Moving Forward

I've been away from my usual routine for the past three weeks. I guess if you really want to get technical, I've actually been away from my usual routine since the beginning of this year ... not much of a routine anymore then, is it? Well, I guess that's what was bound to happen when I finally put all my energy into my PhD research and writing and made my workouts second. It's not that I haven't been going to the gym - I've actually been really diligent - hitting the gym at 6 a.m. for a good 2.5-3 hours pretty much everyday. The thing that was lacking, however, was the excitement ... the added rush of adrenaline leading up to and continuing past each workout. Instead, it became ... routine. Just something I had to do to make sure I got m

y daily exercise and didn't entirely negate all the hard work I've put in over the past year and a half.

Looking back on the past 6 months, it seems like all I've really been able to do is maintain my current weight -- but it's not really about the num

ber, right? Okay so the number on the scale is pretty much the same - but other things are definitely different. My speed, strength, and stamina have all improved - I can't really ignore that ... and while my attitude has changed - it's about being healthy, not just shedding the pounds - there's still the desire to see a change in the number on the scales and the shape of my body ... so here I am once again, back after an almost four week 'work-cation' ... and ready to get right into to the swing of things.

I've got six weeks before my next trip, which means that I've got six solid weeks to get my PhD work done and stick to a reasonable and effective diet and exercise program. What better way to keep track of my progress than through a blog ... so here we go.