Yesterday was the day that thousands of young folk received their GCSE results. There were those that amazingly achieved 13 A* grades and those that struggled to achieve five passes – no matter what the grade. It is one of those days when there is published a measure of one’s intelligence for everyone to see. It’s great for the top performers, for their parents and their grandparents who all bask in the glory of their very bright offspring. And I wouldn’t want to dismiss the remarkable achievements of these young people who have obviously worked hard and done brilliantly. Well done to all of them.
But for the ones who have not had such exceptional results, yesterday was a tough day. Parents probably won’t say too much to them and the child may feel that they have let everybody down. And that’s a tragedy. Some children are more academically inclined than others and some children find taking exams really tough. My hope is that every parent will be proud of their child’s achievement – whatever their grades - because no child takes any exam hoping to fail or do badly. It is in our nature to want to do well and the people we want to impress most of all, and make feel proud of us, are our parents. I so hope that those students will move on from their disappointment and will realise that life isn’t only about passing exams.
I didn’t take my GCE’s, (as they were called then), because I left school a week before my 15th birthday so I have no idea how I would have done. But that didn’t matter to me, as it happened. By the time I was 24 I had found my niche in life and was running my own slimming business, so I have no regrets. Not going to University nor having any ‘O’ or ‘A’ levels did not hold me back. So for anyone who had a disastrous results day yesterday, don’t give up. Just find something you have a passion for, follow your dream and go for it.
Friday 28 August 2009
Thursday 27 August 2009
Get active this Bank Holiday!
The weather forecast is good and this is the last Bank Holiday in the UK this summer so let’s make the most of it. Going for a hike and taking a picnic is a great way to have a fun time out with all the family. The dog will love it and so will your body. We all need to increase our fitness levels and having some fun in the sun is good for us all.
Often in families the children vary quite dramatically in build and weight. Sometimes one child takes after one parent who tends to be a little on the heavy side while the other is slimmer and more like the shape of the other parent. But the similarity of shape is not only about what is eaten, which could be very similar, but by how many calories are spent in activity. The slimmer child is probably much more active and sporty, just like their slim parent. The other may sit around more and not enjoy sport with the consequence that what they eat just doesn’t get burned off. So, using the weekend as a great reason to organise some fun activity as a family is really beneficial for everyone.
Dust off your bikes; find the kite; sort out some walking shoes; play rounders in the park; go swimming; go to an activity park – anything that gets you all moving about. There is nothing quite like that feeling of physical exertion at the end of the day when everybody feels stimulated but tired. It is a great feeling and one that might just get you all on the road to being more active into the future. It would be so good for all of you if it does. Happy Bank Holiday!
Often in families the children vary quite dramatically in build and weight. Sometimes one child takes after one parent who tends to be a little on the heavy side while the other is slimmer and more like the shape of the other parent. But the similarity of shape is not only about what is eaten, which could be very similar, but by how many calories are spent in activity. The slimmer child is probably much more active and sporty, just like their slim parent. The other may sit around more and not enjoy sport with the consequence that what they eat just doesn’t get burned off. So, using the weekend as a great reason to organise some fun activity as a family is really beneficial for everyone.
Dust off your bikes; find the kite; sort out some walking shoes; play rounders in the park; go swimming; go to an activity park – anything that gets you all moving about. There is nothing quite like that feeling of physical exertion at the end of the day when everybody feels stimulated but tired. It is a great feeling and one that might just get you all on the road to being more active into the future. It would be so good for all of you if it does. Happy Bank Holiday!
Wednesday 26 August 2009
You only have to ask!
As many readers of my Blog will know, on Saturday we are hosting a Music in the Meadow event in aid of STEPS charity and the Matt Hampson Trust as well as our local village hall and Church. It is a pop concert not a classical one and over the last few years the event has raised a substantial amount of money because, through the generosity of the companies who sponsor the event by offering goods and services for free, no expenses are deducted from the monies received. It works brilliantly.
