Help with weight

[Guam]

So some of the people on Y!A are vague and I really just wanted to hear some stories about your son or daughter and their battle with weight before joining. I really just need to hear stories like that to stay motivated. I have to either lose 60 pounds to make weight, or 40 pounds to make tape.

 

please include all details you can like, how much weight did he/she have to lose, how long did it take them, and What they do in the navy. Thank you.

[Barbydahlzz ALUM 09/075 USS JPJ]

how about this one.....YOU HAVE TO GAIN WEIGHT.....  it took my son just under a year to gain 15 pounds....eesh.... he's 6'3" and a year ago started his journey to getting accepted.....  at this time he weighed 130 pounds yea...SUPER SKINNY and eats like a horse.......  drank TONS of weight gainer..... his recruiter said...SIT PLAY VIDEO GAMES  EAT EAT EAT ... well he did for almost a year.....  FINALLY gained his weight and leaves in november for boot......

 

[Audrey]

My son left Tuesday for boot.  He had to gain weight too. (A problem I would never believe a child of mine would have!) I made my son homemade eggnog milkshakes. That was the only thing that seemed to help him put some pounds on. Milkshakes are a great way to help him put on the weight.  You can add peanut butter, whole milk, sugar, weight gain supplements, etc. Good luck!

[KristyPedy]

I'm trying to drop some pounds. I'm about 20-30lbs away from what I need to be for boot camp (I haven't signed anything yet because I told the recruiter that I wanted to get in shape first). I lost 5lbs so far, but I am in terrible shape. Eat smaller portions (eat more veggies and fruits and not a lot of meats but make sure you include meats in your diet), take walks, or run/bike (I'm not much of a runner but I'm working on it). The recruiter said I didn't look too bad in the weight area and that he could have someone come down and measure for BMI but I told him that, "trust me, I need to get in shape first!"

 

I'm most worried about being able to do push ups, sit ups, and running because I am not fit but everyone keeps telling me, "you'll be able to do all of that by the time graduation rolls around."

[Meruhnavywife]

Biggest thing for my husband was that they measured him incorrectly. Yes, the people at MEPS screwed up, whoops!

 

At his initial MEPS, when he took the ASVAB and all that, he was measured at 6'3". His weight guidelines? Maximum 215. He struggled with his weight the entire time before boot camp. His neck is super skinny, and he has a little bit of a tummy. His arms are muscular, but very slim, and his legs are muscular but very slim; he would never pass a neck versus waist measurement simply because his neck is so thin.

 

The weeks preceding boot camp he made weight, but wanted to stay under as much as possible. He ate nothing but non-sugar cereal, hard boiled eggs, salad (carrots and celery with greens), and grilled chicken. His recruiter recommended no red meat, and he abstained from bread as much as possible. My husband loves eating (as do I) and had to suffer smelling all the good things I was eating and pretend his lightly seasoned chicken was more delicious than usual.

 

My mother-in-law and I went with him to MEPS to see him off to boot camp. This time he measured at 6'4" (on paper...he was actually taller than 6'4" but if you are taller than that at MEPS you can't be admitted) which put his maximum weight at....221lbs. My husband was over 15 lbs under his maximum weight. And according to their paperwork, grew an inch in less than 2 months...

 

Best thing you can do to prep for boot camp, especially if you are a little overweight is to run. A LOT. When you run, don't think about "I have to make 1.5 miles in so many minutes." Work yourself up to 3-5 miles at a time. If you can run 3 miles easily, you can make time on 1.5 miles AND it will help you lose weight and develop lean muscle. Your body will starve for healthier foods as well. You really can't be in good shape eating nothing but junk food because it will affect your physical performance.

 

To get ready for such intense running, you have to build it up slowly if you aren't in shape. Run hard for three minutes, walk (briskly) for three minutes. Repeat. Add minutes as this gets easier. When you can run (run not jog) for 20 minutes straight, you probably are running at least 2-2.5 miles in this time.

 

Don't be discouraged if you gain a little weight, because building muscle gains weight. Good luck to you guys on your weight loss. Just takes discipline, which is definitely something needed for any branch of the military.

[KristyPedy]

I've been jogging when I get the chance, which isn't too often with a 1 yr old and work. I'm hoping this weekend will be nice out so I can go run/jog/walk at the track near our apartment. Yeah, a recruiter told me that he could have a female come down and measure me but I told him I didn't want to be measured just yet because I know I need to lose about 20lbs... I may be under my max BMI but I definitely need to get into shape before I even think about signing myself up for the Navy.

