By Karen Ficarelli

If you would rather be the girl in the itsy bitsy teenie weenie bikini instead of hiding under a cover-up, you’ll be delighted with these easy ways to get that bikini body that you desire. Women’s fitness is the foundation for keeping your body in optimum shape. But if you’ve been lax in keeping up with your diet and exercise program, these simple tricks can help get you back on track.

1. Substitute water for soft drinks. Non-diet soft drinks on average contain 150 calories, while water has none. Water hydrates every cell in the body, helps to flush out toxins and freshens your mouth too. The body demands waster in order to function effectively. Soft drinks actually dehydrate the body, are high in sugar content and contain caffeine. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water in addition to the rest of the beverages you consume each day. However, you probably won’t be all that thirsty for too many drinks if you faithfully drink the required amount of water, no doubt saving yourself hundreds of calories.

2. Take a 15-minute walk once or twice every day. Do this in addition to your exercise program. One of the many wonderful things about walking is you don’t have to walk at an aerobic pace to reap healthy benefits. While exercising is not always a good idea directly after a meal, taking a walk after mealtime can aid in digestion, help you to burn calories, and give you a good excuse to pull away from the table.

3. Cut your portion sizes in half. Start out gradually by putting smaller servings on your plate; tell yourself that you can come back for more if you are still hungry. A little self-talk is beneficial as it alleviates the feeling that you are depriving yourself of food. Before going back for extra food, wait a few minutes after eating your last bite and allow your brain and stomach to get in sync with their signals. Many times the mind still believes its hungry but the stomach is already full. This leads to overeating, which in turn packs on the pounds. If you’re ready to look good in that bikini, today is the day to start cutting back on the portions.

4. Listen to your body. What is it saying to you? Are you really hungry or does your mind crave stimulation? Many times we are simply bored and begin to eat. We long for satisfaction and tend to reach back to our most primitive need… to feed ourselves. Food is not the problem-food is the answer. By eating smaller meals frequently throughout the day, you can stay satisfied and won’t be tempted to snack mindlessly between meals.

5. Participate in circuit training exercises. Circuits are a great way to lose weight and get fit really fast. As a matter of fact it may actually be the best way to get bikini ready in as little as 15 minutes a day. Circuits alternate plyometrics with strength training, doing 8 to 10 exercises with no rest in between. It may take some work to build up your stamina, but do as many as you can and in no time at all you’ll build strength, endurance and a body that will be ready for the beach, pool or spa.

Karen Ficarelli is the founder and CEO of Fitness4Her.com, a diet, exercise program and women’s fitness blog, developed especially for women. A mother of three, Karen knows how hard it is to fit everything into a busy schedule. A fitness author, personal trainer, Pilate’s instructor, sports nutritionist, fitness model, wife and mom, Karen is passionate about helping other women reach their fitness goals. She knows firsthand that the desire to attain a healthy, slim and well-toned body is just as important as any other dream that a woman can have. But going a step further, Karen understands that to achieve that dream, you first must believe in it. —- Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karen_Ficarelli —- http://EzineArticles.com/?5-Simple-Ways-to-Get-Beach-Bikini-Ready&id=4368834