A Texas father-of-four has lost a staggering 230 pounds to fulfill his dream of joining the US Army.

William Guinn Jr. had always dreamed of enlisting in the armed forces, but weighing in at 456lbs last year, he was well over the Army's weight limit.

So in February 2016, Guinn took a look at himself in the mirror and decided something had to change.

William Guinn Jr. weighed 456lbs last year (left) but has since dropped half his weight (right) to join the Army

Going from couch potato to gym bunny wasn't easy, but over the next 14 months Guinn dedicated himself to getting in shape.

Working with nutrition specialists and trainers, Guinn hit the gym six days a week, and would sometimes even go for an hour-long run after a two-hour workout session.

Through his sheer hard work and determination, Guinn lost half his body weight, dropping to 230lbs.

Working with nutrition specialists and trainers, Guinn hit the gym six days a week, and would sometimes even go for an hour-long run after a two-hour workout session

Going from couch potato to gym bunny wasn't easy, but over the next 14 months Guinn (pictured last year, left and right) dedicated himself to getting in shape

Today, Guinn is fighting fit and on Thursday, he was officially sworn in to the Army during a ceremony in Dallas

He has also been able to maintain that weight for the past two months.

And on Thursday, he was officially sworn in to the Army during a ceremony in Dallas.

Guinn, who posted a before and after picture of Facebook, said he wanted to share his story as an inspiration for others.

'It can be done,' he wrote, adding that the motivation of joining the military meant he pushed himself 'harder than ever before.'