"I'll admit, I have a bit of a sweet tooth. My favorite snack are cupcakes. I probably don't spend as much time playing outside as I should. I've put on a few pounds over the summer and it's making me feel self-conscious."

"I used to love gym class, but now that I've gained weight, I have grown to detest it. It's really embarrassing having to take my shirt off in front of the other boys in the locker room. Some of them have started to tease me and it hurts my feelings."

One night while his sister was in the shower Greyson sneaked into her room to use her laptop. She had left the computer on the web page of a Hollywood actress named Genieve Houghton. The website was called PLOP and it offered all kinds of advice about diet, exercise, and something about becoming a size zero, whatever that meant. Greyson figured that since Genevive was a famous actress that she must know a lot about everything.

THE PALEO DIET:

Eat: Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, healthy fats and oils.

Avoid: Processed foods, sugar, soft drinks, grains, most dairy products, legumes, artificial sweeteners, vegetable oils, margarine and trans fats.

PLOP: Health & Lifestyle Brand

He clicked on the tab that read 'Diet Tip' and quickly jotted down a list of foods to eat and avoid. But the list was too long so Greyson clicked on a button called "The Paleo Diet." He needed to get some health tips before his sister caught him on her computer. Greyson was not allowed in his teenage sister's room ever. "This is gonna be a tough diet to follow. No trans fats? But I love trans fats" Greyson muttered to himself. The next day he started his bold new diet plan. And for the first little while, he felt pretty good. He was losing weight and was gaining more confidence. But then Greyson's weight loss plateaued.

While his sister was out visiting her boyfriend one night, Greyson sneaked back into her room to get more information about the Paleo Diet. But when he turned on the computer he was greeted by an ad that just popped up out of nowhere. "Yo, dude! Do you want to go from having a 'Dad Bod' to having a 'Rad Bod'? Wanna get shredded? Wanna get ripped? Well now you can. Stop by the Freaks of Nature Gym and ask for 'Thunder Moongoose'! "I'll introduce you to the supplement that has changed my body forever! Okay, I'll stop yelling now!"

Thunder Mongoose faded from the screen as a big can with a fierce-looking tiger label appeared. "It's called Tiger's Eye" a different voice began.  "Chug down a few glasses of this power-packed protein powder and you'll go from flab to fab. Do you wanna get jacked? Then stop watching this video and get the ultimate protein powder today!"

"Warning: Side effects nclude temporary loss of vision, headaches, stomach aches, lots of farting, increased appetite, muscle pain, and the possibility of turning into a prehistoric monster."

FREAKS OF NATURE GYM

The next morning Greyson asked his parents for an advance on his allowance and headed off to the gym. he was greeted by the big man himself, Thunder Mongoose who was just as loud and enthusiastic in person. "Good for you bro! You're looking a little chubby but after a few weeks, you'll be as ripped as I am!" "Cool!" Greyson cooed. "Oh, I almost forgot. You're at least 18 years old right?" "Just turned 19" Greyson replied with a slight crack in his voice. "Awesome! Look forward to seeing you after a couple of weeks of taking Tiger's Eye and hitting the weights!" "Uh, yeah. Can't wait."

When Ihe got home Greyson filled a big cup with the Tiger's Eye powder and mixed it around.  It tasted awful but he had to drink it all if he wanted to get into peak condition. After a few days of taking the powder, Greyson didn't seem to be getting the results he expected. So he decided to take bigger scoops to speed up the weight loss process. After guzzling down a big cup of Tiger's Eye, Greyson began to feel nauseous and dizzy as the room looked like it was spinning around him. Overwhelmed by the feeling that he was going to hurl, was gonna hurl, he ran outside as quick as he could. He was drenched in sweat as he took slow, deep breaths.

Believing that the awful feeling had subsided, Greyson got his school bag and started to head for the bus stop. As he left his house that horrible feeling returned. And this time it was much, much worse. He closed his eyes and grit his teeth hoping that this feeling would pass. His mouth was dry, his skin hurt all over, and he had a splitting headache. His vision was still a little blurry but he was able to spot his classmate Zain riding his beloved skateboard. "Hey Zain, can you tell Ms. Jenkins that I'm going to be a little late. Zain? Where are you going?" Zain flew past Greyson with a look of absolute terror on his face.

"That certainly was strange"  Greyson thought to himself. "Oh well, Zain's always been a bit of weird kid." Greyson would have to hurry up if he wanted to get to school on time. As he walked through down the street Greyson noticed that he felt bigger and stronger. Maybe that Tiger's Eye protein was working after all. "Awesome!" Soon he began to feel as if everyone was staring at him. "Wow, I must look amazing!" Cars were stopping in the middle of the road as drivers peered out their windows to catch a glimpse of Greyson. Their silence was quickly filled by the blaring of police sirens. "Must be a bad guy on the loose. Hope they catch him. Off to school!" 

A group of police cars promptly surrounded Greyson. "What do they want with me?" he wondered. "Okay, whatever you are, don't move and nobody gets hurt!" a policeman shouted through a bullhorn. "My name is Greyson!" he responded. Well, that was what he thought he said. Turns out that he had unleashed a bloodcurdling roar. Before he knew it the police cars began to converge upon him. "Move in!" an officer ordered. Greyson's first instinct was to run at the cars like a rhinoceros. Somehow he was able to knock two police cars upside down. As reinforcements started to appear, Greyson panicked and decided to make a run for it.

BREAKING NEWS:

DINOSAUR TERRORIZES UPPER WEST JEAN AREA

As he lumbered through the city with police hot on his trail, Greyson spotted something out of the corner of my eye. He was in front of electronics store where all of the TV screens were running a special report about a rampaging dinosaur. "A dinosaur? Here? Wicked! I live in the Upper West Jean area and hadn't seen any dinosaurs. Such an odd day." "The public is being advised to lock their doors and stay inside. The dinosaur is considered dangerous, unpredictable, and is carrying a green and tan school bag." "Hey, that dinosaur has the same bag as me. Double Hey!  I was that dinosaur!"