What better way to lose weight and tone your body ready for the bikini than to increase your fitness levels and eat healthily.

If it sounds like good old-fashioned hard work then you may need a helping-hand from a personal trainer. At LK Today we decided to go straight to the top and hire celebrity physique guru Tim Bean. 

Tim has spent 4 weeks working with our volunteer. She will try to lose weight relying solely on exercise and healthy eating.

Amy is 21 and mother of 1, she weighs 13 stone and would like to go down to 10.  She has lost 20lbs already! She is very committed and ready to try anything to lose weight.  She will be closely monitored by Tim Bean who will train her and give her advice on how to stay fit.

Amy has worked through gigantic hurdles of two weddings, a hen night, her husband's 21st and her son's 1st birthday all in the space of the 4 weeks. Watch Amy on Monday's LK Today to find out how she got on!

Training with Tim

Tim Bean is probably the world's most sought-after physique specialist. He doesn't come cheap, his fees are incredible, but money is not the only requirement for prospective clients.

Tim will interview each potential client thoroughly before signing them up, and only the truly motivated ones will be signed up to his programme. Tim offers lessons in diet, measures the body, oversees exercise, checks food intake and nags, nags, nags.

Tim's prices can go up to £30,000 for a month, and his it's essentially a weight-management programme. So if you'd like to find a personal trainer we suggest you start at your local gym for a more reasonable rate.

Tim's 'to do' list before starting

• Bupa medical

• Higher nature vitamin supplements

• Age-profile checked to ascertain biological age through tests such as reaction times.

• First consultation with Tim with fat-measuring callipers and tape measure, before and after picture.

• Healthy eating talk

• Gym membership

Tim Bean's Insititute of Physique Management, London - "The Best Shape of Your Life..."

Immediate Strategy Items:

1. Drink Organic Green, or Chai, tea instead of coffee or black tea
Green tea is a powerful anti-oxidant, and has Thermogenic properties. Thermogenics are foods whose properties cause them to raise the metabolism to a higher rate of calorie burn-off.  We know these as items which, when included in foods, make you hot and can bring on a sweat even though you may not be doing any activity at the time.  Common Thermogenics are chilli, ginger root, grapefruit extract, black and white pepper, cayenne, etc.  Green tea contains only a small amount of caffeine (20gms per cup) as opposed to coffee (80gms) or cola and tea (45gms).  Herbal infusions generally contain no caffeine at all, and may also assist in detoxing the body (dandelion tea/coffee for example)

2. Have a glass of grapefruit juice mixed half and half with water as a refreshing drink during the day
As well as being Thermogenic, grapefruit is one of the few fruits which are acidic when consumed, but which cause a highly alkaline fallout, or ash, in the body after digestion.  A great way to equalise acid-alkaline balance in the body. Tomatoes and lemon, surprisingly enough, are two others.

3. Eat a bowl of porridge (made with water) every day for breakfast
Oats are high in fibre, protein and niacin (good for combating cholesterol), and supply a healthy dose of calories to get the metabolism fired up with at the start of the day.  Porridge can be mixed with small amounts of dried fruit or a chopped banana added to the mixture during cooking to sweeten and add flavour.  An organic oat-based raw muesli with fresh fruit and no-fat yoghurt is also a great option.

4. Drink no more than 1 small glass of wine, once a week
A glass of wine contains the same amount of calories as a can of cola (which has about 6 teaspoons of sugar), so it's something to be cut right down.  As an alternative drink try sparkling water mixed with a little lemon or lime and ice to liven it up a bit.  Spirits are not that much better than wine as the alcohol unit consumption is roughly the same.

5. Don't snack on nuts during the day when trying to lose weight
Better alternatives would be fresh cut carrot batons, or small nibbles of broccoli, cauliflower, sliced peppers or cucumber sticks, possibly with a yoghurt-based dip.  Fruit is another great snack to have in small quantities – bananas are high in potassium, apples are very convenient, grapes have a sweet taste, and dates, figs and prunes are high in fibre (be careful...!).  Nuts and seeds (especially pumpkin, sunflower, flax and linseed) are a great source of Omega fats (the good ones), but are better included and spread amongst a breakfast cereal, stir-fry or salad to limit quantity..  Care should be taken to store nuts and seeds in the refrigerator to prevent the deterioration of the oils they contain.

6. Include starch carbs during the day, but these should only make up ¼ of your meal size on the plate
This should equal no more than 1 teacup of pasta, for example. One other quarter should be your protein (chicken, fish, steak) and the rest made up of vegetables or salad greens.  Trade white rice for brown, white bread for wholemeal and white pasta for wholemeal or wheat-free.  Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is also an excellent grain, a little like cous-cous, but which contains a full profile of essential amino acids, and is a "complete" protein.

7. At night eliminate white and starchy carbs from the meal profile altogether, making up the difference with extra vegetables or salad greens

8. The main aim of the regime is to reduce your fat intake to less than 10% of your total calorie consumption, allowing no more than 5 grams per meal, but to source these, not from saturated fats, but from omega fats.  These are commonly found in fish, grains, nuts and seeds, and assist in building and maintaining brain, nerve tissue and healthy hormone production.

9. Commence a regime of exercise to begin the process of increasing fitness and strength 
If unused to exercise start with a brisk walk for 30-40 mins once a day, combined with 2-3 sessions of leisure or recreational activity (tennis, skiing, cycling, trekking).  Try to get these sessions in most days of the week.  If already training or accustomed to gym workouts, complete 3 total-body routines per week, with 2-3 cardio sessions on other days. These may be recreational, or attending gym classes, or mixed sessions on c.v. equipment (stepper, elliptical trainer, treadmill, rower, cycle, etc) for 30-40 mins. 

10. Record all food intake in a diary or log for the 4 weeks, including the week-end
This allows you to observe your own eating patterns, choices and tastes in food, and will also increase your awareness of what you put in your mouth from hour to hour, day to day.  Adjustments can then be made with greater accuracy and purpose.  Once you're comfortable with this turn your log into a planner and write down what you will be eating for the next 3 days ahead. Go and buy the ingredients, make the meals, and enjoy the control you now have over your food!

11. Eat a small balanced meal every 3 hours
This will stop cravings, give you loads of energy when you need it, fire your metabolism up and moderate your blood sugar levels (preventing those dreadful mid-afternoon crashes!)  Do it – it works!

Your body shape is made up entirely of what you eat and  what you drink, you alone are responsible for how you look and feel!