Sam Gardiner, 34, Albion Park, NSW
(pictured above, in-set the photo that started it all)
Eyeing the four squares of chocolate sitting on the foil, I couldn't resist. Might as well, I thought. I mean, what difference would it would make? I'd already munched down the rest of the block!
But when the sugar high wore off, guilt returned. It was no wonder I was 142 kilos. I didn't have a speck of self-control.
I've done it again, I thought.
Besides my weight though, I had no complaints. My friends and family were great and never mentioned my size. I even had a boyfriend, Ryan*.
He seemed fine with my size and whenever I ordered big, creamy meals at restaurants, he'd just smile. Even if I was attempting my hundredth diet, he'd say I didn't need it. 'Let's get dessert,' he'd encourage.
But it wasn't easy being my size. Breathing was difficult and getting around was exhausting.
'I need help getting out of the car,' I told my parents.
Despite my support network, I often felt down. I hated what I'd become and started hiding away from the world. 'Let's stay in tonight,' I'd say to Ryan. 'I'll order pizza,' he'd agree.
One night, I was flicking through a photo album. Seeing photos of myself suddenly brought home just how big I had become. In some of them I took up the whole frame.
There was one photo taken at a restaurant where I was wearing a bib to protect my clothing. It barely covered my bulging belly. A lump caught in my throat. I've got to do something, I realised.
Part of me thought I didn't stand a chance - that I'd made my bed and I'd die in it. But another part was determined.
I didn't want to resort to drastic measures like surgery. I wanted steady weight loss. But it would be a long road and I knew I couldn't walk it alone.
 'I need help to lose weight,' I confessed to Dad one night.
He exhaled with relief. 'Of course I'll help,' he said. 'We've been so worried.'
They hadn't been oblivious to my weight gain after all. They'd just been waiting for me to ask for help.
'I could lose some weight myself,' Dad grinned. That was the secret weapon that would help me succeed - losing weight with my Dad.
I knew a restrictive diet wouldn't work for me. I needed the occasional treat. So in November 2001, Dad and I joined Weight Watchers.
At first I was too mortified to step on the scales but the staff convinced me. At 170cm tall, I didn't know how I'd got to a whopping 142 kilos. But from the moment I saw it in black and white, I decided I'd never see that number again.
'I want to get down to 62 kilos,' I told Dad.
'And you can,' he smiled.
After that, Dad and I were like a team on The Biggest Loser. We'd go for daily walks and I was conscious of everything I ate.
WEIGHT LOSS BUDDIES
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I'd have a filling breakfast of muesli and toast and a much lighter lunch than I was used to, such as couscous salad. In the evening I'd eat grilled meat or fish with salad and I could still have a few squares of chocolate!
It wasn't easy at first but even when I felt deflated, Dad would be there for me. I couldn't let him down.
Stepping on the scales each week, I was amazed with the results. As the kilos dropped off, my confidence grew.
In June 2002, when I'd lost 30 kilos, I re-evaluated my life. I finally felt like I had a future and wanted it to be perfect.
It's time to be selfish, I decided. I thought about my relationship with Ryan and realised neither of us were happy. Before, I thought that was all I'd deserved. I was fat and felt lucky to have a guy at all. Now I was confident enough to strive for happiness.
'I'm sorry, but I've got to do this for me,' I said as I broke up with him.
After that, in October 2003, after two years battling the bulge, I arrived at my weigh-in to see if I'd achieved my goal weight.
Stepping on the scales, I watched as the dial sprung up and down. Finally, it settled at 62.5 kilos.
I was devastated. I was half a kilo over!
'Take off your shoes!' someone yelled.
Kicking them off, I nervously got back onto the scales. It was under 62 kilos! I'd done it. I'd lost 80 kilos!
The team erupted into applause and tears poured down my face. I'd made it.
'Thank you for giving me my life back,' I smiled. Dad had lost 11 kilos too, and we couldn't be prouder.
But it took me a while to get used to the new me. I'd spent years being the fat woman destined to live her life alone. Part of me still believed I would.
'I've got just the guy,' my friend Tanya announced one day.
When Tanya introduced me to Darren, 26, I was hooked. He was a handsome physical-education teacher.
'You don't have to be shy around me,' he grinned.
We agreed to go on a date and hit it off instantly.
'That's amazing,' he said when we talked about my weight loss. 'I weigh 73 kilos. You lost the equivalent of me!'
Darren fitted perfectly into my new lifestyle. We went for walks together, swam laps and played golf. It was a world away from my days of pasta and chocolate blocks.
I was becoming an expert at avoiding fatty foods. In fact, it seemed the only thing I couldn't resist was Darren!
'I love you,' I confessed six months after we met. 
In January 2007, Darren and I got married and I felt like the happiest bride in the world.
The missing piece of the puzzle came along on May 27, 2008, when I gave birth to our son Brody.
Today, I've maintained my weight for six years and I've never looked back. Sure, I slip up every now and then, but I get back on track.
I'm so glad I chose to take control of my life. It took 28 years to realise everything's great in moderation.
But an abundance of love is completely fat-free, and today, that's what's on my plate.
More on balancing a healthy lifestyle
Finding it hard to incorporate exercise into your daily life? Click here for ways to help you out.
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For tips to avoid diet temptations, click here.
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