Losing over 100 lbs for boot camp.

[Beardsey]

Ok so basically i'll keep things short, It's one of my goals to become a United States Marine I really want to achieve this goal so any help will be appreciated. Currently I'm 6'3 350 pounds, So i know most of you are probably saying "There's no way this idiot will ever become a Marine" I've set up a plan in which I need to lose about 4 lbs a week or like 12 lbs a month by December I will be 125 pounds lighter and just about the correct weight for boot camp, Obviously losing this weight is easier said than done, so I would appreciate any tips you guys have on some foods I should eat or some exercise plans that could help me prepare for boot camp and lose some weight. Also i will include that I don't have any disqualifying health conditions or anything like that, no diabetes or heart problems. But i'm really out of shape...

[Shureshock]

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=156380403

Start here and calculate your TDEE and macros.

4.15 pounds a week is not sustainable. (sorry to burst your bubble)

[KrisGuitarNY]

I'm glad to see you're motivated to dive into such an endeavor. I'm currently in the Marines, getting out in March. It's a hard path but it will significantly change your life, for the better. I promise you that!
Losing over 100lbs is quite the feat, but it can be done. Anything is possible. When you're doing this, always keep in the front of your mind that this will take TIME. Patience is a virtue!

Like Shureshock stated, 4.15lbs/week isn't really sustainable at all, and it's extremely unhealthy. Your profile says that you're only 17, please utilize the time you have to get this done correctly so you have no issues further on! You have all the time in the world, man.

There's no doubt that the biggest factor in this is going to be your diet. There are a plethora of diet styles out there, but a diet is exactly that - a diet. It doesn't really mean anything, it's just how you eat.
Some "types" of diets work better for others than some, some work faster than others.. some like Keto, while effective, are hard to sustain over a long period of time.

I recommend you research, with your weight, age, and fat loss goals, the amount of calories you need for maintenance, and then subtract the amount of calories that correlate with the specific fat loss goals.
It's not necessarily WHAT you eat, it really all comes down to calories in the end. If you take in less calories than you expend during the course of the day - you will lose weight. Your body will have to utilize the fat for energy, thus burning it off.

Some things to get kicking off - cut out soda. In fact, cut out a lot of refined goods. Limit sugar, limit salt. As much as possible. Just cutting out soda/coffee/juices etc can make you drop a lot of weight very quickly.
Also, start drinking an ungodly amount of water. I'm talking at least a gallon/day. I promise you that you will lose weight from this, it's truly incredible.

Your diet is for you to decide - after you know the amount of calories you should be taking in per day, as well as hitting your macros each day.
If you haven't lifted much previously, and you start now, just realize that you will lose weight, but at the same time you're going replace some of that fat with muscle. Weight loss will slow at some point.
However, I do recommend doing this, as you're going to need to be strong as well, to get through bootcamp and your future in the Marine Corps. That's why I said it's better to give yourself extra time to do this all in one.
Get stronger, get fit, lose weight. It will all happen slow and steady.

For cardio, I'm not a believer in running. Sure, it definitely works, but it can be catabolic. It will eat away at the muscle you have. Granted, you'll need to do this to get through bootcamp.. we have the most strenuous PT standards by far. The PFT for males is 3 miles in less than 28 minutes. You won't have to do one until later in bootcamp - you'll only have to do an IST, an Initial Strength Test - while you're DEP'd in. This is a 1.5 mile run in less than 15 minutes I believe.

I recommend that you go to your nearest recruiters office, if it's relatively close, and talk to them about it.. they may be hesitant with your weight, but if you really show that you want this, they will most likely work with you, by letting you PT with the DEP, or possibly even one-on-one. This will help tremendously.

I'm confident that you can do this. It will take time, but you can. This is a huge step towards a healthier life style, all together, and once you finish your goal and you graduate from bootcamp, you will be the proudest you've ever been.

Good luck, brother.

[Beardsey]

I'm glad to see you're motivated to dive into such an endeavor. I'm currently in the Marines, getting out in March. It's a hard path but it will significantly change your life, for the better. I promise you that!
Losing over 100lbs is quite the feat, but it can be done. Anything is possible. When you're doing this, always keep in the front of your mind that this will take TIME. Patience is a virtue!

Like Shureshock stated, 4.15lbs/week isn't really sustainable at all, and it's extremely unhealthy. Your profile says that you're only 17, please utilize the time you have to get this done correctly so you have no issues further on! You have all the time in the world, man.

There's no doubt that the biggest factor in this is going to be your diet. There are a plethora of diet styles out there, but a diet is exactly that - a diet. It doesn't really mean anything, it's just how you eat.
Some "types" of diets work better for others than some, some work faster than others.. some like Keto, while effective, are hard to sustain over a long period of time.

I recommend you research, with your weight, age, and fat loss goals, the amount of calories you need for maintenance, and then subtract the amount of calories that correlate with the specific fat loss goals.
It's not necessarily WHAT you eat, it really all comes down to calories in the end. If you take in less calories than you expend during the course of the day - you will lose weight. Your body will have to utilize the fat for energy, thus burning it off.

