How are you feeling? GREAT, strong, fit, healthy and looking fabulous?

Or - a bit rubbish, actually.  Tired, often feeling sluggish, are more than a bit fed up with your waist size going up (and nothing you try that's promising you the waist size of your dreams is delivering) as your self-esteem and health goes down and you could really do with getting away from it all for a while, to be honest.

Three weeks ago I was invited to the Academy 4 Wellbeing - a new weight loss retreat tucked away in the heart of the (stunning, I discovered) Trentham Estate in Staffordshire - to experience a condensed one day version of their seven-day course which, they claim, will transform lives by equipping guests with everything needed to be able to improve their entire well being.

Summer is looming; let's be positive and assume that the rain is going to stop, that the sunshine is going to put in a regular, and hot, appearance and necessitate the wearing of shorts and small vest tops etc.

Of course, June, July and August are also the favourite wedding or 'two weeks abroad' holiday months of the year - these events also throw our bodies into the spotlight:  looking amazing in our wedding outfits or fabulous on the beach.

If your New Year's 'get fit, look hot' resolution is, now, nothing but a distant memory then the impending warmer months will NOT be thrilling you; hiding underneath big baggy jumpers is fast running out as a viable wardrobe option!

So what are your options?

• Actually use the gym membership you took out in January
• Join a gym (after all, you did intend to back in January!)
• Employ a personal trainer (they're not just for celebs)
• Buy one (or all) of the many exercise DVDs that are on the market
• Along with one of the above, embark on one of the crazy diets used, allegedly, by any of the famous thin people.

Alternatively, you could consider becoming a member of thinQfitness.com

These Zagorra Weight Loss HotPants actually work!  I know the name alone conjures up some crazy mental images and the testimonials sound equally crazy however, I urge you to read on.

• Click HERE to get your HotPants from Groupon

It's no good, I'm going to have to write a Zagorra HotPants review - I'm just not going to have enough of a word count to do them justice in this post.

Here's as much info as I can give you in the 100, or so, words I have left...

Zagorra Weight Loss HotPants could also be called inch loss HotPants and are high-waisted cycling shorts made from a wetsuit type material.

Wear them for as long as you like - the minimum is 30 minutes a day - and your skin will feel smoother, the appearance of cellulite will start to lessen and inches will start to vanish.

Yes, I know it sounds bonkers but it's true.  I own a pair - I'm testing them for the health and fitness work in my non-PlayPennies life - and they are great.

As with everything the more you do to help things along the better your results will be - I've done some serious weight and cardio training in my HotPants and am very well placed to offer you this piece of advice:

If you intend to be very active in your Zagorra Weight Loss HotPants, get TWO pairs!  They make you sweat like CRAZY - now you get the HOT bit in the name! - so if you intend to wear them for most of the time (you can even sleep in them) then, TRUST ME, one pair is not going to be enough.

Ooops - I've blown my word count, so I'll quickly tell you that this Groupon deal ends tonight at 11.59pm and will allow you to pick up each pair of HotPants for £19 instead of the usual £44.99.

You'll have to pay £4.99 for delivery and allow 21 days for them to arrive (this was the same for me before; they're rather popular, as you can image!).

Happy being hot in your HotPants!