Accessories are every big girl's secret weapon and I, for one, have cupboards and drawers stuffed full of scarves, belts, handbags and shoes in every shade and style. I also adore costume jewellery and beads, although I can't say I subscribe to the school of thought that big girls should wear big beads.
This summer, I haven't had the time, the energy or the will to get into a body brushing and caffeine cream routine, so in a moment of desperation, I took myself off to a Harley street clinic to investigate a cellulite-zapping laser treatment.
Thankfully, there's a far less painful way to aspire to the body beautiful. I'm talking about nip-and-tuck clothes. These cunning beauties trick the eye into thinking you've spent the past three weeks at the gym when you've done anything but, so I've spent the past few weeks treating myself to a scalpel-free bodylift
The workplace is a snake pit of competitive dressing. Sadly, we live in a society where people are judged by looks ahead of their ability or personality - so I have to make a good first impression.
Summer's finally here - I know because I'm being constantly bombarded with reminders that my summer body is not as good as everyone else's. From the skinny mannequins in every shop window to the bikini diets that appear in all magazines at this time of year, anyone over a size 12 knows there's no way they measure up to the skimpiness that summer clothes demand.
The last thing I felt like doing yesterday was running the London marathon. I'm not what you'd call a natural athlete. When I decided last year to put my name down, I couldn't jog for more than two minutes. Give me a challenge, though, and I'll throw myself into it.