Friday 29 May 2009

The Story of the Portuguese Duckling

It was two years ago that Mike and I were sitting in our villa here in Portugal, just looking out on to the garden when something scuttled in front of our patio doors, swiftly followed by a cat.

We leapt up to find, huddled in the corner of the patio door, the tiniest of ducklings looking very frightened and lonely. In fact, it was so tiny, even the cat had dived past it, not realising it was nestling in this tiny space.

I scooped up the frail little bird and stood, rather helplessly, wondering what to do next. But I could hear Portuguese gardeners next door and walked round to see if they could offer some inspiration. One of the guys spoke some English and, very excitedly explained that they had found the duckling on the main road outside of the resort – some mile or so away – and that they had put it in a box to take somewhere later. Meanwhile, next door’s cat had found it, picked it up and ran off with it and the gardeners had presumed the duckling had provided a pleasant supper for Felix the cat.

The resort is surrounded by golf courses and golf courses have lakes so I called a friend who lives permanently in Portugal, to ask where the nearest pond would be. So off we drove, with one very scared duckling huddled in the corner of a box. We parked up near the golf course and I walked across towards the lake only to find there were two very large lakes. I looked at the first one and, I don’t know why, but that just didn’t feel right so I walked on to the next one. There was a big drop down from the grass to the water’s edge but somehow inside me felt that this was a good pace for baby duckling to have a swim. And as I lay flat on my stomach on the grass, I carefully lowered the fragile feathered creature on to the water. He looked SO tiny as he paddled across what appeared to be a vast ocean.

Then something extraordinary happened. Out from the undergrowth swam, at the fastest speed I have ever seen a duck paddle, an elegant fully grown duck. She quacked so loudly as she glided across, and the duckling tweeped at the top of his voice in response. As the two met the adult duck danced on the water all around the duckling in an amazing display of joy and excitement, flapping her wings and quacking in absolute ecstasy. Her lost little duckling had come home!

It was one of the loveliest sights I have ever seen and it taught me that even when you think that all is lost, miracles really can happen.

Enjoy your weekend.

Thursday 28 May 2009

Stroke - the silent killer

In recent weeks the Government has sponsored a major health campaign to help us recognise early symptoms of stroke. It has worked and many lives have been saved already, and we are all that bit more aware of those initial indications – facial signals, slurred speech, restricted mobility particularly from the arms. It has also given us the confidence to pick up the phone immediately if we see someone who could be affected. We can call for emergency first aid without our feeling guilty that we might be wasting someone’s time.

Having a stroke is serious and it can kill us. It can come with no warning. It is the third biggest killer disease in our country. The problem is that, unfortunately, we just don’t think it will happen to us.

But we can do a massive amount to reduce our risk of stroke and we need to take that responsibility ourselves, very seriously. Being overweight and unfit dramatically increases our risk of having a stroke as well as many other life-threatening diseases including heart disease, cancer and Type 2 Diabetes. And yet, if we just make some simple changes to our lifestyle we can reduce that risk enormously.

It doesn’t have to be dramatic – just small but significant changes could save your life:

Cut back on the fat in your diet, (particularly saturated fat) – and don’t add fat to anything that you cook.

Cut back your portion sizes by 25% to reduce your weight.

Get active. Just being more active in our everyday lives can dramatically increase our fitness levels and help us lose weight.

Losing 10% of our bodyweight when we are overweight can very effectively reduce our risk of developing a life threatening disease.

Drink alcohol in moderation and get your blood-pressure checked next time you visit your GP’s surgery. It can give you the first indication as to whether you are susceptible to stroke.

And don’t wait until tomorrow. Start today and check out the free website www.obesityawareness.co.uk to see where you lie at risk with your health.

Wednesday 27 May 2009

Has Britain really got talent?

I have to admit that this is the first year I have watched Britain’s Got Talent. And the reason I watched it is simply because, quite by chance, I happened to be watching the programme six weeks ago when Susan Boyle walked on to the stage and sang unbelieveably beautifully. I talked about it at my classes, I made my colleagues watch her on YouTube in the office and every time I watched her sing ‘I Have a Dream’ from Les Miserables, I cried.

