Staying motivated is the number one thing people lose as they take on big goals like weight loss, a new job, or reinventing yourself.  But over the course of writing a best selling weight-loss book, "Naked Fitness" (Vanguard Press), choreographing ten fitness videos, producing two television shows and attempting to run a marathon this fall with Be Bright Pink, I have found that these five simple steps are key to all success in staying motivated to get things done.

I recently interviewed Tameka Linnell, founder of JOON a line of beauty products for tweens. She had been working in the advertising industry for over a decade for both agencies and clients.  Tameka Linnell had an adoration and fascination with the creative process but also the process of how products came to market. 

When I asked her "What motivated you to start the Joon Beauty Products line?", here was her response:

I became a mom six years ago and I was hyper-vigilant of everything that I put on and in my body during pregnancy.  When my first child was born, the importance of being a mom and what it means to care for a child hit me like a brick.  His health, safety, everything at this stage in his life was my responsibility.  I made his food from scratch, began using natural bath products, made sure he got the right amount of sleep.  As a new mom, I began reading a lot and became aware of many things, one being the toxic ingredients in personal care products and the horrible effects that they can have on young children.  This knowledge motivated me to create JOON.

If you or someone you know is about to undergo laparoscopic surgery in order to lose weight, a new medical device is set to revolutionize how the surgery is done.

The Spider Surgical System takes what has traditionally been a 3-5 incision procedure and reduced it to one small incision the belly button. Typically laparoscopic surgery is a popular method for bariatric sleeve procedures in order to help people reduce excessive weight quickly and safely.

I get many emails regarding weight loss. Maybe this has been you thoughts or someone you know...

I want to start to get myself to work our somehow but I've been putting it off. What can you suggest that I do to motivate and encourage myself? I feel like I won't be able to stick to workout plan or even start one. Also, what are the best exercises for triceps, biceps, chest (to help that bra bulge and under the chest as well), butt, calves, inner and outer thighs, lower abs, shoulders, back and obliques. I am a female who weighs 230 lbs, 30 years old, has a large frame size and I am 5'6". Should I weigh about 130? Or is this too small? What is the range for me? I am also a hardcore junk-food addict. What snacks would be beneficial to me, because I love the taste of junk food way too much. Thank you very much for your time!

In the past years, I have met so many amazing successful business women. Bringing them together to share their knowledge and inspiration has been a dream of mine. But strong women don't just dream, they make their dreams come true. So, this month on April 13 in the West Loop of Chicago, the Women's Dream Conference will take place.

My mentors and women whom I admire for their courage, intuition, perseverance and integrity will share their secrets to getting ahead and being financially and personally successful. The Women's Dream Conference features the opportunity to ASK the questions that you want answered. It's not just about speakers standing up and sharing the stories, but an integrated way to have them at your lunch table, hear from each on panels and then open to questions to really interact and learn from each other.

You can’t just pick up a back pack and start climbing Mount Kilamanjaro and expect to get to the top.  As with any goal, well made plans are paramount.  Preparation, action and perseverance are essential.  We constantly find ourselves searching for improvement.  It might be learning to cook, learning to ski or looking for a new career.  However, more and more people have included losing weight on their “things to do list”.  The secret to losing weight is obvious.

The Grammy's are gone for another year, and while they succeeded in honoring their fallen comrade Whitney Houston, there is something this week that has disturbed me greatly that I believe needs to be addressed.

No, I haven’t completely lost it, so before you chide me as a spy, please read on...this may be the most important 600 words you read all year.
 
I recently had the opportunity to speak with the nation’s leading expert on how men can become better men, a guy by the name of Wayne Levine. Levine is the author of Hold On To Your N.U.T.S. - The Relationship Manual For Men and he’s the director of BetterMen Coaching.

Three Things to Speed Recovery After a Workout
 
Many people are planning on achieving a goal this year for their New Year's Resolutions, instead of the typical losing weight.  Whether it's running a marathon, trying your first 5K walk or looking to climb a mountain, everyone can make a goal. But, you should get some support.  That can mean some expert advice as well as letting your friends and family know so they can support you.

Dear Andrea: My name is Paulina and I used to be a runner for 8 years but failed to get a flat stomach with strong abs. I am no longer running long distance anymore and am trying to get back into shape.

My question for you is how to get strong abs and what kind of foods should I eat to achieve this goal? I weigh 140 and would like to lose 10 lbs and be healthy and strong.

I would appreciate your advice. I am interested in buying your book as well.

Well, Happy New Year everyone. I’m back from my brief sabbatical and let me tell you, it was brief. Entirely too short and too fast and my head is still spinning. I thought that with all the cooking I did, I’d get at least marginal benefit for the skin with all the steam I was generating, but I guess I didn’t cook enough. Turkey and pie does nothing but make you look like that guy from Total Recall, so I thought this week’s blog entry oughtta at least cover the topic of what the heck to do about your skin post-Turkey stress disorder.

Water is one of the best beverages you can consume.  There is nothing more important for survival and more prevalent in our bodies than water.  Yet when it comes to daily life, more people drink everything but water ritually.  They drink coffee, diet pop, fully caffeinated sodas and juices.  Yet if they made the switch to drinking a glass of water after or before every other beverage, they could save approximately more than 400 calories a day in beverage intake. That could add up to a saving of over 40 pounds a year in calories!