IT'S ON!!!

Making a new year’s resolution always seemed like a vain exercise for a person like me. Being a constant goal-setter was countered by chronic procrastination, yet for some reason I began 2010 making a list of resolutions sparked entirely by a photo shoot I envied in a magazine.


Serena Williams, with her abs of steel and zero percent body fat, inspired me to scribble “getting fit” on a piece of paper. Writing it down was the easy part, and before I knew it I’d filled the paper with resolutions. If I could find that list now, maybe I could tell you how many of those I actually accomplished.

But this year, as I approach 25 years old, losing weight is again my top goal, and to accomplish that I plan to do something crazy – literally. If you’ve caught the infomercials, you know “INSANITY” is billed as the hardest workout program ever put on DVD. “P90X” is another popular and intense workout used by several of my YP friends, but it costs about $200, you have to buy additional equipment, and, well, I don’t want to wait 90 days.

INSANITY is a 60-day “total body conditioning program” created by personal trainer Shaun T. He promises to push me past my limits with 10 discs of plyometric drills on top of nonstop intervals of strength, power, resistance and ab and core training moves. No equipment or weights are needed, which is great because I’ve had a gym membership for six months that was used infrequently, to say the least.

Joining me on this two-month journey is my boyfriend, a 22 year-old-college student who looks great to me but says his goal is mainly to have more energy overall.

“I want to be able to carry all the groceries at once – little things like that,” he said.

INSANITY comes with a free “elite nutrition plan” that Martell and I have both deemed impossible. Shaun T wants you to spread something like 1,400 calories over five meals a day, and says your body doesn’t need carbonated beverages or artificial sweeteners. If that’s what Shaun does, take a look at him, ladies – it’s obviously working – but me and my coffee shall never part. But I will make small dietary modifications, like drinking more water, cutting back on sugary snacks and adding more fresh fruit and veggies to my meals.

I’m excited and plan to share updates throughout my journey. Feel free to share your thoughts and especially your encouragement or questions. The fun begins today, Monday, Jan. 3.

(Does this sound like an article? Cuz it is, lol)