Project Sue
Ten years ago, Sue Treadwell's world fell apart when her husband left her for another woman
Project Kate
Kate Holton's life is overshadowed by worry about her burgeoning debts. She owes £42,000
Project Susan
Susan Higgins feels she should try for a baby, but is unsure about it
Project Jamie
Jamie Dormon wants to give up smoking and to train for climbing Mont Blanc in June
Project Rebecca
Rebecca Weymouth wants to lose weight and get fit for the sake of her health
Project Saj
Saj Ahmad wants to move to Dubai and cope with the emotional transition
We can rebuild you
Neil wants a new career, Kate is drowning in debt and Jamie dreams of conquering Mont Blanc - but has a bigger mountain to climb first. Here we introduce Project Upgrade: seven Observer readers aiming to transform their lives with support from our dream team of experts
Contacting our Project Upgraders
If you would like to contact our Project Upgraders with support and advice, please use the email addresses below
Kick boxing vs capoeira
Lisa Buckingham on the pros and cons of kick boxing and capoeira
Quick march to military glory
How fit do you have to be to get in the army? Laura Barton braves the gruelling selection process - with surprising results ...
Bike doc
Matt Seaton: Too much of the strain of supporting your upper body weight is being taken by the arms - which is exactly what you'd expect with a longer reach. The cheap and cheerful solution would be to take measurements off your summer bike, particularly the position of the saddle relative to the handlebars (both reach distance and height differential), and alter the winter one to match
Two wheels
Matt Seaton: One value of cycling is that it keeps your inner child alive. More than alive, in my case: in rude good health and boisterous with it, frequently threatening to overwhelm the outer adult. Snow, can have the same effect
Two wheels
Matt Seaton: With time fast running out, you might be wondering what to get a cycling-obsessed loved one for Christmas. There is one item that a cyclist would always be glad to receive and will thank you sincerely for: waterproof socks
Yoga rocks!
Put off by naff 'celebrity' workouts? Leonie Cooper, music lover and exercise-phobe, tries out two new fitness DVDs with a difference ...
Two wheels
Matt Seaton: My first, autodidactic lessons in bicycle maintenance were not happy occasions