# Weight loss ( Need help with getting started)



## Redsoxs23 (Sep 11, 2015)

hello all, I am 21(6  foot 475 LBS) former EMT student, who is looking advice and information on how to lose weight. This may sound silly to some of you, but I grew up in a household were my father always worked and I was stuck with an opiate addict who just fed me and my sister junk. I was never really taught the right way to eat , I was always a big kid in height and weight wise, but recently I noticed within myself I have been gaining a lot since my dads death in 2014 ( pulmonary embolism) and I want to lose weight and go back to Emt to finish what I started, I have always wanted to help people since I was a little kid but I can help anyone unless I help myself. but I have no idea on where to start, btw stopped drinking soda since my dad passed ( only  drink it when going out to Applebee's etc.) any tips or any information really would be helpful. Thank you all in advance!!


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## MackTheKnife (Sep 14, 2015)

See a physician.


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## MicahW (Sep 15, 2015)

It is not going to be something that you can half-***.  Every day, stop doing or eating one more thing that is bad for you, and every day, set your goals higher: run faster or for longer.  Always keep your goal in mind.  Maybe join a team, something where your teammates can inspire you to work harder.  Also, see a nutritionist to keep track of your goals and to make a better plan.


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## MackTheKnife (Sep 15, 2015)

MicahW said:


> It is not going to be something that you can half-***.  Every day, stop doing or eating one more thing that is bad for you, and every day, set your goals higher: run faster or for longer.  Always keep your goal in mind.  Maybe join a team, something where your teammates can inspire you to work harder.  Also, see a nutritionist to keep track of your goals and to make a better plan.


Great advice. Make and break goals along with team support. There's strength in numbers.


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## Redsoxs23 (Sep 15, 2015)

thanks for advice it means a lot for you guys to take the time to help me out. I got a planet fitness membership tonight and I used it that moment, I found my limits tonight and I smashed through those mental walls, I have goal in mind and nothing is going to stop me from achieving it! i want nothing more than to join the brother/sisterhood of ems!


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## MackTheKnife (Sep 15, 2015)

Curtis Schwager said:


> thanks for advice it means a lot for you guys to take the time to help me out. I got a planet fitness membership tonight and I used it that moment, I found my limits tonight and I smashed through those mental walls, I have goal in mind and nothing is going to stop me from achieving it! i want nothing more than to join the brother/sisterhood of ems!


Good luck to you. There will be setbacks along the way. Remember what Churchill said- "Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts."


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## MicahW (Sep 15, 2015)

Best of luck to you!


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## MicahW (Sep 15, 2015)

And great quote.


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## Jondruby (Sep 18, 2015)

Getting regular sleep helps get your metabolism straight. I have found a little extra weight since I joined our crew, I have my suspicions that it is from my regular sleep patterns getting messed up. Of course since we are EMTs I dont think we have regluar sleep patterns anymore. Eat a good breakfast, have a good lunch and take a light supper. I have found not eating before I go to bed helps me sleep better and keeps your from taking in alot of calories and then just going to bed, which equals more weight. Good luck brother!


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## K Bar (Oct 6, 2015)

Hello!  I have pretty much the same story that you do, I also grew up eating out of boxes and bags due to a mom who was physically present but mentally checked out with her narcotics lol.  The biggest thing diet wise is clean, simple eating, stay to the outside of the grocery store and learn to cook, and cook ahead so that you always have decent food around, you have to have something to do with that food addiction.  At first you won't be able to eat less or you will just fall back off the wagon and binge on junk food, eat all you want of good, clean food, nothing processed and only natural sugars and carbs and eventually you will be able to moderate that to a reasonable level and the processed food cravings will go away.  And as with any addiction, you are going to fall back to junk now and then and that's fine, just don't live there anymore, cut back slow if you have to and eventually get away from any sugar at all, not even fruit.  Some berries are alright, but find someone who knows what they're talking about.  Get a trainer and someone to keep you accountable, preferably a workout pardner and work out every day, no more than a day or two off at a time.  I have been really fat and really fit, I've had an atrocious last couple years and I'm just now getting my head back on and my **** together lol, I'm sick of being fat and I love being fit, so here we go again!  And remember, 80-90% of body weight is because of diet, I work with plenty of people who have worked EMS in high volume systems for many years who stay fit because they eat right and keep active, blaming EMS for being fat is a total cop out lol, my own doctor has been my primary care for almost thirty years and he's always been rail thin and that sucker can't sleep more than once or twice a month!


