WEIGHT LOSS STORY

Nathan Bouknight

March 2007 - May 2009

Before

After

I have always been heavy for as long as I can remember. As a teenager I tried to lose weight, I lost some but never much. I would give up and slowly gain it back. I knew I was around 300 pounds but honestly was scared to see a scale it never really bothered me how I looked as much as how unhealthy I was. My father had a stroke in 1993 that left him paralyzed on his right side. It was because of high blood pressure and his weight.  My mother had heart problems in 1993 from a condition she was born with. Seeing both of my parents take a blow like that did not occur to me at the time because I was only seven years old but later it really worried me.

I started working at Mack’s when I was twenty years old.  Its a little burger place in downtown Columbia. Snacking on French fries daily and eating burgers and working right next to a coke machine made me put on more weight. I went to the doctor in February of 2007 when I got on the scale I saw 327 I had to do something.

I work with Susan Martin and had heard her talk about her kids taking Karate and had heard her mention that he (Sensei) was starting a men’s class in March.  I thought that sounded like a good way to loss weight. But I put it off.  In May 2007 I was in 48” pants.  I put them on one day and noticed they wear getting a little snug. That was it, I had to stop wasting time and putting this off. I went to the Dojo and if I remember correctly Sensei was not there and I spoke with Nan.  I asked if I could come to the next men’s class and watch.  I returned to the Dojo the next men’s class where I meet Sensei and Scott. After watching Scott doing pushups and hitting the bag I signed up.  I wanted this to work!

I remember my first class like it was yesterday.  I wonder if Sensei thought he might kill me if I did too much.  I remember that night doing 2 pushups, left and right jab for about a minute on each side, 2 leg lifts and 2 leg thrusts with Sensei’s help. The classes started getting a little harder.  I would leave some nights not sure if I could drive home. I remember always pouring sweat so much that my shirt was soaked and sticking to me. During that time I also had allot of stress in my life and I found hitting the bag to be very relieving.  Because of that I looked forward to going to class.  Even though I left tired I always felt better for going. The first thing I noticed after a few months was that my 48” pants were loose.  I remember being so happy about that. I learned a lot during my first year at the Dojo.  I learned that working out is not the only thing that is important but also eating right.

I tried to change my life for the better - I worked hard at it and gave it all I had.  I felt better physically and mentally.

After a few weeks I finally got under 300 pounds but still had a way to go.  I needed a little something extra so I decided to start Karate.  I really think that gave me my little something extra.  It meant being at the Dojo four nights a week but I needed it. Some of Karate was easy for me and other parts were much harder.  Stances and kata are hard when you’re heavy. It’s just hard to move right or hold any position for long periods of time. In January 2009 my dad had a heart attack due to a clogged artery. That was my major turn around. I had been eating somewhat right but I could have done better.  After my dad’s heart attack I stopped eating bad stuff all together. I started working hard to be thin, fit and healthy.  I think before I thought just being thin was all that was required to be healthy but I know now it’s much more than that.

I work out now at the Dojo or not I enjoy going for a run just because I can. There are so many things I enjoy doing that used to be hard for me.  When I used to go hunting by the time I walked to my tree I was too tired to climb it and had to take a break.  Now I can walk to my tree and climb it without being winded. I used to be a very negative person but I find now Im much more positive.  I thought there was no hope for me with my weight but I know now through hard work anything is possible.  I feel so much better about myself now that it’s hard to describe.  I had a lot of encouragement along the way - Sensei, my family, my coworkers and friends.  I know it would not have been possible had I not had that motivation, but it was up to me to do it. I could have said no I could have said I don’t feel like coming to class but I didn’t. I always hear Sensei say “self motivation” and that is what it really takes. You make your life.  What I have had to do to get here was hard but it was worth it, it has made my life better. The quote at the beginning of this is something I have thought about often through my journey and it is true I have only gotten stronger. Now I look forward to continuing to lead a healthy lifestyle, and a much longer life.