Tuesday 30 June 2009

Too hot to exercise?

As most people know, I teach a couple of diet and exercise classes at the Holiday Inn in Leicester City centre on a Monday evening. Yesterday was the hottest day of the year so far and I think we could all be forgiven for wondering whether exercise was a good idea. We opted out of doing normal aerobics but instead decided to do chair exercises and toning. We all got a good workout and our muscles were exercised extensively. We had a great evening. Exercise needs to become part of our lifestyle and going along to a class with friends is a perfect habit to get into. If you don’t fancy attending classes, maybe playing a sport would suit you better.

My husband Mike finds normal types of exercising pretty boring but he loves sport. So last evening he played squash with a friend and came home appropriately exhausted. He thoroughly enjoyed his game and feels better for having had a really good workout on court.

If you love running, then run. If you love swimming, swim. The only way we are going to get fit and stay fit is to do some form of fitness that doesn’t seem like a chore, that is fun and enjoyable and that we want to do again soon! It has to become part of our lifestyle rather than a big effort for two weeks just before our holiday in an effort to shed some emergency weight for the beach.

I’m off ice skating this morning. I travel 40 minutes to Nottingham to the National Ice Centre where I have a lesson. I am new to this activity but I am absolutely loving it and now that I am getting a bit better at it, I am working harder, travelling over the ice faster, and really stretching myself. It is unbelievable fun and, by the time I’ve finished my one hour lesson, I am really hot, despite being in an ice room, and feel I’ve done a good workout. I love it so much I make time in my busy life to go – even on a weekday morning.

If you know you should be more active, try and find an activity that you really enjoy. You may be wary of going along to a class when you’re not use to exercising with others but when you go, I bet you’ll love it. The music, the friendship, the enthusiasm of the instructor, the feeling of elation when you’ve finished working out as your happy hormones, endorphins, are released, all add up to a great experience. Lots of our members attend more than one class a week – some as many as 5 – because they have so much fun and realise the benefits.

In this glorious warm weather at the moment, try and make time to go out for a walk. If you follow me on Twitter you can do my daily Fitness Challenge which I post every evening at around 8 pm. If you think you’ like to try a class, check out our website www.rosemaryconley.com to see if we have a class running near you. If there isn’t, have a look at my fitness DVDs and have a go in your living room. No matter what you do, where you do it, exercise is good for you. It helps burn fat, keeps your muscles strong, relieves depression, tones you up, uses extra calories, keeps you supple as it helps your joints,...I could go on. There is no down side.

If Andy Murray can play tennis at Wimbledon in a hot and humid enclosed court until 10.40pm last evening, I am sure we can muster enough energy to do 30 minutes of exercise today!

Meanwhile, I’m off skating!

Monday 29 June 2009

When confidence is key

Last evening I was asked to speak at a Model Show held in Loughborough Town Hall in Leicestershire. It was organised by the local modelling school – the Pat Keeling Model Agency – and the event was being held in aid of the charity STEPS Conductive Education Centre in Leicestershire, of which I am Patron. The event was supported by Next, John Lewis, Adams and George.

The theatre was full and 130 students of the modelling agency strutted their stuff, danced and posed like true professionals. Their ages ranged from as young as four to models in their mid twenties – boys and girls. Everyone had fun! The students had obviously worked extremely hard to practise their routines and the adoring audience of friends and family were encouraging them every step of the way. Pat Keeling should be proud of what she had achieved as the event went seamlessly. The very notion that you could organise 130 young people to be at the right place at the right time wearing the right clothes was impressive.

Some of the models were outstanding. There were glamorous models, male and female, in their early twenties who had stage presence, looked stunning and were confident without being too much so. I have no doubt that they will go far and develop a successful career in this cut-throat business. Some of the children were unbelievable too – gorgeous smiles, confident on a big stage in front of hundreds of people, and a dream for any children’s fashion house. Others were less comfortable and probably won’t make it to the big time but that doesn’t matter. Just going through the process of learning how to walk elegantly, how to smile, how to stand tall and hold yourself well, and generally, just building self-confidence is brilliant. Every single one of those young people, potential models or not, will have benefitted from going to the school and performing last night.

When I was 18 I went on a modelling course at night school. I learned about hair, make-up, how to stand for a photograph, how to dress and so on. My intention was not to become a model but to learn how to make the most of myself and the confidence it gave me was priceless. I would not be where I am today without the confidence that the course gave me. Little did I realise then that years later I would be putting what I had learned into practise at photoshoots for the wonderful folk who appear in my magazine. And that’s why I am at every shoot that we do, to make sure we make our successful slimmers look their absolute best in the photographs. Check out our latest issue of Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness at your local supermarket or call us to take out a subscription if you have difficulty finding a copy. Call 01509 620444 and ask for Lucy who is our Subscription queen.

So, if your son or daughter want to go to a modelling school, encourage it. It will build their confidence and enable them to grow as individuals. I am so glad I did all those years ago.

Friday 26 June 2009

Being Thankful.

This week has been the first ever Step it up for Steps Week for STEPS Conductive Education Centre in Shepshed, Leicestershire. The aim was to raise the profile of the amazing work, and shout about the benefits derived by the children, who have motor disorders such as Down syndrome or cerebral palsy, who attend STEPS for conductive education therapy.

Yesterday was our big Open Day at the STEPS Centre and we worked hard to attract as many visitors as possible to visit the school, meet some of the children, chat to the staff and hopefully achieve some financial support to help fund the remarkable facility which helps these wonderful children in such a valuable way but costs around £200,000 to run each year.

The local media were brilliant. Central ITV did a wonderful piece which went out on Wednesday’s 6 o’clock news and this brought four families who had children with motor dysfunctions to visit the school with a view to them attending on a regular basis. They had not been aware of STEPS before. One family had young twins – both with cerebral palsy. That would be so tough for that family as one child with CP must be hard work. I cannot imagine what it must be like to have two of the same age!

During the day BBC Radio Leicester came along with their radio car and interviewed a STEPS mum, Sally, Dr Heather Crate who is the founder and President of STEPS, and myself as Patron. As well as talking about STEPS we also had some fun and entertaining activities for people to enjoy. Radio Leicester reporter, Julie Mayer (who is also the wife of the morning show presenter, Tony Wadsworth, that she reports for) bravely volunteered to step on to our very sophisticated weighing scales which print out your body fat percentage, muscle mass, weight of your bones (and trust me, forget using ‘I have heavy bones’ as an excuse for weighing more – bones do not weigh much!), your hydration levels, our BMI, your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and your metabolic age. The last detail is very revealing and it is determined by your weight, gender, age, height, fat percentage, your muscle mass, your BMI, etc. Some of our Trial Dieters have had predicted ages as high as 89!

