New job equals flab?

A recent study by CareerBuilder found that 45% of new workers have gained weight shortly after starting a new job. In fact 12% have gained more than TWENTY pounds.

There are many reasons for this. People tend to eat out more often, work long hours and skip their time at the gym when they are trying to become Masters of the Universe at their new gig.

Read this story to get some suggestions on how to avoid becoming a weight gain statistic. Sometimes being aware of what could happen is the best type of preventive medicine.

Gym shopping

Joining a gym is a step in the right direction for many rainmakers who are committing to a healthier lifestyle. Web MD wrote a great article on how to select the right place for you. I will add a few of my personal tips and suggestions:

1. Be realistic about location. The more committed you are to fitness, the further away your gym can be your office or home. People that cannot bear to miss a day will drive across town to go. People that are just getting started usually won't and will use the distance as an excuse not to go. Since people who are committed tend to also be in better shape, there is a good rule of thumb you can use. Your gym should be no further away than the distance you could physically run. In other words, if you are just getting started and could only run a couple of miles, the gym better be close to your home or office or you won't go regularly. As you get in better shape, and more committed, it can be further away. I am not saying you should run there. I am saying your level of fitness is a guide to what lengths you will probably go to get there.
2. Be aware that most gyms are run like car dealerships. It is a hard core sale environment behind the scenes. There are daily sales contests, incentives for cash up front, and a big board in the manager's office to keep track of how the "membership consultants" are doing. Keep that in mind when you are being sold a membership. You are the prey.
3. Visit the gym during the time you pan to use it. You need to see what peak time is like and how busy it is. Are there machines available? What does the crowd look like? Are personal trainers and their private clients hogging up some of the open areas you may use? Peak times are usually in the early morning and right after work from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Monday-Thursday.
4. Do not be swayed by amenities you will not use. That swimming pool looks great. But, do you swim now? Gyms with amenities like pools, hot tubs, towel services, unlimited aerobics classes, free toiletries and the like are always pricier. If you use it, that's fine. If not, you are subsidizing someone else's membership.
5. Work out with people who look and act like you. Membership attrition is commonly over 50% per year at many gyms. The ones that stay are usually the ones who are most comfortable there. And, the staff will represent servicing the majority of the members who stay. So, if you join a gym full of pharmaceutically enhanced meatheads, expect the staff to encourage hardcore power lifting routines. If it is full of executives, you can expect more professional and thoughtful assistance.

How many miles did you just drink?

I was recently at a Starbucks in NYC, and the line was snaked out the door. People are craving that caffeine jolt. They are also in many cases getting a heavy sugar jolt whether they know it or not. If you have never looked at the calorie content of your favorite java beverage, you should. With some of the totals I saw, you should be considering how many miles you need to do on the bike/treadmill/elliptical to counteract that little pick me up.

Oh, and on a side note regarding the "I will worry about that tomorrow" philosophy when it come to business development (or your fitness plan), read this article. Even Goliath will someday stumble, so today is the time to get started.

When you only have 30 minutes...

You are late for work, you missed your train, and you have back to back meetings all day. You are busy, there is no denying that. However, most rainmakers are busy. Have you ever met one that brags about the hours and hours of free time they have? Not likely. So, why do some of them seem to have time to exercise?

You probably could do some better time management, but I will let you sort that out. If the President of the United States can find time to run, so can you. Yes, I know, you can insert your favorite joke about the other political party here.

If you are pressed for time you need a strategy, contingency plans and a whole lot of intensity. Here is a quick article on a tough 30 minute cardiovascular workout. You can apply the same concept to resistance training. The key is to minimize rest, maximize intensity and get back to your pressing schedule as fast as possible.

Food should not come in perfect rectangles

Here is a quick tip for the week. Try to go an entire day without eating ANYTHING that comes packaged in a box or a bag. I am not talking about the bags you bring stuff home in. If you try to eat foods just as they came out of the ground, off the farm or out of the sea, you might be shocked as to how filling and satisfying "real food" can be.

Remember, 100 years ago this is how everyone ate. Fish, beef, chicken, freshly baked wheat bread, fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, real butter (I know it is hard to find not in a package, but I will cut you some slack on this one) are all on the menu.

I do not think most people want to rely on this approach for all meals for the rest of their lives (it is hard and no fun), but a day of returning to the basics is very enlightening. You learn to more careful with your choices rather than taking the prettiest box off the shelf that promises to be ready in 5 minutes or less.