A continuation of an old favorite book, Life in the Fat Lane. 118 pound Junior Homecoming queen regional beauty pageant winner from an image obsessed family gains 10 pounds in month after being crowned. Got hives, thought maybe prescription side effects, new meds, gains 8 more. By thanksgiving she's up 27 pounds, has tried everything even consulted Drs. No answers nothing works she keeps getting fatter, by Valentine's she is 159 and miserable, popular cliques deserted her and parents convinced she is out of control and sneaking food.
By spring now 180, forced her to see a phycologist and been to countless Drs who insist she's not following prescribed diets. Challenge mom to monitor her for a week on liquid diet to convince her something is wrong. Admitted to hospital for professional study and diagnosed with rare controversial syndrome causing her body to store all nutrients. At 190 she also doesn't sweat or urinate at normal levels, water retention? Her father refuses to believe that discipline and determination won't help get thin again. Desperate she doesn't eat more than rice cakes or water and even tries laxatives, no change. Although there is always hope of remission...
208 she breaks up with BF at end of school year, and learns of fathers affair, the family moves 500 miles away to escape the shame. The affair doesn't stop, a short time later Dad abandons family, moves back home with his mistress. No fair. Has gained 100 pounds in a year, now at a new school with no friends and nobody knows she used to be a beauty queen. Weight levels off by end of book and loses 5 pounds. Possible remission, meets some real people and learns to accept, not perfect but I am okay. Oh BF sees the light and wants her back, maybe he can change and both can learn to love her body regardless.
Would love a sequel... loses a bit more weight but erratic habits and crash diets have ruined her metabolism and gains back with a few extra pounds. Over 220, gets mono at holidays, just like hives sets off unexplained hormonal reaction, nightmare is back, seems to grow fatter by the day. Stops eating, extreme crash diet despite Drs warnings, faints at school and hospitalised. Acute anorexia nervosa in serious danger of refeeding syndrome, mom also suffers eating disorders, reeling in divorce. Dad finally accepts there is a medical problem but distant as ever, no longer daddy's princess. Her BF is upset, vows his life's mission to prove he loves her and get her to love herself again. Always a careless foodie, she loved eating, a shameless glutton without any consequences... Until she got fat.
By graduation over 250 joins a summer study at Duke, no concrete answers but advised to keep eating well balanced recommend calorie intake as she prepared for college. Family and friends summer trip to ocean forced into bathing suit, learning to love and accept her body with BF unwavering support. Off to NYC soon and loses virginity, partially before she gets any bigger for comparison sake, seeing as they would have taken leap sooner if not for turmoil, long distance and temporary breakup.
Old friends and new, chubby bestie's freshman 15 and dating equally fat mutual friend, BF works out with her as per nutritionist regimen and gets buff. Still gaining steadily no matter if she overeats or not, sticks to prescribed diet like glue with annual visits to leading expert on rare syndrome, turns out she is an anomaly. Likely due to trashing her metabolism and extreme disordered eating. Mercifully gains at a slightly slower rate than last time yet pushing 300 pounds as they return home for holidays to face her judgmental family.
Level off by spring semester at 312 and experiments, tempting fate by indulging more that summer. Enrolls in another monitored study, outpatient this time. No changes, Drs nix any diets or restrictions and just see what happens, keeping up with regular light cardio fitness regimen. Nothing. Weight stays the same as settle back into routine in NYC as her confidence and self worth slowly return, improving over time. Absolutely baffled how BF unfazed, even loves playing with her belly and can't keep his hands off her. Not a chubby chaser, just learns to appreciate and even adore her softness, the way her body feels.
Over time fluxuated a little, a few extra pounds, hovers near 330 by shotgun wedding day. Belly to round for life growing within to be obvious and gains just over average by the birth of daughter. Unable to lose baby weight and settles into motherhood, creating a life together. Gains double with twin boys and loses only 10 post birth, just in time for 10 year HS reunion. 470. Double her weight as graduate, a few years later 500 pound mom of 4... they live happily ever after.
Youngest inherited the chubby gene, started out plump then diagnosed with syndrome as teen. Both daughters are her spitting image in opposite ways, a beauty and body double albeit nearly half sized at just under 300.
7 months
