For some reason, I don't think I'll ever believe I've reached an ideal weight. I'm right where I need to be -- this calculator says my healthy weight range is 118 to 159 pounds, and I fall at 135. But for some reason, I always believe I should be smaller. Maybe it's the evil media, spotlighting rail-thin celebrities who make my 135 seem 20 pounds overweight. Regardless, what I need to be, say experts, is happy -- happy that my weight is normal for me. That's all that really matters, after all.

The truth about weight is that what we determine to be ideal may not be what is actually ideal for our bodies. It's kind of like body temperature. It's programmed to stay around 98.6 degrees. Our weight works on the same premise -- it's naturally regulated to stay within a range of 10 to 20 percent. This is our "set point," says Thomas Wadden, PhD, director of the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at University of Pennsylvania Medical School. It's all based on genetics -- and diet and exercise too. It's difficult, but possible, to change eating and exercise habits to lower your set point. It just takes some hard work -- one estimate is that maintaining a 10 percent loss for six months to a year helps your body adjust to the lower weight and thus reset the set point. Just as I'm sure I may never reach an ideal weight, I'm not sure I'll ever meet this 10 percent loss either.

I've done just about everything I can to reset my clock over the past year or so. I've cleaned up my diet, and I've committed to almost-daily vigorous exercise. And here I sit -- at 135 pounds. It's less than I once weighed before revamping my lifestyle. It's just not what I'd call ideal. Happy? Yes, I'm happy. Happy enough that I'm not willing to reset my clock anymore. How about you? Is your weight ideal? And are you happy with it?

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If you've resolved to lose weight this new year, ask yourself this: What's your happy weight? What number on the scale will make you feel giddy? What was your weight at the happiest time in your life? What weight will promise you easy entry into that favourite pair of jeans you've been waiting to wear for years?

For me, it's 134 lbs. I'm average height (5'7) and that's a weight for me that's right in the middle -- not too thin but slim enough to fit into my favourite pair of pants. And it's not all about the number on the scale -- I'm determined to be a fit and toned 134.

Why do I ask? Glamour Magazine has a feature on the happy weights of real women, and how they achieved them. Go check it out when you have a moment.

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It occurred to me yesterday (yet again) that I am an impatient woman who wants her dreams realized now. Right this very moment. You see, I'm in the midst of remodeling my home but even among all the unfinished walls and floors, I can still visualize how it will look when it's done. And just yesterday after an exercise class, I caught a glimpse of myself in the full-length mirror and I could actually see what my body may look like after losing 20 pounds. I laughed when I realized that both my house and body are undergoing serious remodels!

I know that it's common to remain in some sort of state of frustration with a home remodel. All of my neighbors (seasoned home improvement pros that they are) have prepped me for this. But I'm not prepared to remain in this constant state of emotional dissatisfaction about my body until I reach my target weight. When people ask me how my diet and exercise plans are going, I don't want to be apologetic, saying things like, "Thanks, but I still have a ways to go!" Wouldn't it be great if I could just say, "Thanks! Things are going great and I love this healthy body I'm in!" (I can just imagine the crazy stares I'd get with that response.)

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