Your New Year's resolutions fell by the wayside. Now, with a beer gut that hangs over the drawstrings of your surfer trunks, Florida's beaches seem less like vacation and more like torture test of self-consciousness.

So you want to cast off your spare tire before hitting I-95 South annd you only have a few weeks to do it.

Before you become a crash-diet cliché like the people in those dietary supplement infomercials, remember:

• The quicker you drop those pounds, the quicker you'll gain them back, says Sandra Smith, a certified personal trainer at Omni Health and Fitness with a masters degree in exercise science. That's because you're probably doing some extreme diet or exercise you won't keep up once you reach your goal weight.

• Consider a lifestyle change instead, Smith says. Make small changes to your habits you will be able to stick with long term and you'll be more likely to keep the weight off.

• If you're not in shape at all, try any type of cardiovascular exercise such as running or walking, Smith says. Cardio is going to burn more calories for people who have a lot of fat, she says.

• If you're in decent shape but want to lose those last few pounds, focus on strength training, Smith says. Strength training three times a week will firm and tone to look good in bathing suits, says Ingrid Zamecnik, manager of Curves for Women on Belair Road. Building muscle tissue will burn more calories for you because it raises metabolism.

• As far as exercises go: squats and lunges are great for toning legs, and bicep curls, push ups, bench presses and rowing are good for the upper body, Smith says.

• "Water, water, water," Smith proclaims. Drinking four 16 ounce water bottles a day will actually help you lose water weight if you keep up with the habit because it keeps your body from retaining water.

• "The biggest thing for young people is to cut out the white stuff," says Terri Brewerton, a personal trainer at Curves on Furys Ferry Road. Cut white bread, sugar and white potatoes out of your diet and switch to whole wheat grains and brown rice.

• Cut out empty sugar calories, such as sodas, and you'll feel better in addition to losing weight, Brewerton says.

• Portion control is important, Brewerton says. For meat, three to four ounces (a cut about the size of your palm) is enough, says Kirsten Jaskulsky, registered dietician with Medical College of Georgia Health System. Starches such as mac and cheese, rice or potatoes should be limited to about half a cup. One exception to the moderation rule of thumb: veggies. They are low fat, so pig out on them.

Best bang for your buck

Although an aerobic exercise such as running may burn more calories, circuits can help you achieve a better result for your entire body, according to Dee Schultz, a certified personal trainer with 28 years experience.

In a circuit you alternate between cardio and strength training of specific parts of the body.

"With a circuit, you're working from head to toe," she says. "It's intense. You're in and out in 45 minutes, and it'll feel like you worked out for two hours."

But a 45-minute circuit is not for beginners. She recommends starting with a 20 minute workout: five minutes on the treadmill and then four minutes divided up between four one-minute strength training exercises. She suggests lifting weights or using machines to target each part of the body – for example: one minute each for abs, arms, legs and butt. Then repeat the circuit.

"The average person is going to burn at least 500 calories," she says.

That's two candy bars or two slices of pizza if you're counting.