I am a 32 year old American married to an Englishman and living in the UK. Like many, I've struggled with my weight my entire life. I developed some bad habits early on and have gone to some drastic measures to force myself to break them in the past.

I have a culinary degree, so I can and do cook many things myself. I have studied with a dietician extensively, so I consider myself passing knowledgeable about what should and should not be done and the plethora of fad diets out there. Consequently, I have no time for nutritionists because they don't need to do anything to 'give' themselves that title and frequently give daft (and sometimes harmful!) advice. I know how to prepare balanced, healthy meals and regularly do just that. Unfortunately, I also know how to make fabulous, elaborate baked goods and like doing that too!

I have previously had a gastric bypass (April 2001). At that time I was 452 pounds. Starting this(Aug 2010, I am about 220. When I met my husband three years ago I had been stable at about 190-200 for a while, but thinking I should drop a bit more. A happy relationship clearly made me lazy because I put on weight for the first time in years! Going back to working in an office and being at a desk has compounded it. So I'm buckling down!

Should anyone ask, NO I do NOT recommended a gastric bypass or any other weight loss surgery. The only time I would recommend it, is if a person's life was genuinely in danger. Mine was. I could not move to do the necessary exercise to get healthy as the annoying doctors felt the actual moving would kill me. Bit of a catch-22 there. My results are a mixed bag of success and failure: Success in that I did drop lots right away and (for the most part) have kept it all off. It was a failure in that I do not do what a gastric bypass patient should. Ultimately, it saved my life and I'm doing things my way from here on out.

So there's me, what I'm doing, and why!