August 10, 1997 - Double Rations

970810 - Sunday. Very easy. We cleaned house, cleaned weapons, and had square away time all day. I've been on double rations all week so hopefully I'll gain back some of the 15 lbs. I've lost. Anyway, only 19 days left.
 In boot camp, if you're deemed too heavy, you are placed on limited rations. At each meal, you are given a much smaller portion of food than the rest of the platoon. Likewise, if you are deemed to be too thin, you are placed on double rations and are given a much larger portion of food. When you are placed on double rations, you are given a paper, or "chit," which lets the recruit serving the chow know that you get extra.

Well, I wasn't technically placed on double rations so I didn't actually have a chit. What I did have, though, was a 6'2" body that weighed 150 pounds. My ribs were visible through my skin. So, despite the lack of a chit, when the recruits serving chow took one look at me they quickly piled my tray with food. The thing is, I was still on Early Chow and still needed to eat faster than the rest of the platoon, but now I had twice the food to eat. I vividly remember that I often would take an enormous bite of food, chew once or twice, and swallow hard, feeling my food slowly and painfully make its way to my stomach.

I was able to gain some of the weight back. I finished boot camp 10 pounds lighter than when I had started, not 15. I'd have probably gained even more weight back had I not gotten caught sneaking double rations. Oh well.

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