The Strength Within Comes Out

[hatour]

I hope you are enjoying this story. I am writing it as a serial, which I have never done before. I am just letting ideas come to me and seeing where it leads. This is definitely a slow burn! THANK YOU to everyone who has given me KARMA, the life's blood of this site.

Chapter 10

Kyle opened the bottle of wine. She marveled at how easy it was for him to uncork the bottle. It usually took her a minute or two to pull out the cork. He poured her a glass and gave it to her.

He then introduced her to two of the larger ladies in the room. The first lady, Maria, was a Latina with dark hair and dark eyes. She looked like a bodybuilder. The other lady, Liv, had blonde hair and blue eyes, and had a Nordic appearance. She was clearly a powerlifter. "I thought you might want to talk to someone other than Ogre," Kyle said. He then dismissed himself to mingle amongst his guests.

"That didn't take long," Maria said. "But I'm surprised he approached you. He likes strong and muscular women."

"Maria!" Liv said. "Be nice. I remember when you first walked into the original gym. It took you years to get this big." Maria scoffed and walked into the crowd. "Ignore her. She has a crush on Ogre and feels threatened by anyone new. It's nice to meet you, Naomi."

Liv raised her hand up to Naomi. Naomi grasped Liv's hand. Naomi winced in pain as Liv crushed her hand. "Oh sorry," Liv said. "Everyone here is so strong. I'm just used to giving a strong handshake. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Naomi said, rubbing her hand. "I'm starting to get used to it."

Liv looked at the ring on Naomi's thumb. "Where did you get that ring?" she asked.

"Oh, this?" Naomi responded. "A nice little man gave it to me in thanks for giving him a free meal."

"May I see it?" Liv asked.

"Sure." Naomi let Liv take her hand. Liv tried to take it off to get a closer look at it, but it would not come off. When it would not budge, she lifted it closer to her face.

"I assume you don't know what this symbol means," Liv said. Naomi shook her head no. "It is an ancient Norse rune called Uruz. It symbolizes strength, power, health, and success. It is also associated with courage, determination, and perseverance. It is a powerful symbol of strength and power and is a potent tool for manifesting one's desires. You said a little man gave this to you?"

"Yeah," Naomi replied. "But honestly, almost everyone is short to me."

"My mother used to tell me myths and stories from where she grew up when I was young. Some of the stories included Norse dwarves. They were renowned master craftsmen and blacksmiths, possessing unmatched skills in metallurgy and magic. They were credited with crafting many of the most powerful and iconic items that were used by the Norse gods. Every once in a while, they would bestow a boon to a worthy mortal. But most of the stories warn about these powerful objects. They often backfire on the mortals who use them if they aren't careful."

"You think this ring is one of these boons?" Naomi asked.

Liv snorted. "Those are just kid stories. They aren't real. But it's fun to think it can be real. You even wear the ring on the finger that represents power and strength. I'm sure you're going to become bigger and stronger than Ogre in no time."

Naomi looked up and saw Jake flirting with Maria. 'Bigger than Jake?' Naomi thought to herself. 'Is that even possible? Would I want to be that big?'

"Obviously you can't get as big as him," Liv continued. "But I can tell you have a good structure to build strength and muscle. I can see the potential that Kyle sees in you."

"Thank you," Naomi said. Naomi's phone vibrated. She looked down and cursed to herself. It was her ex-husband.

[hatour]

Reach Your Target Audience

Advertising is hard. We make it simple and effective.

Advertise With Us →

[hatour]

THANK YOU to everyone who has given me KARMA, the life's blood of this site.

Chapter 11

Naomi excused herself and went out into the hallway. "What?" she said as she answered the phone.

"The CEO invited Candice and I to a cruise to South America," Carl said.

"I'd love to take the kids while you're on the cruise," Naomi interrupted.

"That's the thing," Carl continued. "Jim is a family man and expects his C-suite cadre to be family men too."

"It's a little too late for you to pass yourself off as a family man, Carl," Naomi began.

"That's why I need to take the kids with me on the cruise," Carl said.

"But you can't do that! I have the kids next weekend while you are on the cruise," Naomi complained.

