need support.Hope to enlist in military.

ecmartin17

Hi everyone,I could really use some support.im 24,weigh 285, and I want to enlist in the military.when I graduated high school I spoke with a recruiter and he told me I needed to lose 15 lbs to join.while I was doing that my at the time girlfriend decided she didn't want me to join.so I didn't and over the next few years put on alot of weight.now I want to go back to my original dream of enlisting but am having trouble staying motivated.i would appreciate and welcome any support you guys could give.hope everyone has a great day and thanks in advance.

emmoen

I would suggest finding your local recruiter and find out if they do seeking trainings

ecmartin17

I tried that.most in my area don't and the one that does is too far to drive to every week.thank you for the suggestion though

emmoen

My husband and I did this diet... It seems like a lot of food but the first time we did it we both lost about 20lbs in a month but we also did not add any seasoning or condiments... We followed it word for word... Hopes this helps... What branch are you looking into?

nannersp61

ecmartin17 wrote: »

Hi everyone,I could really use some support.im 24,weigh 285, and I want to enlist in the military.when I graduated high school I spoke with a recruiter and he told me I needed to lose 15 lbs to join.while I was doing that my at the time girlfriend decided she didn't want me to join.so I didn't and over the next few years put on alot of weight.now I want to go back to my original dream of enlisting but am having trouble staying motivated.i would appreciate and welcome any support you guys could give.hope everyone has a great day and thanks in advance.

Sign up for Biggest Loser teams are going on now. Follow these links: community, when that loads, scroll down until you see the Biggest Loser Season 17, when that loads look for sign up for season 18. If you don't see it, click on "all discussions" then you should be able to see it. Promise you will be successful because these challenges really make you work on yourself and the comraderie is fantastic!

ecmartin17

Thanks for the diet emmoen!I'm sure that will help and I'm looking at Army. And thanks Nannersp61

coreyreichle

As a vet, I would suggest NOT enlisting at this time. Too soon to find out if the next POTUS is a warmonger or not.

999tigger

Do you wnat to join the military badly enough that you are prepared to eat less and move a bit more so you are at a deficit. If you do that for an extended period, then you lose, if you arent then you dont wnat to get into the military badly enough. Keep reminding yourself of that, its 100% in your own hands, its about consistency.

Do yourself a favour and learn how to do it properly then keep it simple.

joebarnosky

I have the same goal, except I'm 28. I'm down from 237 lbs to 193. It's been just over a year and I've tried a lot of healthy and unhealthy stuff. I'm within 20 lbs of being able to go sign up, and it's honestly hard to keep going. However, this is what's right for my family, and I've always wanted to serve.

Why do you want to join, if you don't mind me asking?

chivalryder

Wow. Worst suggestions I've seen in a long time (except for the "do not enlist now" one. That's great.)

Don't do a simple meal plan or restrictive diet fad. Also, don't enlist for The Biggest Loser unless you want a lifetime of chronic injuries and PTSD.

Completely ignore what had previously been said and head over to this thread:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

In there is everything you need to get started on your weight loss journey.

ecmartin17

Thanks everyone for the support and help!Joe that's awesome how close you are!You can do it man.as for the why:I've always wanted to go in since I was a kid.almost all the men in my family have served,it's an honorable position,and I've always just been drawn to it.i originally didn't go in because I let a girl get in my head.now we are done and I want to get back to my dream. Also thanks for the link chivalry

softblondechick

Good plan, the benefits are awesome.

I suggest you look at doing some boot camp trainings, or get the boot camp book.

Start running every day!

chivalryder

softblondechick wrote: »

Good plan, the benefits are awesome.

I suggest you look at doing some boot camp trainings, or get the boot camp book.

Start running every day!

DO NOT run every day if you are not a runner. This will easily lead to injury.

Damn, why are the forums full of stupid today!?

Peloton73

I'm not sure if you're in the US or another country but there is no way your recruiter told you that you needed to lose 15lbs from your weight of 285. You would have to lose more like 60-70lbs and only then would you make it if you were 6'2" or taller.

MeanderingMammal

ecmartin17 wrote: »

Hi everyone,I could really use some support.im 24,weigh 285, and I want to enlist in the military.

