Lots of tricks you could say but I think the underlying factor is being strict with yourself. That means working out 2-4x per week on a regular basis. Use your meal stipend wisely with healthy meals. Yes, a burger and fries from 5 guys or similar hits different on an 18 hour day but in the long run that’s a real killer. Also prioritize sleep ie don’t scroll on tik tok / social media for 30 mins before bed if it’s 2am

 

If you can, find a treadmill (MAX incline at 2-3.5mph) or stair master. All you really need is 30 minutes to burn calories efficiently. If you're really pressed for time and want to weigh train, go for circuit workouts (superset with a high volume of reps). This will burn a ton of calories in the shortest amount of time. 

Also, don't sleep on meal prepping. Diet is more important than training. You can be a hardo like myself and cook 5 meals in advance for the week or simply make a protein smoothie the morning of. Totally up to you. 

Most importantly, try to stick to a schedule and regiment that can adjust to your work lifestyle so that you can be consistent. 

 

Working out can be hard since not much downtime in my group in evenings. If it’s a light week, I try to do a morning workout mid week, squeeze cardio on off days (apartment treadmill), and strength training Friday-Sun. Def tough doing back to back on weekends, sometimes can only get in 2 lifting days a week on weekends. Diet is key, eat a lot of chicken grain bowls and salads.

 

Honestly, I can't physically wake up any earlier than I absolutely HAVE to, s if you're not a morning person this might work -

You've got to accept that in IB you aren't really the master of your schedule so be versatile with it.

I make sure to go to the gym on both Saturday and Sunday, and choose by 3rd/ sometimes 4th day of the week as any day I get off at a reasonable time between Tuesday and Friday. This works pretty well form me, I don't get as much as I would back in uni but I get to stay in decent shape 

 

Don’t you guys feel sleepy after a solid workout, I can’t imagine hitting the desk after lifting..any tips on putting a solid session in and maintaining high energy levels for work after instead of a “light” workout which seems to defeat the purpose

 

Scheduling a workout class always gets me out the door at least but I found that working out later post-work helped me clear my brain before bed / got me in a restful mindset. Not a morning person though so I have to find time in the evening but ideally, would recommend morning workouts to others. Easier to control your morning in IB rather than your evenings, especially as a first year. 
 

Also I workout like 2-3x a week but try to meal prep to have a better sense of what I’m putting in my body. It saves me money and definitely helps with health (easier to control macros, etc.)

 

You never really know how your day is going to look like, so I find it best to do moring workouts for 30-45 min during the week. Things are just too unpredictable at night I've found, even if you're WFH after ~7 PM. I'll work out 3 days during the week and both days on weekends. On weekdays I do cardio mostly, and push and pull days on the weekends with more of a full-body routine. Diet is more important than working out, so make sure to eat salads wherever you can and snack less. If I work past 1 AM, I usually don't do the morning workout and prioritize sleep, or maybe just run a mile or two before dinner. I've found this to be pretty effective over the past three years, but everyone is different. The main thing is finding a routine that works for you. 

 

Although there is not an end all be all solution - what's worked for me is consistency across all facets (diet, working out, cardio). Carve time to hit the weights 4-5 times a week. Try to cook as often as you can as that is the only way to purely control what goes into your food. Run/light jog once a week at minimum to keep your heart and lungs challenged and happy.

It's not hard, but keeping consistent will take time and persistance of mind to get down.

 

Workout an hour in the office (helps break up the day) and use your lunch stipend to buy boujie smoothies and salads that you'd otherwise never spend your "own money" on (and when the weather is nice, take an hour to eat outside). If you feel as though you don't have time to take care of yourself, you're approaching it all wrong. You'll be more efficient and better at the job with a healthy mind and body. 

 

if you eat quality foods and limit your carbs (eat for protein), eating when your body tells you to should be sufficient. If you're a snacker, I've found that replacing snacking with drinking things like la croix or Bai or other drinks to help me.

Counting calories and macros is great if you have time (there are much better ways you can spend your time), but I think keeping a "mental log" works just as well 

 

mbo

Thank you, do you think that counting calories and macros is excessive ? I tried i month but after that not at all

Yes. I did in college to the point where I know how many calories I’m eating without trying now.

I don’t now that I’m working since it’s hard with the meal stipends and all the take out. I would stop or recommend tracking for a while so you learn what is high calorie and what is not

(I.e, dressing, avocados, nuts, etc,. All bad for weight loss even tho they seem healthy )

 
Most Helpful

I'd ask, whats the goal here? If you're trying to look like someone else, try to find their diet/workout online. Meaning, if you're trying to look like a bodybuilder then you need one type of workout, versus if you want a more slender look. It's a double sided coin though, don't believe everything you read online, what works for one might not work for another, and someone might tell you they are doing one thing but actually doing other (drugs or enhancements). 

Honestly, you have a experiment a little, but putting one foot in front of the other is the way to do it. 

-Specifically, I'd say rest, nutrition and workouts in that order are the most important. A lot times sacrificing sleep for a workout can be detrimental, so always try to get good sleep.

-For nutrition, I know people hate counting calories, but its just that simple. You don't need to do it every time, you just need to have an idea of what is what. For example, perceives chipotle as healthy, but some mixes of the items on the menu can be 1500 calories+, couple that with eating other things, you can have a big day of eating and not really know it, esp if you start drinking calories (sodas, crazy coffees, alcohol, juices). Meal prep is good because you know exactly what you are putting into things. The killer for most people is mainly snacking, because they usually don't factor in those calories. Also, most snack without a limit, meaning, no one intends to eat an entire sleeve of oreoes, but they eat one at a time until the sleeve is gone. 

-Finally, workouts, if you're new to workouts the first thing is to find someone you like to do that helps you to your goals. For example, a boxing class will help you get in shape and get the heart pumping, but don't expect it to grow muscles like a body builder. Also, if you're going to lift, go slow and do full form. Can't tell you how many people I see in the gym who try to do too much weight and therefore don't do the exercise correctly (and get no benefit) or don't work out hard enough and are basically wasting time. Its space in the middle, you're not trying to destroy your body, you want to make it to the next workout. 

 

I've finally got it figured out for me.

Diet first of all, I just eat pretty predictably 5-6 days per week. I have a 60g protein 700 calories shake in the morning (two scoops protein, milk, banana, peanut butter). Lunch I do ~90g protein and ~1100 calories (double chicken burrito at chipotle), and then something ~700 calories and decent protein for dinner, with healthy snacks through the day (fruits, veggies, bars, etc)... I'll have a day off on the weekend for sanity.

Exercise, I do cardio and weights. I do incline treadmill and maintain a ~150bpm heart beat for 20-30 mins 4x a week, and put in my major muscle groups in 30-45 minute sessions 4x a week for 30-45 mins (bench, squats, biceps, triceps, shoulders), and accessory muscles wherever I have time. I've made it a non negotiable in my life, and I have had very few weeks where I've had to compromise (almost none). Just work out early in the morning.

I also don't use any caffeine in my diet as it allows me to fall asleep easier, and also just take multivitamins in the morning to cover my bases. I'm at a healthy weight and look pretty good all things considered I'd say. Oh also I limit drinks to social events max 1x a week and stay low calorie (vodka sodas).

 

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