hours a day sitting down, at work, on transport or in their leisure time. People aged over 65 spend 10 hours or more each day sitting or lying down, making them the most sedentary age group. 

Sedentary lifestyles

Inactivity is described by the Department of Health as a “silent killer”. Evidence is emerging that sedentary behaviour, such as sitting or lying down for long periods, is bad for your health.

Not only should you try to raise your activity levels, but you should also reduce the amount of time you and your family spend sitting down.

Common examples of sedentary behaviour include watching TV, using a computer, using the car for short journeys and sitting down to read, talk or listen to music – and such behaviour is thought to increase your risk of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes, as well as weight gain and obesity. 

“Previous generations were active more naturally through work and manual labour, but today we have to find ways of integrating activity into our daily lives,” says Dr Cavill.

Whether it's limiting the time babies spend strapped in their buggies, or encouraging adults to stand up and move frequently, people of all ages need to reduce their sedentary behaviour.

“This means that each of us needs to think about increasing the types of activities that suit our lifestyle and can easily be included in our day,” says Dr Cavill.

Crucially, you can hit your weekly activity target but still be at risk of ill health if you spend the rest of the time sitting or lying down. For tips on building physical activity and exercise into your day, whatever your age, read Get active your way.

Page last reviewed: 11/07/2013

Next review due: 11/07/2015

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/whybeactive.aspx

Green tea weight loss

Want to ditch coffee and get healthy? Make green tea your drink of choice

Although green tea does still contain levels of caffeine, the amount is much less than what's found in coffee, so it's a great way to get yourself off the hard stuff. It's also a weight loss wonder, health booster and performance enhancer - no wonder all the A-listers chuck it in their shopping trolleys! Do the same and you could reap the benefits. Here are six reasons why you should be drinking green tea.

1) Boost your metabolism Drinking green tea may increase your metabolism and reduce body fat and weight – it’ll also help to keep you hydrated, which is vital for maintaining a healthy metabolic rate.

2) More benefits than your diet cola Think ‘diet’ means ‘better’? Think again. Guzzling diet versions of fizzy drinks can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes in women by a huge 60 per cent, according to a new study by the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in France. It’s thought that aspartame, the artificial sweetener used in diet soda, has a similar negative effect on blood glucose to the sucrose used in ordinary soft drinks. Swap your can of diet or regular cola for a cup of green tea for a beverage with serious benefits.

3) Reduce your risk of stroke Sipping on a cup of green tea every day could slash the risk of stroke by up to a third, according to the latest large-scale study. We’ll pop the kettle on for that!

4) The fat-burner This waist-trimming tea is crammed with antioxidants called catechins and just enough caffeine to give you a buzz without leaving you wired. A study published in the journal Obesity found that EGCG, a powerful compound in the brew, helped slow down weight gain.

5) Better runs Brew up a cup of green tea for faster, longer runs. Research from Colorado State University found that the tea’s main antioxidant, EGCG, can improve your V02 max – a measure of how efficiently your body uses oxygen.

6) Memory aid Green tea doesn’t just help your heart and ward off wrinkles. A pot of the fragrant brew can also help sharpen your memory. A study by the Third Military Medical University in China found EGCG also helps to improve cognitive function by boosting the generation of neural progenitor cells.

http://www.womensfitness.co.uk/health/792/green-tea-weight-loss

Want to try the 5:2 diet? Follow our three-week plan to give it a go

Like the sound of intermittent fasting? The 5:2 diet is still going strong, as an increasing amount of research continues to suggest the easiest way to incorporate fasting into your lifestyle, and still gain health benefits, is to restrict your food intake to 500 calories (600 for men) two days a week. The question is - how far can 500 calories go? Quite a long way, actually. In fact, you can eat two delicious meals on a fasting day without feeling the slightest bit restricted. Sound good? Use the following meal plans to follow the diet for three weeks:

FAST DAY ONE

Breakfast: A tangerine. Porridge (40g oats) and blueberries (145g).

Dinner: Chicken stir-fry (one chicken fillet, handful sugar snap peas, 100g cabbage, 2 carrots, ginger, coriander, garlic, soy sauce)

FAST DAY TWO

Breakfast: Yoghurt (small pot natural fat-free), blueberries (70g) and ham (40g)

Dinner: Feta Niçoise salad (1 egg, handful lettuce, handful green beans, 100g chopped cucumber, 90g feta cheese, 6 black olives)

FAST DAY THREE

Breakfast: 1 Boiled egg and half a grapefruit

Dinner: Veggie chilli (1 large mushroom, half tin chopped tomatoes, half tin of kidney beans, garlic, half a chopped red chilli) with brown rice (80g cooked)

FAST DAY FOUR

Breakfast: Smoked salmon, a cracker and light cream cheese

Dinner: Thai prawn salad (handful of cooked prawns, grated cucumber and carrot, sesame seeds)

FAST DAY FIVE

Breakfast: Smoked salmon (50g) and 2 scrambled eggs

Dinner: Roasted vegetable salad (10 cherry tomatoes, ½ cougette, ½ aubergine, 1 red pepper. Two tangerines

FAST DAY SIX

Breakfast: Strawberry smoothie (1 banana 100g, pot fat-free natural yoghurt 150g, large handful strawberries 50g)

Dinner: Oven-baked smoked haddock (fillet smoked haddock (200g), 1 poached egg, 100g steamed broccoli)

Read more about:

WEIGHT LOSS

DIET PLANS

WEIGHT LOSS TIPS

5:2 DIET

WEIGHT LOSS

EATING PLAN

http://www.womensfitness.co.uk/diet-plans/800/52-diet-plan