The Makeover (23 page)

So he whipped
out his credit card and haggled with the salesmen until he agreed to deliver
the new bed that very evening
and
remove the old.  Phoenix did not
know that Paulo paid extra in cash to have Phoenix’s nearly brand-new queen bed
delivered to his friend Cara, who lived in the same building.  Cara had
often complained that her full-size bed was too small for her and her hulking
husband. 

Later that
night, after Phoenix had put on the sheets, and laid in her new bed, she let
the tears fall.  For the first time in a long time, she did two things she
had not been able to do…

She thanked
God…

And she slept
like a baby.

Chapter 14

Lazy people
want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper (Proverbs 13:4).

At four-forty
in the morning, Phoenix sat on the stoop of her building, excited to get
started on the newest plan to change her life.  Although she had only
slept five hours, she’d practically did two handsprings and a somersault out of
bed.  Visions of Paulo’s gentle hugs and obliging words fueled her. 
She quickly brushed her teeth, washed her face, and located a pair of shorts
and oversized tee shirt to wear.  She wanted to be comfortable during the
work out, but she also wanted to look halfway decent.

For Paulo.

Bounding down
the six flights of stairs to get a head start on her workout, she hummed as she
made her way to the front steps of her building.  The dawn’s light was
slowly cracking through the mid-September dawn sky.  The breeze
invigorated Phoenix.  She breathed in and counted the minutes until she
saw Paulo again.

She felt alive.

Several minutes
later, Paulo arrived with two bottles of Fiji water and a smile.  “Well,
well, look who’s all ready for me!  I didn’t even have to send out a
search party.”

Phoenix
blushed.  “Yeah, I’m motivated.  Thanks for the bed, Man.  I was
out like a light the minute I hit the pillow.”

“I’m
glad.  Praise God for that.”

Together they
walked towards Broadway in silence and headed south to West One Hundred
Forty-Third Street. 

“Are we going
to go straight into working out?” Phoenix asked with an eager smile when they
reached the fitness center.

“No, first we
are going to pray, then we’re going to conduct a detailed analysis of your
history.  My nurse practitioner is going to examine you around six, since
I can see you forgot to bring a copy of your physical exam.”

Phoenix’s face
fell.  “I’m sorry about that.  You did ask me for it weeks ago, but—”

“No worries,
Phoenix.  I’m just glad you came today.  I was afraid if I asked you
to go up to get it, you’d change your mind again.” 

When Phoenix
rolled her eyes, Paulo chuckled. 

“We’ll just
give your doctor a call later.  During your exam, I’ll be completing a
nutrition plan and exercise plan based on your specific needs and
lifestyle.  I already started working on it, but since we didn’t do the
analysis or have the physical, I couldn’t finalize it.  Once you’re done
with the nurse, we’ll start you off.”

“Then what
happens?”

“Then, if you’d
like, I’ll treat you to a nice healthy breakfast, walk you home, and you go off
to work.”

“Great! 
Sounds fantastic,” Phoenix nearly swooned. 
Is it a date?

“Don’t you wish
you came to me sooner?” Paulo chuckled as they stepped off the elevator.

God, yes, I
wish I met you two years ago before I allowed Cedric to destroy my life.

Two and a half
hours later, Paulo and Phoenix were back in his office. 

“Wow, I feel like
I’m enlisting into the army.  Your nurse left no stone unturned, believe
me.”

Paulo laughed
and saluted.  “Well, Private, we have to be sure you don’t get hurt. 
I did get a copy of your last physical exam from your physician, by the
way.  Turns out, they have early office hours today and opened at seven
this morning.  They faxed me the results of your last physical.  I
want to make sure I come up with the best, most realistic plan for you. 
The thing is, I don’t want you to be on a diet.  Diets don’t work.  I
want to help you change your entire lifestyle, so that you can be healthy for
the remainder of your life.  The weight loss is a bonus.”

“I see,”
Phoenix said, settling into the comfortable arm chair.  “So what did you
come up with?”

