Chapter 1 - the curse of the carbs

Josh shook his head, realising that the lighting wasn’t quite right. He lowered the lamp and tensed his firm, muscular body, admiring how the shadows emphasised all of his hard work. He smiled at himself in the mirror and lifted his cell phone for a selfie. Click. That was great! How many more followers would he have after posting this one later on? All those girls clambering for a piece of him!

Ever since Josh had been young, he’d wanted to know what it was like to be large and powerful. He’d sprouted like a beanpole as a kid; ending high school as that long, lanky guy who looked like a strong gust of wind would blow him over. That was when he started weight training, building his muscles and working out as often as he could. It had worked too. Now at the age of twenty-two, he finally had a body he was very, very proud of. He had spent the entire summer with his shirt off as often as possible. He wanted everyone to see those lean abs and pumped pecs he had trained so hard for. And if a couple of girls happened to find their way into his bed, so be it!

But now the temperatures were cooling and, even with an impressive body underneath, it was hard to tell just how ripped Josh was with a thick winter jumper on. Maybe that was why he dropped the ball. Most guys into body building had an off-season during the winter and Josh was determined not to worry about it so much. He enjoyed his food over the holidays and even came to look a little better in his clothes, carrying a little more mass on his frame. But as January arrived, Josh gasped as he stood on the scales.

“195lbs?” he whispered to himself in shock. He’d really gained 20lbs since the summer?

Josh marched to the mirror and examined himself in a way that he had deliberately tried to avoid over the last few months. He put a hand to his slightly swollen middle, rubbing the shape of it. If it wasn’t for that, he might even have preferred how he looked now. His pecs seemed bigger and his arms were looking great; it was just that meaty paunch and those damn love handles that were so unsightly. He knew what he had to do. He’d have to cut down his intake like he’d never cut down before. The thought of it made him feel grumpy. All those carbs in his diet would have to be banished, since he was clearly so susceptible to them.

Josh considered what was needed and sighed. It was his birthday in a couple of weeks, so he’d have to make an exception for that. Then there were also the leftover holiday snacks in the cupboards; they’d all have to be finished with first. Perhaps, he thought, it might be best to hold off on the diet for a little bit? After all, it was still the winter and there was no need for people to see his body right now. Once he had a shirt on, he looked better than ever and ready to take on the world.

Waiting another couple of weeks was hardly going to make that much difference.