I JUST posted the following to my facebook...I'm my own worste emeny and my own biggest critic. I'm tired of it. I hold myself back. I am a HUGE BL fan. I need to lose about 15lbs to be @ my goal weight. Not much, right. But it's an enormous amount when you play mind games full of self doubt. Thank goodness for the "No Excuses" theme of season 13.

I have to stop making excuses. I can't keep waiting for things to happen by themselves. I have to stop letting fear and my desperate need for approval hold me back. I may not have the support and approval from the one I want it from most, but come on now! When in my life have I? It's not gonna happen. I need to accept that and stop waiting for it. I have the support from tons of other people who matter just as much. I'm not setting my goal for any one else anyway so why does it matter. I'm tired of all the noise in my head stopping me. I have to stop waiting for empty promises to be kept. As much as it hurts I know what will and will not happen.

This is MY time. It's my turn to take time for me and stop worrying about how I look doing it and how people see me. It's time for me to make myself a priority. No more excuses of not enough time, being too tired, having too many other people and things to take care of. I know I can do this. Time to turn a dream into a goal.

SO this year is the year I run for real, for me. The goal is a half marathon by October. And I will get it done.

I had high hopes for the new year. But right before the holidays my best friend was killed in Afghanistan, then I got sick, then I got better, now I'm sick again! I absolutely want to still make the best decisions in 2012 even if it did start out rocky. At this time next year, I want to look back and say " WOW! 2012 was a great year!"

I am hoping my New Year is better then last year.. My health wasn't that good due to my weight..Im trying to loose on my own withtout Doctors wanting to cut into me..  If I can do it , I dont know??? All I can do is to think Positive, and I am.. I see Allison on tv and she gives me Hope, Please keep up on it Allison

I did so great with my health and weight loss goals for 2011. I hit my goal weight, look and feel great and did things I didn't think I could. At the start of the year, I immediately started justifying that extra snack and drink with excuses that I had done so great, it was fine to have a little extra. Right away I started noticing how my body felt. To get back on track I've had to remind myself that those types of excuses are the reason I got into such poor shape in the first place. Why would I sabotage myself and ruin all the hard work that I've done over the past year? So I planned a great mostly vegetarian week, substituting things like black bean burgers and salad for beef burgers with fries, minestrone soup instead of lasagna, oatmeal for breakfast instead of eggs. Its easy to get off track, and just as easy to stop yourself and get back on track.

Excuses are just a plan for failure.

I didn’t hit the ground running like I had planned initially but I am on track now. I didn’t make it to the gym last night, but did “Just Dance” for an hour. It was a great workout and had me sweating! It felt good. I do have to say that I am scared but a good friend of mine who has recently hit her target weight told me that my body might hate me the next day (from being sore) but I hate my body more. I just need to keep reminding myself of that. This isn’t the heaviest I have been in my life, but it is still unacceptable. I managed to lose 15 lbs (when I tried last year) and I kept it off. I know that if I keep it up this year, it will change my life. My goal is to lose 2lbs per week. I set that goal instead of an overall goal so that I could see how on track I am to reach my overall goal.

My job is mentally stressful and when I get home I am so tired. I am working into a routine and I have the expectation that this will suck for the next 3 months or so while getting into a routine, but it’s gotta happen or I don’t stand a chance. I want to get married and have babies in the near future as I am recently engaged.

I just want to thank you for all your tips and motivation. I recently uploaded tons of new songs (mostly from Glee to be honest) that get me in a feel good mood. I am also trying to split up my exercising. I plan to do a zumba class 1 nite per week, I want to take a beginner yoga class ( I danced for 19 years so I know my body remembers), and try various other free classes that my gym offers. If I am paying for this, I should be using the resources. Either way, I am on it this year. No excuses!

Thanks again, Ali. You have been in my life for the past 18 years, (started watching DOOL then – and now still a DOOL viewer as well as BL) and you have helped me more than you know.

Cheers to 2012!

