As the second anniversary -- or "Bandiversary" -- of her surgery approached, Hill had lost 130 pounds and reached her original target weight of 150 pounds.

CNN: Surgery helps woman drop 135 pounds, 10 dress sizes

Then all we had to was to select a target weight and an intensity level -- the lowest making for a diet of 2, 416 calories a day that would see us hit our goal on November 15th, the highest of which kept us limited to 1, 902 calories per day, but we'd be newly svelte by June 5th.

ENGADGET: Nutrino is a virtual nutritionist for iOS, we go hands-on

In a HealthyWage study of 66 employees of a health-care company, more than 2 out of 3 men hit a seven-month target of losing 10% of their weight, compared with only 1 in 4 four women, Mr. Roddenberry says.

WSJ: Office Weight-Loss Contests Rise, Saboteurs and All

This means equal weight is given to fluctuations either side of the central target.

ECONOMIST: Breathing space? | The

The big fiscal stimulus enacted this month by Mr Abe will get Japan part way towards his 3 per cent nominal growth target, but advisers to the government say the BoJ needs to pull its weight too.

CNN: Bank of Japan bows to inflation pressure

Calzaghe, 37, who retired as a two-weight undefeated world champion last February, is a long-time Froch target.

BBC: Froch challenges Calzaghe again