ok, here's the problem. i'm 6'2, 255 lbs. I can run, push, sit-up and everything just fine, but i'm just larger. I get flagged all the time for being overweight, but in the real world, i'm not at all. I can do what everyone else does, but twice as well. I get told all kinds of names for being overweight but its not gonna change anything. I work out twice a day and I am on a full time diet of soup and salad, and meat every 3 days. I have huge shoulders but there's only so far i can flex. in the gym, i'm light years, physically, ahead of everyone else. squats, bench, curls are all me working out with myself. no one can keep up in reps or weight. but i'm still way overweight to the army. Special pops is just a nicer workout for me. it doesn't affect me at all. i can run miles with sandbags and im still fine. i can do 1,000 pushups a day and its not too bad. i dont get sore at all. And yes, i drink a ton of water. Nothing but water. Water water water.
To make matters worse, I met someone, awhile back and she and I have become very serious. Probably married in the next year. We haven't really set a date, because they always change in the ARMY. but i am engaged and all that. She is a doctor and says that I am completely healthy. I can't pass tape or weight but I am healthy? she actually likes larger guys, so to her, i am perfect. to her, i don't need to lose any weight.
I joined the army for the money. money for college, money to travel, money for nice things and of course, money for my family. I take leave because my family is what drives me. They use that to dangle in front of me like "if you dont loss weight, we won't let you go on leave....." I'm at the point that either becoming anorexic or having liposuction are my only options left. my fiance hates to hear that they want me to be smaller, and i can see why.
i used to be hell bent on making Corporal and being a bad ass NCO, but now I just want to get these next few years over with so i can get out.

I have 2 1/2 more years of this. Ya, i'm fresh out of AIT. in AIT, they were really into combatives, so i would do tear apart anyone that commented on my weight. Its just eventually going to turn a hard working lower enlisted into another lower enlisted that just gave up on caring. i can only take so much of being told something is wrong with me. I'm about to go to my old civilian doctor and just say "i'll pay the co-pay, but am I fat? and can i have it in writing that i'm not." its hard like feeling good, feeling healthy and being told there is something wrong with me, even when i finish runs in the top 5 people. so what about the 30 behind me? somehow they are more healthy than me but they are throwing up? i'm confused.

What do I do? is there someone else i should be talking to? they wont send me to a nutritionist. I told them i wanted to go, but they wouldn't send me.

OK Soldier, I'll try to help you out some here.

Background: I am a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer. My equivilant rank in the Army would be SFC. Nov. 2005 I weighed (official) 254 lbs and stood 6'1.5" tall. Only reason I passed the body composition for the Navy was I measured within standards. Started a self-imposed "Fat Boy" program in Feb. 2006. By the time I retired in Dec. 2006 I was down to around 180 lbs. Since then I have hovered between 185 and 190 lbs. I thought the same thing a lot of folks did - so long as you PT you can eat just about anything. I was dead wrong.

There has been a lot of debate on the concept of being "fat and fit". I don't know the latest, but at one point the medical profession was leaning towards them being mutually exculsive terms.

First, the only one that can say you are obese is a doctor, and in your case the only one that will count is the medical officer. The diagnosis from a civilian doctor will not be accepted. The only possible exception would be if you were a drilling reservist and the civilian doctor was also a reservist. I definitely would not take the word of your fiance as she is too close to you to maintain her objectivity. In fact, I'm kinda surprised at what she is saying considering her profession.

Next, let's look at the diet. Soup and salad are good, you do need some protein, water is great, but still you may need some work. Your command should be making arrangements for you to be in a weight control program as you have a problem, even though you (as you say) are having no issues with the physical readiness tests. If they won't, then you will have to suck the cost up and look for a program that will educate you with regard to choices based on what is served on your mess decks, a resturant, or what you get in the commissary, as well as portion control. Make your own decision on which program, but I use Weight Watchers to stay where I'm at. I can even use their tools to calculate how much of an MRE I can eat during the day. In my case, if I ate an entire MRE I would hit my allotment for that day.