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## Williana Sullivan (Nov 18, 2015)

Well, there are many weight loss programs and treatments available now a days. Detoxification is a great start for any weight loss program because it clears all toxins from every part of the body. I had gone through the Weight loss fort lauderdale treatment which really gave me a great results.


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## Traumawaffles (Dec 17, 2015)

Since you want to lose weight, lots of veggies, cut out carbs if you can from your diet. Lean meats and fish, and not so much beef unless it's lean. Try to have well portioned meals, find an app to help keep track of your calorie intake. Also, try to keep your meals fresh, stay away from boxed meals as much as possible. 

I usually also make my meals a week in advance to help keep me on track. 

But the best advice I can give you is do not quit. Keep pushing, and don't half ***. The first week of cutting off all the bad will suck and you will have withdrawals. But in the end it's worth it.


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## EMT2B (Dec 18, 2015)

I, too need to lose weight. So far, with just eating less junk and mainly slowing down my eating (taking 20-30mins to eat a meal) and walking daily (up to two miles a day) I've lost fifty pounds since February. I keep apples and cities around to snack on. Its hard work, but it really does pay off in the end. I wish you the best of luck!


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## WildlandEMT89 (Dec 18, 2015)

EMT2B said:


> I keep apples and cities around to snack on.



Cities you say?


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## EMT2B (Dec 18, 2015)

LoL ... Autocorrect fail. Meant to say cuties. Those little mandarin oranges. Darn autocorrect!


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## WildlandEMT89 (Dec 19, 2015)

Cuties are pretty tasty


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## Traumawaffles (Dec 19, 2015)

Never had a cutie... well at least not in a while.


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## COmedic17 (Dec 19, 2015)

Good for you for wanting to become a more healthy person! 


First step- accept responsibility. If you recognize you are the way you are because of your actions, your more likely to succeed. Dieting/working out is all about personal accountability and accepting responsibility. It's much easier to relapse when you can place the blame somewhere other then on yourself. So instead of saying your overweight because your mom never taught you good eating habits,  say your overweight because even when you got older and became in charge of your eating habits- you chose to continue poor eating habits. 

Also, set time based goals. Like "I will weigh 15 pounds less in 6 months". If there's a "deadline", your more likely to work harder to meet your goal. 


Also, develop a routine ( certain days you work out at certain times, when you eat, etc).


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## savemachine (Feb 21, 2016)

The decision starts within you that you would want to lose weight.  There are 3 factors, diet, exercise, lifestyle modification.  Those are the things we are in control.  Always opt for a plain water instead wherever you are, these are less in calories and are good in detoxifying your body.  Prefer veggies and fruits over those meats or fatty foods (follow the food pyramid)...Get a good sleep daily as it repairs your body and get a good exercise as it allow for protein, fats, and carbohydrates breakdown. Supplementing with vitamins, especially vitamin C can aid in weight loss.  You got to do a lot of research -- and opt for the natural ones which you can implement in your daily life.

If  all above measure fails, of course, it is always nice to have professional guidance such as a weight loss counselor or a physician for a bariatric surgery (that will be advance down the road, but remember, obesity is not your fault, but there are ways that you are in control (that is diet, exercise, and lifestyle modifications).  Best to you.

Check this helpful link and get your BMI calculated for free, plus tips on sustaining weight loss

https://wlfmedical.ca/my-tools/bmi-calculator/


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## Run with scissors (Feb 24, 2016)

1800> calories a day. You'll lose 4 pounds a week. At least for a while. Once you lose a bunch of weight you'll go to 3lb and then 2lb.

Plus if you workout you will lose more. Light weight lifting and lots of cardio. Do not skip out on weight lifting. Its important to retain muscle.


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## Redsoxs23 (Jan 15, 2017)

Wanted to give an update, have lost a decent amount of weight ( still have more to lose) but i am going to be taking my basic course soon. your tips and insight have helped me tremendously i am indebt to all of you. Would you guys like a before and after picture?


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## NomadicMedic (Jan 15, 2017)

Curtis Schwager said:


> Wanted to give an update, have lost a decent amount of weight ( still have more to lose) but i am going to be taking my basic course soon. your tips and insight have helped me tremendously i am indebt to all of you. Would you guys like a before and after picture?



Sure! Do it!


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## DrParasite (Jan 16, 2017)

Curtis, that's awesome!!!  There are two general ways to lose weigh: decrease caloric intake or increase caloric usage.  

