Please understand when I post this I need brutal honesty.
I would rather be told something is a bad idea than be encouraged and fail and be in a worse place than I now am. I am 33 years old, obese likely close to 360-380 lbs. Despite the obvious "you should diet etc.. (which is clearly apparent) I need to know what to do
I was recently laid off of my job, the business closed and laid off 100 workers with virtually overnight notice. A WARN notice was not even filed with the state. I have been looking for a job and the ONLY thing that comes up in my job search are CNA jobs. I have an opportunity as a displaced worker to get a CNA class paid for by the state through unemployment but I am scared to death I will fail the physical or PASS and be unable to do the lifting and other stuff the job requires. Can anyone who knows more about this than I do give me some honest advice. Please let me know if this is worth the effort or not. Thanks.
I know a lot of CNAs who lost weight while working as a CNA. Overweight itself, as in appearance is not an issue, you have to have a heart. The job itself is no picnic, no doubt about that, but unless the job would put you at risk for acute injury, I say go for it. You will encounter patients who negatively comment on your weight, but believe me, if it's not your weight, it'll be your nose your eyes, your height, etc.,etc. no matter what you look like, because usually it's not really your person they're upset with.
I am sure that if you really are interested in becoming a CNA, attend a class and pass you will get hired. Before you put the cart before the horse, attend a CNA class and see if it is for you. There might be a lot more concerns that you have about it than your weight. Having a job that requires you to be on your feet and walking, is actually healthy. Make sure you have on some comfortable shoes, and don't forget to breath:)
I am not worried as much about employer prejudice, albeit it is a concern as I am being able to do my job well. I know alot of lifting and so forth is involved but I wasn't sure this was something a heavy person would physically be able to do. I will agree I am ignorant COMPLETELY when it comes to understanding how physically demanding the job is. I am sitting here thinking of me lifting a person by myself with no assistance and I wondering how I would manage that. True I haven't had the training and I am sure there are methods taught to do this but I am a bit worried. If it is possible I will try and go for it. I am a very caring person and I love helping people so I know I could likely handle that portion of my job well.
If you say it's a medical condition, I would promptly shut up my mouth and apologise too.You are a caring person and love helping people, you say(deep breath), you also have to help yourself.
At 33years the weight you mentioned above is NOT ideal, it is never ideal for anyone.It may not instill any vote of confidence in the patients to who you're looking to care for. Again, perhaps that would be a good avenue towards getting you started to where you want to be:)
First off, kudos to you for being brave and talking about this. In our society, simply admitting one is overweight can feel like hanging a target on your back.
Yet at the same time adult Americans are one of the largest and most overweight people worldwide. Go figure.
I am about 300 lbs myself. . I am fat AND healthy.
I am big AND beautiful. Who cares if I don't look like a model. I am me. I enjoy my life. And I hope when you read this you'llnot let social pressure discourage you. You can do this! And if you walk into the interview radiating the can-do attitude, people will believe in you, too.
We are so conditioned to believe what we should or should not look like
And please, never let others make you feel bad if you're not a superwoman -- even the very thin, the young, & the athletic may have sore feet or fatigue sometimes.
My issue with your question is not your weight. My issue is that you are questioning your ability to perform. Yes, the job is hard... but if you already think you might not be able to do it, you are setting yourself up for failure! Seems to me like you have an opportunity to help people and get a job but you don't really want it. I think this might be a better question for yourself. Get certified, build a resume, apply for a job, accept a position and work you butt off! The question of failure will not be your weight. If you want it bad enough, you will succeed.
If CNA is what you are interested in, don't worry so much about the weight loss in the beginning. That can come with having a busy job.
While working on getting into a CNA class, and also once in a class, work on building strength and endurance. But do so *carefully*. Speak with a Physical Therapist or other appropriate professional if you can on the best methods for doing these (don't hurt yourself by guessing on how to improve these qualities).
First off, kudos to you for being brave and talking about this. In our society, simply admitting one is overweight can feel like hanging a target on your back.
To the people who tell you not to do it - ignore them! Only YOU know if you're physically up to it. As Americans, in our culture we have been so conditioned to deeply hate obesity. Yet at the same time adult Americans are one of the largest and most overweight people worldwide. Go figure.
I am about 300 lbs myself. And before anyone gasps and goes "omg she is killing herself", I will say it doesn't slow me down in the least. I'm still in nursing school but I have no problem at clinicals. I had no problem passing the physical exam. I have excellent bp, triglycerides/cholesterol, glucose, and other stats. I am fat AND healthy.
When I'm not in school, I have a small farm I take care of. I can stack 50lb hay bales with the men. I hand-walk horses. I shovel snow. I am active and happy. And I know this is shocking but: I am big AND beautiful. Who cares if I don't look like a model. I am me. I enjoy my life. And I hope when you read this you'llnot let social pressure discourage you. You can do this! And if you walk into the interview radiating the can-do attitude, people will believe in you, too.
We are so conditioned to believe what we should or should not look like. And those people creating that image are doing it with such unrealistic expectations. (Have you seen this great Dove video? )
I'll give you the advice any nurse should follow: Find shoes that fit well. Take care of yourself, eg. get a good night's sleep. Do take breaks from standing in place, when possible.
And please, never let others make you feel bad if you're not a superwoman -- even the very thin, the young, & the athletic may have sore feet or fatigue sometimes.
I admire your confidence, relative strength, and self-esteem, but you are most certainly downplaying the negative effects of being overweight.
You sound like a great person, and even though you are able to live your life without issue there have been many studies that show weight is an independent factor contributing to a host of diseases. Although your BP, cholesterol, etc. are fine right now you are still at an increased risk for all of the common complications associated with obesity. You say the weight does not slow you down at all--but it most certainly does. If you were just as fit as you are now but lighter by 100 lbs I bet EVERYTHING would seem a lot easier.
Now, I completely support your self-esteem and your "can do" attitude, I think this is great. More people need to act like this. What I cannot support is condoning being severely obese and saying it is healthy. It is NOT healthy and you should not be complacent when you could be living a much better life. YOU deserve better and by "being okay" with being obese you're removing any motivation that might lead you to fix it.
systoly
1,756 Posts
I know a lot of CNAs who lost weight while working as a CNA. Overweight itself, as in appearance is not an issue, you have to have a heart. The job itself is no picnic, no doubt about that, but unless the job would put you at risk for acute injury, I say go for it. You will encounter patients who negatively comment on your weight, but believe me, if it's not your weight, it'll be your nose your eyes, your height, etc.,etc. no matter what you look like, because usually it's not really your person they're upset with.