I obviously wasn’t alone. That performance has been watched over 100 million times on You Tube. Our lives have been enhanced by Susan’s innocent but beautiful performance.

On Sunday, she had us all on the edge of our seats as we felt the weight of the world’s expectation upon her. She faultered on her second note and we learned later that she had had a cold last week. But her brave and powerful rendition of a difficult song won her a worthy place in Saturday’s final and Susan certainly has set this year’s standard at a very high level.

Whilst Susan’s performance has shocked the nation in a beautifully, positive way, there has been another more surprising side. I am amazed at the very overweight folk who are perfectly happy to flaunt their flab in front of around 14 million folk. But perhaps this is a good thing. Many folk are in denial as to their size and maybe we needed to see what being seriously overweight really looks like. So when Piers Morgan, having just watched a vastly stomached drag queen perform on Monday evening, said that he would be off to the gym the next day, I think he was speaking for a great number of the male population. Let’s hope it worked as a prompt for all of us to eat less and do more!

But let’s look on the positive side. There have been some brilliant dance acts – Diversity and Flawless to name just two who have reached the final, and MD Showgroup ,who are youth campaigners as well as dancers, but who, sadly for them, didn’t get through from last night’s show. But how fantastic to see young folk of today being creative, active, dancing, working as a team and being focussed on a goal. Everyone who has participated will have worked their socks off and, as with all challenges, you win some and you lose some but I really hope that all of these youth dance groups will carry on setting an example to the youth of today. Let’s hope the media will be creating some positive headlines in the press, promoting the fact that young people can have fun keeping fit and entertained without resorting to crime.

And the shock of last evening’s show was the fact that Stavros Flatley, a Greek-style Riverdance parody performed by a 41-year-old dad and his 12-year-old son were voted straight through to the final. I do not believe that they earned the viewers’ vote because of their dancing skills. But when ‘dad’, Demetrios Demetriou, publicly thanked his son for inviting him to dance with him and tearfully explained to the nation that their relationship had blossomed as a result, I think a little tear must have filled a lot of eyes across the land and I bet there were more male voters last night than ever. We should not underestimate the value of ‘doing things together’ as families, helping family members to bond and get to know each other better. That is exactly why we have launched Kids 2 which are health and fitness courses for parents and children. The emotional and practical results are priceless. If we don’t have a Kids 2 course running near you yet, you could contact your local Rosemary Conley franchisee (please enter your postode to find your nearest franchise) and register your interest.

Tuesday 26 May 2009

Bank Holidays and shaping up for summer...

I like Bank Holidays because they punctuate the year and give us a breather from the hussle and bussle of everyday life. But they do much more than that. They give us a point on the calender, a marker from which we can make new beginnings and start new habits.

With such beautiful weather for most people over the weekend it really does focus our minds on shaping up for summer. As we shed our warm clothes after a chilly couple of weeks, we become horribly aware of those extra pounds gained over the winter months which have been so ignored, and carefully camourflaged, under layers of garments for no-one to see – until now!

I am no different from the rest of you and I have seriously taken myself in hand over the last few weeks, as have lots of our staff.

Mike and I are holidaying in Portugal at the moment and when we were here in March my white trousers were unwearable. They now fit – snugly, admittedly - but they have been worn for a whole day and I was still breathing at the end of it. Deep joy! Drinking less wine, cutting back on portions, trying to be more active, have all helped. I still have some to lose (I don’t know how much because I don’t weigh myself – I just go by the fit of my clothes), but I’m ‘in the zone’. I have worked out this morning and feel better for it. I have made a decision, this bank holiday, to step up my exercise and keep on with the good resolve on the food and wine front.

Our usual holiday treats are Pringles and Haagen Dazs ice cream. There are no Pringles in the villa and the half-eaten tub of Haagen Dazs (left from last visit) is untouched.

