Although I did spend a fair amount of my childhood days on an island and posses a huge fascination for yachts/big boats, here are few things you probably didn’t know about me:

1) I don’t know how to swim
2) I’m not a big fan of the sun, sand and sea.
3) I’ve never been disciplined enough to stay on a diet program. Ever

So what’s with this blog post, right? Lol

Where do I begin.

I’ll admit that the urgency of this 28-day challenge sparked from the sudden realization that I would need to be wearing a bikini/swimsuit-of-sorts at least ONCE during an upcoming trip (which so happens to be a beach-centered one). Lol

And if I have to be caught in a bikini/swimsuit-of-sorts, be it once or for the entire duration of the trip, I WANT to be able to look, at the very least, decent.

Okay, I have another confession to make. I put on at least 4 kilograms over the past few years, and have been on a, shall I say, “gym-holiday”, for the longest time. *sheepish-grin*

Yes, I used to be one of the most active people around doing at least 500 stomach crunches a day, working out at gym at least 3 times a week, running 100 metres at a 12.9-second personal best and the list goes on. But that was a loooooooong time ago. Long, long, looooong time ago. I don’t even want to think about it. So depressing. Lol

Sure, I’ve been on a crazy work schedule and the blues (not to mention bodily pace) of the big three-‘o’ (“3”-“0”) has taken its toll on me but that’s no excuse.

So back to the title of this blog post - How to get a beach-ready body in 28-days.

Before I go any further with this, here are a few disclaimers:

1) This is NOT a proven or certified program.

It is merely a self-tailored plan based on a few practices and habits that have worked for me over the past 1.5 decades.

2) The objective of this program is NOT to lose body weight.

In fact, I may gain a few pounds in the process of converting fat into muscle. Don’t be scared though, because the great thing about having muscles in our body is that it helps to burn more calories. The more muscles you have, the more calories you naturally burn each day. Keyword – naturally. Oooo, wouldn’t you like that?! :-D

Nevertheless, don’t get me wrong because we’re not on a mission to look like body-builders. In the next 28 days, my personal objective with this is to conclude the program looking my best, feeling my best and being healthy; at a pace that is sustainable of course.

3) Healing crisis

Depending on how much toxins you have in your body or how unhealthy you are, 1 out of 3 things may happen to you during the next 28 days:

1: You won’t feel too much of an adverse difference – if you fall into this category than good on you, you’re relatively healthy.

2: You’ll feel better, more alert, you'll have more energy and you may be able to experience better quality sleep – if this is you, then great, you’re also relatively healthy.

3: You feel as though you’ve just been hit by a truck, or shall I say in Malaysian terms, lorry. Lol – In this case, brilliant! You’re getting the most out of the program.

This is very common with most detox programs since your body will try to flush out all the toxins from your body. The more toxins you have in your body the more severe your healing crisis. You may feel worse and therefore conclude that a particular program is not working for you but these reactions are instead signs that it IS working; and that your body is going through the process of cleansing itself of impurities, toxins and imbalances. This healing crisis is more apparent in adults compared to children (for obvious reasons). You can Google “Herxheimer Reaction” to understand this better.

If you’re looking for an extreme diet or workout plan, you’ve come to the wrong place;

because if we’re going to do this, let’s do it right with results that last. We’re definitely blessed to have the wide resources of “the internet” at our disposal so this will be an interesting journey indeed. Hehe.

YES, you’ll feel like giving up at some point or other, but remember, you’re too sexy for weakness!

NO, you won’t transform into the body of Elle Macpherson, Heidi Klum, Brooklyn Decker or any other perfect-bodied babe in 28 days (seriously, what were you thinking?!); but you will at the very least, look and feel more confident with yourself.

YES, the positive side effect from this 28-day challenge may include better looking skin, but that’s not our main agenda. That's... shall I say, a bonus.

So ladies, are you ready?

Let’s get started.

Here’s the fun part.

For today, the exercise you'll need to be doing is a walk around the mall. Yup, it's time to go shopping and here’s your shopping list (trust me ladies, this is a good investment not to mention the perfect reason for some retail therapy :-D):

1) A new bikini/swimsuit-of-sorts

2) Tape measure, weighing scale (if you don’t already own one)

3) 1-litre water bottle (if you like your drink cold/warm, buy one accordingly)

4) Exercise mat

5) Your staple breakfast for this week: yoghurt, muesli/muesli bar, milk, eggs, fruits (choose your favourite)

Once you’ve done your shopping, come back to this blog for the next step forward. See you soon and happy shopping ladies! Mwah!