This man lost over 200 pounds in order to join the army

July 25, 2017 11:18 PM

In 14 months William Guinn Jr. shed nearly half his body weight, enough to enlist.

___7048778___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___7048778___2017___7___26___1___c315350349f60ef64daa403bba753b6c--mk-cockpit

Guinn decided that he wasn’t going to let the Army’s weight limit stand in his way and has lost over 200 pounds in his quest to join the military. A major reason for his motivation was to follow in his grandparents’ footsteps, KTAB in Texas reports.

The married father-of-four was sworn in to the Army in Dallas earlier this month, and explained to a local news outlet that he had a revelation in February 2016, realizing he had grown tired of being overweight. He then committed to working out with trainers and hitting the gym at Planet Fitness six days a week, in order to shed weight from his 456-pound frame. He also ate healthy foods and sought the advice of a nutritionist in order to achieve his goals.

In 14 months he shed nearly half his body weight, enough to enlist. It took incredible dedication — the outlet reports that Guinn would sometimes follow his a two-hour gym session with an hour-long run.

“It can be done and yes for those that didn[']t know [I was] trying to [get into the] military,” he wrote in a public post on Facebook. “[It] will be a great start for my career and to push [myself] harder than ever before. I will graduate from basic and M.I.T and start my career.”

As far as his body, he admits on Facebook, “I do see a change.”