"According to the court documents related to the divorce, I can take the kids on vacation whenever I want. The vacation supersedes your visitations. I don't have to ask for your permission. This call is just to inform you that you won't be seeing the kids next weekend. I will be following this call up with an email for documentation purposes."

"F@#$ you!" Naomi screamed into the phone and threw it down the hallway. She started to cry.

The door to Kyle's apartment opened. Without thinking, Naomi turned to the person who walked out and hugged them as she sobbed. She sobbed for a while before she realized what she was doing.

"I'm so sorry," Naomi said, as she looked down to see who she was hugging. It was Kyle, who was holding a trash bag in his hand.

"What's wrong?" Kyle asked.

"It's my ex. He has informed me that he is taking my kids away on a long vacation. Which means I won't see them next weekend."

"What an ass," Kyle said.

"I can't go back in there, Kyle," Naomi said. "Thank you for inviting me." Naomi turned to leave.

"If you ever want to talk, you know where I live," Kyle called after her.

"Thanks," Naomi replied as she picked up her phone. She continued on and walked back to her apartment.

[hatour]

Chapter 12

The next day, Naomi had the need to do something to get her mind off of what Carl had done. She decided to go to the gym and workout. When she arrived at the gym, she recognized some of the people there as guests from Kyle's housewarming party. They gave her polite nods, which she returned.

Her anger fuelled her work out. She was in the zone and so focused that she didn't realize that she had been there all day and did a full body workout. She worked out to exhaustion and achieved personal bests on all her lifts.

Bench Press (lb/kg): 68 / 30.6
Military Press (lb/kg): 8 / 3.4
Deadlift (lb/kg): 68 / 30.6
Barbell Curl (lb/kg): 15 / 6.8
Squat (lb/kg): 68 / 30.6
Leg Press (lb/kg): 188 / 85.0

When she was done, Kyle walked up to her. "Looking good, Naomi," he said. "You're taking to working out like a natural. You have made some amazing progress in just one week."

"You think so?" Naomi asked.

"Definitely," Kyle replied. "Let's measure up and see." Kyle got his measuring equipment and proceeded to take Naomi's measurements.

Height: 5 feet 11 inches (1.8 m)
Weight (lb/kg): 220 / 99.8
Body Fat: 32%
Chest Cup: B
Chest Size (in/cm): 39 / 99.1
Waist (in/cm): 39 / 99.1
Thighs (in/cm): 28 / 71.1
Calves (in/cm): 19 / 48.3
Arms (in/cm): 14.5 / 36.8

"You've lost 10 pounds (4.5 kilos) and lost a percentage point of fat," Kyle said. "That all corresponds with the inch or so that you have lost in all the rest of your measurements. Pretty good start. Keep up the good work!"

Naomi smiled. 'At least I'm making progress on one aspect of my life.' she said to herself.

When she got home, she made herself a large meal and fell asleep on her couch watching TV.

[hatour]

Chapter 13

When Naomi woke up the next day, she was pretty sore. She noticed that she was not as sore as the first week. She went through her new rest day routine. She took a warm shower and ate a large breakfast. She checked her emails and spent the rest of the day online, looking for a job. Naomi noticed that her soreness went away by lunch time. Last week, it didn't go away until dinner. When she woke up the next morning, she felt refreshed and full of energy.

So her week went by doing the same as last week. She worked out one day and rested the next. She looked forward to the workout days. It gave her energy. She enjoyed how the weights pushed back against her, but that she could ultimately conquer them.

It seemed like the only resistance in life that she could overcome were the weights at the gym. Her job search was not going well. The massive layoffs in the government continued and the job market had become very competitive. There were just too many people available that had more job experience. The only solace she found was in the gym.

When Sunday came, she was angry. This weekend was when she was supposed to have the kids. She needed an outlet for her rage. She needed to go to the gym. It didn't matter that she had worked out yesterday, she needed to work out.

Again, her anger fuelled her work out. She worked out to exhaustion and was surprised to have achieved new personal bests on all her lifts.

