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A Healthy and Happy Future - Optimal health starts from within, says life coach and health specialist A.J. Johnson, founder of the AJ Zone. Johnson has helped sculpt the minds and bodies of A-listers like Gabrielle Union, Brandy and Boris Kodjoe, and now she shares with BET.com her best tips to keep you motivated in 2013. – Britt Middleton (Photo: A.J. Johnson/Facebook)

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Get Serious - “I think what people have to do is get really serious about what their new goals are, number one, and then let someone help them decide, is it attainable or not?” says Johnson. Don’t be afraid to do some research online to learn about fitness and diet options that may be suitable for your body type and any health conditions you may have. (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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Set Real Goals - Unrealistic weight loss goals can be self-sabotaging, Johnson says, so start small. Once you reach your first milestone, you’ll be more likely to keep going. “You’ve got the motivation because you’ve seen results and now we’re getting somewhere as opposed to what a lot of people do, which is set these New Year’s resolutions, don’t meet them, get frustrated and a whole year passes and they still haven’t created the new and better that they’re after,” says Johnson. (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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Lifestyle Matters - It’s not always easy to fit in exercise when balancing the demands of your workday and other activities, but being flexible is the key for consistency. “By the time you get off work, before homework and bedtime for kids, do you have time to do 30 minutes of cardio? Is it just the weekends that work for you?” Johnson says. (Photo: The Plain Dealer /Landov)

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Get Enough Shut Eye - “Rest is very important to stress management and weight loss and better health,” says Johnson. Experts say adults should aim to get between seven and nine hours each night. (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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Keep Moving - “If your job or career has you sedentary more than not, that’s a lifestyle situation. Sitting down for most of your day equals not very much calorie burn, but you’re sitting down and you’re eating. So if you’re eating more than you’re burning, you’re actually helping yourself gain weight and disease every day,” says Johnson. Try taking the stairs, parking farther away in the parking structure or even going for a walk at lunch time to squeeze in some extra cardio. (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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Get Good Fuel - Try to eat as fresh as you possibly can and stay away from processed foods. “Processed foods are anything that has a shelf life of four days or more,” says Johnson. (Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

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Drink Up - “I suggest water. But if you’re going to do juice, make sure they’re fresh. They’re not in plastic containers in the refrigerated section at the grocery store. That can get expensive, so that’s why I tell people, why not choose the better thing and the healthier thing and the least expensive thing and stick with water?” she says. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Understanding Processed Food - Be mindful of those sugar-free sweetener alternatives which aren’t entirely in their natural form, Johnson says. “If it’s in a little packet on the restaurant table, it’s processed.” (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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Finding Positivity - Look for positive reinforcement from friends or a trusted family member when starting your wellness plan and follow your intuition. ”We know the kind of conversations that don’t feel good. We know what relationships don’t make us feel good. We know what situations are stressful for us,” she says. (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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Do What Feels Good - “Once you decide that there is a motivation and a positivity that’s necessary, I personally think you stop settling for less than that. You start to listen to music that makes you feel good. You start to hang around people that are uplifting and supportive,” says Johnson. (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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Embrace a Movement Lifestyle - “Moving can be dancing, moving can be yoga, moving can be taking the stairs at work, moving can be walking at the mall, moving can be playing with the kids, cleaning the house, washing the car or gardening. Thirty minutes of movement daily is good for heart health, mind health, spirit health and weight maintenance.” (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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Choose, Decide, Live - In terms of keeping motivated, Johnson offers this mantra: “Choose that you want to be different, decide what that difference looks like, what it feels like, where you find it. Then live that plan, live the difference that you’ve decided to be.” (Photo: Chris Clinton/Getty Images)

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Take a "Refocus" Break - “I don’t believe that a day off or two days off of whatever your scheduled routine is, is a fall off. I just call that a temporary refocus break. We all need a refocus break. Sometimes we just need to have something soothing and tasty and delicious that is high in calories and it makes us feel good, and that’s fine." (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

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Get More from A.J. - Get more fitness and inspiration tips from A.J. by visiting the A.J. Zone online. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)