Anyone trying to lose weight to enlist?

jackyyadira

I've got some ways to go with losing 40lbs and meeting fitness requirements. Is anyone else in the same boat? More support the better

Joel_518

Interesting thread. I joined awhile back... Oct 1996. 40lbs?? I remember guys overweight and they were allowed in but had to lose during basic training. There use to be wavers for these things....maybe things have changed. Good luck and Thank you for serving....when you get there, you'll make it!!

jackyyadira

LegosRule wrote: »

Interesting thread. I joined awhile back... Oct 1996. 40lbs?? I remember guys overweight and they were allowed in but had to lose during basic training. There use to be wavers for these things....maybe things have changed. Good luck and Thank you for serving....when you get there, you'll make it!!

Thanks ! Im doing the Marines more specifically, theyre fitness standards are high.

robertw486

My advice is to try to get to weight standards before boot camp, regardless of any slack they allow at the time. They can help you lose (or gain) weight during boot camp, but it's not the most pleasant thing. Military service requires a long term commitment to fitness levels and will impact how quickly you can advance once you are in, as well as impact day to day performance and appearance.

The mental game is important, and the mental challenge of the weight loss is a good primer to get your mindset moving in the right direction. Often boot camp and extended training afterwards requires people to get out of their comfort zones and essentially get comfortable being uncomfortable. An extended forced march with heavy loads really doesn't take any elite fitness level, but if you aren't mentally tough enough to just take the discomfort and do it, then the game is already lost.

I spent 8 years in the Marines. Quite a few deployments, missed holidays, time away from family, crazy work schedules, last minute changes, and some grueling long "days". But the benefits far outweighed the bad, and you will get to go places and do things most will never do or have a chance to.


In the last month or so, two women Marines have made Marine Corps History by becoming the first to graduate the Marine Officers Infantry School, and the Assault Amphibian School. The infantry school drop rate for the men is around 25%... so these ladies are getting it done and kicking butt.

jackyyadira

robertw486 wrote: »

My advice is to try to get to weight standards before boot camp, regardless of any slack they allow at the time. They can help you lose (or gain) weight during boot camp, but it's not the most pleasant thing. Military service requires a long term commitment to fitness levels and will impact how quickly you can advance once you are in, as well as impact day to day performance and appearance.

The mental game is important, and the mental challenge of the weight loss is a good primer to get your mindset moving in the right direction. Often boot camp and extended training afterwards requires people to get out of their comfort zones and essentially get comfortable being uncomfortable. An extended forced march with heavy loads really doesn't take any elite fitness level, but if you aren't mentally tough enough to just take the discomfort and do it, then the game is already lost.

I spent 8 years in the Marines. Quite a few deployments, missed holidays, time away from family, crazy work schedules, last minute changes, and some grueling long "days". But the benefits far outweighed the bad, and you will get to go places and do things most will never do or have a chance to.


In the last month or so, two women Marines have made Marine Corps History by becoming the first to graduate the Marine Officers Infantry School, and the Assault Amphibian School. The infantry school drop rate for the men is around 25%... so these ladies are getting it done and kicking butt.

They're pretty badass. Thanks for the awesome tips it's definitely a mind over body process, espeically for someone being overweight most her life. Just going to the office 3/4 times a week I can feel it's a huge change mentally and physically.
Thank you for your service!

Waterbug08

I am here for the same reason, going to need to technically only lose about 2-3kg to be at the 'max' okay weight but i would like to loose at lease 8-12kg (to be healthier and more into a true healthy/ normal weight. I know boot camp will help but i want to be in at least 'very good' physical fitness and weight before officially joining and boot camp.
Thank you to those above for they're service.

Buckeye19XX

I'm currently 138lbs and need to be 132lbs at max for my height. I'm trying to decide if I want to lose the weight through diet and exercise or just diet alone. Not sure yet!

Ready2Rock206

Buckeye19XX wrote: »

I'm currently 138lbs and need to be 132lbs at max for my height. I'm trying to decide if I want to lose the weight through diet and exercise or just diet alone. Not sure yet!

Exercise - be sure you're in good enough shape to get through the PT requirements. You don't want to end up injured or fail the PT test.

jackyyadira

Waterbug08 wrote: »

I am here for the same reason, going to need to technically only lose about 2-3kg to be at the 'max' okay weight but i would like to loose at lease 8-12kg (to be healthier and more into a true healthy/ normal weight. I know boot camp will help but i want to be in at least 'very good' physical fitness and weight before officially joining and boot camp.
Thank you to those above for they're service.

Definitely add me. I agree training and working with recruiters is how I stay on track with the physical aspect they push you hard! When is your goal date

jackyyadira

Buckeye19XX wrote: »

I'm currently 138lbs and need to be 132lbs at max for my height. I'm trying to decide if I want to lose the weight through diet and exercise or just diet alone. Not sure yet!

I changed my diet the last week and a half and lost 2 lbs! Id say working out aids the process a good amount but I've read losing weight is 80% which is why it's my main focus.

