Losing It- A Short Story

Image found on Google Images (Those are NOT my toes!)

This is a short story that was inspired by a One Word writing prompt that I did a few weeks ago. The word was "shape," and I came up with the flyer that Margaret reads in the gym.

Losing It

Margaret shuffled into 24/7 Fitness, not knowing what it was she was looking for. All she knew was her doctor had told her just hours before that she was slowly killing herself. Or maybe it wasn't so slowly anymore. He was blunt about it, too. No hiding the fact that he was disgusted by her appearance; no sugar coating the facts. "Margaret," he had said, "If you continue to gain weight at the rate you are, you will be dead in five years. Plain and simple. Now, let's do something about that."

Leaving her doctor's office Margaret had no idea what to do. She had already tried every diet in the book; she had purchased a copy of "101 Best Diets in the World" with the intention of giving each of them a one week trial until she found one she could stick with. Some had lasted only hours before she gave in and had a piece of chocolate. She just didn't have the will-power to continue a diet. She was exhausted from the various cleanses she had also attempted. Margaret had even decided exercise was worth a shot. She had made it as far as the corner before getting winded and needing to sit down for a break.

"It doesn’t matter what shape you are when you begin. You can be round, you can be straight and flat. Running is for everyone. You will certainly get INTO shape if you start running. That much is for sure. Take a chance- try it!" Margaret saw the sign on the door and thought to herself, Yeah, like I can run. That's a funny joke. Even though her attitude appeared to be negative, Margaret knew she had to do something to save her life.

"Hello!" a big booming voice shouting in Margaret's ear. "What can I help you with? I'm Tim, one of the trainers here at 24 /7 Fitness." Tim was young, probably about 22, and perky. He was practically bouncing as he rocked from one foot to the other.

"Um... yeah.... I would like information about how to join your gym," Margaret whispered. "I.... well, you might have noticed.... I need to lose some weight."

"No problem!" Tim exclaimed. We'll get you started, show you how to use the machines, and set you up with a diet perfect for you. In no time you'll be turning into a gym rat. You'll love it here!"

Tim took Margaret on the grand tour. 24/7 Fitness offered a variety of amenities, including an indoor swimming pool, more treadmills and exercise bikes than Margaret had ever seen, and a weight room that would impress Arnold Schwarzenegger. The aerobics room was huge, with mirrors on all four walls. A cardio or strength training class was offered on the hour, every hour, for 18 hours out of the day. If a person couldn't find a class they were interested in, they just weren't trying. 24/7 Fitness had it all. There was no doubt they were the premier fitness facility in Bradford County.

"I don't think I can afford this," Margaret said, excuses already starting to form.

"You don't even know the price," Tim rebutted. "I think you'll be surprised.

"Fine," Margaret sighed. "Let's go find out how much this is going to dig into my budget." Margaret's eyes widened when she saw the cost. "$12 per month? And I get to come as often as I want for as long as I want?" That was a shocker.

"There's a catch. You've got to come every day," Tim said this seriously, but Margaret wasn't sure she believed him.

"Every day?"

"Yep, every day. It's our way of making sure you are going to be successful. We don't promise results, but we'd be sunk if you didn't start to lose weight and look great. You have to be in the facility for at least 30 minutes every day. You clock in and out here." Tim gestured to a machine that scanned a card, just like at the grocery store. "Every day you miss your workout, we charge you an extra $2. It's an incentive for you to return every day. What do you think?"

Margaret, getting excited about 24/7 Fitness, agreed that it was a great way to encourage clients to continue working out. She wasn't thinking about the times she would be tired after a hard day at work, and she wasn't thinking about what would happen if she got injured. She only thought about how great she would look at this time next year.

****************************************************************************************************************************************

Exactly a year later Margaret was about to step onto the scale when Tim approached her. "Hey Margaret," he said. "Maybe it's time to take a break. What do you think?"

"Nope, Tim, I'm not about to pay extra just so I can be lazy. No pain, no gain, right? No excuses? Go big, or go home!" Margaret had certainly picked up on all the motivational sayings, and she had made them a part of her life, but Tim wondered if Margaret was healthy.

"How long have you been here today?" Tim asked. He knew the answer; he had already looked at her clock in time. Tim just wanted to hear Margaret say it out loud.

"Let's see. I took Cardio kickbox, then I went swimming for a bit. I biked, then I ran."

"How about the yoga class and the weight lifting Margaret? You been here since 8:00 this morning. It's 3:15 now. We should never have let you stay this long. This isn't healthy Margaret. You need to go home."

"What I need, Tim, is to lose weight. I need to be healthy."

"This isn't healthy at all. You can't exercise all day. When was the last time you ate? I insist that you go home right now. You need to make an appointment and see your doctor before you come back."

"Fine. I'll show you, though. I'm going to save my life by losing weight. My doctor said so."

******************************************************************************************************************

"Margaret, how are you? Wow, I didn't recognize you!" Dr. Robertson was trying to hide his disgust. This young woman, who just last year was full and round now had sunken in cheeks and shoulder blades that showed through her thin t-shirt. The doctor couldn't believe Margaret actually thought she looked good. Even with his training in eating disorders, he was shocked at how quickly Margaret had lost weight and how she continued to push.

"What makes you do this, dear? Do you not see how thin you've gotten? Dear you've lost 200 pounds. You only weight 101 now. Margaret, you NEED to stop losing weight. This just isn't healthy."

"I can't stop," Margaret whispered to the doctor. "I need to stay thin. I can't make excuses any more. There is no reason to be the size I was. It was gross, and I was so repulsive. I hated looking in the mirror every morning. Now I'm beautiful." Margaret's voice got stronger as she talked. She was PROUD of herself, and she was going to show the world that the fatso from the playground didn't exist anymore.

Sadly, Dr. Roberson understood exactly how Margaret felt. This world is cruel to people who are too large. It can be such a lonely and desperate place to be. It was his job, though, to make Margaret understand just how serious her condition was.

"Margaret," he said, "If you continue to lose weight like you are, you will be dead in five years. Plain and simple. Now, let's do something about that."