Bikini season is approaching fast. Pretty soon you’ll be in outside in the sun showing off your beach body. Oh, not ready for Photo courtesy of memoflores via Flickr yet? Gained a few extra pounds this past winter? It’s okay we’ve got some easy tips to help you get toned, healthy and confident just in time for the upcoming months of summer.

1) Eat less, exercise more. This is easier said than done sometimes, but nonetheless it remains the golden rule for dropping pounds, getting in shape, and feeling healthier.

2) Find ways to cut out calories and corners. If you drink whole milk or 2% try switching to 1% or fat free milk. If you like mayonnaise on your sandwiches try switching to ‘light mayo.’

3) Find ways to get more exercise; pick a routine that works for you personally or something fun that you will enjoy doing. Try walking around your neighborhood at night after dinner or sign yourself up for a dance class.

4) Smaller portions. Portion control is key to loosing weight or toning down. A piece of cooked chicken should be no bigger than a deck of cards and a serving size of pasta should be the size of a baseball according to webmd.com.

5) Eat out less to control what you are eating and to see what exactly is going into your food. These days, restaurants offer massive portion sizes and high fat contents which can be disastrous to any diet.

6) Cut out highly fattening drinks in your diet such as calorie packed coffee beverages or smoothies. Don’t treat a coffee break like it’s dessert.

7) Don’t go too long without eating in-between meals. You become ravenous and are more likely to overeat or make bad choices.

8) Drink more water and try to fill yourself up in between meals. Snack on things like almonds or Greek yogurt to fill the void between meals throughout the day.

9) According to experts eating 5 small meals a day is better for you and your metabolism as opposed to eating three larger meals.

10) You probably love it but cut out some of the cheese you are eating. Sure it’s full of calcium but lets face it, it’s kind of fattening.

11) Buy snacks and meals that are already portioned out. For example, Nabisco makes 100-calorie snack packs of things like Chips Ahoy, Oreos, and more.

12) Also try replacing a few meals with a Lean Cuisine dinner or Healthy Choice frozen meal. These are low in calories and are pre-made and packaged so there is no easy access to “seconds.”

13) “Eat like a king in the morning, a prince at noon, and a pauper at dinner.” This saying holds true, as it is better to get more of your calories earlier in the day so that your body has the chance to burn them off throughout the rest of it.

14) Cut out all snacking past 8pm. If you eat something right before bedtime, your body will not have the chance to burn it off because you will be lying down sleeping for the rest of the night. Instead create a cutoff time and stick to it. If you must eat, eat light. Have a fruit or some nuts to hold you over.

15) Don’t go food-shopping hungry. You will be tempted to bring bad snack choices into your home. Instead make sure you are full and resist the urge to bring fattening things into your house. That way when you look into your fridge for something to eat later on there will be nothing bad readily available to you.

16) Drink a glass of water before sitting down to eat your meal. It will make you fuller faster.

17) Also try eating a salad before a meal for a similar affect. You will be less likely to overeat later once your food is ready.

18) Now that the weather is nice try walking to some of the places you would normally drive to. If it is a reasonable distance to walk then don’t be lazy by taking your car. Adding more walking to your daily routine is a painless way to add activity and burn more calories.

19) Snack on things like cucumbers or celery. One whole cucumber has 45 calories and celery burns more calories getting digested than it adds being eaten according to caloriescount.about.com.

20) Stay active and busy. Boredom sometimes leads to feeling hungry even though you might actually not be. Keep active, busy and positive and you will see results.