Julie Mayer is a slip of a thing. At 52 years old and 5” 1” tall and with a very youthful figure, Julie weighs 7 ½ st, plus she is very fit and looks great. Live ‘on air’ on the show Julie bravely steps on to the scales and has to give out all her person details. When the scales printed out her results there were shrieks of delight as her metabolic age was predicted at 37 – 15 years younger than her actual age! You can imagine the banter that then followed between her and her husband-presenter! It was great fun.

Off air, Julie also had a go at the ‘how many times can you step on and off a Reebok step in 60 seconds?’ challenge. She managed a superb 67 times in the minute, to shouts of encouragement as she attempted to break the day’s record set by a 16-year-old who had achieved 81! Great fun was had by all! And, thanks to the sale of Mike’s abstract paintings, sale of toys and some of our silverware (the rest is going on ebay), we managed to raise over £1000 in the day. Plus lots of folk took away our pledge forms which we hope they will use to make a small donation to STEPS on a regular giving basis.

The whole day was fabulous. The sun shone and visitors were able to eat their low-fat and free refreshments in the Sensory Garden. The raffle was well supported and all or my Trial Dieters popped along for their weekly weigh-in which boosted the number of visitors. We also invited all the staff from our offices at Quorn House to pop along as they are all involved in fundraising for STEPS. And one of my star trial dieters, 21 year old Ryan, has promised to walk from Leicester to London along the Grand Union Canal next year in aid of STEPS. All together, a momentous and enjoyable day and certainly one to be repeated next year.

Two of the mums of children who had previously attended STEPS, who were now attending mainstream school and in their teens, also asked me for some advice. Children with Cerebral palsy and Down syndrome sometimes have difficulty in keeping their weight down because of their restricted mobility. I had a lovely chat with them, and one of their daughters, to try and find areas of their diet that could be slightly altered to help prevent any weight problems. Eating at regular meal-times and not snacking on high-fat foods in between, such as crisps, biscuits and cakes was my main message but I also suggested they try to exercise in their wheel-chairs with the seated workout we did a few years ago on one of my DVDs. One of the workout-sections within my Ultimate Whole Body Workout DVD offers a fantastic workout for anyone who is physically restricted. A copy will be in the post to each family today. Let’s hope it helps.

But the thought-provoking moment of the day came from my colleague, Linda Parker, our in-house PR manager. A week last Sunday Linda tripped over and broke her wrist in two places. Bravely she has managed to travel from Derbyshire each day on the train as she can’t drive at the moment, to get to work. This is despite the pain and frustrations of her restricted mobility that her broken arm has caused. Linda said, “Sitting here today (on one of the stalls) and looking at the children who come to STEPS has made me realise how lucky I am. My arm will mend in a few weeks but for these children, their disabilities are permanent – I am so fortunate, breaking my arm is nothing by comparison”. I think that is something every one of us should appreciate.

Let’s hope STEPS is able to continue the fantastic work that it achieves and we can all look forward to another great Open Day next year. Let’s hope none of us forget how fortunate we are that we are healthy and physically able.

Thursday 25 June 2009

Losing weight is a choice.

The weight we are is a direct result of choices we have made: how much and what we eat, how active we are and whether or not we take regular exercise.

If we are going to lose weight we need to eat less than our body needs for a while so that the body uses some of its excesses (body fat) to make up the shortfall of calories that it needs to carry out its everyday functions. If we step up our activity levels as well as eat less, we lose weight faster and very easily, plus we tone up as we slim down.

Eating the way we have been doing is a habit. Maybe skipping breakfast, grabbing a high-fat snack mid-morning, buying a sandwich, packet of crisps and a high-sugar drink at lunchtime and then topping it off with a pie, pizza or paella for dinner accompanied by a few beers or half a bottle of wine every night, then perhaps eating a snack before bedtime or whilst watching television. ‘What’s wrong with that?’ you may ask and if you had been working on a building site all day and cycled ten miles home, you would probably be fine but most of us don’t lead hugely physical lives and eating more fat and more calories than our body needs, leads to our being overweight or obese.

Weight creeps up on us and you may be someone who never eats chocolate, crisps and who drinks alcohol only at weekends and you cannot understand why you are two stone overweight. The most likely culprit is portion sizes. Just eating too much of relatively healthy food.

The problem is that these days portion sizes have become ridiculously large, particularly in restaurants, and we are getting used to eating them. America is leading the way in over-sized portions resulting in over-sized people. Whenever I go to a restaurant where I know they serve very large portions, I always ask for a child’s portion. I don’t like waste and there’s a limit to how often I can embarrass the person I’m with by asking for a doggy bag for Waise (pronounced ‘visor’), our dog.

If you want to lose weight fast, go on one of my diets but if you just want to lose a bit of weight and trim down a bit, why not just make a few simple lifestyle changes?

  • Cut your portion size down by 20%
  • Cut your alcohol consumption by half
  • Increase your activity levels and wear a pedometer.
    Try to do 10,000 steps a day .
  • Cut right back on fatty foods
  • Don’t snack between meals

Losing weight isn’t rocket science, it’s just common sense. Eat less and do more!

Check out our website for more information if you need some extra help. www.rosemaryconley.com

Wednesday 24 June 2009

Why I love the sunshine!

Today looks as though it is going to be a sunny day. That’s good for all of us because it lifts our spirits and makes us want to go outside, cycle to work, walk the children to school instead of driving them, do some jobs in the garden, wash the paintwork down – anything that enables us to be in the warmth of the sun yet putting our time to good use. Great! We can get a bit fitter without having to find time to actually do a ‘fitness programme’ as such.

As some of you will know, over the last few weeks I have started taking ice skating lessons. It’s hard work but I love every single second that I am on the ice with my coach, Karen, who is so patient, encouraging and a brilliant teacher. I’ve had eight lessons with her so far and she gives me ‘home work’ which involves practising moves on the floor, (usually in my bathroom), where I am training my brain to help my feet and balance go a certain way, and in unison! It is a strange sight to see but a very worthwhile exercise as by practising on carpet and bare feet I am developing my neuro-muscular pathways to learn the moves so that I can do them more easily.

