Avoiding the Banker 20
Looking for some feedback on an idea: While living through analyst hell, it was apparent that other analysts and associates did not know how to take care of themselves diet or exercise wise. Plenty of people I knew put on the banker 20. Would a simple ebook/guide/online course ever be utilized to stay in shape or not get fat during an analyst program, or do people just assume they can handle it on their own without help?
Good thread about this very topic: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/i-dont-have-time-to-get-in-shape
In my experience, intermittent fasting has been very effective when combined with my weightlifting regimen. I guess the only challenging part could be dealing with the first day or two of food cravings from relative deprivation.
People assume it'll be fine. The type of guy who wasn't a fitness nut in college (didn't play sports, didn't lift, had no real commitment to health through nutrition and exercise) has a rude awakening coming to him when the job starts.
When you're 19 and the worst stress in your life is a midterm every now and then or figuring out how to get into better parties, you can toss back three slices of pizza at 3am after another failed night at the bars without seeing any real change in your physical shape. Fast forward four years to the six-month mark in your analyst stint and all of a sudden it's a daily Chipotle burrito and carb-heavy, sodium-laden but flavor-rich Seamless dinner you bleakly look forward to all day as your small shining reward for surviving another day of torture.
You're under a far greater deal of stress and your cortisol levels are through the roof. Worse, the combination of 12+ hours in a chair daily, a nutrient-poor diet, no exposure to sunlight, no regular exercise, and an irregular or harried sleep schedule make a nasty cocktail for your body.
The banking lifestyle makes it truly impossible to maintain a healthy sleep schedule (regular sleep and wake times, with the bulk before midnight). It makes it very challenging to exercise appropriately. It makes it ridiculously difficult to keep a proper diet.
I saw a few groups of people.
Some never cared before the job, so they didn't once they were in the job.
Others didn't care before the job but did once they saw their deteriorating health. They fought a losing battle; it was basically impossible to find the time to learn how to properly exercise, to learn how to eat clean (what to buy, how to prepare it, how to get it into the office), and most importantly, to instill the discipline to carry through on it.
Others cared before the job but struggled to maintain the same commitment to health.
Others cared before the job and doubled down when they saw how tough the job would be.
I had an email chain with a handful of friends across firms who all kept each other sane. The bank I interned at had a gym in-building; that made that easier. The bank I did my analyst stint at did not. I got a 24-hour gym membership, did meal prep on Sundays for M-W dinner (didn't find things fresh by the fourth day, crummy fridge), ate sushi or grilled chicken entrees on Th-F, and either got Cobb salads for lunch or brought fresh fruit/veggie dishes in Tupperware from home.
Sure, I got a lot of weird looks from everybody for Tupperwaring my meals on weekdays, but half my analyst buddies ended up pestering me for workout advice within a couple months, and when I was shirtless at the summer retreat for volleyball and football, that really killed all the teasing. They mirin'.
Even though I'm not in IB I have the same regime as you and will continue to when I hopefully break into a boutique this year
The only analysts i've seen gain weight are the ones who
1) Are so stressed they eat 2) They snack because they're in the office late 3) They are seduced by seamless and max out budget every day and eat like a pig
at some point, allure of # wears off, you learn to deal with stress better. Snacking is a personal thing. I ranged 170-195 during my junior years and my college playing weight was 180.
I control my snacking now so i am steady between 175-180. Also im getting older so harder to lose weight hah but alot of it is in your control
you don't need to become a workout nazi to maintian weight
I work out every morning for 45 min to an hour before heading in to the office. Sure, I'm sacrificing sleep but I think it's a good way to start the day mentally and keeps me in shape. I also am trying to eat mostly salads and whatnot instead of ordering that oh so tempting roast beef dinner or whatever it is.
Since your schedule will be so unpredictable as a banker, it'll be hard to maintain exercise habits or give steadfast fitness advice. In terms of diet, something that really helped me is the idea of pushing back your daily calories further into the day (not strictly intermittent fasting, but based on the same principles).
As an example, my maintenance caloric intake per day is ~2500. So in the morning, I'll have a cup of coffee (an appetite suppressant), which is enough to last me until lunch. When I start feeling hungry around noon, I'll eat a small portion of protein-dense foods and fruit - just enough so that I'm no longer hungry. By the time I'm ready to order Seamless, I've only eaten >500 cals and can maximize my Seamless budget without feeling guilty (ordering from one of the healthier restaurants). Plus, I can eat until I actually feel satisfied. I personally find this to be a lot easier than simply cutting away small portions of food from every meal and never really feeling full at any point during the day.
Non corporis perspiciatis iusto neque in ipsam. Iusto earum totam in et voluptas.
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