Ali, I am on a weight loss mission.  Thanks for the pep talk:)

hi I have tried for years to lose weight I even joined the gym and go as often as I can I guess my bad eating habits are no help I need to lose 25 pounds and do not seem to have the motivation anymore but I need to get it back I am hoping it reappears in 2012

last 17 yrs of my life i have always wanted to really start working out and keep at it, but i would make up so many excuses like every one, im too tired, i hurt, ill do it tomarrow. i think what really did it for me was when ever id go to the docs they would take my blood pressure and it would always be high and thats not good for an 18 yr old they told me that they would have to start watching it and put me on bp pills if it doesnt get better, my dad and mom has high blood pressure and on the bp pill, my dad started to be on the edge of diabetes, and i didnt want that for me. Same when i would always give blood my bp was high. So, my dad finally started working out hes back at his high school weight, watching him lose all the weight i finally said forget the excuses, im doing this for me, i want to be as healthy as i can. Just watching the BL is perfect, the theme is perfect. also watching you on days and also on BL has given me more motivation than i ever thought i could have. ive been watching both shows since i was like 8.

Now that my spring semester of school is going to start here in 3 days and softball is going to be starting soon i will have to keep that in mind that i can always have time for a workout no matter what, so this yr i just want to keep that going and not make up excuse after excuse. Thanks for all the pep talks you give us, you and the BL gives me the motivation i need and i thank you!

Cheers to a new yr and a new everyone!

@Nicole, I wanted to extend my condolences. I can't imagine losing my best friend, and I will pray comfort and strength for you in 2012.

I used to walk outside every day when I was a teenager all the way through young adulthood. I usually listened to music and imagine all kinds of things or work out problems I was dealing with in life. My walking every day was a usual thing, too, once I moved to Dayton for the first time because there was a track behind the city building in town, not far from my apartment. Ever since my husband and I moved to our current neighborhood, I've been reluctant to walk though. I just don't feel as comfortable as I did, but if I just walked a few streets over, I could start onto the path for a nice track. It's all in my head, this fear, so I really want to motivate myself in 2012 to go outside when I can. I have fibromyalgia & daily headaches, so I know I need to make it a priority. I tend to park far away from stores and businesses/doctor's offices so I can get some walking in.  Thanks for your positive post about your 2012 goals and all the motivation you provide here. What an ambitious goal to run a marathon. :) Best wishes to you as you reach your goals this year, Alison!

It's frustrating to lose the weight. I don't have the funds to join a fitness club or even get help with a nutritionist. I need to lose 50 lbs and have been trying for a few years. I have started running again and still get discouraged since I am still losing nothing. Luckily, I still have the will and hopefully some day the pounds will start to shed!

Happy New Year Ali. Commitment, dedication, and patience are three elements that are typically needed to achieve one's goals, whatever form those goals may take. Speaking of dedication and achievement, thank you for devoting nineteen years of your life toward making Sami Brady a part of ours.

SHEILA I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. I AM DISABLED AND ON A FIXED INCOME EVERY MONTH AND GYMS I CANT DO PHYSICALLY AND NOT SURE ABOUT HOW MUCH I SHOULD BE EATINGEVERY DAY AND SO I WENT ON SPARKPEOPLE AND WEB MD TO GET IDEAS THERE. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INFO ANYONE WOULD HAVE ON THE NUTRITION PART. I AM TRYING TO JUST KEEP TRACK OF CALORIES AS MUCH AS I CAN. I AM FACING A HIP REPALCEMENT DOWN THE ROAD AND SO I FEEL THIS IS THE BEST ROUTE I CAN GO.

I believe that getting off track is one of the things that so many of use have a problem with and also then how do we get back on track?

Being a teacher, a mom and in school full time with a masters program can at times can be very daunting. I have found that when I get off track it is okay for me to say no to not only my two teenagers but also my husband so that I can focus on my mental, physical and or spiritual health. It doesn't mean that I do not care and or adore all three of them it just means that I know that if I am not in sinc with what body and or mind needs then how can I be totally, 100% atune to their needs?

My adivce is to remember to find time for yourself be it in the morning before the kids get up, right after you come home from work or in the evening. In addition I have found the key word at our house is to DELEGATE. Even a three year old can help pick up and put their toys away, or fold towels or socks, ANYTHING to help mom and dad too to keep the house running so that both parents can have some down or alone, me time!