I scowled to myself and shoveled food into my mouth.
No, he wasn’t the first. My whole family liked to call me conceited and whatnot, but they didn’t have a single clue what I was up against. More followers meant more business, which paid my bills, and they didn’t wanna see an old saggy fart grunt through his workout. My health was fucking perfect, but I needed more than that. I needed to defy my own age. I needed to be less forty-one and more twenty-six.
The following night, I texted Natalie as I stepped out of the shower.
I was hitting the sack early tonight. It’d been a long day at work, and my shoulder was still giving me grief.
Evening, Natalie. Ready for our hike tomorrow?
I applied deodorant and aftershave and hung my towel to dry before I walked out of my bathroom and aimed for my bed.
Had I taken my magnesium? I was fairly sure I had.
My phone dinged as I sat down on the edge of the mattress.
Hi! Yes, I’m ready. Thanks again for the swimming advice, btw. I had an hour to myself in the pool today too, and I don’t feel as sore and tense.
I was glad to hear it. I’d clearly walked by the pool at the wrong time, because I hadn’t seen her yesterday or today.
I replied to her.
That’s great news. Did you struggle with any food choices today?
I yawned and snuck under the duvet, wondering if I could cultivate a working relationship with Natalie that still allowed me to ask some personal questions. I just wanted her input on some things. If I wanted to attract the right woman at some point, it was a woman’s opinion I needed, not my brothers’.
Considering Natalie was into women, she’d give it to me without bias too.
That was the silver lining.
Her response popped up seconds later.
My work is the problem. The day starts out great, but working from home and sitting down for much of the day makes me crave snacks. I did fairly well, but I had some popcorn after lunch.
Her work wasn’t the problem. It was boredom and restlessness, and instead of taking a walk outside, she took a walk to the cupboards.
I wrote my response to her.
You’re not the only one struggling with that. Next time you work and you find yourself restless and craving something, I want you to come down to the gym. 5-10 minutes on the treadmill will take care ofyour urge to do something. Many times, we mistake physical restlessness for hunger or food cravings. Instead, you have some excess energy to get rid of, or you’re plain bored. (If you don’t want to leave the apartment, you can also do laundry or clean. But it’s important to get up and move around when you have a sedentary job.)
After sending it off, I leaned back against the headboard and checked my schedule for tomorrow. I had grocery shopping with another client of mine at eleven. He’d recently lost his wife and had zero knowledge about how to take care of himself. I was covering for Laurie’s spin class at six too, and then I had my own kickboxing class right after.
At some point, I had to drive by my folks’ too. Pop had declared the barbecue season over for the year and wanted help cleaning and stowing away the grill, and Ma always had a grocery list.
Natalie’s next response made me frown.
That makes sense. I do get restless. I’ll try moving around more. Thank you.
I hummed. Way too few exclamation points for her. She didn’t use them excessively, but she was a cheerful woman, and I could usually find one or two in her texts.
This wouldn’t do. I answered again.
You’ve admitted that you have a history of bingeing, Natalie. In the past, you have lost control with everything from ice cream and cake to sweets and chips. What’s a bowl of popcorn in comparison? I’m not gonna go as far as saying a lifestyle change is 100% mental, but it is a significant part of it. Try to focus on the progress you make. Perfection is an illusion that sets you up to fail. You’re doing great.
Her following text was much better.
You’re right. I know you’re right. Thank you for reminding me. I needed to hear it! I’m gonna try to get some sleep now. See you bright and early, Coach!
I smiled, satisfied, and wished her a good night before I moved on to my next client.
