Jesse Gunnoe

Having already dropped over 100 pounds of body weight and slashed his body fat by at least 20 percentage points, this JYM Army member is looking for more great results.

Written By Jim Stoppani, PhD

Updated September 28, 2023

Written by Jesse Gunnoe

I started my journey on February 20, 2017, weighing in at 363 pounds. I was wearing a 3XL shirt that was tight on me and 44-inch jeans that were cutting into my waist. I was always the "fat guy" in school and in life.

I had started working out several other times prior, but never had a plan, and also never stuck with it. That all changed for me when I started seeing firsthand the damage that my lifestyle had taken on me mentally and physically.

I was your average 22-year-old male. My days were filled with eating as much bad food as possible and drinking as much alcohol on my days off as I could. I had always been a binge drinker, which really helped me pack on the weight in a short time. Paired with the stresses of life and a desk job almost made it more catastrophic for me. I had a great relationship and a good job, but when I looked in the mirror, I hated myself for what I had let myself become.

One night at work, February 12, 2017, I started having problems with my blood pressure, chest pains, etc. That was a real eye-opener for me at 22 years old. I knew I was on a fast track to a heart attack or diabetes. I decided right then and there that it was time for me to make a change.

I spent the next eight days doing research, looking for anything and everything online that I could find to help me become a healthier person. My co-worker Cody recommended I check out bodybuilding.com to find whatever it was I was looking for. It was there that I found Jim Stoppani, and that's when my life changed. From that point on, I started taking things seriously. Reading his articles, it didn't seem like a walking advertisement like so many other fitness personalities.

I started doing Shortcut to Shred to the best of my ability, until eventually I could do the whole workout with the added cardioacceleration. I had great success following this program and I did it several times with great success each time. I started counting my macros, cutting out the junk food, pop, and alcohol. I then started seeing results even quicker.

Fast-forward to the fall of 2017: I saw an ad for the JYM Army Facebook group. For some reason, I had followed Jim religiously but had never heard of this, so I was intrigued.

Once I joined the Army, I met so many people who were just like me. I quickly found a "second home," so to speak. It was here that I found Dieting 101. I had been counting my macros, but never realized I had been doing it the wrong way.

Once I started following Dieting 101 religiously, I paired it with Ripped in 6, the first three weeks of the New Years' Challenge (didn't finish due to an injury), Fitter, Faster, Leaner, and I'm currently in the middle of Countdown to Strength.

I can't put into words how much better my body looks and feels. Throughout my journey, I took several supplements, but always came back to JYM supplements. Once I started the full line of JYM supplements, I saw why I believed so strongly in not only Jim's products, but his research, workouts, and knowledge.

I started my journey on February 20, 2017, at 363 pounds with a body-fat percentage of around 46 percent.

I'm currently at 254 pounds and I'm guessing my body-fat percentage to be around 19 to 20 percent, with almost 14 months of hard work, proper supplementation, Dieting 101, and the mindset to be the best that I can be. I'm down to a 38-inch waist and 2XL in shirts. My goal when I started was to get to 300 pounds, but I quickly realized that I wanted to have the body I always dreamed of, and I won't stop moving forward until I reach that goal.

The JYM Army has truly changed my life in every aspect and made me a much better person all around. I receive multiple comments on my transformation, which is super rewarding. I encourage everyone to tell someone you know who is trying to lose weight a simple "good job!" or "keep it up." Those words meant more to me than anything when I was first starting out. It makes you want it more.

Besides getting my body to look the way I want it to look, my biggest goal moving forward is to help everyone that I can. I hope someday to open my own gym. It's very surreal to me to have people asking me for nutrition, workout, and weight-loss advice. I owe it all to those who supported me along the way because at one time, I was that same person.

My biggest piece of advice I can offer to anyone who wants to start working out and losing weight is to never be afraid to ask questions, check out JimStoppani.com, and always stay humble. I can't stress the last part enough: Never forget where you came from, and use your results to help anyone and everyone you can.

The last thing I would add is for anyone who has started or is planning on starting, a major obstacle that myself and others face is not seeing results as quickly as we want. I always tell everyone, and remind myself daily as well, that it's all mental and it's a marathon, not a sprint. Trust the process and enjoy the journey!

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