If you have started a membership at planet fitness (which you mentioned last year), than you have already done the second part.   Limiting your caloric intake can lead to weight loss, because your body will use your body's fat stores to make up the difference.

a couple suggestions that were suggested to me:

get smaller plates for your home.  physically smaller plates.  I know it sounds crazy, but having the smaller plates will allow you to have a full plate while eating less.

drink more water.  in fact, any time you are hungry, drink 20oz of water prior to your meal.  and cut out all soda, it has plenty of empty calories that are doing nothing to help you get fit.

when you are full, stop eating.  no need to clear your plate like momma used to require

get a full night's sleep when the sun in down.  I lost 20 lbs when i switched from night shift to bankers hours.

The daughter of a good friend of mine changed herself from a chubby girl to a smoking hottie by what she describes as a "lifestyle" change.  you WILL gain the weigh back if you treat it as a diet, because once your diet ends, you will fall back into old habits.  It needs to be a lifestyle change, where you permanently change your dietary habits, you consistently exercise (not necessarily be a gym member, but you do need to work out somehow), and you need to surround yourself with people who support you, because if you only stay with your "fat friends," with all their bad habits, you will fall back into old habits, especially when going out together.  It's kind of like how druggies looking to get clean shouldn't hang out with their drug buddies when they are in recovery.

keep up the good work!


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## Redsoxs23 (Jan 16, 2017)




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## Redsoxs23 (Jan 16, 2017)

Still a ways to go but it is progress!!!


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## VentMonkey (Jan 16, 2017)

Curtis Schwager said:


> Still a ways to go but it is progress!!!


Nice job, Curtis. Keep at it, bud.


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## Dirty Randy (Apr 20, 2017)

Check out a book called "it starts with food".

It goes along with the whole 30 diet, which can be good or bad. The book, and the diet have you go through a strict 30 day diet of all whole foods. The idea is to reprogram your brain when it is carving bad foods. I lost a ton of weight when i did the diet, but i jumped off the wagon hard core and put it back on. 

Good luck.


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## VentMonkey (Apr 20, 2017)

Dirty Randy said:


> Check out a book called "it starts with food".
> 
> It goes along with the whole 30 diet, which can be good or bad. The book, and the diet have you go through a strict 30 day diet of all whole foods. The idea is to reprogram your brain when it is carving bad foods. *I lost a ton of weight when i did the diet, but i jumped off the wagon hard core and put it back on.*
> 
> Good luck.


This is my issue with "fad diets", books, and "lose-weight-quick" schemes. They're not only unhealthy, and can lead to things like diabetes, they almost always result in a rebounding effect. The best advice I would give is: _be patient, start slow_.

This means gradual changes. If you're too heavy initially to run, walk, then walk some more, then jog/ walk, etc. all while eating a *balanced diet*. Remember that whole food pyramid we learned as kids? It actually has quite a bit of value. Omitting certain starches, carbs, proteins, or what have you for the sake of rapid results is almost always bad news, and again, asking for the weight to be put back on, oftentimes double what it was.

By eating sensible, going slow, and most of all being realistic about your diet, you'll do yourself a much bigger favor and will have almost guaranteed yourself a lifestyle diet that's practical, realistic, and sustainable. Fad diets are as the names imply---fads---they never last. The word diet itself shouldn't mean deprivation, it should mean practical changes, small sacrifices, and appropriate rewards.

Edit: and try never to skip breakfast. Mom was right, it is _thee_ single most important meal of the day. It literally stokes the fire for calories to be burned. See? Simple stuff. Overwhelming yourself with rigorous diet regimens is like setting lofty New Years resolutions.


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## Carlyle Wilson (Aug 10, 2017)

https://www.drfuhrman.com/learn/the-nutritarian-diet

This diet has helped me lose 30 pounds in 3 weeks when I first started while exercising 4 days a week, 2 twice a day. My regular standing weight is 230lbs, being lazy and all, I ballooned up to 275lbs, I've never been past 250 in my life. The Nutritarian diet will help you lose weight quickly and in a healthy way, because you are/would be eating high nutrient foods all the time, your body will jump start it's metabolism all day every day because you are finally giving the body what it needs to heal and repair itself. Think of it like this, the more money you have, the better off you'll be = The more healthy food you eat, the more your body starts to heal itself.

I'm down to 208 currently and the boost I have to actually go through the day without being tired is crazy. I feel better, can think clearer. It's a must and I do believe you can do this. Also contrary to popular belief, drinking a gallon of water a day boosts and makes your metabolism last all day long, which results in more weight loss and yes, you will be frequently be using the restroom.


