A features article by Gino Emanuels, 2L.
I recall sitting in a study room my 1L year and rubbing my stomach after consuming Chick-fil-a for a record third time in one day. I looked down at myself and realized I needed to do something. Somewhere along the line, I lost sight of staying healthy and focused solely on getting good grades. As law students, we tend to immerse ourselves in schoolwork and student organizations to the point that we neglect our bodies. We somehow justify eating breakfast from the vending machine, lunch from a bowl of candy offered by a bar review course rep, and if we are lucky, a greasy slice of pizza from a meeting of sorts. All of which do nothing more than provide a brief moment of satisfaction with lasting negative side effects. I asked a couple of athletes-turned-law students and a resident braniac about their views on staying fit and eating right.
Eric Tatum played baseball for 19 years before starting law school. “In undergrad, I rarely ate right but I was running 10-15 miles per week. Now I don't do sh*t. I used to work out three days per week which consisted of one day of legs, one day of upper body, and one day of total body with about 15-20 minutes of plated ab exercises, using a 25 lb plate,” says the now over-worked 2L. When asked what his take was on eating right and staying healthy, he responded, “Working out and eating right is important because physical fitness is essential to mental fitness. It keeps your mind fit longer.”
“Those that do not believe they have the time to eat right or workout should consider the benefits of staying active and enjoying a healthy diet,” says 2L Charlie Britt. Once a high school quarterback, Charlie now spends most of his time studying and ensuring that the Docket website is problem-free, a far cry from growing up playing baseball, basketball, football and then wrestling, running track, and playing football in high school. However, Charlie does not practice what he preaches. I asked Charlie a few basic questions, like what does your daily diet consist of? How many times per week do you work out? How important is being physically fit to you? He replied, “I try to stay active in intramurals and other outside sports but I don’t really think about it all that much.”
Enter Andrew Pereira de Silva Santos Fleischman, or Fleischman for short. Fleischman is a 2L and a genius by all accounts. He doesn’t bring a notebook to class, never buys textbooks, and you are not likely to catch him in the law library doing any work. Maybe that is why he has so much time to put into staying healthy. This past summer, Fleischman discovered that at a mere 125 pounds, he had high cholesterol. Two hundred forty-three, to be exact. Since then, Fleischman has taken substantial steps towards living a healthy life. He starts his day with some branny flax cereal and then a peanut butter power bagel for lunch. Sometimes he stops by the Baptist Collegiate Ministry for its “very nice lunches.” Then when he gets home, there is usually some combination of pork with rice and beans.
His workout regimen consists of various weight lifting exercises three to four times a week with some jogging sprinkled in. “Physical fitness only really became important to me once I found out my cholesterol was around 243 last summer. Ever since, I've kept the report in my car to remind me to eat right and exercise. Even skinny people can be unhealthy,” says the now 138-pound Fleischman. I am happy to report that his cholesterol is down to under 190. Keep up the good work, Fleischman!
I too have made a conscious decision to start eating right and working out again. No more hiding behind the workload or the excuse that I am trying to save money. Starting this week, I will be packing healthy snacks and getting back in the gym four to five times per week. With exams coming up, being physically and mentally fit is a must. Hope to see you in the gym!
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