Fat kid Wants to Join AU Army

[swerve]

To be fair, one of the reasons many Marines in the US find transition to civilian life hard is because the military takes care of people quite well, so he's not entirely wrong in that regard..

I have no personal experience of being in any army, navy, etc., but this fits what I've seen in some people I've known who've had difficulty in adapting to civilian life after military service. I think that it's often to do with structure: life in an army is very structured compared to life outside - well, except in North Korea. That very structured life suits some people very well.

 

[Feanor]

I have no personal experience of being in any army, navy, etc., but this fits what I've seen in some people I've known who've had difficulty in adapting to civilian life after military service. I think that it's often to do with structure: life in an army is very structured compared to life outside - well, except in North Korea. That very structured life suits some people very well.

Yes, of course. But I think the key component is not just the existence of a structure, but the fact that the structure does an excellent job in taking care of service members, at least in the US. Between excellent health care, chow hall for food, local laundromat for laundry, barracks to live in, and all kinds of resources for service members, living on base removes many of the worries that ordinary civilian life involves. All these benefits are afforded for good reasons, and at a significant cost (anyone who's humped ~120 pounds up a steep steep hill, at a pace set by someone carrying far less at the front of the formation can tell you) but none the less it's hard to do without. Even in the reserves, when I got back to civilian life from bootcamp, I missed certain aspects of it. Granted bootcamp mostly sucked. But it was also a totally worry-free environment. I mean you worried about not getting yelled at or having to do push-ups until you make a big puddle of sweat on the deck, but compared to juggling two jobs, and being a full time student, it was less stressful. When I got pneumonia in boot, I went to medical, got meds, stayed in bed for two days, got better, and went back to training, with no ill consequences. In real life missing work would mean losing money, missing school meant having to catch up on a lot of material later, etc. When I got an ingrown toe-nail in civilian life, I procrastinated two weeks to find time to see the doctor.

 

[MrConservative]

My 2 cents Timid would be to keep options open regarding a service career but concentrate on getting the most out of the free education on offer over the next 18 months. Looking at your daily schedule my opinion is that you work too much and should look at doing less work hours - money is not everything or should not be. Also a couple of hours extra sleep a day is not a bad thing for a teenager - 8 hours is about right. You feel so much better for it, less stressed and happier according to medical experts. Nutrition and exercise advice from me would be hypercritical as someone whom has been sedentary glutton for the last 20 years.

 

[swerve]

Yes, of course. But I think the key component is not just the existence of a structure, but the fact that the structure does an excellent job in taking care of service members, at least in the US. ..

This fits what I've heard from friends & relatives who've been in the British armed forces, & one who was in the French Foreign Legion. He was having the worst time adapting: he was half way through his second enlistment when he was invalidated out because of an injury. They looked after him very well, & he was going through university at French government expense, but he was lost without La Légion. A cousin of mine was flown home from his ship in the Med. when his father died suddenly: helicopter to Turkey, met by a Turkish officer & a consular official (both expressing deep sympathy), driven to Antalya airport, whisked straight past customs & passport control & put on a plane. Oh, & the captain gave him the news personally: apparently that's not a job that can be delegated.

 

[timid]

I have no personal experience of being in any army, navy, etc., but this fits what I've seen in some people I've known who've had difficulty in adapting to civilian life after military service. I think that it's often to do with structure: life in an army is very structured compared to life outside - well, except in North Korea. That very structured life suits some people very well.

Yeah, you're completely right. That's what I love about it. Living with my father isolated from the "norm" far from my place of birth, we lived for around half my life. There was a lot of discipline and everything worked on respect, we'd have these hikes we'd go on, these long rides (usually half a day), until I came back home, without a structured and very thought out and planned day, I just couldn't find anything to do. There are objectives, rules, rewards, punishment, security, moderation, (hopefully) an equal work load, etc.

 

[timid]

My 2 cents Timid would be to keep options open regarding a service career but concentrate on getting the most out of the free education on offer over the next 18 months. Looking at your daily schedule my opinion is that you work too much and should look at doing less work hours - money is not everything or should not be. Also a couple of hours extra sleep a day is not a bad thing for a teenager - 8 hours is about right. You feel so much better for it, less stressed and happier according to medical experts. Nutrition and exercise advice from me would be hypercritical as someone whom has been sedentary glutton for the last 20 years.

Thanks for the reply. Education is a must for me, hopefully I haven't damaged too much of my grades this semester and will have time to recover (I used to skip classes and school in general). I plan to finish highschool, get decent grades, a certificate in IT. I won't let anything stop me from completing these goals. I've ignored temptation of many things (mostly being unhealthy food/narcotics) and have went too far to stop, plus I really love dieting, feeling the hunger and cold. It's odd because when ever I exercise its always to get pain out of it. Theres something in my mind that makes me believe that I cant achieve without pain or discomfort.

