chapter 4 - torn shorts

Jessica kept trying to ride and run. Every day she would go out, carry as many of the nutrition bars as she could with her, and go for a run or ride. She found the furthest she could ride was about 20 miles. Anymore and she risked passing out. The furthest she could run was about 4 miles, and many days she only made it a couple of miles. Just the same, she kept it up, day after day.

After two weeks her bib shorts tore at the thigh while she was riding. They were already so tight she could hardly get them on. Her running clothes were faring no better and she now had bit of a muffin top in her running shorts and her ass hung out of the bottom of the shorter ones. She kept on though, now mostly riding on a trainer in her house and running on her treadmill. She couldn't get any further on the trainer or treadmill, but at least she had all the nutrition bars she needed close by.

2 weeks later it was her 30 day followup. At this point she was mostly wearing yoga pants and t-shirts as her other clothes were too tight. When she got to the clinic, Dr. Everett came out to meet her again with a team of doctors. He took her back to an exam room. He said "I am afraid we need to weigh you first." She took off her shoes and stepped on the scale. The reading: 153 pounds. A gain of 36 pounds. Jessica was visibly upset. Dr. Everett tried to reassure her "Jessica it's not an unhealthy weight." She replied "It's over 30 pounds in a month." Dr. Everett "I know, and I am so sorry, I wish we could do something at this point. We need to continue with the exam though."

They measured her waist, hips, circumference around her breasts, then her thighs. A young doctor stepped forward and introduced himself as Dr. Ames a specialist in body fat and obesity. Dr. Ames took out some calipers and said "I am afraid we need to do a skin fold test. You can ask everyone else to leave the room if that makes you more comfortable." Jessica said it would help if everyone else left, so Dr. Ames motioned them out.

Dr. Ames said "I am sorry, but I am going to have to ask you to remove your shirt." She did, wearing now just her bra and yoga pants. Her yoga pants were pulled up high almost to her belly button. Seeing this, Dr. Ames said "I am sorry, but you need to pull your yoga pants down just below your hips for this." Jessica complied and her belly pouch and small love handles at her hips were exposed.

Dr. Ames then set about meticulously grabbing every inch of body fat he could on her and measuring it with the calipers. He recorded all the measurements in his tablet and then took some pictures of her. Finally he was finished. He said "Thank you. I will get the other's now" and started to walk out of the room. Just as he got to the door he said "You know, it's ok for you to eat more than one nutrition bar an hour if you need to."

Dr. Everett came back in and told her to come back again for a 12 week follow up.