Military Women? Present and Former?

love22step
love22step Posts: 1,103 Member
in Chit-Chat
I've noticed a number of women referencing military service on MyFitnessPal. I'm a retired Air Force NCO who gained weight after I hung up my uniform. I've successfully used this website to get back in shape, and I'm actually running longer distances than I ran while I was in service.

I'd love to see some stories from other military women.
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Replies

  • DreamofGenie2012
    DreamofGenie2012 Posts: 31 Member
    Marine here. . . I stopped running when they stopped paying me to. :wink:
  • RunIntheMud
    RunIntheMud Posts: 2,645 Member
    Army.... I stopped running when they stopped paying as well, but started again 8 years later when my divorce hit. Amazing what it does for stress.
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
    I was a Corpsman in the USNR. I quit running because, well, I never liked it. I do Taekwondo though. Oh, and I quit ironing my underwear after boot camp. Really, who the heck irons their underwear?! Sheesh.
  • wiglett
    wiglett Posts: 53
    HM for six years. got out after two tours in guantanamo, one tour escorting the wounded from germany back to america, one tour in iraq, one heart surgery and heirnated disc later. . . . . balloned to almost 170 that first 9 months out, down to 150, want to get down to 130 but none the less i am running the tinkerbell half marathon in 2 weeks!
  • love22step
    love22step Posts: 1,103 Member
    Enjoyed your replies, ladies! Thanks for your service!

    I guess, since I get a retirement check, I can't really use the excuse that I stopped running because I stopped getting paid.

    I guess I had it made in the AF. I never had to iron my underwear. I never had to run in combat boots, either. I suspect you Army and Marine ladies did some of your running wearing boots.

    Wiglett, it sounds like military life was especially hard on you. Good luck on your half marathon. :drinker: I'm preparing to run one in March. If I lived in Canada, I probably wouldn't run. I hate being cold!

    God bless you all!
  • RunIntheMud
    RunIntheMud Posts: 2,645 Member
    I guess I had it made in the AF. I never had to iron my underwear. I never had to run in combat boots, either. I suspect you Army and Marine ladies did some of your running wearing boots.

    God bless you all!

    Absolutely did run in my boots. And, 20 mile road marches with full battle rattle. I volunteered for numerous deployments, but never got to go (pre- 9/11). That's my only regret. I still work for the army, it's in my blood. ;)

    And, God Bless you as well. :)
  • Rum_Runner
    Rum_Runner Posts: 617 Member
    <<
    Prior Air Force!
  • wmstormvet
    wmstormvet Posts: 145
    Former Marine here! I too got very out of shape after leaving the service. Anyone want to swap stories or motivate each other, feel free to add me. I actually don't mind running but my knee doesn't care much for it. I wish I could do it like before I hurt it in the Marines. Adding a little into my walking now and helps burn calories. I know the additional weight doesn't help either so more motivation to get it off.
  • Corkline
    Corkline Posts: 107
    Current Army.... I make height and weight, but my CSM is doing this 15/15/5 challenge. 15 points on the APFT, 15 pounds lost, or 5% body fat, and I'mma kick everyone's tail at this. I have till 31 March. So more effort at PT, more individual PT, and putting. The Fork. DOWN.
  • tj1376
    tj1376 Posts: 1,402 Member
    Army - and I would love to give a success story, but I have just restarted my journey to being fit again. Check back in a couple months. :wink:
  • 75Juniper
    75Juniper Posts: 376
    Former Army here!
  • RaineMarie
    RaineMarie Posts: 158 Member
    Current Air Force! I gained 15 lbs last year after PCSing to an office I am not happy at, and though I still do really well on my PT tests, I definitely want to lose the weight and get back to where I was!
  • katymuth
    katymuth Posts: 2
    I'm active duty AF too! I'm stationed at Nellis but about to head out on a 365. My goal is to run a marathon when I get back.
  • baldzach
    baldzach Posts: 1,841 Member
    This probably sounds cliche, but thank you, ladies, for your service to our country, we are indebted to you more than we can express. God bless you!
  • millerll
    millerll Posts: 873 Member
    Retired AF here. I also gained some weight after retirement, and 3 years ago I did something about it. I'm now lighter than I was on active duty. The fact that I'm not TDY half the year, unable to work out and living on MREs helps a lot! :laugh: (I was an aircrew member and we often had just enough turn time to land somewhere, get bussed to our billet, and sleep before we had to get up the next day and fly all day again.)

