One of the biggest challenges you'll face in your first few years in finance is keeping your weight under control. When you're pulling 100 hour weeks and have $25 a night to spend on food, it's easy to start packing on the pounds.
Let's be clear, when you're turning pitch edits around the clock, the last thing you'll want to do is eat a side salad for dinner.
So, how does one deal with the long hours, the stress, and lack of sleep and manage to stay in some semblance of shape? There are a number of ways....
As someone who came into banking straight out of college and in decent shape, it was important to me to try and not let myself go. Over the course of my career, I've tried, or witnessed, several different methods, each with its own set of pros and cons. Here are some of the highlights:
The Workout Freak Method
We've all encountered the type. The guy who's up at the crack of dawn doing laps at the pool. The guy who's spending his Sundays running half marathons. The dude who's already completed a triathlon. I've found that finance attracts more professional exercisers than any other field. I guess it comes with the Type A territory.
The Pros of being a workout freak are, obviously, that you'll stay healthy and be in great shape. The Cons, however, are that you'll be spending a ton of your free time at the gym, it takes a fuck-ton of dedication, and your less-fit colleagues will probably harbor a secret resentment of you. I suppose it beats lovehandles, though.
The Fad Diet Method
Maybe I've just worked with some oddballs, but I've had several co-workers do any number of fad diets to keep their weight down. Atkins, South Beach, the caveman diet, I've even seen people do stretches of veganism. Whatever it takes to keep the calories down.
As far as I've seen, there really aren't too many pros here. At best, some of the older folks I've worked with can shed a few pounds by drastically switching up their food habits, but the results are usually short-lived. Plus, if you're on the South Beach diet, you'll end up looking like a fool when you eat your sandwich sans bread in client lunch meetings. I've seen this happen, and it's just weird. Don't be that guy.
The 'Never Eat after 7pm' Method
Maybe this one seems weird, but it's generally worked pretty well for me. It takes some major will power, but if you can keep a decent window of time between when you eat your last meal and when you go to sleep, you can usually keep your weight down. If you can also mix in a decent workout three or four times a week, you could be golden. The downside, of course, is that you'll feel like an old head when you're eating dinner at six.
It really all comes down to doing things in moderation. Not gorging yourself on burgers and fries every night and trying to work in a decent workout here and there. Sacrifice a little sleep once in a while or some time on the weekends to get to the gym. Not everyone has the will power, or the desire, to train for marathons, but hitting the gym when you can will provide damage control.
Alternatively, there's always the I don't give a fuck method
This, as you can imagine, consists of maximizing your food intake and minimizing your exercise. You either have a hyperactive metabolism, stay slim, and clog your arteries, or you gain a ton of weight and have to buy new clothes. Either way, as long as you don't give a fuck and get your work done, good on you.
Anyway, I'm curious to hear how others on WSO kept themselves in shape while cranking away for 80 hours a week. Also, how many of you guys have worked with a marathon runner type? Or, better yet, are you that guy? If so, can you feel the quiet resentment your colleagues have for you?
You definetly have the types down, I guess I fall into the wake up at 5 am everyday grouping. Personally, I find it easier to be more productive throughout the day when I'm up and already have a workout it. Plus, easier to find motivation than after a whole day at work. Granted, I normally am not up until 1 am cranking out spreadsheets so that obviously makes it a bit more palatable to keep a gym schedule.
I am one of those weird part-type A part-type B personality types. Combination of healthy eating, walking to work, and four trips (not ten) to the gym every week for a mile and a half swim each time.
Speaking of swimming, I'm doing the Broolyn Bridge Swim in two weeks. Anyone interested in joining me?
I'm actually swimming the Seine river in September:
http://www.parisalanage.com/en/
I used to be all about rising early to exercise. However, unfortunately, my job already requires me to get up at 5am.
For NYC-based bankers, are there decent delivery options for somewhat-healthy meals? A friend of mine at a BB in NYC orders sushi just about every night with the primary purpose of keeping his weight a bit under control.
Thoughts?