Our neuro-muscular pathways are created in our brain when we learn a pattern of doing a certain task – changing gear in our car, lifting one leg in front of the other when we go upstairs for instance. Over time those activities become completely automatic and that’s what I’m working on with my feet and my balance in the bathroom. It’s really hard to learn the different moves in skating, not helped by the fact that when you are skating you are moving around on sheet ice and you are balancing on a blade that is just one millimetre wide! But it’s coming and I’m learning and progressing with every lesson. I’ve even become more confident about falling and can get up again without any effort. That is, in fact, a really big deal! Yesterday I fell four times and twisted my knee, bashed my wrist, fell hard on my back and later hurt by thumb – but it’s all fine. Nothing that won’t mend in a couple of days and as my coach said, ‘it’s good to fall, because you learn more that way’. Excellent! I suppose I should be looking forward to falling lots more!

We all need to be aware that our neuro muscular pathways need to be worked on. Practise makes perfect. Whether you’re a golfer who lifts their head up when they shouldn’t, a tennis player who rushes the shot each time or a member of newly joins one of our classes and struggles a bit the first time they do the exercise routine, by learning the right way, practising regularly, and persevering, our brain and our body quickly learns what to do. That is what is so encouraging. It only gets easier with practise. As we become more proficient, we can become more ambitious, play better, exercise in a class at the higher level, perform more difficult moves on the ice rink! It is that progression and improvement that stimulates us and encourages us to continue. The better at it that we become, the more likely we are to carry on in to the long term. That must be our goal.

If you are thinking about joining one of our Diet and Fitness classes and you’re scared witless that you are going to be un-coordinated when you exercise, why not start off by getting one of my fitness DVDs and learn a few of the basic moves first. They are easy to follow and they all include similar moves to those that are taught in our classes. All of our class instructors are trained to the highest level and they can cope with people of all fitness levels and abilities so don’t worry, you will never be made to feel embarrassed. But it could just be that fitness challenge you have been waiting for. Check out our website for details of my DVDs and our classes.

Tuesday 23 June 2009

Getting The Balance Right

We spend a third of our time asleep, a third of our time at work and the remaining third to enjoy leisure pursuits as well as looking after our homes, families and ourselves. The trouble is that the only bit that is flexible is our own time as if we don’t keep the hours at work we get fired, and if we don’t sleep we get exhausted and can’t function. The consequence of this is that, if we’re not careful, we can end up with a really poor work/life balance.

Recently I met someone who takes one-and-a-half hours to travel each way to work. Three hours a day! She has a demanding job and by the time she gets home, she really doesn’t feel like exercising or even cooking a healthy meal. All her physical and mental energy has been exhausted and she has little time or energy left to actually enjoy her life, let alone look after her health, get fit and lose a bit of weight. Not surprisingly she relaxes with half a bottle of wine most evenings with the inevitable consequence of her weight just increasing.

Years ago I used to work 80 hours a week. Yes, I was younger, and my priorities were different but life has taught me that we really should have time to enjoy the flowers in the garden, spending quality time with our husband and family, walking the dog, chatting to friends. Having some space to ourselves too is also important, but we must have enough energy left to look after our health and that means doing some physical activity and eating properly.

It isn’t the cooking of the meals that’s the problem, it’s the deciding what we are going to eat. Having made decisions all day I don’t have enough emotional energy to decide on tonight’s meal so I always sit down at the beginning of the week and decide what the week’s menu is to be. Once the decisions have been made, shopping is organised accordingly and as I drive home I know exactly what is on the menu each evening.

Dieters who plan their weekly menus are much more successful than those who are haphazard in their eating. In my Gi Hip and Thigh Diet the menus are all planned, they are interchangeable if there’s anything you don’t fancy, and there’s even a shopping list for a week. See my website for details here. The diet works and you can lose 7lbs in 14 days on this diet – we have proved it with a trial or 35 volunteers who lost an average of 7.25 lbs in the first two weeks.

How is your work/life balance? What could YOU do to improve your life and make it healthier and happier? Would losing a few lbs and getting a bit fitter help. Think about it today.

Monday 22 June 2009

Step it up for Steps week

STEPS Conductive Education Centre in Leicestershire helps children aged from birth to five years who are born with celebral palsy, Down syndrome or other motor dysfunctions. It is a fantastic facility, offered free to families of these very special children. The conductive education, based on the principles created by the Peto Institute in Hungary, enables the children to progress physically and mentally and the results are astonishing.

STEPS was formed some 15 years ago by a few families in Leicestershire, including George and Heather Crate who’s grandson Shaun had been born four years previously with Cerebral Palsy. In fact, Shaun’s condition was described as being so serious by doctors that they said he wouldn’t even be able to turn over in bed. Family and friends set about raising funds to send Shaun to the Peto Institute in Hungary on three separate occasions. Each trip cost £10,000. But the progress in Shaun was dramatic and today Shaun is 18 years old and has just completed a course at Brooksby Agricultural College, and over the last year Shaun has been helping out John, our gardener at Quorn, on work-experience. Shaun is an inspiration to us all and next week he goes for training in readiness for the arrival of –Hooch, his new ‘dog-for-the disabled’.

STEPS was created to help and support other families by providing the amazing teaching and benefits of the Peto, but here in Leicestershire – available to any child who needs help in the East Midlands. I have been Patron of the charity since its inception and I, along with the wonderful Trustees, staff and parents, work hard to raise the £200,000 needed every year to keep the school going. To illustrate how highly respected STEPS is, this year STEPS were thrilled to be awarded a grant from BBC Children in Need for £60,000 a year for three years towards staff costs.

But we still need to raise £140,000 p.a. and the STEP IT UP FOR STEPS WEEK is designed to raise the public awareness of the wonderful facility at STEPS, raise funds and welcome people to STEPS to see how the school works, and how it also helps the older children, even after they leave to go to mainstream school at age five.

Tomorrow Central ITV News will be visiting STEPS as they have played a major role in getting STEPS on its feet. Two years ago, after we had managed to purchase the building, Central helped us facilitate a complete a total makeover of the derelict school building when 130 companies gave goods and services worth in excess of £500,000 completely free. Hopefully, STEPS will be featured on tomorrow’s 6 o’clock news on Central publicising our special week of activities.

