Army Strong, help..

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124

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  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    I'm not doing this last minute, this is what my recruiter wants me at in a month so I can get sweared in faster. I'm just doing what he wanted

    Your recruiter told you this? Tell your recruiter to eff off. It's great that you want to be in the army but starving yourself to try to lose that much weight in that short period of time is so unhealthy. That person needs to be spoken to by his superiors because I bet you aren't the only one that's been told to lose an unrealistic amount of weight in a short time.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    You're in Jacksonville? What's your recruiters name and rank? Sounds like someone needs to be reported to the inspector generals office or at the very least recruiting command.

    Please follow through man, especially if you're plugged in in any way. It was one thing when my USAF recruiter lied a blue streak to get me in the door, but he didn't trick me into striving to hurt myself so he could make his numbers. This is outrageous.

    and it doesnt help his numbers if he tells people " youre going to fail the FT if you dont lose weight so youll go to FTC". So he tells OP to lose a bunch, which she cant do, then shell leave (hell up his number) and shell go to FTC.

    Instead the recruiter SHOULD of told her to work on her weight and wait a few months to leave. Then shed go straight down range.

    Also if he was a Non-Commissioned Officer worth a damn he would set up times to help her achieve her goal, rather than just telling her to lose 24 lbs in a month. This P.O.S. needs a letter of reprimand at the very least.

    ^ What he said
  • taylordenise13
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    I did my asvab already I passed with a 79.
  • RikkiDominey
    RikkiDominey Posts: 134 Member
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    I am currently in the same spot as you, well it's similar. I am enlisting into the Marines and I have to drop to 26% BF which for me needs to be around 15-20lbs to go (I am at 32% right now). Everyone is different and for me IF (Intermittent fasting) has really helped, you still eat your normal calories just during a certain time span, that along with lifting heavy. I've only lost about 5 lbs in a month and but I have gone down 2 pant sizes. Also, it helps soo much with improving on your PT scores. In the beginning I could barely hold myself above the pull-up bar (starting up there) for more than 5 seconds, now I can actually do a pull-up and hold myself up for about 70 seconds (doesn't sound like much but I'm proud lol). I know that for the Army pull-ups aren't part of the requirements but weight lifting will help with your push ups, sit ups, and all of that stuff!! I know the feeling of wanting to cut weight extremely fast so you can swear in, believe me it kills me, but doing it the healthy way will pay off in the long run!

    Best of luck to you!

    http://www.youtube.com/user/fastingtwins?feature=g-user (Fasting Twins- they are entertaining and help understand certain aspects of IF)

    they also have a weight lifting page
  • Flamenquero
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    Being a Ranger really has no bearing on the subject.

    She is not going to be an 11B so the MOS really has no bearing on the subject.
    She was not looking for advice on joining; she was looking for advice on how to drop a dangerous amount of weight in a short time.
    We all have our own opinions on Military service however; that is not what she asked.
    She has been given a lot of good advice as to reasons NOT to try to hit that one month goal. Hopefully she will listen.

    Oh, By the way:
    RLTW.

    She's not going to 11B? Well kein scheisse Sherlock. 11B isn't open to women. At least not yet. And who said anything about being a Ranger? She is looking for advice and my advice to her is not to show up out of shape. Too many recruits do that, thanks to recruiting policy, and then wind up getting bounced anyways (something that probably isn't being revealed to her). Then the ones who make it through marginally (like she would, based on her current shape) get tagged as tie-ups, and the tag sticks with them like forever. If you don't believe that, then you weren't in the same army I was in.

    The comment about the women not being respected has been confirmed by a female veteran upthread. So there's another opinion for you.

    There's a big RIF coming. Now is not the right time to be joining just to be bounced, especially when a RIF is pending and one is marginal in fitness.

    Let's get real here on advising this young lady before she makes a mistake she will regret.
    Oh, By the way:
    RLTW.
    Yes we do!
  • jenj1313
    jenj1313 Posts: 898 Member
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    I'm not doing this last minute, this is what my recruiter wants me at in a month so I can get sweared in faster. I'm just doing what he wanted
    Never trust your recruiter. Sorry, but it's a sad reality.

    Loose the weight healthily, and get STRONG because you're going to need it. Yes, you'll lose weight in basic, but there are also a TON of soldiers who get hurt in basic because they came in fat and out of shape. It's a good way to end your career before it ever begins.

    Seriously, do your research and don't believe everything your recruiter say.
  • Flamenquero
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    Loose the weight healthily, and get STRONG because you're going to need it. Yes, you'll lose weight in basic, but there are also a TON of soldiers who get hurt in basic because they came in fat and out of shape. It's a good way to end your career before it ever begins.

    Bingo! Someone gets it.
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
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    Honestly, losing 24lbs in a month is pretty unhealthy, and if you're planning on going into basic right after that... yikes. Going into basic malnourished sounds like a really bad idea.

    I had a professor who said when he was younger he had an army recruiter straight up tell him not to join the military. My professor had been a football player in high school, so even though he was very fit and healthy, he was "overweight" by military standards. The recruiter told him he would basically be put on a much to low calorie diet and it would just be a terrible cycle of being under fed and expected to perform extremely demanding tasks.

