Florida Dad Loses Over 150 Pounds to Join Army

Florida’s Christian Montijo, father of two, lost over 150 pounds so he could serve and protect his country as part of the U.S. Army.

Just one year ago, the 28-year-old Kissimmee resident weighed more than 230 pounds. “I got to a point to my life that I thought if I keep going on this path, I’m just going to keep gaining weight and get to a point that I’m either going to die or be in a wheelchair something like that,” Montijo remembered, speaking to a local NBC affiliate.

“You don’t gain weight, 100 pounds, in a week or in a month — it’s over time,” Montijo said, “so the same way that it takes time for you to gain weight it’s going to take time to lose the weight.” He did not simply want to lose the weight for himself, however. “My kids are the biggest thing. They’re young, so I know they have a lot of energy so I want to keep up with them,” Montijo said.

Beyond health, however, he had a very specific motivation: He wanted to join the Army. “At the beginning, my goal was to join the Army that was it. I wanted to lose weight and join the army and now we are here,” Montijo said. “Here,” is a total of 165 pounds lighter, and on the way to South Carolina for basic training.

In the end, the solution was simple, proven methods and old-fashioned determination. “I started meal prepping and drinking water and cutting the sodas and cooking at home on Sundays for the whole week,” Montijo said. Now, with this new lease on life, the Floridian father is prepared to follow a dream to serve his country.