The money raising initiatives we have planned include an Art Exhibition of abstract paintings by Mike Rimmington (my husband), with all proceeds of sales to go directly to STEPS; we will be selling a selection of our family silverware on eBay, and on Thursday we are holding an Open Day at STEPS when people can come and have some fun with us as they see how many times they can step on and off a Reebok step in 60 seconds; get weighed on our magic scales that tell you everything about yourself; and visitors can eat a low fat cream tea or a low fat bacon serine from Rosie’s Kitchen! We are also putting around 300 gorgeous teddy bears out across the nation in the hope that folk will pay £1 each to name him. We still have 50 teddies left so if you would like one, together with poster for people to write in their name, we will be delighted to send you one. You just send us the £45 after you have managed to sell for £1 each all 45 names that are printed on the poster. (Call our Teddy Hotline and speak to Alison on our office number 01509 620222).

We are also hoping that some folk will be kind enough sign up to our monthly pledge request. If we can get say 1000 kind souls to pay just £2 a month by Standing Order, it would make a real difference. We have pledge forms which we would be delighted to send out. Just drop me an email at rosemary@rosemaryconley.com and we’ll get one in the post to you.

So, my week is going to be a bit different from usual. I really, really hope that by this time next week we will have raised the profile of STEPS, raised some much needed funds and had some fun along the way. If you can support STEPS in any way, THANK YOU!

Friday 19 June 2009

Are the BBC really axing Arlene Phillips from Strictly Come Dancing?

When I heard on the radio this morning that the BBC are considering dropping Arlene Phillips in favour of Alesha Dixon, I was shocked! Now, I know this news doesn’t compare with the significance of the elections in Iran or the global financial crisis BUT it is important to millions of viewers of one of the most popular and positive entertainment programmes shown on television.

When Strictly Come Dancing first arrived on our screens some five or six years ago, Arlene Phillips was the only name we recognised on the judging panel. She is famous as a choreographer all over the world and her informed, constructive criticisms made to the contestants have been frank and valid. She is respected by everyone and brings true professionalism to the show. Yes, of course, we love Bruno, Len and Craig, and the banter between the four of the judges is entertaining and informative, but Arlene’s input is unique. The BBC will, in my view, be making a big mistake if they drop her.

Alesha Dixon is a delightful girl. She is stunningly beautiful, a great singer and of course a fabulous dancer. She won Strictly two years ago after all. But she doesn’t bring with her the choreography pedigree, or the life-time’s experience of Arlene. ‘Ageism’ is being blamed for the BBC’s decision but they should see beyond that. Her age and experience is her greatest asset. It is the fact that Arlene has been in the business for over 40 years that makes her the expert that she is!

So, come on BBC! Think again! And let’s hope enough of us make a fuss that they take notice.

Dancing is a fabulous way to lose weight and become fitter and I know folk of all ages who have been inspired to put on their dancing shoes as a result of watching Strictly. Yesterday I taught three Salsacise classes at Ragdale Hall where I am running a Rosemary Conley Week and everyone enjoyed themselves as they swung their hips and cha-cha-cha’d away to the rhythm of the Latin music. It is certainly a great calorie burner! Check out our website if you want to look at my Salsacise DVDs – www.rosemaryconley.com – if you want to learn too.

Thursday 18 June 2009

Why is exercise is so good for us?

Every year I run two Rosemary Conley Weeks – one at Ragdale Hall Health Hydro and one in Lech, Austria. They are both quite different but both are extremely rewarding as with each week, the guests are able to completely relax and enjoy beautiful surroundings and at the same time learn a great deal about diet and fitness. They are able to eat healthy low fat food that is prepared for them and undertake lots of exercise in all kinds of different forms. It works and that’s why this week is my 15th year at Ragdale and in two weeks’ time it will be my 25th year of running the Austria trip!

Ragdale Hall is only 20 minutes from where I live and they love organising this special week. This year we have around 90 guests in my group – including four husbands – and, as well as being pampered with facials, manicures, pedicures, rubs, soaks and massages in the most luxurious surroundings, they listen to three talks and have two workouts from me. By the end of the week they fully understand how to lose weight, become fitter, burn fat, tone up and eat healthily. Each year around two-thirds of the guests return for another helping of motivation and education to see them through the 12 months till we meet up again. It is a delightful week.

The Austrian trip is quite different. It is based on activity rather than pampering as each day we ramble through the mountains for a couple of hours, chatting together and soaking up the glorious scenery. Yes, the guests get the talks and the workouts, but the freshness of the mountain air is revitalising and the group do everything together – including the Concert Night when any of our guests who are talented in performing in some way – singing, poetry, comedy, acting, dancing – entertain us to our great delight. It is a unique holiday and every year we are fully booked.

Whilst we are able to enjoy beautiful healthy food on each of these weeks, it is the activities that make the difference. At Ragdale guests can go to as many classes as they wish in between their treatments and the fully equipped gym is there for everyone to enjoy. In Austria, there’s the early morning walk, the main hike (2 hours) plus a workout on most days, and that’s on top of the walk to the open air swimming pool for those who enjoy a dip.

By the end of each week most folk have lost weight. In Austria we have a Slimmer of the Week Award and it isn’t unusual for the winner to have lost seven or eight pounds! On both trips the guests eat very well but the difference is the activity they do. Exercising with others, in an environment that is conducive to being more active, is brilliant. It somehow seems more ‘normal’ and not so much of an effort. But we can develop habits at home that encourage that too.

It is important to realise that any exercise that makes you warmer and a bit out of breath is ‘aerobic’ and that all aerobic activity burns fat and stimulates our metabolic rate even after we stop exercising. On the other hand, using weights or a resistance band to do ‘toning’ exercise works our muscles and makes them stronger. The stronger our muscles, the higher our metabolic rate becomes. So it is easy to see that by including aerobic activities and toning exercises into our regular fitness plan, we are not only helping ourselves to lose weight and burn fat, we are strengthening our muscles and stimulating our metabolic rate. Add to that the fact that exercise helps to tone up our skin as we lose weight, so that it doesn’t go saggy and baggy, you really shouldn’t need any more convincing that exercise is good for you! And that’s before you take into account the fact that exercise helps our heart and lungs towards overall better health. It really is a win/win/win situation. There is absolutely no down side.

Our biggest excuse for not exercising is lack of time yet the average time we watch TV in the UK is 27 hours a week! If we could just find 30 minutes every day to be more active, we could transform our health, our weight and our figure!

Check out my DVDs if you want to exercise at home, or consider coming along to one of our Diet and Fitness Club classes and enjoy exercising with others just like you. Our website has all the details: www.rosemaryconley.com

Wednesday 17 June 2009

Are Ready Meals Good For Us?

Yesterday I was invited to visit Saladworks – a company within the Samworth Brothers Group of companies here in Leicestershire. Samworth Brothers is a family company that have grown and developed over the last hundred years or so years to become the largest employer in Leicestershire with a workforce of some 5000 staff locally with a further 2000 employed in Cornwall. They have several factories that produce food for Marks and Spencer, Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons and others.