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## Carlos Danger (Feb 24, 2021)

Redsoxs23 said:


> Wanted to give an update, have lost a decent amount of weight ( still have more to lose) but i am going to be taking my basic course soon. your tips and insight have helped me tremendously i am indebt to all of you. Would you guys like a before and after picture?


Great job, man. Keep it up! 

Remember, like some others have said, when it comes to weight loss it is much better to be the tortoise than the hare.


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## Emily Starton (Mar 16, 2021)

Carlos Danger said:


> Great job, man. Keep it up!
> 
> Remember, like some others have said, when it comes to weight loss it is much better to be the tortoise than the hare.


I like this piece of advice. This keeps us motivated.


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## Kevin L (Apr 6, 2021)

First, kudos to you for wanting to fix this issue.

The issues behind weight problems are more complex and convoluted than is generally believed, so don't let people judge, bully, or ridicule you.

There is a phenomena called the "double burden of malnutrition," which I believe that anyone trying to lose weight should be aware of.  See below:









						Double burden of malnutrition
					

EN Nutrition - Topic - Double burden of malnutrition main page




					www.who.int
				




There are a lot of "common sense" beliefs about obesity that are simply wrong . . . just like the common sense belief from centuries ago that the Earth is flat.

There is the idea that an obese person need only practice restraint in eating and exercise a little more, and the obesity will get fixed . . . and this isn't always true.

There are, for example, families in places like Brazil and Africa where there are obese parents and starving children in the same household, yet the parents are eating much less than the starving children.

Also, there are many instances where people have starved to death during a famine or while imprisoned in a concentration camp, yet they are still obese.

Evidentally, this has to do with genetics, hormones, and so forth, so the obese person should be viewed as someone with a medical condition that needs to be worked on by a doctor, and not as a person who "lacks the character and determination" to "do the right thing" and stop eating.

As for me, I believe that this kind of obesity has it's origins in our evolution.

In ancient times, food was very plentiful during certain times of the year, and scarce or absent during other seasons (like winter).

Many animals go through hormonal and metabolic changes during certain times of the year.  Bears put on weight for the winter, dogs shed their summer coat and grow in a winter coat, and so forth.

With hundreds of thousands of years during an ice age, it would surprise me if people didn't evolve certain hormonal and metabolic mechanisms to save calories in reserve for future scarcity, and that this mechanism can (and does) go haywire for certain people.

The polynesians, for example, had genes for obesity . . . which actually helped them explore and settle the Pacific islands.  See below:









						How a Powerful Obesity Gene Helped Samoans Conquer the South Pacific
					

By studying the genomes of more than 5,000 Samoans, researchers have uncovered a single gene that boosts a person’s obesity risk by upwards of 40 percent. Remarkably, this gene—which appears in a quarter of all Samoans—may have arisen in the population as they colonized the South Pacific.




					gizmodo.com
				




So, don't let people judge you, and don't buy into any of the prejudices that your obesity means that you're "too weak to put down the fork."

See a medical expert, and follow their advice.


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## 2degrees (May 1, 2021)

Redsoxs23 said:


> hello all, I am 21(6  foot 475 LBS) former EMT student, who is looking advice and information on how to lose weight. This may sound silly to some of you, but I grew up in a household were my father always worked and I was stuck with an opiate addict who just fed me and my sister junk. I was never really taught the right way to eat , I was always a big kid in height and weight wise, but recently I noticed within myself I have been gaining a lot since my dads death in 2014 ( pulmonary embolism) and I want to lose weight and go back to Emt to finish what I started, I have always wanted to help people since I was a little kid but I can help anyone unless I help myself. but I have no idea on where to start, btw stopped drinking soda since my dad passed ( only  drink it when going out to Applebee's etc.) any tips or any information really would be helpful. Thank you all in advance!!


hi Redsoxs, sorry about the loss of your dad.  That's got to be hard to deal with.  something you never get over.  I too am a having a hard time losing weight.  I'm about 240lbs. I used to say medication caused my weight gain but I'm now responsible and say the way I ate determined my weight gain.  I was told to cut out pop.  That's my weakness. I love sugary stuff.  So like the girl fatgirlfedup you can find her and her husband's story on social media I'm fed up too with my eating habits.  I took a weight loss course once and lost 75lbs.  we had to have a accountability partner in the group of 7 people we were in class with.  The buddy system helped me out a lot.  We also substituted junk for other things like our favorite fruit and veggies and kept a journal to see if at the end of the week we completed our goal of eating let's say 5 apples a week,  8 bottles of water in a week, and oranges for substitute of candy and we discussed it with our classmates.  Also, i think we weighed in weekly I can't remember.  The cool part was it was a study so we got paid $100 for completing the course rather we lost weight or not.  Well, I hope to be able to take my own advice and start losing weight again.  I hope this helps you.  Thanks for sharing your weight loss attempts.  It's makes me feel better knowing I'm not the only one struggling with this.  Have a great weekend!