I want to be slim more than I want these gorgeous indulgencies so let’s hope I can hold it together till we leave in 10 days’ time.

If you want to lose weight for your summer holidays, you need to get in the zone too. Think of five reasons why you want to be slimmer and write them down in your diary. Decide five things you can do regarding your eating habits to help you achieve weight loss. Then decide on five activities you will do each week to help burn extra calories and slim you down faster.

And if you are thinking that investing in some expensive bit of exercise machinery is going to be the answer, forget it. You will have a mad burst of enthusiasm for the first week then you’ll get bored. If you have a bit of kit already, why not dust it down, bring it in from the garage and give it a go. Even if you do use it for only a week, that’s better than nothing!

Losing weight takes effort and determination. Nobody said it was quick or easy, but we may be able to help you with some of the solutions that we offer via our website rosemaryconley.com. Check it out for yourself. Going to a class is definitely the most effective as you get the interaction of the other members as well as the supervision of a qualified professional, weighing you in and teaching you exercise safely and effectively. To find your local class simply put your postcode into our Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club classfinder here. If you can’t get to a class, our online slimming club is great. You can communicate with other members via the chat room and coffee shop at any time of the day or night. And working out to one of my DVD’s will provide you with an easy-to-follow whole body workout that you can do anytime to suit your schedule.

I know how being overweight can rob you of your confidence – I once was two and a half stone overweight – and that’s why I want to help you achieve a body you can be proud of. We are so much happier when our weight is down and our fitness is up. Let’s go fot it – together.

Friday 22 May 2009

Spring Bank Holiday Weekend

The Spring Bank holiday signifies the beginning of summer and it is also half-term so lots of parents will have taken the week off to stay at home with their children.

After watching TV last night there is no doubt that the DIY stores are hoping you will be flocking to scoop up their ‘50% off sale bargains, plus another 20% off everything’!

These days we cram so much into every day that when a few days’ holiday arrive we have such great plans to achieve so much. Whether it be laying the patio, redecorating the bedroom or fitting a new kitchen, it is, unfortunately, not going to be completed this weekend. But it may get started and that’s good. Taking the first steps is the most important to getting a task completed.

Planning a major DIY project is a bit like planning a DIY get-slim-and-fit programme to get you in shape for your summer holidays. On Day 1 you have such good intentions. You walk for an hour, achieve well over your 10.000 steps on your pedometer, weigh out your cereal for breakfast, eat a healthy sandwich for lunch and have tuna and salad for dinner and no pudding! And you drank Diet Coke instead of beer or wine. You feel like a saint and tell yourself how easy this is going to be. This is the DIY equivalent of having decided on your kitchen, bought it, ripped out the old one and opened the first flat-pack. What could possibly go wrong?

Whether you are trying to lose weight or install a new kitchen your success will be determined by appreciating your strengths and acknowledging your weaknesses. Some of us are better at attacking projects with others, whilst some prefer to go it alone. Just as you need a qualified plumber to install your kitchen, so you also need a qualified exercise teacher to help you get the most out of your exercises. Whether it is with the help of someone remotely, such as following a fitness DVD, or attending a class, exercising with a professional will enable you to achieve the maximum benefit in the minimum amount of time. And that is what we are all after - a quick but satisfactory result. Check out our website for details of professional help: www.rosemaryconley.com

If you want to lose a few pounds this weekend, do these five simple things. 1) Plan ahead what you are going to eat at mealtimes and then don’t over-shop. 2) Avoid snacking between meals - this is important – though you could eat a Satsuma or kiwi fruit just to keep you going if you feel really hungry. 3) Cut your portion size by 20% and buy foods with 5% or less fat and prepare and cook everything without adding fat such as oil or butter. 4) Drink plenty of low calorie fluids – water, diet drinks, tea, - as staying hydrated can stave off hunger pangs. 5) Be as active as you can, and try to sit down as little as possible!

Have a good weekend!

