There's a good chance that you'll find yourself in a bathing suit sometime within the next month.

If you are like most people then that realization will 1) bring a grimace to your face and 2) will motivate you to lose some weight.

While I commend your desire to slim down before baring it all, I'm here to warn you of the 5 myths that most people fall for. Don't waste your time on these:

Myth #1: Starve the pounds away.

Attempting to lose weight by starving yourself is not only ineffective, it's also dangerous. It may seem that severe calorie restriction would deliver the quickest weight loss, but your body is complex and by doing so you'll disrupt your metabolism and slow your results.

Tip: Don't starve yourself - instead eat healthy small meals throughout the day.

Myth #2: Take diet pills to boost your effort.

It's so tempting! The commercials make compelling claims about the power of diet pills, but don't fall for it. The 'magic pill' has yet to be discovered (it has been discovered - exercise. It's just not in pill form…). Diet pills are more likely to damage your health and burn your pocketbook than to slim you down.

Tip: Don't pop a pill - instead burn calories with exercise.

Myth #3: Do extra crunches to flatten your abs.

We all want our midsection to look toned as we stroll down the beach, but excessive crunches aren't the answer for tight abs. In order to achieve a lean look you'll have to focus on burning off the layer of fat that is covering up your abs.

Tip: Don't obsess about crunches - instead focus on fat burning.

Myth #4: Eat packaged diet foods for speedy results.

It is amazing to see the kinds of foods that are packaged as 'diet' or 'weight loss' aids. More often than not these products are packed with refined sugar and other artificial ingredients that your body doesn't need.

Tip: Don't eat packaged diet foods - instead stick with nutritious whole foods.

Myth #5: You have to spend two hours a day working out to burn fat.

The days of the "one hour of weights, hour of cardio" workouts are over. Circuit training with weights and cardio intervals are far more effective at burning calories, and can reduce your workout time by half.

Tip: Don't waste time with isolation movements, do multi-joint exercises and use cardio as your "rest" i.e. jump rope, running or jumping jacks between sets.

Now that you know what not to do in order to look great this summer, it's time to go over your beach ready game plan. Here's what you need to know in 3 simple steps:

* Step One: Cut out the junk.

The best way to do this is to start by purging your kitchen. Get rid of sugary, processed and fat-filled foods. Once the junk has been cleared out don't buy any more of it. Remember that your beach ready abs depend on what you eat - don't eat junk!

* Step Two: Focus on whole foods.

Replace the junk food in your life with plenty of the following: cooked and raw vegetables, fresh fruits, moderate amounts of seeds and nuts and lean meats. Clean eating really is that simple.

* Step Three: Do intervals

Interval training is by far the most effective method of burning calories. Get away from the long drawn out cardio sessions with shorter interval workouts. Start with a 1:1 ratio of work to rest and when you're ready, kick it up to a 2:1 ratio. Remember, the greater the effort during the work period, the greater the calorie burn and most importantly AFTER the workout you will continue to burn calories at a higher rate.

Don't fall for the myths, the quick and easy and the two good to be true. Employ these tips consistently and you'll be poolside with confidence before you know it!