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This Man Lost 113 Pounds So He Could Join the U.S. Army
A Las Vegas man wanted to join the Army so bad, he lost over 100 pounds to make it happen.
Dropping from 317 to 204 on the scale, Luis Enrique Pinto Jr., shaved 113 pounds over seven months so that he could meet the U.S. Army’s weight requirement.
Nevada teen drops more than 100 pounds to join the @USArmy Luis Enrique Pinto Jr. went from 317 pounds to 204, and has enlisted to serve as a Patriot missile systems operator. #WhyNotYou #WarriorsWanted #InOurBootshttps://t.co/C57tB7SoZm
— Nashville BN (@ArmyKYTN) August 20, 2019
His inspirational, patriotic story with a wellness twist was originally told by the Army News Service and since has caught the attention of other media outlets.
Pinto was determined to join the military and be the first member of his family to serve America, so he was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen.
“You’ve got one life. I don’t want to wake up and do the same thing every single day,” he said. “There’s a whole world out there.”
Pinto’s weight-loss mission began at the start of the year when he watched what he ate and combined that with exercise. His mom was a driving force when he felt less-than-motivated.
“One thing she told me is to just show up,” Pinto said. “Just show up and don’t worry about the workout that’s to come. You show up at the gym and once you’re there, you’re already there so might as well just get it over with.”
The Army’s maximum weight is 205 pounds. After enlistment papers are signed whereby a candidate must be in good health, recruits spend 10 weeks in boot camp where they’ll be physically tested.
It’s no wonder that recruiters are often skeptical when recruits insist they can lose that much weight – most don’t.
Pinto plans to drop even further to 190 pounds now that he’s enlisted at the rank of 14E – a Patriot Fire Control enhanced operator/maintainer. The Patriot weapons system is one of the most advanced in the world.
“When I was big, I was really insecure,” he said. “Now I’m walking with my head up high.”
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