Correctional Officers and Law Enforcement

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motoveg
motoveg Posts: 23 Member
in Success Stories
I suppose I'm starting this thread because I have noticed a lack of law enforcement and correctional threads.

I'll start by introducing myself, I'm a corrections corporal in Nebraska and I've been at this a year. In that year I've gained the correctional thirty (jailers thirty if your a county boy or girl). This job has taught me a new respect for anyone who wears the uniform and I'm greatful for that. I've learned where the "coffee and donuts" stereotype has come from. This job requires a lot of quick unhealthy foods and copious ammounts of caffeine. The environment of working in a prison isn't conducive for eating healthy unfortunately, and I can imagine it's like that working a beat.

My motivation for getting in to shape is to try and land a spot on our CERT team. However I am also motivated to stay fitter than the criminals I protect daily. They have all day to work out and I do not want to be killed on the job due to lack of fitness.

The biggest struggle for me is stress eating and fighting correctional fatigue. I used to stress eat when I started and its landed me in bad shape.

What have your struggles been? How do you stay in shape? How do you deal with the stress of the job?

Replies

  • Laura1987123
    Laura1987123 Posts: 1 Member
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    I'm not a CO or Officer, but I am a dispatcher for Law Enforcement and Fire...So I don't have a physical fitness test I need to pass, but 12-hour shifts at a desk (at night no less) can definitely take it's toll! It's so easy so stroll over to the break room after a hard call and grab a donut or have one of the officers drop by the coffee shop and grab a mocha... I try really hard to pre-plan out my calories with food that I can pack into work, and count out all my meals for the shift. Having those small pre-planned snacks to grab for when I handle a stressful call can make all the difference. If I have extra calories for the day, I might let myself have half of one of those donuts, and not feel quite so guilty about it :)
  • emilyvictoria7
    emilyvictoria7 Posts: 102 Member
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    I'm not a Correctional Officer either, but I am a Social Worker/Classifications Officer at a remand/detention centre in Ontario. The whole reason I started using MFP again was because I had gained so much weight so quickly from the stress eating (aka vicarious trauma eating!). I had watched one of my Sergeants drop an amazing amount of weight in the last year for the same reason you mentioned - stopping the quickly available bad food, dealing with the stress.

    I don't speak exactly to your stress because I deal with my inmates one on one and with the watchful gaze of a CO if I feel even remotely unsafe with a specific inmate, so my stress is less about my safety and security and more about their stories and their trauma. And how difficult it is being a Correctional social worker because sometimes I feel I'm not making any impact.

    For me, that is what triggered the stress eating. I can't say I've learned how to manage the stress, but I've tried to get ahead of the stress eating through meal planning my *kitten* off. I cut the cream (sort of) out of my coffee and went to milk, no sugar. We found a wholesale produce place so I have copious amounts of fruits instead of something crunchy or sugary to snack on. I focused on just changing my diet because I hate to exercise, and I'm not ready to quit smoking which remains a huge vice now that I've been watching what I eat. I honestly have found so far just sticking to my calorie goal has been yielding results and it's making small changes to make it work each day. So far, 13lbs lost in my first 2mo.

    Feel free to add me if you would like. Always happy to provide support and I have loved the experience of having so many hilarious and driven correctional officers in my life so far!
  • ladonnabeard7
    ladonnabeard7 Posts: 13 Member
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    I'm also a dispatcher, and it is great knowing that others face the same obstacles that I face on a daily basis. It take a great person to do what we do..thank you for your service
  • Charlenelindsay5
    Charlenelindsay5 Posts: 46 Member
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    I was a correctional officer for many years... funny, while on the job I weighed the least I ever have as an adult... it was after getting hurt and going to an office job that I gained weight... I found the shift work made it easier for me to get to the gym and plan my meals (as I despised the jail food we were fed lol)

    I really have no suggestions for you, just felt like chiming in and reminiscing about my jail days... I miss shift work and the freedom it gave me...
  • motoveg
    motoveg Posts: 23 Member
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    ladonnabeard7 wrote: »
    I'm also a dispatcher, and it is great knowing that others face the same obstacles that I face on a daily basis. It take a great person to do what we do..thank you for your service

    Thank you for what you do! Dispatch is rough.
  • motoveg
    motoveg Posts: 23 Member
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    Charlenelindsay5 wrote: »
    I was a correctional officer for many years... funny, while on the job I weighed the least I ever have as an adult... it was after getting hurt and going to an office job that I gained weight... I found the shift work made it easier for me to get to the gym and plan my meals (as I despised the jail food we were fed lol)

    I really have no suggestions for you, just felt like chiming in and reminiscing about my jail days... I miss shift work and the freedom it gave me...

    The issue is for me, we're constantly mandatoried to stay to cover call ins. Everyday. That equates to me eating junk on occassion.
  • MyLovesMyLife
    MyLovesMyLife Posts: 424 Member
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    motoveg wrote: »
    Charlenelindsay5 wrote: »
    I was a correctional officer for many years... funny, while on the job I weighed the least I ever have as an adult... it was after getting hurt and going to an office job that I gained weight... I found the shift work made it easier for me to get to the gym and plan my meals (as I despised the jail food we were fed lol)

    I really have no suggestions for you, just felt like chiming in and reminiscing about my jail days... I miss shift work and the freedom it gave me...

    The issue is for me, we're constantly mandatoried to stay to cover call ins. Everyday. That equates to me eating junk on occassion.

    You guys are highly understaffed at the NSPs but unfortunately many are not seeking that line of work. My husband worked in the jails of Maricopa county when we met so I know what he endured.
  • Ellipsisinthought07
    Ellipsisinthought07 Posts: 1 Member
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    Federal CO here. Add me. All request accepted
  • NurseKristi81
    NurseKristi81 Posts: 90 Member
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    I am not an officer but I am a correctional nurse. I too have gained 25# since starting with the DOC 2 years ago on top of getting married! I am trying to get back to where I feel the most healthy at and hopefully MFP and the warmer months coming ( I am from Michigan) make the journey easy ONCE AGAIN! lol

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