A Broome County man is chipping away at the pounds after battling with weight issues his whole life. Our Elyse Mickalonis tells us about a 26-year-old who has been working hard to lose a lot of weight and gain a lot of happiness.

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VESTAL, N.Y. -- James Mott, 26, says when he hit 292 pounds, he knew he needed to do something about his weight.

“I figured this was enough it had to end,” said James Mott, Vestal resident.

This was Mott back in 2010 talking to YNN. In less than a year, he has dropped almost 120 pounds without weight loss surgery or diet pills. He said his doctor was very happy.

“She looked at my numbers and figures, she went like this, covered her mouth and said unbelievable,” said Mott.

The Vestal resident says he used to drink a gallon of milk a day for years and decided to switch to water. He also switched from bread to tortillas, is eating more vegetables and lean meat and decreased his portion sizes.

“He has cut down and I am so thankful because he is a different person, he doesn’t look like the same person,” said Rosemary Mott, Mott's grandmother.

Mott has osteoarthritis, so he can’t do heavy cardio, but he walks as far as his legs can take him. His family says they couldn’t be prouder.

“It’s just a great feeling to know that my family and friends are behind me 100 percent,” said Mott.

The Motts say since Binghamton is number two in the nation for obesity, they want people to be inspired by his story and to never give up.

“You are what you want to be and if you want to do something bad enough you will do it,” said Rosemary Mott.

Her grandson added, "Do not give up. It is a long haul, but you can overcome it. You can overcome anything, just like I have."

And at 170 pounds, Mott says he’s still got a lot more people to motivate and a long way to go before he’s at his ideal weight. He says his next doctor's appointment is in December and he can't wait to see the results of his blood work, as well as show his doctor how he's still making progress.