It is official: Dr. Norton is in the house!!!!

Hello everyone,
I am happy to be writing about one of the most exciting times in my life right now. As many of you know, I have spent the last 5 and a half years pursuing my PhD in Nutritional Sciences. Well, I am proud to say that this past March I defended and deposited my thesis and graduated this past weekend with my PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the best school in the country for Nutritional Sciences, The University of Illinois. Some of my research has already been published in the Journal of Nutrition, but much more will be coming in the future. My thesis was entitled:
"Leucine is a critical factor determining protein quality and quantity of a complete meal to initiate muscle protein synthesis" This PhD was by far the hardest thing I've ever done in my life and is the only thing that I have ever wanted to quit at, but after everything my wife and I have gone through I am glad we have stuck it out. Many people have asked me what I will do now that my PhD is finished. I have decided not to go further into academia but instead to expand my current business, BioLayne Inc. As many of you know, I currently do nutritional and training consultations for bodybuilders, fitness, and figure competitors as well as strength athletes and serious non-competitive lifters. I will use my degree and the knowledge I gained through my academic pursuits to help others accomplish their goals in bodybuilding and fitness. This is my dream job and something I have enjoyed for the last 4 years and cannot imagine doing anything else. It has been more successful than I could have ever imagined and I owe a great deal to my hard working clients.

Another big change in our lives is that we will be moving from Champaign, IL and relocating to Tampa, FL. Isabel and I met in Tampa in undergraduate school and have always wanted to move back. Now we are in a fortunate position to be able to do so. Last week we closed on a great house in Tampa and we will be moving down this weekend to sunny Florida! We are so excited we can hardly contain ourselves!

To make life even more interesting/hectic, I have begun dieting for my first natural pro shows! I promised myself that once I won my pro card, I would not diet for another show until I was finished with grad school, it just takes took too much out of my research and set me back too far when I did it before. Now that I'm finished with my PhD it is time to return to the stage. I have not announced what shows I will be doing but stay tuned as they will be posted in the coming months. In the meantime, please follow along my precontest journal here: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=124195121

I want to take this time to thank everyone who has supported me and followed my journey over the last few years, without your interest and support I would be nothing. I promise, I will always work as hard as I possibly can and leave everything on the table. I will never look back with regrets.

"Unless a man takes on more than he can possibly do, he will never do all he possibly can." ~Henry Drummond

Thanks you all! Big things are in store!

-Layne