I’m looking for advice from current or retired service members on how to get through this very difficult time. I have no close family members who have been in the armed services(my dad was in the navy, but he passed on several years ago), so I decided to come here to ask for advice.
Joining the armed services has been my intended career path for quite some time now. Since I left high school(a little over a year ago), I have worked my ass off to meet the physical requirments to get into the army. I’m down to 230-ish pounds(from an original 358lbs) and can run two 11-minutes miles without stopping on a good day. I’m still working on losing the last 40 pounds I need to get in, but the more weight I lose, the harder it gets to lose more.
The interactions I have had with the army recruiters have been very positive, and I scored pretty high on their Pre-ASFAB test. But I have recently attended a PT session, where the other recruits are a little further along than I am. They were all very welcoming and encouraging, but I did feel isolated because nobody else was in the same boat as me. It also didn’t help that I wasn’t in good enough shape to complete the whole session. Lately, I’ve felt very pressured(not by anyone else, just me) to go to more of these sessions, where I will have my ass worked off, but I will be left physically and emotionally drained afterward.
I’ve got a period of 5-6 more months in order to get myself ready and prepared to the join the military. I have a part-time job, and I’m not going to school. So I can just focus on getting ready and I won’t be too much of a burden to my family, who have fully supported me(both emotionally and financially). But I’ve learned the hard way just how tough it is to lose weight in the winter, and I’m not looking forward to trying to do so. Any advice, or even simple encouragment would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
I’d suggest that you keep going to those weekend workout sessions, they really do help a lot.
I will say I’m impressed with you. That’s a lot of work and dedication you put in just to be able to join the military. I can’t say I would have done the same. Good job.
No… you really don’t seem to need advice, you’re doing it right. The physical side just takes work… and you seem to have the right attitude to get it done.
Hell, you sound like you’re **meant **to be in the army.
I’m open to suggestions. I’m going to take the ASFAB and see what the army recomends. I’d say I’d be best at an administrative job, like a quartermaster or a journalistic job. But I’m keeping my options open.
If they promise you ANYTHING, get it WRITTEN INTO THE CONTRACT. They will promise you the moon and the stars, but if it is not written down, it won’t happen.
Congratulations on you weight loss. Continue to work on your exercise program. You might want to go to the PT sessions (at times) and use them as a benchmark to judge your progress on getting more fit.
To continue your weight loss, start looking at serving sizes of foods. (ONE slice of Pizza Hut Stuffed crust Pepperoni Lover’s Pizza, medium size, is 525 calories where one slice of the thin crust version is 289 calories. Eating an entire medium size, thin crust, Pepperoni Lover’s Pizza is 2,312 calories. Half of a medium size pizza is too much to eat in one meal.
You have to change your vision of what is a “normal meal”.
(I had a mom and 10 year old son come in one afternoon to talk about his weight. I asked what he had had for lunch. They said hamburger, french fries and a Coke. Sounds reasonable. But it was a Big Mac, large fries and a large Coke. The “normal meal” for an average size 10 year old should be a regular hamburger, small fries and a small drink.)
I would suggest that you keep going to those workout sessions and to avoid the emotionally draining part stop focussing on everyone else. Your plan is to be ready in 4-6 months so work with one of the trainers to set milestones for yourself. If you always compete against yourself you’ll always be improving no matter who surrounds you.
You’ve made amazing progress so far and I have no doubt you’ll make it.
Keep doing what you are doing but be prepared to really keep doing it AFTER you get in the Army. Basic will make losing even more pretty easy but depending on your job after AIT you will have to keep on the weight loss train and it will be pretty much up to you to keep it off, the Army can help but after basic YOU have to keep motivated. The Army works on a Body Fat scale after you fail to meet the standard height/weight table, and appearance in uniform is more important to most commanders than you passing your body fat test, harrassment can be subtle even if you are within requirements. Good luck.
Sounds like you’ve made amazing progress. Never forget where you started though, especially after you get to Basic, and keep your sense of humor. Drill Sargeant will see a fat guy, and you will be The Fat Guy until your attitude and progress tell him you don’t need his help to stay motivated. Once he gets the point he’ll shift his focus to someone else. Basic is a wonderful tonic, physically and mentally. Day 1 I couldn’t run a quarter mile. After 2 months I’d realized a net weight loss of 25 pounds (lost alot of fat and gained a lot of muscle) and was cranking out my 2-mile in about 14 minutes. The structured lifestyle realy helped me to gather my marbles…I came out completely rebuilt. My point is, don’t fear Basic Training–if you don’t take it personally and just do as you’re told, it’s going to be one of the few times in your life where everything makes sense.
For now though, how often are you doing PT with a platoon or company size unit? Is there any way you can do it every day? Maybe with the recruiters or a local reserve unit? It’ll help loads with indoctrination and getting in the habit of working your ass off for an hour every day. I can’t stress enough how much it will help you in Basic if you already know the commands and exercises and have the stamina to keep moving–Drill Sargeant focuses on those who stop moving. Not to mention you’ll have your Smart Book memorized before it gets issued to you.
I figure that if you feel like the army is right for you, it probably is. Go for it! It was a really good thing for me. I met great people there, started my career there, picked up a lot of good habits.
I’ve been out for ten years and I still sometimes dream about it: being out in the woods before dawn, smelling pine forest, feeling pine needles underfoot, surrounded by the other soldiers of my platoon…
Sure, I’m romanticizing some.
