Week 9 Weigh-in

Well, I've just had my ninth weight watchers weigh-in and was a bit surprised with a loss of 5 pounds! It could be down to flu or sticking to the plan, but it could be down to relaxing my obsession with food.

This week, I'm trying to wrap my head round healthy eating as a lifestyle choice rather than a short-term solution to a long-term problem.

In the news, we read stories about the 14-stone eight- year- old and it reminds me that I too was once in his shoes. Ok, so I wasn't that weight at 8, but I most certainly was by 10. In fact, I was 20-stone (280) by the age of 16.

My parents provided me with a healthy diet - albeit the portion sizes were a touch on the large size. My problem was the snacking which occurred on top of the healthy eating. I could, until recently devour a tube of Pringles at a sitting or a pack of biscuits.

At 18, I left home and the weight - quite literally - dropped off. Within a year, my weight had dropped to 12 stone (168lbs) - without really trying. Simply by replacing coke with diet coke, reducing my snacking and moving my body more, the flab dissipated.

Remembering this has helped me over the last few days. I know I can reach goal simply by not forgetting just how 'easy' it is. Perhaps a big part of the problem is the weight loss industry - particularly the cowboys - who set us up to fail with unrealistic goals and plans.

Yes, it would be lovely to lose 60 lbs in a month, but we just know it's damn near impossible - so why believe it just because you see it in print? Oh, I've done my fair share of diets and weight loss pills over the years including:

• Nutrisystem
• Jenny Craig
• Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution: The No-hunger, Luxurious Weight Loss Plan That Really Works!-
• The Fat Flush Plan
• The Zone: Revolutionary Life Plan to Put Your Body in Total Balance for Permanent Weight Loss
• The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet
• PowerNutra Hoodia Diet-Max Maximum Hoodia Gordonii Appetite Support Complex, 60 Capsules

Worryingly, the numbers of patients seeking bariatric surgery as a last resort is on the rise. It has been reported by the media that in the US more teens are putting their faith in the knife when it comes to shedding the flab.

While Weight Watchers is a plan, it is one of the oldest and most successful out there. There is a great deal of support both at meetings and online. Ready meals are available in the shops and stores like Tesco convert their healthy living products to points which helps a lot. And the cookbooks are out of this world!