Saladworks manufacture a variety of products and a group of us were guided around a couple of the factories. We all looked particularly attractive in our hairnets, white boots and overalls! We saw where the basic ingredients arrive, where they are stored, how the food is prepared and cooked, how pasta is made and measured, how every ingredient is carefully monitored so that if, at any stage – now or in the future - the product ingredients need to be back-checked, a full history of its journey is easily accessible. We watched as ready meals were carefully, and proudly, placed in containers with every component either weighed, counted or measured, to ensure the quantity tallies with the details on the pack – very important for dieters! – and the content composed consistently.

Millions of ready meals, gallons of sauces, tonnes of ingredients are prepared there. The organisation and logistical challenge of creating food of this magnitude is extraordinary. The whole operation is awesome. I was particularly impressed by the quality of the produce that was being manufactured. It was naturally healthy food that had been carefully prepared to make a delicious meal for us to select from our favourite supermarket or store. These were not just any ready meals, these were special.

But Samworth Brothers are not just about producing fine food, they have a very special ethos and they take a real pride in their workforce. Everyone we met, whether they were placing prawns on a paella or weighing out cooked rice, checking the seals on the finished product or washing down the machines, they were happy and you could just feel that they felt valued. There’s even a Samworth Academy which supports the staff by encouraging further education and training. The company believes in investing into their staff and it obviously works. Also, the staff organise charity activities together and raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity. As we all know, these kinds of activities build the relationship of any workforce.

Having happy staff is key to the success of any business and it is something that we hold very dear in our company too. If everybody is working together toward a common goal, we can all achieve tremendous success and make a real difference in a lot of peoples’ lives. Isn’t great when you can have fun doing it too?

Monday 15 June 2009

How Fitness Can Be Fun!

Last Saturday our staff organised a charity bike ride around Rutland Water to raise funds for a charity that we support called Steps Conductive Education Centre Leicestershire. Over the next few months they are planning to cycle the equivalent distance to the perimeter of the British Isles – some 2,775 Miles. Overall , they hope to raise around £10,000 for Steps. Click here to view the sponsorship page


The ‘Round Britain Bike Challenge’ launched on Saturday with a ride around Rutland Water. The perimeter distance, at its maximum, is 26 miles (there is a shorter route of 19 miles) and the 19-strong team pedalled their way around the marathon course in the glorious sunshine and enjoyed every minute, riding a total of 480 cumulative miles! At this time of year there is nowhere more beautiful than the blossoming countryside and natural beauty of this part of England. And they all loved it.

Afterwards, the cyclists and their spouses and families came back to our house for a barbecue. We had such a fun time together, eating and drinking and sharing the adventures of the day. The camaraderie between the staff was almost tangible - the fun, the laughter, the way everyone was walking like John Wayne. Everyone mucked-in cooking the sausages and burgers and serving the drinks. They were really ready for it and felt they’d earned a good feed.

Then it was time for cricket. Then rounders. Then football! Shrieks of laughter echoed around the garden as balls were bowled by an aspiring Andrew Flintoff, age 8, at the adults to hit or miss, according to where the ball arrived which was very varied! Men and women, girls and boys, all having a fabulous time being active. If all fitness could be so much fun we would undoubtedly do it more often. And I hope that many families will do just that on the glorious summer days that we have been promised this year.

Yesterday, many of our staff also ran the Race for Life. Click here to view the sponsorship page. I have spoken to a couple of them already today and yes, they are stiff – and that’s not surprising taking into account all that they have done this weekend. But what a sense of achievement. They are all buzzing with it.

Sometimes we need the encouragement of other to help us get active, to do things together. Sometimes we need a reason for doing it too and raising funds for good causes is as good a reason as any to get out there and get active. Training ahead of the event is going to stand you in good stead for the event and gives you a reason for getting on your bike or putting on your running shoes. It is about having a goal, having someone to share it with and that what you do, makes a difference. What could YOU do to inspire YOU into action?

Friday 12 June 2009

The Inspiration of a Successful Slimmer

Yesterday we had one of our photoshoots for my magazine, Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness. Four delightful women, with ages ranging from 23 to 49, travelled to our offices in Quorn in Leicestershire for a very exciting day. Their weight losses varied from two stone to six-and-a-half stone and every one of them was an inspiration and brings to life the reason I do the job that I do.

As I sit behind my desk trying to come up with a new diet that will be healthy and easy to follow, and not involving foods that folk just don’t like eating, I write in the hope that people will be able to shed their unwanted weight. When we put together one of my fitness DVDs, we bear in mind that people don’t have loads of space in their living room so we keep the movements to a manageable level within a confined space, but most of all, I want the exercises to be do-able, safe and effective – so that folk will workout regularly and burn away their unwanted fat and slim down to achieve a healthy, fit body. So, when I have the pleasure of meeting successful slimmers who have followed my diets, worked out to my DVDs and been to our classes regularly, it is very exciting.

When the girls arrive in the early morning, we ask them to come without make-up as our make-up artist will see to all of that later, after we’ve been shopping. I drive the slimmers to Fosse Park on the outskirts of Leicester where we usually go to the massive Marks and Spencer store, or, as we did for the shoot on Monday, to Next.

One by one I take them round the shop to select the clothes I think will suit their colouring, shape and age-range. It is tremendous fun and the assistants in the shop are always astonished when I tell them how much weight the slimmers have lost. The girls are made to feel like film stars and we all have a great time. They are happy to try on colours and styles they are not used to and so often announce that they ‘would never have thought of wearing that’ had they been shopping on their own. I love pushing back the boundaries for them and witnessing the reaction from others when we find something that suits them beautifully.

Of course, their body shapes vary enormously from being heart shaped with a large bust, apple shaped when they have slim legs but not much of a waist, and pear shaped when they have small waists but wider hips and thighs. That’s why I like to take them shopping rather than have a stylist come in with a variety of clothes. Until I meet the person, I don’t know what will suit, what leg length they are, what ‘style’ or colour suits them as an individual. Each one is unique and every ensemble needs to be spot on for that person as an individual.

