Walking while Working Update

I've been walking at work for several weeks now, so it feels like it's time for an update.

At first, I was planning to just start walking while keeping everything else the same (diet, other exercise, etc.), but once I started with the walking and started getting healthier, my plans changed. I've now edged dangerously close to being a health nut. I will probably never become a true health nut, due to the fact that I just despise vegetables and most healthy food, but I have found ways to eat better and with fewer calories.

Probably the biggest change is that I now drink very little soda. In fact, I drink mostly water, which is a massive change for me. I don't really like water, but I've forced myself to drink it and have actually grown to tolerate it. I started counting my calories a while ago and a friend pointed out that if I just started drinking water when I was thirsty instead of soda or juice, I could cut close to a thousand calories out of my diet in one fell swoop. So, I did it. I still drink a Sprite Zero or two a day and an occasional 'real' soda, but water now makes up the majority of my liquid intake. Today, I even started adding lemon to the water. Apparently, lemon is a natural wonder-food; it aids in digestion helping your body to absorb more nutrients, does great things for the liver, cleans out your system, relieves headaches, and more. It's not particularly wonderful to drink, but I figure that if I force myself to drink it, I'll get used to it and eventually crave it when I drink non-lemonated water. Limes also do good stuff, so maybe I'll start squeezing some lime in my water, too.

In addition to the water, I've started trying to eat more high-protein foods and replacing fast-acting carbs with slow-acting carbs. So, here's a typical day of eating for me (up to the end of the workday):

• Breakfast, part 1 (around 7:30): 4 eggs worth of EggBeaters (high protein, low calorie, low cholesterol)
• Breakfast, part 2 (between 10:30 and 11): A couple packets of lower sugar or weight control instant oatmeal (slow-acting carbs, whole grain), usually with a handful of raisins. Now, raisins aren't particularly good for you since they have a lot of sugar, but it's natural sugar, and I only eat about a quarter to a half cup a day, and they're great in oatmeal, so I allow it.
• Lunch (as late as I can stand it, which is usually between 1:30 and 2): A chicken breast or a tuna sandwich (very little light-mayo) and some fruit or something.
• Afternoon snack: I get really hungry near quitting time, so I usually have a little snack around 4:00 or so. I used to always get a candy bar and a soda, but have mainly replaced these with something a little healthier. Usually this is a granola bar (again with the whole grains), but yesterday I had some peanuts.

By splitting breakfast up into two parts and eating lunch later, I find that I'm rarely hungry during the day, so I don't have too many urges to snack. The protein and slow-acting carbs help with that, too. By the time I go home, I've only consumed around 1100-1200 calories, so I'm able to have a good dinner and still not break 2500 calories (which is what I've read is the magic intake level to lose weight for someone my height). I don't typically remember to keep track of my dinner calories, though.

Back to walking: As expected, I've found that it has become easier the longer I do it. So, I find that now I have no problem walking the entire day. Also, I've upped the speed that I walk. At first, I was hovering around 1.5 miles per hour, but now my normal all-day speed is just over 2 MPH. Additionally, I'll bump that speed up for a half hour or so here and there to get my heartrate up a little. In the beginning, I had thought that 7 or 8 miles a day would be the max I would do, but yesterday I did 11 or 12 (I'm not exactly sure, because I forgot to jot the odometer readings throughout the day but this is my, pretty conservative, estimate based on time spent walking and speeds walked). At that rate, I burn a majority of the calories that I eat during the day.

In addition to walking, yesterday I started an exercise routine that I do before I leave for work in the morning. My plan is to workout on the Total Gym (resistance training) Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and to swim Tuesdays Thursdays and Saturdays. I'm only two days in, so I'll let you know how well I keep to this routine.

So far, I've lost about 15 pounds and dropped a couple percent in body fat. I feel pretty good, too, other than my feet are sore a lot. Apparently, lemons can help with that, too, though.