Right now you say there are no issues, but as you age the excess tonnage will take a toll on the lower joints - eventually you will develop some issues that you don't need.

You can do this. I was 50 years old when I started the "Fat Boy" program, and I did PT like a big dog before then. I had no issues getting good scores, but I really saw my scores improve once the excess tonnage was removed. I have a feeling that you will also see even bigger changes in yourself as you get to a healthier weight as well as a change in how your fellow Soldiers perceive you. In fact, it might just help you meet your goal of becoming an NCO.

Good luck.

There is no service that will kick you out or keep you from promotion for simply being over the weight limit. You must also be over the body fat limits as well.

I am 6'3" and was 230 lbs. I was in great shape but was still overweight. I did however, meet the body fat limits. I currently weigh 198 and am in even better shape and don't even need to get my body fat checked because I am 20 lbs under max weight.

Point being, if you are under body fat counts, you are fine and nobody should even confuse you with being fat. If you are over weight and body fat, then you will need to lose weight. Plain and simple.

well, i can pass tape. took a PT test and passed. I took a tape test and passed. but from what i hear, i passed barely. So to help me get in better shape, I have to be at the gym at 4:30am, an hour before the "fat boy program" starts to workout. then during PT, like today, we did muscle failure, and while everyone rested, I got smoked. From what I hear, until I get way under tape, they are going to smoke me everyday, before, during and after PT, and then during my work day. I'm the lowest ranking person in my battery, and everyone who has been instructed to smoke me.
I know, all of you reading this have so much more experience than me but it's just getting to the point where they're like "if you don't do every workout we tell you, we'll council you and recommend an article 15."
Other NCO's that aren't smoking me are like super motivating and like pushing me to do well. If they see the sun is in my eyes when i'm doing flutter kicks, they'll stand in the way and like tell me that i'm doing a good job and stuff. Its just my NCO's that are like trying to drive me into the ground.
Is there a limit to what they are doing? really, my motivation level is going down fast. if there is anyone that can shed some light on this, why i'm being smoked everyday for passing my tape just isn't good enough.

Being at the gym an hour before the other guys on weight control/remedial show up - is there anyone from your unit there to muster and work with you? The answer better be yes, otherwise they just lost some credibility.

As to the rest, like I said before start looking at your diet as well. That may help you get within the body fat standards and one day within the height/weight standards.

well, i decided to take matters into my own hands about the weight thing. i had to go get something signed by the doc yesterday so i went ahead and talked to him about what was going on, and now i'm concerned about my tape. he gave me the number for the nutritionist.
i survived the endless smoke session. they said i did a lot more than they thought i would. i guess a lot of people reach muscle failure sooner. i'm not really that motivated to do well, but oh well. that's the army.

MrIncredible, it sounds like you need more cardio. It doesn't matter how many pushups and situps you can do, that isn't burning the calories you need to lower your body fat percentage. And a 2 mile run isn't that great for it either. You need a "long, slow burn" in that regards, such as a 45 minute run at a slower pace. That will get your heart rate up into the fat burning zone and keep it there the entire time.

I was in the same boat as you. I'm 5'10 and I was 200 lbs, which is 15 lbs overweight. I was also 29% body fat. I started a workout program that is EXCELLENT for burning fat and getting into great shape though. If you've ever seen the P90X infomercials, you know what I'm talking about. In 90 days I lost 31 lbs and dropped down to 10% body fat. The program also has a nutritional guide, which tells you what kinds of food you can eat, and how much you can eat, what kind of snacks, etc. It is a GREAT tool to use and an even better workout program.

I know a lot of soldiers in the same boat that have started P90X for the same reasons that you're describing right now, and all of them have had success as long as the program is followed. I wish you the best of luck getting down within your weight limit and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me.