The dreaded d word....

It's about this time of year every year that the dreaded d word rears its head again. Yes, that one, don't worry I'll whisper it........diet.

Dreaded, dull, despicable, desperate, deadly, damned........dieting. How I hate it with a passion.

Every March I have that moment of realisation that, once again, I seem to have been living under the misapprehension that I need to double my body weight during the winter to see me through the cold months and to keep me going. The fact I'm not a squirrel or a grizzly bear who hibernates all winter seems to have passed me by. Unfortunately it means that every blasted year I come out of winter much heavier than I went into it. You'd think I'd learn.

So, round about now every year, the long slog begins. I work out how much I want to lose, how many weeks until my holiday and then I.......panic. Is it actually possible to lose 4lbs a week for 10 weeks (actually I'm exaggerating, it's not that bad fortunately).

I've never been one of those women who thinks her life will be perfect if she's a size 10 but when I stop being able to see my knees is when I know the time has come for the d word, again.

Once again the thought of the swimsuit looms large (large currently being the operative word) and I know it's time to forsake the carbs, chocs and vino if I'm not to be swathed from head to toe in a sarong all holiday. There are actually times when I think reintroducing those Victorian bathing huts would be a great idea.....

This year's d word starts this week with a return to fat club, as I unaffectionately call it. Yes the weekly joy of standing on the scales and then jumping around and realising just how unfit I am, as I gasp for breath, is about to begin again. Oh deep joy, I can hardly wait.

A friend is starting her own d word soon after so we'll be encouraing each other and physically barring the way to the biscuit tin when necessary. She arrived back from lunch today with a bag of mini creme eggs each, because as she so rightly put it, we haven't started the dreaded diets yet so we owe it to ourselves to enjoy ourselves while we still can! Great logic. That's probably another couple of pounds on then......