# MMiz EMT-F



## MMiz (May 16, 2006)

I know I know, I argued for everyone to be a medic, but I'm now officially an EMT-Fat... 

When I went to college I walked everywhere, and I worked EMS, and I regulated my eating to a degree.  Over the past year while student teaching I've put on a good amount of weight.

So.. what's your trick?  How do you stay in shape?  Where do I start?

I'm only making this public, because then I can blame it on _you_ when I give up in a week


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## Chimpie (May 16, 2006)

Exercise and diet.  Don't waste your time on doing trying to find the right, unique program for you.  Just monitor what you eat, eat regularly and properly, and exercise.


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## fm_emt (May 17, 2006)

1)STOP DRINKING SODA! Or, cut back significantly. Both my girlfriend and I have done just that and in a matter of weeks we both noticed positive changes. Switched to iced tea or water. Make an "Arnold Palmer" (iced tea & lemonade) if you must. But really, cut back on the fizzy stuff. 

2)Try to avoid eating fast food & eating out. Get a cookbook or two and cook simple meals at home. Rachael Ray's shows & books are great for that kind of stuff. And yes, I can cook. It's not that hard because I have a pretty boring palette. ;-)

3)Join a gym. Buy an iPod and take it with you to the gym. Don't try to exercise at home because I think that's where most people fail. They simply lose the energy/motivation and they quit doing it. And by all means, change into the gym clothes. It kind of helps you mentally prepare for the gym. 

The above 3 steps have helped me out a bit. I don't have any "Before and After" photos to show you though, and besides, I have the worst farmers tan in America. So trust me when I say "dietary changes & exercise are a good thing!"


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## Jon (May 17, 2006)

MMiz said:
			
		

> I know I know, I argued for everyone to be a medic, but I'm now officially an EMT-Fat...
> 
> When I went to college I walked everywhere, and I worked EMS, and I regulated my eating to a degree.  Over the past year while student teaching I've put on a good amount of weight.
> 
> ...


and you WANT to work a "desk job?"


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## Raf (May 17, 2006)

Going to a gym requires a lot of your time. I personally think it is a lot more important to start eating healthy. As long as you stay active and you stop drinking soda and eating other bad stuff, I guarantee you will start to notice a difference from just that.


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## rocket (May 17, 2006)

You can squeeze a decent workout into ~45 minutes.  If you can make it to the gym twice a week and pull off that workout then you can probably stop gaining/start losing weight.

I like to use weight training rather than aerobic stuff to keep in shape.  I think weight training is probably more suited to EMS work; it certainly helps to have a strong back. 

Here is my 45 minute strength training workout.  I go for the big muscle group exercises, I try to go very heavy with the weights and minimize rest periods between sets and exercises....if you do this at the right pace and intensity you WILL be sweating like a marathon runner at the end of the workout!

Bench Press 3 sets of 8 reps
Squats 5 sets of 8 reps 
Pull ups 3 sets to failure
Clean and Press (the weight bar, not your uniform   ) 3 sets of 8 reps
Shrugs 3 sets of 12 reps

When I follow this routine I can eat pretty much whatever I want and still lose a few pounds every couple of weeks.  My strength also stays high.  Give it a try if you have the time!

-Trevor


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## Wingnut (May 17, 2006)

Chimpie said:
			
		

> Exercise and diet. Don't waste your time on doing trying to find the right, unique program for you. Just monitor what you eat, eat regularly and properly, and exercise.


 
All the tips are great (especially the knock out the soda part, that always gives my husband a big head start when he wants to drop some weight). But what Chimpie said is the best. It doesn't matter what exercise you do, unless you want to get buffed up, just move around a lot, instead of sitting on the couch watching my shows, I have a jump rope for when my ankle isn't bothering me and if it is, I just do steps or walk around my living room while it's on.

You can do iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiT!!


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## emtff376 (Jun 22, 2006)

I agree with everything said here, but don't deprive yourself of something you truly love.  For me, it's ice cream.  I have ice cream everyday.  Not a lot, but about a half cup to satisfy my sweet tooth.  I've lost right around 80 pounds.  It's just a matter of calories in versus calories out.  If you eat more than you burn you gain weight, period.  If you burn more than you eat you lose weight.  

There are websites where you can figure out how many calories to eat in a day to maintain your weight.  To lose weight, subtract 500 calories a day, which will equal 3500 calories a week or about 1 pound weight loss per week.

If you are trying to lose weight, I wouldn't suggest doing strength training (weights and such) for a while.  Because you are building muscle, you may actually gain weight at the beginning and get discouraged.  Depending on your activity level now, I would suggest a 20 to 30 minute walk or jog everyday.  

I sit at a desk all day.  I have to make myself get out and workout.  It's not easy and people who have never had weight problems do not understand how hard it is to lose weight.  It's like quitting drinking or smoking.  It's an addiction.  It's something that I must constantly and conciously battle.  

If you want any suggestions or motivation or whatever, feel free to ask.  

BTW, I competed and finished my first triathlon two weeks ago.  I came in fourth in my age group.  I never thought that at 225 I would someday be an "athlete", but I am.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!
JB


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## MedicPrincess (Jun 30, 2006)

Matt-

We want a current picture of you.....Come on....I'm sure you have something.....


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## Stevo (Jul 1, 2006)

as i understand it Americans , comparitive to the rest of the first world, have some serious wieght issues, paricularly acute in our adolecence.

imho, perhaps processed foods are a chief culprit, this inclusive of anything canned up to the golden arches.

my personal plan is simple, don't eat anything with more than a paragraph of ingredients, or ingredients i can't pronounce

for me, it's a matter of keeping up with many 1/2 my age, which can be rather humbling at times....

~S~


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