The internet is a nightmare for fitness advice. Between “biohacks” and contradictory influencers, it’s easy to get buried in information. Over the last two months, I’ve been experimenting with my own routine to see what actually sticks when a PhD workload gets intense.
Here’s a breakdown of what worked, what failed, and why I’m completely changing my approach.
The Productivity Trap In January, I had a solid morning ritual: wake up, stretch, meditate for five minutes, and read an article before touching my phone. It felt sustainable until the semester ramped up.
Lately, “busy” has turned into jumping straight from bed to the laptop, doom scrolling while waiting for GitHub Copilot to finish a task. I told myself I was saving time by cutting out the “slow” morning stuff, but the reality is the opposite. Skipping that grounding time led to brain fog and more time wasted later in the day.
The takeaway: Life is a marathon. I’ve never regretted fifteen minutes of stretching, but I’ve definitely regretted an hour of mindless scrolling.
The Fasting Phase: Results and Reality I’ve been sticking to a 16:8 Intermittent Fasting window (10 AM to 6 PM). It’s been manageable, and the data shows it worked to a point.
Weight: Hovering around 55.5 kg (down from 56 kg).
Strength: Still trending up; I’m hitting heavier PRs consistently.
Definition: I have more ab definition, though that stubborn lower belly fat hasn’t fully budged.
The Scan: A recent InBody test put me at 9.9% body fat. I’m skeptical of that specific number, but it confirms I’m lean.
I’ve also been looking into cortisol. High stress from research spikes insulin and encourages midsection fat storage. It’s a reminder that you can’t just out train a high stress lifestyle; recovery is part of the work.
The Mental Hurdle: Bulking? There’s a massive mental block when it comes to gaining weight: If I bulk, will I lose the definition I worked so hard for? With summer around the corner, the idea of watching my core fade is tough. But I’ve realized that staying at 55 kg just to keep a six-pack is a plateau, not a win. For long term success, I have to accept that this might be a temporary trade off for a much stronger, more muscular frame. I won’t know what a 60 kg version of myself looks like until I actually try to build it.
Summer, Cardio, and the Huckleberry Trail With the weather warming up, I’m getting back into what I actually enjoy: running and biking. I just picked up new running shoes and I’m planning to spend a lot of time on the Huckleberry Trail.
There’s always that “bro science” fear that cardio will “eat” my muscle gains. But honestly? You have to live your life. If I’m eating enough to support the extra activity, the conditioning will only help my recovery. Plus, staying active outdoors is a better stress management tool than obsessing over every calorie burned.
The New Philosophy: Growth Over Shredding My InBody results were clear: I need more muscle mass, particularly in my legs. Despite hitting legs hard, the growth hasn’t been there likely because I’m not giving my body enough fuel to actually build tissue.
The plan for the next few months:
Pausing Fasting: I’m stepping away from the 16:8 window to make hitting a caloric surplus easier. The 60 kg Goal: I’m aiming to gain about 4 kg. I know some of that will be fat, but the goal is to maximize lean muscle.
Intuitive Eating: My university nutritionist suggested focusing on hunger cues rather than obsessive tracking. I’m rating my hunger to decide when to add a snack or a meal.
Zero Added Sugar: One change that’s staying is cutting out added sugar. It’s rare that I eat processed sugars now, which keeps my energy stable and prevents unnecessary insulin spikes.
The Bottom Line I could go off on a tangent about ketones, insulin control, and the benefits of sardines, but I’ll save that for a deeper dive later. The goal for this next phase is simple: get stronger, eat whole foods, and enjoy the trails. I’m curious to see how my body responds to actually being fed enough to grow.
See you at 60 kg.