When I posted my Bikini Boot Camp plan, I sincerely hoped that those of you struggling with your weight would find a healthy balance in achieving your goals. So you can imagine how thrilled I was when my team told me about LaurenConrad.com member, Andy Hitt. Andy lost 20 pounds on the plan and is looking better than ever! Here's what Andy said about achieving her new bikini bod:

When I saw Lauren's Bikini Boot Camp Plan, my first thought was 'This is actually something I could see myself sticking to!" I loved that she explained it as a "lifestyle change" and not a diet because let's face it, that word makes everyone run in the opposite direction! I was about 145 pounds and not looking forward to the summer months. In March I began eating correctly and exercising regularly, sticking to the simple guidelines Lauren encouraged. I can't tell you how good it feels to have reached my goal, and now I am focused on maintaining it!


With help from her post, I was able to loose 20 pounds! I'm so excited about what I have accomplished and would love to learn about the best ways to keep it off.

She looks amazing! Now that Andy has accomplished her fitness goals, she brought up a really good point–keeping the weight off. Like I said before, my Bikini Boot Camp plan is a lifestyle, not a diet. It is something that needs to be maintained and considered every single day. However, once you have reached your weight goal, it's important to keep making healthy choices in your diet and to keep exercising. For those of you who found yourself in the same boat as Andy, congratulations!!! I am so happy for you :-)

Here are some basic tips to help you keep those pesky pounds away for good, which I put together with the help of my trainer, Jarett del Bene:

Basic Tips for Keeping the Weight Off

1. Remind yourself of how much you've accomplished! It can be easy to over-celebrate (and over-indulge) once you have reached your goal weight. Keep a photograph around to serve as a constant reminder of how hard you worked and feel empowered because you did it. Stay motivated!
2. Keep exercising regularly. No excuses here. If you don't work it, you'll lose it. Fitness is a lifelong commitment with endless health benefits that go beyond the waistline. Make a habit of exercising at least 3-4 times week. I like to do three days of heavy exercise (kickboxing, weight training, cardio) during the week and then one day of fitness fun on the weekend, such as a hike or one of my non-workout workouts.
3. Always eat a healthy, balanced breakfast. The benefits of eating breakfast are nothing to ignore. It helps prevent binging and eating too many sweets. Plus it deters you from making unhealthy diet choices because your body is stabilized with the appropriate fuel to kick start your day.
4. Ditch your old duds. If you keep older clothes then you will be more likely to accept weight re-gain. If you don't have your old clothes to fallback on, you will be more likely to make a conscious effort to stay fit and slim for your new wardrobe. Also, I think the way your clothes fit is a better indicator of your weight rather than a scale. If your favorite pair of pants is starting to get tight, it's time to reel in and refocus. (There are plenty of deserving places to send your second-hand clothes. Click here for a few of my personal suggestions.)
5. Identify your weight-gain triggers. One of the best ways to break a habit is by identifying the trigger that leads to the negative action. Bad habits, such as turning to the fridge when you're stressed out or skipping the gym and thinking "I'll go tomorrow," create the viscous cycles that ultimately lead to upticks on the scale. Triggers can include, 3 o'clock boredom or dips in blood sugar (solution: take a quick walk or have healthy snack), watching television and mindlessly snacking (solution: eat fresh veggies instead of starchy or sugary foods and do crunches or lunges during commercial breaks), or getting in a fight with your beau and turning to you old friends Ben and Jerry (solution: call a girlfriend or go for a run). Staying strong is all about identifying what triggers your bad habit and replacing it with a better habit. This is one of the best ways to keep mindless weight-gain at bay.

Fitness Tips to Keep the Weight Off

1. Add some jumps. Try doing 25 jumping jacks in between your exercises to help intensify your workout.
2. Step it up. Now that you've dropped the weight, it is important to tone. For ultimate red carpet worthy legs, do lots of step up lunges and squats. (For extra gorgeous gams, check out my tips for skirt-ready legs.)
3. Keep your body guessing. Always switch up your reps with exercises. One week do 20 reps and then the next week do 25, and then 15 reps the following week. It's all about muscle confusion. If your body gets too accustomed to a single exercise, it will no longer be effective and you will plateau. Mix it up!
4. Be careful. Make sure you are always paying attention to your form so you don't get injured and know your limits.
5. Plan your workout. Know what kind of workout you are going to do so you don't waste time at the gym.

The most important thing to remember is to stay motivated! Your body is your temple. Treat it that way :-)

Do you have a simple at home exercise or healthy recipe that you really love? Share your favorites in the comments below. I would love to see them and I know your fellow LC members would too!

Also, if you're ready to show off your new bikini bod, upload a photo to your profile page and share the link below. My team and I will put together a Member Spotlight with a few of your photographs!

XO Lauren

P.S. The photo at the top of this post is from my Glamour shoot. For a behind-the-scenes peek, click here!

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Photo: Glamour