 

[bdique]

Thanks for the reply. Education is a must for me, hopefully I haven't damaged too much of my grades this semester and will have time to recover (I used to skip classes and school in general). I plan to finish highschool, get decent grades, a certificate in IT. I won't let anything stop me from completing these goals. I've ignored temptation of many things (mostly being unhealthy food/narcotics) and have went too far to stop, plus I really love dieting, feeling the hunger and cold. It's odd because when ever I exercise its always to get pain out of it. Theres something in my mind that makes me believe that I cant achieve without pain or discomfort.

Don't mind me sharing a few thoughts.

1. Education matters - I cannot stress this enough. Higher education levels are strongly correlated with better life outcomes (income levels, SES, psychosocial, mental health etc.); there is an enormous body of research with robust findings that back up what I'm saying. Good to see that you are determined to study hard. Military career or not, education matters.

2. It seems like discipline is something you are exposed to - harness that discipline to get those grades. You may not have to agree with me, but discipline is really about making trade-offs in order to achieve your personal longer-term goal. This way of thinking has helped me out quite a fair bit, it's my hope that it'll help you too.

3. When training up, it's good that you're not going to give up at the slightest sensation of discomfort. However, word of caution - if it isn't muscular pain you are experiencing (i.e. sharp pain at certain angles of joint movement, or some weird tingly sensation in the joints) then stop before injury sets in. This isn't about being a wuss - the last thing you want is to suffer a long-term injury before enlistment i.e. ACL. As your training intensity ramps up, don't underestimate the importance of rest days.

 

[Volkodav]

Dulce et Decorum Est

Studied Wilfred Owen at high school and though I was looking to a military career I did understand that it is quite a sad, perhaps almost inappropriate these days, sentiment and definitely not to be aspired to.

Would definitely not mention the drug use as that would pretty much guarantee a rejection.

 

[swerve]

Dulce et Decorum Est

Studied Wilfred Owen at high school and though I was looking to a military career I did understand that it is quite a sad, perhaps almost inappropriate these days, sentiment and definitely not to be aspired to.

Owen was saying that it was absolutely inappropriate.

 

[Volkodav]

Owen was saying that it was absolutely inappropriate.

Yes, I know, which is why I said I did understand, some in the class, bizarrely did not, or more to the point chose not to due to filtering it through their immature biases.

Ironically the kid who wanted to serve and die for his country saw it as pro war as Owen was a serving officer who lost his life in WWI, as did the looney lefties who disengaged their brains once they were aware he was a white Anglo Saxon soldier, which they equated to racist, sexist, warmonger.

I went to school with some really odd people.

 

[old faithful]

Youre not going to pass the pshyc test at this stage.
The French Foreign Legion is not a good idea for young men under about 23 YO in my opinion.
I know a few who have served in the FFL, and from what they have told me, you will not be mentally prepared for that at 18yo.

 

[timid]

Youre not going to pass the pshyc test at this stage.
The French Foreign Legion is not a good idea for young men under about 23 YO in my opinion.
I know a few who have served in the FFL, and from what they have told me, you will not be mentally prepared for that at 18yo.

I was exaggerating a bit too much about the long term goal, which I fully admit was stupid. Let's just say I got a bit excited.

On regards of joining La Legion, I'm thinking, I'm thinking hard. And yes, definitely no were near the age of 18. Most likely once I have experience of my countries army and know the ropes well.

Thank you for your reply.

 

[timid]

Don't mind me sharing a few thoughts.

1. Education matters - I cannot stress this enough. Higher education levels are strongly correlated with better life outcomes (income levels, SES, psychosocial, mental health etc.); there is an enormous body of research with robust findings that back up what I'm saying. Good to see that you are determined to study hard. Military career or not, education matters.

2. It seems like discipline is something you are exposed to - harness that discipline to get those grades. You may not have to agree with me, but discipline is really about making trade-offs in order to achieve your personal longer-term goal. This way of thinking has helped me out quite a fair bit, it's my hope that it'll help you too.

3. When training up, it's good that you're not going to give up at the slightest sensation of discomfort. However, word of caution - if it isn't muscular pain you are experiencing (i.e. sharp pain at certain angles of joint movement, or some weird tingly sensation in the joints) then stop before injury sets in. This isn't about being a wuss - the last thing you want is to suffer a long-term injury before enlistment i.e. ACL. As your training intensity ramps up, don't underestimate the importance of rest days.

Thank you for your thoughts, I found it very useful.

 

[timid]

Dulce et Decorum Est

Studied Wilfred Owen at high school and though I was looking to a military career I did understand that it is quite a sad, perhaps almost inappropriate these days, sentiment and definitely not to be aspired to.

Would definitely not mention the drug use as that would pretty much guarantee a rejection.

I hate it how people deem a military career "inappropriate". It's a secure job, though unconventional it's pretty enjoyable on more than one level. Where I stay only some (very few) Muslim immigrants are against it, with good reason on their part.

I would definitely not mention past drug use.

 

[Feanor]

I hate it how people deem a military career "inappropriate". It's a secure job, though unconventional it's pretty enjoyable on more than one level. Where I stay only some (very few) Muslim immigrants are against it, with good reason on their part.

I would definitely not mention past drug use.

There is nothing "inappropriate" about a military career, but don't assume you're going to have one. Enlisting is one thing, doing 20 years is another. Don't be surprised if you enlist, do your 5 or 8, and get out. Most do.

