July 25, 2009

  • Xanga Writing Contest Top 10: DimoDae143

    DimoDae143 proves that guys can write too with this essay. As usual, comments are closed here--go tell him how well he did. Please do comment on his page. I am intentionally closing my chance at comments and hits from this because I care that much about promoting the winners.

    I’ll take Tony. Then, I’ll take Daniel. I’ll take James. I’ll take Isaac. Hold on, let me think…David. Oh great…Hey Timmy, you’re on my team, so try to keep up this time. You know what? Just make sure not to get in my way.
    Again, picked last, I only wanted to fit in. But I knew that wouldn’t happen. I wasn’t an idiot. I could never be like them because I was fat.
    As the “fat kid” of the class, I was frequently a target of taunting. But I couldn’t retaliate. I was secretly too envious of them to produce a genuine comeback. On top of the pains of an isolated lifestyle, I had been diagnosed as a pre-diabetic. My doctor warned me that if my weight continued to escalate, I would develop type 2 diabetes permanently. In order to deal with my anxiety, I searched for a quick way out. For a week, I threw up after my meals. Sometimes, I skipped eating altogether. At one point in the 8th grade, I consumed only water for five days straight.
    The same week, as I was rising out of bed, I collapsed to the floor. That moment opened my eyes, and I specifically remember thinking, “What am I doing to myself?” I couldn’t go on treating my body like this and hope that my weight would disappear so easily, so I decided on a new approach and went to the local 24 Hour Fitness center. At first, it was strange being at a gym at ten o’clock on a school night, and even stranger being the only person under 30. Yet none of that mattered in comparison to the problems of my overweight life, so I stepped onto a treadmill for the first time and started running. After only five minutes, my lungs felt like they were on fire. By the first mile, my stomach and thighs burned to the point that my skin began to itch and turn red. At the two mile mark, my feet suffered piercing stings with each step. Unaccustomed to so many pains at once, my body cried out for me to stop. I didn’t. I kept running until I finished my self-imposed five miles.
    I continued this routine every night, regardless of unexpected obstacles. If I had not eaten a meal since noon, it didn’t matter. If I had a semester long science project to finish, it didn’t matter. If I had a fever, it didn’t matter. I convinced myself that nothing would stop me from reaching my goal, but that certainty was challenged. It was hard staying awake in school, having exercised until midnight the night before. My body had a tough time adjusting to the heavy loads of activity I had suddenly taken on. My parents insisted that I slow down, saying I looked too pale and sickly. There were periods throughout the process when I wanted to just give up, but I knew that I couldn’t return to my old life. The physical pain was bearable; the mental pain was not. After a year and a half of constant struggle and steady progress, I lost forty pounds, while growing four inches taller. I had become a new man.
    Nicknames such as “big bear” and “fat boy” no longer apply to me, I have a sense of respect for myself, and I am no longer at risk for type 2 diabetes. The change I have brought about in my life has granted me a new confidence, not in the superficial sense, but within my character. I am no longer afraid to approach new people or try new things, and when I set my sights on something – an academic award, a job promotion, or even a group of people to befriend – I don’t take the easy way out and do nothing. I strive for it. And I will continue to strive for my best with the mindset that anything is possible. No matter how big the hurdles, I will never be afraid to take that first step and start running.

    You know how girls love the story where the princess lives happily after? This is the man counterpart of that, ha--the man who pulls himself up from tough situations and, against all odds, conquers. How impressive is it that a fat kid with no exercise habits climbs on a treadmill like that in the middle of adults? You're the man!