All Of Me

4. From Eighty to Sixty Five

“Come on, Juliana! One more set of sit-ups!” Samuel crouched down beside Juliana.

“Let’s begin. Ten!”

Juliana squeezed her eyes shut tight and tried to sit up. She could feel her whole body shake from the strain of using her core muscles to pull herself up from the floor. Both her hands placed at the nape pulled at her neck, straining to sit up.

She felt a hand grab hold of her elbow. Juliana opened her eyes to see that it was Samuel.

“Stop doing that. You have to use your core muscles. Pulling at your neck won’t help you sit up. Okay?”

When Juliana nodded, Samuel gave a quick nod and again said aloud, “Let’s begin. Ten!”

Even though she was straining to sit up, she could not. Finally Juliana gave up. She lay flat on her back with her arms and legs akimbo.

“I can’t. Sorry, Sam. I really can’t.” Juliana closed her eyes and said in a defeated voice.

Samuel sat down beside her and patted her arm.

“It’s okay. Let’s stop now. But I really need you to push yourself. It is difficult in the beginning but when your muscles are stronger, and when you are fitter, you will find satisfaction in persevering. Okay?”

Samuel gazed intently into Juliana’s eyes.

Juliana thought Samuel had the most beautiful and kind brown eyes. So soulful.

“Ju, you all done?” Diane popped into the gym. She had just finished her Zumba session.

“Yeah, I’m all done.” Juliana stretched out her hands to Diane. “Please help me up?”

As Diane pulled Juliana to her feet, she asked Sam, “How is our girl doing? All good?”

“So far so good. Let’s weigh in.” Samuel called out to Juliana.

Juliana trudged along to the weighing machine. She took a deep breath and said a little prayer. She had sweated buckets this week. She took another deep breath before stepping on the weighing machine.

76 kilograms!

Juliana eyes widened as she looked at the numbers on the weighing machine. Wow! She has lost four kilograms. What a great start to her makeover plans!

Today marks the end of the 1st week of intense workout at the gym with Samuel. When she first started at the gym, her weight was at 80 kilograms. Based on the BMI calculator, she was categorised as overweight, leaning towards obesity.

This week Juliana’s workout included high-intensity interval training, weight training and pilates. Her body was so sore that she found it difficult to sit up in the mornings.

Now she did not mind the pain. If she continues like this, she should be able to achieve her ideal weight of 60 kilograms in three months’ time.

***

Juliana spent the next day lazing around her apartment. It was the weekend and her day off from workout. She accepted Diane’s challenge to change herself and committed to a 3-day workout session with Samuel. So her Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights are now committed to the fitness centre.

She was in high spirits after her first week with Samuel. She felt more alert. She was eating healthier now. More protein and greens, less carbohydrates.

"I am coming over in a while to collect my stuff.”

Eric! Juliana gasped as she read the pop-up notification on her mobile phone. What with work and her workout regime, she did not have time to think about Eric.

Her hand shook as she picked up her phone. She started to reply and then stopped herself. She cleared the reply she was typing.

Juliana put her phone down and walked to the window. She pulled open the curtain and opened the balcony doors and stepped out onto the balcony. A cool breeze wafted by. She took a deep breath.

Her mobile phone rang.

Juliana walked back to the sitting room and picked up her mobile phone. It was Eric! She let the phone ring until the call was disconnected.

“I know you are there. You just read my message. Let’s not drag this thing any further. Open the door when I arrive.”

How rude! Where is his ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’? Juliana shook her head in disgust. What did she see in Eric that she could fall so hard for him?

When Eric arrived, he rapped at the door with a quick three knocks.

“What a jerk!” Juliana thought as she walked to the entrance to open the door. “He is feeling happy.”

“Hey” was all Eric said to Juliana as he walked to their bedroom……..her bedroom. Juliana shook her head to clear her thoughts. She must stop thinking of both of them as a couple. Everything in this apartment is hers, no longer theirs.

“I took the liberty of packing your stuff. They are in the living room.” Juliana called after Eric.

Eric came out of the bedroom and walked over to the luggage. He took a quick glance at Juliana before he smirked and said, “That is my favourite t-shirt. Send it to me after you have washed it. Okay, babe?”

Juliana’s eyes widened in shock. He wants back this old t-shirt? The t-shirt that he never wears?

“You know, however much you try to cover those fats, they are still there. Wearing baggy shirts does not help. You look like a whale in that.” Eric said as he walked out of her apartment.

Juliana’s jaw gaped open. She tried to retort but nothing came out of her mouth. Her face turned a bright red and her eyes glistened with tears.

“Oooooo you wait, Eric! This whale is going to turn into a mermaid!” She whispered angrily under her breath as she walked over to slam the door shut.

***

For the next three months, Juliana obediently attended every workout session with Samuel. Instead of the fixed number of sets she had to do, she always added another 2 more sets.

Her weight gradually dropped and finally at the end of the third month, she was down to 65 kilograms. She was short of another 5 more kilograms to reach her targeted weight but she was happy. She was proud of what she had achieved.

Losing the extra weight had not only made her feel lighter but she also felt more confident. She could now wear tights and sports bra and parade around just like all the other beautiful slim ladies in the fitness centre.

Another thing that boosted her confidence were the looks men gave her. She had never felt this good, not even when she was with Eric.

She felt grateful to Samuel who had patiently guided her through the workouts. He had been gentle yet strict. Some weeks he allowed her moments of self-pity when she could not achieve the targeted goal for the week. Then the next week he pushed her like some drill sergeant. Without his constant push and belief in her, Juliana know she might not have achieved what she had achieved.

Juliana felt blessed that Diane was by her side throughout these three months. She knows Diane loves her like a sister. She had earlier warned Juliana that Eric might not be the partner for her. But when Juliana had been adamant that Eric was the nicest guy on earth, Diane had relented and even tried her best to befriend Eric. All for the sake of Juliana.

Juliana looked at herself in the full-length mirror in the gym. She was satisfied with her abs. It was not the six-pack that she dreamed of but her stomach was flat and firm. She turned from side to side, admiring herself.

“You are looking good, Ju!” Diane commented as she came over and wrapped her arms around Juliana’s waist. “See? What did I tell you? You can do it!”

Both Diane and Juliana smiled at each other through the mirror.

“We have got to do something with your hair. It is too long.” Diane made a face as she said this. “We need to do something about your hair and clothes.”

When Juliana raised her eyebrows, Diane nodded her head.