The 48-Hour Weight-Loss Jump Start

Day 1: Diet

Each day you'll be consuming roughly 1,200 calories. But when it comes to maintaining a healthy body, what you drink counts as much as what you eat. "Drinking 72 ounces of water a day is critical," says Blatner. "Put a nice pitcher of water in the fridge. For flavored water, you can float fresh mint in it or you can put slices of pears or grapefruit in it."

Blatner suggests the following menu to fuel yourself throughout the day.

Nutty Oatmeal with Apples (roughly 300 calories)

• 1/2 cup dry quick oats
• 1/2 cup original soy milk
• 1 tablespoon walnuts
• 1 small chopped apple

For breakfast, try hot oatmeal soaked in soy milk and topped with a diced apple. If you woke up hungry, this should hold you over until lunchtime. "[Apples] are filling because they are 85 percent water and have 4.5 grams of fiber," says Blatner. And for those of you worried about your cholesterol, you're in luck. "Oatmeal is a whole grain that can help regulate cholesterol levels with a compound it contains called beta-glucan," she adds.

Fresh Tomato & Bean Stuffed Pita (roughly 400 calories)

• 1 medium whole wheat pita
• 1/2 cup canned white beans
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons vinaigrette dressing

Stuff a whole wheat pita with beans, tomatoes, and basil, then dress it up with vinaigrette. The whole wheat pita is low in saturated fat, high in dietary fiber, and cholesterol-free. Everything you'll be eating inside the pita is healthy too, especially the white beans. "Beans are a great source of plant protein, fiber, iron, potassium, and zinc," says Blatner.

Yogurt & Honey (roughly 100 calories)

• 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 teaspoon honey

Not only is yogurt full of protein, but it also contains immune system-boosting good bacteria called probiotics. When you add honey to the yogurt, it'll feed the good bacteria in the yogurt and make the bacteria stronger, says Blatner. "Plus, it's better to add your own sweetness to plain yogurt rather than buying it pre-sweetened because you can control the amount."

Salmon with Quinoa and Broccoli (roughly 400 calories)

• 3 ounces grilled salmon
• 1 cup chopped broccoli florets
• 1 teaspoon pine nuts
• 1 juiced lemon
• 3/4 cup cooked quinoa

You'll get full on this meal. Grilled salmon is high in nutrients, low in saturated fat, and infused with omega-3 fatty acids. And you can't go wrong with broccoli -- the vegetable is touted as a cancer-fighting food, rich in vitamins A and C, and a good source of calcium, iron, and magnesium. As for quinoa, it "contains one of the highest amounts of protein of the whole grains," says Blatner. So trade up from white rice -- it's a swap worth the trouble.

So where do chips, cookies, candy, ice cream, and alcohol fit in, you ask? "Nowhere," says Blatner. "For two days, the aim is to be perfect and reset your appetite and palate without any splurges. However, long-term people don't have to think that this two-day diet is how perfect they have to be forever."