So here I am again, 15 years down the line, still doing Selly Telly. Was 6 yrs on QVC enough to get it out of my system? No. Was five other live channels and umpteen other infomercials over the next 8 yrs enough? No. You'd think that Slimming Pants version 237 would be the straw that broke the camel's back. But no. There I was again, by December 2008, poking and prodding a size 16 plastic dummy's bum, pointing out the lifting and the firming, and knowing that generations more shopping telly viewers would soon be able to enjoy a slimmer profile looking back at them in the mirror! Flatter tum, rounder bum, and as long as they didn't want to eat, sit or walk too far, it would stay that way right up until they were peeled off at the end of the night.... together with the odd layer of skin, for those who ordered a size too small! And after much welly, they all sold out. I just can't help it you see. As they say, you can take the girl out of shopping telly but you can't take the shopper out of the girl....

Thing is, I'm the one that currently needs these wonder pants!!! Three years of basically sitting on my arse in an office, during my Ops Manager Years, have taken their toll. In fact, I'd say I'm roughly back to where I was just before I left QVC - over 12stone and a face that's wider than it is long....

So here we go again - Food Freedom volume 2. Volume 1 was 'Till the Fat Lady Slims'. Maybe this update should be called 'Till the mocha STOPS singing...' . You see, coffee is my only vice. Yes really. Starbucks and their flaming 'gingerbread latte' are to blame for at least two of the rolls around my middle, as well of part of the double chin, I reckon! No other vices to name - honestly - no man in tow cos since the first book, I got divorced. Then started my own business, which later failed, taking me through bankruptcy in the process, but it meant a fresh start, just in time to meet a temporary Mr Right who turned out to be Mr Night-mare! So maybe the years of office work aren't the only things to blame for a return to gradual weight gain through comfort eating! But hey, as a single mum, a girl needs SOME comfort wouldnt you say??!!

So now there's no option but to get back down from this recent dizzy height of a terrifying 13st 5lb (after 'that' holiday in Dominican Republic Nov 07, with the redundancies at my then workplace, a mortgage company, weighing heavily on my mind whilst I was away. But not as heavily as I weighed on the scales when i got back!). At least nearly a stone's come off again since then, but as everyone knows, TV adds at least ten pounds, and the distinct lack of designer jackets this time round mean it's all a bit more 'obvious' than it was at the end of the '90's. Having a TV history has its advantages and it's disadvantages - namely a catalogue of different sized Debbie's over the last ten years. And I know which one I prefer!

Diets don't work, absolutely DON'T work for me. In fact, since someone recently pointed out over xmas that I need to 'shift a few pounds if you want to look as good as you used to on TV' (thanks mum), my old triggers fired off for a while, and sensible eating went out the window, whilst the left over mince pies and few remaining quality street got shovelled down my throat. So THAT doesn't work - still! Never did, as I found out last time. So the only thing for it is to go back to the Freedom Eating basics, with extras thrown in, creating 'Food Freedom' - my version of 'I can Make You thin' psychology. It helped to shift 35lb before, so here we go again! My secret blog, that I'm telling noone about - so if you're reading this, you've happened upon it for a reason - maybe it can help a friend of yours - so do tell them about it, but make sure they know it's our secret, ok?

And over the next few months I'll keep you updated with photos and updates - along with Debbie's missing years, so you'll be fully up to date with what's happened in between times. If you want to return the compliment, I'd be happy to hear about your story too - so comment back and join the blog - serious weight-losers only need apply.....