Some things to get kicking off - cut out soda. In fact, cut out a lot of refined goods. Limit sugar, limit salt. As much as possible. Just cutting out soda/coffee/juices etc can make you drop a lot of weight very quickly.
Also, start drinking an ungodly amount of water. I'm talking at least a gallon/day. I promise you that you will lose weight from this, it's truly incredible.

Your diet is for you to decide - after you know the amount of calories you should be taking in per day, as well as hitting your macros each day.
If you haven't lifted much previously, and you start now, just realize that you will lose weight, but at the same time you're going replace some of that fat with muscle. Weight loss will slow at some point.
However, I do recommend doing this, as you're going to need to be strong as well, to get through bootcamp and your future in the Marine Corps. That's why I said it's better to give yourself extra time to do this all in one.
Get stronger, get fit, lose weight. It will all happen slow and steady.

For cardio, I'm not a believer in running. Sure, it definitely works, but it can be catabolic. It will eat away at the muscle you have. Granted, you'll need to do this to get through bootcamp.. we have the most strenuous PT standards by far. The PFT for males is 3 miles in less than 28 minutes. You won't have to do one until later in bootcamp - you'll only have to do an IST, an Initial Strength Test - while you're DEP'd in. This is a 1.5 mile run in less than 15 minutes I believe.

I recommend that you go to your nearest recruiters office, if it's relatively close, and talk to them about it.. they may be hesitant with your weight, but if you really show that you want this, they will most likely work with you, by letting you PT with the DEP, or possibly even one-on-one. This will help tremendously.

I'm confident that you can do this. It will take time, but you can. This is a huge step towards a healthier life style, all together, and once you finish your goal and you graduate from bootcamp, you will be the proudest you've ever been.

Good luck, brother.

Hey man, Just went back to this thread i posted quit a while ago and thank you very much for the positive feedback and encouragement at the time of the post i weighed 350 lbs and i'm currently weighing in at 257 lbs i've lost nearly 100 lbs at this point. I'm currently working with my recruiters and I have to get down to 246 before I can enter the DEP and then 231 to ship out to boot camp. I know you probably don't even remember replying to this post but just figured i'd give you a little update on all the progress i made

[MMAInfluenced]

Ok so basically i'll keep things short, It's one of my goals to become a United States Marine I really want to achieve this goal so any help will be appreciated. Currently I'm 6'3 350 pounds, So i know most of you are probably saying "There's no way this idiot will ever become a Marine" I've set up a plan in which I need to lose about 4 lbs a week or like 12 lbs a month by December I will be 125 pounds lighter and just about the correct weight for boot camp, Obviously losing this weight is easier said than done, so I would appreciate any tips you guys have on some foods I should eat or some exercise plans that could help me prepare for boot camp and lose some weight. Also i will include that I don't have any disqualifying health conditions or anything like that, no diabetes or heart problems. But i'm really out of shape...

Listen bud you need to get a reality check. For one I'm gonna break some bad news to ya.. you will have excess skin if you get lean. Once you get over 100 pounds over weight the effects are likely permanent. You are well beyond that but ANYWAY.

You didn't get fat over night and you aint gonna get lean over night. To do this right you need to protect your FRAME... I.E. your muscle. You simply cant lose 4 pounds a week to make your goal. Period end of story that is not reality that is pure fiction impossible you will be ****ing yourself up bad and likely burning a **** ton of muscle away (why we don't burn fat that fast).

Want to preserve your muscles? 2 pounds a week of fat loss. Want to be sizzle and shrivel your muscles up? Try your 4 pound a week stratagie. Look buddy I been there I did it.. looked like dog **** and it took me longer to get a good healthy physique than if I would of cut 2 pound a week.

I'm going to give it to you straight. You don't sound like marine material. You weren't disciplined and let yourself reach severe obesity and did nothing about it and now you want to lose all the weight at lightning speed and run into boot camp. Again you have gotten WAY too fat. you will be a sufferer of excess skin if you get lean you will NOT like like a sexy muscular soldier. You will look like a saggy skin no muscle sick person. I'm not making fun I'm telling you because I know and I don't want it to happen to you.

Hypothetically if you want to be a marine? Lets talk brutal honest and not mince words.

According to ideal weight charts For a large bone structure guy (which I'm hoping you are and likely are having gotten so fat) then your ideal weight is 176-202. You heard me right. If you get to 250 you'll still be VERY fat without years of weight training and packing on muscle. You may think your a big strong guy. If you don't work out your not a muscular guy period end of story.. you will have sedentary atrophied muscles like the rest of the non-working out world.

So you need to get down to 200 pounds flat to be toned and in shape (assuming you wouldn't have excess skin which you will). So if you wanted to be a marine and didn't have time to pack on muscle? You would get down to 200 pounds (ideally you would only weigh 230 right now but oh well). 200 is the high end of the range, you could easily have been 190 or 185. Remember you don't work out you don't have a structure under your skin to support a lot of muscle weight. Frankly put? Your not nearly as big a guy as you think you are.. but you are fatter.

