Is it smart to watch what I eat and only have 2 meals a day? What should I do about my weight?

Zachary Lindsay — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 17:37:58 -0500

Hello all! My dream is to join the army, I'm currently 15 6'0 185 I'm extremely healthy I workout 4 times a week and play high school baseball and football. I'm predicted to be around 6'2 220 which exceeds the weight requirement. I'm very stressed about exceedingly the weight requirement. So I've begone to watch what I eat and only have 2 meals a day. Is this smart? And what should I do about my weight? (Most of it is muscle I have a six pack not that it matters)

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2020 5:46 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 17:46:51 -0500

Zachary Lindsay You are 15 years old. Eat three balanced meals a day and do not stress about your predicted weight right now.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Jan 12 at 2020 5:47 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 17:47:18 -0500

Zachary Lindsay Google AR600-9. It will give you the height weight tables and Body Composition Requirements. Your recruiter can help you on understanding weight standards. If you fail height weight, they do body composition with a series of measurements and spin a wheel and your body fat is calculated. You have an alloted body fat by age and gender. Sometimes it's fair, sometimes not. It is what it is. You'll learn your numbers you have to hit to be in standard.

It's good you are in shape. It doesn't matter whether it is muscle, fat, grizzle, loose skin, cartilage, or wrought aluminum. If you bust tape, you'll be entered in the ABCP and have to make satisfactory progress to get in standard in 6 months or you get separated.

Being a big moist guy my whole 22 year career was a struggle. Get in shape, stay in shape, protect yourself from injury.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2020 6:35 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 18:35:46 -0500

You're 15 years old?
Ear the hell out of everything you can. At your age restricting your calorie intake can have detrimental long term health effects. There is no maximum weight limit, the services go off of body fat. The weight tables you're thinking of are screening tables. Basically, if you're below X weight at X height, your body fat % is below the requirements. If it's above X weight then you get taped. If you are eating healthy and staying active you're fine. If you don't have a noticeable belly then you're definitely within tolerance.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2020 9:56 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 21:56:27 -0500

Keep up the exercise and eat healthy but eat your 3 meals a deal. You do that and you’ll easily make tape to join the military if that’s still your goal in a few years.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jan 12 at 2020 10:42 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 22:42:24 -0500

Let me give you some advice. Enjoy life and reduce your stress.

Response by SPC Stewart Smith made Jan 12 at 2020 10:49 PM

SPC Stewart Smith — Sun, 12 Jan 2020 22:49:34 -0500

Dude, you're young. Eat, eat, eat, and then eat more.
Keep working out. Eat healthy foods. 1 year before you join start cutting weight.

Response by Maj John Bell made Jan 13 at 2020 6:56 AM

Maj John Bell — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 06:56:49 -0500

Best to ask your physician.

That said, here's what my doctor told me. One of the keys to better appetite control is to keep your blood chemistry levels (blood sugar and insulin) relatively stable.

Dietary fiber, and lots of it, help with both blood sugar and insulin stabilization. Eat lots of raw vegetables high in dietary fiber with every meal and eat them first in the meal. Once you've finished the raw vegetables, take about 5 minutes to enjoy the good company at the table to give your gut the time to get in the best digestive mode.

Eating small meals more often, rather than bigger meals less frequently is best.

If you have not been physically active during the day, a brisk 15 minute walk 30 minutes after the first and last meal of the day also helps stabilize blood chemistry.

Following these three principles, I lost most of the spare tire that started to develop in my mid-30's, while still eating pretty much anything I wanted.

Response by LCDR Joshua Gillespie made Jan 13 at 2020 12:48 PM

LCDR Joshua Gillespie — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 12:48:16 -0500

Six foot at fifteen? Sure you don't want to think about pro-ball instead? Just kidding my friend. SFC Private RallyPoint Member has the gouge...he knows things. Coming from the extreme opposite end of the spectrum (I entered service at seventeen weighing about 150, and left the Academy at twenty at 5" 6", 110 lbs.), you don't want to starve yourself...your body needs fuel. There's always a balance for the "tactical athlete" between resistance training and cardio...you run, and run a lot in the Military...but it doesn't do you any good to get there (or get away from there) fast, and have nothing to back yourself up with when the time comes. Some career paths are VERY punishing on joints and connective tissues, so you don't want to be a beanpole. Sounds to me like you're A-O-K.

Response by CPT Brad Wilson made Jan 13 at 2020 1:17 PM

CPT Brad Wilson — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 13:17:41 -0500

The height weight is only a screening measure if what you say is true you will be well under the body fat requirement and shouldn’t have problems with the PT test Eat healthy and keep exercising and you will be fine. I would suggest that you add push ups to your routine. Tall guys with long arms tend to struggle with them because they have further to move than short guys with short arms like me.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 14 at 2020 10:57 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 22:57:01 -0500

You're 15...eat!! You should be eating plenty at 15 and being that active. Don't stress on the weight number, its all about body fat percentage. I am 6'0" and I weigh 229. I hit the gym pretty hard so I always make tape, and have never had an issue. I was even taped at MEPS when I re-enlisted, it is really no big deal.