THIS TIME IS FOR REAL...

The first week has been quite good, energy levels are up from regular activity and I have developed a "healthy addiction" to skipping...I had tried many forms of physical exercise in the morning after my usual zazen session, but I found all of them either inconvenient or too harsh on my still half asleep body. I had never been an early bird in terms of exercising at the peak of my fitness levels many moons ago when still a student, even less now with less hours of rest. Recently I had tried swimming as a form of gentle morning exercise, and even though there is a pool in my building was hard to give it continuity, and ended up taking way too much time. Skipping (which unlike most people I had never done before even as a kid) is convenient, you can do it just about anywhere, and takes no preparations...What a brilliant idea!!...I had started pre-skipping ahead of the official beginning of PCP (at the recommendation of my PCP-veteran wife Louise) and I can already feel some of the benefits...I went snowboarding with some friends 2 weekends ago, and I already enjoyed more stamina and to some degree more coordination. Also skipping seems to have accelerated my weight loss already, also helped by being more mindful about what I eat. Now that the real thing starts I kind of regret not having gone with half of my normal food for this week. I have to confess that I "cheated somehow" and preferred to transition to "healthier" diet propositions like more veggies, complex carbs instead of sugars etc. I guess that comes from my "all or nothing" personality, so I either eat junk or I eat none. Find the "middle-way" somewhat difficult I guess, so much for a practicing buddhist!! But somehow with the whole beginning of PCP on my mind there was no room or appetite for greasy or oversugary foods... Have to say that I feel a lot better, but somehow I sense that I will regret this unnecessary "strictness", as the "real diet" begins, so might have to treat myself to half a cheesy pizza tonight...Bye bye donuts...my dear friends I will be missing you. I am excited to begin the whole thing "for real" , yet at the same time I probably could not have chosen a worse week, which will involve some critical meetings for my business (some of which will undoubtedly involve copious meals and a very alcoholic night out to seal a potentially very important deal) and also travelling to London for a weekend, thus testing the portability of the workouts whilst staying in hotel rooms, and the ability to concoct PCP compliant meals whilst on-the-go.