DENVER -- How do you get motivated? How do you stay motivated?

I thought writing a very public blog would make me accountable and keep me working out, but it didn't work. I stopped working out because of a cold in December and getting restarted was nearly impossible.

Your e-mails about your progress finally got me out the door last Friday. I went for a walk. On that walk, I took the advice I've been giving. I got on my cell phone and started asking my friends to work out with me.

I called Sharon and asked her to meet me Monday. I called Kim and asked her to meet me on Tuesday. Both agreed, though Sharon wanted to know why my lack of motivation meant she had to exercise. But she not only showed up, she got to the gym before me.

I can now say I have worked out 5 days in a row. It's still not easy. Monday night I was lifting weights at 10 p.m. -- my normal bedtime. But I told myself I wasn't going to eat dinner or go to bed until it was done.

So, how do you get motivated? How do you stay motivated? E-mail your ideas to Deb Stanley (Deb_Stanley@kmgh.com)and I'll share them with my readers.

Here are a few ideas to help you get motivated:

Find a picture of yourself when you were thinner, put it on the bathroom mirror or fridge to inspire you.

Buy a small TV to put next to your treadmill or exercise equipment.

Record your favorite TV show and only allow yourself to watch it when you're working out.

Don't allow yourself to eat dinner until you work out.

Call your friends and make an appointment to catch up while you work out. If you don't have a gym membership and it's too cold to go outside, walk together at the mall.

Make an appointment with a trainer. Maybe if you're spending money, it will encourage you to work out on your own too.

Only watch TV while walking in place.

Several of you were kind enough to write in with your ideas:

Janelle says "Don't justify your "fat"! Do it for you! Don't ever give up!! Janelle said, "You are who you make yourself to be. I want to be healthier again, so I decided to change. You have to make the decision for you, or it just won't work.

Paula says "You have to start to count your blessings, and your victories - large and small." She also added other motivations are "better health, "peer approval", looking and feeling better, being able to buy nicer looking clothes AND fit into them, a special trip they'd like to take, no more huffing and puffing, seeing results and being able to look back and give thanks for how far you've come.

Sandie's motivation is wanting to be more active with her grandchild and wanting to garden in her new landscape. Sandie wrote "I have found that having small goals keeps me motivated- like my husbands work holiday party, the upcoming birth of my 2nd grandchild and then the goal of getting back on my bicycle in the spring. I love riding and have not done so in several years. It makes me feel young and free and I want to do it again!!!

Krista found a good goal, she's going to run a 5K. Krista said, "My goal for the next few months is to build up enough strength on being able to finish the 5k. I have never run a 5k before."

Kim's motivator is simple: "move more to live longer!"

Bob said, "I had to find a way to exercise that I thought was fun, not a death sentence." For him that was tennis. He also said, "Correct eating and exercise is a life change, not a short term fix. You need to change your eating habits permanently to more fruits and vegetables and less French fries. Also when you exercise you set up a daily work out that you can do the rest of your life."

I really like the advice I got from my friend Kip in Texas. She sent New Year's Greetings this year with her story. Kip managed to lose 65 pounds and become a professional football player at age 42. Sure, it sounds absolutely impossible, but she did it.

Kip said, "Once I admitted my readiness, I quickly learned to quit making excuses. No longer did I allow my feelings to dictate if I worked out or not. My comfort no longer mattered. I got up when I was tired and worked out. I went to the gym even when I did not feel like it or faced the embarrassment of my weight. I even continued to go to a cardio class when the instructor asked me if I was pregnant. 'No, I am not,' I said, 'just fat.' While I cried my eyes out in the car after class, I knew my health and goals were more important than my feelings."

You can lose your weight, you can eat better, you can get in shape, but you have to "just do it." Maybe Kip's advice will help you, read her entire blog. It's worth your time.

Fitness trainer and exercise medicine specialist Jane Hastings says:

There are so many excuses in the world. Believe me, I have heard them all.
You have to decide that your goal is more important than your excuse. There is only one person that is going to take care of you and that is you.
What are you waiting for? Take charge of your life and get moving. Our bodies are meant to move and they feel better when we do.
Remember it takes energy to get energy, so when you are feeling tired and are talking yourself out of working out and resting instead, get yourself moving and you will energize yourself tenfold.
Even if you tell yourself to do just 10 minutes, get started. Chances are you will go longer once you have started. If you don't, then congratulate yourself on doing that 10 minutes. It's all an investment in you.
You are worth it. Get going!

You can reach Jane at (303) 871-8661 or visit her Web site Mad About Fitness.

If you need help staying on goal, e-mail me Deb Stanley (Deb_Stanley@kmgh.com) and I'll email you once a week to help us both keep going!