Shauna Reid freely admits she's half the woman she used to be... but that's a good thing.

At the age of 23 Shauna weighed 351 pounds and wore tight-fitting size-26 clothing.

At an age when all her friends were hitting the dance clubs, Shauna was staying home and trying to figure out what went wrong.

Shauna is the daughter of a Weight Watchers group leader. But while mom was helping others lose weight, Shauna was packing on pounds.

Frustrated and afraid, Shauna turned to blogging. The Internet proved a safe haven for a young woman struggling with weight and seeking anonymity while exorcising her personal demons and detailing her missteps to strangers.

Writing as "dietgirl," Shauna became a popular blogger. She took control of her weight and began the amazing journey that has led her to drop a super 175 pounds.

She's now 31, wearing 12-14 sizes, and at peace with her weight. She's also the proud author of the motivational new book, The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl(Avon).

"I don't have a magical formula for weight loss," Shauna admits. "But after years of trial and error, I learned that it's essential to figure out what works for you and what fits into your life, rather than trying to fit your life around a diet.

"I focus on eating healthy food with loads of fruit and vegetables. I don't believe in 'Good' or 'Bad' foods, so I'll never surrender my precious chocolate and ice cream.

"But I've learned to savor smaller portions and now I can finally enjoy food without guilt or shame."

Slimmed-down Shauna reveals there's a new love in her life.

"I've also learned to love exercise," she says. "I began with walking to the end of the block and back, and kept adding more blocks until I got the nerve to join a gym.

"I've gradually built up my fitness from there. My current favorites are kickboxing, cycling, walking, hillwalking, weight training and fitness DVDs."

Speaking to me by phone from her home in Scotland, Shauna says she no longer stresses over the numbers on the scale. She stands 5'8" and weighs 175... and she's perfectly fine with that.

There's a joy in her voice. It's the sound of contentment and true happiness.

"Sure I lost a lot of weight, but the biggest changes took place in my head," Shauna says. "I started out as a hardcore dieter, struggling with self-loathing. I thought my mission was all about bullying my body into a more socially acceptable shape.

"But soon I realized what I really wanted more than smaller jeans was to feel comfortable in my own skin. To just like being me.

"Once I started treating myself kindly with good food and exercise instead of disgust and anger, I started to appreciate my body, lumps and bumps and all.

"There was more to me than the size of my jeans, after all. And that has been the best lesson of this whole adventure.

"Overall, my philosophy boils down to: Do the healthy more often than you don't do the healthy thing. It's not about numbers and scales; it's eating well and being kind to myself. Persistence, not perfection. Getting back up when I fell over. Over and over again!"

Dietgirl's Top 20 Weight Loss Tips

Shauna notes, "People often ask me for diet and weight loss tips so I've put together my top 20. This is seven years of tricks, tweaks, discoveries and epiphanies all condensed into one handy list. Hopefully you'll find something helpful here for you!"

1. First, start with the big picture. Write down your goals and be specific. What do you want to change? Where do you want to be a year from now?

2. Next, focus on the details. Every day we make dozens of tiny decisions that can spell the difference between whether we lose weight or gain. Do you pick the muesli for breakfast or the chocolate muffin? Do you spend 20 minutes on the couch or 20 minutes on a brisk walk? Small changes can add up to huge results.

3. Start exercising - no matter what your fitness level. At 25 stone (350 pounds) I could only shuffle to the end of the street, but I gradually built up to the whole block. Within a couple of years I was running! Don't compare yourself to others, just work within your limits and take it slow and steady.

4. Eat breakfast. A wholesome breakfast makes me feel smug, satisfied and determined to stay ...    Continue

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