Look Good in a Bikini -- NOW!

You know those girls that walk around on the beach with a sarong tied around their waist? Sure, it's cute, but that's so not what I imagine when I buy a super-hot bikini that I absolutely love. What I want is to show it off, not hide it. But with summer just around the corner (OK fine, it's already here, geez), I don't really have time to go on a strict diet or start a six-month workout. What I need is ... a quick fix. You know, easy tricks to hide those small flaws or de-bloat fast, whatever.

While nobody has a perfect body, there are some easy things you can do to prepare your body and make it look the best it can. I talked to several experts, including a nutritionist, fitness guru, tanning expert and makeup artist -- they gave me tips on everything from eating the right foods to de-bloat, to slimming down and prepping your skin for the beach. They even broke it down into a helpful timeline, so even if you only have a week (or heck, hours) until you have to be in that bikini, you'll be ready.

Just remember: rapid and dramatic weight loss should not be your goal. (Flabby arms and excess skin? Not attractive.) Instead, just focus on toning your body for summer and eating right. You'll see more of what I'm talking about in my post. Bikini-ready body? Here I come.

If you have one month: Start exercising

OK, so you probably can't drop 10 pounds in a month, but you can do certain exercises to slim down and tone your muscles. For fat burning, there is the classical and steady cardio. Try switching off between walking and running in five-minute intervals to raise your heart rate.

Next, try these strength training exercises that will give your muscles tone and definition. Hold 5 or 10 pound weights in your hands, and start with your arms at your sides. Slowly curl your arms upward to your chest, hold for five seconds, and slowly bring them back down. Now lift your arms out to the side, hold for five seconds, and bring them back down. Do this 15 times, and repeat for three sets. And doing it daily for a month? You'll see a difference.

If you have one month: Stick to a healthy diet

A month is plenty of time to make a difference in your diet and your body. Make sure you don't skip meals. This will only slow down your metabolism. Instead, eat a lot of lean (preferably grilled) proteins like salmon, white fish and chicken. Also, don't forget your dark vegetables, like broccoli, spinach, kale and celery.

Bonus tip: Taking fish oil pills and consuming more essential fatty acids (such as flaxseed oil) will strengthen your nails and hair. They also help reduce redness and irritation in the skin and promote a glowing complexion.

If you have one month: Avoid these "bad for you" foods

For the next few weeks (even better if you keep it up afterwards), don't eat anything on this list:
• Anything that comes in a can
• Excess salt
• Red meat
• Fruit juice or soda
• Corn and anything made out of it, like popcorn
• Starchy vegetables like potatoes and yams

You'll see a difference in how you look and feel after just a month of staying away from these foods.

If you have one week: De-bloat your body

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Your skin is the first to show signs of dehydration. Replace sugary juices and carbonated drinks with water and green tea only. Adding lemon to your water will help flush sodium out of your system. Fruits with a high water content (like watermelon, papaya and grapefruit) will also help reduce inflammation.

And after each meal? Drinking ginger or peppermint tea will help with digestion and minimize belly bloating. Also pineapple is the perfect snack because it's a natural digestive enzyme.

If you have one week: Prep your skin

First of all, make sure to avoid toxins such as alcohol, smoke, and stress leading up to your event. These toxins will dry out your skin and cause it to break out.

Every day in the shower, exfoliate your body with a loofa and a gentle body scrub. If you have body or facial acne, follow up with a daily acne treatment to clear it up.

You can also use gradual self-tanner to build up a glow throughout the week (much safer than hitting the tanning bed).

If you only have one week: Contour your body with self-tanner

Using self-tanner helps camouflage or mask any skin flaws or body abnormalities and creates the illusion of a longer, leaner look. Before you tan, moisturize your entire body with lotion and put on gloves. Apply a self-tanner in long strokes, starting from your feet up. Once it has dried, use your finger to "paint in" the following areas:

On your abs: Flex your muscles and paint down the center of your stomach. Start from just below your chest down to your belly button. Repeat down the sides.
On your arms: Hold one arm out and flex your muscles. Paint a line of self-tanner between your bicep and triceps. Repeat on the other arm.
On your legs: Apply an extra coat of self-tanner to the entire insides of your thighs and a bit more to the outer parts, leaving the middle section without as much tanner. Make sure to blend it all well.

If you only have one day: Contour your body with makeup instead

If you're short on time, you can use long-lasting makeup to create the same contouring effects and make your body look leaner. All you need is a body bronzer and a foundation brush. Here's how makeup artist Landy Dean says to contour your body:

On your arms: Hold one arm out and flex your muscles. Paint the gel bronzer between your bicep and triceps and use a foundation brush to blend. Repeat on the other arm.
On your chest: Use the foundation brush to paint the gel bronzer into the shadows around your clavicle bone.
On your legs: Flex your calf muscles and paint the shadows created under your muscles to accentuate them.

If you only have one day: Skip the heavy weight lifting

Skip your workout if you're planning to hit the beach tomorrow. Why? A heavy workout will swell your body temporarily as lactic acid builds up post-workout. Which means you might look bigger than normal. So for the slimmest "you" possible, save those training sessions for later.

If you only have one day: Practice your posture

We've all heard this before, and it's totally true. The way you hold your posture can make you look and feel slimmer. So practice standing up straight and holding your shoulders back -- slouching will create excess weight in your mid-section. That way, you'll be super confident when you slip into your bikini.

Another tip for when you're lying on the beach: dig a small hole beneath your towel for butt and build a small hill for your head. This will help you lay more naturally, so you're more comfortable and look sexier. It sounds weird, I know, but try it and see.


Enjoy the beach! ;-)