Too many white carbs in the rice
Eat sashimi then
When I worked in banking, I used the aformentioned plan of not eating late. Also, I ordered fish/chicken/meat (only once a week) in conjunction with veggies and some sort of healthy starch. Also, during the day I ate a lot of fruit, protein shakes, yogurt, pb&j on whole wheat, etc. I found that eating every couple of hours prevented me from over indulging during any one meal. Maybe I was fortunate, but most of my group were ex athletes (like myself), so if we wanted to hit the gym from 7-8 at night (as long as there wasn't a deadline, there was no issue with that). Also, if you don't hit Starbuck's 3 times a day, you can add up that time to use for the gym, not drink sugary drinks and save yourself a pretty penny too.
nothing wrong with lean meat 2-3 times a day. sure beats the hell out of protein shakes.
I meant only red meat once a week, every other night was fish or chicken
Biking on the weekend. A 1 hour ride at a serious clip will burn 1000 calories.
MMA during the week. I'm not suggesting that anybody sub in to take on Spider Silva in a couple of weeks, but the constantly changing workout will help shed some weight at about 2-3 hours per week.
if you can find a local crossfit gym near work, I would recommend that. Your workout is done in under an hour and you get in ridiculous shape. I have been doing it for 6 months and it was the best decision of my life.
For me, the only method that works is: calories in = calories out => no weight gain/loss.
When I eat during the day I just make sure that I meet my calorie requirements. No matter what I eat, this rule applies.
I'm the marathon runner type.
For me, it seems to work pretty well to work out 2-3 times per week coupled with a few short runs. I find the most important thing however is what you eat. When not out with clients, I avoid sugars, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, anything that has >10% carbs, somewhat following the caveman diet. When eating with clients however, everything is fair game.
I agree with him. I also drink a few cups of coffee during the day, but that's more because I like the taste rather than because I'm feeling tired.
Not quite sure of this, but the way that I've had it explained is that the human body is not very good at processing carbs as it will store it for later as fat. The human body has not adjusted to getting at least 3 meals per day and thus seeks to store the energy contained in carbs, leading to weight-gain. (I'm not an expert on this, feel free to correct me anyone)
Or you could just take up smoking.
Book: The four hour body.
I actually learned about this book from WSO. The author of this book seems to be obsessed with experimenting on his body to the readers benefit. I'm on the Slow-Carb diet, as described by the book, supplementing my meals with different vitamins and extracts including Green Tea Extracts, Garlic Extracts, and Alpha Lipoic Acid. You pretty much eat Cruciferous Veges, and anything else green, a shit ton of meat and lean fish (think tuna not salmon), no white carbs - bread, rice, pasta etc and eat lots of legumes. Love it because it allows you to eat a huge portion of these foods and your allowed one super awesome cheat day per week, and by that i mean eating anything. Highly recommend the book and the diet. Not so challenging and very quick and effective.
When I was an analyst I'd pick-up Whole Foods for dinner using my per diem and grab something healthy for lunch the next day as well. They usually had a decent assortment of healthy fare.
Workout wise I'd aim to get in three weight workouts per week. Two during the weekdays and one on the weekend. Would usually get them in during the later evenings after the senior folks went home. Would go bang out a quick 45 min workout at say 9 p.m. (or sometimes just roll workout / dinner into one) and then come back to the office to finish up whatever needed to be done. 2x during the week was usually about the right frequency. Anything more would be tough and anything less you'd see limited gains.
Now I have more time so my workout regimen is more varied. Also eat very few carbs (similar to this former McKinsey consultant http://eatingacademy.com/). Honestly this last point is the best way to keep the pounds off. If you don't eat carbs it doesn't matter how much / how little you exercise. You'll stay lean. And yes I am that guy that doesn't eat the bread on my sandwich in client meetings.
I disregard any 'fad diets' as soon as I read that they do not allow booze......
On a more serious note.....(but not really).....
It's interesting that many of you mentioned the caveman diet. One of my father's former colleagues, who is now in his late 70s, has been on the caveman diet for about 30 years and the guys seriously looks 25 years younger than he actually is. He could easily pass for late 40s, early 50s and he is not at all a workout nazi.
Maybe it is something to look into?
I was honestly expecting adderall to be one of them....
