It is officially Spring Break countdown time! There are only a few weeks between you and a beach party and an opportunity to unveil a new toned svelte body.
It just so happens there are only 5 weeks until the deadline for submissions for the 1 Sol Swimwear 2012 Swimsuit Model Search!
What can you do in 5 weeks to get yourself beach and camera ready? It turns out you can do a lot. Focus on three basic areas of fitness, either stepping up your game or throwing a last minute program together. Either way, you can do a lot to look good in a short period of time if you are dedicated and motivated enough (how is a $1000 grand prize for motivation?!).
Nutrition: At its most basic, a diet is just you trying to burn more calories than you take in. There are lots of diets that claim that they will give you faster results through a magical combination of foods, but none has ever been really scientifically proven. Your best bet will be looking at your current diet and cutting out some bad habit eating, or swapping high calorie meals for leaner healthier ones. Keep track of your eating with a notebook, and make sure you are eating a healthy variety of foods with plenty of water.
Cardiovascular exercise: Again, it doesn’t matter much what you do, so long as you are doing it. That said, what exercises pack the biggest calorie burning punch? Running (8 mph)burns an estimated 550 calories per hour, continuous lap swimming burns around 500 per hour, step aerobics can burn around 500 an hour as well, and motivated indoor cycling with high rpms can get you burning upwards of 450 calories per hour. Do one of these activities for an hour everyday and you’ll immediately be dropping a pound a week (without cutting calories!).
Strength training: Melt all that fat away and what will you reveal? Hopefully some hot toned muscles! You can hit the gym and the cycle of machines, or free weights, but all you really need is your own body weight to tone up. Try a daily series of push-ups, pull-ups, abdominal crunches and leg squats to tone up those muscles as you lose the extra padding.
The clock is ticking ladies! Whatever program you decide you throw yourself into you better do it soon because the bikini doesn’t lie!
The sunny sandy days of this year’s spring break are so rapidly approaching you can almost smell the sunscreen and taste the frozen margaritas.
Despite a dedicated workout regimen and a well planned diet, you could be sabotaging your body with bad habits that interfere with you looking your best. Take a cue from the effective daily habits of a 
While you could bundle up with sweats, why look like you are headed to the gym when you could look polished and casual instead? To stay comfortable, but look fabulous when you are lounging at a winter resort before or after your relaxing soak in the hot tub try a maxi length belted sweater for your cover up. A thicker wool knit is perfect for cold climates, whereas a thin cashmere or ultra loose crochet are great for more temperate climes.