Ticket to weight loss: if you think a vacation is an excuse to forgo your fitness routine, think again. Here are four fun places to lose weight and get fit

Shape, May, 2005 by Cynthia Dial

Have you ever started a diet one week, only to comfort yourself with an entire pan of brownies the next? Or maybe you kicked off 2005 on the right foot by joining a gym--only to find yourself on a lengthy, if not permanent, hiatus within weeks. You're only human. Sometimes all you need is renewed inspiration to get moving; a little extra motivation to help you stick with a healthier lifestyle. Here are four Shape-tested (and budget-minded) spa-based programs guaranteed to rev you up as you peel away the pounds!

Rates are double occupancy and do not include transportation, tips or taxes unless stated otherwise. Meal-plan calorie counts are guidelines and not mandatory unless noted.

NURTURED BY NATURE

Birdwing Spa, Litchfield, Minn.

On the map A two-hour drive west of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

Sneak peek If you're looking for a gentle nudge to start your journey to weight loss, Birdwing Spa's Life Enhancement Program can help ease you into the proper mind-set for achieving your fitness goals.

Your week begins with a fitness and life-coach consultation, complete with a V[O.sub.2] max test to determine your resting metabolic rate. Coupled with soothing spa treatments, the compassionate staff's hands-on counseling buffers any burnout potential during your weight-loss program.

Calorie busters Fitness classes range from step aerobics to qi gong and yoga. After a 30-minute lunch, the remainder of the afternoon is a mix of exercise classes and outdoor activities. There's canoeing, kayaking, biking and hiking in warmer months, and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter (gear and instruction included). Try the resort's three-mile walk/canoe combo where you'll ply Birdwing Bay, take a brisk trek along Deer Trail and then paddle back to shore for dinner.

Guilt-free gourmet Meal plans range from 1,200-1,500 calories a day (for those counting), but you won't even realize you're eating low-cal fare. The chef's flavorful, elaborate (yet low in fat, sugar and sodium) spreads will surprise you. Typical dishes include oatmeal pancakes or breakfast burritos with fresh fruit; spinach and feta pie with a mandarin orange salad for lunch and apricot chicken with basmati rice, steamed broccoli and a spinach and strawberry salad for dinner.

Rest A cozy Tudor-style house serves as the centerpiece of this peaceful 300-acre estate with 2 1/2 miles of private lakeshore (Star Lake and Birdwing Bay), 35 acres of prairie grassland and 15 wooded miles of walking and cross-country ski trails. Stay in the main house or in the vintage red barn's spacious suites with oversized hot tubs. Included in the price is one 30- to 60-minute spa treatment per day (try the herbal body wrap or European facial).

Bottom line From $1,690 weekly includes the Life Enhancement Program (body-composition analysis, personal-fitness and life-coach consultation and a detailed take-home program), lodging, all meals, classes, outdoor activities and seven spa services (320-693-6064; birdwing spa.com).

ALIGHT IN THE FOREST

Tennessee Fitness Spa, Waynesboro, Tenn.

On the map A two-hour drive southwest of Nashville International Airport (shuttle available from $75 roundtrip)

Sneak peek Am I there yet? This is a common question as you drive beyond marked freeways and wend along hickory- and oak-tree-lined back roads to get to this rustic 100-acre property adjacent to a waterfall, an ice cave and the only known double-span natural bridge in the world (where Davy Crockett made his first political speech).

After kicking off the week with a complimentary fitness assessment--including flexibility, weight, measurements and body-fat percentage--as well as receiving pep talks from friendly staffers throughout the week, you'll be totally equipped to reach your personal weight-loss goals.

Calorie busters A typical day's activity schedule features a two- to 10-mile morning hike (divided into groups according to fitness level) through historic surroundings along wooded trails and gravel roads with names like Kutch Holler, Moaning Mountain and Heartbreak Hill.

Class offerings, which are available throughout the day in the resort's 2,500-square-foot fitness center, include Pilates, yoga, stability-ball exercises, cardio and resistance training, and aquatic stretching and aerobics in the indoor junior Olympic-sized pool.

Guilt-free gourmet All guests are put on a 1,200- to 1,400-calorie meal plan that is low in fat, sugar and sodium (based upon American Heart Association and American Dietetic Association suggestions). While no one keeps strict tabs on your personal consumption, there is an unspoken motto here: If we don't serve it, don't eat it.

A team of local cooks serves up hearty but healthful portions of pork tenderloin, Dijon chicken, vegetarian pizza, wheat tortilla-wrapped burritos and even desserts like peach cream pie (vegan, vegetarian and diabetic substitutions are available with prior notice). And if that's not enough to satisfy your hunger, fill up at the all-you-can-eat veggie bar.