Like many women, I've been on a diet most of my life.

My main problem are the times spent at my mother's in Lahti, and the bisquits, buns and bread I eat there to stay calm and content. And so, at home I diet, always.

A 'simple' solution would seem to be not to visit my mother. But what is more important, my slimness or my mother's loneliness?

Three years ago the Causal Plane entity Michael said that my body is "left out of life" and recommended aerobic exercise to help reach and maintain a healthy weight for my body type. After much thought I bought an exercise bike. Some other 'aerobic exercise' might be more fun, but not really an option.

I have saved weight statistics of some 30 years which show a variation between 78 and 59 kg. From July last year to January I gained altogether 10 kg, which I have been unable to lose by moderate eating and busy pedalling. What goes away in Helsinki, comes back in Lahti, and even that is over-optimistic.

Now I'm again on a VLCD since May. I simply can't lose weight overall on anything else. I've allowed myself a little fruit, vegetables and wine, because subsisting on 550 Kcal worth of drink powders a day is a deadly bore, and anyhow I spend 400 Kcal a day on the exercise bike.

I'm almost scared of the summer holiday starting soon.