Thursday 21 May 2009

Facial-Flex Ultra on TV

Apologies for the absence of Rosemary’s blog over the last couple of days. Unfortunately Rosemary is unwell at the moment but will be back writing her blog as soon as she is feeling better.

In the meantime, the team at Rosemary Conley thought you might be interested to know that Facial-Flex Ultra, which Rosemary has personally been using for many years, is due to be featured on Channel 4’s Extreme Male Beauty programme next Thursday, 28th May, at 10pm. Tim Shaw, the presenter, will be demonstrating this amazing product, which is available exclusively in the UK from http://www.rosemaryconley.com/

Just using Facial-Flex Ultra for two minutes, twice a day can help you look 10 years younger without the need for surgery, and the best thing is it’s 100 per cent natural!

Whilst exercise strengthens and tones the muscles in our body and helps us to look younger and feel healthier, this handy gadget can do the same for your face.

As we get older, our facial muscles can reduce in size, resulting in sagging and ageing, which is where Facial-Flex Ultra comes in. It works the support structure under your skin to increase muscle strength, skin tone and firmness, improve blood circulation and help reduce a sagging jaw line and double chin.

And, as Rosemary says: “It’s the easy, safe and natural way to make a real difference to your appearance. I use it and I know it works!”

Monday 18 May 2009

Fund raising activities


What a wonderful weekend of fund-raising was carried out by numerous Rosemary Conley members, franchisees and staff. One of our magazine slimmers, Alyson Knowles, successfully completed her 10-Marathons-in-10-days Challenge and has raised over £6,100 for the Brathay Hall Trust. After shedding over 3 stone at her local Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club, Alyson, a former yo-yo dieter – was able to take part in running marathons again. To progress to running 10 in 10 days is a remarkable achievement and one she could not even have contemplated when she was overweight. Very well done Alyson, I am delighted for you!


After shedding ten stone, our Slimmer of the Year, Gillian Butcher, along with many other Rosemary Conley franchisees and members, has also been busy fundraising this weekend when she took to the streets of London at midnight on Saturday to take part in the Playtex Moon Walk. Well done to them all for completing the 26-mile circuit. Gill succeeded in raising £1,500 for Walk the Walk, a charity raising funds for vital breast cancer causes.



A team of Rosemary Conley staff did a wonderful job of helping to raise funds for the Anthony Nolan Trust, the charity which provides bone marrow transplants for people with leukaemia. Dragon boat racing has become a popular, addictive and exhilarating team event where the drummer beats out a rhythm for the paddlers to race the 30ft Hong Kong style dragon boats. Altogether the event in Stratford Upon Avon raised £24,000 for the charity. After being turned down as a bone marrow donor for being too fat, despite being the nearest match for a patient, after losing almost 7 stone, one of our regional Slimmers of the Year, Neil Davis, has now put himself back on the bone marrow donor register in the hope that his weight loss will mean he can save a life.

Friday 15 May 2009

Forth Road Bridge

Today I’m in Fife for one of our Roadshows and last night we drove over the Forth Road Bridge, which goes over the River Firth. It is the most magnificent feat of engineering and of course it needs painting. As the saying goes, when you get to the end, it’s time to start painting at the beginning again, in other words it’s a lifelong activity!

It brought to mind the similarity with healthy eating and exercise. It isn’t about a quick fix just before you go on holiday but a lifetime of investment into good health and a fitter body which will serve you brilliantly for as long as you are alive.

In a week’s time it will be the Spring Bank Holiday weekend which somehow signifies the beginning of summer and we all become more weight conscious as we prepare to shed some of the layers and strip off for the warmer weather. Whilst it is good to have any incentive to encourage and motivate us into action, we have to take the healthy eating philosophy and more active lifestyle as a long term commitment and not just a short-term action, so we look good on holiday. It needn’t be difficult and a lot can be achieved by just making some simple changes.

To find out more, look at our latest magazine, Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness, for a diet and exercise plan, lots of recipes, as well as inspirational stories. The magazine is available in most large supermarkets but if you have difficulty tracking down a copy, call 01509 620444.

