The Weigh-In

Welcome to a new month, y'all! We're getting closer and closer to me shipping out! This is the last full month I have at home and after that it will be August and time for me to go to boot camp! Wow:)

Well now, on to business..
I thought that since I have access to a computer for the next few days that I would try to hammer out this potentially long blog now, as opposed to doing so on my Blackberry. That shit takes dedication!..

Okay, so my recruiters decided that I would not have my weigh-in after July 15th but right before the holiday so I could buy myself some time, if need be. Apparently July 15th is when the Navy weighs the August shippers to see who they need to kick out due to weight problems. Therefore, my recruiters wanted me to get my weight under control before then.

So, keeping in mind that I have this weigh-in coming up, I call myself cleaning my system, not eating dairy or foods that bloat me, and trying to stay hydrated. I work outed, did ab exercises, and sat in the sauna to sweat off a few pounds, or so I thought. And a few hours before I had my weigh-in I sat in the sauna with plastic wrap wrapped around my stomach. Every little bit helps, I thought to myself.

So I shower after my last ditch effort workout and head to MEPS. The place is somewhat empty but the female airman (in the Airforce) who weighed me and took my measurements initially is not around to do it again. I am handed over to THE LAST woman I wanted to do my measurements..

Now, I don't know this woman's name but every time I mention her to ANY recruiter, all I have to say is "You know? The Black woman that tries to dress nice but has a real funky ass attitude?" And they know EXACTLY who I am talking about. It's a damn shame that a person's funky ass attitude precedes their name and even takes the place of it, but that is the case with this woman. It's as if she has a personal vendetta with EVERYONE, including me. She even gave me shit back in January while I was going through the enlistment process. She hounded me with questions, like she was trying to catch me in a lie that would delay my enlistment, if not cancel it out all together. But I got through that crap. Fuck her.
But now this heffa was about to do my measurements. My heart sank and mentally I was saying "Shit, shit, SHIT!!"

So, I go in the back examination-type room thingy and undress down to my skivvies (underwear for all you civilians). I'm not exactly sure of the order in which things occurred, but she weighed my and the electronic scale said 170.6, so she rounded up to 171. 7 pounds heavier than when I enlisted at 164 pounds. Crap! But okay. I knew I would be around that or 172. And that's fine because I will never fit into the Navy's weight requirements and that is why they take my measurements..

But then this woman takes out the tape. Everything was cool until she got to my hips. My neck went from 12 inches to 13 inches, which was correct. My waist went from 28 inches to 30, which was still correct. And then this heffa got to my hips. She measured me on the largest part of my hip, which is actually my thighs and butt. She was too far down from where my actual hip bone is. So, instead of my hips being 38 inches, which is correct, she got me an 43 inches. Which is WRONG! And because of that crap my body fat percentage went from around 31% to 36%. That max body fat for females entering the Navy is 36%. I am on the cutting block. Shit! When I took my measurements at home I was right at 33%, which is safe. And it's the correct percentage when I am measured right where I should be. But noooooo. This miserable bitch has to mess it up for everybody! What the hell is wrong with her?? Uuuuuggghhh!

But I take the paperwork with my measurements to the chiefs in the Navy office at MEPS. They remember me from when I kept coming back up there to get my LRP info taken care of and they are fond of me. But they tell me that they have to put me under the microscope now because of my weight and that I am now on their "hit list" of who to kick out the DEP pool and the Navy. They said my weight looks good on me (still skanky old men, lol), but that it's not good enough for the Navy. One chief told me that I need to get down to 33% body fat and another told me that I need to target my abs to get my waist down. They said that I have just enough time to do this by August 17th..
I know I let them down after all they did to get that LRP approved for me and all the strings they had to pull. And here I am getting fat. How ungrateful is that, right?
I take heed to what they say, thank them, and head down to my recruiters' office to give them the bad news..

When I come in the office (which had the "closed" sign up meaning they were not actively recruiting that day), I saw the Senior Chief sitting at a desk doing his homework. My heart sank a little bit more. I knew he would have something to say about the subject.
He was happy to see me, though. I recently wrote a research paper and edited another for him and they both received the highest scores possible. So he likes me just for the simple fact I am smart and did that for him.

So, not to get into too deep of details, my recruiters were pissed at me for gaining weight like I did. I mean, they are the ones who sent me to get weighed because of this new chief we have. They thought he would be checking for my weight anyway so they called themselves doing something about it before he said anything..
But they had a few words for me, needless to say. They were displeased. Because if I get in trouble, they get in trouble. It's just how the Navy operates. It's a system of checks and balances. They are my keepers, so to speak. And I am a reflection upon them according to their superiors.

But the real shocker is what Senior Chief had to say. He first asked me if I wanted to go to boot camp, because my measurements showed that I didn't. I told him I did. And he then told me that he had a soft spot for me since I helped him out. on his homework.. So he got the chiefs at MEPS on the phone and told them to keep my weight issue under wraps. As in, don't tell anyone about it because I would surely get kicked out without a 2nd thought or appeal. The chief on the phone even went so far as to say that he would try to get me shipped out to boot camp THIS MONTH, but Senior Chief told him no since I do work for him (lol, typical. He needs me to do his homework. Haha). He said that he would work with me. The chief then said that he would have me report to MEPS every Monday or so to get measured by a female Army lieutenant there. Apparently she knows how to measure people? Maybe? I don't know. But between Senior Chief and that other chief, I got my shit worked out at MEPS. They agreed to not even tell the new chief. Even my recruiters commented on how awesome and amazing that was. Here I am with Senior chiefs and chiefs on my side..
Can you say favor? All because I helped out one man and wrote his paper, everything is falling into place..

And after the Senior Chief got off the phone with MEPS, my recruiters told me that they would work out with me to get my ass in shape. They said they would meet me at 8:45am at the gym I go to and show me how to work out to get this weight off. Everyone agrees that I have just enough time before I ship to boot camp to do this. One recruiter told me to get the sauna suit and stomach band that I previously wrote about and another said he wasn't about to get in trouble for my ass. So he was going to whip my ass into shape..

So, looooong story short, I have a Senior Chief, two chiefs, a lieutenant, and both my recruiters out to help me get this weight off and keep my ass in the Navy. Thank you Lord! Never have I ever felt support like this. I am so close to losing everything I have worked hard for. What is wrong with me? But thank God for people who care in some sort of way. I need them.

Tomorrow I am supposed to meet up with my recruiters at the gym.
I am scared shitless. I don't work out with men with good reason. They are crazy! And I am shy:( But here I am guzzling down water at the current moment trying to stay hydrated so I won't pass the fuck out during this work out. Hell, I'm praying they don't even show up! Lol. I'm just so shy about this.. I blame it on my dad not being around.. And on the fact I have a hella crush on one of them lol. Teehee..

Anyhoe! This blog has gone on long enough. I have to get my ass into bed and pray about tomorrow.. Lord, be with me! I'll keep you all posted:)

~Sailor Taylor