The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Army rejection motivates man to lose more than 100 pounds
At their first meeting, U.S. Army recruiter Sgt. Derek Melendez had bad news for Tashime Felder. It was March 2019 and Felder, then 28, wanted to enlist. The Cherry Hill, New Jersey, resident stood 5 feet 8 and weighed nearly 300 pounds.
Melendez, the station commander of the Cherry Hill Army Recruiting Center, said the young man didn’t meet the Army’s weight standards. At his height, to successfully enlist, Felder’s weight needed to be under 190 pounds and his body fat less than 28% of his total weight. At the time, he was 107 pounds over the limit, and his body fat was 35%.
Melendez had dealt with prior potential enlistees who’d needed to lose 55 or 60 pounds in order to pass the physical, “but never close to 110,” he said. Much as Melendez liked Felder, he had to decline his application.
That was the impetus Felder needed to begin a stunning weight-loss journey. Last month, he returned to the recruiting center to enlist – 110 pounds lighter with just 17% body fat. Welcome to the Army.
“I am really proud of him,” said Melendez, who posted about it, including before-and-after pictures of Felder on his Facebook page. “It fires you up to see he was so inspired to serve and was ready to do what it took to reach his goal.”
Aiding Felder was Francisco Santos, a personal trainer who worked with him for the first eight months. Felder’s exercise program entailed daily jogs on a treadmill, for at least an hour, and weightlifting.
“I wanted him to put on muscle, which he did,” said Santos, who also designed a regimen of circuit training for Felder: 10 different activities back-to-back-toback – like jumping jacks, pushups and quick sprints — without much of a break in between.
“Every day I trained I would tell him, ‘I hate you for making me do this,’” said Felder, laughing. “Afterward we were fine, but while I was doing it, he wasn’t my friend.”
Felder also followed a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, eating three meals supplemented by two protein shakes.
Felder will report for duty Sept. 8 at Fort Jackson in South Carolina.