Thursday 14 May 2009

Calendar Girls 2009

I was excited to hear that the WI Calendar Girls are celebrating their 10 year anniversary. I wonder if they realised what a sensation they would be when they first had the original idea in 1999?

I can remember watching the film and crying with laughter at the brilliant way their story was portrayed.

There is of course a serious side to the reason why they produced the calendar in the first place and that was to raise funds for a local hospital that cared for the husband of one of the calendar girls. But, their calendar was the first of many that have followed over the last 10 years. I can remember seeing a sensational calendar in Austria, where the skiing instructors posed in strategic positions with their skis, and of course we’ve heard of fireman, policemen and many other examples of folk who have been very happy to take their kit off for a good cause.

Rosemary Conley franchisees are no exception and the first of several calendars was produced by franchisee Lindsey Peters from Ware in Hertfordshire. Lindsey produced a classy and clever calendar featuring members of her classes who were happy to model, having lost significant amounts of weight and felt good about themselves. It was a classic combination of enterprise, ingenuity, inspiration and excitement and it went on to raise, together with a celebratory ball, £17,500 for Cancer Research UK. This was the first of many fund-raising initiatives that Lindsey has created and since 2004 she has raised over £145,000 for a variety of charities.

Many of our franchisees undertake fund-raising initiatives throughout the year and I am so proud of them for their hard work and generosity. They wouldn’t do it if they didn’t enjoy it and it is a great testament to their enthusiasm and sparkling personalities that their members are so keen to support them. They are a very special group of people.

Check our website for details of your nearest Club to find out about fund-raising initiatives in your area.

Wednesday 13 May 2009

What is your favourite low fat food?

I wonder what is YOUR favourite low fat food? Mine are Total 2% fat Greek Yogurt, my own branded Less than 5% Mature Cheese made by Wyke Farms, (found in Asda and Morrisons), Dolmio Light Bolognese Sauce, and not forgetting, of course, our RC Low Fat chocolate mousse, (sold in Asda) which is unbelievably delicious. They all taste great and don’t taste like a low fat food. And that’s the key, in my opinion. But it’s good to know what you think and to that end last year we launched the Rosemary Conley Fab Low Fat Food Awards voted for by readers of my magazine, Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness.

This year's nominations can be found in the latest issue, or, if you would like to vote online for your favourite food please click here . Please take the time to vote because we want to encourage manufacturers to keep making delicious but low fat food and these awards reward excellence. Every completed entry automatically gets entered into a free prize draw and you could win a spa break for two at the fabulous Ragdale Hall.

If you love cooking you will find loads of easy to prepare recipes included in the magazine as well as a diet which, if you follow it and take some extra exercise, you could enable you to lose 7 lbs in 14 days.

Successful slimmer Katharine Murkett decided to lose weight because she didn’t want her son growing up with a mum who couldn’t do things with him like ride a bike. She joined her local Rosemary Conley Club class weighing 18st 11lbs and with a BMI of almost 40. Katherine now weighs 9st 13lbs and has a BMI of 21! Beautifully toned up and now stunningly attractive and positively sylph-like, Katharine has proved that you can lose almost 9 stone and look fantastic. Katharine’s full story and lots more photographs are in the magazine. Be inspired!

Tuesday 12 May 2009

Congratulations Chris Evans!

When I heard that Chris Evans had scooped two of the top awards at last night’s Sony Radio Academy Awards I couldn’t have been more delighted. Voted by 100 industry professionals, Chris won the Music Radio Personality of the Year and Entertainment Awards. Brilliant! He completely deserves both awards in my view.

I love listening to Chris Evans on my way home from the office. His happy and positive attitude, makes me smile. He always sounds as though he is experiencing the best day of his life and his positivity is infectious. I love the way he is so encouraging to everyone who guests on his programme, from industry executives to the children who ring in with their news of the thing they have ‘done for the first time today’. He is gentle, compassionate, enthusiastic and intelligent.

