As I step onto the warm sand of my favourite beach, I am filled with elation — finally summer is here! Long hot days lazing in the sun, frolicking in the water and drinking cocktails.

My euphoria is dampened slightly as I cast my eyes over the crowded beach and see one gorgeously bronzed (slim) body after the next, but I take a deep breath and look purposefully for a place to lay my towel.

I take a few moments to arrange my towel and bag into a camping spot for the day and then I am faced with the inevitable task of removing my long flowing summer dress to reveal a rather flabby white bod beneath.

Not such reckless abandon

Ah yes, what was once an effortless act of throwing off clothes with reckless abandon, is now a humiliating attempt at surreptitiously removing my clothing whilst hiding beneath my towel.

With a quick glance around me I furtively slip out of my dress. The sirens start blaring, everyone stares, some snigger and a little kid says, "look mom, it's a beached whale."

Ok, so that didn't actually happen and chances are no one even glanced in my direction, but that is how I feel and that's just as bad... well almost.

Being a fairly regular exerciser, I am always a little stumped when it comes to transforming the flab. I know the answer is in my diet, but I just can’t seem to figure out an approach to losing weight that doesn't involve deprivation, misery and celery sticks.

So, I turned to dietician Rael Koping for some advice on how to eat my way to a glorious summer body.

More is less

Limiting yourself to one meal a day is not necessarily going to make you lose weight. Rael suggests that you should be eating four meals a day — breakfast, lunch and supper with an afternoon snack.

And an afternoon snack doesn't mean grabbing a packet of chips on the move. Put aside time for your snack and enjoy it. Remember if you actually take notice of the fact that you are eating, you are less likely to be hungry at a later stage.

Vary your snack from one day to the next, but go for the healthy options. Rael suggests fruits, nuts, game biltong, light snack bars or crudités as healthy alternatives to a packet of crisps and a coke. Wash down all that healthy goodness with a glass of tomato juice.

Moderation is key

Having an afternoon snack means that you won't be ravenous when it comes to supper, so you will be able to have something light. When it comes to your meals watch your portion sizes — often we dish up much more than we actually need. Anything in excess is going to do unfortunate things to your figure, so remember, moderation is key.

While there seem to be many debates over carb/protein ratios, one thing is clear: fibre (especially soft fibre) is very important. Aside from lowering cholesterol levels and controlling blood sugar, fibre plays an important role in your digestive system and not eating enough could leave you with constipation and a seriously bloated beach belly.

Soft fibre includes oats, legumes (beans and lentils), barley and fruits such as apples, strawberries and oranges. If the thought of consuming all that fruit is a little daunting, why not mix up a delicious fruit smoothie? Blending ice-cream into your smoothie is a definite no-no, but you can use low-fat plain yoghurt as a healthy alternative.

Dear diary

Dear diary... today I ate a bowl of oats, a banana and a celery stick... Yes, I know this sounds like the diary entry of a teenager with an eating disorder, but Rael suggests that keeping a food diary (without becoming overly obsessed) can actually help your eating habits.

Sometimes we eat without consciously thinking about it. Writing everything down can help with planning your meals, internalising the dietary changes that you are making and identifying any possible obstacles to your summer perfection. Yip, that bar one you ate whilst sitting at your computer does count as an obstacle.

So, there you have it. Be aware of what you eat, have four meals a day, keep the portions small and don't skimp on that fibre. And then, the beach is your... um... oyster?

Rael Koping is a dietician based in Cape Town and can be contacted at rael@performax.co.za or on +27 21 439 4394.

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