    My best friend is also in the military, and after pretty much every weigh in she would get sent to the on base medics for being "overweight". The reality is she's just super muscular from years of playing volleyball.
  • sunnyj81
    sunnyj81 Posts: 61 Member
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    I agree..if he was a decent recruiter he would be helping you achieve your goals. I recently just got out, and recalling when I first decided to enlist, my recruiter which is similar to this jerk off...worried about getting the numbers that the Army doesn't need. I met another recruiter that worked with mine and he worked out with me as much as possible to excel with the standards. Good luck to you and find a different recruiter!! Please file an IG complaint!
  • digitalbill
    digitalbill Posts: 1,410 Member
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    Being a Ranger really has no bearing on the subject.

    She is not going to be an 11B so the MOS really has no bearing on the subject.
    She was not looking for advice on joining; she was looking for advice on how to drop a dangerous amount of weight in a short time.
    We all have our own opinions on Military service however; that is not what she asked.
    She has been given a lot of good advice as to reasons NOT to try to hit that one month goal. Hopefully she will listen.

    Oh, By the way:
    RLTW.

    She's not going to 11B? Well kein scheisse Sherlock. 11B isn't open to women. At least not yet. And who said anything about being a Ranger? She is looking for advice and my advice to her is not to show up out of shape. Too many recruits do that, thanks to recruiting policy, and then wind up getting bounced anyways (something that probably isn't being revealed to her). Then the ones who make it through marginally (like she would, based on her current shape) get tagged as tie-ups, and the tag sticks with them like forever. If you don't believe that, then you weren't in the same army I was in.

    The comment about the women not being respected has been confirmed by a female veteran upthread. So there's another opinion for you.

    There's a big RIF coming. Now is not the right time to be joining just to be bounced, especially when a RIF is pending and one is marginal in fitness.

    Let's get real here on advising this young lady before she makes a mistake she will regret.
    Oh, By the way:
    RLTW.
    Yes we do!

    OK.. Again,
    She is not asking about if joining is a SMART move or not.
    She is asking about weight loss.
    If the question was about joining, I would have advised her to join the Air Force and learn computer networking however; that is not the subject at hand.
    Reguardless of a RIF, she could still get the schooling that she needs.
    And besides, I have never seen a Soldier under four years active get RIFfed.
    Lets imagine the worst.
    She enlists, gets past basic and AIT and, after AIT, she gets let go.
    So what?
    She is in shape and she has some kind of trainig under her belt.
    Hopefully she is not going to do something that does not translate well into civilian life but, that is another subject for another time.
  • Flamenquero
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    OK.. Again,
    She is not asking about if joining is a SMART move or not.
    She is asking about weight loss.
    If the question was about joining, I would have advised her to join the Air Force and learn computer networking however; that is not the subject at hand.
    Reguardless of a RIF, she could still get the schooling that she needs.
    And besides, I have never seen a Soldier under four years active get RIFfed.
    Lets imagine the worst.
    She enlists, gets past basic and AIT and, after AIT, she gets let go.
    So what?
    She is in shape and she has some kind of trainig under her belt.
    Hopefully she is not going to do something that does not translate well into civilian life but, that is another subject for another time.

    When one asks for advice one should expect The Full Monty. In this case the two subjects of joining and the weight loss are very much intertwined. 24 lbs in a month is not smart and the advice remains that she should not join at this point. Joining at a later point when she is physically ready is smarter...maybe, but we can debate that somewhere else.

    If she makes it through AIT and then get's let go, then she has gained nothing but failure. Sorry to say, but AIT doesn't really qualify one for much, it just gets you in the door for OJT at the unit and it's the experience of the OJT that lands you a civilian job. However, we don't know what MOS she is seeking so hard to say at this point. Be glad it ain't 11 Bush!

    This RIF is going to be different. Past RIFs were usually NCO and officer heavy. MILPERCEN is saying this one is going to hit mostly the ranks as they are already too short on NCOs and mid career officers. My own opinion is they need to RIF some of the brass who have been developing these useless war strategies, but we can save that debate for somewhere else too.

    Bottomline is that if this young lady wants to go in, she needs to go in fit and at the top of her game. As was said above by the women vets, if she becomes a recruit who is always on profile, then she is going to suffer, and her career will be off to a bad start or an early end. You know as well as I do that the Army has a runner's culture, she had better be able to run. Back to the respect issue, the women that were respected were the ones that could Run and Ruck, which would earn Respect. The three R's. Thanks for the dialog.
  • Melitta42
    Melitta42 Posts: 7 Member
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    i agree...i try to stay away from the scales and judge by how my clothes fit and how i look in the mirror if things are looking different
  • taylordenise13
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    My sister is in the Army at the moment as a MP, so first off they aren't just hitting ranks. They are hitting everyone who can't pass a PT test, existing medical conditions, etc. I'm sorry to say that I really don't care about what your opinion is on when or what I should do with my life choices, that is my job. Second, I really don't like your attitude, so if you can, please get off my thread, that would be very much appreciated.
    If I wanted anyone's opinion about me joining the Army I would have said it, but I didn't. I asked advice on what I should do with the weight I needed to lose and for people on here to support me not pull me away from what I WANT TO DO.

