Introduction

So you’ve left the military and joined the 1st Civilian Division (CIVDIV), that proud collection of bearded fat-bodies. There’s no Staff Sergeant to scream you awake and make you run five miles before you’ve had coffee like in the Marines or Army. There’s no 1MC or Bosun’s whistle to annoy the bejesus out of you like in the Navy or Coast Guard. There’s no butler to gently rouse you with a tray of breakfast in bed and give you a back rub like in the Air Force. Now you’re sleeping in, getting fat, and can’t figure out why despite the fact that you're running a couple miles a week and lifting a few heavy things. Below is a collection of useful fitness and health information that the military should have taught you instead of wasting your time with endless PowerPoints and safety stand-downs.

5 Secrets to Stop Being a Fat Civilian by a Marine

1. Be Self Aware

The first thing to do is take a good hard honest look at yourself. Go ahead. Gross, right? Well, we can fix that. There is a hierarchy of fitness priorities much like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

2. Nutrition Matters

The fitness hierarchy begins with nutrition. Nutrition is the all-important factor in whether you will be fat, thin, healthy, or sickly. YOU CAN NOT OUT-TRAIN A BAD DIET.

3. Magic Formula to Losing Weight

BURN THIS INTO YOUR BRAIN - Body weight in pounds x 15 = daily caloric intake for maintaining weight. (Assuming the person is getting an hour of exercise daily. If the person is more sedentary, try multiplying by 12.) To lose weight at a steady pace of about one pound of actual fat (not water weight which fluctuates wildly every day) per week, we simply reduce caloric intake by about 20%; so we multiply by 12. Therefore, a 200-pound person whose goal is 180 would calculate: 200 x 12 = 2400 cal/daily. There are plenty of websites that will help you calculate this and what types of foods in what ratios should be eaten

4. Hit the Gym

Next in the hierarchy is physical activity. You should be no stranger to this from serving but there are many options in the civilian world. From weightlifting, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), monostructural activities such as running, cycling, and swimming, and sports, there are limitless ways to stay active. This next article will lay out some options with pros and cons. Forgot what it takes to pass the military fitness tests by branch? Check out this blog by our sister site MyBaseGuide, and see if you have what it takes.

5. Change Your Lifestyle

The next rung up is lifestyle factors which include sleep, stress management, mental health, routine, discipline, and socialization just to name a few. These are all factors which set the conditions for you to maintain good habits, stay motivated, and let your body be healthy. Many people, when they leave the service, find that the sudden lack of structure becomes difficult to deal with. They default to a state of limited activity and can’t seem to find the motivation to keep active and healthy. Or the inverse, they suddenly enter a new job that makes fitting healthy habits into their day difficult.

Conclusion

The best tool to build these new habits is a logbook. I know it sounds annoying, but it will keep you honest and highlight negative trends to help you correct them. After just a few weeks, you’ll have a much better understanding of your diet, exercise, and lifestyle needs and probably won’t need the logbook anymore. *The statements on this blog are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The author does not in any way guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any message and will not be held responsible for the content of any message. Always consult your personal physician for specific medical advice.