Female Trying to Gain Weight

[MD8724]

Do not stop running altogether, your run time will progressively get worse if you do (depending on how many weeks). You can cut back on running, just run once or twice a week and you should be fine.

Oh yeah, your run time would take a hit if you stopped completely, and put on weight. I mean, the heavier you get, the harder it is to run :P I was just saying if you desperatly want to gain those 10 pounds, you can stop. I'd say by the time you finish with bootcamp though, youll be back to being underweight, and you run time would have recovered in those 3 months from the time off.

[Roop]

Really though, it's just about getting there and making it through.

That's what I'm psyching myself out about. Making it through. I get letters every day from a recruit and I know it's not going to be easy. I need to maybe discuss PI with some females to get a feel for what exactly I'm in for.

And creatine it is! I'll stop in GNC tomorrow, grab that, weight gainer and a good multi-vitamin. I drank Ensure today and it wasn't bad at all. One bottle filled me up as much as a protein shake. So I will continue with that as well.

[commdog7]

As for your crunches, it seems to me that you problem lies with you positioning rather than your stength. They aren't situps, so don't waste your energy going all the way up. The trick is to scoot in as close as you can before the timer starts, try to get your heels to touch your ass. Your forearms have to make contact with your thighs, as soon as they touch you can go back down. Do not go all the way down either, just far enough where your shoulder blades hit the deck. If you master this technique, I think you can easily do over 100 before you ship to boot.

[commdog7]

I need to maybe discuss PI with some females to get a feel for what exactly I'm in for. shake.

What do you want to know?

[MD8724]

As for your crunches, it seems to me that you problem lies with you positioning rather than your stength. They aren't situps, so don't waste your energy going all the way up. The trick is to scoot in as close as you can before the timer starts, try to get your heels to touch your ass. Your forearms have to make contact with your thighs, as soon as they touch you can go back down. Do not go all the way down either, just far enough where your shoulder blades hit the deck. If you master this technique, I think you can easily do over 100 before you ship to boot.

I spread my legs when I do mine. Doing that makes my thighs be that much closer. Ill have like 2-3 inches of movment I have to do to complete the crunch. Really easy.

Hey, you said you are doing planks too right ? Thats a good way to not gain weight, due to burning of the abs.

[Roop]

What do you want to know?

Thank you, Ma'am for offering to answer my questions. Honestly? Anything and everything. Any tips or info you'd like to throw my way. I'm sure some of these things I can ask my recruiters on Monday as well. But it'd be nice to hear it from a female.

What I can and cannot bring to PI. What's the underwear situation like, do we bring our own? My hair is down to my hips, am I allowed to have a "braid-bun?" Shower time, is it 3 min.? What was your first week like? What week was hardest for you and why? What week was easiest? Did the other females in your platoon get along? What week did you adjust to the routine?

I could go on and on...

[Roop]

I spread my legs when I do mine. Doing that makes my thighs be that much closer. Ill have like 2-3 inches of movment I have to do to complete the crunch. Really easy.

Hey, you said you are doing planks too right ? Thats a good way to not gain weight, due to burning of the abs.

I will try both methods. I think the heels next to my *** seems like it would work the best for me. Haha and alright I will knock off the planks.

[commdog7]

Thank you, Ma'am for offering to answer my questions. Honestly? Anything and everything. Any tips or info you'd like to throw my way. I'm sure some of these things I can ask my recruiters on Monday as well. But it'd be nice to hear it from a female.

What I can and cannot bring to PI. What's the underwear situation like, do we bring our own? My hair is down to my hips, am I allowed to have a "braid-bun?" Shower time, is it 3 min.? What was your first week like? What week was hardest for you and why? What week was easiest? Did the other females in your platoon get along? What week did you adjust to the routine?

I could go on and on...

Aside from your required documents and money your recruiter will tell you to bring, the only other thing you can take is a few sports bras (plain white with no logo). Anything else you bring will be confiscated: cell phone, shampoo, hair brush, teddy bear, etc. Everything you need will be issued to you, including undies and bras. Braid-buns are fine, the DI's will teach you how to make a sock-bun which is probably the easiest bun to make. You have 10 days to perfect your bun, once the 10 days are up, the DI's will force you to cut your hair if it isn't up to their standard. Shower time is more like 30 seconds, if that. It depends on what kind of mood the DI is in, but don't expect to get more an a minute shower while on the Island. You are rushed in and rushed out.

