Hi, I'm an A0 at a Tier 1 firm in Bombay. My day involves 10-12 hours of sitting at my desk during work hours. Post work hours, all I have the motivation to do is go home, scroll through my phone mindlessly till 2am, scurry to wake up and get to work the next day. Rinse, repeat.
Previously, I've always led a fairly active and athletic lifestyle - going to the gym, home workouts, playing sports in college. This has also always formed an integral part of my personality. For the past 5 months however, fitness has been put on the backburner, and this has started to manifest itself through weight gain. Recently, when I went home for Diwali, some relatives also commented on this. The weight gain, and the knowledge that other people are noticing the weight gain, has affected my self-esteem, and I feel disconnected with the person i used to be - healthy and active.
I know, however, that it is entirely possible to integrate some fitness elements into my lifestyle. I'm just struggling to figure out how to do so at the moment. The following are my core issues:
1. Waking up early: The timings that I return home allow for workouts to be done only in the morning before work. However, given that I've been doomscrolling till 2am for the past 5 months, my sleep cycle is now such that I am unable to fall asleep before 2am. This allows me to barely wake up by around 8am, which allows me to reach office by 9:30-10:00am, and takes away any scope of getting a workout in in the morning.
2. Energy levels: I am very committed to my work, and want to make sure that there is no compromise in my ability to perform. I worry that working out may tire me out, and I may not be able to maintain the energy levels required to perform well on the job.
3. Availability and types of workout: While there is a gym in my office building, I would prefer not to use it in light of the fact that a bunch of people from office do, and I would just like to feel removed from work and work-esque environments during my personal time. There are also very few gyms around my house, and the ones that are close in proximity charge exorbitantly. In such a scenario, should I suck it up and use the gym in my office building, or are there other things that I can do for my fitness apart from using gyms at all?
Motivation: After pulling off work days, I just don't seem to have the energy or the motivation to push myself some more and work out.
I come to the LI and corporate law veterans for some advice. If you've been there, done that, or if you have any tips in general, please help a junior out, and please be kind.
I'm aware of people in my own firm who do manage to have control over their fitness regimens - I think it's entirely possible. As corporate lawyers, we may not be able to have it all, but at least we'll have our health, and hopefully some savings (despite living in Bombay :'))
Stop doomscrolling. Fix your sleep schedule gradually. Make it so you wake up at least an hour earlier. Contrary to your opinion that working out will tire you out, it will actually give you that extra energy. Ever heard of a runners' high? Or heard people tell you not to work out too close to your bedtime? The right exercise GIVES you energy. Even 20 mins consistently everyday before work should suffice as a start.
First thing is to fix your sleep schedule though. You'll end up depressed before you're overweight lol.
It's hopeless. I made time and ran 1 km a day for 365 days and still did not lose weight. The stress and sitting on a desk makes you fat no matter what.
Hey, start small to integrate the habits which will eventually keep you healthy. If joining a gym is inconvenient then buy a pair of weights.
I don’t like working out in the morning as well because waking up earlier eats up on sleep, which is essential to function. Try exercising with weights at home and combine it with calisthenics (you’ll find plenty of home workouts online) and try doing it first thing when you get home from work so that there’s enough time between your workout and sleep time. It may also help reduce the anxiety which causes the doom scrolling. Once you get the hang of this try squeezing in a walk in the evening. Keep you diet clean and take enough protein.
As long as you’re in a caloric deficit you’ll lose the weight. All this may not put you in superhero shape but you’ll certainly be healthy.
Always remember 80% is diet 20% is exercise. And for exercise you don't need to do 6 days PPL hardcore gym. Sure that maybe optimal but our goal here is not bodybuilding.
Opt for options like full body 3x a week, or upper lower 4 times.
This is because in a 6 day split even if you miss one day your entire moral falls down. Alternatively in a 4 day split say Monday Tuesday Thursday Saturday, even if I due to some urgent work and not able to workout on Tuesday, I can shift it to Wednesday. You get buffer days.
Have atleast 1 day (sunday, but preferably 2 if you can squeeze in) for cardio because heart health is important, for this you can run, cycle, swim anything.
Along with this try to get 10k steps daily, this is fairly easy I hit over 12k just by backing to and fro from parel station to one world and then a little walking throughout the day.
Don't let your law firm life ruin your health.
Alternatively, get a pull up bar installed at your home because our work hours are not fixed and will never align with the gym timings (unless you have access to a society gym). Pushups, pull-ups, you can definitely afford dumbles and resistance bands, will be more than enough to get you into shape (not optimal for muscle building exactly but it's definitely better than nothing).
This is not only for your body, but trust me working out and taking care of yourself helps the mental health as well.
it takes an hour and forty minutes to walk 10,000 steps. is this realistic for you, with a law firm lifestyle? it doesn't seem very realistic to me right now, although i could be mistaken
Yep, 10-15mins walking up and down at ghatkopar station, 10mins changing a train at dadar, 10min walk from parel station. Same while coming back at night. + 10min walk after lunch, walking a little in the office it self also adds up (going to washroom, coffee, partners cabin). 10k is definitely doable.
