Before you know it winter has taken its course and those oversized sweaters you were hiding under go back into the closet. Exposed for the first time in months, almost every woman (and man) in America, including myself, has the tendency to get in front of the mirror and give out a deathly ill shriek of horror. How the hell will I be able to fit into my bikini this summer? How can I lose a few inches by June? Thought of that itsy bitsy polka dot bikini seem like a far away fantasy to which no fad diet could ever help.

Thankfully, I may have come up with a few summer slim down options thanks to a much needed visit to Studio Soma for a Pilates brush up and then a quick fix at Ona Spa for the coveted Ona Slim Treatment, wiping cellulite off of the face of the earth, or in more realistic terms, your butt.

First stop on my please-get-me-fit-immediately Friday was at the Studio Soma in West Hollywood, where I met up with Thalia Thomas, a very well known celebrity Pilates trainer who has revolutionized the timeless, effective art of Joseph Pilates into a real fitness plan. I wasn't expecting to walk out of the studio that day five inches smaller, but knew that a few Soma Sculpt classes, which add a tinge of cardio to the traditional style of Pilates, would make more than a difference. I caught up with the trim and fit trainer to get her take on losing those extra pounds before the sun comes out for good.

First of all, for those of us who haven't done Pilates, how would you describe the exercise and its background?

What classic Pilates is, is keeping true to the original teachings of Joseph Pilates. His main purpose was to better ones way of life and add years to the life, quality years so you can play with your children and tie your own shoe. That's the philosophy we follow by using traditional equipment, a one on one method that he did, and try to graduate clients from the equipment to mat work so they can do it at home. Joseph created machines designed on the theory of spring resistance so the you're pulling and pushing weight instead of lifting it.

I've been doing Pilates for a while now and feel as though it needs a boost to get more weight loss results. Is that what you had in mind for the Soma Sculpt Class?

We designed the Soma Sculpt class for the studio, but we wanted to keep it as simple as possible. It tones you, works on building muscles and strength, flexibility, control, and balance, but ultimately if someone does a one hour session twice a week they wont see any weight loss unless they incorporate cardio and a healthy diet. Because I'm such a traditionalist with Pilates, I didn't want to join the bandwagon with cardio Pilates and making up words, fusing things My teachers would shoot me in the foot so I created a new technique. I used all of my training from Pilates and dancing to create a technique using the Bosu Ball in the Sculpt class.

How would you recommend losing those extra inches in the nick of time right before summer?

We've created these challenges, an Eight Week Weight Loss Program, and we sign people up and it doest require a purchase and then we make them sign a contract claiming that they will promise to come to four classes a week. We put them on a diet, which isn't necessarily strict. You can follow any diet that works best for you. We up the level of the class every week and they can miss one in a four week period, and if its more than that then they're disqualified. Every two weeks we weigh in and measure them. The last challenge, the winner lost twenty pounds, one lady lost 12 inches! If you do something very drastic it can be bad for your health and digestion. We want to improve people's health and not encourage them to do fad diets. Also, I'm very strict on instructors at Soma having a background in physical therapy because we take over our clients bodies and need to keep them safe.

What are your five essentials to carry every day to help get the weight off?

1. Eight small water bottles a day
2. A schedule of classes from your favorite gym
3. A bag with gym clothe so you have no excuse not to go
4. A daily to-do list with your work out times scheduled
5. A disgusting picture of yourself as a reminder (a bad picture from a wedding or in a bikini will do)

After just a few minutes with Thalia I was basically hooked to the idea. Pilates has become such a core part of my workouts regardless, so adding a bit of cardio to the mix would only help. Thalia said that she could even accommodate my injury (I recently had a bone graft on my broken foot) by incorporating, "one of Joseph's theories when it was still called ontology or the art of control, and what he would do in the war was have the soldiers get on the hospital beds and attach springs and contraptions to allow them work the surrounding muscles so they don't atrophy, while he isolated the wounded area." If I would have known about this six months ago, when I was bound up to the knee in a cast, I most likely would have left those twenty extra ponds at the door in the first place.

After an enlightening day at the Pilates Studio, I was off and running to the Ona Spa for an Ona Slim Cryo-Thermie Treatment, in hopes of alleviating some of that gross cellulite off of my rear end (the unbearable product of mass weight loss) without any invasive lasers or an expensive price tag. And, just let me say this...if I knew that toning up my body in a bind could be so relaxing, I would have found my way to Ona a lot faster.

A short walk upstairs and an oasis awaits, with lush robes and coconut infused tea for every guest. Ingrid, my specialist of the day, started my treatment off just right as she first rubbed a Cellulite Reduction Gel or "Brule Graisses," a fat burning gel all over my ready-to-be-smooth backside, arms, and stomach. The gel heats up and causes a thermal effect, emulsifying those extra fat deposits underneath the skin. Lucky for me, I received a heavenly foot and hand massage while I was wrapped up in cellophane for the heating process (and, no worries, it gets a bit hot in all that plastic but its completely bearable).

Phase two of my bye-bye to excess fat began with a coating of Horse Chestnut Essential Oils and a blissful rub down from the liposculpture mobilization vibratory precursor (just a bigger word for a vibrating massage head). Thirty minutes into my treatment I could care less about the fat on my behind, being completely enraptured in my actual massage. Next step: a clay mask filled with more chestnut oils and peppermint extract, that actually freezes the emulsified fat molecules in place, leaving me smooth and flatter than I have seen myself in months. After a rinse off in the shower and a application of the Lipo Lift Complex for those gnarly stretch marks, I was thin, trim, and ready for a nap. In all honesty, my whole body felt tighter and leaner within an hour, but I still wanted to ask Ingrid a few other questions on the long term.

Is the Ona Slim a quick fix for a big event or will it last in the long run?

Its both. It's a quick fix if you have a party, but its just like working out and you have to have the right diet. Over time, it does help to reduce the cellulite so its both really.

What do you do personally for diet and fitness to compliment your treatment?

I eat a lot of raw fruits and vegetables, salads, lean proteins, and smoothies in the morning. My favorite smoothie that I make is with aloe vera juice, carrot juice, bee pollen for energy, pure omega fatty acids, and fresh fruits every morning and I sip on it until noon. It gives you so much energy. Try to eliminate caffeine and processed foods as much as possible, as well.

I've heard that after some treatments for weight loss, you re bloat the second you drink or eat? Is that the case?

No, not at all. You won't just regain it all back immediately if you eat right and exercise.

(Since the treatment doesn't involve sweating the inches out of you, its' results won't be affected by immediate intake of food and water).

Ingrid was right on point. The Ona Slim left me looking and feeling great, but also getting a pretty slick reality check. Its not difficult to slim down for summer, especially with these two great techniques, but its always important to stay healthy all year long. Studio Soma is great for those who love to work out and need a little extra boost or tinge of motivation from their eight week program. Similarly, a trip to Ona will have anyone feeling fabulous and bikini ready (and the added massage is definitely a bonus). Slimming down for summer can seem severely daunting to many men and women, but following Thalia and Ingrid's quick and easy methods have at least put me at ease for that yellow polka dotted number still hanging in the closet.

THE DETAILS: Studio Soma

630 North La Cienega Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.289.9043

And remember, the first Soma class is ALWAYS free.

THE DETAILS: Ona Spa

7373 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323.931.4442

Also offering: spray tan, facials, photo facial rejuvenation, basic massages, laser hair removal, manicures, pedicures, and many other unique and personalized therapies.

Story by Gena Oppenheim.