The first two weeks are the hardest. Big culture shock, and since there is very little actual training, the DI's mostly play games with you. During the first two weeks, you will likely question your decision about joining the Marines. The day I arrived to Parris Island and the day I picked up my DI's were the two hardest days on the Island. Both are really really long days and they are anything but fun. The last week is the easiest, it's when you have pretty much passed all the requirements and the DI's start treating you more like a Marine. You will hate your DI's in the first phase, but you will have incredible respect for them by the 3rd phase. By 3rd phase, you are pretty much well adjusted to life as a recruit. You know what makes the Drill Instructors tick and you know what you need to do to stay out of their way. I graduated with a platoon of 70, and we did not get along with each other at all. Most platoons get to be very tight by the time they graduate, but not my platoon. Lots of arguments and fights all the way up 'til graduation. But you do end up making some really good friends in boot, I still keep in touch with about 10 of them.

I'll add to this at a later time. If there is anything else you would like to know, just ask.

[Roop]

Aside from your required documents and money your recruiter will tell you to bring, the only other thing you can take is a few sports bras (plain white with no logo). Anything else you bring will be confiscated: cell phone, shampoo, hair brush, teddy bear, etc. Everything you need will be issued to you, including undies and bras. Braid-buns are fine, the DI's will teach you how to make a sock-bun which is probably the easiest bun to make. You have 10 days to perfect your bun, once the 10 days are up, the DI's will force you to cut your hair if it isn't up to their standard. Shower time is more like 30 seconds, if that. It depends on what kind of mood the DI is in, but don't expect to get more an a minute shower while on the Island. You are rushed in and rushed out.

The first two weeks are the hardest. Big culture shock, and since there is very little actual training, the DI's mostly play games with you. During the first two weeks, you will likely question your decision about joining the Marines. The day I arrived to Parris Island and the day I picked up my DI's were the two hardest days on the Island. Both are really really long days and they are anything but fun. The last week is the easiest, it's when you have pretty much passed all the requirements and the DI's start treating you more like a Marine. You will hate your DI's in the first phase, but you will have incredible respect for them by the 3rd phase. By 3rd phase, you are pretty much well adjusted to life as a recruit. You know what makes the Drill Instructors tick and you know what you need to do to stay out of their way. I graduated with a platoon of 70, and we did not get along with each other at all. Most platoons get to be very tight by the time they graduate, but not my platoon. Lots of arguments and fights all the way up 'til graduation. But you do end up making some really good friends in boot, I still keep in touch with about 10 of them.

I'll add to this at a later time. If there is anything else you would like to know, just ask.

Wow, Marine DI's don't mess around. So would you say that the DI games were the worst part or the actual training? And I can only imagine what the first few days are like. I'm glad I asked and very thankful you answered. If I think of anything else I will be sure to ask.

[commdog7]

Wow, Marine DI's don't mess around. So would you say that the DI games were the worst part or the actual training? And I can only imagine what the first few days are like. I'm glad I asked and very thankful you answered. If I think of anything else I will be sure to ask.

Let me put is like this, boot camp would be really easy if there were no Drill Instructors. Drill, rifle range, PT, classes... they are all pretty easy, it's the yelling, quaterdecking, and mind games that make it hard. You are treated as the lowest form of life, even the civilians who work on the base who never served a day in their life treat you like sh!t. Boot camp is 90% mental and 10% physical. But as long as you are determined, you will make it through.

The real training doesn't start until swim week, which is at the end of 1st phase. Until then, life will be miserable. Games, games, and more games. The first week goes by extremely slow. I arrived to the Island on a Monday; there is no way to tell time. Sometime during the first week, I remember asking another recruit what day it was, I was thinking it had to be Thursday- that I had been on the Island for 3 long days. Turns out it was still Monday... I was shocked. I could've sworn the Earth stopped rotating a few times during my time at PI.

You'll probably have some suicidal recruits in your platoon, one's who want attention and a way off the Island. They take the walk of shame, leaving the Island without earning the title is something they will one day regret. There were a few recruits in my platoon who went up to the DI and told her that they quit- they didn't want to be Marines anymore. The DI just laughed at them and embarrassed them in front of the whole platoon; they were glad the DI didn't let them quit when graduation day came around. Thousands have come before, there is no reason why you can't make it though. Come graduation day, the DI's no longer treat you like the scum of the Earth, they treat you like a Marine. It is the most awesome feeling in the world when you earn that title, there is nothing that compares to the pride you will have when you leave that Island as a Marine. Good luck.


