ems and fast food

B

bubbagump

Forum Ride Along
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
0
I understand that working in ems you may not have a chance to sit down and eat a salad. You need to get food fast knowing that you dont know when your next call is. I have been working with this new partner for about 3 months now, and I dont understand is how someone can eat fast food all day every shift, and then complain about how we have to do a bariatric transport. My partner is about 5'4 350 lbs and has a heart condition and claims " I dont have time to pack a lunch ". I work 5a-5p, i wake up at 4am shower get dressed for work, pack a healthy lunch all within 30 mins. Most of the people I work with and see from other ambulance companies are obese and worse off than most of our patients. I am just venting here, but I think its a shame that we are out here trying to help people and by the looks of it, we cant even take care of ourselves. Comment or not, I just needed to vent a little.
 
You would think seeing what we see would make the average medic think about ways to modify their life styles, but sadly that rarely seems to be the case. Just remember that many people treat their diet, right or wrong as a kind of addiction. When you ask them to change it they can become defensive. I have a very good friend who has all the money in the world and a live in housekeeper who will cook him anything he wants. He wants her to cook him crap food. She could easily make him healthy food but he doesn't want it. He is probably around 400 pounds now and I suspect won't live to see 50.
 
Which is why I love places like Trader Joe's, Fresh and Easy, and Japanese restaurants.
 
I used to eat a lot of fast food, and never thought twice about it. I have always had a good metabolism, and my problem has always been not being able to gain weight. When I was trying to bulk up I literally had to force myself to eat extra meals so I could put on some pounds. What really changed my eating habits was a documentary called Food Inc. Super size me is another good one, but Food Inc really opens your eyes to the food industry. I almost never eat fast food now.
 
I think I am addicted to fast food, but other than slightly elevated BP, I haven't suffered any other consequences (I'm 135 lbs, 5'7"). Although I ate canned food the other day and got food poisoning. :\

A lot of people at the company I work for are pretty good about packing a healthy lunch. They've advise I do the same thing.

It's great that you brought this up. Some days I can't even stop to get fast food. I really should start packing that lunch!
 
I pack a lunch bag filled with snacks, pretty much whatever looked appetizing when I went to the store at 1am. Usually get a few packages of baby carrots with ranch or apple slices with caramel. I also get some chips like Pringles, KitKats, poptarts, other random stuff, and some juice boxes. I snack on that throughout the day, but never actually make a 'real' lunch item. I get the 'real' stuff when/if we get a chance to take a quick break. For the most part it's a Subway sub, but have no qualms getting traditional fast food like burgers, either. Stuff that I can chow down quickly if we do get a call.


I don't make real stuff because nothing I can make at home, that is edible within an hour, or after 13 hours in the bag, appetizes me. Don't always have access to a microwave, stuff doesn't say cool long enough, etc etc.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Timewise..

If I know a grocery store, especially if it has self-checkout, and I hit it in the morning before the crowds, I can get in, snag my food for the day, and get out as fast as (or faster than) going through a drive-in, spend less money, and have a wider choice. It may not be as greasy-good as the fast stuff.....;)
(When I was working every other day, I used to drive through Arby's for their chicken-like food product sandwich. Messy if you ate while driving, though).
 
I buy lunch almost always. I'm too lazy to pack a lunch.

Plus i like hot fresh food.

Sent from LuLu using Tapatalk
 
I make a lunch every morning before I leave. I buy breakfast everyday so I think it would be silly to buy two, maybe three meals a day when I could be making at least one of them. Plus breakfast is cheaper and often times more healthy. When I forget/am too lazy to make lunch I try to at least get a slice instead of micky ds, my dietician mom can smell fast food 8 hours after I eat it and that never leads to anything good.

I've got a good cooler and icepacks so I can make whatever I want and I've never had a problem with anything not staying fresh.
 
When I took my nutrition class for some pre-reqs, the course taught that "any food in moderation is health food. All food in excess is junk food".

That being said, choosing to eat nothing but fast food all day everyday is one of the most unhealthy lifestyles one can have. Because those that live that lifestyle tend to have the mentality of "if you're not full then you must be hungry". The human body is not designed to live that way. We're designed to eat multiple SMALL meals throught the day just to stop the hunger pain.

The vast majority of us who have bad backs, bad knees, arthritis, high BP, high cholesterol, heart problems, diabetes, PVD, & PAD acquire these issues from our lifestyle choices. Plain and simple.
 
Another one of the benefits of working out of a station, not posting on a street corner... I've got a kitchen to whip up dinner or lunch. My partner and I usually go in on food together. We'll do some chicken or a steak and some steamed veggies.
 
Thanks everyone, after reading all of this I am starting a diet immediatly!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top