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losing wieght + keeping in shape + having energy to work= ?
so, ok here it is im 6'2" 325lb looking to loose abought 70lbs and have enuff energy to work those 24 & 48 hr shifts. i here all kind of things to to. i want to know what people that know what its like to have 10 med runs and 2 fires all in the first 12 hrs of a shift! have done to loose weight! what should i eat? how should i exercise? wieghts or no wieghts?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Anya on
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Are you a healthy eater or heavy drinker? If you eat a lot of salty/greasy/fatty foods, cut back and if you drink heavy beer, cut back! By changing your eating habits your weight will drop drastically. To improve or speed up weight loss, exercise every other day switching off from upper and lower body workouts. I'd try doing a good 30 min cardio workout also to keep your heart and oxygen flowing well. Once you get use to you workout schedule, add more or less depending on how work fits into your day. There are plenty of workouts that don't require weights if you want to stay away from them, it's really up to you. Good luck =]
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Permalink Reply by Spanner 122 on
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Walt, I gotta tell you, it's 80% what you eat! I agree with Anya, make some changes to your diet as well and you will see some great changes. I work at a busy station as well, not 12 calls a day, but 5-10 minimum, so it's sometimes hard to work out before shift. I once did a heavy leg workout because I knew I would be at a quieter station that day... 12:45 working fire and the first in crew did not leave someone in the elevator... 9TH FLOOR!!! That hurt!! I don't do that anymore! I do my legs the day after my four days when I know I will be off for 6 days. I can usually work them out twice before I get back to work. On work days, I run before work (brisk walking when you first start out will also work).
No excuses, work out 4-6 days a week, walk everyday (give yourself a day of rest), look into crossfit and powerlifting (you don't have to do super heavy weight, but the moves are great for our jobs...just watch the shoulders). I do crossfit and I run, it's what works well for me. I eat well 6 days a week and have a good pig out on the 7th day. Remember that the brain still feels it's a bit of a caveman. If you cut your calories, it will freak out and protect the body, storing as much fat as possible (hence the reason, low-cal, low-fat, low-carb, low-anything diets don't work longterm)... but if you remind it there's more out there and give it a good dose of calories once a week, it will relax and allow you to lose some weight.
Oh sorry... food... Keep it basic! It doesn't need to be rocket science or measured or weighed, just keep food as close to it's natural source as possible. Example - no instant oatmeal or rice, steel cut oats or long grain rice are the way to go. Stay away from packaged food and do not believe the, "you need extra protein" that the guys who are getting paid to say that, say! My swimming coach is an Ironman competitor and he only eats extra protein when he is trying to keep weight on!!!
One protein, one carb 5 times a day, veggies at one or two of these sittings and you're good to go! Stay away from processed, watch the sodium and "fake food" intake and you will see some changes!!
Sorry for babbling, just some things I learned while losing lover 65 lbs of fat!! I dropped 50 lbs on the scale (lost fat and gained muscle), then in the final stages, I lost 4 more lbs and two pant sizes!!! (more muscle)! Keep at it and don't give up. It won't be easy, but remind yourself it will be worth it!!!
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Permalink Reply by Engineco913 on
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Just keep in mind that muscle outweighs fat by a large margin, so use some common sense with your weight training program. Your perhaps better off with a diet change, and also a good walking regiment. After you have taken the pounds off and wish to tone out, start lifting. (your body will be able to handle the punishment a little better then too. Good Luck!!
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I have to strongly disagree with this, respectfully, of course. Muscle is denser, so yes, a lb of muscle is smaller than a lb of fat, there's no disagreement there... but... waiting to weight train until after losing fat is a mistake. The more lean muscle you have, the more fat you will burn. Muscle fibres burn more calories than fat, muscle works harder and requires more fuel.... work on gaining some muscle while losing the fat (can be done, but one is always more efficient than the other, so focus on them one at a time).
Push yourself no matter what!!!
