Long days spent at the beach are now within sight, and many people want to lose a few pounds before lounging in bikinis or taking a dip topless in trunks. But slimming down and toning up isn’t always easy. Practice these tricks to shed a few pounds before shedding your clothes. You’ll find you won’t have to completely depriving yourself of foods you love.

Drink aqua

While doctors and nutritionists have claimed water helps weight loss for decades. So, when you wake up, try to immediately drink a glass of water. This will get the digestive system started for the day. By drinking water before a meal, you generally feel fuller and therefore, tend to eat less.

Avoid juice and soda

These drinks contain a lot of unnecessary sugar and calories. According to Reader’s Digest, Americans typically ingest an extra 245 calories a day from drinks other than water. While high-calorie juices and sodas may taste good, they add calories on to any daily count. Watch out for those delicious wake-up-call coffees, too. Substitute cream for skim  milk and sugar for splenda to cut down on fat content and calories.

Eat an apple

Eating an apple not only keeps the doctor away, but also a whole apple is much healthier choice than a cup of apple juice. Juice contains added sugars. Apples also contain antioxidants and nutrients that can get filtered out in the juice.

Eat fresh

… But not at Subway. Eating fresh vegetables and fruits is much better than eating frozen or canned goods. Preservatives and sweeteners are added into canned foods packing them with more calories. Raw vegetables and fruits are also a better choice than cooked ones. Cooking takes about half of the nutrients out of the vegetable.

Eat breakfast

Though sleep and class may take precedent over food, it is important to eat something within the first hour of waking up. Food in the morning kick starts your metabolism for the rest of the day. You don’t have to eat a lot at breakfast, just make sure it is something with some nutritional benefit to get your body started for the day. And if you’re the kind of person who likes to roll out of bed and straight out the door, grab a Special K bar or some Nature Valley granola products.

Pick the right diet

Keep in mind that every diet doesn’t work for everyone. While your best friend may have dropped 10 pounds in two weeks by focusing on an all-protein diet, your body may not metabolize protein in the same way. If you love carbs, don’t pick a diet that eliminates them. Like to work-out? Choose a cleanse that involves daily exercise. Like veggies? Eat a lot of them. Any diet can work, just not for everyone. Although you have the opportunity to choose your own diet, make sure you stay on task with dieting and not heavy consumption of the chosen product.

Fiber

Increase the amount of broccoli, beans and bran in your diet to get your digestive system in check. These foods regulate your system because they help break down sugars and rid the body of toxins. Fiber also helps regulate and manage cholesterol, blood sugar levels and prevents some types of cancer.

Timing is everything

Eating at the same time every day gets your body into a routine so it knows when to process its nutrients. Try to eat the same type of food each time every day for maximum results. Your body will grow accustomed to feeling full and hungry so that you won’t end up starving yourself and then gorging at any point.

Spice it up

Spicy foods can speed up your metabolism and curb appetite. An added benefit to these types of food is that they are generally low in calories. Add some hot sauce to an omelet or jalapenos to a salad to incorporate some hotness into your diet. Spicy foods also make you happy because of the way that compounds found in them trigger pain receptors in the mouth and brain that release endorphins. Not only will you look great, but you’ll feel great too.

Color your world

Pick veggies and fruit that are bright in color. They’re generally fresher, and have more nutrients in them. Greens, reds, and oranges signal a healthy vegetable. In contrast, try to eat off of dark colored dishes. The brain perceives dark colors as an appetite suppressant.

Ashley Berger can be reached at [email protected].