Getting fat Forum

[umichman]

i never realize how sedentary life as a lawyer could be. Usually too tired at end of day for workout. Is this normal or will I maybe move around more once I'm an actual associate at a firm. And do any firms have walking desks for first years?

[Dr. Review]

Usually too tired at end of day for workout.

This is why they make PWO.

will I maybe move around more once I'm an actual associate at a firm

lol, no

[seizmaar]

staying in shape takes more and more effort over time to achieve lesser and lesser results. then you die.

[AReasonableMan]

try going before work. this is why old people who are fit tend to get up at 5/6. much easier to go before work. also, once your metabolism slows down from laziness you'll be less hungry so you prob wont get that fat. you'll just have heart problems.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

Stress = 1. lower metabolism 2. more craving for fatty foods

I think morning exercise is credited
also a treadmill desk if you can get away with it at your firm

[RCSOB657]

Wonder if they make steppers small enough for a desk?

[AReasonableMan]

Stress = 1. lower metabolism 2. more craving for fatty foods

I think morning exercise is credited
also a treadmill desk if you can get away with it at your firm

dont be stressed; problem solved

[Anonymous User]

what does PWO mean?

[KMart]

what does PWO mean?

Post workout I believe.

[UpandDown97]

what does PWO mean?

Post workout I believe.

Pre work out seems more logical

[KMart]

what does PWO mean?

Post workout I believe.

Pre work out seems more logical

You know what - you're right. I knew that didn't sound right but it looked right.

[Anonymous User]

I generally find that if I push a run until after work, it's 50-50 whether I end up doing it.

So, I get up at 5:30 am and run before work. Yeah, the first couple of weeks before I got used to it sucked. And there will be maybe a night a month where I'm working late, or watching a late night movie (or watching a late night movie after working late because I'm too amped to go to sleep right after I get home) where I bag on the run. But in general I get six miles in six days a week. The plus side is that when you exercise first thing in the morning you're generally a lot more productive in the 8:30-10:30 period because you're already woken up.

[84651846190]

i never realize how sedentary life as a lawyer could be. Usually too tired at end of day for workout. Is this normal....

Yes.

[dudders]

It's normal if my experience means anything. Normal doesn't mean good or bad, I just mean you're not the only one.

I have to be AT work at 8, and live in a rural area, so I would have to leave the house by like 5:15 to get a workout in in the morning, which is hard because I'm not a morning person. At. All.

Then I end up staying late at work, coming home late, eating dinner, watching tv, drinking a bit, and going to bed.

I also can't hit the gym AT work because I have court every day at 1 p.m. (right after lunch). wah wah.

[dudders]

For me, desk job was also a double whammy because I went from living in a big city and walking a lot, commuting either by walking, public transportation or occasionally biking ... to sitting in my car for an hr every day like a veal.

[dixiecupdrinking]

Don't worry, everyone feels this way but nobody gets out of shape.

[glitched]

I gained some pounds over the few months since I started and realized two weeks before trial that I couldn't fit any of my suits. Instead of buying a new one, and with no time to work out, I starved myself for two weeks on a 500 calorie diet. It worked. I probably don't want to do that again, so my lesson learned: if you don't have time to work out, just eat less, you fatty.

[krads153]

I've gained about 20 pounds in biglaw (been here a few years). Not terrible on average, but pretty terrible for someone with my metabolism/genes. In school I was always one of the skinniest around.

A fair number of people seem to gain 50+ pounds in biglaw......

[Anonymous User]

Is there anyone who's stayed around the same weight? It's embarrassing to admit it as a guy, but I really don't want to get fat. As a summer, I'd just go easy on snacks and carbs through the day if I knew I'd be drinking.

[krads153]

^It's possible if you make sure to work out regularly and make sure you don't eat snacks. Some people get up at 6 am to work out for an hour or so and then go to work.

I've gained weight in part because I don't exercise aside from walking everywhere. I've actually gained more weight in a "walking city" like NYC than I ever have living in the suburbs, driving everywhere. Walking doesn't really make you burn many calories. A lot of it is just what you're eating and what kind of calories you're consuming (little fiber? a lot of sugar?). When you sit there all day youre likely to snack on junk food. Also you end up having irregular eating hours and eating late is bad for your liver/metabolism.

Also I started off underweight in biglaw (BMI less than 18), so it might just be age too. WHen you get closer to 30 it's harder to maintain the same metabolism.

[Anonymous User]

Uh I think I did it backwards. I gained like 20 lbs. in law school, then lost it all (plus) while I was working full-time and studying for the bar. It was the only thing I could do while not studying that I didn't feel guilty for, so it ended up being my only little escape.

If you are having trouble forcing yourself to workout, I'd recommend hiring a personal trainer. Now that you have a decent job, it's something you can afford, and they keep you accountable. Personally, I hate to be flaky and break appointments, so if I schedule a session, I'm there, even if I'm exhausted from a long work day. It's weird how expending energy like that actually results in having more energy.

[Dr. Review]

Your diet is going to be the #1 thing that you can control. Additionally, controlling your diet is much more effective in losing and/or maintaining weight than working out. Doing both is great. Keep in mind that you won't outrun your bad eating habits.

As someone that gained 20-25 lbs in law school, and decided as a first year associate that it was getting out of control, and that I was becoming more sedentary, I feel qualified to provide input on what worked for me.

Find a good TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) calculator to get a ballpark of what calories you should eat to stay at your current weight. Take 10-20% off of that to lose weight. Eat at that amount to maintain. Get in the habit of either planning, or researching your meals. Making your own food is the easiest way to control what you eat, but requires the most work on the front end. Barring that, read the nutritional information on restaurant websites or enter your food through things like MyFitnessPal. It is important to be able to accurately judge what you eat, though. Most untrained people underestimate portion sizes and caloric intake. Guessing at how much you ate will very likely mean that you ate more than you did. Measuring food on a scale and/or with measuring cups when you eat at home will help you learn portion sizing.

Lastly, keep in mind that something that SEEMS to be low cal or otherwise healthy very well may not be. Having a salad at your desk in the office seems like a safe choice, until you realize that your favorite salad place makes its honey mustard dressing with shitloads of olive oil, adding hundreds of calories. That grilled chicken sandwich may well have mayo, olive oil, and no end of other high calorie ingredients that you may not even notice.

[FloridaCoastalorbust]

Losing weight is basic math (for the most part) - less calories in than out.

A pound of fat is appx. 3,500 calories.

Cut your TDEE by 500 calories/day to lose a pound a week.

Nowhere near as hard as it sounds. Pack your lunch. Eat 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight, eat 40% of your calories from carbs, and the rest from fat.

You don't even need to exercise to lose weight, so long as you hit your calories every day.

Read Dr. Layne Norton for the science - I'm too lazy to explain further.

These methods led me to winning a competitive bodybuilding division in PA while eating pancakes/pb/ice cream and drinking wine weekly. Ended up at about 4% body fat.

[seizmaar]

wtf pancakes

[FloridaCoastalorbust]

wtf pancakes

pancakes are the shit