Last year we added in a Tombola. Not a typical one where you might win a jar of jam, and if you’re really lucky, a bottle of Liebfraumilch, this Tombola is filled with amazing prizes that have been donated by all kinds of very generous companies. Christopher Ward, the luxury watchmaker has given us 15 watches; Fenwicks have given us a pile of lovely gifts; M & S have given us a Champagne Hamper with pink champagne, flutes, an ice bucket and five quality wines. The Co-op have given us a food hamper, Sainsbury’s - gift vouchers, local hotels have given us vouchers for meals for two, local entertainment destinations have given us family tickets, we’ve been given dozens of china tea sets, children’s toys and much, much more. Add into the mix that one in five tickets wins (instead of the usual ratio of one in ten) and it is not surprising that the Tombola is successful. Last year it raised £1500 on the night.
So why are people so generous? It is simply because we ask them. Most companies have items that are old stock, almost out of date, or hold little value to them but they are great for us! Last year people were leaving the Tombola tent laden with goods and that inspired massive interest for others to have a go. People were queuing for 1½ hours! No-one was disappointed.
So, today I’m off to cadge some more goods from shops I support throughout the year and now it’s my turn to ask for a favour. I have not been turned down yet!
If you think you might like to come to the event on Saturday, check out www.musicinthemeadow.co.uk. Tickets cost £20 for adults, £5 for children. Bring your own food and drink and you can buy Pimms or wine on the night if you wish. It’s free car parking. You can pay on the gate which opens at 5 pm and we expect it to go on till late. And the weather is looking good too! It will be a great night.
Last year we added in a Tombola. Not a typical one where you might win a jar of jam, and if you’re really lucky, a bottle of Liebfraumilch, this Tombola is filled with amazing prizes that have been donated by all kinds of very generous companies. Christopher Ward, the luxury watchmaker has given us 15 watches; Fenwicks have given us a pile of lovely gifts; M & S have given us a Champagne Hamper with pink champagne, flutes, an ice bucket and five quality wines. The Co-op have given us a food hamper, Sainsbury’s - gift vouchers, local hotels have given us vouchers for meals for two, local entertainment destinations have given us family tickets, we’ve been given dozens of china tea sets, children’s toys and much, much more. Add into the mix that one in five tickets wins (instead of the usual ratio of one in ten) and it is not surprising that the Tombola is successful. Last year it raised £1500 on the night.
So why are people so generous? It is simply because we ask them. Most companies have items that are old stock, almost out of date, or hold little value to them but they are great for us! Last year people were leaving the Tombola tent laden with goods and that inspired massive interest for others to have a go. People were queuing for 1½ hours! No-one was disappointed.
So, today I’m off to cadge some more goods from shops I support throughout the year and now it’s my turn to ask for a favour. I have not been turned down yet!
If you think you might like to come to the event on Saturday, check out www.musicinthemeadow.co.uk. Tickets cost £20 for adults, £5 for children. Bring your own food and drink and you can buy Pimms or wine on the night if you wish. It’s free car parking. You can pay on the gate which opens at 5 pm and we expect it to go on till late. And the weather is looking good too! It will be a great night.
Tuesday 25 August 2009
Improve your fitness fast!
The great thing about trying to get fit is that your body responds so quickly once you start, in a matter of days you feel fitter and healthier. It is so encouraging.
We tend to think of fitness in rather broad terms – we have to be either a ‘fitness fanatic’ and imagine going to the gym every day or running five miles before breakfast – or we ‘don’t do exercise’ because we don’t like it and it’s too much like hard work. But there is a massive middle-ground which is probably the healthiest anyway. It is just being more active and doing some form of exercise occasionally throughout each week to help increase our fitness.
