Trying to join the Air Force need tips to meet weight

Manervia10
Manervia10 Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone,

I am trying to join the Air Force and the height/weight requirement (when I went in to the recruiter it said I was 5'6 which I know is wrong, but what ever) for 5'6 is 170 lbs. So the recruiter wants me to get down to 165 which I know is attainable, but I am having trouble breaking that 190 barrier. I have begun to do a lot of cardio (I am trying to be able to achieve Warhawk status before I even enter basic training) and it seems like I am gaining wind but not losing weight. I can tell I am beginning to tone up, I can see the improvement in my legs and core. One person told me to get a sauna suit when I work out......I just need tips on how I can better lose the pounds.........someone please help!!!

Oh and also, I have been staying below my calorie intake and working out pretty much every day........still nothing.


Thanks,

Manervia :)

Replies

  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    First of all, are you sure you are eating a healthy amount? Have you calculated your BMR and TDEE? If not, I suggest you do and eat at a reasonable deficit from that number. (I cannot see your diary)

    Second, weight training will be a more effective prep for basic training - PLUS it will increase your metabolism and lean you out better than cardio.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Basic training will involve a lot more than cardio. You might as well get start with body weight exercises now!
  • freelancejouster
    freelancejouster Posts: 478 Member
    If you could open up your diary, that would be very helpful. Weightloss is about 80% diet, 15% strength training, 5% cardio.
  • scottyg70
    scottyg70 Posts: 388 Member
    First, let me state that many years ago I was a recruiter for the military, so do this on your own! I hate to admit it, but we had some extreme ways to get people to make weight before they went down to physical. Whatever they ask you to do, if it's not proper diet and exercise then it's not worth it.

    With that out of the way, I think a lot of people are on the same theme: You probably aren't taking in enough calories and your body is rebelling. You probably need to up your calories a little bit and get your metabolism jump started again. Of course, this is just guessing as I can't see your diary.

    The other suggestion, which I agree with, is start some strength training. Lean muscle burns more calories.

    So try mixing it up a little and see how your body responds.
  • Manervia10
    Manervia10 Posts: 10 Member
    I am eating around 1200 calories a day, my bmr is 1500, my tdee is 2663. That is working out 3 days a week. I am trying to increase my workouts to 6-7 days a week (but that is hard because of work). The recruiter told me not to lift weights because it bulks me up.....idk if I should listen to that seeing as how I need to be able to do 40 pushups in one minute and that is my weak area. Maybe I am just trying to rush because I am so ready to go.
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    I am eating around 1200 calories a day, my bmr is 1500, my tdee is 2663. That is working out 3 days a week. I am trying to increase my workouts to 6-7 days a week (but that is hard because of work). The recruiter told me not to lift weights because it bulks me up.....idk if I should listen to that seeing as how I need to be able to do 40 pushups in one minute and that is my weak area. Maybe I am just trying to rush because I am so ready to go.

    You should not be eating below your BMR - it causes metabolic damage after a time. Eat at a reasonable deficit from your TDEE and lift heavy things (which improves your metabolism).

    Your recruiter is a dumbass. Women can't bulk without working extremely hard and eating a calorie surplus for YEARS. Unless you are a genetic outlier, I would ignore the recruiter.
  • Paco4gsc
    Paco4gsc Posts: 119 Member
    One person told me to get a sauna suit when I work out.

    All I can say is don't do this. Sauna suits just make you sweat more so any additional weight loss would be water, which you should be drinking back anyways to avoid dehydration. They also have a risk causing your body to over heat since it can't get any cooling.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Eat at least 1500, more if you start working out more.

    I am about your weight, but shorter and way too old to be joining the military, but I eat 1600-1800 when I am working out every day.

