---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was a lieutenant in Special Forces…"
description: "\"When I was a lieutenant in Special Forces many many years ago, I thought I was getting fat. And I started running, and I started running distance, whic..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/stanley-a-mcchrystal-5088_distance_when-i-was-a-lieutenant-in-special-force_2799729.png"
---

#  When I was a lieutenant in Special Forces many many years…

![“When I was a lieutenant in Special Forces many many years ago, I thought I was getting fat. And I started running, and I started running distance, which I enjoyed.” quote by Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/stanley-a-mcchrystal-5088_distance_when-i-was-a-lieutenant-in-special-force_2799729.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/stanley-a-mcchrystal-5088_distance_when-i-was-a-lieutenant-in-special-force_2799729.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/stanley-a-mcchrystal-5088_distance_when-i-was-a-lieutenant-in-special-force_2799729.png)

> “When I was a lieutenant in Special Forces many many years ago, I thought I was getting fat. And I started running, and I started running distance, which I enjoyed.”

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Realizing personal health issues can motivate disciplined physical training, leading to improved fitness and morale.

**In simple terms:** Health concerns sparked a running habit.

Key Takeaway

Use concerns as a catalyst for positive change.

Themes

fitness discipline self‑awareness

Mood

determined reflective

Type

motivational personal development

When to use this quote

- military service
- personal health goals
- stress relief
- team building

Key Concepts

behavioral change motivation

Questions to Reflect On

- What health issue could you turn into a growth opportunity?
- How can you sustain motivation after the initial spark?

A Different Perspective

May overlook underlying causes beyond weight, such as mental health.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Special forces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special-forces/)

## Related quotes

> [I loved eating and I did put on weight. I never actually felt fat until I started going for castings, for auditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archie-panjabi/i-loved-eating-and-i-did-put-on-weight-i-never-actually-felt-fat/)

[Archie Panjabi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archie-panjabi/)

> [The weight loss came about because a buddy of mine who was diagnosed with diabetes because of his obesity told me that I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-mencia/the-weight-loss-came-about-because-a-buddy-of-mine-who-was-diagnosed/)

[Carlos Mencia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-mencia/)

> [The moment I fell in love with running, I started forgetting my grief and traumas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fauja-singh/the-moment-i-fell-in-love-with-running-i-started-forgetting-my-grief/)

[Fauja Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fauja-singh/)

> [“I remember about the inside of the house,” Joel went on, “was that the radio wasn’t playing—it was buzzing, like it was picking up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-brittle/i-remember-about-the-inside-of-the-house-joel-went-on-was-that-the/)

Gerald Brittle

> [Running started as a way of relaxing. It's the only time I have to myself. No phones or e-mails or faxes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-ramsay/running-started-as-a-way-of-relaxing-it-s-the-only-time-i-have-to/)

[Gordon Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-ramsay/)

> [I was fat because I lived in the Midwest in the 1970s, and everyone was a little fat then and only getting fatter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jami-attenberg/i-was-fat-because-i-lived-in-the-midwest-in-the-1970s-and-everyone/)

[Jami Attenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jami-attenberg/)

> [I'm looking forward to getting fat and old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-armitage/i-m-looking-forward-to-getting-fat-and-old/)

[Richard Armitage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-armitage/)

> [Many of us are tethered to bodies that sabotage us in our struggle to keep from getting fat, or to slim down when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-marantz-henig/many-of-us-are-tethered-to-bodies-that-sabotage-us-in-our-struggle-to/)

[Robin Marantz Henig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-marantz-henig/)

> [It was the greatest thing in the world getting fat. Every meal out was an event. Or we'd go to Italy and we'd have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirstie-alley/it-was-the-greatest-thing-in-the-world-getting-fat-every-meal-out-was/)

[Kirstie Alley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirstie-alley/)

> [“You know that you are getting fat when your thighs start rubbing together when walking.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/you-know-that-you-are-getting-fat-when-your-thighs-start-rubbing/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

