The Fabulous Body Fast Diet

Part detox, part de-puff, part weight loss plan - this neat seven-day diet will get you back into your dress or bikini and leave skin soft and silky.

Perfect for the last-minute weight loss, this is the plan for you if you're looking to lose weight quickly - say before a holiday, or a big family event where you want to look your best.

And even better, the plan is just seven days long, so there's no need to commit to a restricted diet for months on end in order to achieve the body you want.

So what does the fabulous body fast diet consist of?

The diet plan:

It's short, it's sharp and we'd love to say it's sweet but, hey, we'd be kidding you. Our week-long diet works like a charm at deflating that bloated tum, getting you back into that dress and making you feel bright as a button.

As a bonus, your skin is also going to look glowing, and you'll sleep a whole lot better thanks to some pampering treats you can do yourself.

Let's be honest. This diet is never going to win prizes as a gourmet feast, but we guarantee that after what may be a headachey first day, you'll feel brighter than you have in a long time.

The menu:

In the morning

First thing

Do a healthy shot. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon or half a lime into a small glass, then add a little water and drink. Don't have lots of water - a small glassful is enough.

Pre-breakfast juice

Make a de-puff juice. Create a naturally diuretic drink using a mix of either cucumber, fennel or celery as a base, then add a little sweetness with either beetroot, carrot or apple plus a little parsley. Make enough for one large, healthy glassful and drink it immediately. Need an idea or two?

Try juicing these: - A quarter of a cucumber, two sticks celery, one carrot - One apple, a handful parsley and two to three sticks celery - One fennel bulb, an apple and a carrot - A small beetroot (uncooked and unpeeled), one apple and half a cucumber

No juicer? Don't abandon the diet - just add more water to your early morning shot and make it a long drink instead.

Breakfast Fruit and more fruit. Don't eat this straight after your veggie juice drink - you'll create fermentation and, in turn, bloat! Wait until you start to feel hungry, then eat a bowl of fruit salad or two to three whole fruits. For this week you can eat any fruit for breakfast except bananas, oranges and melon (and no dried fruits, which, of course, contain a mountain of sugar).

In the afternoon

Lunch

Easy eating. Hungry early? Don't wait. Eat at noon if you like, but leave a gap of at least two hours after your breakfast to prevent any bloat and help flatten your tum.

- Lunch should be either a really big mixed salad or a large bowl of steamed vegetables topped with some protein. Choose from organic chicken, turkey or grilled or steamed fish, all about the size of a medium chicken breast.

Or, have a same-sized portion of canned salmon or tuna. Go for tuna in olive oil, drain away the excess, but leave a little behind - it's good for you. Tuna in brine should be rinsed to lower your salt intake and help keep the bloat away. Vegetarians can add grilled tofu or cooked pulses.

Dress your salads with lemon or lime juice plus a little flax seed or olive oil and fresh chopped herbs. Add black pepper, but no salt.

An afternoon snack

The afternoon is the perfect time for a snack, as an energy slump at around four is a downer for those wanting to slim. Perk yourself up with a small snack.

- If you're working and need a brain boost, eat nuts. Count out either six almonds, six hazelnuts or four big brazil nuts. Chew slowly and deliberately (about 30 times per mouthful).

- If you're relaxing, cut some watermelon into bite-sized chunks and snack through a small cereal bowlful.

The evening

Dinner

It's a drinkable meal. Make this a veggie soup meal to help your gut take it easy and keep that tummy flat. Create your own soups using your favourite veg and this easy method.

- Using a little olive oil, gently cook a chopped onion until soft.

- At this point, add any spices you fancy, maybe cumin, turmeric, chilli, garlic or ginger, to give your soup a kick.

- Throw in lots of your favourite veggies in fairly big pieces (but no potatoes) and stir until they're glossed up. Put on the pan lid and let them all sweat gently for a few minutes.

- Give your soup body and a golden look by throwing in a handful of red lentils before you add the water - delicious, good looking and a shot of protein.

- Pour over some water to cover and simmer until the veggies are tender, topping up with water if you need to.

- Serve as it is or blend half to make a thicker soup, blend all of it to make a creamy soup. Eat a big bowlful of this for dinner. If you feel a bit empty at bedtime, don't go hungry - just have another small bowl.

No time to make soup? Thinking ahead, you can batch cook some of your chosen recipe and stash it in the freezer before you start the diet. Home-made is definitely preferable, as you control the ingredients and the salt content and you'll get bigger, chunkier portions. In a pinch, buy a carton of ready-made without cream or grains.

All through the day

- Keep yourself well hydrated. Skip regular coffee, tea and fruit juices. - Drink lots of water - have a glass on the go all the time and get a couple of litres down you every day. - Drink herbal teas - including Rooibos tea, which tastes like the real thing but has no caffeine. And no milk!

And be prepared for some great results...