    I can't say I miss the deployments to the sandbox, but the rest of the travel was fun. And the comraderie. I now work for a contractor on an AF base, so I still use the base gym and get to stay involved with the young military folks. It's a shame how out of shape their generation is. I see so many overweight people on base in uniform that it makes me cringe. In my day, that would not have been tolerated. You put on 5 pounds, and the boss was all over your *kitten*.

    I've always hated running, though, so I don't do it anymore.:smile:
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
    I am active duty coast guard. Add me!
  • darlilama
    darlilama Posts: 794 Member
    This probably sounds cliche, but thank you, ladies, for your service to our country, we are indebted to you more than we can express. God bless you!

    Ditto for me, ladies! :flowerforyou:
  • slimcakelady
    slimcakelady Posts: 81 Member
    I was an air force reservist just for a short time in my early 30's (I joined as result of 911 which is my birthday and going through a divorce at the time of my enlistment). I lost a tremendous amount of weight after going through basic training and the fire fighter academy; however, since then I've gained back 30 pounds. I'm now back on MFP with a lot more dedication and motivation than when I logged on for the first time back in February 2012. Having logged on for 25 days straight and inputing my calories consumed and exercise daily, I'm seeing that this is paying off with an 8 pound loss since returning back on December 2012. I'd like to get back to my 125 pound weight from the air force days, but I feel that my stressful teaching career and turning 40 is going to make that a challenge to maintain. I know that it will take work, but I've also learned that once I get back to 125 that it will take even more work during the maintenance stage. I've learned from people sharing on this site as well as other research that I've done what I will need to do to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I wish you the best of luck, and you can include me as a MFP friend that's here to support, motivate, and encourage you along the way.
  • MelodyBronson
    MelodyBronson Posts: 67 Member
    Marine.....(Semper FI fellow Marines!)....when I got out was when my weight started creeping up! It's hard to deal with..Marines are suppose to be "lean, mean, fighting machines!"....but this Marine ain't so lean anymore..:(...but I'm fighting to get back in shape and lose this extra weight.
  • slimcakelady
    slimcakelady Posts: 81 Member
    Army.... I stopped running when they stopped paying as well, but started again 8 years later when my divorce hit. Amazing what it does for stress.

    I became an air force reservist in response to coping with my divorce. I think I would not have dealt with my divorce very well if it wasn't for basic training and going through the fire fighter academy. Exercise has always helped me deal with life's stressors.
  • MelodyBronson
    MelodyBronson Posts: 67 Member
    Former Marine....well, "once a Marine, always a Marine"! My weight came on after getting out and it's been a struggle ever since! Let's be friends! Being a Marine, knowing how we are trained and what's instilled in us through bootcamp and our time in The Corps, it's very hard dealing with being overweight......Semper Fi!
  • slimcakelady
    slimcakelady Posts: 81 Member

    I guess I had it made in the AF. I never had to iron my underwear.

    Ironing underwear was funny as well as perfectly folding t-shirts into a square. I went in at age 30 and turned 31 three weeks into basic. You definitely have a different perspective going into that at my age, especially when dealing with 17 and 18 year olds that are experiencing their first time away from home.
  • kayla2709
    kayla2709 Posts: 25 Member
    Navy here!! Have just left full time service but still an active reserve. Nice to know I'm human and having the same struggles. I'm down but not out! I'm still running just as hard and long........ just not as fast! Am doing what I can to not go backwards. Happy to accept friends invited from fellow service people!!
  • emmawalks
    emmawalks Posts: 2
    Currently in the British Army Reserves, been in 15 years. Went to Iraq in 2006 and hope to go to Afghanistan once I finish my nursing training. I find I have more motivation as I get older, althought my body seems to take a little bit longer to recover after a hard session!
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Marine here. Injuries and kids made it easy to pack on the weight.
  • functionallydysfunctional
    functionallydysfunctional Posts: 13
    Prior Coast Guard working on my second Master's in Homeland Security.
  • icyeyes317
    icyeyes317 Posts: 226 Member
    prior AF. Chronic illness has made me fat. Planning on flogging the chronic illness to get back into shape.
  • WendyFitMomCHANGED
    WendyFitMomCHANGED Posts: 311 Member
    Prior Air Force here. Served 8 years and gained weight when I left and started having babies. Used this site as well to improve my health and get back in shape.
  • barbosa_art
    barbosa_art Posts: 24
    Sorry!!! Didn't realize it said women
  • digitalbill
    digitalbill Posts: 1,410 Member
    Sorry!!! Didn't realize it said women
    She was looking for Military WOMEN.

    I mean, I know about the whole "Don't ask, Don't tell thing" but......

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