    Lifting weights will not bulk you up, but like I said, body weight exercises will be more pertinent to basic training than heavy lifting.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,026 Member
    I am eating around 1200 calories a day, my bmr is 1500, my tdee is 2663. That is working out 3 days a week. I am trying to increase my workouts to 6-7 days a week (but that is hard because of work). The recruiter told me not to lift weights because it bulks me up.....idk if I should listen to that seeing as how I need to be able to do 40 pushups in one minute and that is my weak area. Maybe I am just trying to rush because I am so ready to go.
    Lol, a recruiter isn't an expert in weight loss. And trust me when I say they don't care how you get in as long as you get in since their performance evaluations are determined by their recruiting skills.
    A 1400 deficit is too high for you. You should strive to lose no more than 1%-2% of your total body weight a week. Reassess and readjust.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • belligerent599
    belligerent599 Posts: 40
    I'm not sure I'd listen to the things your recruiter says, since half of them are going to be what you want to hear to get you to sign up, and the other half are quick fixes that may not be healthy so he can make his quota or get a bonus. Neither may be based in truth. I have a friend who joined the Marine Corps because he wanted an MOS they did away with years ago that his recruiter told him still existed...

    You're not going to bulk up if you lift weights unless you do it for several years while eating at a surplus. You also need to be eating more than 1200 calories if your BMR is 1500.

    The best way to do pushups is to practice doing pushups. If you start doing them at the weight you are now, they will only get easier as you lose weight.
  • Manervia10
    Manervia10 Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks everyone for the tips, I am definitely going to incorporate this into my daily routine. Keep the tips coming I definitely need them!
  • MeriLeMay
    MeriLeMay Posts: 57 Member
    Before you sign on the dotted line make sure you have 3 jobs that you want listed on your paperwork as one of 3 jobs you may end up with. If they are not on you paperwork b4 u enter you may not get them no matter what you have been told. My niece is a Load Master in the AF and many of her friends didn't do this and were put in jobs they didn't want. Handshakes and promises are fine but get it in writing. Good luck and thank you in advance for your service.
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
    If you have the resources (and time, this is a fairly lenghty protocol), I'd suggest you check out "You are your own gym" by Mark Lauren. (He also has a female-specific "Body by you", but I cannot speak for its usefulness.) Part of his claim to fame, which I must admit I have not been able to independently verify, is being an instructor for Air Force Special Operations Command, so he does have an idea of what will help.

    As mentioned before- calculate your actual caloric needs, ESPECIALLY because you'll be needing to build yourself up, physically. Simply shedding weight won't help you in basic. You're going to need as much muscular strength and endurance as you can get.

    Also, there are many debates on here and other places regarding the merits of cardio. GO RUN. It doesn't matter what else you may read. At Basic, you'll be doing a LOT of running and the Air Force is big on that 1.5-mile run in the fitness test. Regarless of whether or not running has the same benefits for weight loss as previously believed, you're going to be required to run, and that is the hardest event to improve on.

    I'll admit that, when I had to go be weighed before commissioning, I did try extrememe measures, such as fasting (which sucked, because i was in New Orleans and my appointment was for the Wednesday after Mardi Gras) and using the sauna. But all that did was dehydrate me. Honestly, I can't remember if I made weight or if I had to go to the tape test, anyway. So don't rely on the gimmicks. They're not going to help you.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    My advice regarding Mark Lauren is don't read the book, just follow the program. He is demeaning to women, anti-cardio and very much an alarmist. Just get the app and skip all that.

    Alternatively, just do the push-up challenge, the squat challenge, the pull up challenge and the sit up challenge. If there is a tricep dip challenge, add that, too.

    And I, personally, never meant to drop the cardio, just add in some kind of strength training.
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
    My advice regarding Mark Lauren is don't read the book, just follow the program. He is demeaning to women, anti-cardio and very much an alarmist. Just get the app and skip all that. .

    I didn't really pick up on the "demeaning to women" part (I really just skimmed the book), but you're right in that the program / app are really the most useful parts (especially the app, which negates the need to bring an operate a stopwatch).

    For books, I'm usually partial to the "Official Five Star Fitness Guide" series, such as "The United States Marine Corps Workout" and "United States Air Force Elite Workout". Their main failing, in my opinion, is that they truly are "workout" focused and don't really say a whole lot about diet. I actually used the latter in college, figuring there is nothing wrong with wanting to be as fit as a PJ / CCT, even if that wasn't the job I was going to do. The only problem was that it relies on gym facilities, and after a few years in the service, my schedule was no longer stable enough to rely on a gym, hence my shifting to bodyweight regimens like YAYOG for strength building.

Categories