Motivation and more at the Olympia

Just back from the Olympia and, as usual, both fatigued and energized by it! As busy as it is between the fitness shows, the interviews and the photo shoots, it’s always an inspiring time – I’m always impressed with the dedication and commitment of fitness gals (that’s you!). In fact, armed with new-found motivation, I vow to get into the gym even more! One of our models, Kim Dolan, came to the shoot with tons of interesting fit facts – she’d prepared lots of stuff for us, including her journal. I asked her to share how she sticks to her plan and she gave one key tip - she cooks everything herself! An avid cook, Kim prefers to spend time planning meals and snacks herself – and it’s paid off handsomely! For more motivation from fit models like Kim, pick up Oxygen’s Off the Couch! on newsstands Oct. 6 (if you’re like me and you derive great inspiration from stories of other women, you’ll love the stories within the pages of this new Oxygen special!). Let me know what you think…can’t wait to hear from you!


ON-SET DURING THE PHOTO SHOOT AT THE OLYMPIA (from left, models Brooke Griffin and Kim Dolan stand with make-up and hair stylist Christine Copland, Stacy Kennedy and me, seated.)

Stewart reveals the key to his magic!

We're here in Las Vegas working hard to get great covers with photographer, Stewart Volland. He lets us in on a surprising secret to his success.



For more Volland pick up Oxygen's Off the Couch! Motivation for Real Women (On newsstands Oct. 6th).

Amazing Amy gets great news!

For those of you following my blog, you're familiar with the name Amy Barnes, our newest Oxygen Special's cover model. Amy has lost an amazing 339 lbs! She is such a inspiration and it was with great pleasure that I was able to share with her this wonderful news!



Don't forget to read all about her amazing story in Off the Couch! Motivation for Real Women (On newsstands Oct 6).

Phone call from Kuwait

It’s a phone call in the middle of the night and you know, as do I, what that usually means – a crisis of one sort or another. But, in this case, when Amy Barnes got a call at 2 am from her husband in Kuwait a couple of weeks ago, it was good news – he’d been reading my blog and noted the casual mention of an “Amy” being photographed at our cover shoot for the upcoming Off the Couch! Oxygen special issue (on stands Oct. 6). He’d called his wife to tell her he’d read on my blog about our “cover” model and that she was in contention for the coveted spot. She was floored! If you check out my blog on Monday, you’ll hear Amy's reaction as she gets some good news!

Mandy Blank cartwheels across the pier!

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! I thought I would start the week off by sharing with you one of my favorite parts of the magazine. Click on the video below to check it out!

What's your favorite part of the magazine? Share with me by leaving a comment on this post.

I need your help!

Does the drive-thru call you late at night? Don’t fret – you’re not alone. In fact, all of us reach for junk food at various times in our lives and then feel guilty for a long time afterwards. (And then we have to live with the junk in the trunk too!) Tell me what battles you have with junk food – I’d love to know what triggers you to reach for a burger and fries or soda. Is it a fight with your kids or your significant other? Stress? Something else? I need your help! Let me know…we’re hard at work on our next special issue and would love to include your stories, tips and comments! I’ve posted a new poll on the right hand column of my blog. Can’t wait to see the results!

What happens when life gets in the way?

Ok, so there’s nothing I like more than spending time in a gym, moving from weights to machines and then back again. Early mornings, when it’s fairly empty, is actually my favorite time of day. And yet, I have to admit that when deadlines are crushing and my workload is intense, both workouts and eating patterns tend to disappear. As much as I want to stick to my regular patterns, there simply seems to be little time to do so.

So, I’m curious – how do you guys do it? What happens when life gets in the way? Send your tips to me – I’d love to know how to maintain my resolve! Please comment below!

AMAZING AMY!

In just a little over a month, you’ll be seeing our new Oxygen Special on Motivation, Off the Couch! (on stands Oct 6.). But just as a little teaser (and because we’re so excited about it), I thought I’d give you a glimpse of a behind the scenes peek at our cover model who appears on the cover with an amazing inside story of weight loss. She reveals how she did it – and literally transformed her life - in the issue. Also included are more than a dozen of your own flab-to-fit success stories, exclusive recipes and a newly revised, expanded version of our popular article “Drop 10 lbs in 21 Days”. Let me tell you, it was really difficult to choose the women to feature in this issue – all your stories were terrific! If you have any others, don’t hesitate to send them to me at Have Your Say….