To be a marine you need to reach certain fitness requirements. One of the tests? Pull ups. Good luck on that bud. Get down to 250 and see if you can even do one (you won't). The minimum is 3. You earn score as you do more and you need to reach at least a 130 score (not sure the entire scoring system).

You need to run 3 miles in 31 minutes. Again good luck. To many this is easy, to you it would be extremely hard. You would need to lose tremendous weight AND get your cardio up. Again.. you need to get down to 200 pounds... this would make this WAY easier. If you think being 225 will mean you will be lean and in shape? You won't. Remember you don't work out. Yet.

Bottom line. Get serious about this. Know your looking at having excess skin and its likely unavoidable. Know you have to run 3 miles averaging a little over 10 minutes a mile.. know you have to do pull ups.

Listen. Your 2 if not 3 years away from being ready. I'm not writing you off entirely.. you want to do this? Here is how you do it:

1. Come back to Earth and see reality. You are severly out of shape and it will take you years to even see you aren't overweight. Want to be a marine? You need to be in great shape. Take personal responsibility and accountability and realize how much damage you have done to your body and CHANGE. Stop using your drug (food) and over eating. Learn how to eat like a normal healthy person.

2. For the next 75 weeks you will attempt to lose 2 pounds per week. Thats close to a year an a half. You won't likely make it first shot. It will definitely likely take you 2 years taking into account relapses (Thanksgiving). Get down to 200 pounds.

3. Add muscle get lean. Test yourself and push yourself until you can do the correct exercises at a good rate. Don't be sensitive because you will have loose skin and you WILL be teased by marines/instructors. Consider surgery when you get older.

4. Eat low carbs. Thats your breads your pastas.. NO PIZZA. You need to eat lean chicken breast.. maybe almonds.. stuff like that. If you do eat carbs keep it minimal and not before bed. NO LATE NIGHT SNACKS.

[MMAInfluenced]

Hey man, Just went back to this thread i posted quit a while ago and thank you very much for the positive feedback and encouragement at the time of the post i weighed 350 lbs and i'm currently weighing in at 257 lbs i've lost nearly 100 lbs at this point. I'm currently working with my recruiters and I have to get down to 246 before I can enter the DEP and then 231 to ship out to boot camp. I know you probably don't even remember replying to this post but just figured i'd give you a little update on all the progress i made

Wow.. exactly.. took you a year and a half just to reach 257 and still very over weight. Remember they want you at 230 for bootcamp.. they are gonna kick your damn ass in there and it will be MUCH harder for you than the guys who come in shape.

If I were you I'm telling you know up your cardio/keep lifting and get to 200 pounds. Marines is serious business they want elite specimens you need to really lose 57 more pounds. ****s serious and its hard. Good luck.. you did a LOT more than I thought being as you were so obese I thought your chances were a pipe dream. The hard part is still to come.. sure losing 100 pounds was hard but getting lean is going to be harder. Now your diet really needs to be on point.

[Junsuiakai]

Please close this thread, mods.. it'll keep getting bumped, a year later lol

[blue9steel]

Ok so basically i'll keep things short, It's one of my goals to become a United States Marine

As a former Marine, I congratulate you on your decision, it's not an easy choice but it's a worthwhile one.

Currently I'm 6'3 350 pounds. I've set up a plan in which I need to lose about 4 lbs a week or like 12 lbs a month by December I will be 125 pounds lighter and just about the correct weight for boot camp

Normally the reasonable rate of weight loss is 1lb-2lb per week, however at your size faster speeds may be reasonable and the 1% of bodyweight per week rule of thumb is probably a better guide.

Go read the nutrition stickies and set up your calorie & macro targets.

Go read the workout program stickies and choose a beginner program.

Since you're planning to go to boot camp I also recommend you incorporate some bodyweight exercises, jogging and walking with a heavy pack as part of your training routine.

You may or may not be able to hit that December date, that's very aggressive, but as long as you don't quit you'll get there soon enough.

[Beardsey]

you're a loser for taking all that time to tell me that I won't be able to accomplish something you have no idea what you're talking about telling me I'm overweight because I have no discipline and don't have what it takes to serve my country my recruiters were so impressed with the progress I made and are working with me very closely to help get me ready for boot camp. I can't believe people like you exist I'm here willing to sacrifice my life for my country and you're going to tell me why I'm not disciplined enough based off of a bodybuidling forum post. I was disciplined enough to lose 100 lbs so far anything is possible, you telling me I was only fat because I lacked discipline is bs I have been overweight ever since I was a small child I had no control over my situation at that point and I'm making a change for the better and you're coming on here to try and discourage me, you truly are a terrible person.

[Beardsey]

Thanks for the positive feedback and thank you for your service. I'm currently weighing in at 255 lbs almost 100 lbs have been lost and I'm working with my recruiters so that I'm ready for boot camp