RA60172

Definitely watch your calorie intake, but make sure you're running, too. Only being within weight standards isn't enough. And from my own Navy boot experience in 2007, don't wait until then to get in regs. It's a stressor you don't need on top of everything else. I got IT'd more, all RDC eyes were on me during PT, and chow time was miserable. My RDCs literally made me eat the exact same thing for every single meal, every single day. FOR EIGHT WEEKS. If I could do it all over, I would have lost those 12 pounds before my ship date.

If you'd like to add me, feel free. I've got lots of experience with making weight, and I'm guiding my husband to dropping a little more weight since he's switching from Navy Reserves to active Coast Guard next month.

jackyyadira

RA60172 wrote: »

Definitely watch your calorie intake, but make sure you're running, too. Only being within weight standards isn't enough. And from my own Navy boot experience in 2007, don't wait until then to get in regs. It's a stressor you don't need on top of everything else. I got IT'd more, all RDC eyes were on me during PT, and chow time was miserable. My RDCs literally made me eat the exact same thing for every single meal, every single day. FOR EIGHT WEEKS. If I could do it all over, I would have lost those 12 pounds before my ship date.

If you'd like to add me, feel free. I've got lots of experience with making weight, and I'm guiding my husband to dropping a little more weight since he's switching from Navy Reserves to active Coast Guard next month.

Heck yea thank you for those tips. Running is a pain but I go at least 2/3 times week and then 3x pt on top. How often would you recommend running ?

RA60172

jackyyadira wrote: »

RA60172 wrote: »

Definitely watch your calorie intake, but make sure you're running, too. Only being within weight standards isn't enough. And from my own Navy boot experience in 2007, don't wait until then to get in regs. It's a stressor you don't need on top of everything else. I got IT'd more, all RDC eyes were on me during PT, and chow time was miserable. My RDCs literally made me eat the exact same thing for every single meal, every single day. FOR EIGHT WEEKS. If I could do it all over, I would have lost those 12 pounds before my ship date.

If you'd like to add me, feel free. I've got lots of experience with making weight, and I'm guiding my husband to dropping a little more weight since he's switching from Navy Reserves to active Coast Guard next month.

Heck yea thank you for those tips. Running is a pain but I go at least 2/3 times week and then 3x pt on top. How often would you recommend running ?

I like to do an every other day cycle, primarily to avoid injury. Slowly increase your mileage every week. While the PT test will time you, working on your longer distance endurance helps immensely.

Waterbug08

My goal is May 1st, truly i could push it off until September of 2018 but i want to be at a very safe good weight and in good fitness before the summer, and them fine tone and increase fitness (having that good base for safety reasons). I have a few goals but the most important is to be healthy and in shape by May. I am in fairly good physical shape but i am primarily a swimmer, and need to get my 'ground' workouts better- running mainly. I have started light jogging, and will slowly increase. to me eating is a huge portion (haha) of initially losing the weight, being that you can workout for an hour and then in a few minutes eat it all back. I definitely need to increase the running though. Anyone working based off a plan for running?

jackyyadira

Waterbug08 wrote: »

My goal is May 1st, truly i could push it off until September of 2018 but i want to be at a very safe good weight and in good fitness before the summer, and them fine tone and increase fitness (having that good base for safety reasons). I have a few goals but the most important is to be healthy and in shape by May. I am in fairly good physical shape but i am primarily a swimmer, and need to get my 'ground' workouts better- running mainly. I have started light jogging, and will slowly increase. to me eating is a huge portion (haha) of initially losing the weight, being that you can workout for an hour and then in a few minutes eat it all back. I definitely need to increase the running though. Anyone working based off a plan for running?

This is advice a good friend of mine who's been running and in college for a while.
"Well for beginners its a huge accomplishment to just be able to run for a certain amount of time without needing to walk. If you plan on running down sidewalks, its a bit hard to see if you can do that because you always run into stoplights and intersections. On a treadmill is easier for nonstop runs, although personally I absolutely hate running on them. I get so bored, but I know if you can run with music or watch Netflix or something, it makes it nicer on a treadmill. So you could have a Series of goal. Like maybe run for 20 minutes without needing to stop. Then once you accomplish that, maybe add 5 minutes to your next one. These you don't need to be as worried about speed. Its better to build a foundation first, then build from there.

Once you do feel you have a good base you can through in some different types of workouts to work on speed. This could be a tempo run, so just trying to maintain a specific pace that you can tell you're putting in effort, but you could still
Say a word here or there. Another workout I like is a Fartlek. People do them differently, but basically you have a period of time to go hard, followed by a period of time to drop back to a jog. For example, you could do 3 mins fast, 2 min jog, and the repeat 4-5 times. And of course there are intervals you can do also, but those could be a specific number of quarter miles or 1000 meters or miles or really anything you want it to be. But when you are ready for workouts definitely space then out. I'd say 2 workouts a week would be good, and then just do long, easy runs the rest of the days. Also make sure to listen to your body and take days off when you need them! I can't stress this enough! I never run on Sundays because I've been competing for such a long time. Especially if your just getting into running, your body will need time to acclimate to all of these new stressed you're putting on it. So definitely take it easy when you need to, and push yourself when you can."