Here we are, T minus 10 days until we leave for Hawaii, and I just do not. feel. ready.

Regardless of whether you’re a man or a woman, I think you know how I feel.

Still sportin’ the holiday pudge, anyone?

It turns out I’ve discovered the best form of motivation for working out:  plan a vacation to somewhere tropical.  There’s nothing like the prospect of waltzing out onto a beach in your bikini/trunks/banana hammock to make you want to hit the weights.

Now if you’re a gym bum, this little discovery of mine will not interest you in the slightest.  If you actually enjoy working out for hours on end, then just go ahead and skip this one.  But if you’re like me, and simply don’t have the time or desire to devote yourself to the gym, then read on.  (I realize I couldn’t sound more like an infomercial right now, but I can’t help it.  I’m thoroughly excited.  I saw a hint of an ab today.  A real ab.  The kind I haven’t seen since high school.)

You see, I have finally discovered a workout video I can stick to.  (At least for the next 10 days.)

Friends, meet Shred.

My neighbor gave me this video to try out awhile back, but I never got around to testing it out until a couple weeks ago, when it finally dawned on me that I only had a few weeks until I would be in Hawaii.  On a beach.  In a swimsuit.

As with most workout videos I’ve tried, I went into this with complete skepticism.  I mean, anything that promises to “shred” 20 pounds of fat from your body in 30 days must be sheer madness, right?  And I’m not even looking to lose that kind of weight – I mainly need to trim down and firm up.  You know – get rid of any remaining bits of sugar cookies and eggnog leftover from Christmas.

And I can finally say, after several consecutive days of doing this, that I might have found the right workout for the job.

The best part?  It’s only 20 minutes! I can get home from work, let the monsters outside, then pop in the DVD and do the workout, all leaving me plenty of time to figure out dinner, water the garden, blog a bit, and spend some quality time with the hubs. And maybe watch a recorded episode of Gossip Girl.  It’s a vice.  Don’t judge.

Don’t get me wrong, this video is work.  And you will sweat profusely.  And you might collapse in a heap on the floor for a few minutes when it’s all said and done.  But afterward, you will feel amazing.

If you’re really serious about devoting yourself to losing tons of weight and working out, you may not want to start with this.  A true, well-rounded program like P90X might be the way to go.  But, if you’re looking for a relatively quick and effective way to tone, then definitely give this a try.  For $8.99 on Amazon, what have you got to lose??

Okay, you have $8.99 to lose.  But still.  That only puts you out a few Big Macs.

Now I’m not doing any diet plan with this or even doing it for the straight 30 days, so I can’t tell you how effective it would be if fully-implemented.  But it’s perfect for my needs at this point in time.  And when I’m feeling the excuses start to creep up, I remind myself of the following:

• I will be in a swimsuit in Hawaii.
• Exercise is good.
• Cellulite is bad.
• In Hawaii I will be in a swimsuit.
• It would be nice if my jeans weren’t so tight.
• I can’t remember the last time I could do a full-blown sit-up.
• Your cousin is a photographer and will be in Hawaii too.
• With her camera.
• Swimsuit.  Hawaii.

See?  It’s really not that difficult to stay motivated.

In all honesty, I should have started something like this a long time ago.  And I could’ve told myself it would just be easier to wait until we get back from the trip so I don’t disrupt the workout “flow.”  But there is always an excuse.  Isn’t there?

I’m no diet or exercise expert.  I love Cheetos and will always love Cheetos.  I will probably never run a 10K.  All I know is that this seems to be working for me.  So I thought I would share it with you.

Because you know the biggest motivator of all?

Scenario:

You:  Hey Katie, wow can you believe the summer is already over?  You must be in great shape by now after committing yourself to working out and telling everyone about it on the internet.

Me:  Silence.

You:  So… uh… have you seen any more of those abs since they first came out of hiding?

Me:  Silence.

You:  I heard that P90X is really great and could help you take it to the next level.  Have you ever thought about trying it?

Me:  CAN’T YOU JUST LET ME EAT MY FRIGGIN’ DINGDONG IN PEACE?!!?!

I also know that trying to get healthy is good for me.

I want to live longer so I can eat more of this…

Drink more of these..

…and take in more of these.

Even if I don’t look exactly the way I’d hoped when we get to Hawaii, I will still be exactly where I want to be.

Happy.

What motivates you to work out?  What stops you from trying on a regular basis?  Is it as difficult for you as it is for me??