I struggled with losing weight from the time I was a teenager. I tried everything - fad diets, meal supplements and diet pills. You name it. Most of them worked for a short time, but in the end they only just made me fatter.

Working in the entertainment industry, I always felt under constant pressure to look ‘thin’ just to be accepted. However, attempting to stay slim and losing weight over and over again was exhausting, depressing and lonely. I truly believed that a maintaining a permanently slim body meant a lifetime of starvation and depravity.

Over time, the continuous yo-yo dieting eventually caught up with me and started affecting my health. My metabolism came to a screaming halt and weight loss became virtually impossible. To top it off, I was left with a weakened immune system and several health issues, as a result.

It took many years and much ‘self reflection’ to realise that nurturing my body and health needed to be the priority in order to maintain my ideal weight. As I started to know myself better I learnt to accept that my body was not naturally ‘thin.' I discovered how to start loving my natural healthy shape and appreciating my ‘curves.’

Eventually I found the courage to let go of my old habits and let my body have a break from ‘dieting’. It was a ‘leap of faith', especially knowing that I would put on a tonne of weight. Although, I hated seeing myself stack on the pounds, I was actually emotionally ‘relieved’ that I no longer had to keep up appearances, and pretend to be naturally ‘slim.’

Today, I have found my ‘healthy’ body weight, but I still have to consciously work at it. The difference is, I no longer abuse my body with starvation diets or weight loss pills. I have learnt how to lose weight safely with natural methods. I have also learnt to love exercise and healthy eating. Most importantly, I now listen to my body’s needs.

My own experience has given me a passion for researching effective weight loss programs, fitness techniques, and finding healthy recipes that are not boring. I am hoping that my passion helps others to achieve their best health and ideal body without the use of dangerous drugs or drastic dieting.

In my hub pages I will be sharing lots of quality information and product reviews on weight loss, fitness and natural health solutions. Please feel welcome to visit my website http://www.weightlossprogramswork.com where I review some of the online fat loss programs available.

I would really love to hear your thoughts and feedback.

Sam :)