If you are a follower of Twitter (you can sign up by going to http://twitter.com/RosemaryConley) at approximately 8 pm BST each evening I suggest a ‘Fitness Challenge’. I may ask you to do 10 ab curls or walk up and down stairs five times but whatever it is, it will challenge a group of muscles in the body. You can break off from what you are doing for three minutes while you do the challenge – or even do it with your friends or relatives who are there with you. There is something quite motivational to imagine that lots of us are doing the challenge together. And you will be surprised how quickly you begin to feel the benefits of your muscles becoming a little stronger. I know I have.
Obviously we need to do some activity that will challenge our heart and lungs to improve our cardio fitness and that’s where we are sometimes put off because it can seem too energetic, but it needn’t be. Just going for a fairly brisk walk for 20 minutes will give your body enormous benefits including increasing the fitness of your heart and lungs but also burning fat! Do some activity that elevates your heart rate for 20 – 30 minutes at a time, three to five times a week and you will transform your body. (If you are very overweight, just walk slowly for 20 minutes for a real benefit.)
I teach two diet and fitness classes a week and those workouts exercise most of the muscles in my body to keep me in reasonable shape. We have a fun evening out at the same time and it sets me up for the week. I just add in a couple of 30 minute walks at the weekend with Waise (pronounced Visor) our dog, plus an occasional skating lesson and I feel I am reasonably fit. Over recent weeks I have been working sitting down a lot and I felt I had lost my fitness but after just two weeks of being a bit more active, my fitness levels have leapt back and I feel great again.
We don’t have to aspire to running a marathon or training for a triathlon. We just need to do something active regularly. Check out our classes and if there’s one near you, why not pop along. Join me with my daily fitness challenge on Twitter too. It could change your figure and your life! Go to http://www.rosemaryconley.com/ for details.
We tend to think of fitness in rather broad terms – we have to be either a ‘fitness fanatic’ and imagine going to the gym every day or running five miles before breakfast – or we ‘don’t do exercise’ because we don’t like it and it’s too much like hard work. But there is a massive middle-ground which is probably the healthiest anyway. It is just being more active and doing some form of exercise occasionally throughout each week to help increase our fitness.
If you are a follower of Twitter (you can sign up by going to http://twitter.com/RosemaryConley) at approximately 8 pm BST each evening I suggest a ‘Fitness Challenge’. I may ask you to do 10 ab curls or walk up and down stairs five times but whatever it is, it will challenge a group of muscles in the body. You can break off from what you are doing for three minutes while you do the challenge – or even do it with your friends or relatives who are there with you. There is something quite motivational to imagine that lots of us are doing the challenge together. And you will be surprised how quickly you begin to feel the benefits of your muscles becoming a little stronger. I know I have.
Obviously we need to do some activity that will challenge our heart and lungs to improve our cardio fitness and that’s where we are sometimes put off because it can seem too energetic, but it needn’t be. Just going for a fairly brisk walk for 20 minutes will give your body enormous benefits including increasing the fitness of your heart and lungs but also burning fat! Do some activity that elevates your heart rate for 20 – 30 minutes at a time, three to five times a week and you will transform your body. (If you are very overweight, just walk slowly for 20 minutes for a real benefit.)
I teach two diet and fitness classes a week and those workouts exercise most of the muscles in my body to keep me in reasonable shape. We have a fun evening out at the same time and it sets me up for the week. I just add in a couple of 30 minute walks at the weekend with Waise (pronounced Visor) our dog, plus an occasional skating lesson and I feel I am reasonably fit. Over recent weeks I have been working sitting down a lot and I felt I had lost my fitness but after just two weeks of being a bit more active, my fitness levels have leapt back and I feel great again.
We don’t have to aspire to running a marathon or training for a triathlon. We just need to do something active regularly. Check out our classes and if there’s one near you, why not pop along. Join me with my daily fitness challenge on Twitter too. It could change your figure and your life! Go to http://www.rosemaryconley.com/ for details.
Monday 24 August 2009
The gentlemen of sport
I have a passing interest in sport, from that I mean that if it’s on, I might watch it but I’m not likely to look for the start time in the TV programme planner. But whether you are a sports fan or not, you could not have missed the drama and the English triumph of the Ashes Test.
