The Belly and the Box - A Modern Story

One day in a city by the sea, there was a Big Belly. The Big Belly (owned by a man named Ben) was grumbling. "I must have something," it churned. "I haven't eaten in two hours!"

So Big Belly began its low groan, signaling Ben to pay attention. "My!" exclaimed Ben, "I think I'm hungry!"

Ben was driving home from work at the time Big Belly was sending his message, so, almost without thinking, Ben turned in at the nearest supermarket.

"I'll take this box, and that box. Oh! I can't miss this box!" Ben mumbled to himself as Big Belly grumbled in unison.

Soon, Ben and Big Belly were home. Ben opened the refrigerator, poured himself a tall glass of milk, then took the glass and one of the large boxes to the couch. He plopped down and turned on the television.

A few minutes later, during a break from the television show, Ben noticed that the box, which had previously been filled with chocolate chip cookies, had nearly been emptied. Looking around the living room, as though expecting a culprit, Ben thought to himself that he couldn't have just mindlessly eaten so many cookies.

As he took pause to think about what just happened, Big Belly, in a sickened way, yelled up that he wanted those last cookies, even though Ben didn't want them. Slowly, Ben reached for one of the last cookies, dipped it in the glass to get the last drop of milk, then shoved the whole cookie down his throat. He almost gagged. Big Belly finally realized that he was full. But Ben felt like he was going to burst.

Later that evening as Ben brushed his teeth, he gave himself a look in the mirror. He had felt guilty about eating almost an entire box of cookies. His self-esteem had never been at such a low. What was the use of trying to lose weight when Big Belly was going to triumph anyway?

It was at this moment, while frothed toothpaste began dripping down his chin, that Ben realized that he was Big Belly's master, but for as long as he could remember, Big Belly had made Ben feel like the servant. With this realization, Ben rinsed his mouth, splashed fresh water on his face, and said to Big Belly, "we've got to talk."

Sitting on his bed, Ben began laying out the law to Big Belly. "You are not in charge of my eating habits any longer," Ben said in a calm manner to Big Belly. "You may indicate to me when you truly need food. You must tell me when you no longer are hungry. But because I don't trust you yet, I will be telling you when you get fed and when you don't. And you better tell your friend, Big Brain (yeah, he's really smart, but sometimes he's just plain stupid) that I'm not going to listen to his messages for awhile either."

Big Belly listened intently. He began to wonder how he'd let himself get so out of control. Big Brain also listened in. He was thinking that this all made good sense. His main problem to overcome was that luscious blast of dopamine he got whenever Ben ate delicious foods, especially during emotional eating.

Once Ben finished talking, he headed to the kitchen. He took all the sugary junk from the cabinets and fridge and dumped them into the trash. He got rid of the cookies and cakes, syrups and sugars, chocolates and chips. He filled two large bags with unhealthy, destructive food.

Ben also determined that at work, he would only eat meals from home and healthy choices at the store. No more trips to the fast food restaurant during lunch.

He also began to exercise. Although to a healthy person, Ben's exercise regime was laughable, it was the healthy, long-lasting way that Ben could begin the long, hard journey towards making that separation with Big Belly.

(This story is based on true events, which I'm sure some of you can relate to. As I've mentioned with the other posts, I will be touching on the main elements in this story. I hope to have a "story" post once a week...it's a lot of fun to write)