Can losing weight (females) or gaining muscle mass (males) have an effect on your salary? Well recent studies say yes!
In a recent controversial study by The Journal Of Applied Psychology it claims that women's pay packets are linked to their waistlines. They found that thin women earned on average up to £10,000 a year more than their overweight colleagues. Bizarrely the ones being financially penalised the most were thin women who just put on a few pounds. On the flipside, underweight men take home £5000 less than their heavier colleagues.
The perception in weight gain for females was 'weak' or 'lazy' and men who were more muscular or athletic looking tend to be associated with being brave or smart, while thin men described as nervous or sneaky...
The article goes on to talk about how this particular lady dropping dress size from a size 18 to 8 and doubled her salary although I'm going to tell you a story of my own personal experience with the matter!
Whilst working in Australia a few years back I came across a client who was an analyst for a marketing research company. He came to me requiring about 30kg weight loss to get back to his optimal/healthy range, he had very poor posture and with that chronic back pain. Part of his job was to make proposals to business's in an attempt to convert them to his company. He was quiet, softly spoken and had a very average conversion rate considering his background knowledge. As soon as his posture started to change from looking like an old granny crossing the road to a more upright athletic posture and of course gaining lean muscle/ stripping fat so did his confidence in the workplace. His conversion rate tripled, he received bonuses for all the extra business and revenue that was coming to the table and of course started getting back into sport and activities that weren't possible beforehand. So of course as I was reading the article he immediately came to mind.
On a slightly different topic I switched on BBC breakfast this morning and apparently obese people are not being taken seriously by NHS health professionals. They are discriminated against the minute they walk through the door and instead of taking the health problem they came in for seriously they get told to lose weight (debatable topic as they found on the show this morning).... Of course they are not told how to lose weight, they are not sent to a consultant or anything and if they require a wheel chair or something they don't have sizes to cater for the clinically obese.....
A point I'd like to make is I've seen people lose weight before my very eyes and the changes aren't incredibly complex of any sort. Its about breaking old habits and starting a routine that will suit a healthier lifestyle. The benefits you reap are amazing. Not just for your paycheque but your overall health and confidence.
Heres some of my personal tips that the guy above, and will also get you kick started to the new look you deserve!!
- Make decisions that will burn calories during the day example; get off tube/transport system a stop or two earlier and walk some of the way, take the stairs not the lift/escalator, bike to work, walk to a park somewhere to eat your lunch etc...
- Jot down in your diary a month in advance the days you set out to train. Try to commit to 3-5 days a week if possible. Mix up your routines every four weeks to keep your body guessing. Fitness professionals always set you up for a challenging workout to your level so if you're not sure you're working hard enough or confused about how to go about it try doing your first 10 workouts with an advanced strength trainer.
- Introduce exercise at a steady rate, build a strong base for yourself to start with. This may mean start walking round the block and over periods build into a run, work on stabilisation and control and move to loading once you're familiar with where your joints should be during exercise, work on joint mobility to ensure you can get full range of motion throughout the exercise.
- If you're time restricted but have hour long lunch break try cutting it with a 30-45min gym session. With the right fitness professional 30-45mins of high intensity full body workout will be enough to kick you into gear... Ask your trainer for an at home workout you can do or gym sessions you can achieve in you own time. Try to get at least 1-2 sessions for home workouts!
- Make healthier food choices, snack on low GI foods/proteins, choose organic, eat whole foods and not packaged, chew your food to a liquid form before swallowing, eat several small meals apposed to 3 large meals, keep hydrated with good sources of water, minimise your toxins such as caffeine and especially alcohol, (no sugary drinks please).....
- Don't forget your stress levels. As prior blog suggests you need to have adequate sleep patterns and do as much as you can to minimise other elements of stress in your life. Happy people are healthy people!
