A Terrifying Nightmare Inspired This NYPD Cop to Lose 140 Pounds

As told to Maria Masters
Photo credit: Courtesy
Photo credit: Courtesy

From Men's Health

Photo credit: .
Photo credit: .

After graduating from the academy, Aaron Lohman, 36, settled into his new job as a New York City cop-and packed on 140 pounds in 9 years. “I figured I didn’t need to worry about the physical qualifications any more,” he says. “I preferred to go out after work with my girlfriend, who’s now my wife.”

That all changed in 2015, after waking from a nightmare in a cold sweat. “In my dream, I was fighting a criminal who overpowered me and threw me off a rooftop,” says Lohman. “But the worst part was thinking about my two-and-a-half year-old daughter, who I realized would grow up without a father.”

He went on a weight loss program that day.

Related Video: Mom of 3 Details 125-lb. Weight Loss Journey

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3 years, and 148 pounds. . Could I have lost more "weight" . Probably. . But "weight loss" in my opinion is an awful awful and honestly stupid term. . And being "skinny" was never my goal. . I could lose 15 pounds of "weight" in a week if I wanted to right now, but would it be valuable? . The scale in my opinion is not a valuable tool to measure progress 🤷♂️ and I see too many people get stressed out weighing themselves every single day obsessing, getting depressed and unfortunately quitting over a number. . A stupid, insignificant number. . Because while i lost 148 pounds, I also built lean muscle, I couldn't tell you how much because I don't know. . I went weeks and sometimes months without seeing a drop in "weight". . Obviously, that number didn't mean a damn thing. . It can't show you the big picture. . And the big picture is, eat properly, weight train, do proper fat burning cardio sometimes (not all cardio burns fat FYI, and some can actually prohibit you from losing fat) and supplement as needed. . Trust the process. . The results tell the story. . #results #transformationtuesday #transformation #weightlosstransformation #fatloss #losingweight #beforeandafter #beforeandafterweightloss #workoutmotivation #fitnessmotivation #fitnessinspiration #inspiration #trusttheprocess #nevergiveup #noexcuses #fat2fit #levelup #iam1stphorm #1stphormathletesearch #legionofboom #1stphorm

A post shared by Huge fat loser(get It?) Lohman (@huge_fat_loser) on Nov 27, 2018 at 3:17am PST

Lohman recommends:

Hold yourself accountable. Lohman started tracking calories and eventually began weighing his food. Out went pizza and beer; in came turkey meatballs and egg whites. He also packs his lunch daily. “I’m fine with boring,” he says. “I’ll eat 8 ounces of chicken and 6 ounces of a sweet potato every day.”

Turn negativity into a positive. Not long after Lohman started working out, a co-worker mentioned the 40-mile NYC Five-Borough Bike Tour. When the other cops overheard them, they laughed. “They were like, ‘Yeah right, Aaron’s going to do a bike tour.’ It made me so mad I thought I really am going to do it. And I did-without walking my bike once.”

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There is no top secret diet. . No perfect workout plan. . No magic pill. . No shortcut. . Just you, the desire to change and the work you do to make it happen. . #transformationtuesday #weightlossjourney #weightlosstransformation #1stphormathletesearch #iam1stphorm #fitnessinspiration #fitnessmotivation #weightlossmotivation

A post shared by Huge fat loser(get It?) Lohman (@huge_fat_loser) on Oct 16, 2018 at 8:43am PDT

Commit to a schedule. Lohman lifts weights five days a week at a local gym, or in the weight room in his station’s precinct. On each day, he concentrates on exercising a single body part (chest, back, legs, arms, shoulders).

Curb cravings with protein. Have protein at every meal, including snacks, he says. For breakfast, Lohman has hard-boiled eggs and Greek yogurt; for lunch, turkey slices; for dinner, chicken or turkey meatballs. In between meals, he has whey-protein shakes.

Post your progress. Lohman posts selfies of his workout progress on Instagram (he now has more than 18,000 followers). "Everyone should try it," he says. "There's nothing like the idea of failing in public to keep you motivated." And his motivational posts give others a boost, too. "There is no top secret diet...just you, the desire to change, and the work you do to make it happen."

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