Watching Bravo's Work Out reality series, you may find yourself staring longingly at those lean, taut trainers and thinking you live worlds apart. They live in the land of rock-hard abs, you in the land of rocky road abs. But you may be surprised that you and these flab-challenged individuals may have a common bond. They don't always want to work out either.

"I get on the treadmill, and I think, 'I don't want to be here,'" says Erika Jacobson. The main difference between Erika and you may be the exercise motivation gap. Yes, it's easier to stay motivated to exercise in L.A. , where the dress code is a flat stomach and a tight booty. But that doesn't mean these bodies come naturally.

"I wasn't born thin," Erika says, "When I worked in the entertainment industry, I became depressed and gained 28 pounds. Food was my friend." Then Erika decided she was sick of sacrificing her health and started a cardio routine and weight-lifting and the weight began to come off. Here are some motivational hints that Erika gives to her clients.

• Accept the fact that staying in shape takes work. "It isn't easy, otherwise everyone would be thin. We all have to work to achieve the bodies we want," Erika says.
• Too tired or stressed to work out? Too bad. Get yourself to the gym anyway. It's not all about aesthetics. Everyone wants a hot body, but even more important is having a healthy one. Regular exercise will also improve your cardiorespiratory system, make your heart healthy and help with cholesterol.
•  Exercise will actually help you get a better sleep and calm your nerves.
• Forgive yourself for slipups. If you've eaten a box of cookies or half a pizza, instead of feeling guilty, forget about it. Focusing on your mistakes will only distract you from your goals. "You get up, dust yourself off and move forward," Erika says.
• Make regular exercise and healthy eating part of your lifestyle and you will see subtle changes in two weeks and bigger changes after six.
• If you're feeling crabby, a workout could be just the thing to help you snap out of it. The endorphins released when breaking a sweat could improve your mood.
• If you feel you don't have time because you're looking after your family, Erika says "You can't take care of others if you aren't taking care of yourself. If you don't have a solid foundation, how can you house others?"