After selecting the clothes, then the jewellery and shoes, we drive back to Quorn for hair and make-up. The photographer is waiting and as each girl emerges from being made-over, we see the true beauty of our wonderful successful slimmers. And they do too! Next, it’s to the photographer. For all of them, until recently, having their photograph taken was the one thing to be avoided at all cost. No one wants to be photographed when they are overweight so now they are entering into new territory. Different people react in different ways. Some are embarrassed and it takes time to relax them to get that wonderful shot that will appear in the magazine. For others, they suddenly find a previously hidden confidence which is now being allowed out for the first time for years. But for all of them, once they see their image on the laptop (which these days happens instantaneously the photograph is taken) they cannot believe what they are seeing! ‘Oh my goodness! Is that really me?’ they say with tears of joy in their eyes as they see this beautiful, slim swan that has emerged from the lacking-in-confidence, overweight, unfit, unshapely individual they once were.

Our magazine photoshoots are hard work but, my goodness, they’re so rewarding! And yes, it is a fantastically proud day for me as I see the results of those hours of wracking my brain for ideas for my diets. It is also a day for recognising the investment we have made into selecting and training the brilliant franchisees who run our Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club classes because they are the ones who help these folk to reach their dreams. And long may it continue.

Thursday 11 June 2009

Diet trail

At the moment I am trialling a new diet for a book I am currently writing which will be published in the new year. As with previous diet trials that I have undertaken, I asked BBC Radio Leicester if they would allow me to ask for volunteers, plus we contacted local GP surgeries to see if doctors wanted to put their overweight patients on my new plan, and lots have.

I spend most of my life meeting people who have already lost loads of weight on my diets at our classes, through my books, dvds or through ‘rosemaryconleyonline’, our online slimming club. So it is always interesting to meet folk at the beginning of their weight loss journey, and to hear the reasons why they want to lose weight and why they have reached this stage of needing to lose weight in the first place. They all admit to bad eating habits, snacking and not taking enough exercise.

Yesterday I went back on to Radio Leicester with a couple of the Trialists. Click here to listen to the programme. Ryan is 21 years old. In the first two weeks of the diet he lost 1st 1/2 lb and his third weigh in is tomorrow. He cannot believe how many inches he has shed and is delighted that he lost so much weight so quickly. Ryan is a strongly-built lad and whilst he used to weight 22 stone, he doesn’t look that heavy. I would have guessed his weight at around 17 st. He will look slim if he gets down to 15 stone because of his physique. Ryan talked about his big increase in confidence since he has lost weight and feels that people are now treating him as a real person rather than ignoring him because he was fat. It was great to see his self esteem beaming through after only two and a half weeks!

Andy was my other trialist who had volunteered to come on to Radio Leicester. Andy had had his third weigh-in and had lost 1st 2 lbs in three weeks. Andy works 12 hour shifts which is tough for any dieter but he prepares his ‘pack-up’ of healthy food before he goes to work and is loving his new way of eating. ‘I feel less tired. I have more energy. My beer belly has reduced unbelievably, and everyone is noticing how much slimmer I look. And I work-out to your Fat Attack dvd most days!’ said Andy and on air he was so enthusiastic about his transformation.

Of course, being part of a Trial gives the participants an extra incentive to stick with it and not let me down. They probably make that extra effort to do their exercises instead of not bothering. The crazy thing is, when we stick to the diet – any of my diets – and do the exercise, the weight will drop off anybody if they have it to lose. It is scientifically based on a healthy calorie controlled diet of healthy, energy-giving food. It isn’t rocket science – it’s common sense and more a ‘way of eating’ than a ‘diet’.

If you want to lose weight, dust off one of my books – Gi Jeans or Gi Hip and Thigh are best – and YOU can lose weigh too. Visit one of our classes or check on www.rosemaryconleyonline.com , get a copy of my latest magazine Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness, and dig out one of my DVD’s, and you’re all set for a NEW SLIMMER YOU! You can find more details on our website www.rosemaryconley.com.

Wednesday 10 June 2009

Extreme calorie burning!


Five years ago my husband, Mike, walked to the North Pole to raise funds for an African charity. He was part of a 15-or-so strong team of mostly men but also a few women. For the weeks and months prior to the unaided trek, (ie no dogs, no transport) Mike spent many an hour walking around our field with a massive lorry tyre, attached to ropes, harnessed to his waist which he dragged behind him in training for pulling a sledge carrying camping equipment and food.

This was to be the challenge of his life but it was also to be exhilarating and hopefully rewarding. One of the biggest disappointments had to be on one day, having trekked across the ice for 12 hours the day before, they woke up to find the ice had moved and they were, in fact, further back than where they had started from the day before! And we could be forgiven for thinking that the terrain was flat ice. It wasn’t. Where the ice had broken up and crashed into itself again, it had created massive boulders of ice and snow which had to be climbed with their sledges behind them and they had to walk miles sometimes, just to find a crossing point between the massive areas of broken ice.

For the eight days of the actual trek everyone wore the same clothes which they also slept in! Apparently they would squeeze into their sleeping bags at the end of each arduous day only to find that it was full of ice from the perspiration they had created during the previous night! There is no doubt these guys were made of strong stuff and their determination to succeed was awesome. And not only did they reach the North Pole, they raised over £100,000 for Africa.

What fascinated me was that they had to keep eating for most of the day to be able to consume sufficient calories to provide enough energy for their physical expenditure. They achieved this by having a ‘nutty bag’ which comprised of chopped up Mars bars, peanuts and raisons all mixed up together. This was on top of their twice-daily reconstituted meals. Despite the fact that every day they each consumed around 6,000 calories, after the eight-day trek Mike had lost 9lb in weight!

The extreme cold coupled with the intensity of the physical activity caused a massive calorie expenditure. It just goes to prove how hard they worked and how tough it must have been but it also shows how the body is an amazing machine and weight loss is a matter of physics. If we can spend more energy through exercise we will burn fat and calories and we will lose weight. We don’t all have to walk to the North Pole to achieve our weight loss but by increasing our activity and cutting back on the quantity we eat each day we can make a big difference to our weight.

Tuesday 9 June 2009

Losing weight is harder as we get older

Every Monday evening I teach a couple of classes at the Holiday Inn in Leicester. I have been teaching my classes there since 1986 and around 15 or so of my members have been coming to me since then and some of those women are now well into their seventies.

What I find so rewarding is that this special band of folk are fit and able, and their bodies are serving them well plus they have good figures. For many of them, this class is the only real exercise they do all week yet even that one class has made a significant difference to their health and wellbeing because along with the weekly exercise, they have lost weight and kept it at a healthy level. And that is crucial.

There is no doubt that if we want to live a long and healthy life, we need to keep our weight in check. Being slim makes a dramatic difference to our health at any age, but never more so than when we get older because our joints as well as our heart will suffer if we don’t. But losing weight when we are older is tough because our metabolic rate slows down with age.