P.S. If I had the opportunity, I would go through it all over again in a heartbeat.

[ameriken]

What I can and cannot bring to PI.

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=25168

[Roop]

Let me put is like this, boot camp would be really easy if there were no Drill Instructors. Drill, rifle range, PT, classes... they are all pretty easy, it's the yelling, quaterdecking, and mind games that make it hard. You are treated as the lowest form of life, even the civilians who work on the base who never served a day in their life treat you like sh!t. Boot camp is 90% mental and 10% physical. But as long as you are determined, you will make it through.

The real training doesn't start until swim week, which is at the end of 1st phase. Until then, life will be miserable. Games, games, and more games. The first week goes by extremely slow. I arrived to the Island on a Monday; there is no way to tell time. Sometime during the first week, I remember asking another recruit what day it was, I was thinking it had to be Thursday- that I had been on the Island for 3 long days. Turns out it was still Monday... I was shocked. I could've sworn the Earth stopped rotating a few times during my time at PI.

You'll probably have some suicidal recruits in your platoon, one's who want attention and a way off the Island. They take the walk of shame, leaving the Island without earning the title is something they will one day regret. There were a few recruits in my platoon who went up to the DI and told her that they quit- they didn't want to be Marines anymore. The DI just laughed at them and embarrassed them in front of the whole platoon; they were glad the DI didn't let them quit when graduation day came around. Thousands have come before, there is no reason why you can't make it though. Come graduation day, the DI's no longer treat you like the scum of the Earth, they treat you like a Marine. It is the most awesome feeling in the world when you earn that title, there is nothing that compares to the pride you will have when you leave that Island as a Marine. Good luck.


P.S. If I had the opportunity, I would go through it all over again in a heartbeat.

Thank you for wishing me good luck, Ma'am. Also, thank you for that entire reply. I think it was the most honest and motivating 20-something sentences anyone has ever said to me, especially coming from a female Marine who has been where I only aspire to go. I think I'll print it and quote you when I'm having a hard time.

[Roop]

http://www.leatherneck.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=25168

Thank you.

[Lisa 23]

Wow, Marine DI's don't mess around. So would you say that the DI games were the worst part or the actual training? And I can only imagine what the first few days are like. I'm glad I asked and very thankful you answered. If I think of anything else I will be sure to ask.

While at Parris Island, DO NOT ever call your Drill Instructors DI's. If you do, you'll be sorry you did. Start now by referring to them as Drill Instructors.

[Zulu 36]

I think you will do just fine. Your physical fitness is up there nicely (this is usually the big stressor on new recruits - it shouldn't be for you). Use the search function here and Google to look up the Marine knowledge you will need to learn in boot camp. The more you know before you go, the less stress you'll feel. Your recruiter should have a handbook for you too.

If you know you're cool in PT and have a good grip on the basic knowledge, the rest of the head games become easier to deal with. Drill Instructors are professionals at head games. You will never out think them for the first two phases. By third phase you should know the recruit business well enough to anticipate what your Drill Instructors want and be a little bit ahead of the game.

The first couple of weeks have a purpose. It may seem senseless, chaotic, but don't let that fool you. The purpose is to unscrew your head, flush out the civilian nastiness, and re-screw your head back on ready to be refilled the Marine Corps way. Believe me, some things you learn in boot camp, you will still do 30-years later. Silly little things like always stepping off on your left foot when walking, hating (fearing) to be late to anything, avoiding carrying things in your right hand (so you can salute).

Also, by third phase, if you are a good recruit, doing well at PT, drill, knowledge, etc, the Drill Instructors will start to lay off you a tad to concentrate on the problem children. The faster you prove yourself, the faster the personal stress eases a bit.

As Commdog7 said, by third phase you will start to really respect your Drill Instructors because the light bulb will have come on in your head about how hard some of this stuff is, and yet they can do it and more - seemingly with ease.

By third phase, most of the crap just flies past, you don't even notice anymore. You just automatically correctly respond and there you are.

Also, I'm jealous. My Drill Instructors NEVER taught me how to do a sock-bun.