About

Hello, my name is Nathan and I am 34 years old.  Over the last 10 years or so I have gained quite a few pounds.  Right now I would consider myself at “Maximum Density.”  I did not start out overweight.  I like many other people was at one time in pretty good shape and have slowly through a poor diet and lack of activity gained weight.  Some may ask “what does this have to do with mixed martial arts?”  Well, one of the ways that I was able to stay in shape in high school was through high school wrestling.  I enjoyed wrestling but was not at the collegiate level, so I basically fell out of the sport.  In college I met a guy who was involved in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  I went and met his instructor, Pedro Sauer, who is considered in many circles as one of the best Jiu-Jitsu instructors in the United States.  At this time I was in pretty good shape, was working out (lifting weights) at least 5 times a week.  I also got married at this time.  I weighed about 175 lbs.

Not having any money at the time, I did not pursue this until I moved to Hawaii.  Joao Morais was teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Pupukea, on the North Shore.  I started taking classes and found the class to be fun and exciting.  The other students in the class were great to be around and willing to help teach a new guy.  I was hooked. I was still doing OK with my weight but was starting to pack on the pounds at the time.  The Jiu-Jitsu was a great workout, but I just didn’t go enough to keep in good shape.

You can see my progression from being fit and trim, to…not so fit and trim.

After two years in Hawaii, and a year taking Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu I received my blue belt from Joao and about two weeks later moved off the Island.  Shortly thereafter I got a job with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and went through their in house police academy.  I went into the academy at about 205 lbs. and lost ten to twenty pounds because of the stress (affected my appetite) and the amount of exercise I did while in the academy.  I was really starting to look pretty good.

Upon graduating from the academy, I really started to pack on the pounds.  I was not working out on a regular basis, and did not make it a priority in my life.

I later moved to Utah, tried to go to Jiu Jitsu with Pedro Sauer again, but was out of shape, my work schedule was off, I had two kids, I have all kinds of excuses.

Three years ago I moved again, to Missouri.  I became totally inactive.  I was not working as a cop anymore.  I did a short stint (8 or 12 weeks??) of Krav Maga.  I enjoyed it for the workout value, but I felt like it was more of a PR thing used to bring people into the instructors Dojo.

I then found a Judo instructor.  Really, I didn’t know anything about Judo.  I had taken 4 classes as a kid at the JUCO in my home town.  I don’t even know why I didn’t continue.  I found it to be very similar to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  I was hooked, again!! Well, at least I thought I was.  In the midst of this I had another child, was busy with work (starting a new business), blah blah blah…I could go on and on with the excuses.  The fact of the matter is, that every time I started, I stopped because I did not make it a priority in my life.

Now, here I am, 34 years old, in the worst shape of my life.  I weigh 250 lbs., my pants are a size 38 or 40 depending on the day and brand (in fact many of my slacks are a size 42…embarrassing), my shirts don’t fit right because I have dunlops disease (my belly has dun lopped over my belt), my knees hurt when I run, my back hurts when I wake up, I am in bad shape.

Some may say, don’t worry about it “eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.”  Well, I guess I have been saying that for a long time.

So, the time has come for change. Follow my journey with me.  Go to my routine page to see what my workout is.  Follow my blog to see the progress I have made, and the challenges I have faced.  Along the way, give me advice on what I can do to change and make my progress faster and better.