If you don't take public transport then you'll have to put aside sometime for walks, an after dinner walk helps with YouTube or Netflix playing in the background :). Moreover, walking in between sets during the workout itself is a big addition
Please give it a read. Happy to chat further. I want to help people struggling with obesity having been through that same journey myself. Hope it's helpful. All the best - Neela
Hey I don’t know much about law, but investment banking has pretty much the same hours and I try to sneak in some workout here and there, let me elaborate…
Weekends should be your best friend, where you can get most of your body parts done, for example I keep back bicep and legs on weekends so that I’m relatively free to do these big muscles. On weekdays I try making it to the gym on at least any 2 days, so total 4 days in a week, which is decent.
Another major live-saver is eating/ordering healthy food and not engaging in sugary beverages. Have an Americano instead of a sugary coffee.
Say goodbye to grains and added sugar/jaggery etc in all forms. Clock 150 heart points on Google Fit every week- can be achieved by brisk steps (not necessarily walk) of 30-45 min every day. Try to get up from your chair once every 15 min. If you can't do all of these, will be difficult to reset to your healthy past.
Previously, I've always led a fairly active and athletic lifestyle - going to the gym, home workouts, playing sports in college. This has also always formed an integral part of my personality. For the past 5 months however, fitness has been put on the backburner, and this has started to manifest itself through weight gain. Recently, when I went home for Diwali, some relatives also commented on this. The weight gain, and the knowledge that other people are noticing the weight gain, has affected my self-esteem, and I feel disconnected with the person i used to be - healthy and active.
I know, however, that it is entirely possible to integrate some fitness elements into my lifestyle. I'm just struggling to figure out how to do so at the moment. The following are my core issues:
1. Waking up early: The timings that I return home allow for workouts to be done only in the morning before work. However, given that I've been doomscrolling till 2am for the past 5 months, my sleep cycle is now such that I am unable to fall asleep before 2am. This allows me to barely wake up by around 8am, which allows me to reach office by 9:30-10:00am, and takes away any scope of getting a workout in in the morning.
2. Energy levels: I am very committed to my work, and want to make sure that there is no compromise in my ability to perform. I worry that working out may tire me out, and I may not be able to maintain the energy levels required to perform well on the job.
3. Availability and types of workout: While there is a gym in my office building, I would prefer not to use it in light of the fact that a bunch of people from office do, and I would just like to feel removed from work and work-esque environments during my personal time. There are also very few gyms around my house, and the ones that are close in proximity charge exorbitantly. In such a scenario, should I suck it up and use the gym in my office building, or are there other things that I can do for my fitness apart from using gyms at all?
Motivation: After pulling off work days, I just don't seem to have the energy or the motivation to push myself some more and work out.
I come to the LI and corporate law veterans for some advice. If you've been there, done that, or if you have any tips in general, please help a junior out, and please be kind.
First thing is to fix your sleep schedule though. You'll end up depressed before you're overweight lol.
I don’t like working out in the morning as well because waking up earlier eats up on sleep, which is essential to function. Try exercising with weights at home and combine it with calisthenics (you’ll find plenty of home workouts online) and try doing it first thing when you get home from work so that there’s enough time between your workout and sleep time. It may also help reduce the anxiety which causes the doom scrolling. Once you get the hang of this try squeezing in a walk in the evening. Keep you diet clean and take enough protein.
As long as you’re in a caloric deficit you’ll lose the weight. All this may not put you in superhero shape but you’ll certainly be healthy.
Good luck!
Always remember 80% is diet 20% is exercise. And for exercise you don't need to do 6 days PPL hardcore gym. Sure that maybe optimal but our goal here is not bodybuilding.
Opt for options like full body 3x a week, or upper lower 4 times.
This is because in a 6 day split even if you miss one day your entire moral falls down. Alternatively in a 4 day split say Monday Tuesday Thursday Saturday, even if I due to some urgent work and not able to workout on Tuesday, I can shift it to Wednesday. You get buffer days.
Have atleast 1 day (sunday, but preferably 2 if you can squeeze in) for cardio because heart health is important, for this you can run, cycle, swim anything.
Along with this try to get 10k steps daily, this is fairly easy I hit over 12k just by backing to and fro from parel station to one world and then a little walking throughout the day.
Don't let your law firm life ruin your health.
Alternatively, get a pull up bar installed at your home because our work hours are not fixed and will never align with the gym timings (unless you have access to a society gym). Pushups, pull-ups, you can definitely afford dumbles and resistance bands, will be more than enough to get you into shape (not optimal for muscle building exactly but it's definitely better than nothing).
This is not only for your body, but trust me working out and taking care of yourself helps the mental health as well.
If you don't take public transport then you'll have to put aside sometime for walks, an after dinner walk helps with YouTube or Netflix playing in the background :). Moreover, walking in between sets during the workout itself is a big addition
Please give it a read. Happy to chat further. I want to help people struggling with obesity having been through that same journey myself. Hope it's helpful. All the best - Neela
Weekends should be your best friend, where you can get most of your body parts done, for example I keep back bicep and legs on weekends so that I’m relatively free to do these big muscles. On weekdays I try making it to the gym on at least any 2 days, so total 4 days in a week, which is decent.
Another major live-saver is eating/ordering healthy food and not engaging in sugary beverages. Have an Americano instead of a sugary coffee.
Hope this helps