Chapter 01 -- The Bargain
Getting the news from his Doctor that his health is in jeopardy was not what Jason expected to hear at his physical. He expected the same old news, your fine, but you could drop a few pounds. That was not the news that he got!
Jason is a typical America guy. He loves, football and wings, beer and baseball, pizza and nachos, and more beer, you know all the good stuff that is the glue of being a guy in our society. He is 42 years old, 6ft tall, and has developed a big round beer belly. His weight is easily pushing over three bills, and his Doctor just told him that if he keeps going at this pace, he would not even reach the "ripe old age" of fifty.
Jason knows he has way too much to lose, he has a beautiful wife, three amazing kids, a great job, and amazing house. His friends say he is living the America Dream. He has a big screen TV in the living room, a hot tub on his back deck, season tickets to his beloved Eagles, and the money to eat and drink his full every night. He is a victim of his own success, his lifestyle is killing him and something needs to change.
Entering his house after getting the news from the Doctor was not easy. His wife Rebecca's first words to him are, "How was the appointment?" He mumbles something about it being fine and then goes into his den to sit. He has to tell her, but he does not want to.
She has been all over him for years to eat less, drink less, and exercise more. Jason always made excuses for eating, for drinking, and being too lazy to get off his ass. "Becca's going to be pissed," Jason said out loud. He did not think she would accept his excuses anymore.
Rebecca has a lot of reasons to be angry with her husband regarding his body. When they met, he was not in great shape, but he looked better than he does now. He always had the build of football lineman, but now he looks like an out of shape, retired lineman. He just let his body go. While on the other hand Rebecca has not lost any of her looks or physique. At 37, standing 5'10, weighing 155 lbs., with shoulder length brown hair and ample C cups, Rebecca is fit and beautiful. She would call herself plain, and would never describe herself as pretty, but to Jason she is a hottie. She is tall and athletic. She gave birth to three kids yet still can turn men's heads when she is dressed up. In her opinion she still has some baby weight to drop, but Jason does not care he loves every bit of her.
That night after tucking the children into bed, Jason decides it is time to tell his wife what the Doctor said, "Becca we need to talk."
"Is everything fine Jason?"
"I have been trying to find a way to tell you this, but the Doctor's visit didn't go as well as I might have let on."
With a look of concern on her face Rebecca asks, "Is everything alright?"
In an attempt to calm the beginning stages of his wife freaking out, Jason quickly responds, "Hold on, it's not the end, it's not cancer, the Doctor just told me that I really have to lose some weight. That if I do not change my lifestyle then I might not be around in the future."
"What does that mean, how soon, did the Doctor tell you, you are going to die."
"No, No, No, I'm not going to die, but if I don't change my lifestyle, things would just be bad for me."
"What is bad?"
"He said that I might not make it to fifty."
With tears streaming down her face, "Fifty, that's young, way to young for me to lose you."
Looking into her eyes, trying to calm his wife's ever increasing fears, "I know, that is why I want to change, I want to drop the weight, I want to stay alive."
"Don't get mad a me if I call you out on eating big meals, or having that beer on weeknights, I'm not going to make you give up everything, but things are going to change in this house mister. I like you too much to lose you."