Bench Press (lb/kg): 101 / 45.9
Military Press (lb/kg): 11 / 5.1
Deadlift (lb/kg): 101 / 45.9
Barbell Curl (lb/kg): 23 / 10.2
Squat (lb/kg): 101 / 45.9
Leg Press (lb/kg): 281 / 127.6

When she was done, Liv walked up to her. "Looking good, Naomi," she said. "Your intensity while working out is inspiring."

"You think so?" Naomi asked.

"Definitely," Liv replied. "You'll be lifting weights like me in no time. I can also tell how much your body has improved since the last time I saw you."

"Really?" Naomi said. "Do you mind measuring me so I can check my progress?"

"Not at all," Liv said. She grabbed Kyle's measuring equipment and proceeded to take Naomi's measurements.

Height: 5 feet 11.5 inches (1.8.2 m)
Weight (lb/kg): 200 / 90.7
Body Fat: 31%
Chest Cup: A
Chest Size (in/cm): 37 / 94.0
Waist (in/cm): 37 / 94.0
Thighs (in/cm): 26 / 66.0
Calves (in/cm): 18 / 45.7
Arms (in/cm): 14 / 35.6

"I've lost 20 pounds (9.1 kilos) and another percentage point of fat," Naomi said. "Too bad I lost a cup size, but I guess that comes with all the weight loss."

"Definitely," Liv replied. "You are still in the shedding fat phase of your journey. When you hit the building muscle phase, you will stop losing weight and inches off your body, and start gaining it all back. But with muscle, the inches and weight gained will look awesome. I am so excited for you!"

Naomi smiled. "Thanks for the encouragement," she said. When she got home, she made herself a large meal and fell asleep on her couch watching TV.

[hatour]

Thank you for all the KARMA! 

Chapter 14

When Naomi woke up the next day, she noticed that she wasn't sore at all. She started to go through her rest day routine. She took a warm shower and ate a large breakfast. She checked her emails and spent the morning online, looking for a job. The frustration of not even getting an interview was too much for her. She decided to hit the gym with her regular workout of the day.

When she was done, Kyle walked up to Naomi. "Liv told me about your progress this morning. If you keep this up, I'm going to make you the gym mascot."

"Thanks," Naomi said sadly.

"What's wrong?" Kyle asked. "I would think you would be thrilled with all the progress you are making."

"Oh I am elated with my progress in the gym," Naomi replied. "I just wish the rest of my life was following suit."

"You look like you need a good venting session," Kyle said. "Mental health is just as important as physical health. Why don't you take a shower and meet me in my office? I'll whip up a protein shake and we can talk."

"Thank you for the offer," Naomi said, "But I don't want to lay my burdens on you."

"Nonsense. As your personal trainer, it's my responsibility to make sure you are able to perform at your best."

"You're not my personal trainer anymore," Naomi said.

"More nonsense. Get in the shower and meet me in my office. I will not take no for an answer."

Naomi stood up and did as she was told. When she got to Kyle's office, she sat down on his coach and accepted the protein shake that Kyle offered her. She took a sip and started to sob. Kyle sat down next to her and gave her a hug. Naomi responded with a hug of her own.

When Naomi stopped crying, she started to tell Kyle everything. She told him about the divorce and how frustrated she was with her job search. Kyle listened attentively and said nothing as Naomi unburdened herself. "Thank you for listening," Naomi said,

"You have been going through a lot. It's amazing how well you are handling it all."

"I don't feel like I'm handling anything at all."

"I beg to differ. You have found a healthy outlet for your frustration. You are using your free time to improve your physical health, and that effort is yielding remarkable results. Many people in your situation would just wallow in self-pity and engage in harmful activities like random hook-ups, binge drinking, or worse."

"I see your point," Naomi said.

"You are also working hard at finding a new job," Kyle continued. "You haven't had any leads yet, but I am sure with your perseverance, you will find something soon. In fact, I may have a temporary solution for you on the job front."

"What is that?" Naomi asked.

"My front desk assistant just quit on me today. I know I won't be able to pay you as much as you were making before, I'm sure it will cover your expenses. I'll tear up your current gym contract and you will have 24 hour access to the gym. I'll even throw in some extra personal training sessions. What do you say?"

