Dieting...

[Sundae]

I've been avoiding this thread from the sheer guilt of being off the wagon diet-wise.

I've been on Alli - it does keep you honest. It's just so expensive over here.
Yes, the side effects are hideous, but I never encountered them - I stuck to a low fat diet, small meals and got on really well.

DON'T COME OFF BIRTH CONTROL!
The weight gain is negligible compared to factorslike fat intake and exercise. I've been down to 122 lbs (very skinny on my 5'8" frame) on contraception.
Giving up alcohol would have a far greater effect on your health all round.

I'm with Dani on the Slim-Fast shakes. Missing meals does NOT help you lose weight, until you have pared your calorie intake down to the level of a ballet dancer (ie one apple and a handful of beansprouts a day). I know. I've tried every diet known to man, and made up a few of my own. I've lost and gained enough weight to make a couple of other people by now. This does not make me successful, it just means I know a lot about weightloss. It's my mental approach to dieting that makes me gain it back every time, not the way I've lost it.

To do it healthily, it's not a bad idea to join a club. Just be aware it can cost a lot of money and many of them are really quite patronising. An intelligent woman might be better off doing it online.

And re exercise - LOTS you can do in your house!
I lack the drive, personally. But second hand exercise DVDs, stairs, like Dani says, or even just dancing or jogging on the spot. Toning exercises also burn calories and have a noticeable effect very quickly. Yoga too - you need very little space for that and it can make you a real hardbody if you get into it.

Good luck MTP.
You're very beautiful. If you feel you need to do this, it can only improve your appearance, because you will be happier inside.