Sympathy weight

Chapter 1 - Sympathy Weight

Mike and Keisha got back from the doctor; it was their first prenatal appointment. They were both excited and a little nervous. They hadn’t expected Keisha to get pregnant so soon, but they were both thrilled about what lied ahead as they started a new chapter of their lives together and entered parenthood. Keisha said she planned on staying as healthy as possible during her pregnancy and had already been reading books and subscribing to blogs to help support this commitment. Mike had told her he didn’t care if she gained weight as long as the baby was healthy and she was comfortable. She told him it was easy to say that from his position because he didn’t have to gain weight and grow a baby in his belly.

A few weeks later, Keisha’s cravings started and she would get a taste for different foods, often late at night. Mike was such a sweet and supportive husband. He would get out of bed and go get her whatever she wanted, even if it meant driving across town to a special place or trying to duplicate recipes at home if the restaurant she wanted something from was closed for the night. This went on night after night, and Mike began to order him something when he went out for her as well.

Keisha kept up her healthy eating habits and exercise routine despite the cravings and binges. She maintained a relatively low weight gain for the first trimester of her pregnancy. Mike on the other hand, did not feel he needed to do anything extra. After all, he wasn’t pregnant and had always been pretty active. He had never weighed over 160 pounds in his life. They were both so confident in their fitness that they didn’t even own a scale.

As the weeks turned into months and they had more prenatal appointments, Keisha’s doctor commented on how nice her bloodwork looked and how her slight weight gain was at a healthy rate for the baby’s growth. The baby seemed healthy and was progressing through the stages of development perfectly in the womb.

One day Mike realized his shirts were getting tighter and even his work pants were getting more difficult to button. He just figured he was a little bloated from some beer and wings he had had on Sunday while watching football. He went on to work and went about his day. After lunch, he realized his pants felt tight again so he unbuttoned the button and just loosened his belt a little. This gave him an extra inch or so in the waist and his shirt covered the small gap. After work Keisha asked him to pick up some Burger King. He found this odd, she never really liked Burger King much and discouraged him from eating it. It had been a while since he had been there because of this. So he considered his wife’s craving somewhat of a treat for him.

He went to the drive thru, ordered Keisha the small meal she had asked for and decided he would get several of his favorites since he had an excuse to do so. He drove home, eating about half of his order on the way. They ate the remaining items together and he figured he wouldn’t mention the other burger and fries he had already consumed on the way home. Mike and Keisha were still very active sexually and he loved her changing body. It seemed like the areas where she had some fat were getting softer but not much bigger. It was as if the fat was just softening but she really wasn’t gaining much weight or size outside of her belly and maybe a little on her butt and thighs. He really enjoyed the way it felt. Keisha noticed mikes stomach was definitely softer and he was starting to get small love handles but she didn’t say anything. She was pregnant and changing too. She figured it was just temporary and mostly her fault for eating more around him and making him hungry too.

Mike let loose a little more each time he went to pick something up or they cooked at home. He began to crave more junk food when they went grocery shopping. Slowly, their cart and pantry began to have additional items they rarely bought in regular stock like chips, doughnuts, chocolate milk, frozen pizzas, cookies, and the ice cream… Mike had gotten in the habit of eating one to two bowls of ice cream every night before bed. He had come to the realization that he was gaining a little weight but basically excused it the same way Keisha had. He bought a couple of pairs of larger pants as a temporary fix but he just let his shirts get tighter. Since this was temporary and they already had the coming expenses of a new baby, there was no need to spend money on clothes like that.

Keisha’s mom came to visit for a few days before winter and she immediately commented on Mike’s weight gain. She said it looked like the was the one having a baby and kept calling it “sympathy weight”. At dinner, she noticed how much he was eating and would say “you better watch out, none of that is a baby”. After Keisha’s mom left, Keisha told Mike she was fine with his additional size and weight and they made love to catch up from the lost time while her mother had been staying with them. Mike was a little upset with himself for getting carried away but forgot all about that the next meal. He didn’t seem to slow down at all. In fact, he seemed to eat even more. He didn’t take his mother-in-law’s criticism to heart, but he took his wife’s endorsement of the added weight to stomach.