Having a positive attitude to life is probably one of the most valuable personality traits we can learn. Complimenting people that we meet, seeing the good in folk, looking at the lovely things around us and vocalising our positive thoughts is a habit we can learn. And when we are positive to others, we become happier in our soul too.

One of the benefits of being in the business of helping folk to lose weight and become fitter, it is easy to find positive things to say and to encourage folk. Whether it’s a ‘well done for losing 2 lbs this week’, ‘you did so well with the exercises tonight’ , or ‘you look so much slimmer now’, it is a delight to see people ‘grow’ in their confidence as we confirm they are shrinking. We can help people who have little respect for themselves find their self-confidence and ‘grow’ as individuals.

If you wish you had a more positive attitude to life, why not start exercising and losing a few pounds? It is a great way to start. If you go along to one of our classes, you will find a bucket load of positivity waiting to be showered upon you. And remember to tune in to Chris Evans on Radio 2 on your way home from work to get you in the mood!

Monday 11 May 2009

The only person who can make you lose weight is YOU!

Obesity is a hot topic and more people are obese than they realise because we have become so used to seeing people being bigger than they’ve ever been. You only need to watch some TV footage of the 70’s to realise that everyone on the screen is slim! These days most people are carrying at least a stone, if not three or four, of excess weight and we are just getting used to it.

Being overweight isn’t just about how we look. Being overweight has a profound effect on our health. We are aware of the risks of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer but we all think these won’t happen to us. It is impossible to know in your everyday lives whether you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure. We only find out if we have them if we go to the Doctor and our GP checks it. But the other, often ignored, effect is to our joints. When we’re young we don’t even consider aching limbs when we get older - bad knees, bad hips, bad ankles. These are conditions that are considered part of getting older and yet if we were slim, most of these problems experienced in later life would disappear. Of course, we can suffer injuries from sport, but even those damages to our body can be helped by keeping our weight down and staying active and fit, not to mention the added bonus of the likely prevention of the life-threatening risks of heart disease etc.

Our body is like a savings account at the Building Society. The greater the investment in healthy eating and keeping fit , the greater the dividend. Invest in reducing your weight and in becoming fitter, even if it is just walking for 20 minutes a day.

Take a look at our magazine, Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness. The latest issue is just out and it features a lovely guy called Kevin Austin. Kevin has lost 9 stone and now weighs 13st 6lbs instead of 22st 6lbs.
While we were driving to M & S to buy the clothes for his photo shoot, Kevin, who works in a care home for young people, told me how he used to wear a pair of jogging bottom trousers and had just one smock-type shirt. Every night he would wash it and hang it out to dry ready for the next day. Nothing else fitted him. His knees were hurting so much it made walking difficult.But Kevin realised that his condition was within his control and he decided to take action and enrolled at one of our classes. Just look at the photos of Kevin in our magazine as he is today to realise that losing weight is an amazing investment into your future.

If you have any problems finding our magazine, call us on 01509 620444.

Friday 8 May 2009

The youth of today can be our inspiration

Last night I had the privilege of watching six teams from Leicestershire Schools battle it out at the Young Enterprise County Finals. They had already progressed from the Area Finals and here they were, in front of a panel of Judges selected from leading businesses, to excite and impress.

Each Young Enterprise ‘company’, is set up near the start of the academic year and pupils have volunteered to participate. They set about forming a Board of Directors including finance, marketing, HR, IT and so on. A Managing Director is appointed from the pupils to head up the operation. They decide what business they want to create(sometimes they make products and sell them, or their business could be offering a service for which they get paid) and set it up under the guidance of an external volunteer business adviser and their link teacher.

The team learn about the importance of communication, working as a team, relationships, problem solving, money management, and dealing with crisis. They discover their strengths and weaknesses and realise that finding other people’s strengths in the team, and utilising them, can make the difference between success and failure. It is a fantastic initiative and one that I would have loved had it been available when I was at school.