“Based on
Nigella’s
evaluation, your blood pressure was little
elevated.  Your physical indicates the same thing.  I am going to
recommend we begin limiting your sodium and red meat intake.  Your
physical also indicates other health issues like elevated blood sugar count,
but I suspect that is weight-related.  We’re going to limit your processed
sugar intake as well.  I want to help you get into eating simple
carbs
, like fruit.  Again, it’s not the sugar that is
dangerous, but how you ingest it.  I want to introduce more whole grains
into your diet—you’ll need lots of fiber to regulate your digestion.  Now,
being a person of Caribbean heritage, I know starch is a huge part of your
diet.  I am not saying you have to give up the rice, bread, or
potatoes.  We just have to agree on a healthier way for you to eat the
foods you love.  Since you gain weight in your middle, I want to suggest
some supplements that will also help.”

“Like
what?”  Phoenix tried to ignore the heat spreading across her
cheeks.  She hated it when her belly fat was mentioned.

“Have you heard
of
probiotics
?”

Phoenix shook
her head.

Paulo
continued.  “They are microorganisms that regulate digestion and help the
body absorb nutrients into the digestive track.  They also fight some
illnesses.  I am also going to recommend some holistic remedies as
well.  Rosemary oil is also good for breaking down abdominal fat. 
Just a few drops a day in your water will make a huge difference.  I am
also giving you a multivitamin,
multimineral
supplement to boost your metabolism and give you energy.  Right now,
because of your poor diet and lack of exercise, your metabolism has grown
sluggish.  We’ll give you something to revive it.”

Phoenix
wrinkled her nose.  “I hate popping pills.”

Paulo smiled as
he tapped his pen against his lip.  “Would you feel that way if they were
candies?”

Phoenix rolled
her eyes.  “Guess not.  Continue.”

“Thanks,” Paulo
answered drily.  “So you’re getting the multivitamin, rosemary oil to
drink, and
probiotics
.  Lastly, even though you
are still young, I would like to suggest calcium supplement to strengthen your
bones, something like
Viactiv
…and don’t worry, they
taste just like candies.”

Phoenix let out
a breath.  “Okay.”

“I want to ask
you to please drink lots of water throughout the day.  I don’t mean
Vitamin water or flavored water.  I mean good, old-fashioned water as God
made it.  I don’t trust enhanced water.  I mean, seriously, why would
anyone think God needed help making something He already made?” Paulo huffed,
making a face.  “If you are one of those people that just can’t stand the
taste
of water, then flavor it with slices of lemon.  Believe me, it is
refreshing, and is also good for digestion.”

“Okay, lots of
water, got it.  How about my coffee?”

“
Ahhhh
, coffee.  Listen, being from Brazil, I love the
taste of extra sweet
café con
leite
just like
the next guy.  Still, I want to recommend that you lay off the caffeine
for a variety of reasons.  But if you must have it, have one cup in the
morning.  Use
Stevia
or
Truvia
to sweeten it.  If not, then pure cane sugar.”

“I never heard
coffee with milk sound so sexy,” Phoenix said, playfully fanning herself. 
Then she froze, marveling at the boldness Paulo brought out in her.

Paulo grinned,
liking that side of Phoenix.  “I am sure you are used to needing coffee
for that boost of energy.  My goal is to help you eat right and exercise
so that you get restful sleep and wake up revived.  By the time we’re
through, you won’t even need the coffee.”  Paulo grabbed a set of
papers.  “I know I don’t have to tell you to stay away from the sodas and
sugary juices, right?”

“And no
alcohol, I bet.”

Paulo smiled
and shrugged.  “It does bloat you.  I rarely drink myself, but the
occasional glass of wine is okay, red wine especially since there is a proven
antioxidant benefit to it.”

Phoenix pursued
her lips.  “I
used
to rarely drink.”

“It doesn’t
solve anything.  Also, we’re going to focus our workout in phases. 
In the first phase, we’ll focus on cardio and strength training—with weights—at
the most basic level.   We’ll do this for the first three
weeks.  We’ll just get your body moving in fun ways and build up your
energy and strength, get you used to exercise.  In the second phase, we’ll
do a more advanced cardio workout regimen, introducing activities like kickboxing
and Latin dance, things that will really get you moving, as well as the
strength and endurance training.   This is the phase that will last a
total of eight weeks.  It is our goal to see you lose at least twenty
pounds by the end of this phase.  Once some of the weight is off, we will
really
begin a workout.  It will be our goal to work on a combination of the
cardio, strength training, and toning—or sculpting—the body.”

