Member-only story
Joining the Club — A Weight Gain Journey
Reflections on crossing 200 lbs.
***This article was originally written in September 2022. I didn’t dare to share publicly at the time. I can’t go back in time, but I can share it now.***
February 11th, 2022.
I looked in the mirror and smiled. It was day 34 of my 75 hard challenge, and my body looked the best it had since early high school. My chest and shoulders had gotten noticeably larger, and I’d shed most of my belly fat, allowing a subtle outline of my abdominal muscles to appear.
Two workouts a day, a diet high in protein, and eight hours of sleep a night had completely changed my physical appearance. Additionally, I’d cut out booze, fast food, and staying up past 10:00pm. My face also slimmed down, and my jawline became more defined — an unexpected physical change but one that was welcomed.
With half of the challenge left, I was excited to see the progress I would make in the coming weeks. I’d been making gains in the gym and pushing more weight than ever.
It was the first time I’d committed to the gym and begun seeing the fruits of my labor.
I sat at 167 lbs.
May 5th, 2022.
My alarm blared as I groggily fumbled around for the snooze button.
6:45 am.
Sh*t — I was already running late. It was my first day back to work in almost three months. I jumped out of bed, hurried through the shower, and rushed to my closet to get dressed. I took my dress pants off the hanger and put them on one leg at a time.
Except this time was different.
I had trouble pulling the pants to my waist, and buttoning them was out of the question. Was this a cruel joke? The last time I wore these pants, they were baggy!
I looked down and was shocked to see my legs filled out the pants, and they hugged my body in a way that would not have been appropriate in a professional work setting.
Startled, I decided to try on a dress shirt. I pulled a large off the hanger and was surprised to find it fit skin-tight. The top button wouldn’t button without choking me.
