Meet our Team Bikini bloggers
Friday 01 May 2009
We all know that it can be hard work to prepare your body for summer, sun and - eek - bikinis!
So to give you some motivation and show you how easy-peasy it can be to lose a few pounds with the help of the right weight loss regime, we found four dedicated Closeronline readers who are willing to join us on our mission to get bikini-confident!
These four brave ladies have agreed to share their experiences with you as they battle the 'beach bulge'.
Follow them every week until it's time to don that dreaded two-piece and find out how well our Closerdiets.com diet plan is working out for them!
Jennifer Trak 
Occupation: Fashion Stylist
Age: 27
Height: 5' 4"
Size: 12
Starting Weight: 9st
Jennifer works for a magazine in an office full of women - so gossip, biscuits and chocolate are never far away!
And the fashion stylist admits that her weak will power makes it hard to pass on the donuts! Indulging her cravings for pizza and chips has resulted in the pounds creeping on slowly but surely.
Jennifer used to be a keen runner but 'sheer laziness' has meant she has become a bit of a couch potato recently.
The 27-year-old wants to increase her fitness levels and in return feel less sluggish and more energetic. She has chosen the Low Calorie - Low Carb option from the 16 different Closerdiets meal plans.
However, her old diet consisted of the following:
Breakfast: Croissant and hazelnut latte
Mid-morning snack: Chocolate biscuits and a cup of tea
Lunch: Jacket potato with cheese, beans and butter, an apple, chocolate bar and a Diet Coke
Mid-afternoon snack: Chocolate bar and a cup of coffee with milk and sugar, cheese
Dinner: Baked salmon with cheesy pasta, a mixed salad, chocolate mousse, a glass of white wine
Jennifer says:
'I'm determined to stop indulging my every whim and being a bit of a glutton before I bust out of my summer playsuits!'
Sally Mitchenall 
Occupation: Picture Researcher
Age: 30
Height: 5' 4"
Size: 12
Starting Weight: 10st 4lb
Sally works in a busy full-time job in the city, which means she often doesn't get home until late. In her previous job as a studio photographer the 30-year-old was running around all day, but her new role as a picture researcher is rather less active.
Being a single mum to ten-year-old Joseph means that mornings can turn into a bit of a rush as they both get ready to leave the house, so she often skips breakfast.
Sally admits that she can be prone to snacking in the afternoon, with biscuits and crisps that are lying around in the office offering temptations.
At the weekends, the 30-year-old from London enjoys a few drinks which can result in 'late night munchies' on the way home.
Sally is hoping to drop a few pounds in time for summer without losing her curves!
Before starting her Closerdiets Mediterranean diet plan, on a typical day Sally would eat:
Breakfast: Often skips breakfast or has a cup of tea instead
Mid-morning snack: Crisps or a sandwich
Lunch: Risotto or pasta from the canteen
Mid-afternoon snack: Biscuits or crisps
Dinner: Pizza or quiche, cheesy pasta, couple of glasses of wine
Sally says:
'I'm determined to get more active and I'm realistic about my goals - I also don't want to lose my bum and boobs.'
Nadia Mierkalns 
Occupation: Sales Advisor
Age: 24
Height: 5' 6"
Size: 16-18
Starting Weight: 14st 8lb
Nadia joined Closerdiets.com in January 2009 and has done very well with her meal plan so far, losing an incredible 3st in four months.
At her heaviest, the 24-year-old was a size 22 after putting on four stone after changing jobs three years ago.
Despite unconditional support from her boyfriend, Nadia decided that she had to do something about her weight to feel happier again when she tipped the scales at 17st 8lb on New Year's Eve 2008.
Nadia's initial goal was to be able to fit into her size 18 clothes again, but since she has been doing so well with her plan, she is now determined to fit into a size 12 come summer time.
Before she signed up to Closerdiets.com on January 2nd, Nadia's diet would consist of the following:
Breakfast: She often skipped breakfast
Mid-morning snack: Biscuits
Lunch: Sandwich, crisps and a piece of cake
Mid-afternoon snack: Chocolate bar
Dinner: A big portion of pasta
Nadia says:
'Losing seven pounds in my first week on the Closerdiets plan felt great. This is my year to change!'
Debra Moss 
Occupation: Operations Manager
Age: 38
Height: 5'8"
Size: 16
Starting Weight: 14st 2lb
After giving birth to her son in 2005, Debra had shed nearly all of her baby weight when back problems forced her to quit exercising. The weight gradually crept back on and Debra lost all motivation, turning to comfort eating instead.
Working in a high-pressured busy job that involves lots of client lunches or grabbing convenience foods during her hectic day made it even harder for the Operations Manager to slim.
But after having successful surgery on her back, Debra is now raring to go and shed a few pounds in time for a big family wedding this summer.
Before joining Closerdiets.com, a typical day for Debra would look like this:
Breakfast: 2 Slices of white bread toasted with butter and jam
Mid-morning snacks: Chocolate bar
Lunch: Cheese sandwich, crisps, chocolate, cappuccino
Mid-afternoon snack: Chocolate or a piece of cake
Dinner: Steak, chips and onion rings, profiteroles and cream, tea cake or a bar of chocolate
Debra says:
'Joining Team Bikini has given me an extra incentive as I wouldn't want to let anyone down, especially if people were following my progress!'
Join the Team Bikini revolution today and get two weeks of the fabulous Closerdiets weight loss plan for free*, plus 10% discount on your summer essentials and a bottle of fake tan!
*Terms and conditions apply