Skinny

Chapter 2

I felt like a fool while pushing the shopping cart in Wal-Mart. It was completely obvious what I was planning to do. I stood in the Women’s Fitness section staring into the cart. It was filled with protein shakes, Special K cereal, workout equipment, a scale, a BodyBugg, which could calculate how many calories I consumed and burned each day, a Stepometer, various workout games, and fitness clothes. I felt like a complete dork. I hated the stares I got as I walked past people. A big, chunky girl practically shouting to the whole world that she was determined to lose weight.

                A sigh escaped my lips as I slowly made my way to the checkout lines. I picked one with the shortest amount of people and waited. My eyes scanned the magazines and picked one up that read ‘How To Lose Weight With Your Body Type’.  It got be curious so I flipped to the page and read the various body types. Apparently if your body was shaped a certain you had to workout and eat differently.

                In the corner of my eye I saw the line moving so I tossed the magazine in my cart and moved up. One there was room to put my stuff on the belt; I loaded it all onto it and waited impatiently. I didn’t like the look that the lady in front of me was giving. She looked disgusted, as if I was some giant ape about ready to eat her. That’s how everyone was with an overweight person. If they saw them eat a salad it would be the funniest thing, yet if they saw them eat a cheeseburger they would make fun of them for it. The world was so messed up.

                Finally it was my turn. The lady had a big smile on her face as she checked the items out and placed them into bags. She looked to be in her mid thirties, a nice thin woman with short brown hair and very few wrinkle lines. I noticed her toned arms that stuck out of her white shirt, and her jaw line was very structured and pronounced: not in a bad way, it actually looked really good on her. She was extremely pretty and I couldn’t help the jealousy that was building up inside me. Why couldn’t I look like that?

                After she was done, I paid and started to leave. “Excuse me, miss!” It was the lady.

                She jogged up to where I was, her smile still plastered on her face. “I just wanted to say don’t give up. At times you may seemed discouraged, but it’s a process. Believe in yourself, because no matter what, you’re you, and you are beautiful.”

                Her words completely shocked me. I wanted to cry and run out of the building. It had been a very long time since a stranger had actually said I was beautiful, and it warmed my heart so much. “T-Thank you.” I stuttered, trying to hold in my tears.

                She took her wallet out of her purse and grabbed a picture out of it. When she flipped it over to me, I stared at a bigger version of her. Her face wasn’t defined at all, and her short brown hair just made it look chubbier. Her stomach hung out in all the wrong places, but there was still a smile on her face. When I looked up at the woman, I was completely shocked.

                “I was once in your position. Stay positive, and promise to never lose who you actually are.” And with that, she was off.

                I stood there in awe for a few seconds. This absolutely stunning woman had been bigger than me. She knew what I was going through. I would take her advice to the heart and forever keep it there. Maybe one day I would come back when I was thin and show her that I did it. Show her that I didn’t lose myself, but only the weight. And maybe, there would be a real smile on my face.

                I made my way home planning to start right away. I knew I had to or else my motivation would be gone. Jamming to pop music always made me more hyped, so that’s what I did. I was going to start on Zumba. I figured it couldn’t be that hard, it was just dancing. I was going to change into the new clothes I bought and put the BodyBugg on. I knew that way I would know exactly how many calories I burned and then I would track it in my journal. I needed to burn way more than I consumed, which I knew would be hard, but I had to do it. I had to prove everyone wrong, and most importantly, I needed to be happy.