I find that some good loving and some lingerie with my woman helps
Awesome post!
I'm fortunate enough to be located in a city with a reasonable enough coat of living to have a 2 bdr apartment; that way I can have a time effective gym at home.
well I don't eat dinner to 930 so not eating late doesn't apply.
I was a gym freak but i'm one of the few who get's really tired after weights rather then energetic.
MMA / Cross-fit is one of the best options you can get. A couple of these a week will do you wonders and many do 5am/6am/5pm/6pm workout times.
"Insanity" actually is a pretty good. I'm sure you have all seen the infomercial. The workouts are all 45 minutes and you just need a circle with a diameter = your height. It's high cardio and body weight training will help you stay in shape but not really build mass.
Regarding diet I'm still >25 so I don't really have to think about it. One thing though is to just not eat in the 3 hours before you sleep. This causes your body to not store the food during digestion correctly resulting in weight gain.
Also - signing up for a 5K or MudRun it a really good idea.
Many of these are only 3.2 miles -- thats max 1 hr walking. however the motivation an event like this provides you to keep working out at least a few times a week is really great.
I personally love the 5K MudRun's and I'm trying to get myself to a level to do a ToughMudder -- not there yet though.
I didn't see my method here. I would call it "Food time = downtime"
Very simple. If you are working, don't eat. If you need to eat at work, you eat during downtime... the time when you'd ordinarily be checking the sports page or dicking around on WSO.
I hate eating when I'm working. I find an empty (or emptyish) stomach contributes a certain clarity and momentum. Stick a sandwich in there, and I'm done. It feels like trying to drive a car with the parking brake on.
Also, now that I've reached a point in my career where I can just do my work and go home, I just want to get through my day. My evenings are wonderful; my days in the office are nice but not blissful. If I spend five minutes eating, I just traded five great minutes for five office minutes.
If hunger pangs bug me, I use a little milk in tea or coffee. (Not nonfat. One's stomach needs fat to be satisfied.)
The only unsolved problem with this method is that the liquid intake makes me waste more time going to the bathroom than I prefer to spend. What do you guys think -- diapers? I'm pretty sure they would ruin the line of my pants...
As many others I lost a decent amount of weight after reading 4-hour body i.e. slow carb diet. I know watch the amount of carbs I eat throughout the week and maintain my weight with 2-3 workouts a week.
Basically, all I eat at home is tuna can, eggs, chicken breast, vegetable powder (taste like shit), whole wheat bread. Also, I try to run when I have the time.
hmm weight loss pills?
On a serious note, if anyone has more time (i.e. is no longer in banking), and is also averse to taking the time to go to a gym, then I highly recommend one of those cheesy looking home workout programs. I.e.) P90x or Insanity. It's pretty brutal, but it gets results. Plus, you really don't have any excuses for not working out when you can get a serious workout in at home.
Been doing Insanity for a few months now and don't ever remember being in this good of shape. Definitely recommend.
As far as eating, I've actually been doing something where I have a really small snack in the morning, eat a big meal at lunch and then a small-medium sized meal right after I work out in the afternoon/early evening. Pretty satisfied with this schedule, i've had a lot more energy.
eating after 7pm is just fine esp if you are going to sleep after mid-night everyday. just lower the amount of cars in your meals later in the day.
A rather old but still relevant article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110906121011.htm
I haven't started the 80 hour weeks yet but I do 70 during the semester and attempting to keep some sort of sleep schedule while drinking lots of water will do half the job for you. Even if the exercise is minimal, I find that just maintaining a healthy diet and avoiding burgers/pizza/etc.. will keep you from gaining weight even if you stop exercising. You will lose muscle tone but the slight fat increase can be worked off.
Oh yeah, water is huge. I drink like 6+ bottles a day at work (it's free, luckily.) A dumb trick that might be an old wives' tale that I try to stick to is to always have a big glass of water before eating a meal. Not sure why it works or if it's just in my head, but it seems to help.
Not a tale. I believe several studies have looked at water consumption and weight loss. Check out this Discover News article for a rundown of one of the more famous studies. Overweight/obese people lost 40% more when they consumed 16oz water before eating.
