Happy New Year, and Don't be a statistic!

Hello friends,

By now you've bought your HRM, read the manual and tinkered with it a bit, figured out your resting and maximum heart rates, and started on your path to fitness nirvana!  You've also been a good student and performed as instructed in your daily routine of getting into Zone 2 for an hour.  Yes, daily, every day, 7 days a week, no days off.  Perseverance and commitment here will pay dividends.  If you have to, go back and read my previous posts.  Ask questions.  I'm here to help.  NO EXCUSES, go out and raise your heart rate into Zone 2 for an hour.  The timer doesn't start until you're in the Zone.  Don't forget before, during, and after to hydrate with water, no sugary drinks at this point.  When we get more into the program, you can think about electrolyte replacement drinks.

This week I want you to buy a scale, if you don't already have one.  And I don't mean one of those old bathroom scales.  I mean a good digital one or better.  As soon as you get it, hopefully by Monday, I want you to weigh yourself.  Do this at the same time every day.  Our body weight fluctuates quite a bit throughout the day.  Some people find that they're lightest right when they wake up.  Others, like me, are lightest in the late afternoon after work.  I don't know why this is, it just is.  This might take you a couple weeks of weighing yourself several times a day.  Once you've figured out what time of day you will take your weight, start doing it every single day.  You can take a mental note of your progress and I think you'll be amazed at your progress, assuming you stick to the plan: NO DAYS OFF.  PERIOD.  NO EXCUSES.  Even through sickness I raise my heart rate.  You need to commit to the task at hand.

For reasons that I don't fully understand, I found that roughly every 3 weeks or so my weight would actually increase by a pound or two even though I was strictly committed to my plan.  This lasted only one or two days and was only a minor mental setback, slightly discouraging but it passed quickly.  For the most part, I saw daily improvements on the scale and that is unbelievably uplifting to see.  In fact, I was so encouraged to see the scale in the beginning that I'd go out and do another Zone 2 bike ride.  If you're so inclined, do it.

Don't Be a Statistic!
In this morning's Mercury News (Jan 3):
-56% of women ages 25-49 made a resolution to manage their weight.
-41% of resolution-makers who don't make it through the first week!
-Average number of weeks women last before abandoning their resolution: 4.

Be a leader: Persevere and Commit to the task at hand.

Remember, Zone 2 every day for an hour.  The plan will be to increase your time spent in Zone 2 incrementally.  But for now, just get used to doing it every day for an hour.  Every day.  You will be amazed.  Commit to the task and persevere!  Cheers,

-Dave