Thanksgiving at grandma's

chapter 1: thanksgiving day

It was Thanksgiving day. A large feast laid out, spread across the table from head to head as a happy family sat in anticipation. Happy except for Lauren. Lauren looked around the table, surveying the vast quantities of good, home-cooked food sat in front of her. All she saw was a whole lot of calories and even more carbs. Lauren watched in horror as her grandma grabbed her plate and filled it to the brim with turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, and even some macaroni and cheese. The meal now in front of her represented the antithesis of what Lauren had been avoiding for the past year and a half. She had a figure to keep, and it was hard enough without a single gym within a 30 mile radius of her grandma's house. "Mom, you know I can't eat this!", Lauren whined in that bitchy way that only teenage girls seemed to know how to do. "There will be a gym in the hotel, just relax and be thankful for your meal", her mom replied a bit agitated, before taking another sip of her red wine and returning to her conversation. Lauren was annoyed for a bit that her mom didn't seem to care too much about her diet, but her attention was soon drawn back to her food. It did look delicious, and smelled it too. Lauren could feel her stomach begin to growl. 'Maybe' she thought 'a little won't hurt.'

- 2 Years Earlier -

Lauren was alone in her bedroom. Nothing but her mirror, her skinny jeans, and her disappointing reflection to keep her company. She had been struggling for the past ten minutes to button them, throwing herself atop her bed in an attempt to get better leverage. It was no use though, Lauren's waist was just too large. As she accepted defeat a tear shed from her eye. These jeans had fit her at the start of the school year, and she was so excited they did. Now though it was a battle to hike them past her soft thighs. Lauren cried more as she realized there was no way she was going to the big party tonight, she just felt so fat at the moment. Her crush from school(and future boyfriend, post weightloss, ofcourse), Jason, was hosting. Just the thought of him seeing her like this made Lauren cringe. Her self esteem had hit rock bottom and it was in this moment Lauren decided to change her life. It was the next day when she started hitting the gym religiously, and watching everything she ate like a hawk. It was a strict routine, which required every bit of Lauren's willpower. She had never realized it before, but she was surrounded by food on a daily basis. The pantry in the kitchen always had at least one carton of oreos - Lauren's guilty pleasure - along with a myriad of other junk foods. Not to mention how her busy mom never had the time to cook, and instead opted to order take out. The constant pizzas, Chinese delivery, and fast food aswell as her unathletic upbringing had a very negative impact on her waistline. So it wasn't surprising the fat seemed to fall off when she started eating a mostly vegan diet. Lauren dropped from a size 8 to a 2, losing about 25 pounds from her 5'6 frame. Her belly seemingly shed off, revealing a toned stomach underneath. Lauren was extremely proud the first time the button clasped around her thin waist on an expensive pair of skinny jeans. As It turned out Lauren was a beautiful young girl, with a great smile and nice blue eyes.

Lauren's love of food had come back with a vengeance. 2 years of strict dieting and conditioning were thrown out the window in an instant. Lauren chided herself as she brought another bite of the creamy, buttery mashed potatoes to her mouth. She had devoured the contants on her plate, and was quick to load it with seconds. She was just so hungry. Lauren's body had been starved of carbs and fats for too long, and it demanded more. Her flat stomach now pushed against the waist of her skinny jeans. With her hand on her bloated stomach Lauren reassured herself shed hit the gym as soon as possible and burn off all these unwanted calories. In the back of her head, though, Lauren had to admit that stuffing herself silly felt fantastic. She hadn't been satisfied like this in ages. Her grandma came out of the kitchen carrying a pumpkin pie on a plate, "Anybody have room for desert?" She asked. Lauren undid the button on her skinny jeans, before pulling down the zipper and relieving her bloated stomach. "I do!" Lauren gleefully called out.