I need to get a new heart rate monitor

I like gizmos and I like to know what I'm doing is DOING something and I'm one of those people who cannot take their pulse while exercising. Can't watch the clock while counting beats at the same time. So, I want a heart rate monitor.

I bought one as a 50 lbs lost reward when I lost weigh eons ago. I used it here and there, but when I went to grab it now, it needed two new batteries AND the watch kind of fell apart while putting in a new watch battery and now none of the buttons will work (four). I 'could take it in, I suppose, but it's a 2001 model and repairing it would probably cost more than buying a new better one. Now you can get really decent ones for under $50. I think I spent about $100 on this one on sale!

But, it will help me. I'm finding with the walk it out game that I'm not feeling much effort unless the song has at least 135 beats per minute and there are some songs with only 90 beats per minute. Those below 105 I've deleted from the play list and I tend to like to really move with those at 150 and higher, but is my heart getting in the zone?

But then I ask myself, "Does it need to be in the zone to do good?" Isn't moving PERIOD enough for a lot? When Sven and I used to take walks, I dropped a LOT of weight, but I wasn't working up a sweat. I was just naturally walking - burning up calories. And walking is definitely good for the heart and bones and easy on the joints.

I don't want this to get to the point that I need to an hour of high impact exercise every day to lose weight or maintain weight loss because if that is the case, I won't be able to keep it up. I need to find activities I can do for a lifetime and walking is something I can do for the rest of my life (barring something horrible happening). So, why am I worrying about being in the zone?

Ah ramblings... I just have to keep doing what feels good and right I guess and for now, faster songs on the Walk it Out game works for me and soon enough I'll have finished the game and then I can decide if I want to move onto aerobics or something else.

So where am I in progress?

Well, I've lost 5 lbs and I've walked 44 miles on the walk it out game and exercised for a total of  16 hours. A lot of work went into that 5 lbs and less calories in too. But, that's a bag of potatoes no longer on my body!