Problems at MEPS

[firemedic07]

So I went to MEPS on December 20th and 21st I did great on the ASVAB and everything checked out great with the Physical, well untill I got weighed, I was 30 lbs over and when they taped me they put me at 8% bodyfat over required. I knew that this was wrong due to me measuring the morning of and being 4% under. then after I got told that I cant go back to MEPs untill April 28th I talked to one of the people in the Navy office. 3 Navy recruiters 1 Air force recruiter and 1 Marine recruiter taped me and got the same measurement that I did in the morning. Has anyone else had a bad experience at MEPs ot am I the only one. and is there anything thta I can do to fight the decision. I am now 8% under and 15 lbs over. any insight would be great. Thanks

[poddoc]

I am not sure about appealing the decision. Are you a DEP'er? My husband was DEP for almost a year and he gained weight during that time. His recruiter kept a close eye on his weight even though he was under on his weight (I guess they look for increases in weight as well). Sorry, not much help. Good luck with appealing. My husband enjoyed DEP, it prepared him for boot camp (drills and learning material prior to BC). Merry Christmas to you and your family.

[cousinIT]

i got rejected my first time too...i was only 3 lbs over and like 1% body fat over the limit. it SUCKS, i know.
but just keep working at it and everything will work out.
running will really help take weight off...maybe find an indoor pool too
i know i'm goin to start swimming soon
just hang in there

[Tyler's Dad]

If you are serious about joining the Navy, lose the weight needed and keep it off. Delay joining for a few months and drop about 30 lbs. This will make life in Boot Camp a lot better. Remember, there will be constant checks to make sure that you are within limits throughout your time in active duty. Good luck.

[Retired Navy Chief]

Yep ... you need to give your body some time to "stabilize". Sometimes that takes a month or two ... which is something that both recruiters and applicants hate to hear.
There have been cases where applicants have gone so far as to use diuretics, wrap themselves in saran wrap for pajamas or even rub themselves down with Preparation H (yeah, I'm serious) the night before their physical in order to drop to the specifications. I am definately NOT an advocate for going these routes !!! The results are only temporary, they can be dangerous and besides, those folks 9 times out of 10 will balloon back up prior to their shipping day and will not able to go to bootcamp .... DON'T TRY IT !!

If you have lost weight the right way, then it sounds like your body is not used to the "new" weight & body fat % .... it is going to yo-yo up and down until your body realizes where you really want it to be.

In the meantime ... think CARDIO, CARDIO, CARDIO !!! Running, swimming, jumprope, bike riding (not just putting around the block either !!). Also incorporate core training into your routine ... situps/crunches, pushups, pullups. You need to be doing SOMETHING each and every day followed by 30 minutes of cardio. For your cardio, get the heartrate up in the 120 - 160 bpm range and sustain that. You are going to need to be in good shape not only for bootcamp but for duty in general. Ask any of these folks who are onboard ship right now ... you will put on an average of 2-5 miles as part of your daily routine (more if you are on the Kitty Hawk :biggrin: ).

If you are doing much weightlifting then you might be working against yourself due to the fact that muscle weighs more than fat. I have known many applicants that "assumed" that they needed to be able to bench press a gazillion pounds to make it through boot and ended up packing on extra muscle mass and pushing them over bodyfat %. Again .... CARDIO and diet will be your best attack.

Give us the details on what you have been doing to lose weight and what your diet consists of ... I might be able to suggest a couple more things that may help you.


Good luck,
PISTOL

[NCMEDIC]

I agree with the above too. My best suggestion...eat 3 meals a day, have 2 snacks, don't eat within 2 hours before bed, avoid alcohol and soft drinks, and do cardio.