Ever since I got back to school, a lot of people have been saying I look different. Sure, there’s the new haircut that I’ve been rocking, but a lot of people have said I look bigger.

No, I didn’t get fat. I went to the gym. A lot.

Once spring semester ended, I wanted to put an emphasis on getting in shape. I was always a skinny kid, so I decided I would go to the gym and eat healthier more often.

It isn’t something that’s easy to do, that’s for sure. You have to force yourself to go to the gym and to eat healthier. It’s a combination of those two to get in better shape, but it’s mostly work ethic and will power.

I kept track of everything I ate over the summer every day with an app, drank a protein shake almost every day, maintained a schedule that allowed me to go to the gym several times a week and made sure I didn’t cheat on either my workout or my diet.

Why did I do it? I don’t know exactly. I’ve always wanted to get in better shape, get better at sports and walk out of Quinnipiac with an intramural championship T-shirt.

The only regret I have is waiting for the summer to start. I feel great now and know that doing it’s going to help my health in the long run. But now comes the hard part: keeping it up. At home, I had to balance going to the gym with my internship, but here there’s class, schoolwork and work with four organizations that need to be balanced with my gym schedule.

Nobody ever said it was going to be easy, and it’s not. The key is finding the time and finding the motivation to keep going.

I know I’m not the strongest or the fastest, and I’m not trying to be the strongest or the fastest. I’m trying to be stronger and faster than I was yesterday. That’s all the motivation I need.