One thing I constantly have troubles with as a writer is staying in shape. Quite frankly, I’m lazy. I’d rather be reading or writing than anything else. And over the winter… well, let’s just say I’ll keep my weight gain to myself.

Now that spring is upon us, I think that every woman is cutting back and thinking about the bathing suit weather looming ahead. I know I am. But with me? Dieting just seems…excruciating. I rarely stick with it for longer than a week.

But you know what? I stumbled upon a very helpful site. If you’re looking for motivation, take a peek at www.slimkicker.com. It’s what I like to call a (free) dieting website for nerds. Why? Well, it treats weight loss as a game. And let me tell you, earning those points is very powerful motivation.

How does it work? To start, you take a bit of a quiz which, based on your current weight and goal weight, results in a list of recommended amount of calories, sodium, cholesterol, carbs, sugars, and other essential nutrients. I never realized how many carbs and sugars I ate until I started on this diet… and to be honest, some days, it’s just killer. At least I know it’ll be worth it in the end.

You get points for logging what you eat, for logging your exercise routines, and for completing challenges. The challenges are my favorite part. Some are hard — like no snacks after supper. I’ve had to quit and restart that one a couple times when my cravings won out. Others are a relief to participate. Pamper yourself for 4 out of 7 days this week? Yes, please! And there’s a picture of the next reward on the front page, reminding me what I have to look forward to.

With any luck, I’ll have lost that pesky winter weight before too long. If you need a kick in the pants to get going, take a look at the site. If you do decide to join, look me up on my personal addy at G33kEmpress.

And welcome to bathing suit weather!

L.K. Below