That's all... ;)
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Makes more sense. I was going for the lose weight and then try to tone, but what you said makes much more sense, ty for the correction. :)
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lol... everyone is different, I suppose... some people may also not have it in them to push for both... it's a lot of work, but well worth it in the end.
I bet we can all agree that taking it off is one thing, keeping it off is the hardest part... it's a lifestyle change, no quick fixes!! :)
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Permalink Reply by Aric Stewart on
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walt i am currently working on losing weight my self and the best way i have found is to hit the gym hard left weights on one day and run on the next, eat smaller portions and just watch what you are eating, and i mean like when i go shopping for food i look at the calorie count i look at the fat content, i also quit drinking soft drinks and went to drinking lots and lots of water. another thing that has helped is lots of protein i drink 2 protein shakes a day and eat alot more. It is said that you need to eat as many grams of protien as you weigh. I hope that this helps you if you need to know more let me know
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Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
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SOUTH BEACH DIET, baby!
Dr. Agatson hit the nail with this diet.
I am 5'8" tall. On Jan. 3 of this year, I weighed 260 lbs. The knees that I had replaced were starting to hurt again. My personal doctor recommended the South Beach Diet. And trust me; he did his research, went to seminars and communicated with the experts and went on the diet himself.
Today, I am at 180 and have replaced my entire wardrobe, including underwear. I want to lose another 10 lbs and I will be at my high school weight and the proper BMI.
Walt; I lost 30 lbs in the first month. You won't feel much like exercising in the first month. Give it time.
I didn't start exercising until 3 months ago. When I say "exercise", I mean bikes and weights. I am at 5 miles on the bike, have increased resistance and am lifting dumbbells.
The first thing you will notice is the stomach getting smaller. I had a 42" waist and am now a 34" waist. Two X shirts are replaced with large and medium depending. I have more energy than I know what to do with. I have been called "skinny" and "yummy". My wife also lost weight on it, because we eat the same stuff. She went from a size 8 to a size 2. I am 55 and she is .....younger than me by a few years! She is on the elliptical as I write this. It's been a BLAST.
If you do the South Beach, follow it to the letter.
Oh; and if you are wondering, I can go out on Friday nite and have beer and pizza with my friends. Bud Select is great beer. Low carb and tasty.
I did it for health reasons and that should be the only reason to lose weight. But it's nice to be called "skinny" and "sexxy" again.
Good luck and get lots of support.
Art
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Permalink Reply by RYAN L. on
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hey walt, i'm just as big as you. (6'3" 320lbs) i lost 45lbs in short time just buy giveing up soda and beer, watching the food intake. i felt so much better. running sucks for us big guys but i'll tell you find something you like. for me it was running in the woods not on the street. just start off with cardio, loss some weight first then when you start to lift you'll put on some weight but it will be from muscle. the hardes part is keeping it off after you loss it. i'm back up to 300lbs. i need to get back down to 270lbs, i'm getting out of the coast guard in jan and i should be starting the boston fire academy in april if everything goes right.
good luck and stay low
-ryan
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Permalink Reply by Austin Sealey on
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The dept I use to work for we would run our asses off. I always thought I was in shape until I experienced a working house fire, then a med run, then another working house fire within 3 hours. I agree with what spanner posted for you on here. Look at how you eat and make some changes there. I know I seriously had to. The only thing I will ever tell anyone about working out is that you have to find something for yourself. The way one person works out won't be the way another person does it. Whatever you do start off slow at a steady pace. One thing I have learned thats helped me out is that I document everything I do when it comes to working out. Doesn't matter if its running/walking, circuit training, resistance, or free-weights. Its helped me out a good bit with watching my progress. Whatever you do, keep with it. Always looking for the next dedicated firefighter! Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Walt Goebel on
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wow!! thanks!!! thats info is great, ill try to keeep you posted on how im doing. if any other info comes to mind let me know! walt
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Keep up the great work bro. Pain is weakness leaving the body (ty USMC for the quote) and the more you feel the burn the better you will feel. Please keep us posted with the results so we can celebrate with you.
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