"That would be amazing," Naomi said. "Thank you so much!"

"I'll send you the paperwork today and we can get started of setting up your work schedule."

Naomi left the gym with a big smile on her face. Being a front desk person at a gym wasn't what she planned on doing, but it did get her the opportunity to learn more about her new hobby. Plus it would allow her to stop dipping into her savings while she looked for a higher paying job.

[Maestrojb1954!]

Terrific story! Characters have a touch of reality. Please continue!

[hatour]

Chapter 15

When Naomi got home, she saw that Kyle had already emailed her the paperwork. She filled it all out and sent it to him. He asked if she could start the next day. She replied yes.

The next day, Kyle walked her through all her duties. They included greeting the members of the gym and making sure they scanned their passes. She was to send perspectives back to Kyle. She would help the new members with their paperwork and take it from them when they were done. She would also collect all the used towels and replace them with clean ones. Other than those duties, she could spend the rest of the time looking for a better job.

Kyle had her working every other day. She would workout one day and work at the gym the other day.

Kyle also looked at her current program. He was impressed with the progress she was making. He adjusted her workout a bit to take advantage of her progress.

Naomi was instantly accepted by the gym regulars. Most of them recognized her from the housewarming party. Jake was taking a particular interest in Naomi now that she was there all the time. Maria noticed this and she was not amused.

The week progressed quickly. Naomi was glad to have found a place that was supportive and where she could be happy. It had been so long since she had felt that feeling of love and acceptance.

She was reflecting on all of this when Liv approached her. "Hey, Naomi," Liv said. "Got any plans after work?"

"Not really," Naomi replied. "Just the normal dinner and TV binge watch."

"Well you have new plans now," Liv said. "Some of us are going out for drinks tonight. You are coming out with us. It's no good to be holed up in your apartment alone all the time."

"I don't know," Naomi said. "I just got this job and I don't have a lot of available cash."

"We don't accept excuses here. Besides, we can celebrate your first week as a fully employed gym rat. Be at Murphy's Pub at six. See you there!" Liv turned and walked away before Naomi had a chance to protest.

[hatour]

Chapter 16

When Naomi got home, she went straight to her closet. Most of her clothes didn't fit her anymore. She had lost 50 pounds (22.7 kilos) since she started working out and it showed. She was struggling to find something that fit her for a night out at the bar.

She paused to reflect that she really had not gone out at all after the divorce. Her ex-husband seemed to keep all the old friends. She was happy to have a new group of friends which didn't carry the baggage of her last marriage.

She rummage around in her box of old clothes. She finally found something that fit, but it was a bit dated since she had not been able to fit into these clothes in years. Since the clothes were basically from another decade and from when she was younger, it was a bit more revealing than the clothes she normally wore now. It was a pink shirt and jean shorts. She looked at herself in the mirror. She stood up tall and smiled. She was starting to look more like her old self.

She left her apartment and started to walk to the bar. For the first time in years, she noticed people make sideways glances at her as she approached and passed them. She stood taller as she walked. It felt nice to be noticed again.

Naomi walked into the bar and scanned the room. She saw Liv, Maria, Kyle, and Jake having drinks at the end of the bar. She started walking towards them.

Jake looked up and gave a whistle as she approached. "Look at those legs!" he shouted.

Naomi looked down and noticed that the walk gave her legs a nice pump. They started to take on a pleasantly solid shape.

"Ow!" Jake yelled, as Maria punched him in the arm. "What was that for?"

Maria just folded her arms over her muscular chest and stared daggers at Naomi.

Liv broke the tension by giving Naomi a hug. When she was done, she looked up at Naomi and asked, "Have you grown?"

"I don't think so," replied Naomi.

"Well those shorts make your legs look a mile long," Liv said. "You look amazing. Let me get you a drink. What are you having?"

"I'll take a glass of white wine," Naomi said.

"Ah, the divorcee special," Maria remarked.

"Enough, Maria," Jake said. "If you can't behave yourself, you can leave. Besides, it's not like Naomi wants to develop a beer gut. She's worked so hard to lose all that fat. You don't know how hard it is to go from overweight to fit. I've seen pictures of you in high school. You were a jock and always gifted with an athletic physique. Not all of us are as lucky as you. Some of us have to work really hard to get gains."

