When Edgar Hernandez was 16 years old, he measured in at five feet nine inches tall and weighed nearly 370 pounds. He was subjected to bullying because of his weight and struggled to cope with the negativity of his peers. He had even had to rely on therapy to help him deal with the tremendous pressure the comments of others put on his self-esteem.

But when he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, his perspective changed drastically. “It was time to stop blaming others for my choices and make a choice to take responsibility,” he told CNN.

Taking responsibility is exactly what he did. He started exercising and slowly the weight began to come off. Frustrated by the slow progress, he teamed up with his brother, Mario, and both boys set about restocking their house with produce and stripping the house of processed foods and sugary drinks like soda. They also starting running together, supporting each other through the process of adjusting their lifestyles.

It was then that Edgar began to show much quicker progress. 18 months later, he has lost close to 200 pounds and has gone from a 48 inch waist size to a 33. He has also dropped from a XXL shirt size to a medium.

Mario has also shown significant progress through their joint efforts. Starting at 235 pounds on a five foot seven inch frame, Mario has managed to lose 70 pounds.

Their progress has inspired their entire family, who report that they are generally more active now. “As a family, we go outside more, walk a little more. It shows because we have a lot more energy,” Mario said to CNN.