chapter 1

In the few summer months before university began, I was probably in the best shape I had ever been in my life. I was playing cricket for a couple hours a day and my chest, arms, thighs and torso were looking fabulous. I even would head down to the beach from time to time and show off my bod. I was having an amazing time doing nothing, enjoying all the time and having crazy amount of sex.

Strikingly, much of it was going to change pretty soon. I just didn't know it yet. I went to university in the middle of nowhere. Far from most activity and fun and a reliably 5-mile journey to the nearest city. Initial months were still pretty fun though. Drinking, sex, parties, low workload early on, and binging on snacks like there's no tomorrow. There were a few advantages of being in the middle of nowhere and I was making the most of it seems.

Out went my old routine of athletics and self-control and in came a gushing wing of gluttony and partying. As the term started to heat, the partying was replaced by late night study sessions and the need to catch up with work but the gluttony had become a friend here to stay. I would pork on boxes and boxes of brownies, chocolates, tea cakes etc etc. I was using this food to comfort myself with all the craze of work. I hadn't even for long enough taken a walk around the park. I still looked decent so who cared, I thought.

Rushed and coming close to a halt, the ten weeks of term ended soon. I headed back home for a bit to start enjoying the perks of holidays. As I headed back to run between the wickets, the cardio felt a lot harder than it used to. I wasn't particularly heavier (not a lot at least) but I felt horribly out of form. I was slow, huffing and puffing and pretty soon, this would become the norm for me. I just hadn't realised it yet.

I started to tell myself that I'd lead a more healthy routine the next term but that was never meant to be last. I pretty quickly jumped back into the same old routine of going crazy over the weekends, working very late through the days and eating drinking like there's not tomorrow.