The bartender handed Naomi her glass of wine.

"To Naomi, for surviving your first week as an official gym rat!" Jake toasted. Everyone clinked their glasses and took a drink.

[hatour]

Chapter 17

As the night progressed, others joined and left the group. Some of the people Naomi recognized from the gym and others were just friends of the others from work or other activities. The one thing that was obvious to her was that she didn't have any other friends. On one hand, she was grateful that she now had a new group of friends. On the other hand, she was sad that none of her old friends had kept in touch with her after the divorce.

When Naomi left the crowd to get another drink, a man came up to her and started to chat her up. It was only after she got her drink and he paid for it that she realized he was hitting on her. She looked down at the man and appraised him. He was a good head shorter than her and of average build.

Eventually Naomi got up the courage to ask the man a direct question. "What is it you find most attractive about me?"

"Your height," he responded. "And your legs. They look amazing."

Naomi stood up a little taller and closed the space between them. She was standing so close to him that he had to strain his neck to look up at her. The man's chin was nestled between her chest. The man's face was blushing with excitement.

"Does this excite you?" Naomi asked.

"Like you wouldn't believe," the man whispered.

Amazingly, Naomi found herself being excited too. She never thought that her being taller than a man would arouse her so much. She started to breathe a little heavier. This made the man's head rock back and forth a little with each breath. She stepped back, looked away, and took a drink of her wine as she contemplated this new realization.

The man watched her as he composed himself. She said nothing, lost in thought. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

That brought back Naomi to the present. "Oh no. It's just. It's been so long since I have gone out. I never thought someone would come on to me."

"That's hard for me to believe," he replied. "You are gorgeous."

Naomi blushed and thanked the man. They talked for a little while longer. The man gave her his number and left. Naomi returned to the group.

Maria noticed the whole interaction and said, "Who would have thought that the meek seeming mouse had a dominant streak to her?" Naomi looked down at her quizzically. "I saw how you reacted when you walked up to the little man. You took up his space and made you his whole world. You made him submit to you without even trying. And you loved it."

Naomi blushed and Maria laughed. "You have so much to learn," Maria said. "I'll tell you what. You keep your hands off Jake and I will teach you how a muscle woman handles a man. Deal?" Maria reached out her hand to shake on it.

Naomi looked down at Maria's hand. Naomi felt a need to explore this new found power she possessed and why it aroused her so much. She took Maria's hand and shook.

Maria then squeezed Naomi's hand hard. Naomi gasped in pain and yanked it back. "Come see me when you get more muscle and strength. Then your lessons will begin." Maria then sauntered up to Jake and whispered something in his ear, causing Jake's face to blush. Jake and Maria said their goodbyes and left.

Kyle came up to Naomi and said, "Those two. One moment they are at each other's throat, the next they are rolling around in the hay. I just don't get it."

[hatour]

Chapter 18

The night eventually came to a close. Kyle and Noami walked home together. Naomi pushed the button for the elevator.

"Don't start slacking now," Kyle said, as he walked towards the stairs. "After all, you're my star pupil."

Naomi followed him up the stairs. Maybe it was the alcohol, but Naomi was enjoying watching Kyle's muscular butt and hard calves work as he climbed the stairs.

"This is me," Kyle said, as he reached the landing of his floor.

Naomi walked up to Kyle as he turned to her. Just as with the little man at the bar, Naomi walked up to stand up against Kyle. Naomi noticed two things at that moment. The first is that Kyle was shorter than the man at the bar. The second is that Kyle's more muscular build made it more difficult for her to feel like she was larger than him.

After an awkward moment, Kyle cleared his throat and took a step back. "Good night," he said and he walked out of the stairway.

Naomi smiled as she noticed Kyle's face was red. She wondered if it was from embarrassment or arousal. She went home and passed out.

[hatour]

Chapter 19

Naomi woke up with a splitting headache. It had been a very long time since she went out drinking at a bar. She was very hungover. She spent the weekend recovering.

