I've employed a new strategy in my battle to regain 55kgs. Warning: it's somewhat controversial and I'm not recommending it or saying it's the best or smartest strategy but of all the ones out there in the world to choose from, this is the one I've decided to invest my energy in.

I've dividing the losing of the weight and the maintaining of the weight into two separate categories.

Phase 1: With the help of my doctor I'm doing an extreme plan aimed at bringing my weight off sooner rather than later. I'm not going to talk about it yet because it's quite controversial, but I promise that I will share the details when and if I succeed in reaching 55kgs.

Phase 2: My doctor thinks phase 1 will help me lose weight, but she thinks that in order to keep it off I need to implement phase 2 which requires that I use my time during phase 1 to work on "fixing my head". Hmmmm!!! She is a big advocate of the idea that problems with diet/exercise start in the head and manifest in the body. So though she's helping me address the body directly, she's more concerned that I "fix my head" (as she puts it) and how does she propose I do this? Cognitive therapy and/or hypnosis are her recommendations. I'm game for anything that would protect me from regain if and when I lose so I'm investigating and will keep you posted.

For now though I have lost 5.5 kgs. over the past two weeks which is probably more than I've lost in the past 5 years. So far so good.

So I've heard so much about the reality show The Biggest Loser, that I went on line, searched, found and watched most of Biggest Loser (America) Season 6 this weekend. WOW!!!

Being the person that I am, my first thought was, what a f***ing shame that people who have this illness called obesity are so desperate for help that they would surrender themselves to a show designed to entertain. It says everything about societal attitudes to obesity. that such a show even exists. Think about it, would we all be okay with a reality show which made entertainment out of doling out the curing for cancer, or lupus or leukemia to a few worthy participants? Maybe it's just me, but there's something a lot twisted about the whole thing.

Let me not be misunderstood, clearly lives are being saved and transformed by these shows and they provide an invaluable education for participants and viewers alike, but my question is, why do sick people have to put themselves on display to get help?

According to the American Journal of Medical Genetics, Obesity "is one of the leading causes of preventable death" and "has emerged as one of the most serious public health concerns in the 21st century." The National Obesity Forum in the UK says that "1.1 billion adults and 10% of children are now classified as overweight or obese." That folks is more than 1/6 of the world's population. The NOF says that obesity requires "careful clinical assessment to identify underlying factors and to allow coherent management" but "neither the medical management nor the societal preventive challenges are currently being met." So of course that leaves the ill and desperate vulnerable to every snake oil salesman who comes along peddling a cure.

I am happy for the people that have been able to manage their obesity and regain their health with the assistance of The Biggest Loser, and I for one did learn a lot by watching it, I just think it's a real shame that some of the best elements of the show aren't available to the 1.1 billion plus people whose lives are going to be prematurely shortened, through well run and efficient national health care systems.

So where have I been? What have I been doing? Who knows?

All I can say for myself is that I didn't intend to stop blogging. It just kinda happened.

Anyway, I'm back. I'm fatter. And I'm ready once again to do something about it.

Btw. while I was away I got married to my bestest friend in the whole wide world, James. So just call me Mrs. B. if you please.

P.S. It was just a 2 second registry wedding with our two neighbours as witnesses and a 2 day, 1 night mini-moon in our favourite city Paris. No dress, flowers, photos or whatever else. How's that for minimalism?