Hey everyone. I have written mains recently and I have observed so many things. The experience itself teaches us so many lessons and makes us think. And one thing I have noticed predominantly is the issue of overweight among the aspirants. And not just overweight but obesity. UPSC can be a long journey for most of us. Mental issues affect our eating and sleeping habits. The sedentary lifestyle, sitting for many hours throughout the day can make our legs weak and body older biologically.
Personally, I have reduced 20 kgs of weight before Prelims, but turns out I have gained 6kgs again during those 3 months for Mains. I have been harsh on myself for gaining weight. Especially when I can feel it sitting at the study table. It felt embarrassing. It doesnt stop with me. Similar stories have been shared by many of our friends across different threads on this Forum. I see young UPSC aspirants losing hair not just because of stress but lack of good nutrition. Personally I feel more confident when I am healthy physically and mentally. Both reinforcing each other.
This problem has no divisions. Men, Women and others-everyone face it. I realized there is nothing to be embarrassed about it. We have to be healthy. We deserve to be. We cant sacrifice our health and sleep. Many reports are saying non-communicable diseases like Diabetes and heart diseases are on rise among us youth!!
Let us create a thread in this community where we seek all-round development to crack this exam. There is a dearth of such discussions in our field. Forum provides us with a great place to start and mainstream this aspect of our journey during the preparation. I hope all of you participate everyday on this thread. All the fitness freaks can help people like me, maybe I can help others about how I lost 20kgs, we can motivate each other, track progress, share knowledge, food habits etc...Since the mental and physical issues are both correlated, this thread is not strictly limited to just physical health. However, the idea surrounds the physical health issues and is based on it.
Lets do this!
A fun story:
So as the lockdown in Delhi got lifted I went back to the gym only to realize that they had actually never shut it. In fact, they were running it in clandestine mode with blinds on window panes, a closed shutter and even a password for entry :P
Fight club much!
West delhi mai toh Sare open the :p
KingSlayer23,sjerngal
I don’t want to wake up, or study or do anything. This happened during mains prep and therefore i messed up mains as well. I have seen therapists but even after months of sessions nothing seem to help. I also took anti-depressants as prescribed but I discontinued as it didn’t seem to lift my mood.I am only on my phone and browsing reddit or YouTube. I just don’t know how to come out of this vicious cycle. Any suggestions?This is very difficult for me to put down on a public platform. Sorry if it triggers anyone.Hey pam, satsang alert!!
I don't know how much of it will be relevant in your case but in my personal life stoicism has helped me immensely!! Not much can be said in few words about it however if you could, I would urge you to add few minutes of brisk walk wherever you can, along with it there is a beautiful channel called daily stoic. I started listening to it during my walks last year.
Also Suffering is invariably part of our lives embrace it at the face value and as a fact,clearing the exam will not makes us happy, I have changed 2 jobs and one profile before plunging in upsc in none of them I was happy enough, have also failed spectacularly in past 2 attempts . Simple realisations are oftentimes more profound
When seneca was sentenced to death he famously quipped what's there to weep in parts of lives, the whole of it calls for tears!!!! Baki toh bottom line itni si hai ki it is not the result that affect us but the hope that is attached to it which does.. Also in my case the solution I have found to tackle depression/sadness is to write 4-5 things which seemingly makes me sad and I try to tackle them head on, for instance I forced myself to, sit and study for long hours after my 2020 failure,initially bas i use to sit on my table for hours but progress was made gradually.
Also It might seem tough ,unbearable even at times ,but as Marcus Aurelius writes:
Look around you at all the throng of those you know and those you do not, you will find everywhere men whose sufferings have been greater; legend has not granted exemption from misfortune even to the gods.
I read a lot of stoic philosophy myself. Well atleast I try to. Hopefully I can get myself back to reading stuff again. Thank you for your suggestion, I crawl my way out soon.
MachineGunJoe,Exurb1aDoes spot reduction work? I want to focus on some abdomen exercises! Need to reduce some "Mains Tummy"You can definitely spot reduce. Your body picks up the spots though!
I didn't get you.
Spot reduction doesn't work based on what I have read.
I tried to crack a joke there! Ignore that. 😅
ooo okay. haha no I got it now. I was a little slow I guess. MachineGun (my brain) didn't fire this time.
chamomile,Steph_CurrySpot reduction doesn't work based on what I have read.