If you are crunched on time (and even if you are not) focus on exercises that work muscle groups, not individual muscles (unless you are entering body building competitions). Squats, pull ups, push ups, lunges, dips, jump rope, plyometrics, etc. These types of exercises raise your metabolism by increasing the excess post oxygen consumption. In other words, your body keeps working after the workout is over. Another way to boost this effect is through high intensity interval training that is anaerobic and stimulates lactic acid production.
30 Minute Whole Body Workout: 5-10 minutes light cardio warm up (heart rate 120-150) 20 set squat - this should be at a weight that challenges you to complete the set and with
2-3x as many reps as possible - pull ups 2-3x as many reps as possible - push ups 5 minute light cardio cool down (heart rate descend to
Whether it's an old wive's tail or not, I would guess that the trick is that it fills your stomach a bit and makes you slightly less hungry. I might start trying to do that...
TheKing,
Are you still in PE? Last I read I thought you were quitting. Feels like you've been posting a lot more too! That's definitely how I envisioned myself after I quit finance (write some blogs, eat healthier, get in shape etc.)
I'm still in PE, though not for much longer. My work load has been reduced significantly so I've had a lot of free time to work on things outside of the office - including this, working out a bunch, and a number of other things.
Btw, I forgot a HUGE one: seriously limiting your alcohol intake. By no means do you need to eliminate it completely, but I'd limit it to one or two nights per week. My rule is, generally, to not drink unless it's Friday or Saturday. I'll usually shift one of those days to Sunday during football season, since there's no better way to watch 12 hours of the NFL than with a bunch of beers.
What are you going to do after PE?
I'm in the same boat. Still in PE but not for much longer (December comes I'm basically done). Have had more time recently as well - been doing a lot of brazilian jiu jitsu and trying to pick up programming on the side. Nice to check out some other interests.
For me running to or from work (or both) works very efficiently. I am in another European city than London. Our London office has a very good shower/locker room as well, though, and some guys - even senior ones - go there by bycicle a lot.
I am not doing 100 hour weeks, however.
Eddie, how fast are you swimming distance right now?
Did you see the pace requirement for that race? It's 10km in 3.33 hours, or a 50m lap in 60 seconds. And you're going to need to add a 20% margin or so for the fact that there's waves, it's cold, and there's no reference line at the bottom of the pool. So you may need to be doing 50 second laps by race day.
Pligga nease.
I'm swimming the 2.5k, and my plan is to jump into the river and drift on the current to the finish line.
Its basically 40x100 on the 1:45 pool, doable even at his age. A suit will help with the water temp though.
For the food thing, I find that knowing what you are going to get for dinner everyday before you get hungry helps a lot. I have 5 places I order from, one cuisine for each weekday. If you do that, drink black coffee and never eat dessert/shakes hard cardio 2 times a week is enough to stay in shape. I'm a relatively lean guy so I spend any extra gym time strength training.
Wasserstein didn't even make it to 60.
BUT you need to tack on 10-20% to your time for waves, direction, and temp. There are no lines at the bottom of the Seine to keep you heading straight. And a wetsuit will definitely slow you down over your pool time (And many races don't allow them). You will also get cramps on a long enough race. So I am estimating about a 1:30, 1:32 100 yard pace in the pool will get you across the finish line. I can do that today- at least for a few miles- but that's swimming 3x/week for several years and getting a little coaching on technique.
I would think that having to work for 80 hours would make you eat less, so you would lose weight.
not eating for 10 straight hours (most likely leading to binge eating) will slow down your metabolism.
QUESTION: does any trader on the site work out before goes to work?
is anyone else addicted to something something really bad? I eat pretty damn good, but I can't stop eating twizzlers, a serious fucking weakness.
Here is a simpler solution. Work at a firm that doesn't cover your food expenses and you will control your weight.
I am working at a middle market P.E. firm but my firm covers no expenses whatsoever for its employees. The work hours are 60 - 100/week depending where we are in the deal making process. Generally no longer than 75 and we are allowed to go home to do some of the work.
