Happy New Year - Resolutions and All
So I, like probably 98% of the rest of the country, am determined that THIS will be the year that I'll finally hit my weight goal. 
I took the holidays pretty much off and have a bit of a gain to show for it, but the amazing thing is that, no matter how much I may have felt like I've been struggling over the last several months, I've been doing a fantastic job at maintenance. Pretty much the same 5 pounds over and over again. Which should tell me that I *can* control what my weight does - I just have to be dedicated enough now to focus on getting it off.
Controlling work stress is going to be a huge part of it - but knowing now that the end is in sight (even if it's more than a year off) has really put that whole situation into perspective. Come the noon hour tomorrow, no matter what "pressing demands" are coming my way, my rear is hitting the YMCA.
I got a new heart rate monitor for Christmas (a Polar F11). I was using an F4 before receiving my new one and thought it would be similar, but with a few more bells and whistles. Well, in actual use, it is WAY cooler! For one thing, it measures your "OWNINDEX", which is a measure of your fitness level. I rate as "Elite", which makes me want to laugh, because I certainly don't LOOK elite!!! But I remember when I first hooked up with a personal trainer that he told me that cardiovascularly, I could run a marathon. So I guess he was right.
But the REAL beauty of the OWNINDEX is that the calories you burn while working out are based on this number. And, people, I'm burning a TON of calories - WAY more than the F4 was calculating (because it's based on an approximation of the fitness level of a "normal" woman my age and weight). At first, I was pretty tentative about the numbers (as per my "uncertainty" post), but I've done enough research now to be convinced that the number is about as accurate as I'm going to get. So this dieting thing will be a lot easier than it has been, because I'm earning lots more APs than I thought.
I hope all of you are getting a great start to your new year and look forward to catching up with you soon!