So when I was ten my cousin got married in his dress blues, and being a Boy Scout I was of course completely hooked on the idea, and so 9 year later I joined the Marine Corps.

On October 19, 1987 I stepped of the bus and onto the 45 degree yellow foot prints to the tune of "GET OF OF MY BUS,, MOVE IT NOW' That moment will live with me forever; as I had a good idea of what was about to come. I am a Hollywood Marine so we did not have sand fleas we had {Mount MotherFawker and Bitge Ridge}, keep that in your memory for now I will address that in a minute. I joined the Corp with a friend named Sal from my high school but he left before me. I came to boot camp with my head shaved and ready to go I was in the high 4s min miles. While in training I was at 60 pull ups which was a batallion record but well short of the base record which was just over 70. My drill instructors could not even come close to that. I was a machine in a physical body that was capable of producing muscle like a factory. When I was in the Boy Scouts I was literally the last to come in on any given hike. But I never quite. While in boot camp I was prepaired for humps in full gear boots and uts. I was at the front of every hump. Then 1 week prior to graduation at the begining of our field training we had the pleasure of one last hump after a couple hours we had the pleasure of {BITGH Ridge} which was lined with BIG DEEP HOLES FILLED WITH WATER, they reminded us to stay in formation during the hump however you would here splash followed by yelling get the hell out of my friggin hole, you just killed 20 people around you, did I mention this happend at night, well it did, and in december in the Caifornia mountains, I am sure that water was shrinking cold. At the end of {BITGH Ridge} we thought that was {Mount Motherfawker} we where wrong. This thing at night time was like a monster this thing could not be climb alone you needed to help each other up that thing. I don't even remember how long it to to scale it but is was no walk in the park.

One week later I claimed the Title United States Marine.

I went to Bulk Fuel training in Fort Lee Virginia and after that went to Okinawa Japan, I was in 3rd FSSG 9th Engieers got ther just before my birthday and left there a year later on my birthday I turned 21 twice as i crossed the international date line.

While in Okinawa I was directly under the CO. of Headquarters and Support Battalion on Camp Hansen, where I served as Company Guide which was a lot of work If you remember running with your M16 this was just like that not having the use of your arms while you run is, well not natural especially still spinning from drinking, and well hung over depending on when we got in. Running at 0400 because the temperature was still near 100 even at that time was the only way we could get our PT in. GET SOME.

I returned to California and was stationed on El Toro, being that close to home was not Good.

Ok back to the little sand Fleas, we went to Pendleton for some training and while on the bus we asked the Paris Island Marines to sit on the right side of the Bus and told them to hold up their fingers and show us how big those sand fleas where, we just laughed and said ok Look up and to the right That Ladies and Gentlemen is {MOUNT MOTHERFAWKER] we did not hear any thing more about sand fleas.

I got out of the Corps just before Sadam Husein invaded Kuwait.

A year or so after I got out of the Marine Corps I got married and moved to Florida I was still in great shape I still ran and trained. Two year into my marriage I fell down some stairs and ruptured L4-L5 disc S1 and had surgery 2 months later. My wife and I did not get along at all and for what ever reason we could not handle the recovery together. So I packed my stuff and moved back to California, This did not end well. We devorced and moved on. After that I got up to 250 lbs and my back took even longer to heal the more weight I put on. I did heal after all. So I got back in the gym and worked out for a couple months on and off and got down to 185 which is almost to little. I stayed about that weight for 4 or 5 years and met my second wife. That marriage last about 8 months and did not end soon enough. That lady was beautiful but craaaazzazyy!! I put on about 30 pounds and got up to 220 lbs and my back started hurting again. So I got myself down to about 210 and stayed that weight until about 6 years ago. I started putting a couple pounds here and there and got to about 225 or so and stayed there until I met my wife I used to where a large shirt and then they started getting tight so I had to switch to extra large. I have been blessed with a great wife and a patient one at that I have a lot of demons to work out one of which was this weight I have been carrying one in the litteral since and one of which my wife is now aware of. We have a lot to work out in that respect but she is awesome and is willing to work through this with me. The other is my litteral weight of which durring our marriage i saw my weight climb to 244 and am sure it got higher but was scared to look.

Where i am now Thanks to people like you motivating me to keep healthy and keep exercising I have lost 11 pounds the first person that started this motivation in me was my wife. She has lost over 30+ lbs so far thanks to MFP. I want to be a better Husband a healther husband and I want nothing more then to be the best dad to my son that such a great little boy deserves. I am looking forward to the rest of my life being back at 190 with abs you can wash cloths on instead of abs that are so burried in Fat that your cloths catch every bit of BBQ sauce that comes out of my mouth. Thank you Friends Brothers and Sisters!!

Hi everyone! I joined the Marine Corps in 2005 (Went to boot camp with usmcmp). I went to boot camp at 165 and left at 160. I was a 3521, motor t mechanic stationed at Pendleton for my entire enlistment. Volunteered for deployment after deployment but was never sent. Stayed back and met my husband while we were both active duty. We had a baby boy and when reenlistment time came, I decided to get out. After getting out of the Marine Corps, I've had one more baby, so I now have an almost 4 year old and a 2 year old.

My highest weight after baby was 220, lowest weight since has been 153. My husband deployed in 2010 and I dropped over 50 pounds while he was gone. I've pretty much maintained since then but I certainly have my days. I now go to school full time and work full time so finding time to workout is very difficult. I am training for my 2nd half marathon, which is in January. I love to run now, HATED it while I was in the Corps.

On a day to day basis I still struggle with my self image, and I am not sure if I will EVER be happy with the way I look, no matter how much work I put in and how much weight I loose. Some days its extremely discouraging but others its motivating. I am happy that I've changed my lifestyle to eat healthy and exercise because I do not want to EVER be a fat slob!

Glad that we can all connect and come together for support here!!