Josh and I have finally booked our winter vacation. In February, we’ll be going to Varadero, Cuba, where we’ll be staying at Iberostar Laguna Azul.

We haven’t done an all-inclusive beach vacation since 2009 so this is definitely long overdue.

We leave on February 10th, which means I have just over a month to get in top shape for the beach. I was pretty happy with the results from my Holiday Challenge, so I’ll continue with that plan for the next three weeks (I’ve already been following it since the beginning of January, so that will make four weeks in total). 

To review, the plan is as follows:

1400-1600 calories per day
25%-30% of calories from protein
1 cheat meal per week
3 strength training workouts per week
3 cardio workouts per week

For the last two weeks before we leave, I’ll be stricter with my diet (i.e. watch my sodium intake, cut back on carbs, eliminate treats and alcohol, etc.) to reduce any stomach bloat caused by water retention. I’ll also kick up the cardio a notch and cut back to two strength sessions a week. This is not the kind of lifestyle I could maintain in the long term, but two weeks shouldn’t be too bad.

I really want visible abs before I leave. For years, I’ve vaguely desired a defined midsection but I’ve never really had a compelling enough reason to put in the effort required to achieve it. It’s not like my abs are on display very often so it’s just never seemed worth it to work so hard for a body part that is usually covered by clothing.

But, now, with the knowledge that I’ll be in a bikini for a week, I have a little more incentive to get cut. I’m pretty sure I won’t be able to maintain visible abs in the long-term; all I want is photographic evidence that I once had them.

Have you ever had visible abs? If so, is it worth the effort?