Sorry for the bit of thread necromancy but I had to share my story.
I got out of the Army in 1986. In the subsequent decade I had ballooned from 180 lbs to at least 325 lbs. I'm 5'7', just for the record. In the last week of November, 1996 I was waddling through Kennedy Plaza in Providence, R.I. I saw that the RING was looking for recruits. I had just restarted my career as a CNA, but I also heard that holding an MOS as a combat medic translates into a civilian EMT, so it would have been nice to have that option. So I waddled (right, I didn't walk then, I waddled) up to the recruiter and told him I was prior service, Airborne Infantry with the 82nd, and I would like to sign up, just to be able to taste the military life, even for part time. This sergeant looked me up and down with his jaw hanging for a few seconds, then he bust out laughing. For a good two minutes his sides were splitting as he pounded his fist on the hood of the Hum-Vee. I wasn't insulted, I caught the joke. Finally he composed himself, put his hand on my shoulder and said: "I'd love to enlist you, but seriously, lose at least a hundred pounds, then come and see me. Good luck."
"Okay", I said. "That's my New Year's resolution. Lose the weight and come back looking for you".
This was one resolution I lived up to. I started on January 2nd, too hung over to start on the first. My first goal was to alter my diet. What I did was to limit my protein intake to 6 ozs, lean, two servings of carbs, and all the fruits and vegetables I wanted. I was scarfing down a half dozen apples, 3 to four oranges, 3 to 4 bananas, a head of lettuce, maybe a pound of spinach. You get the picture. I dropped 20 lbs in the first month. Now to start exercising.
In our basement we had an ancient stationary bike. Hadn't been thought of in years. I could feel her shivering in fear as I approached her, signifying my intent to actually use her. But she was a trooper. At first I could do 5 minutes at a stretch, then I needed a 10 minute break. After just a few weeks I could pedal for an hour straight with no problem. Another 20 lbs had vanished.
Next up in my exercise routine was calisthenics to build muscle mass. I had found out that a pound of muscle burns 15 calories an hour, even when your just sitting on the couch flipping the remote. It kick starts your metabolism, plus I was looking to the inevitable Army PT test that was in my future.
So I started in January at 325, by July I was at 180, maybe even 170. I went looking for that particular sergeant I met back in November, but he was no where to be found.
Here's the sad part. I went through all that so I could be a combat medic. Before I could be sent off to Ft Sam Houston for my training I had to take that PT test. I got a score of 260 out of a possible 300, not bad. I never was a fast runner, that lowered the score. Next was a test to measure my body fat. I forget the exact numbers, all I remember was that I was one half of one percent over the limit. I begged, I pleaded: "Listen! Here are some pictures! A year ago I weighed 325 lbs. Maybe you're just pinching some loose skin. Is there another way to test this?"
"Well, maybe, but we don't have the time. Next!"
So I hung around for a few years just collecting my pay. Having another name on their roster was good enough, even if my training was as an infantryman, and it was a MP unit.
ETA: That all happened over 20 years ago. Last time I weighed myself I was 205 lbs.
