Madison wrestled with the food display, part of her craving Mexican food, another cautioning the need for discipline. Starting to yield to temptation she asked an attendant what was in the burritos.
“You have a choice of chicken steak or Chorizo for the meat. We mix it with mushrooms, baby spinach, poblano peppers avocado and a spicy white cheese called queso blanco. Its accompanied by rice and beans with guacamole and sour cream optional,” gushed the attendant. “Personally I love it.”
Madison looked at he attendant, whose full belly pushed her aporn out.
“It certainly agrees with you,” she thought. But still the craving lingered and she gave in.
“OK – I’ve worked out hard today. I guess its OK to try one,” she replied, “and a sarge diet soda.”
“Excellent choice,” replied the attendant, “you won’t be sorry.”
The burrito filled the plate, with side bowls of rice and beans. Madison went to the table where her new friends Kelly and Cassie were seated with their salads. Both were surprised at her meal but initially said nothing, but Madison picked up on their thoughts.
“I know, I know. It’s a calorie bomb. But I’ve been starving myself for a week and just couldn’t resist,” she said after her third bite. “And frankly I’m not sorry.”
“Oh its ok,” replied Cassi. “You’re as thin as a rail compared to me. I kind of wish I could have had a burrito as well. Maybe tomorrow I will.”
“Look,” agreed Kelly, “we’re all adults here to learn. I’m scared to have a meal that big but that doesn’t mean you two can’t have something if you want. We’re just getting to be friends and shouldn’t be making each other feel guilty over such things. That’s so high school!”
With that assurance Madison relaxed and finished her meal. It was very filling and she felt stuffed but comfortable. She went home, watched a situation comedy and had worked on her homework for an hour when Cassi came into her room with a bowl of popcorn.
“Here,” Cassi offered. “I was starving after that salad to match Kelly, and made this to compensate but there’s more than I could handle. Would you like some? I have some root beer to go with it”
“Ummm, sure,” Madison replied. She knew she shouldn’t have room but for some resdion was thrsty. Within a half hour both popcorn and root beer were gone.
The next morning Madison got on the scale, curious to see the damage. There wasn’t any – she was still 128 pounds, actully a pound less than the prior weekend.
“That’s good – proves it pays to exercise,” she thought, and went down to breakfast.
The Powers meal plan Madison was on allowed two free dining hall meals a day of anything you wanted. Up until now Madison had usually had a bowl of cereal with some fruit for breakfast, although many other things were available. Cassie was on another plan and had to pay. This morning she’d decided to let it be her meal for the day, skipping lunch, and suggested Madison try one of the oversized muffins with an omelette and grapes.
“Why not,” she said to herself. “with exercising and my metabolism it can’t hurt – and I can skip lunch as well.”
That day Madison tried to repeat her workout of the day before. It had been over eight hours since breakfast and she’d skipped lunch, which meant she curtailed her effort compared to the day before and headed with Cassi for the dining hall.
“I’m having Italian tonight,” Cassi announced. “Tuesday is lasagna with spumoni ice cream available for dessert and I’m going to enjoy it.”
“And why not me too?” thought Madison, glad to be able to eat a big meal without judgment. The lasagna came with a side of asparagus and pita bread. Kelli wasn’t around but both girls enjoyed every bite plus the generous triple scoop dessert which followed.
“I’m going to have to watch it,” Madison observed to herself as she went home. “ I couldn’t exercise as much today because I skipped lunch and had no energy.”
And so the next day, despite another good sized breakfast, Madison did have a tuna sandwich and soda for lunch. This gave her he stamina to work out fully and she felt she was back on track – and could handle in good conscience the chickem fried steak and mashed potatoes that was the evening’s special entrée, along with coconut cream pie for dessert.
Thursday night she knew would be a pizza fest in the dorm, so she used her meal ticket at lunch for a tamale and enchilada plate. And she worked out before having four pieces of pizza and two of chicken along with two sodas Thursday night, about half of what Kelli had, but nothing was said. Still, the next morning, the scale showed no change. What Madison did not realize was that she was expanding her stomach capacity and improving her appetite.
This pattern kept up for the next two weeks – eating more freely but not in her mind extremely, exercising and keeping her eye on the scale with no discernible effects, But then one of her instructors mandated study teams which cut into two of her workouts – and of course someone brought chips and sods for the meetings. It probably wasn’t more than 500 calories twice a week – but her energy output was cut by at least a thousand as well. But by then Madison was too busy to be checking the scale. Had she done so she would have found that by her second full month at college she’d gained a barely noticeable five pounds.
By his time she was eating and partying on the weekends. Ron Westlin in particular had taken note of her appetite and took her to dinner as well as plying her with snacks at parties. Cassie meanwhile was not on the two meal a day dining hall plan like Madison. She had taken to keeping a pastry stash on hand so that she could skip breakfast – and would share items from it with Madison in the evening two-three times a week. Madison enjoyed the maple bars, bear claws and eclairs and never turned one down.
By the end of the third month Madison noticed her clothes getting snug and got on the scale – which this time read 138 pounds. She was up a dress size and faced with the possibility of dieting. But both Ron and Cassi told her it was not that noticeable and she should just take it easy over the holidays.
She wrote a worried email to her mom, admitting she’d gain ten pounds and wondering how she would react. She didn’t expect her mom, who was a tad plump herself, to be overly upset but still she wondered. Weight discussions hadn’t been typical table talk in the Kraft household. The reply was reassuring.
“Darling, you’re there at Powers to prepare for a career, not competing to be a runway model. Your guy and roommate have it right. With less activity and your focus on grades, as it should be, a few pounds are to expected. I’ll send you a check for a better fitting wardrobe and let you concentrate on your schoolwork,” e-mailed her mom.
As promised the check arrived two days later. Relieved, Madison bought some new clothes and elaxed, determined o uust cut ck so she wouldn’t gain any more.
But of course that didn’t happen. She’d formed a new cycle of normal eating. Breakfasts were typical. Pancakes with eggs for breakfast one day, French toast another, corned beef hash with scrambled eggs another, even enchilada casseroles were among the succulent dishes that enticed her in the Powers dining hall each morning. A burger and shake with Ron at noon followed by an entrée with dessert in the evening and even less exercise during holiday break were also mixed in. Madison avoided the scale, inwardly knowing what was happening but choosing to be in denial.
She declared to herself that she still looked fine, which was true if you didn’t mind flared hips, noticeable belly pooch, soft arms and growing thighs. She carried the new pounds but there was no doubt that Madison Kraft was no longer svelte. Her belly was even with her ribcage, not concave, when standing and gathered into a small roll when seated. Her formerly angular chin was fleshy, although not yet sporting a second section. A thin layer of back fat was forming on her rib cage.
Cassie’s snack habits were no deterrent. In addition to the pastry supply she had chips and other snack foods on hand, particularly popcorn, which she insisted on sharing with Madison. Her weight was climbing as well and it seemed as if she liked having company. By March Madison was up to 150 and ready for another wardrobe upgrade.
“Freshman 15 plus seven.” she grimaced. “Shouldn’t I be hating it? But I really don’t. I’m 5’7” and this is just barely overweight for my height. Its not really that bad, but guess I’ll need to ask mom for some more clothes money.”
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