If military service is something you want to do, go for it, but don't assume how it will turn out. It's a very different lifestyle, and it's not just a job or a career, it's a way of life, a culture. Take it as it comes, and see how you feel at the end of your 3rd or 4th year. At this point your long term goal should be making it in and seeing how the shoe fits.

 

[ADMk2]

Hey guys,

I'm currently 16, turning 17 in two months. No doubt in my mind that I want to serve my home country, and have decided to change. I've dropped a high calorie diet for a healthy no-sugar, high protein, low carb one. I've also dropped drugs (used to be LSD & Cannabis) for a start. I consume from 1200-1600 calories daily and only drink coffee (for breakfast) and water (1-2L). I have a bmi around 24.5, with not much upper body strength. I've so far started running around 3.5Miles on days that I am vacant (sunday, monday, tuesday). I run as long as I can with few breaks (walking). On Tuesday I ran till I actually vomited. Its kind of stupid, but I'm proud to say that I have resisted temptation of fast food (as I work there after school) and instead I just went for a run home after work.

I have very little upper body strength and can barely do 10 full pushups (I did 50 female pushups on sunday). I'd just like some advice on how I should prepare and portion my meals, count carbs n macros.

my usual day goes like this:
-wake up at 7.30am
-head to school (1.8miles away) by foot
-eat lunch at 1 (whole meal bread with salmon (or pork without fat) with 1-2 slices of tomato)
-finish school at 3pm
-walk to work straight from school (1.2miles)
-work for 5-6 hours on average (no snacks or food except water)
-finish work at 9-10pm
-take a bus to school
-run from school to home (1.8miles)
-10-11pm get home and eat a small meal with lots of fruits (sometimes veg)
-go to sleep at 12-1am

Like I said any advice would be appreciated.
weight = 152lbs height = 5'7" body fat % = 18% bmi = 24.5

goals: get fit for the military, gain muscle mass/core strength, excel physically/mentally & be combat ready as infantry. Join the Army after passing highschool and have a diet/exercise plan that I can stick to.

long term goals: die in combat, honorably ( I would rather prefer this than have the indignity of not being able to go to the toilet in time) or maybe even join the French Foreign Legion for the average contract of 5yrs.

Thanks, all

I wouldn't worry about counting carbs at your age. Make sure they are complex carbohydrates, such as is found in rolled oats. Train / diet like this and regardless of your BMI you'll be fighting fit in no time.

Breakfast - rolled oats and cold water.

Water

Protein shake for mid-morning snack.

Water

Tuna / lean chicken / turkey and salad for lunch, plus cold water.

Moderate quantity of fruit of choice for mid afternoon snack.

Water

Grilled lean chicken / fish for dinner with steamed vegetables and a small amount of brown rice (less than 100 grams). Water.

Protein shake before bed.

Exercise

Cardio in the morning / afternoon 4 days per week. Look to sustainably build your distance and leg pace over time. Utilise interval running to rapidly increase cardio-vascular fitness and leg pace (how fast you can run, not distance).

If you are extremely weak as you say, seek to build strength easily through body weight resistance training. Focus on the military basics - push-ups, sit-ups / crunches, planks, chin-ups, dips, squats, lunges calf raises and burpees. 3 times oer week with a day of rest in between. Seek to do 3 sets per exercise and build your repetitions over time.

As to joining the military, get yourself fit, get yourself educated and figure out why you want to join. 'Dying honourably' is just plain weird mate. I would also (respectfully) advise you to seek some help, if you honestly think that is all there is to life.

 

[Vulcan]

I wouldn't worry about counting carbs at your age. Make sure they are complex carbohydrates, such as is found in rolled oats. Train / diet like this and regardless of your BMI you'll be fighting fit in no time.

Breakfast - rolled oats and cold water.

Water

Protein shake for mid-morning snack.

Water

Tuna / lean chicken / turkey and salad for lunch, plus cold water.

Moderate quantity of fruit of choice for mid afternoon snack.

Water

Grilled lean chicken / fish for dinner with steamed vegetables and a small amount of brown rice (less than 100 grams). Water.

Protein shake before bed.

Exercise

Cardio in the morning / afternoon 4 days per week. Look to sustainably build your distance and leg pace over time. Utilise interval running to rapidly increase cardio-vascular fitness and leg pace (how fast you can run, not distance).

If you are extremely weak as you say, seek to build strength easily through body weight resistance training. Focus on the military basics - push-ups, sit-ups / crunches, planks, chin-ups, dips, squats, lunges calf raises and burpees. 3 times oer week with a day of rest in between. Seek to do 3 sets per exercise and build your repetitions over time.

While I might change a few things here and there (personal preference), this sort of diet/exercise regime does work, I'm down 126lbs doing a similar thing.

Not sure if the Aussies do it, but in the UK services each branch puts out example fitness routines tailored to get you ready for basic so perhaps they have something similar?

 

[Waseb Al-Qisuin]

Just started to read your thread, how is it going mate, are you feeling better, stronger?