Losing weight cost me MY BEST FRIEND

As I sat down to plan a long-postponed house-warming gathering with a few friends last week, my husband Erik, 49, leant over my shoulder to read the guest list.

‘What about Jackie*?’ he said. ‘Aren’t you going to invite her?’

‘We’re not friends any more,’ I said.

‘But you do everything together!’ Erik exclaimed. ‘She’s your best friend. What’s happened?’

‘My diet,’ I said. Because the sad truth is, when I decided to get fit and lose weight 18 months ago, I lost more than the extra roll of fat around my waist.

For years I d been fairly active, rock-climbing, playing tennis and working out regularly, and even