Weight problems for a big guy

[Arwen]

My son is huge, a bit over 6'4" with big, broad shoulders. He's also naturally lean, with a large frame and little fat. He was about 208 lbs when he entered DEP, well below his weight limit.

When he first started the chief (his recruiter) told us to feed him more because he was having energy problems with his run. So we did.

Chris has been working out exactly as instructed, running, push-ups, sit-ups, etc. Now he breezes through the PT test, continues to improve his times and reps and he's lost an inch or two around his waist. He didn't have a lot of fat to start with, he's nearing 6-pack abs.

Problem is that he has also gained about 10 pounds and is close to his weight limit for his height. The chief told him to stop gaining weight and to keep working on his fitness. But his fitness is increasing his muscle bulk (he bulks up if you look at him sideways), and therefore his weight! If he keeps working out and eating enough to keep his energy up he will go above his weight limit. When he was playing football his lean play weight was about 235, 10 pounds over the limit.

How do we keep him fit and strong for the PT test, but under the weight limit? He has 55 days until boot camp.

[Arwen]

He's not doing any weight lifting. He is doing push-ups, sit-ups and running, exactly as he will in boot camp. Whatever happens here will continue to build in boot camp.

I figure he lost about 5 pounds in fat, and gained 15 in muscle. There isn't much fat left to go. He's probably around 10 percent bodyfat. What little he has left he needs as reserves. Once he got the flu for two weeks and ended up looking like a concentration camp survivor.

[Arwen]

Right now he's in the "good" range and wants to reach "excellent" before he leaves.

He eats about 7,500 calories per day right now, 10,000 when he's in training for football or competitive swimming. It takes about 4,500 per day for him to maintain non-athletic weight without exercise. He has a seriously fast metabolism. Maybe if we reduced to about 5,500 calories he can maintain his fitness levels without gaining? Hmmm...

[Arwen]

He's doing great on the educational part. He has passed the Sailor's Creed, ranks and rates, alphabet, core values and a couple of others. The only thing left is Orders to the Sentry and chain of command, which he's working on.

Chris really doesn't have anything to do other than chores and to work on his DEP stuff. He has no friends here (he's only lived here since June)., no job, and there is no social life here for someone his age. The rule around here is that if you aren't already married and/or pregnant when you get out of high school, you leave.

[shell]

My son entered bootcamp well above the weight but fine with the pinch test/measurment test. He did push ups for every cookie he looked at in bootcamp. :) He droped almost 30 pounds in bootcamp but was still over the height/weight standards. Now for his routine physical tests they just tape him and will continue to do so as long as he passes the physical requirements. I do not know the fat limit for entering bootcamp but I have seen both 23 and 25 % on the site.
My son runs at a comfortable 18 to 20% which is fine for after bootcamp for his age group.