    Since I've seen people talk about MOS, I want to go into the medical field. My top most reason for joining the Army, is the college assistance, and to be able to serve my country doing what I love, and what I'm interested in.
  • Flamenquero
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    My sister is in the Army at the moment as a MP, so first off they aren't just hitting ranks. They are hitting everyone who can't pass a PT test, existing medical conditions, etc. I'm sorry to say that I really don't care about what your opinion is on when or what I should do with my life choices, that is my job. Second, I really don't like your attitude, so if you can, please get off my thread, that would be very much appreciated.
    If I wanted anyone's opinion about me joining the Army I would have said it, but I didn't. I asked advice on what I should do with the weight I needed to lose and for people on here to support me not pull me away from what I WANT TO DO.

    Since I've seen people talk about MOS, I want to go into the medical field. My top most reason for joining the Army, is the college assistance, and to be able to serve my country doing what I love, and what I'm interested in.

    Young lady you have a lot to learn. If you don't like this attitude, then wait until you get to Basic. You ain't seen noting yet. You need the advice that's been given here and you need it not filtered through family members or niceties of non-veterans. Nor do you need it from Army wives or others who aren't really veterans. You are still in the wannabee category right now and you are in for the shock of your life. Take the advice and wait until you are in shape. You ain't dropping 24 lbs in a month and even if you could, your strength would not be up to par to help you succeed. You are setting yourself up for failure at worst or a bad start at best.

    Yes, they are also hitting people who have issues like not passing the PT test, etc. No kidding! <eyes-rolling> Yet you want to go in the Army out of shape? You are simply following the path I described upthread. And MP's are part of "the ranks," FYI.

    Furthermore, you don't have to care about the opinions you are given. However, you asked for them. Your overweight condition is directly tied to your desire and qualification of wanting to join the Army, hence the opinion is relevant. The advice remains, get in valid shape first!

    No need for me to post again on this. The advice is here. You probably need to talks to vets IRL instead of posting on a e-board. Good luck.
  • boatsie77
    boatsie77 Posts: 480 Member
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    There's a HUGE missing piece to this whole story...in your profile you state that you are a 'big Daddy's girl' to a retired Army drill sergeant--what does Daddy think about the way his service and some snot-nosed recruiter are treating his little girl?
  • boatsie77
    boatsie77 Posts: 480 Member
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    Hello?
  • taylordenise13
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    There's a HUGE missing piece to this whole story...in your profile you state that you are a 'big Daddy's girl' to a retired Army drill sergeant--what does Daddy think about the way his service and some snot-nosed recruiter are treating his little girl?

    Well he doesn't know, he thinks that I'm just wanting to drop the weight in a month for me, but this is way over with by now and Im not planning to do it in a month now.
  • mia840
    mia840 Posts: 42
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    I too am 18 and just an inch taller then you. Lol I'm also going into the Army. I'll add you...
  • digitalbill
    digitalbill Posts: 1,410 Member
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    OK... Lets put it all out there.

    I am a Veteran. I come from a family of Military.
    I have served multiple combat tours, I have had a few different jobs.
    Blah blah blah.

    With my wonderful credentials out of the way, lets get down do business.

    1: You said that you wanted to join because of your Father and to basically "stick it" to your brother. It is my own opinion that those are not very good reasons to join.
    You also mentioned that you wanted to get training in the medical field. Now, assuming you cannot afford college (and really, who can?), then that is a pretty good reason to join. I used to ride with a guy who fixed X-ray machines for the Army and, once he got out, he was making a very good living doing the same thing.
    Just saying "Medical field" is an awfully broad field to work in. It is akin to saying "working with water" and then having everything from lifeguard to water treatment to choose from.
    Go on line and look at every single MOS out there and narrow it down to ONE.
    Do NOT trust the recruiter. He has a quota to fill.

    2: As everyone has mantioned, your weight goal is unrealistic and dangerous. Take it off slower or else you will end up failing basic training. It is that simple really. Jaxsonville is a great place for running and Kayaking. Take advantage of it and drop the weight in a healthy manner.

    3: Talk to your Father. He can probably assist you and get a little bit of bonding time.

    4: Don't get sold on the Army. As I mentioned, if I had to do it over again, I would have gone in the Air Force.
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
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    Since we're all offering unsolicited advice, as I mentioned earlier, I went Air Force and am very pleased with that decision. USAF have dormitories, not barracks. It's simply a better quality of life.

    As Bill says, regardless of which branch you choose, you can obtain a guaranteed job. As long as you're eligible based on your ASVAB score, you can (and should) get - in writing - a guaranteed MOS prior to shipping out for basic training.

    You might end up handing out towels at the gym for four years, which may not help you much today or five years from now.

    I'm very very glad to hear that you've reconsidered your weight loss plans. I think you're going to be incredibly successful.