'You've got your hands full'

Back on a 'healthy eating plan' - I just can't say "diet"

"I SHED six stone, just look at me now!” scream the headlines and we admire how a champion slimmer conquered a lifetime of overeating to reach their target weight.

But revisit even the most successful dieter’s story later and often some or all of the pounds have piled back on.

I'm one of those people. Shortly before I had my children I'd lost four stone at Weight Watchers. Since having them, it's all gone back on, plus some more. Two years ago I lost two stone quite quickly through "better" eating and going to the gym - which I love once I get there.

Once you have lost weight – whether it’s a little or a lot - it is all too easy to be lulled into a false sense of security. I got stuck in a diet/binge/feel bad cycle and wrote last year about binge eating as well as writing for One in Four magazine about a relationship between obesity and depression.

Healthy eating advice from Liz Hurley? No thanks

LIZ Hurley is a beautiful and successful actress-cum-model-cum-producer-cum-organic farmer. Her face adorns advertising hoardings, glossy magazine pages and carrier bags. I'm a fat mum of two who longs to be five stone lighter. My face adorns scary rollercoaster pictures.

But I won't be buying her "guilt free" bars thanks.

Here's why. Two years ago, I jotted down the following points after a life-changing appointment with the nutritionist Lyndel Costain.

The treadmill and me: One step beyond...

I'M a bit scared of treadmills, you only have to watch the above video through to see why.

But here I go again. It’s treadmill time – 7am. It can seem far too much like hard work.

That’s just the bending over to put my towel down as this expensive piece of kit has nowhere to put it.

Why 'chaotic' eaters struggle to maintain weight loss -and some top tips from a nutritionist

SINCE writing about binge eating, several people have been in touch with me to ask if I would like to lose weight in the same way as them.

I'm very grateful they've thought of me. But I can't. I have to go my own way, a combination of healthy eating and exercise and that's it. The following feature goes some way to explaining why.

“I SHED six stone, just look at me now!” scream the headlines and we admire how a champion slimmer conquered a lifetime of overeating to reach their target weight.

But revisit even the most successful dieter’s story later and often some or all of the pounds have piled back on.

Oreos killed the radio star?

TODAY I was interviewed by Jim Hawkins at Radio Shropshire about binge eating.

For now, you you can  hear our chat here. (The interview starts at around 1.19 on the counter in the bottom left hand corner and continues to about 1.45.)

I will never be a fan of hearing my own voice on the radio, what with managing to sound, well, common as muck, but what strikes me listening back to it, is how determined I sound and possibly a bit scary.

I'm just trying to get across that there is more to life than dieting, that we should be kinder to ourselves and not put off having fun or achieving things until we have lost a couple or few stone.  I also love the fact that I crack up when Jim asks me how far along my own journey I am. And for some reason, I mention Disney...

Listen on to hear Midlands Today's David Gregory striding through custard. Perhaps I should try it - could beat the treadmill. 

Beat eating disorders.

Lyndel Costain. 

The interview will be on Listen Again for a week.

Owning up about binge eating

ONE of the reasons I wanted to carry on blogging here now and again, even though the twins 'mojo' has upped and left was so that I could bring together some of my other chief concerns when I felt like it. And for the last 20 years or so, losing weight has been right up there.

I did have a blog called How did I get this fat? Exactly 12 months ago, I was merrily crowing about how I was on the right road to a slimmer fitter me. Except I'm still not there. I'm still overweight and I'm still keeping on, keeping on.

Today there's a bloody great picture of me peeking out of a bush in The Express as I chronicle my binge eating. I've been touched and chuffed by the feedback and kind words of encouragement that have winged my way since this was published this morning. So thank you to everyone who has taken the time to tell me what they thought.