Is there such a thing as 'Ambulance Ass'

[Lisa O]

I heard this term the other day, and about died laughing. But the guy telling me was saying its real. He told me that you can really gain alot of weight working on an ambulance. Okay, how? The main reason why I am waiting so long to take my EMT class is because I have a personal goal / promise to myself that I will not even pay for a class untill I have lost X amount of weight. I could do the job now as is, but, I would rather better myself and be as healthy as possible. I'll never be tiny, but, I can work on core strength, and cardio so that I can be a better me. But I dont want to blow back up after I get hired..lol

[JakeEMTP]

While you will not find "Ambulance Ass" in any dictionary or medical journal, I can assure you it's a true phenomena. It usually is associated with the lazy provider that sits in front of the TV watching the "price is right" waiting for the next call, while trying to accomplish a new world record for the most Cheeto's placed in one's mouth at one sitting. True, we do eat at weird times but does not always have to be fast food, which we all know is not the best thing we should be eating, but is usually the fare of the day due to convenience. I like a good ol' greasy cheeseburger as much as the next guy, but I do try and limit the number of times I have one.

It is better to use your downtime at the station for studying or exercising. We have a complete set of weights and a Bowflex at the station I work at. I realise all services don't have these, but equipment is not always required. There are some excellent programs for exercise that do not require weights at all and are based more on resistance training.

Try to watch what you eat. Prepare your meals at home and bring them with you. Snack on vegetables and fruit instead of Cheeto's and Frito's.

I guess it all comes down to the individual. You have already established a goal to lose weight and I applaud you for it! Don't waste that when you get a job by becoming "Ambulance Ass"

[Kaisu]

Ambulance Ass definitely exists. If you have even the slightest inclination to use food to relieve stress, boredom then EMS will certainly afford you the opportunity to stuff fatty, sugary, delicious things into your face at the least provocation. As disciplined food/exercise habits decline, so does the inclination to maintain them. Vicious cycle - the fatter you get, the less you want to get up and move that lard.

[akflightmedic]

No pill, juice, or gadget will ever compensate for this simple formula:

Energy in > Energy out = weight gain

Energy in < Energy Out = weight loss

Jake summed it up real nice and it is up to the individual. Do not make the mistake thinking that because you are on the go for an entire shift that it is "exercise" or enough to burn excess energy...it isn't.

You need to stay physically active on your days off and if you have the opportunity while on duty, then take advantage of it. I used to walk around my station with a weight vest several times a day. Yes it was boring but it was brisk pace exercise spread throughout the day.

You can very easily do sit ups, push ups and squats all in the station, They build muscle and you burn energy, there is no need to push yourself and get all sweaty and stinky for the next patient, just disperse them throughout your day.

Avoid plopping on the couch and waiting for the next call and avoid stuffing your face because you are bored at the station or posted on the road somewhere. When you get gas or stage in the parking lot, avoid the slushies, frappachinos, chips, candy or soda.

Keep water bottles with you and use those little flavor packs if you need to. Keep healthy, filling snacks available such as trail mix, nuts etc.

[Lisa O]

If you have even the slightest inclination to use food to relieve stress, boredom.........

I had to take a good hard look at myself and discover that I do infact eat mostly out of boredom and as an emotional crutch. Re-wiring my brain, and attempting to replace good habbits with bad is proving to be harder then I thought. Its one of those things that seems so 'simple', and you start out well. Only to notice that you crept right back into all the bad as before. Baby steps. And thats why I gave myself so much time, that way I dont set myself up to fail in a short amount of time.

I guess it all comes down to the individual. You have already established a goal to lose weight and I applaud you for it! Don't waste that when you get a job by becoming "Ambulance Ass"

Im getting a Wii in a few weeks. Complete with all the Wii fitness packs. Im so stoked. I joined a gym, but, ughh its just not me. And I get these weird energy ball moments, but, due to the kids, I cant just take off. Its a good start anyhow. I know I will have to get to a point where I need to go back into the gym to work with someone. However, untill then, I can work out in my jammies, or really, just at anytime!!

[Arctickat]

Im getting a Wii in a few weeks. Complete with all the Wii fitness packs. Im so stoked. I joined a gym, but, ughh its just not me. And I get these weird energy ball moments, but, due to the kids, I cant just take off. Its a good start anyhow. I know I will have to get to a point where I need to go back into the gym to work with someone. However, untill then, I can work out in my jammies, or really, just at anytime!!

If I might suggest, get the Wii Fit Plus. It has all of the routines as the Wii Fit but includes several additional options such as personalized routines and more fun games. Over a 3 month period I used the Wii Fit faithfully and did every yoga and strength exercise once a day with very few missed dates. It took about two hours (mostly commentary by my trainer) but I lost 20 pounds and 3 inches off my waistline.

The newer Wii Fit Plus allows me to skip all the commentary and I can get through the routines in less than an hour.

Edit:

I'll also admit that I didn't change my diet all that much, still ate what I liked, maybe occasionally reduced the amount of intake, but still lost weight. I was thrilled when the Wii Fit Plus came out.

Edited December 30, 2009 by Arctickat

[Medic One]

My def of amb ass is:

When your assigned to the worst car in the fleet with vinyl seats on a hot humid day hungover from the night before of cheap chili, wings and schaffer beer.

Its that sweaty feeling you get and wonder if that was a fart or did you just shart.

lolol

[FireMedic65]

I suppose that term can me taken quite a few different ways

[HERBIE1]

My def of amb ass is:

When your assigned to the worst car in the fleet with vinyl seats on a hot humid day hungover from the night before of cheap chili, wings and schaffer beer.

Its that sweaty feeling you get and wonder if that was a fart or did you just shart.

lolol

Damn funny!

[HERBIE1]

I heard this term the other day, and about died laughing. But the guy telling me was saying its real. He told me that you can really gain alot of weight working on an ambulance. Okay, how? The main reason why I am waiting so long to take my EMT class is because I have a personal goal / promise to myself that I will not even pay for a class untill I have lost X amount of weight. I could do the job now as is, but, I would rather better myself and be as healthy as possible. I'll never be tiny, but, I can work on core strength, and cardio so that I can be a better me. But I dont want to blow back up after I get hired..lol

Yep. Variations include squad bench ass. I've heard it used for LEO's too. I realize that we all age in different ways, but at least in my area, women DO seem to develop this problem- moreso with their rear ends than anywhere else. Gawd knows I've packed on a few lb's over the years, but after some medical issues I was forced to change my ways. When I first started in the business, I worked out 3-4 times a week. Then I got married and all bets were off. "Too busy"(aka got lazy).

After I had my wake up call, I started back at the club, dropped about 20 lbs and 4 inches off my waist. Not crazy about my diet, but when I cook, it's heart healthy. I have my occasional fast food, but working out is the key. The thing is, the more muscle you make, the more calories you burn. Obviously the older we get, the more our metabolism slows down and changes and we need to be more vigilant about eating and exercising. Women have the added issue of birthing babies, so they also need to rebound from that.