JULIE PARKER
WJLA
Reprinted with Permission

BETHESDA, Md. - An unlikely group is about to take on a tough weight loss challenge.


A firefighter in Austin, Texas started the 'Engine 2 Diet.'

He and others at his station dropped pounds and cholesterol points.

Now some firefighters in downtown Bethesda are getting on board.

Firefighters risk their lives every time they race to a call in order to help others. In the chaos, all too often they ignore their own health.

That's about to change at Bethesda's Fire Station 6.

The 'Engine 2 Diet.' is plant-based and aimed at not only lowering a person's weight, but also their cholesterol.

Montgomery County Fire Captain Stephen Snyder hopes becoming heart-healthy will extend his career.

"I have over 20 years on," he says. "I want to have 20 more."

Whole Foods in Friendship Heights is partnering with both the guys in downtown Bethesda as well as Fire Station 31 in Gaithersburg.

Whole Foods will provide the book the diet's based on, as well as gift cards for food -- none of which will come from animals.

Not chicken, not fish, not turkey, not pork chops," says Jill Ward, Whole Foods Marketing Team Leader.

The five firefighters who are participating say they think they'll succeed because this diet is not about how much you eat, but rather what you eat.

Plenty of vegetables. Soy to replace beef. Nutritional yeast instead of cheese.

"It's colorful," says Troy Jones, a Montgomery County firefighter. "I like colorful food. The presentation's nice. And that's half the battle."

It's a stretch from what these firefighters used to eat -- while gathered around the station's kitchen table. Troy Jones wants to lose thirty pounds.

The guys at Station 6 are counting on a sense of healthy peer pressure to get them through the 28-day challenge. And beyond.

ABC 7 News will be checking in on the firefighters' progress and let you know how they make out. Look for that story next month.