In March, Tyler Nelson had walked into the Marine recruiting station in Mankato, Minnesota, with the dream of becoming a United States Marine.
But weighing in at nearly 367 pounds, Nelson was well over the maximum allowed weight of 246 pounds needed to ship to recruit training.
Over the course of the next eight months, Nelson’s drive and motivation for the chance to earn the title Marine had pushed him to shed almost 150 pounds.
Now weighing in at 220 pounds, Nelson is slated to ship to the recruit depot in San Diego on Dec. 10, where he will stand on the yellow footprints that will herald his entry and official transformation into a Marine.
RELATED
Nelson’s recruiter, Sgt. Ramiro Treviño, said it has taken a lot of time and effort for Nelson to shed the weight.
“I am not one to turn anybody away from their dreams,” Treviño told Marine Corps Times in an interview.
Nelson says his rapid weight loss was due to a very strict diet and exercise routine.
The 21-year-old future Marine recruit said he had sought help from a fitness and sports nutrition company in Mankato, Minnesota, called Compete Nutrition, which provided fitness tips and meal advice.
For nearly four and a half months, Nelson said he would eat the same meals every single day.
For breakfast, Nelson would eat three eggs, a banana, and an English muffin, followed by a snack of 28 grams of unsalted almonds. Lunch consisted of six ounces of lemon pepper chicken, a half cup of rice, one cup of broccoli and carrots, followed by 28 grams of unsalted almonds.
His dinner meal was the same as he ate for lunch.
The workout routine would consist of running, bicycle, core and strength training.
“He had to dig deep and truly know he wanted to be a Marine,” Treviño said.
Nelson said he wants to make an impact and be a leader.
“I was doing nothing with my life,” Nelson said.
Nelson has endured hardship along the way. His mother had passed away in February, shortly after Nelson had moved to the Mankato, Minnesota, area.
But after eight months of dedication, strenuous exercise and a strict diet regimen, Nelson is on his way to becoming a Marine.
He is slated to become an aviation mechanic after graduating from Marine boot camp.
“I haven’t looked back since,” Nelson said.
Local news channel KEYC first interviewed Nelson about his weight loss.
Shawn Snow is the senior reporter for Marine Corps Times and a Marine Corps veteran.
