I grew up during the diet revolution. I remember my mother saying she had never dieted as a child. I went on my first diet when I was fourteen. In retrospect, I was never fat, just a product of media hype and a mother who started to diet seriously in her thirties and is still denying herself cream cakes and counting calories today.

Personally, I have tried Slimmer's World, Weight Watchers, the Cabbage Soup diet, the Hip and Thigh diet, the Scarsdale Medical diet and food combining. Several eating disorders later, I found myself thinking that if someone would just tell me what to eat, I would eat it.

In reality, I had forgotten how to eat. I was flummoxed as I went around the supermarket, my trolley invariably full of water, wine, detergent and very little food. An uninspirational tour de force of the aisles would leave me reaching for something you could jam a fork into and pop into the microwave.

Once I realized that years of dieting had rendered me unable to eat anything without an unhealthy fixation with the fat content and what it would do to my midriff and thights, I booked a visit to a professional nutritionist.

I was recommended to Liz Thearle. The first stage is filling in a very detailed questionnaire which enabled Liz to assess my situation before the visit. An initial appointment lasted an hour and Liz went through the questionnaire with me, discussing different areas. I was nervous, but very honest and it is important to tell all. Liz didn't bat an eyelid at any of my less appealing dieting habits and wasn't at all judgmental.

Next used Applied Kinesiology (muscle testing) to determine whether I had any food intolerances. This is quite an odd process to the uninitiated, so go with an open mind. The idea is that you hold a sample of food or a small bottle with a homeopathic dose of the food in one hand and if your other arm, which is raised, is easily pushed down, then you have an intolerance. If your arm stays put when pressure is applied, you are fine with whatever it is you are holding. Finally, I was given an appropriate diet - or food regime as I like to think of it, because the word "diet" has such horrible connotations. Also I was given some vitamin supplements. A mere six weeks on and I can report that I feel trimmer, fitter, happier, my skin is clearer and I look younger. Liz says you can really see and feel a difference at three months and I can't wait. My regime is just a programme of three very healthy meals and three healthy snacks and is so easy to follow. I don't think I have ever eaten so well.

The greatest lesson I have learnt is to consider food as a friend that will make my hair shine, nails grow, give me energy and keep all my organs healthy. Instead of as a terrible foe which could wreak havoc on my figure. Succinctly - good food is good for you, and only bad food makes you fat.