Weight/Health

Currently a senior in college and joining a BB AM FT. Have always been the "bigger kid" but nothing crazy and I lifted consistently so had a good chunk of muscle as well. At the start of the year, was 6'2" and roughly 245 lbs. Had a close friend pass away at the start of the year and that caused me to go into bit of a depressive episode. My GF of a little over a year also dumped me at the same time and that spiraled it a bit out of control. Jan to March was rough but I have recovered mentally. However, I slacked significantly physical health wise and used food as a way to cope. As a result, I gained lbs through some really shitty eating/not working out and at its peak was 310lbs. I am working on cutting that weight down and go past what I was and am aiming for 200lbs as a goal. Currently 290lbs and am working towards cutting more.

Given that we are starting in July and with virtual training dont expect to be in the office till Sept. So I have 5 months essentially to cut. However, at the pace I am going, don't expect to be less than 260 lbs. As such, I was wondering how are overweight/obese people percieved in finance and will it hinder me in the workplace. 

 

I cut from 230lbs to 172lbs over 6 months after a dirty bulk. Its possible. I'm 72.5in. I would recommend intermittent fasting and HIIT activities. Also, think about the weight that you fit in your suits. If you don't hit the right weight, you might need to get new suits cut, so that can be some motivation. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

The easiest weight to cut will be at the beginning. You should get solid weight loss and easily cut 20-30lbs, then it is like an asymptote for the rest. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Being fat is disgusting. Cut out your carbs, cut out refined sugar, cut out the processed garbage and focus on eating lean protein like chicken as well as vegetables. You'll probably be very hungry and hate your life but I can promise you that it's worth it. 

 
Most Helpful

I'm sorry, but you are 290 and you can't lose more than 30 pounds in 5 months? I dropped 55 in a 5 month span so I know for a fact that more is doable. If you are actively moving (does not have to be weight training) and eating around 1,600 calories a day, you should be dropping more than 30 pounds since your caloric deficit should be upwards of 1,000-1,400 a day. 

Get one of those watches that tracks your daily calorie expenditure, get MyFitnessPal, track your macros for a few weeks while figuring out a fixed eating plan to stick to. Small hints for potential cheating: 1. implement some sweet stuff that is actually good for you. So if you are eating 100% clean, you can have some dark chocolate to get your daily fat intakes. I would also note protein yoghurts and puddings here. The puddings definitely taste like the real thing too. 2. You need to find seasonings that you enjoy. I went from sliced jalapeno to Kirkland's salsa to some 0 calorie sauces. 

Additionally,  there are two approaches for meal distribution. I personally think that less meals while drinking diet soda / coffee / tea inbetween is better than having more meals of smaller sizes. The fact is that weight is lost on a 24-hour energy balance, not a "I eat before bed, it's all going into my gut" type nonsense.  So eat however and whenever you want as long you can stick to your deficit.

 

I ate less than 1,600 and managed to drop 2.6lb/week on average over a 4-5 month period. 1,600 is a very aggressive cut, but the reality is that if you want it badly enough, that's the floor. Significant scientific material out there to suggest that your weekly loss should cap out at 1kg or 2.2lb a week because that's where you best manage the negative side effects (some will be unavoidable, e.g. loss of sex drive due to low fat intake). So if you were eating 1,850-1,900-per-day, you'd still be fine and the speed at which you lost weight wouldn't be altered too drastically. Manage your macros by standardizing 50g of fats (450kcal) and around 150g of protein (600kcal), leaving the rest to carbs (200g carbs for 1,850/day).

Nowadays when I run cuts, I eat between 2,250 and 2,450, allowing me to lose around 1lb/week. Obviously way different now since a slower cut will allow you to retain muscle mass while dropping excess fat.

 

At 6'2, 245 lbs is obese. You would need an insane amount of muscle to not look very fat at that weight. 290 lbs is almost morbidly obese... You must lose weight. Not for how you will be perceived but for your health 

 

Had a similar issue at the start of COVID but lost it all and then some. I did a few months on keto with a strict 12-6 intermittent fasting period with no snacking and then did a transition period where I gradually decreased the caloric deficit and introduced some carbs back (still am on a low carb diet overall). This is pretty aggressive so if you are the type of person who would be prone to snapping back at the end of the diet I would avoid, but if you can sustain the lifestyle I think it was worth it.

In terms of affecting your career I would not worry about it, if you are 6'2" and 260 with muscular build you won't be anywhere near the point of anyone caring by the time you start. I would also say if you dress nice and have exceptional hygiene then it'll be even less of an issue, don't want to come off as a slob at the same time. If you really work at it you can lose more by then but I wouldn't freak out either way, focus more about the work output and relationship building.

 

randomguy97

Join the vegetarian lifestyle!  We are cruelty free

I think the Vegans disagree here.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

I have been a pescatarian (will eat fish) for about 10 or so years.  Some people will say that it is harder to get the protein if you avoid meat, which to some extent is true.  However, you can get plenty of protein from other sources like soy and pea. I have a protein shake once per day with milk and that bring in about 25 grams of protein alone.   Then, I have a couple of protein bars at night for another 20 or so grams.  That is close to 50 grams without any meals.  

 
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Curious on update as well.

Being fat and starting to bust your ass BEFORE taking that office job is actually a blessing. Once you know the cost of being fit you will be willing to pay it.

Most people just coast through high school and college, being fit from playing sports growing up - but once they take the office job the wheels slowly fall off. 

Losing fat isn't hard, hope you made it OP

 
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I grew up out of shape but got jacked later in life and the benefits are insane. Seriously should be as important as career IMO because the benefits are better.

Whether it's dating, gaining respect from peers, being able to pick up any physical hobby pretty well, etc. it's extremely critical. Also realized once you get fit and groom yourself well then people just think you're cool to be around even if you arent lol

 
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For the OP, it could be a factor in employment but I would focus more your own personal health and how weight might affect you. Carrying a lot of extra weight can lead to health issues, especially when you get older.

Gaining weight is easy but losing weight can be hard, especially if you have no will power.  I definitely lack the will power at times so I need to be very mindful when eating.  I am very good about about what I put into my body but not so good at the quantities.  It is too easy to grab a bag of pretzels and eat half of the bag.  I exercise regularly but no amount of exercise can help you (as someone else here said,) outrun a fork.  My biggest problem is snacking after dinner.  My goal is to have no more 2-3 snacks at night.  If I have more than 3, I gain weight but if have fewer than 3, I lose weight.  It is always a work in progress.

 

Listened to a podcast called The Huberman Lab recently about the microbiome (gut health). They're professors at Stanford and go into the science behind being healthy sustainably long term. A lot of people emphasize protein (which is valid) but a lot of people overlook the number one most important thing to maintain in your diet which is high fiber plant based foods according to their research. I've been eating more beans, spinach, carrots, etc lately and feel fuller, more energetic, and leaner. Highly recommend you check out the podcast and best of luck on your journey!

 
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