The Keynote Speaker, Luke Pulford, told us how he started his first business when he was 15 and the lessons he had learned along his journey. He is now 21 and about to launch an exciting drinks dispensing business to be available in Night Clubs. Luke has created a special cap for bottles to prevent drinks being spiked. Let’s hope it is a roaring success. But his message last evening was that running your own business should be fun and that it isn’t just about making money. If just making money is your goal you will probably fail. A sentiment I endorse completely.

We run a franchise company – Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs – and Luke told me that while he was at University they use our franchise model to teach about franchising on their business course. Is the recession hitting us? No, because we, and our franchisees, are running our own businesses and when it’s your own, you work that bit harder when the going gets tough. You look after your customers even better, you offer them even more value for money. And if you can have a lot of fun doing all of that, everybody wins.

Check out our franchise on our website, either for classes or how to become a franchisee

Thursday 7 May 2009

Exercise has to be fun!


‘Eat less and do more’ is the simple answer to turning around the growing obesity problem in this country. And we know that’s true, but sometimes it’s hard to change our habits. Life gets in the way of our good intentions and ‘stuff’ happens to knock us off track.

Sticking to a proper diet takes time and planning and real discipline. Taking regular exercise takes effort and determination. I know it’s not easy. I’ve been there.

When we started our company we tried to find ways to make it easier for folk to lose weight and tone up and to make that process fun. If a diet is too prescriptive or restrictive, no one will stick to it. If the exercises are too hard or just plain boring, no-one will want to do them. Fact. That’s why I create diets that incorporate normal, everyday foods that the whole family can enjoy. No-one has to eat separately. And exercises – whether on DVD or at one of our classes – they are fun to do with motivating music and clear instructions.

Every one of our instructors at a Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club class is professionally qualified to teach exercise to music. They are very special people who have a passion to helping folk become slimmer and fitter. But the main focus of our classes is not the diet or the exercises – it is about having a FUN experience. We want our members to look upon the evening (or morning) as special time for YOU to have some relaxation, a laugh, meet some nice folk just like you and, incidentally, learn about healthy eating and doing some fat-burning exercise that will help you slim down and become healthier. If our classes weren’t fun, folk wouldn’t come back week after week, even after they have reached their goal weight.

If you have never been to a group to lose weight or to do exercise, why not think about taking a look at our website to see if we have a class in your area. It may change your life.

Wednesday 6 May 2009

Can eating at the table help you to lose weight?

Years ago I remember meeting a rather intimidating woman who owned The Golden Door health spa in America during filming for ITV’s This Morning programme. She was emphatic that every meal should be treated as a banquet. ‘Always sit at a table which should be set beautifully. Use pretty dishes to enhance presentation and eat slowly. Enjoy the experience’, she insisted. Of course she was right but busy, everyday life gets in the way and in reality we don’t take our time. And eating in front of the television has become normality.

A recent study has highlighted the fact that if we eat while we are watching television, we will not feel so satisfied, we are more likely to snack later and we will not remember as clearly what we have actually eaten. The study found that women who ate lunch whilst watching TV later snacked on more biscuits than those who had eaten a similar lunch but who had not been watching TV while they ate it. This is an important finding for anyone trying to lose weight.

To lose weight we need to eat fewer calories than our body uses up during each day and we need to try every trick we can learn to help ourselves not fall by the wayside when that first hunger pang hits our stomach. Going for the biscuits is the worst thing we can do. We never eat just one as biscuits seem to set off an immediate craving for another one as soon as we eat the first mouthful! Then we’re tempted to eat the whole packet to get rid of the darn things!

So let’s learn from this study and start planning to eat away from the television and enjoy every mouthful of our food. Food needs to be kept in the right perspective as well as the right quantity and it should be enjoyed. Leaving the table after a meal is a signal that the meal is over and we should try and train our brains to not expect another meal until the appropriate time. The only exception to this is to eat a small ‘power snack’ of perhaps a couple of satsumas or a small pear mid morning and mid afternoon to keep our blood sugar levels up. If you can stick to this habit, it will help you to lose weight and if you increase your activity levels at the same time, you will lose weight significantly faster. If you need help sticking to your diet, visit our website: www.rosemaryconley.com.

