The last year or two of my life in New York City was VERY structured. I’d wake up at 6:15, get to the gym by 7:30, work out until 8:30, and then take a shower and be get to work by 9. I’d take lunch at 1, finish work at 5:30, and if I wasn’t working late I’d either go to salsa, go back to the gym (during that brief time when I was doing two-a-days), or go out with my friends. And once I finally got home, I would eat, get my stuff ready for the next day, and then spend an hour on the phone with Dave until it was time for bed. Wake up; repeat.

That was my routine.

My life down here in New Orleans is so different than my life in NY, it’s crazy! I have no structure at all. No schedule. The main reason for this is that I’m no longer working a normal full-time job. I still work for the same company, but now I’m an independent contractor, and I’m only working part time. For the most part I can choose my own hours. I no longer have to commute to go to work – in fact, some days I don’t even leave the house.

I haven’t joined a gym either. There are none that are super close to my house, and honestly, the only reason I managed to make it to the gym everyday in NY was because it was DIRECTLY on my way to work.

I’ve also stopped blogging. Why? Because I stopped cooking. And dieting. I’ve been in “vacation mode” since I moved down here, trying different restaurants and eating whatever I want, whenever I want it. I’ve also been drinking a ton.

The only constant in my life – and the only form of exercise I get – is salsa. I go Tuesdays and Thursdays (also on the weekend if something’s going on, but Tuesdays and Thursdays are definite). Thank God for salsa.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. Not at all! My life is pretty amazing right now. I get to spend lots of time with my boyfriend (much needed after a year of doing long-distance), I don’t have to leave my house for work (the awesomeness of which cannot be overstated), and I’m have a great time partying it up in all these new places with the few new friends I’ve made. After years of living such a regimented life in New York City, I’m taking it easy in the Big Easy (sorry, I couldn’t resist :-P).

So why is it time for me to get my shit together? Well, five months of minimal exercise and maximum food has definitely caught up with me. I’m 10 pounds heavier than I was in May, and probably 15 pounds heavier than I was in December. 15 pounds! That’s a lot of pounds! Although my boobs are big again, my clothes are too tight, and I’m generally not very happy at this weight. So for the thousandth time in my life, I’m back on a diet. I started it on Monday, and so far I’ve been doing well. I’ve been eating healthy and working out every day. (Yes, it’s only been four days, but you have to start somewhere, right?)

I am also definitely committed to blogging more, twice a week at least. I went so long that it was kind of hard to get back into it. I couldn’t think of anything to write about since I was no longer cooking. But it’s very easy for me to write about my dieting ups-and-downs, and now that I’m back on a diet, my writer’s block has disappeared. I do want to write about things other than my diet and cooking, so we’ll see how that goes. Stay tuned!