In the autumn of 2009 - well give or take a few weeks either side so more accurately I would say from the last week in August 2009 to mid December 2009 - I was going through a very difficult time. On 23rd August 2009 I can remember crying as I returned from a class at the local leisure centre. My life was bad in relation to around 7 different things - with some more serious than others - one was actually a life/death situation. Anyway, even though I felt terrible I still continued with my diet/exercise program and in this roughly 4 months time period managed to lose 2 stone. Also I kept going with a college course and took a lot of careers advice. I felt really down at times but within about 18 months my life has improved 100 percent - so Spring 2011 - my life had changed for the better in ways I'd never have expected it to. So just to say if anyone's feeling down it's worth hanging on in there - as my life showed some 12 years or so ago - you really never know what's round the corner ..