chapter 1

Kim stood in front of the mirror smiling. She was trying on swimsuits with her best friend Cindy. Cindy nodded and smiled at her friend, saying "You can really tell how much you've worked out this past year. You look great, girl". Kim thanked her and said " you know I've lost the same 50 pounds about 4 times now. This time, it will stay off!"
Kim was 30 years old and had been divorced from her high school sweetheart for about a year now. He cheated on her with a size zero blonde girl. Kim had always been curvy but her weight had gone up as high as 180 pounds. After leaving, she decided it was time to lose the weight (again) She had been following a strict plant based diet for about a year. She was also running 5-6 miles 4 times a week and doing crossfit. Today in the bathing suit store, she weighed 130 pounds. She stood 5'5 and was wearing a size 4. She still had an hourglass shape thanks to her size C breasts and her hips. Kim was excited to be going on vacation with Cindy. They had been friends since high school. Cindy was naturally thin but never gave Kim a hard time if she gained weight. They were both single now and this vacation was going to be perfect.
The Vacation
Kim and Cindy checked into their suite at the all inclusive beach resort. They put their suits on and headed straight for the pool. Within 15 minutes a couple of guys sent them a cocktail. It was a creamy sugary drink with an umbrella. Kim looked at it and was nervous. She told Cindy that she didn't want to gain weight. Cindy told her that they should enjoy the drinks and they would hit the gym in the morning. Kim sipped the calorie laden beverage blissfully. It tasted so good. The guys came over and introduced themselves. They all went in the pool together and were laughing and having a great time. They enjoyed a few more rounds of drinks before Kim started to feel tipsy. She had sworn off alcohol a year ago too. She discreetly told Cindy it was time to go. When they got back to the room, Kim was really feeling the alcohol and the sugar. Cindy recommended they go get some food to help absorb the liquor. When they sat down at the grille, Kim leaned over and told Cindy that she was craving a burger. She blamed the booze. Cindy again said they would work out in the AM and not to worry. Kim enjoyed a burger with a stack of toppings. She wasn't planning on eating the fries that came with it but as she was sitting there chatting with her best friend, she picked away at them, leaving very few. One of her favorite treats when she was dieting was a single scoop of real fruit sorbet. The server came and asked if they wanted dessert. Cindy had a killer sweet tooth and ordered chocolate lava cake. Kim was told they didn't have sorbet but they had home made ice cream. She figured one dessert wouldn't kill her.
As she was going to sleep that night she felt full. She hadn't really felt full in the last year. She was a little upset with herself but she was going to the gym in the morning. After all, she was on vacation! The next day the girls did wake up and go to the gym. Kim was happy to see that she woke up the same size as the day before. She had a dream that she woke up and weighed 200 pounds. After the gym and a shower the girls headed to the pool. The guys were there from the day before and approached the girls with more tropical drinks. Kim joked that it was a little early for her to start drinking. The guys laughed and said no worries, they could eat lunch there in an hour. So Kim started drinking frozen cocktails at 10:00 in the morning. They did order lunch from the poolside bar. The menu was very limited. The guys ordered burger baskets, Cindy ordered chicken fingers and Kim ordered a salad. Cindy teased her that the salad wouldn't absorb enough alcohol and ordered an extra chicken finger basket for the group- just in case. Kim ate her salad but was really envious of everyone's food. Cindy encouraged her to have some fries from the extra basket- to absorb the drinks. Kim had a few and they were so good. She grabbed a chicken finger saying she wanted to be able to enjoy more drinks. Kim ended up eating the whole extra chicken finger basket!
The vacation lasted a week and Kim was enjoying the sugary cocktails and greasy pool side food every day. They enjoyed dessert every night but they did get up and go to the gym every morning. As the week was ending and they got on the plane, Kim leaned over and said she was so glad that she had let her hair down a bit on vacation. She had really enjoyed having drinks and real food instead of only salads and veggies. Cindy hugged her friend and said she always just wants her to be happy