> [When I became commander of the Joint Special Operations Task Force, I was leading thousands of individuals, from Special Forces to the broader interagency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/when-i-became-commander-of-the-joint-special-operations-task-force-i/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

> [I started running away when I was five years old. It wasnt until I was an adult that I realized what I really wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-aames/i-started-running-away-when-i-was-five-years-old-it-wasnt-until-i-was/)

[Willie Aames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-aames/)

> [I started running ultras to become a better person. I thought if you could run 100 miles you'd be in this Zen state. You'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenn-shelton/i-started-running-ultras-to-become-a-better-person-i-thought-if-you/)

Jenn Shelton

> [“And then Patrick started running after the sunset. And Sam immediately followed him. And I saw them in silhouette. Running after the sun. Then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/and-then-patrick-started-running-after-the-sunset-and-sam-immediately/)

[Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/)

> [I started running ultras to become a better person,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenn-shelton/i-started-running-ultras-to-become-a-better-person/)

Jenn Shelton

## More by Stanley A. McChrystal

> [We are a nation of innovators and problem-solvers who sparked revolutions in democratic government, civil rights, communications, flight, rural electrification and technology. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/we-are-a-nation-of-innovators-and-problem-solvers-who-sparked/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

> [President Obama had voiced strong support for the effort in Afghanistan during his campaign, pledging to add two brigades, which he did. But since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/president-obama-had-voiced-strong-support-for-the-effort-in/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

> [I came to believe that a leader isn't good because they're right; they're good because they're willing to learn and to trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/i-came-to-believe-that-a-leader-isn-t-good-because-they-re-right-they/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

> [My dad was always the soldier I wanted to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/my-dad-was-always-the-soldier-i-wanted-to-be/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

> [In our society, I see public media as a lever. It pushes people by elevating them and their sights. It brings them into more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/in-our-society-i-see-public-media-as-a-lever-it-pushes-people-by/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

> [America needs a restart. It has long devoted its energies to solving its many big problems - unequal opportunity, crumbling infrastructure, lagging education, inadequate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/america-needs-a-restart-it-has-long-devoted-its-energies-to-solving/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

> [When you go through some controversy and you see your face on the news in a negative way for 48 hours... you doubt yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/when-you-go-through-some-controversy-and-you-see-your-face-on-the/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

> [If who you were was entirely based upon the position you were in or the headlines you got in the newspaper, or you had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/if-who-you-were-was-entirely-based-upon-the-position-you-were-in-or/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

> [I think every war certainly wears on national will and national patience, particularly a counterinsurgency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/i-think-every-war-certainly-wears-on-national-will-and-national/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

> [There's an art to asking questions. Briefings are valuable but normally communicate primarily what the subordinate leader wants you to know, and often the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/there-s-an-art-to-asking-questions-briefings-are-valuable-but/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

> [Many leaders are tempted to lead like a chess master, striving to control every move, when they should be leading like gardeners, creating and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/many-leaders-are-tempted-to-lead-like-a-chess-master-striving-to/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

> [How we present ourselves matters a lot, and that's every American, not just at the senior levels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/how-we-present-ourselves-matters-a-lot-and-that-s-every-american-not/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

> [I want the American people to understand, we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al Qaeda in Pakistan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/i-want-the-american-people-to-understand-we-have-a-clear-and-focused/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

> [What I'm trying to do is teach people how to actually get individuals in organizations to do the kinds of things to make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/what-i-m-trying-to-do-is-teach-people-how-to-actually-get-individuals/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

> [By nature, I tended to trust people and was typically open and transparent... But such transparency would go astray when others saw us out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/by-nature-i-tended-to-trust-people-and-was-typically-open-and/)

[Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

[Explore all 103 Stanley A. McChrystal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/)

## More Distance quotes

> [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I raised another shot. "That sound you hear is the heads of moral conservatives spontaneously exploding in the distance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-thurman/i-raised-another-shot-that-sound-you-hear-is-the-heads-of-moral/)