Phoenix began
to sweat just thinking about it.  “Okay, so cardio sheds the pounds, and
the strength stuff gets me stronger.  What does the sculpting do?”

Paulo handed
her the photographs his nurse had just taken of Phoenix during her exam. 
Phoenix was mortified to be staring at herself in sports bra and biking shorts
she had been asked to put on.  Her breasts sagged and her stomach
bulged.  She nearly fainted at the idea of Paulo looking at her stretch
mark-riddled skin and her cottage cheese thighs.  When she noticed the
faint ink markings on her especially noticeable problem areas—her breasts,
upper arms, belly and inner thighs—she swore under her breath.  “I didn’t
know you were going to see these!”

Paulo sensing
her discomfort quickly threw out a set of photographs.  “Before you go off
the deep end in shame, take a look at these.”

In the pictures
was a large man who seemed slightly familiar.  He appeared quite tall with
his long legs, and just as wide.  His man-breasts sagged to the upper part
of a rotund belly that gave him the appearance of being pregnant with
twins—twin baby elephants.  The belly sagged over the waistband of the
shorts he wore to his upper thighs.  He had a round face and a massive set
of chins that was covered by a full beard.  Phoenix was sure she had never
seen the man before, but there was something very familiar about his
eyes.  They were a rich ocher and filled with a kindness and light that
Phoenix rarely ever saw.

“You see this
guy?  Not very athletic, is he?” Paulo asked, his amber eyes now almost a
toffee brown color as they searched hers.

“He could lose
a few pounds, why?” Phoenix snapped, still feeling the heat slamming in her
cheeks. 
I don’t care about this dude’s pictures.  I care about
mine.

“I just wanted
to show you what body sculpting can do.  Take a look at his ‘after’
pics
,” Paulo answered, handing her another photograph.

And Phoenix
nearly fell off her chair for two reasons.  “Oh my!  Is…is he…
you?”

Beaming, Paulo
nodded slowly.  “That’s me, a few short years ago.  Working on me,
using the principles God shared with me, was how I came to realize these
methods work.  I know first-hand.  It’s also how God chose to show me
the call He had on my life.  He wanted me to help His people stay healthy
and overcome struggles with obesity and unhealthy lifestyles.”

Phoenix heard
what Paulo said, really, she did.  But the words she heard had to battle
for space in her head at that moment.  Boy-oh-boy was it hard to
concentrate when Paulo’s rock hard eight-pack was in her direct line of vision!
 Of course, she had seen a shirtless Paulo in the park but had been too
wrapped up in her pain to fully appreciate his beauty. There wasn’t an ounce of
body fat anywhere on his frame.  His
pecs
were
massive, as were the biceps, triceps, and every other ‘
ceps
’
that seemed to have taken residence on his long arms.  She could barely
speak.  “Wow,” was all she could manage.

“So body
sculpting…Phoenix?”

It was almost
painful for her to drag her adoring eyes back to the real-life Paulo’s
eyes.  “Hmmm?”

Paulo had to
gulp a smirk of arrogance way down into his gut.  He was used to
compliments, but for some reason it made him feel like Superman when Phoenix
looked at him that way.  “As I was saying, body sculpting, after the
weight loss, allows us to help you build the shape you want.  Of course,
we want to help you perform exercises that will address overall body
conditioning, but if you have specific problem areas due to genetic factors, or
environmental factors, we can design specific exercises to
reform
your
body, if you will.  For me, after I began losing the weight, I needed to
get rid of that huge belly and wanted to focus on getting definition in my
chest, back and arms.  I also wanted strong legs.  I learned that
there were specific exercises I could do to help me achieve the look I wanted
for my body.  Now that I am in shape, I maintain it with a Saturday
morning jog for cardio and specific exercises during the week.  We can do
the same for you.”