Get ready for bikini season with our diet plan

With only four weeks until the unofficial start of summer, we're going to help you shed any leftover “winter weight” you're carrying around and get your body ready for bikini season once and for all. Each week, nutritionist Joy Bauer will give you a step-by-step game plan for achieving your goals. We're kicking off this special series, the “Today” show’s Summer Slim-Down Guide, with her program to jump-start your diet. Bauer was invited on “Today” to go over the first two steps of her healthy, no-fuss weight-loss plan. Here's her second step:

Congratulations! You’re about to begin a regimen that will help you look and feel smashing … just in time for summer. My low-calorie plan is loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant-rich foods. You’ll get a blast of daily nutrition, plus you'll feel full and satisfied while you lose weight. Be sure to drink plenty of water — aim for nine or more cups each day — and take a daily multivitamin simply for backup. Also, if you’re not getting enough daily calcium from low-fat dairy and calcium-fortified foods, consider taking a separate calcium supplement of 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams (split between two doses throughout the day, and taken with food). Be sure to purchase a calcium supplement that also provides Vitamin D and magnesium.

Step Two
“What’s on the menu”

This plan is based on my 90/10 food strategy: 90 percent healthy foods and 10 percent fun foods. All daily menus have been calculated at approximately 1,400 to 1,600 calories. If you don’t follow my menu, use the following food guidelines:

90 percent healthy

• One serving of high-quality starch with each meal (or three total servings for the day.) One serving = 1 slice whole wheat bread (or, two slices reduced calorie bread), 1/2-cup cooked brown rice or whole wheat pasta, 1 small whole wheat pita bread (70 calories), 1/2 large whole wheat pita bread, 1/2 medium white baked or sweet potato, 3/4-cup whole grain breakfast cereal (120 calories or less), 1/2 cup dry plain oatmeal, 1/2 whole grain English muffin, 1/2 cup peas, corn, starchy beans (for example kidney beans or chickpeas), or acorn or butternut squash.
• Two daily servings of fresh fruit. (They can be eaten with meals or snacks.)
  One serving = 1 medium piece of fruit, 1 small banana, 1/2 mango, 1/2 papaya, 1 cup berries, or fruit salad.
• Unlimited vegetables throughout the day. One serving = 1 cup raw or 1/2-cup cooked. Try to count peas, corn, and potatoes as starch. (See above.)
• Lean protein with each meal. Appropriate portions are 3 to 5 ounces of lean meat, chicken, fish or tofu; or 1 cup skim milk, non-fat yogurt or 1 percent reduced-fat cottage cheese; or 1 to 2 ounces of nonfat or low-fat sliced cheese; or 1 whole egg plus two egg whites.
• Limit the fats. They should be limited at each meal to the following: 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil, or 1 tablespoon regular salad dressing, or 2 to 4 tablespoons low-calorie salad dressing, or 1 to 2 tablespoons nuts, or 1 tablespoon peanut butter, or 1 tablespoon healthy spread (light cream cheese, soft-tub, trans-fat-free margarine, guacamole, or reduced fat mayonnaise).

10 percent fun

• Each day you have the opportunity to enjoy one daily fun food each and every day. All fun foods are portioned at 150 calories or less. This helps satisfy cravings and removes the deprivation often associated with dieting. You may choose to skip the daily fun food, and instead enjoy an additional serving of one of the following; high quality starch, fruit, protein, or fat.
• You can choose your own fun food, or you can pick a dessert or snack from Joy's list.
  

10 fun foods
1 ounce dark chocolate
½ cup fat-free pudding
½ cup low-fat ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet
1 low-fat ice cream pop (less than 150 calories)
7 cups of light popcorn
1 ounce baked chips
1 ounce pretzels
4 licorice sticks
1 cup natural applesauce
1 small bag of soy crisps
10 strawberries with 2 tablespoons reduced-fat whipped topping
1 baked apple with 1 teaspoon sugar and cinnamon
1 frozen banana

Joy’s Summer Slim-Down menu plan
Get ready to feel great! All my meals are interchangeable, so if you like one breakfast better than another breakfast, feel free to substitute and repeat it several times. The same thing goes for lunch, dinner, and snacks. If you dine out a lot, or don’t have time to prepare my specific meals — simply use my meal suggestions as a reference and stay as close to the course as you can. For example, to order my Fiesta Omelet in a restaurant, ask for an egg white omelet stuffed with spinach and onion, with one slice of dry whole wheat toast.

Here’s the calorie breakdown:
Breakfast: Approximately 300 calories
Lunch: Approximately 400 calories
Snack: Approximately 150 to 200 calories
Dinner: Approximately 400 calories
Fun Food: 150 calories or less

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