Not My Type by Chrystal Vaughan Read Free Book Online Page B

now. But she knew Joe was
somewhat excited about this part of the big change. Exercise was
his life, aside from her, and it showed in his fine physique. If
anyone could help her get her health back on track, it was
Joe.
    "Okay baby, work me out."
    Joe grinned. "We'll go slow at first,
don't worry. I have a regular routine I made up for people who come
to the gym expressly to lose weight. "
    "Do you get people in there who have
diabetes also?"
    "Yep. They come in because the doc
said they need to get their weight under control, just like he told
us yesterday. I always thought your weight was fine as long as you
were healthy, and it's your health I'm concerned with now. But
don't worry. I've got this."
    She smiled at his enthusiasm. "I know
you do. What's first?"
    They headed out to the garage, where
Joe had a miniature gym set up for home use. The Rover always spent
its time in the driveway because Joe had converted this space long
before he owned ToneUp. Though he didn't use it as much now that he
had his own gym, it was still a place he could work out on his days
off, like today. When he missed too many days of working out, he
felt anxious, which might explain his bad dream and
uncharacteristic worrying, he realized. While Elsa sweated it out
on the treadmill, he worked on his arms, being careful with the
free weights without a spotter.
    After what seemed to Elsa like a
torturous half hour of high speed walking, her legs felt like
jelly. She begged to sit for a few minutes before being forced
through anymore torture, but Joe said that was it for the day,
anyway, so she could go inside if she wanted. "That's it? No
weights or balance ball or torture rack?"
    "Gotta start slow, babe. And we'll
alternate cardio with weights so you can gain muscle while burning
fat. Trust me: I know what I'm doing. Since your body isn't used to
it, we're starting very slowly. I don't want you to get
hurt."
    "Thanks tall, dark, and godlike. You
are the best fiancé a girl could have." She planted a smacking kiss
on his lips.
    He was pleased by her praise but
responded with, "Wait until we do squats and lunges tomorrow and
see if you still think that."
    She laughed, a beautiful
sound to Joe's ears, as she went back inside to make lunch. Joe
switched to the boxing bag in the corner, thinking to
himself, Maybe this is going to be easier than I thought .

Chapter Eight: The
Grind
    Over the next couple of weeks, Elsa
saw few results of her new diet and exercise plan. True, her blood
sugar was lowered, though still not where it should be. Dr. Edwards
advised an anxious Joe that it might take several months to be
completely normal, and longer for Elsa to be off the Metformin once
her diet and weight were under control. She worked out in the
garage before lunch with Joe, took Spike for walks after lunch, and
made sure she stuck to a strict diet of protein and whole
grains.
    There were many days where she felt
down, internally raging against the injustice of it all. She had a
meltdown one afternoon at the restaurant where she couldn't handle
the pressure of cooking food she couldn't eat. She'd spoken to
Allen and Marybeth about the new changes in her lifestyle, and they
were as fully supportive as she'd expected. But she'd told them she
wouldn't have to change the menu, that she could keep cooking the
rich foods she always had. She saw them exchange a glance but they
agreed she could cook whatever she wanted. "Whatever you need to do
Elsa," Allen's voice crackled with age. "We want you to be happy
here, sweetie," Marybeth added. "You can change the menu if you
need to or leave it how it is if that's what you want."
    The night her meltdown happened, it
was the cheesecake that did her in. The smell of it was enough to
make her eyes water with desire to eat it, but her blood sugar was
still not in enough control to warrant cheating on her diet even a
little. She finally locked herself in the bathroom, sobbing over
food, feeling pathetic and fat and unworthy.