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## CateM (May 26, 2021)

I've lost a total of 145 lbs and have a hundred more to lose before I start my certification. I find that a lot of my eating was due to emotions. I ate because I was angry, sad, or bored. You said that you put on a lot of weight after your father's death. See if you can find a low-cost counselor because I have an inkling of a gut feeling that you might be eating due to emotions. Good luck! 


Check out Sparkpeople.com
Ask yourself Are you eating because of boredom, angry, or upset? Are you eating because someone offered it to you? 
Talk to a nutritionist if you can afford one or see if one can be provided to you for free.
Buy measuring cups and measuring spoons. You will be surprised at the amount of food that you're actually eating. When I first started I found out that I was eating 4 times the amount of pasta that I should be eating.
Step away from the processed food (microwavable food, food in a box, food in a can, fast food, take out)
Try new forms of protein, fish, and vegetables. Really try to figure out the fresh foods that you love and let go of the ones that you don't care about. This is a hard one. I have a husband that doesn't like any vegetable other than salad, spinach, and mushrooms. Thank you Saint Michael he likes fruits.
Take it each meal at a time. There are a lot of changes that you can make. You don't have to do them all at once. 
I personally purchased a pair of black BDU's as a goal/guide. it is possible to wear smaller sizes but still weigh heavy on the scale.
Last but not least, the number on the scale is not "God" there are other ways of measuring success.


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## CharlotteGriffin (Jul 26, 2021)

I was about 50 lbs overweight and I tried this app called Noom. It does a really good job of making thing manageable and achievable.


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## pregnancywhine (Aug 9, 2021)

Losing weight takes time. I hope you'll achieve your dream weight soon. You can do it!


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## CharlotteGriffin (Aug 25, 2021)

Love the encouragement and support here!


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## Dutch-EMT (Jan 15, 2022)

It has been a while since the last post. But here my personal experience and advice.

I've lost 10 pounds in 4 months. My BMI wasn't too high, but my waist circumference was to high.

I downloaded an app to count all calories. It also counts my vitamins, salt, protein, fat and other intake.
It was a big big big eye opener. Taking too much snacks wasn't the eye opener, the amount of calories in it was!
I took too much candies, cookies, cake and other snacks during the day, most at work.
Almost 500 to 600 calories a day. 
It wasn't easy when so much lovely snacks are within reach, but it did work very well for me.
I also did find out that my intake of fibres and iron were to low. 

I also started with jogging, twice a week 30 mins and with planking to train abdominal muscles.
When not sporting, I try to walk at least 8000 steps a day. 
It's not much effort to do, the hardest part is to leave the snacks. And that's about perseverance and discipline.


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## FiremanMike (Feb 8, 2022)

My best weight loss was using weight watchers (seriously, the point counting helps) and making sure to do some form of walking, running, stationary bike, running stars, etc, for 20-30 minutes *every* day.  Never follow a hard day with another hard day, try to break them up by 2-3 days, incorporate easy days frequently, but stay mobile..


My goal was to increase my base metabolic rate..  It worked..  I gained all of it back and then some when cheat days became cheat weeks and I stopped doing any sort of cardio/fat burn.. I'm working on it again, down 4 pounds now in a few weeks.


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## ffemt8978 (Feb 8, 2022)

FiremanMike said:


> My best weight loss was using weight watchers (seriously, the point counting helps) and making sure to do some form of walking, running, stationary bike, running stars, etc, for 20-30 minutes *every* day.  Never follow a hard day with another hard day, try to break them up by 2-3 days, incorporate easy days frequently, but stay mobile..
> 
> 
> My goal was to increase my base metabolic rate..  It worked..  I gained all of it back and then some when cheat days became cheat weeks and I stopped doing any sort of cardio/fat burn.. I'm working on it again, down 4 pounds now in a few weeks.


Messed me up.  Usually when I see post in this thread, it's some spammer posting a link to some website.  Wasn't expecting useful information in it again.


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