The rate at which we burn calories (our metabolic rate) starts slowing down when we hit 30! Past the age of 60 it slows down significantly added to which we are usually less active in our daily lives so the risk of an increase in weight for many older folk is high. But we can do a lot to help ourselves.

As we get older our body tends to lose muscle strength (because we don’t use them as much as when we are younger, plus an older body isn’t as efficient at maintaining muscle tissue)and the body is more inclined to lay down fat. This is bad news all round! However, if we eat a low fat diet that is moderate in its portions we can lose weight or at least stop ourselves from gaining it. Then if we add physical activity, we can dramatically help ourselves by burning more calories as well as keeping out muscles strong and prevent muscle wastage. Strength workouts such as muscle toning exercises or using light weights will really help to maintain muscle and bone strength. Aerobic exercise (anything that makes you slightly out of breath and warm) will burn extra calories and also fat. By doing a combination of both, even if it is only once a week, will make a difference and if you cannot get to a class, working out to one of my DVDs will work wonders. I always include aerobics and toning in all my programmes so even one DVD will fulfil your needs.

So if you are young and reading this, try and get your weight to a healthy level while it is easier to do so and then maintain a healthy lifestyle into later life. If you are older, start taking action now so that you are investing into your old age. I love the saying ‘exercise is like a savings account. The more you invest the greater the dividends’.

Check out our website for details of my DVDs and our Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness classes. We are here to help you.

Monday 8 June 2009

Why I love Marks & Spencer

I have always respected Marks & Spencer as a brand that represents quality and service. The staff are always pleasant and there is a no-quibble returns policy which makes shopping for clothes significantly easier. (I hate trying things on in shops and much prefer to do it in the peace and quiet of home when I can try on various shoes and jewellery to see if they look right and suitable for me as an individual.) But I always used to think their food was expensive. That is, until I worked for them.

In 1996 I was invited to become a consultant to M & S to help them brand their healthy food range. Up to this point, food that was considered ‘healthy’ as opposed to ‘indulgent’ was just labelled as low - or lower - fat, or low sugar or high fibre. Over the next four years we worked together in re-branding their healthier options, initially under the ‘Healthy Choice’ range and then later they created the cleverly named ‘Count On Us’ range. My main advice involved consistent and clear labelling on the front of the pack as to how many calories the pack contained and what percentage fat it was. Next, I emphasised that the quantity needed to be maxed up not cut back, after all, dieters like their food!

M & S were a dream to work with. They listened, they put the suggestions into practice and it worked. I worked with them for four years (ending in 2000) and it was a privilege to work with such a company. My time with them was fun. We made a superb fitness video together which also incorporated their healthy food range and it was while we were working on the video that I learned so much about the standards that they set for their food products. They just have to be the best. Nothing is compromised and whilst the healthier option food range may cut back on the calories and fat, cutting back on flavour and indulgent taste was never an option. The ‘healthy’ ready meals had to taste every bit as good as the parent product.

As a result of my experience of working alongside M & S I have, ever since, always shopped there for our food. It tastes superb, it lasts longer and whilst it is not cheap, I believe it is good value. I am a huge fan. And the readers of my magazine, Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness, seem to agree. Last year we launched our Fab Low Fat Food Awards and M & S won five awards. They are, in fact, the market leader in the healthy ready meals market and long may they continue. Why? Because they will not compromise on taste and quality and that is what we all want. If we are to be happy cutting back the calories while we try to lose weight, the quality and the taste of the food we eat is paramount. The key is to not to over-buy otherwise you will be over-tempted!

Friday 5 June 2009

Why there is nothing better than working for yourself

We started Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs in 1993 and the decision to run the company as a franchise was considered the best option for everyone. We wanted our classes to be run by professionals who wanted a career in diet and fitness, not just a part-time job, who would be committed to their members and promote our ‘healthy eating combined with exercise’ message. We considered that if a franchisee was running her classes under licence, but she was working for herself in her own business, she would be more motivated, more successful and would give a better service to her members. We were right.

We have almost 170 franchisees who are exceptional people – and yes, they are all women, though we have had the occasional male franchisee in the past. They are very carefully selected and have to go through a pretty rigorous selection process because they have to have special and very important talents. They have to be able to move well to music, have good communication skills, be confident and motivated, and to have real commitment to help others. Our care in that selection has paid off and we have an extraordinary team of franchisees of whom I am immensely proud.

Today we are holding one of our Franchise Open Days at Quorn. Almost 30 folk from all over the British Isles will be visiting our head quarters to meet me, Mike and the rest of the team. This will be their first taste of what running a Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club franchise involves. They will also meet some of our franchisees who happily will tell them of their experience of becoming a franchisee since they left their previous jobs as an accountant, bank manager, PA or dental hygienist! Our franchisees come from all kinds of backgrounds but they all have one thing in common. They all have a passion for teaching diet and fitness and they all came to an Open Day at Quorn House.

The training period for our franchisees is three to four months and that in itself gives you an indication of how well qualified they are by the time they set up their business. A business that is theirs but operating under licence, using my name, using my diet and our marketing material, and the backing of a team of 45 support staff who are at Head Office helping to make their businesses a huge success. Whilst we put in our literature that we would expect our franchisees to earn at least £25k a year, we have franchisees who are earning well in excess of £60k. As long as we make a fair return, nothing gives us more pleasure than our franchisees earning a very significant profit. How do they earn that? After the initial purchase of the franchise, our franchisees just pay us £20 per class per week (they must run a minimum of 10pw in the first year). By paying us a flat rate franchise service charge per class, (in effect, this amounts to the class fees paid by the first four people who attend the class), it is obvious to see that if they are very good and motivating to their members, they can attract 50 folk to each class and earn extremely well. Of course they are responsible for the costs of running their business such as room hire and so on, but this can be a very successful business for them.

So, if you are sitting at your desk at work today, bored out of your brain and wishing you had a more exciting career, why not think about coming to visit us in July when we hold our next Open Day?

Details of our franchise opportunity can be found on our web site and you can call Dawn O’Dowd for a Prospectus and a free DVD explaining our business on 01509 622000 without any obligation whatsoever. We would love everyone in the UK to be able to visit a local Rosemary Conley Club class within five minutes of where they live and we still have plenty of opportunities for new franchises available. We would love to hear from you.

Thursday 4 June 2009

Making the effort on holiday!

