For a long time, I have been thinking of joining the United States Marine Corps to serve my country.

"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic"


The United States Marine Corps is what I am aiming for. The Few. The Proud.


I want to defend and protect my country. Why not do it with the best men in the country?


So, I weigh 250. Maximum weight is 195 for a Marine of my age. I want to get myself to 180 pounds.

So, I would like some tips! What workouts would be best? What's a good diet plan?

I've got... 12 months to fully prepare myself, and I want to start soon!


What should I do?

Let me know!

Thanks,
Paul

 

Congrats Paul, your decision is admirable.

First off, go see a doctor or dietitian for an appropriate long term diet / exercise regime. There are tons of fad diets that will help you lose the weight but the goal is to lose the weight and keep it off.

Your trying to lose 70 pounds. That's a mountainous goal but well within the reach of a determined man.

The first thing I would is to cut out the alcohol if your a consumer. Nothing puts weight on faster than beer and spirits.

Good luck Paul and stay after it. The Marines need a few good men.

 

Running, running, running, running and when you get done, run some more.
Running will shed the pounds, strengthen the leg muscles and give you stamina.

Your gonna need the stamina for boot.

Congratulations on a decision that puts you above and apart from the average, joining any of the branches is admirable and will make you a part of a brotherhood you will never forget.

 

Well what I used to do to help my recruits was to advise a doctor visit for some professional advice.

I followed up with the following:
Running
No soda
No fast food
slim fast for lunch

My guys would run with a trash bag on so they would sweat. Not recommended but it did help to sweat. Never do it alone.

 

No two ways about it - if you make the cut, you will find that 3.5 mile runs are standard fare for the USMC physical fitness test, and regular runs of that length will be needed to stay on top of it!

If you're carrying that much extra right now it might be risky to push it, beware of sports injuries until you get down to a running weight. Running is a skinny mans game - but you can get there if you work at it steadily. Cycling is one option - if you have access to a gym make the most you can of it too. Then there is also hiking.

Whatever you do though, keep in mind that 75% to 90% of any fitness or sports goal is dietary. Cutting back from a high calory intake can be almost as tough as quitting smoking, among other things. No two ways about it, you'll have to take a hard look at what you eat and what you do now if you want to reach the goals you want to make happen! The changes you make will have to be things that you WANT to keep on doing...

You will find out though - that the more physically active you become, the more energy you will have. That all by itself can be addictive, it's the reason some people in different sports can never give them up. They can't imagine not feeling that power.

 

Greywolf is right. If you cut out the fast foods and any alcohol that is the first step. Next, join a gym. Running is great for those in shape to run, but you are not at the present time. Cycling will help you as will a treadmill. With the treadmill you can exercise in any weather, and put it where you can watch TV so the time passes quicker. Work your way up until you can run on the treadmill; many good ones have pre-programmed exercises on them which vary the incline and speed. Push away from the table, eat veggies and fruit. Try this for 2 weeks and notice the weight loss: at bedtime drink a glass of warm water with a tablespoon of honey and a teaspoon of cinnamon in it. Don't know why, but it aids in fast weight loss. Keep us posted, and good luck!

 

Swimming, one of the best arobic exercises out there. Tends to work all the muscle groups...and you get to see all the women in swim suits.

 

well first off I'll wish you well no matter what in the next 12 months you need to make a plan and stick to it. even the simplest and easiest routines will help you over 12 months.

I was a bit over when I joined in 99. In boot camp I shed around 50 lbs. its not just from running and PT, Your days in Boot camp are Filled up. you don't get time to relax unless its Sunday and your at church. And all they fed me was baked chicken, rice, veggies, and a fruit. Your diet in boot camp is very controlled if your over weight.

My advice now is this,

1. No more candies drop them all.
2. No more beer or Soda.
3. stop eating alot of red meat. eat more fish/chicken.
4. Drink lots of water, Gallon or more a Day.
5. Start your days early go to bed early. Exercise everyday but don't over do it. Pace your self you said you 12 months.

Also:
your max weight is determined by your Height not age. so 250 is fine as long your over 80" tall.

USMC Weight Charts - Military Fitness - Military.com

The PFT (Physical Fitness Test) is 3 miles. You will find that to be a short run eventually. All depending on where you are stationed and your unit to be honest.
I have been in some units that were huge on running 8 or so miles. other that just did 3 mile runs for training.

 

I know the Marines at Miramar (even when it was NAS - not yet MCAS) used to turn up at every 5K run that was sponsored on that base - and burn up the road, man!

5K is about 3 1/4 miles. It was hilarious to see those guys just take off, and keep it up - while holding conversations back and forth as they ran... I felt like I was trying to catch a coyote!!!

But that was then. I joined at 25 years old and many shin splints, busted arches, and so on later even the navy PFT was killing me. Fortunately, I retired right around then

I would be cautious about telling any man or woman to cut out booze altogether because that can be a bigger obstacle for some than it seems. Even someone who drinks a lot can be a good asset, there's no sense putting a brick wall in front of their ambitions. But they've got to understand that calories are calories - and a huge load of them come in brown bottles. 'Nuff said on that.

I want to recommend right here and now that a hard look at sports nutrition is well worth while.

The average diet is based on 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day. This is without considering major exercise, wherein much more than that is burned in a continuous exercise session, such as bicycling - wherein calories can be burned off at a very high rate per hour. Bicycling (or "CYCLING") can also be so interesting that it gets habit forming. It's a great way to look around without blowing gas money, for one thing.

