Trying to get back to my old Basic Training weight

zombiefarmboy

So, I finally broke the 200lb barrier. Never got too much above that, but 3 years ago I was around 170-175. I was around 169 leaving Army Basic Training, but that was about a thousand years ago, back in 1995. I weighed in yesterday and was 193, still about a pound and a half less than the week before. I don't think the Spicy Crispy Chicken Guacamole Club with Fries helped too much... At least I had a Diet Coke, heh, heh...

My name is Matt and I love food...

Hi Matt!

melk513

Hi Matt!

My name is Melissa and I also love food.

Guess that's how I got into this mess in the first place, huh? Haha It would be easier if the food that was good for me tasted as good as the food that is bad for me. I honestly struggle with this on an hourly basis!

Buduke

Hi Matt, I too am working to get back to my Basic Training weight of 165, however, I graduated Air Force basic training back in 1981 and have peaked at over 300# since then. I struggled with my weight even when I was in the AF to the point it cost me a stripe! But in the end I was able to squeak a 20 year retirement out of them, sort of as a payback for busting me. But now I have put on over 100 # since I retired in 2001 and have a very sedintary job along with a hip injury that really limits my ability to run. SO I have had to find alternatives, Swimming laps and doing the eliptical are my favorites. The Eliptical really works me out but the smooth motion doesn't aggrevate my hip injury as much as walking or even riding bikes. I have found that the injury is sometimes less painful now than when I was avioiding exercise.

I am finding that being accountable to the limits of calories and keeping accurate (to the point of overestimating portion size) is a great way to make sure I binge less. I sure could easily polish off a large bag of Doritos in one sitting, but having to put all those calories in my tracker and dissapointing myself as I look at the results keep me from doing so. I have lost 15 lbs so far and that is not even 10% of my goal, but It is something more than I had done in the past 10 years. I think this tool is going to be a great help for me and I can see myself reaching my goal now. Where as before finding this tool, I never saw anyway to get to a reasonable weight let alone my Basic Training weight.

When I graduated basic, I was wearing 34 inch waists, now I'm in 44s and they were so tight I have bloody wounds from them. I so look forward to burning all but one pair of my 44s, then donating my 42's and even my 40s as a lose the weight. I will have to go out and buy 38s, and below as I got rid of those pants long ago when I had given up.

You are wise to get a grip on your weight now while you are young and still fit. Let me tell you that at 49 years old and over 300#s it is a daunting task, but one that I must undertake.

Good luck to you on your journey to Basic Training weight. I am sure you will achieve it before me but I too shall feel that good someday soon.

Howie

jcgrant43

Gents'! Glad to see other "old timers" have similar goals to mine. I left Army (Canadian) boot camp at a solid 185, and then jump school at a ripped and damn fine 160 if I do say so myself! After I got out, and said I was never running or working out again, I kept eating the way I did when I was 17 to 25. You just can't do that can you? Anyway, hit 250 about 5 years ago, and decided it was time to actually do something about it. Initially, the goal was to be basic training weight, and I got there last September. Then is was, can I get to where I was when I had abs. I've been going for that since January, and I'm close. 163 as of this morning. I'm 43, so its not as easy as it was way back when. But, I'm in a lot better shape then I was a while ago. I can keep up with a few youngsters around here, and its been an interesting life style change.

I know you can do it Matt, and you too Buduke. It's a great goal, and I'm sure you have pictures to look at and think, "If I was that size before, I can be it again.|"

Best of luck to both of you, and remember its a journey, and it won't happen over night, but it will happen!

zombiefarmboy

Thanks guys and gal! I really think I have a shot of getting back into a decent shape, not pear or apple, lol!

I'm currently working with hybrid cross training type stuff, where work strength and cardio training together. I've been doing it for a little while, now, maybe a month. Before that I was just doing the basics, literally: push-ups, sit ups, etc...

So far, I'm pretty happy with the results. I've gone down a few pounds, but I think it's a little slow with the weight loss because of muscle gain, too. Hey, I'm not too upset about that!

My ultimate goal is to at some point get into good enough conditioning that I can do some of those crazy-*kitten* extreme races, like the Spartan and the Tough Mudder.

Glad to see some other ex-military guys on here, too!