The Secret Formula

I was reading some new blogs and I realized I haven’t really been very specific about what I’ve been doing. So, here are some specifics since I started the SparkPeople challenge (note, on SP we weigh-in on Wednesdays):

Starting stats 6/23/10-

Weight – 199.0
R Bicep – 15
L Bicep – 14.5
Chest – 46.5
Waist – 45
Hips – 47
R Thigh – 27
L Thigh – 27

As of last Wednesday 7/7/10, I have lost 8 pounds and 4.25 total inches. I weigh-in again tomorrow.

Since 6/23, I have gotten a minimum of 40 minutes of activity in every single day, most days at least 60 minutes. 90% of the activity I have been doing is walking. The other 10% is a mixture of jogging, yoga, elliptical machine, spin class, and strength exercises.

Since 6/23, I have drunk a minimum of 64 oz of water every day. I keep a water bottle on my desk at work and I motivate myself to drink it by playing mind games. (ex. “Drink 16 oz before this song is over on the radio”, “Before you can go to the bathroom/eat lunch/take a break, finish whatever is in the water bottle.”)

SparkPeople suggests a calorie range based on information you enter. I have tracked all my food and stayed within my calorie range every day except one (my anniversary dinner). Even when eating out. I don’t deprive myself of any food or any food group, but I am more careful about making decisions about what I really want to spend my calories on.

So, there you have it. I don’t mean for this all to sound smug, but I just wanted to really clarify what I’ve been doing. Unfortunately, there really is no secret formula...