I tried to crack a joke there! Ignore that. 😅
Curryyyyyyy...
Dugnaaa lagaan dena hoga
perhaps this is unrelated, but a good read nonetheless:
I don’t want to wake up, or study or do anything. This happened during mains prep and therefore i messed up mains as well. I have seen therapists but even after months of sessions nothing seem to help. I also took anti-depressants as prescribed but I discontinued as it didn’t seem to lift my mood.I am only on my phone and browsing reddit or YouTube. I just don’t know how to come out of this vicious cycle. Any suggestions?This is very difficult for me to put down on a public platform. Sorry if it triggers anyone.I can relate..bcz few days ago I was dealing with the same situation..was finding ways so that I can't study..! See buddy padhne ka mann tabhi nahi krta hai jab yaa to bahot mehnat kr li ho( I mean so many productive days) yaa fir expected kaam naa kiya ho.. It might sound melodramatic but ask yourself ki by investing your time in all these things what kind of risk are you inviting..!
Secondly..if you are not able to study please don't..cz wo irritation alag hi hoti hai jab Mann bhi kre aur padhna bhi nahi hai...Try doing meditation..(some beneficial classes are there i can send you) Take your time and spend your day about thinking yourself..I understand your situation right now .but the fact is in any case Padhai to krni hi hai...Paper pass aa rha hai Bro..! So let's take you out from that zone..( As Pam use to find her own ways in "The office")
At the end...pta nahi whatever I said is relevant or not but yes I felt like this is so me(few days ago)..All the best Pam..:)
Can you please share those meditation classes videos?
Curryyyyyyy...
Dugnaaa lagaan dena hoga
@HeNeArKr bhi khelega.
sjerngal,Curryyyyyyy...
Dugnaaa lagaan dena hoga
@HeNeArKr bhi khelega.
Amir bolre ho mrko to khelunga varna I'm out.
sjerngal,
Awesome thread. I have been doing Intermittent Fasting for past 2 years. 16:8 has worked out for me with some on and off. Helps with my sleep patterns too. I recently tried OMAD and it was wonderful. Butalso bewarethat your vitamins and micronutrients intake may not be sufficient in the meals you would take after IF. So, proceed with caution here.
For good information sources, followDr. David Sinclair, he works in the aging/longevity field and has some good advice regarding this. He came on the Huberman podcast and has recently started his own youtube channel sharing what to eat and how to eat it.
sjerngal,I want to resume running. There was a time when I was very fast and could run at a stretch for quite some time..
Right now my knees are screwed.. Maybe it's genetics.. Maybe it's because I have gained weight... Or maybe it's because I don't run properly or don't wear the correct shoes..
Can anyone recommend how I should resume running? .. I want to get it slow but steadily so that I don't mess up with my physical health or hurt my knees...
P. S: Last time when I used to run properly, I lost 8 kgs in a month( no kidding).. Of course it was also associated with change in my diet...
I want to resume running. There was a time when I was very fast and could run at a stretch for quite some time..
Right now my knees are screwed.. Maybe it's genetics.. Maybe it's because I have gained weight... Or maybe it's because I don't run properly or don't wear the correct shoes..
Can anyone recommend how I should resume running? .. I want to get it slow but steadily so that I don't mess up with my physical health or hurt my knees...
P. S: Last time when I used to run properly, I lost 8 kgs in a month( no kidding).. Of course it was also associated with change in my diet...
Try swimming if its too much strain on your knees. Else you can always start small.
I want to resume running. There was a time when I was very fast and could run at a stretch for quite some time..
Right now my knees are screwed.. Maybe it's genetics.. Maybe it's because I have gained weight... Or maybe it's because I don't run properly or don't wear the correct shoes..
Can anyone recommend how I should resume running? .. I want to get it slow but steadily so that I don't mess up with my physical health or hurt my knees...
P. S: Last time when I used to run properly, I lost 8 kgs in a month( no kidding).. Of course it was also associated with change in my diet...
8kgs? damn! Amir Khan reduced at that rate for Dangal and he says its not good always! Anyways, slow and steady like you said. I run everyday a minimum of 3km and max 7km before switching to other exercises. slow and improving time. Use a digital watch or nike run club app. As far as knees are concerned, some good stretching exercises on YouTube will help!
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