At NYC prices before bonuses eating out costs a small fortune. For some of the vets here, this comment will seem like a joke but for the neophytes they know what I mean.
At my firm, I noticed that the analysts/interns generally don't eat twice a day (if that many times) and generally cheap fast food/vendor food.
This is especially awesome when your M.D. takes you to an upscale restaurant/event with a client or to meet clients multiple times a month and has you cover your own meal expense. pansy.
how do you develop the willpower to not eat like shit when your firm provides lunch everyday?
I've been working out for a couple of years now and begun 'cutting' season this summer, which pretty much entail shedding fat and getting lean as opposed to the bulking stage (which you can figure out). I've been doing it for 4 weeks and started my summer intern position a couple of days ago. The hours aren't comparable to FT and as such my routine and diet won't face the same constraints but my 6 rules work well for me. Nothing wow or new;
1) No carbs after 7 2) Carbs you have before this are all wholegrain/wholewheat 3) Drink green tea 3x a day 4) Higher ratio of weight training to cardio 5) Decrease carbs 6) No sugar
Like I said, nothing special, just a good combination! The obvious avoidance of friend or oily food.
5am: 3 mile run, 3 days a week. breakfast: protein shake lunch: turkey sandwich w/ mustard dinner: chicken/fish with vegetables and a fiber drink, usually a glass of wine or some clear alcohol with water if I'm not having dinner at the office.
-M/W: lift, Sun: tennis
I packed on the lbs going from playing a D1 sport to nothing, but the trick is just getting back into a routine. It's also a lot easier when you don't go out at all during the week and you pass out immediately when you get home.
I think there are merits to embracing the "let yourself go" lifestyle... There is something very masculine and liberating about that kind of self indulgence. Think the Bruce Wasserstein look. This doesn't work if you keep talking about your meals as one of my PE friend does. Then its pretty lame.
I find eating at the office is extremely demeaning and inhumane. It's uncivilised in my opinion.
To keep in shape I run / cycle outdoors for 30 minutes (mostly high intensity) about 6 times a week after work (sometimes before) and lift weights 3 times a week for 15-20 mins max (total 30-35 reps of compound exercises per work out session max). No gym, no gimmicks, no time wasting. I also never have breakfast unless it's a social thing and skip either lunch or dinner 2 to 3 times a week. This saves me around 10 meals a week, so I don't have to watch what I eat when I'm out socialising (about 4-5 times a week). At home, I stick to low carb generally, but I'm not ideological about it. I have friends who have lost the ability to eat bread. This is a sad state to be in. All to conform to what some designer or corporation thinks a person should look like.
If I play squash or something, then I'll replace it for one of my running/cycling sessions.
currently an SA.
wake up at 6am to lift, get to the office by 8:30~9. Start cranking. Drink a cup of coffee at 4pm if fatigued.
Do this about 2x a week for weekdays, and always lift at least once during the weekend.
3x of weights per week is plenty as long as you eat clean. up the protein lower the carbs on off-days. Up the carbs and lower the fats & protein a bit for gym days. If you don't make gains while doing this somethings wrong with you.
But again, this isn't easy to follow. only someone who really enjoys the gym can do this. other wise, just get the sleep in and dont fuck up at work. lol
Eat meat and vegetables, nuts & seeds, some fruit, little starch, and minimal sugar. Keep portions small & often to support exercise but not body fat. Practice & train major lifts; deadliest, clean, squat & presses.
lots of low carb proponents on this forum
How do you guys build/maintain muscle while eating low carb? I tried that and lost a lot of weight, but a lot of muscle as well.
Get a personal trainer. I love it because I have someone pushing me constantly and you just can't stop to take a break on your own terms. It's completely changed me but it's also pretty addicting, which brings me to my next point.... Trainers are not cheap in NYC so don't start unless you know you can afford it. In-house trainers at gyms like NYSC and Crunch will run you around $100/hr and private trainers charge even more.
Or at MPHC you can buy 10 hours for $600.
Or just sign up for the swim club weekdays at 6 AM every morning for $90/quarter, and have a coach work on your strokes and give you a workout.
They also give a $4 discount on parking if you show up in a rusty honda.
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