Physical Health 💪

My New Fitness Goal

We all start with the end in mind. That helps us achieve where we want to be.

When we figure out what’s missing between where we are and where we want to be, we can take action.

Three years ago, I was too skinny with a BMI of just 18. I wanted to be healthy and not underweight.

With the end goal in mind, I stuck with the course of action of bulking where I was in a caloric surplus to increase my weight.

Now I stand at 23.1 BMI.

Looking back, I’ve made good progress towards my goal.

At first, using things like BMI made sense when I was starting out.

But now, I see myself as more experienced in my fitness journey. This means I need more nuanced goals and advanced ways to reach them.

That’s why I’ve set a new fitness goal: Body Recomposition.

Body recomposition is the process of improving body composition.

And to keep it simple, the definition of body composition is the proportion of muscle, bone, fat, and water in a person’s body.

This means I don’t want to focus on a target weight anymore. Instead, I want to stay around my current weight while making my body better.

Why would I want that?

I want to have more muscle and less fat. Here’s why:

More muscle means:

• Higher metabolism
• More strength and better performance
• Longer life

Less Fat means:

• Better cardiovascular health
• Hormonal balance
• Better sleep quality
• Reduced Chronic Disease Risk

Plus, it just makes my body look better and more attractive – who wouldn’t want that?

How am I going to go about it?

Theoretically, building muscle while losing body fat shouldn’t be possible.

Anabolic processes like muscle hypertrophy require a surplus of energy (calories), whereas catabolic processes like burning body fat necessitate an energy deficit.

You can’t have excess calories and a deficiency of calories **at any given moment.

So, I’m going to do things a bit differently:

High Energy Flux Diet + Progressive Overload Excercise

Higher energy flux diet = We stay in caloric balance (neither surplus or deficit) over a period of time (weekly average and not daily)

Progressively overload = We continue to exercise harder to keep giving our muscles the stimulus to keep growing.

My friend talked about it in detail here.

That’s what I’m going to focus on from now on.

Even though there’s no specific weight target, I’m confident that as these changes take effect, I’ll feel and witness the results on my body.

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Financial Health 💰

Stock investment isn’t always risky, MF investment isn’t always conservative

When money talk crops up with my peers, I often find myself at the center of good-natured jokes about my investment choices. Let me give you a peek into this, so you’re in on the humor too.

I’ve been immersed in equity research since day one of my career, dedicating a hefty chunk of my time and resources to master this field.

I’ve even conducted an investing masterclass on the banking sector, sharing my insights with fellow peers on how to approach investing in banks.

As you might expect, this led to the assumption that I’m a stellar stock picker. While there could be some truth to that, here’s the twist – all my equity allocation is routed through mutual funds.

A few quarters back, I made a pivotal choice that raised eyebrows among my peers – I sold all my individual stocks and moved everything into mutual funds. You can catch the details in my LinkedIn post.

And this is where the good-natured teasing began.

The core argument they present is that I’m being “too conservative” for my “young age” by opting for mutual funds. They advocate for “more risk” through “direct stock investment.”

Let’s clear the air.

Risk, in my view, is the potential for permanent capital loss in investments. Assuming both my friends and I conduct meticulous research, aiming to choose stocks and mutual funds that minimize this possibility.

However, the real game-changer isn’t just the selection; it’s the allocation.

Because remember this:

“Allocation hai khaas, baaki sab bakwaas”

While my friends make direct stock choices and appear audacious with their investments, their allocation in each individual stock doesn’t exceed 1% of their net worth.

Here’s the kicker – despite their rowdy appearances, they’re actually taking less risk than me, who’s placed their entire net worth in three mutual fund schemes.

Mathematically, even if my bold friends make a wrong call, the effect on the overall portfolio is minor.

But if I stumble with any of my mutual fund picks, the financial repercussions could be substantial.

In the grand scheme, allocation reigns supreme.

You might have diverse stock portfolios, covering F&O, short-term trading, long-term investing – that’s all great. But if these choices don’t substantially impact your portfolio, my friend, you might be more conservative than you think.

And believe me, my returns are not subpar as well when it comes to my portfolio.

Furthermore, my Return on Time Invested (RoTI) is impressive in such cases. I’m not chained to my screen, obsessively tracking positions weekly.

Now, if you’re a stock picker who ties their net worth to a handful of stocks, you’ve got my respect.

Your audacious approach carries considerable financial risk, which, if backed by a solid process, can lead to substantial rewards.

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Mental Health 🧠

Beating Anxiety: Simple Ways to Stay Calm

The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” – John Milton

It’s true, we often find ourselves struggling more within our minds than in reality.

Our minds have a powerful impact on our perceptions.

Anxiety can strike at any moment, draining our energy and holding us back from taking action.

Sometimes, our minds can be our own worst enemies.

Here are some strategies I use to break free from this cycle of negativity:

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• Go for a run

Nothing gives me more pleasure than sweating my worries away.

The movement itself is liberating because it takes you out of the environment that is suffocating you.

It only gets better when you step out in nature. You only feel more present.

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• Switch off my phone

Often my feelings are triggered by everything that I am consuming on my phone.

It can be that random teenager flexing the latest Ferrari that he bought for his parents on LinkedIn or OF girls posting obscene on IG reels/YT shorts.

Taking a break from screens can prevent triggering those feelings and give you a chance to disconnect.

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• Connect with friends/family

Busy schedules always keep us distant from our loved ones.

Physical farness only makes things worse.

Talking to them not only gives you a reason to connect with them and tell them that you remember them but also takes your mind off the anxious state you were in the first place

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• Deep work

Finally, you get anxious because you are staying idle and letting your mind wander.

An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.

Once you put it to use, you witness a shift in your mood and feelings almost automatically.

It can be your side hustle, hobby or work.

Put it to work and tell your mind what to do, than letting it dictate the same to you.

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These things work most of the time for me. But there are times when there is no going back from the state of depressive trance.

That’s when I finally use my brahmastra – Meditation/Sleep.

This is when I surrender to the feeling – relax and let emotions be.

If I do not bore myself to sleep, I often find myself in a meditative stage where I become equanimous to things.