[Rob Thurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-thurman/)

> [I think hair gel was invented to make it easier to identify assholes from a distance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-think-hair-gel-was-invented-to-make-it-easier-to-identify-assholes/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [Distance sometimes endears friendship, and absence sweeteneth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howell/distance-sometimes-endears-friendship-and-absence-sweeteneth-it/)

[James Howell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howell/)

> [Prison experience puts distance between me and any person who hasn't been there, done that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mcconnell/prison-experience-puts-distance-between-me-and-any-person-who-hasn-t/)

[Patricia McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mcconnell/)

> [At a distance, we cannot conceive of the authority of a despot who knows all his subjects on sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/at-a-distance-we-cannot-conceive-of-the-authority-of-a-despot-who/)

[Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/)

> [When somebody mentions that I did a play with George C. Scott, I'm like, it can't have happened. What was I doing on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-dano/when-somebody-mentions-that-i-did-a-play-with-george-c-scott-i-m-like/)

[Paul Dano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-dano/)

> [She watched the prairies the rivers, the towns slipping past at an untouchable distance below - and she noted that the sense of detachment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/she-watched-the-prairies-the-rivers-the-towns-slipping-past-at-an/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [Memories seem to surface in no particular order, with no time attached. Yesterday can seem as distant as last year. My life now consists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-olsson/memories-seem-to-surface-in-no-particular-order-with-no-time-attached/)

[Linda Olsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-olsson/)

> [I've never bought this idea of taking a therapeutic distance. If I see a student or house staff cry, I take great faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-verghese/i-ve-never-bought-this-idea-of-taking-a-therapeutic-distance-if-i-see/)

[Abraham Verghese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-verghese/)

> [Combining the experience of a seasoned university president with the analysis of a respected legal scholar, Derek Bok explores what he concludes are 'signs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-h-t-rhodes/combining-the-experience-of-a-seasoned-university-president-with-the/)

Frank H. T. Rhodes

> [To be a champion long-distance runner you have to run on the edge of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toshihiko-seko/to-be-a-champion-long-distance-runner-you-have-to-run-on-the-edge-of/)

Toshihiko Seko

> [The sectaries of a persecuted religion, depressed by fear, animated with resentment, and perhaps heated by enthusiasm, are seldom in a proper temper of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-sectaries-of-a-persecuted-religion-depressed-by-fear-animated/)

[Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/)

> [Within walking distance of any spot on Earth there's probably more than enough mystery to investigate in a lifetime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alix-kates-shulman/within-walking-distance-of-any-spot-on-earth-there-s-probably-more/)

[Alix Kates Shulman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alix-kates-shulman/)

> [It takes a little more time to get into the role, but not very much more. In making a record you don't have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-callas/it-takes-a-little-more-time-to-get-into-the-role-but-not-very-much/)

[Maria Callas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-callas/)

Browse all 3,296 Distance quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When I was a lieutenant in Special Forces many many years ago, I thought I was getting fat. And I started running, and I started running distance, which I enjoyed.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Stanley A. McChrystal"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/when-i-was-a-lieutenant-in-special-forces-many-many-years-ago-i/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Distance"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/when-i-was-a-lieutenant-in-special-forces-many-many-years-ago-i/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/stanley-a-mcchrystal-5088_distance_when-i-was-a-lieutenant-in-special-force_2799729.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/stanley-a-mcchrystal-5088_distance_when-i-was-a-lieutenant-in-special-force_2799729.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf9/stanley-a-mcchrystal-5088_distance_when-i-was-a-lieutenant-in-special-force_2799729.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When I was a lieutenant in Special Forces many many years ago, I thought I was getting fat. And I started…” — Stanley A. McChrystal",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Stanley A. McChrystal",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When I was a lieutenant in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/when-i-was-a-lieutenant-in-special-forces-many-many-years-ago-i/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/when-i-was-a-lieutenant-in-special-forces-many-many-years-ago-i/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```