On Monday, she went to work at the gym. After her shift was over, she saw an email response from a training company to which she had applied for a job. They wanted her to call for an initial screening. She called the company and had a good conversation. They asked if she was available for an interview. By the end of the call, the interview.was scheduled for later in the week. She was overjoyed, but nervous.

The next day, Naomi did her normal workout for the day. Her nervous energy about the upcoming interview was fueling the intensity of her workout.

Liv noticed the intensity with which Naomi was working out. When Naomi's workout was over, Liv said "Good job. You were working out like a demon. Is everything okay?"

Naomi informed her about the interview and said she was working off the nervous energy.

"Well you are looking pretty pumped," Liv said. "When was the last time you measured your progress?"

"Last week, when you measured me," Naomi replied.

Liv went over to the front desk and motioned for Naomi to follow her. Liv grabbed a measuring tape and proceeded to measure Naomi.

Weight (lb/kg): 180 / 81.6
Body Fat (%): 30   
Chest Cup: A   
Chest Size (in/cm): 37 / 94.0
Waist (in/cm): 35 / 88.9
Thighs (in/cm): 24 / 61.0
Calves (in/cm): 17 / 43.2
Arms (in/cm): 14.5 / 36.8

"I don't know what you are doing to make such great progress, but keep it up," Liv said in amazement. "I suspect that you are almost at the point where you are done losing weight and getting smaller. Pretty soon, you're going to start bulking up. I assume that is what you want?"

Naomi looked at Liv for a moment. "I never really thought about it. I just wanted to look normal again. I hated looking overweight. But now that I have been spending all this time in the gym, watching you and Maria workout, the idea of putting on some muscle is beginning to grow on me."

"For what it is worth, I think you would look amazing with muscle on your frame," Liv said.

[hatour]

Chapter 20

The next day, Naomi looked at her closet and realized that none of her professional attire fit her anymore. When her shift at the gym was over, she went off to buy some new clothes. She enjoyed trying on all the new clothes and seeing how she looked in them with her new and improved body. She settled on a cream colored blouse and a gray pants suit. She didn't want to buy any more clothes because she didn't have that much spare money. In the back of her mind, she was also thinking that she was not done transforming her body.

The following day, she dressed in her new outfit and went to the company's office. When the interviewer came into the company lobby to greet Naomi, she stood up and looked down at him. She towered over him in her modest two inch heels. He appeared to be a foot shorter than her.

The man held out his hand. Naomi bent down, grabbed his hand and shook it. The man grimaced in pain and withdrew his hand. "That's quite a handshake you got there," he said, rubbing his hand.

"Sorry," Naomi said, embarrassed. "I've been working out a lot lately. I guess I don't know my own strength." She didn't realize that her grip had gotten that strong. It never seemed strong because everyone at the gym had a stronger grip than she had.

"Not a problem," the man said. "Please follow me to the conference room."

They walked to the conference room and they were joined by the lead training instructor. The lead instructor stood up and looked her straight in the eye. In surprise, he said, "Wow, you have quite the presence. At six two, it's not often I can look anyone straight in the eye."

"Watch that handshake, Tim," the smaller man warned. "She's got quite the grip." Tim and Naomi shook hands. Even though she eased up on the grip, she noticed that Tim's hand collapsed in hers very easily.

They sat down and talked about her experience and what she was doing while looking for a job. She discussed her weight loss journey to this point and the men were impressed with her hard work and dedication. When the interview was over, they told her they would contact her in a couple of days with their decision.

[hatour]

Chapter 21

The day after the interview, Naomi's nervous energy again fueled her workout. It being Friday, Naomi didn't stay too long at the gym. She had to be home when her ex-husband arrived at her apartment with her son and daughter or he would refuse to let her have them for the weekend.

She got to her apartment a half an hour before her ex-husband was due to drop the children off. The time came and went. Three hours passed and still no sign of him and the kids.

Naomi called her ex-husband. After the third try, he finally picked up. "What?" Carl snapped at her on the phone.

"Where are you?" she asked.

"Busy," he replied.

"You were supposed to drop the kids off three hours ago," Naomi exclaimed.