[WandaG]

My daughter weighed over 200lbs last year. She needed to be at 160lbs to get in the military. Since then she is down to 172lbs. She went to MEPS on Thurs., April 21, 2011 and they taped her at 28% BMI. She fortunately passed her physical :o) She still needs to lose 12 more pounds but wants to go further than that.

My daughter works out at home with me doing Jillian Michaels DVD's and Billy Blanks Taebo. We do cardio, toning and strength training. Sometimes we work out at the clubhouse gym where we live. Sometimes I bring her in to Lucille Roberts Gym on a free pass to attend one of the exercise classes.

Most of all, she eats healthy, watches her portion control and tries not to eat pass 7pm. We are both on Weight Watchers. I am a life time member. She is not an active member any longer but continues the program and I continue to update her on any program changes with Weight Watchers, such as the new Points Plus system. She and I are now prepping ourselves for the Weight Watcher 5k run in May. We are always looking for new ways to push ourselves. She's made a conscious effort to change her life. She wants to be fit, healthy and strong. She loves the new person she is becoming. She is redefining herself as a woman, as a person.

I also subscribe to HERS Muscle & Fitness. There are wonderful ideas for working out and eating right. They also have good recipes. The Weight Watchers magazine also has some good recipes. It's important to keep your meals interesting so you don't get bored. Just keep in mind, it's not a diet, it's a healthy life style change.

With regards to taping for BMI, I really don't trust doing the body fat measurement by tape measure because it is subject to the person doing the taping. I prefer using the digital body fat monitor. I own one and use it on my daughter. It's exactly the same monitor that is used at Bally Total Fitness. Anyway, it's a good source to gauge where she is.

I wish you the best of luck. :o)

[KristyPedy]

Thanks for sharing your daughter's accomplishment! Has she already signed to join the Navy? When will she be going to boot camp? I need to lose about 20lbs to be at my weight. I'm about 5'9" and 190lbs. I think my weight has to be 174. I am somewhat muscular though so I don't know if I will be able to achieve 174. Maybe 180. I have no clue. I'm terrible with running, and I'm trying to improve.

[RWG (ship 09, div. 206)]

I have dieted many times over the past 25 years or so. With great success each time. Unfortunately I start gaining it back after a couple years. Mainly just because I let my guard down and went back to the old habits of eating.

Each diet that I did was successful with lots and lots of water. Water is the key I believe.Of course you need to do some type of excersise but drink that water and watch the scales drop.

[WandaG]

Krsity, my daughter has not officially joined the Navy yet. We are waiting for her recruiter to notify her when she has to return to MEPS to select her rating and to swear in. We are hoping she will be going by the end of this week or next week. We have to wait for slots to open up for females in our branch.

According to the Navy, even if you're not at your weight, they will still measure your body fat. You need to be under 33%. So don't give up! Continue to run, you can gradually build up your endurance. Try to eat more protein than carbs. Carbs are good but should be limited.

Good news.... my daughter weighed herself today. She is down to 170.6 lbs!!! :o) The weights herself every Tuesday.

Good luck!

[KristyPedy]

That's great!! I will be weighing myself again this Sunday to see if I've dropped anymore weight. I haven't been able to get out and walk, run, or jog because we've been having thunderstorms like crazy! Yeah, I'm going to try going back to the low-carb diet; I've been on it before and lost quite a bit of weight.

[tamberlynn_rose]

jus a bit of advice on weighing- dont do it on the weekends! ur weight seems to fluctuate a bit more on the weekend. (or so my recruiter said, and hes like a weight guru so who am i to question it haha) try to weigh on a week day instead. :]

 

[Diana (Proud Navy Mom)]

My son just went to MEPS about 2 weeks ago.  He passed everything, qualified for all the jobs he wants and then they measured him a said that he wasn't 6'1 1/2" but 6 ft.  As a result they gave him until May 5th to lose 10 lbs or 2% body fat.  He has lost 12 lbs so far!  My younger son (14) and I have both lost 7lbs.  It has been extremely hard but it works!  Our diet includes grilled or baked (no butter and the only oil I am using is olive oil in very small quantities) chicken (no skin) or fish and fresh fruits or veggies ( I do cheat, I use frozen veggies steamer bags).  We also make smoothies (really helps if you have a sweet tooth) made up of fresh fruit, ice, low-fat greek yogurt, 4-5 pckts of Sweet N Low and either water or low cal juice (we use Diet Cranberry juice). The main thing is to stay away from processed foods and really watch the fat grams, sugar grams, cholesteral, carbs and sodium.  We are drinking at least 6  8oz. glasses of water a day and riding a stationary bike, walking or something everyday.  It is REALLY hard but it definetly works.