We have been in Portugal for the last couple of weeks. The first week was holiday and the second was work-based as we have had our annual Think Tank. Our fellow directors fly out to join us for an enjoyable time together when we can mull over, discuss in detail and think outside the box for the future of the business, and decide where we are going to place our priorities over the next twelve months. It is extremely productive and over the last three years, since we started to do this in Portugal, the company has been transformed.

With guests comes the need to feed and entertain and inevitably more food and drink is on the menu than maybe it would be if Mike and I were just alone. But I have learned that weight can go on so quickly and yet it is so slow to go. I have worked hard this two weeks to lose a couple of pounds so that I can wear my summer-weight clothes and not feel there are too many bulges. I have cranked up my willpower and stayed focused. It has worked. I am going home today feeling slimmer than when I arrived and that feels good.

These are the five rules I have followed during these two weeks:

I’ve reduced my portion size by 20% at every meal
I have eaten low-fat foods and have substituted soy sauce instead of salad cream on salads
I have not eaten one Pringle or eaten any Haagen Dazs ice cream – (my usual holiday treats!)
I have done an aerobic workout three times and done some toning exercises on five occasions
Except for one evening when I overdid the Pimms, I have moderated my alcohol consumption

Just by making these small but important choices I have lost weight and I am very, very happy about it. It could so easily have been the opposite and I could have gained a couple of extra pounds or even more and then I would have been as miserable as sin.

If you are planning on going on holiday soon, try your very best to lose as much weight before you go and then when you are away, keep those good habits going and you too could go home even slimmer or, at least, weighing the same.

If you need help to lose weight between now and your holiday, check out our website. We can help you.

Wednesday 3 June 2009

When the going gets tough!

When we embark on a weight loss and fitness campaign we have big ambitions of achieving significant results quickly. In fact, the first three days of a diet are the easiest because there is a novelty element and the excitement of having a goal. We know where we are aiming and we know it will all be worth the effort in the end. After day three it gets tougher and we start missing certain foods, we feel slightly hungrier and our enthusiasm is challenged somewhat. But now is the time we should dig deep and try desperately to hold it together as we will now be burning fat from our bodies and progress will be real.

People approach dieting in different ways. Some stick rigidly to the diet and are determined about their fitness and yes, they do lose most weight. Some folk just cannot be that strict and make a 70% effort and that’s ok but, if this applies to you, don’t expect to lose weight so fast. You need to be patient with that rate of progress and just keep plodding on. But without doubt the most satisfactory way to lose weight is if you are given support and encouragement from others, and it has been proven that dieters attending classes definitely lose more than those going it alone.

Whilst slimming clubs offer a weekly meeting and the camaraderie of your fellow slimmers, they are limited in their effectiveness because they do not offer exercise or fitness advice. When we launched Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs 17 years ago, we committed to offer weight loss advice, motivation and a workout taught by a professionally qualified exercise teacher. A little later we developed our nutrition training into an accredited qualification, which all of our instructors receive. This means that anyone attending one of our classes receives the very best professional advice available and the combination of diet and fitness is what every GP, nutritionist, dietician and, indeed, the Department of Health, recommends.

Check out our website for details of classes held in your area and if we don’t have one, consider using our online slimming club – http://www.rosemaryconleyonline.com/ where you will receive all the advice and support you need from professionals who really care about you.

Tuesday 2 June 2009

Rosemary's daily activity challenge is a HIT!

You may or may not be aware that for the last six weeks or so I have been Twittering. Over that time I have gathered a variety of new friends who have been following my daily life with encouragement, interest and inspiration and it has been fun. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, just click on this to read my tweets on twitter.com/rosemary

Yesterday was the first day of June and I thought it would be fun to launch a daily activity challenge each evening. Day 1’s challenge was to ‘walk up and down stairs five times consecutively.’ The response last night was amazing as gleeful Tweeters told me that they had ‘done it’ – ‘were exhausted’ – ‘didn’t realise they were so unfit’ and so on.

So each night at 8 pm I will be posting ‘today’s fitness challenge’. It won’t take long to complete and yes, it’s a bit of fun. And that’s the key. Quick and fun! Is it valuable as an aid to fitness? You bet it is! It will mean that each day you will be using some muscles that you may not have done otherwise. You may be raising your heart rate – even for 2 – 3 minutes – more than perhaps the rest of the day. Each little challenge is a building block towards becoming fitter and over a period of a month you will be fitter and your muscles will be stronger.,

Over the next few days I may ask you to use a ‘prop’ which you should be able to find around the house. These will include a broom handle, a couple of small water bottles to use as hand weights, a skipping rope and a couple of cans of baked beans. This will become your home gym! You will not need any of them for this evening, but maybe tomorrow?

These mini workouts are not instead of your fitness class, visit to the gym or run round the block. This daily challenge is extra. It’s fun and I think that with lots of you doing it simultaneously and then Tweeting me to tell me that you’ve done it will give everyone encouragement and inspiration. I hope you might join in too!

Have a lovely day.

Monday 1 June 2009

The key to success

I was sad to hear that Susan Boyle had been admitted to a private clinic in London as she is suffering from stress and exhaustion. And I’m not a bit surprised. How anybody could cope with the expectation, pressure and extraordinary events resulting from Britain’s Got Talent over the last week is beyond me but for someone who normally lives alone with just her cat for company, it is a miracle she actually made it on to the stage on Saturday. Whether she won or not is, in my view, pretty irrelevant. She has a magnificent voice and she will be signed up – hopefully by Simon Cowell - and she will be hugely successful. I just hope someone will be around her to look after her.

Success was once described to me as having three parts. Firstly, it is about having a goal. Next, it’s having someone to share it with and lastly, that what you do makes a difference. Susan Boyle had a goal and she is on her way to becoming an international super-star. What she does makes a big difference to a lot of people. Her singing brings us a feel good factor – whether it be making the hairs stand up on the back of our neck – or even making us cry in a positive way! So Susan scores two out of the three. Having someone to share it all with – the ups and the downs – is where it could go horribly wrong. I so, so hope that her agent will appoint someone who can get alongside, support and value Susan for who she is . She is a vulnerable human being and she needs someone to treasure her and make her feel good about herself, and who’s on her side.

We all need that and after this glorious weekend perhaps we should all ask ourselves the same three questions. And to help you make those first steps towards your success you need to be in a good place with yourself and that starts with self-image, self-confidence and self-belief. Getting fitter and losing a few pounds is a good first step and there’s nothing like a Monday to start a new diet resolution. If you need help, check out our website and you’ll find plenty of people to support you and share your success.