Tuesday 5 May 2009

Is breakfast cereal good or bad for our kids?

Over the weekend there have been reports highlighting the high levels of sugar in breakfast cereals specifically targeted at children, plus another report highlighting biscuits for babies and toddlers that contain unhealthy fats and excess levels of sugar and salt. Cow & Gate have withdrawn some of their products and Heinz have defended their range of baby biscuits on the basis that they have a lower fat, lower sugar option available. I think there are two issues here.

Let’s look at breakfast cereals first. In my view, eating any cereal is better than none though I accept some are healthier than others. Research has proven that breakfast eaters are slimmer than those who skip it, and that our levels of concentration are increased if we start the day with this important meal. If we choose to eat cereal, we take it with milk which is a valuable source of protein which helps the growth and repair of our body – a fact which is particularly important in the case of growing children. The ideal is to select cereals with higher fibre content and you can check out the nutrition panel for sugar and salt content to discover which ones are better than others but in reality, I would rather a child ate a breakfast of any cereal, with some milk, than eating a packet of crisps and a chocolate bar on the way to school.

Now on to babies. Babies have tiny stomachs and need more energy-dense foods, which includes fat, to enable them to consume sufficient calories during their early lives as they grow so fast. That’s why, when I create any of my low fat diets, I always say that they are healthy for the whole family except for children under two years of age.

Once past that stage, I would question the wisdom of always giving toddlers biscuits to eat as snacks between meals. Why not introduce them to different fruits and vegetables to acclimatise their taste buds to healthier foods at an early age. It is not good that children are often only happy eating fish fingers and chips, chocolate biscuits and ice cream. I’m not against these foods being eaten occasionally, but if we are to help our children to be healthy into the future, we should help them to understand which foods are good for us and which ones should be classed as occasional treats. This is exactly what we are aiming to do by launching our Kids 2 programme. Check out our website for details.

Friday 1 May 2009

Is your body ready for a Barbecue Summer?

Yesterday we were given the encouraging news that in the UK we are set for a hot and mostly dry summer with temperatures anticipated to reach as high as 30 degrees. This is great for the travel industry at home and sales of patio sets and barbecues will take an upturn which will delight the Garden Centres and D.I.Y. stores alike.

Sunshine makes us feel better and we are likely to become more active if we are outdoors. So good news all round. But is your body ready to be exposed?

In the winter we can cover-up and hide under dark colours, jackets and coats but put on that cool, sleeveless summer dress and there's no hiding anything. The thin cotton fabrics will show every bulge, wobble and dimple. And that's before you try on your strappy top or even swimwear. Men can hide a multitude of sins under a suit, but wear just a pair of shorts and that beer-belly will be hanging over the top for everyone to admire.

Now is the time to take action. You have six to eight weeks to get yourself in shape and make a real difference to how you look and feel, not to mention the amazing differences losing weight and taking some exercise will make to your health.

Start today. Cut back your portions by 25% and increase your physical activity levels. Walk more, connect up your Wii Fit, dust off one of your own fitness DVD's and do it, go for a bike ride, play football with the children, mow the lawn - anything, but get moving.

If you are serious about losing your weight, and there's a Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club near you, go along to our classes. It's not a gym where you have to pay a massive membership. At our clubs it costs just £10 to join and £5.50 a week, and when you go you'll not only by weighed in, given encouragement and support but you'll get a 45 minute workout taught by a professionally qualified instructor who's trained to cater for folk of all abilities and fitness levels. No-one is ever made to feel embarrassed and the emphasis is on fun. If you go, by the end of June you could have lost 1 1/2 to 2 stone, depending on how much you have to lose.

If there's no class near you, why not have a look at www.rosemaryconleonline.com which is our online slimming club.

This is my last blog until Tuesday now as I'm away for the weekend. Enjoy the Bank Holiday and get moving!