You can actually burn off a hell of a lot more calories than you intended just because you felt challenged to see if you could get to someplace or other and back again - the same is also true of running.

You'd have to have one hell of a tough bike though, at this point.

I will say this too: I could never stand to ride a stationary bike, I HATE the damned things and think there is nothing more silly on earth! Better to ride an alloy horse in the real world, with the wind in your face, and get sunburned in places you didn't expect - than to sit still while pushing for 15 miles an hour...

ONE LAST:
It's better to be over-prepared than under. GO-GO-GO!!!

I see that you are in North Kakalacky - maybe we can put you in touch with some nearby past or present Marines who will be willing to help you train?
We should explore that option...


*Thread subscribed to

 

If it is a Dependency on Alcohol thing, I would not suggest anyone Join the Marines. Drinking problems are being Hammered right now and there is very little tolerance for Marines with drinking problems. I could easily see an Alcoholic being administratively discharged their first year in. Little things like Alcohol and Marijuana in the civilian world have huge implications and punishments in the Military that will follow you on a DD214 back to the civilian world.

 

Well put, and good point. These are not "The good old days" when Pappy Boyington was said to be a better F4-U Corsair pilot drunk than most aviators were sober...

(The true story of the "Black Sheep" squadron is an interesting read. Very colorful... There are two books, one by Boyington and another by a squadron member)

Marijuana and other illegal drugs are an instant bust - and any use of those had better be very far behind. In addition to being canx'd as a recruit - failure of drug testing means being entered in the Federal Registry of Known Drug Abusers.

As far as I know - that follows you for life

 

Congrats on your decision.

Thank you for doing this.

You cannot prepare yourself for Paris Island.

The advice given so far has been sound. Cutting out cokes, candy and alcohol were mentioned because for 13 weeks of boot camp you won't have any access to that stuff. I remember having my first candy bar and coke after boot camp and it actually made me sick to my stomach.

Since you've got 12 months to prepare, I'd start with changing your diet to something more health (no fast food, junk food, soft drinks, etc.) and start picking up the pace on everything you do. When you go to a store, park at the end of the parking lot and walk at a fast pace to the store, through the store, and back to your car. You don't have to speedwalk so fast you look like a fool, but pick up the pace a little. Take the stairs not the elevator, find a short walk to take before you sit down for the evening. Walk around the house / apartment or something.

You've got plenty of time. Start small and build your energy up as mentioned. The worst thing you can do is try to lose all the weight and be running 5 miles a day by Christmas. Realistically the best thing you can probably do right now is not change any habits, but start writing everything down that you eat/drink and the calorie and fat content of it. and get one of those little meters you wear on your wrist that tracks how far you've walked each day.

After a week or two of establishing a base line and putting it on paper, it becomes easier to understand what choices you need to make in regards to eat / drink / exercise. Then make the minor adjustments like diet and drink choices and start walking more and faster and get your system used to that before you start on any type of big exercise routine. Twelve months is a long time. No need to rush this. Try to do too much at once and you'll burn out.

I'd also like to reiterate drinking at least a gallon of water a day. Back in ITS they told us to drink 2 gallons a day. You actually learn to hydrate yourself and get used to it. I still drink at least 2 gallons of water a day in the Texas summer and well over a gallon in the winter. As mentioned, being active is also something you get used to. I've stayed active, don't touch soft drinks or candy bars and am within 2" of my waist size from 20 years ago. ( I do have a fondness for beer, but the active part helps even that out.)

Just remember that we're here as your support group. Let us know how you're doing and what's going through your mind and we'll help you get through this. Once you become a member of the service, you'll wonder how anyone else doesn't do that.

 

Congrats and thanks for you commitment.

 

run run run run run and run, then when you think your about to have a heart attack, run more. if you dont mind it dont matter. you will be shocked what your body can take, a Marine is a gazelle.. lean mean fighting machine. endurance is the name of the game, pain is weakness leaving the body.

USMC 1371 1989-1997

Oh did i mention running? gangway live grenade!

 

Thanks for posting that link. When I read the OP my very first thought was the same thing. I think they may also do the measurement thingy: Waist measurment - neck measurement find your body composition on the chart. Not sure, though.

As for fitness, one of the simplest things you can do is squat thrusts. In the navy, we like 8 count body builders: 8 count body builders I think the marines do squat thrusts: squat thrusts These simple exercises will make you feel like you did 10 windsprints of 100 yards when you first start out. You can even improve your strength doing things most people don't even think about: everytime you stand up from a sitting postion, use only your legs to stand, don't push off with your arms. When you have to pick something up from the floor, bend at the knees and use your legs to lift yourself back up, effectively doing a deep knee bend. Little things.

I'm a big guy,too, so I know what you're up against. Stretch before and after exercising. Run at your own, comfortable pace. Don't kill yourself, especially if you're not used to running. Shin splints hurt, but good shoes and good technique should help alleviate them. When I run (which isn't nearly as often as it should be these days!), I make sure that I land on the heel of my shoe and roll my foot all the way through until I push off again with my toes. I also breath properly. I usually inhale through 2 steps and exhale through 2 steps. This makes my breathing more rythmic, and allows me to run much farther. Speed isn't always the most important thing when running, it's the time you spend on the road that gets results. Speed comes with time, don't rush it. Concentrating on good technique will help you stay healthy and get better results. I've also discovered that working your core (abs) will really help your back to remain strong.