Keisha had bought a scale to keep track of her progress but Mike hadn’t used it that she had seen. She wasn’t going to bother him about it though, she figured he had enough stress with the baby coming and all. She tried to be an encouraging wife and she loved Mike very much. She kind of liked his size and it made her feel protected in his arms and warm through the winter. Mike did use the scale a few times and he was really surprised each time that he did.

Over the remainder of the pregnancy, Mike put on 68 pounds. He went from a 34-inch waist to a 40-inch waist, from small and medium shirts to extra-large shirts. He began to become lazier as the weight piled on and he stopped using the scale because he figured he wouldn’t get any bigger if he just kept the same routine. He used the excuse of wanting more time with Keisha and the baby to hire someone to maintain their yard. His habit of eating ice cream before bed expanded to a stop at Burger King before going home at least three times a week, and even a third bowl of ice cream some nights. Mike was becoming chubby and very well on his way to fat.

After they brought the baby home, Keisha’s mom came to visit and she had plenty to say about Mike’s weight. She called mike “big boy” a couple of times and said, “you done filled out now”. Mike just kind of said nothing, what could he say? He was getting fat and besides, most of the time when she commented on his weight he had a mouth full of food anyway. The food almost seemed to provide security to Mike at this point.

Keisha tried to be supportive. After the baby, she tried to get mike to join a gym but he just encouraged her and said he would watch the baby while she was at the gym. Her baby weight melted off, leaving her body the way it was before the pregnancy with the exception being slightly wider hips and a bit larger butt. Mike still loved her body and Keisha was okay with his but just worried about his health and his confidence. He was now around 215 pounds and gaining more it seemed. One night she asked him if they could go weigh themselves. Mike protested a little but went anyway. Keisha stepped on the scale and the numbers read 163. She was okay with this, prior to her pregnancy she had stayed around 150 pounds. Mike climbed onto the scale with a deep breath and the numbers read 2…4…3. 243! How could that be? He was 80 pounds heavier than his wife! He had gained almost 30 pounds since the baby came and Keisha had lost most of her baby weight. He was ashamed Burt he changed nothing.

Before they knew it, Keisha was pregnant again. By this time, Mike was approaching 300 pounds. She was worried about him and hoping the second pregnancy didn’t accelerate his weight gain or give him an excuse to eat more. But that’s exactly what it did. Mike was eating everything he regularly ate and then when Keisha had a craving, he would cook or order three times what she asked for and he would eat whatever was leftover when she finished. He began to grow to massive proportions, but Keisha didn’t want to say anything. She loved Mike and he was such a sweetheart and a loving husband and father. She began to not be as familiar with his body. Things were just growing, almost everything was bigger on him. New creases, folds, and gobs of fat were everywhere. His hygiene began to suffer as he passed 350 pounds. She noticed and tried to help him wash better. She bought various soaps and body powders to try and tame the effects of all this additional man she had for a husband.

It was getting harder for mike to get around. His clothes were huge and getting tighter trying to contain all of him. His knees ached and his back hurt but when this happened, he would just go home, get comfortable and eat. He began to outgrow everything and it became very scary to him and Keisha, but he couldn’t stop eating.

By the end of the second pregnancy, Mike was 98 pounds heavier. He not only had worsening hygiene, but he was diagnosed with sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. His doctor said he had to do something. But by now, Mike was depressed and he found more comfort and security in food than good health. Besides, Keisha was still happy and they had two adorable kids. She stayed active and catered to Mike, his growing body, and growing needs.

As Mike neared 450 pounds, modifications had to be made. They had to buy a bigger, sturdier bed and other furniture for the house. Mike didn’t handle stairs as well, so he rarely came downstairs on the weekend. He didn’t leave the house as often or even get out of bed when he didn’t have to. It was around this time that he applied for disability and quit his job. From there he just grew. He grew fatter, wider, heavier, sloppier, hungrier, sadder, unhappier. Keisha had such a hard time pleasing him these days. She was okay when he was just a big guy but now, he was just a large body on their bed, and she could barely climb up on top of him. She still loved her husband, but it was obvious he loved food more than her or the children.

There he laid, with his oxygen, and his snacks, and all of his fat. No one knew how much he weighed now but he definitely weighed a lot more than the last time he got on the scale around 500 pounds. He’s still in that room and will probably never come out. Keisha still cares for him with the help of a nurse that visits a few days a week.