For some time I've been asked to write about my weight. Probably less about the facts and figures and more about the possible insecurities or tussles a guy might encounter when they're overweight and trying to deal with it. Not surprisingly these requests have come from girls, as men rarely discuss weight or dieting, as they probably see it as a feminine trait and will sheepishly mumble something about being big boned and that muscle weighs more than fat. I should know, I've said the same.

When I suddenly awoke to find myself obese, I had to ask myself serious questions about how I'd got there and what I should do about it. It was an obvious cocktail of poor diet, drink and inactivity that sent me to 19st (266lbs) in a number of months. There is nowhere to hide and nobody to blame but yourself. There was a genuine moment of realisation, when I stood in front of a mirror stark naked and (this may appeal to the dark comics) shed a few tears. I think I was just really pissed off that I was supposed to be in the prime of my life, when in reality I couldn't climb a flight of stairs without feeling out of breath and I was rarely - correction - never catching the eye of any girl that crossed my substantial path. I'd speculate that there aren't that many differences between men and women when it comes down to it. Essentially I felt inadequate compared to my peers, and when I look back on my youth as an old man, I didn't want to feel I'd wasted it being unnecessarily and hamperingly overweight. I wanted to feel good about myself - both superficially and deep down.

So 18 months ago I decided to join the gym, something I documented in my very first blog post. A harrowing experience which drove home how a guy in his early twenties was wasting a youth that should be full of ambition, boundary-pushing and perhaps a measure of hubris. From then on I knew I was in for the long haul. It's funny, because in interviews I'm often asked, "what's the biggest project you've ever worked on, and how did you maintain momentum and motivate yourself through it?". And, if I was to answer totally honestly (which isn't something many do in an interview) I would say losing all that weight. There are seldom occasions in life that fall fully on your shoulders; long periods of hard work with little tangible reward.

As I sit here, still working my project having lost 5st (70lbs) I realise how much it's changed me as a person. I know what it's like to be ignored because of the way I look, often underrated and worst of all pride-sappingly pitied. I've not finished my work, as it's an on-going process, but I've already unearthed old glossy unthruths straining to convince people that being obese is OK, that people will always ultimately look beyond superficial first impressions and that "you're not alone". In a typically crass manner, I've learnt some savage lessons.