"I'm stuck at the office. If you want Trey and Agnes this weekend, you'll have to get them yourself." Carl hung up before Naomi could respond.

Naomi got in her car. It was one of the few things her attorney was able to get her in the divorce. She headed off to the wealthy suburb where she used to live.

When she arrived, she couldn't bring herself to get out of the car. Instead, she called the home number and told the kids to come out to her. She watched as the kids ran out of the house and got into her car.

During the drive home, she asked her children about the last month's activities. Since they were 12 and 14 years old, they were not exactly talkative. They had their faces buried in their phones. Naomi informed them that when they got home, the phones were being put away for the weekend. The children were less than enthusiastic.

When they arrived, Agnes and Trey were shocked when their mother got out of the car. Since Naomi was sitting in the car the whole time, this was the first time they got a good look at their mother.

"OMG, Mom!" Trey exclaimed.

"What?" Naomi replied.

"You look amazing," Agnes said.

"You think so?" Naomi asked. "I have been going to the gym a lot since I lost my job. I even got a temp job there until I land on my feet."

"Well whatever you are doing, keep it up. Right, Trey?"

"Yeah," Trey said. He still had a shocked look on his face. "What are your measurements? How much can you lift?"

Agnes elbowed Trey. "That's your mom, you perv," Agnes said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm just curious, is all," Trey said, rubbing his ribs.

"I am due to take my measurements," Naomi said. "Let's go upstairs and find out where I stand."

[phil123]

Great Story and I hope for.more (growing)

[hatour]

Chapter 22

Naomi smiled as she led the kids to her apartment. She was happy that both of her children supported and appeared proud of how she was transforming her body.

When they arrived at her apartment, she showed Agnes and Trey to her bedroom. Since she could only afford a one bedroom apartment, the children would sleep in her room and she would sleep in the main room.

Once they were all settled, Naomi took out her notebook and tape measure.

Trey grabbed the notebook. He hungrily read it from the beginning. "Got it," he said. "Mom started working out a month ago. That is four weeks or 25 days, to be precise. Agnes, you read out the measurements to me and I will calculate the statistical improvements up to this point."

Agnes rolled her eyes. "You're such a nerd, Trey."

"Agnes, be kind to your brother."

"Whatever. What are we measuring first?"
Trey ran out of the room and returned with a scale. "Let's get mom's weight first."

Naomi got on the scale. "180 pounds (81.6 kg)," she said.

"Your start weight was 230 (104.3), so you lost 50 pounds (22.7 kg). That is a weight decrease of 22%. Let's start at the bottom and work our way up. Agnes, measure her calves."

Agnes did as she was told and read out the numbers. "Calves, 16 inches (40.6 cm)."

"Your starting measurement for calves was 20 inches (50.8 cm), so you lost 4 inches (10.2 cm). That is a decrease of 20%. Thighs next."

"Thighs, 24 inches (61 cm)."

"Your starting measurement for thighs was 30 inches (76.2 cm), so you lost 6 inches (15.2 cm). That is a decrease of 20%. Waist next."

"Waist, 34 inches (86.4 cm)."

"Your starting measurement for waist was 40 inches (101.6 cm), so you lost 6 inches (15.2 cm). That is a decrease of 15%. Chest next."

"Chest, 40 inches (101.6 cm)."

"Your starting measurement for your chest was 40 inches (101.6 cm), so no change there. Lastly, arms."

"Arms, 14.5 inches (36.8 cm)."

"Your starting measurement for arms was 15 inches (38.1 cm), so you lost half an inch (1.3 cm). That is a decrease of 3%. Wow, mom. Those are great numbers for working out for only a month."

"Forget the numbers," Agnes said. "You look amazing. You may have only lost 50 pounds (22.7 kg), but you look like you lost 100 (45.4)."

"That is because muscle weighs more than fat," Trey explained to Agnes. "Since mom has been working out with weights, she has been gaining muscle as she has been losing fat. Her chest and arms may not have changed much in size, but she looks more solidly built. How much can you lift, mom?"

"I can show you tomorrow at the gym, if you are really interested. But first let's get dinner." With that, Naomi and the children got dinner and spent the rest of the evening watching television.