PLEASE HELP!!! My husband is training for the Marines.

Tell him to set up and MFP account and start tracking what he eats and the calories he burns. He can set his plan to lose 2 lbs per week. It should take him about 15 weeks to lose the weight.

Hey, this made me giggle (the title) because my husband is an honarably discharged Marine. I think it's great. I think that is good advice but also he's a guy and from what I have seen, when guys utalize their God given abilities they drop weight fast. Thank you for his service and a special thank you to you for being his wife.

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/marines/a/weightmale.htm - weight standards for males

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/marines/l/blfitmale.htm - fitness test for usmc

Here are a couple of helpful links - try google to see what exercises will help him build his strength, plus a personal trainer should help also (if you have the funds)

Wish him the best - semper fi!:drinker:

Thank him for his service....

My advice would be to eat from the top 2 tiers (mostly the top, though) only (see attached link) and stay within his calorie allotment from MFP. He should also be doing a LOT of running...that will help with the weight loss and prepare him for the Marines. If he's serious and is dedicated and focused he could drop the weight in just a couple months...good luck to him!

Almost forgot the link...http://www.teambeachbody.com/eat-smart/michis-ladder

When I trained both for the Air Force and Police I lost the weight simply by exercising more. And by exercise, I mean achieving the minimum standards expected in order to pass the initial fitness test. I then stuck to the rule of only eating complex carbs and having an overall balanced diet.

The result: weight loss and fitness without hardly trying.

So why I don't just do that NOW, God only knows!! Tsk at myself!

Have him go to the website www.bodybuilding.com
There is an option to "find a plan for you" (or something like that). He can put in information about his goals (fat loss/muscle building/etc), age, and gender, and the site has a plan that he can follow. It includes workouts and meal plans.

I used the one for fat loss for women between 18-35 over the summer and lost the most weight when I was following the program.

Tell him good luck!

I totally agree with the last post....only I will take it one step further as I am a vet with a son in the service as we speak and a nephew who used to be a Marine but now Army reserve. If he is serious about going into the Marines and whether he has time or not he best be practicing getting up before the sun and running 5 miles or so and doing weight training etc and become VERY, VERY self-disaplined if he wants any chance of even getting through basic. When he gets used to that he can start running with a pack on his back with 30 or 40 pounds in it. He should consider going to a "boot camp" training school or at least to a local gym and ask if they give any breaks to those going into the military. If you cannot afford a boot camp at the gym go to the nearest police station and inquire about their boot camps or at least what regimine they are on...who knows, they may let him train with them if they know he is going into the marines. I can guarentee you if he is not self-disaplined about any diet or exercise he will never get through basic. Good luck and hope he makes it.

Yeah, MFP really is all you need, but you need to stick to your calories and log accurately. I lost 30 lbs here and yes, I still eat stuff like pizza and McDonalds and Taco Bell.
If he really wants to clean it up though, subscribe to Clean Eating Magazine. They actually give you a shopping list for all the recipes in the issue. Doesn't get much easier than that if you don't have the money for a nutritionist or a pre-packaged meal plan.

Thanks for sharing this! I found "CLEAN EATING" on the internet and love it - free recipes! Love it!

It is best to create your own meal plan so you can include foods you like. If you are eating good food in reasonable portions and exercising, you can lose significant amounts of weight.

Some tips:

include protein in every meal (beans, lean meat, eggs)
in each meal make half of your plate veggies
fresh fruit, nuts, and yogurt make great snacks (Danon light and fit is great - no High Fructose Corn Syrup)
Try to replace refined carbs with whole grains (whole wheat bread, quinoa, brown rice, etc).
Limit the calories you drink (especially from soda or fruit juice)

Figure out what the one thing is that you just aren't willing to give up in order to loose weight. For me it was creamer in my coffee. I have gotten into the habit of measuring and accounting for every tablespoon. I can still have it, as long as my other meals are a bit lower in calories. By keeping this indulgence, I don't feel deprived.

I am not exactly a model of healthful eating - I struggle a lot. But, I do have healthy delicious meals pretty regularly. If you are interested you can friend me and look through my diary. You'll have to go back a few weeks to see the good stuff, but it's there! Maybe it will give you some ideas of what you would like to have and how many calories are in it.

Also, check with the recruiting office, they may have free materials or plans that they provide to would-be soldiers prior to enlistment. My cousin recently enlisted in the army and is actually doing workouts with some other people to get ready for basic training in March.