OK, so what you need to do now is establish the entry criteria that you need to achieve, around BMI, running pace and any strength tests that you need to pass. Once you understand your goal, then you can plan towards that. It would also be useful to understand what trade you're interested in joining, as that can inform any specific training that you may need to add to that.

You're 24 at the moment, so what's the upper age threshold. That'll define how long you have to achieve this.

From there, you need to think about brinigng your weight down, improving your cardiovascular fitness and probably working on your strength.

with that in mind, set up MFP to help guide your weight. As in the link to the thread above, all you need is an appropriate calorie deficit, not some random diet plan some stranger on the interwebs reommended.

Running is pretty much essential. I've worked in military recruitment and selection as well as in advanced training. Running is bread and butter to everyone in the military. If you don't already run then get a Couch to 10K plan, and follow it.

If you have a smartphone I'd recommend the 100% Army Fit application; https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.himumsaiddad.armyfit (android but also available for iPhone)

Developed by the British Army recruiting organisation to support candidates. The training in there is pretty adaptable to other militaries.

fwiw, I did my annual fitness tests recently and at 45 passed at the standards required for a 25year old, so fitness is something that you'll be expected to maintain throughout.

Afura

chivalryder wrote: »

softblondechick wrote: »

Good plan, the benefits are awesome.

I suggest you look at doing some boot camp trainings, or get the boot camp book.

Start running every day!

DO NOT run every day if you are not a runner. This will easily lead to injury.

Damn, why are the forums full of stupid today!?

Friday.

Holly_Roman_Empire

Peloton73 wrote: »

I'm not sure if you're in the US or another country but there is no way your recruiter told you that you needed to lose 15lbs from your weight of 285. You would have to lose more like 60-70lbs and only then would you make it if you were 6'2" or taller.

This was my first thought. My second thought was, I hope you broke up with that girlfriend. My third thought, eat less, focus on running, pushups, and situps.

brianpperkins

Peloton73 wrote: »

I'm not sure if you're in the US or another country but there is no way your recruiter told you that you needed to lose 15lbs from your weight of 285. You would have to lose more like 60-70lbs and only then would you make it if you were 6'2" or taller.

Reading the entire sentence helps ... "when I graduated high school I spoke with a recruiter and he told me I needed to lose 15 lbs to join." Considering that was 5-7 years ago (depending on his age when graduating as he is now 24) it is very possible that his weight increased since then.

Holly_Roman_Empire

brianpperkins wrote: »

Peloton73 wrote: »

I'm not sure if you're in the US or another country but there is no way your recruiter told you that you needed to lose 15lbs from your weight of 285. You would have to lose more like 60-70lbs and only then would you make it if you were 6'2" or taller.

Reading the entire sentence helps ... "when I graduated high school I spoke with a recruiter and he told me I needed to lose 15 lbs to join." Considering that was 5-7 years ago (depending on his age when graduating as he is now 24) it is very possible that his weight increased since then.

Never mind, I get what you mean now.

ecmartin17

Thanks everyone for the helpful suggestions.And for the record I am in the US,the recruiter did say that when I first graduated high school which was several years ago now,yes I definitely am finished with that girl,and the links and specific app suggestions are very helpful.thanks guys!

brianpperkins

I've only been doing this Army thing for a quarter century now. If you seriously want to enlist, take the time and lose weight the healthy way while focusing on fitness. It does you no good to crash diet, make weight, and show up at basic out of shape ... especially when you're a few years older than the average recruit which draws attention on its own.

Other than at enlistment, there really isn't a weight limit ... only a maximum body fat percentage that if exceeded triggers enrollment in an overweight program. There are also fitness test requirements. I just took a PT test and my raw scores were enough to easily pass on the 17-21 year old grading standards.

ecmartin17

Thanks briampperkins I appreciate the help

ecmartin17

Ok everyone!It has been awhile now but heres an update!I did ok for awhile and got lazy.I ended up weighing 293lbs at one point!At the end of October of 2015,I got serious,hired a trainer,changed my eating habits and as of yesterday am at 229 pounds!Im very close to reaching my goal.Thanks for all the support you guys showed me.Hope all have a great day