Those of you who follow me on Twitter will already know that last year I set myself the horrible and torturous task of trying to lose all the weight I'd put on. A fact that I'd been trying to ignore for quite a while. You see, I've always had a love/hate relationship with food. No scrap that, I'm just greedy and eat when my emotions are running high....

The number that is on the scales doesn't mean much, as long as I feel, and look, healthy, I'm happy. But I wasn't happy and I certainly wasn't healthy. I felt that I had let not only myself down, but my husband and children too. I was fat. I was frumpy - no matter what angle I looked at myself in the mirror, there was no denying that ALL my clothes were too tight...again.

I suppose its never going to be easy marrying someone who can eat all they want and never put weight on. But then, that's not what it is about, is it? Its about eating right, with the occasional treat. I don't know why food is my downfall, but it is, and I have to confront that. I can't blame anyone or anything but myself. I am GREEDY. I like FOOD.

In 2006 I joined a gym in an attempt to lose baby weight (she was born in 2003) for our wedding in 2007. I did it and I felt fantastic, my energy levels were through the roof and I could run - something I'd never even attempted before. Then, after we'd moved house, and further away from the gym (not a great excuse, I know), the weight crept back on. Instead, I'd find myself walking to the shop for ice cream and chocolate far too often.

And so, after seeing THAT mirror image that was far from flattering I knew I couldn't pretend it wasn't happening anymore. We were on holiday at the time, which made it all the harder. You're trying to enjoy yourself when you just feel fat, boring and frumpy...a vicious cycle of wanting to eat more.

So, I made the decision to *gulp* join a slimming club.

And, to cut the very long story short, I did it. I started in September 2011, just as the new school term started and last week, 7 March, I reached my goal. I lost two stone and ten pounds. It wasn't about measuring and points, it was about the long term benefits of healthy eating. Something I knew about but chose to ignore for too long.

All I need to do now is maintain my weight. I've had to re-educate myself in regards to eating the right things and why a treat should be just that. I'll need to keep all that in mind in the future too because I doubt it is going to be easy - but I've written this now and I hopefully, it'll scare me enough to realise how I went wrong last time and that I don't want to go back.

I'm also back at the gym. I've built up my running and can do 5K - maybe I'll set a new goal soon, of what 6 or 7K?

Follow Kirsty Higginson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/KirstyHigginson