It's our very own Biggest Loser contest, yours and mine, and we're kicking off the kilograms from this Sunday, August 1. At 4 o'clock that afternoon I'll be weighing in with a few cycling mates who've become bulbous over a wet, dark and cold winter, and we'll all, you included, will be weighing out 10 weeks hence, on Sunday October 10. He or she who has lost the highest percentage of weight wins! Your prize will be the esteem of a slimmer bod, and everyone's a winner. And winners, one of my mates likes to say, are grinners.

In my column in The Herald today I canvass my flirtations with various diets, and I've arrived at the conclusion that the best way to diet is to eat less! And, in my case, to drink less, because I am partial to a few beers.

So there's my tactic - instead of the grapefruit, protein, no-carbs-after-2, tomato or Pritikin diets, I'm going for the eat-drink-less diet, and I'm aiming to lose one kilo a week for a total of 10 kilos to take me to 83kg or so. Hey, I'll be flying on the bike! Well, not flying but certainly going faster than I am now. Of course there's more to it than cycling - I love the sensation of lightness that comes with losing even just a few kilos. Moving seems so much easier.

I'm hoping you'll join me for the 10 weeks. Maybe you'll be comfortable with half a kilogram a week, which is for most people a very noticeable loss of five kilos at October 10. Tell us today how much you want to lose, how you're going to do it, and give us an update from time to time of your progress. And if you have any secret weight-loss tips, they'll be safe with us on the blog. C'mon, there's no reason why you can't join us.

It's not too late to join Jeff's challenge. Email Jeff or leave a comment below