Slim down for summer! Melt off 5lb in five days!

HOW IT WORKS

1 The heat affects what and how much we eat, because on a hot summer’s day our body is making an effort to stay cool. All bodily functions, including digestion, create heat, so our brain suppresses our appetite to help reduce the work it needs to do.

2 Heat makes us perspire and, as well as losing water, we lose enzymes and nutrients, and the chemical imbalance this sets up can also make us feel less hungry.

3 Diet expert and author of 2 Weeks In The Fast Lane Diet Fiona Kirk* says you can fuel summer weight loss by adding some spice to food, such as chilli and cayenne pepper, which revs up the metabolic rate so you burn extra calories.

4 Vitamin D found in sunlight can help with weight loss, too. Stored in the body’s fat cells, it helps us absorb calcium and iron, and the latest UK research shows that people deficient in vitamin D find it harder to lose weight, especially belly fat. Take your lunch outside or go for a walk in the sun – but remember to protect your skin!

5 Eating foods that beat the heat will help you stay on diet track. Watermelon is 70 per cent water, which keeps skin hydrated and contains antioxidants that protect skin from sunburn. Grapes, cucumber and radishes are good tossed into summer salads, and try adding mint to iced tea – it has a natural cooling effect on the body.

6 Our five-day plan starts with a two-day fruit-and-vegstyle fast, then follow the three-day protein-based plan to help you shift up to 5lb in a week.