While Lisa hails from a tradition of big family meals (meat and potatoes with plenty of gravy), she claims her weight didn’t really shoot up until she left home. Years of eating on the run with little time or inclination to cook combined with a passion for partying have contributed to her current problem. Extreme in nearly every aspect of her life, Lisa has a solid history of yo-yo dieting. (Her lowest adult weight was 140, and her highest: 186.) She tends to get obsessive, and admits “I once cut off my hair before a weigh-in.”

A feast or famine type, Lisa knows she needs to learn moderation. She wants to lose twenty pounds but she knows she needs a lifestyle change rather than a quick fix. Still, she says “I’m all about making weight loss as painless as possible.” And it’s also about rewarding yourself - Lisa wants to pierce her navel and expose her midriff!

Lisa’s battling a powerful self-image as a Uber-Danish party girl – and a deep-seated fear that she won’t be as much fun without her trademark excesses. All this is compounded by the fact that Lisa’s not drawn to healthy food choices, and doesn’t know how to prepare them. In terms of fitness, Lisa’s not accustomed to exercising, partly because she’s still recovering from some serious injuries acquired in a car accident. Psychologically, Lisa struggles with seasonal affective disorder and the depression that comes with it. All in all, Lisa’s due for an overhaul – but it’s anybody’s guess whether she’ll succeed or just duck the challenges using attitude and outrageous humour.

“I was at my parent’s house on the weekend, and my mom says to me, ‘Don’t stick your stomach out like that. It looks gross.’ I said, “Mom, I’m not sticking my stomach out.’ She said, ‘Ohhh.’” “My family deals with food – it’s pretty much the main way that we get together. If we’re not eating, we’re drinking.”