Over the last few weeks the fortunes of England had reached all the heights and depths that make sport what it is – unpredictable. As England went into the last Test, the press were reporting their likely downfall as their performance in the previous one had been dismally disappointing. So what changed? Suddenly, our boys went into the last Test with hope and determination - and Andrew Flintoff. Barely fit and waiting for an operation for his knee, I believe Flintoff was brought back to give the up-and-coming young cricketers who now form the England team that confidence and experience that is what we all need in challenging situations. Someone we respect, believe in, trust and aspire to, to be there and inspire us.
We’ve seen it in football when David Beckham was in the England team, in Rugby when Johnny Wilkinson was playing. Whether they are getting older, or are suffering from relentless injury, whenever they played the confidence of the team seemed to be lifted to a higher level.
Yesterday, it was Andrew Flintoff’s turn. It was to be his last Test game and whilst he only scored 29 runs and took one wicket, from the field he threw a ball which knocked down the stumps and the vital wicket of Ricky Ponting was taken. It was a turning point for the game and it gave Andrew Flintoff a reason to remember something special from his last Test game. Well done Andrew! You have brought something special to the game of cricket and we wish you well as you go into hospital for your knee operation today, and ‘Well Done’ to England for regaining the Ashes. You did brilliantly.
But perhaps the most touching moment was after the game was over when Australia’s Captain, Ricky Ponting, had the grace and courage to come away from his devastated Australian team, to personally congratulate Andrew Strauss, the England Captain and the rest of the England team. It was a gracious gesture which said a lot about him as a man.
Over the last few weeks the fortunes of England had reached all the heights and depths that make sport what it is – unpredictable. As England went into the last Test, the press were reporting their likely downfall as their performance in the previous one had been dismally disappointing. So what changed? Suddenly, our boys went into the last Test with hope and determination - and Andrew Flintoff. Barely fit and waiting for an operation for his knee, I believe Flintoff was brought back to give the up-and-coming young cricketers who now form the England team that confidence and experience that is what we all need in challenging situations. Someone we respect, believe in, trust and aspire to, to be there and inspire us.
We’ve seen it in football when David Beckham was in the England team, in Rugby when Johnny Wilkinson was playing. Whether they are getting older, or are suffering from relentless injury, whenever they played the confidence of the team seemed to be lifted to a higher level.
Yesterday, it was Andrew Flintoff’s turn. It was to be his last Test game and whilst he only scored 29 runs and took one wicket, from the field he threw a ball which knocked down the stumps and the vital wicket of Ricky Ponting was taken. It was a turning point for the game and it gave Andrew Flintoff a reason to remember something special from his last Test game. Well done Andrew! You have brought something special to the game of cricket and we wish you well as you go into hospital for your knee operation today, and ‘Well Done’ to England for regaining the Ashes. You did brilliantly.
But perhaps the most touching moment was after the game was over when Australia’s Captain, Ricky Ponting, had the grace and courage to come away from his devastated Australian team, to personally congratulate Andrew Strauss, the England Captain and the rest of the England team. It was a gracious gesture which said a lot about him as a man.
Friday 21 August 2009
MUSIC IN THE MEADOW 2009
Their generosity know no bounds!
In a week’s time we will be hosting Music in the Meadow 2009. This is a highly professional gig which is more a mini Glastonbury than Glyndebourne, and we are hoping that everyone who attends will have a fantastic time but the icing on the cake is that every cost for staging the event has been met by the wonderful local companies who are providing all the equipment. Staging, lighting, facilities, marquees, printing, insurance have all been given to us, plus the bands are playing for no charge. Isn’t that brilliant!
In this economic climate I think it is extraordinary and inspiring that firms can be so generous and I hope that everyone will leave the event feeling that they have had a fun and entertaining evening, happy in the knowledge that every £ paid for an entry ticket, raffle ticket, Jug of Pimms or for a go on the Tombola will be given to the charities – STEPS Conductive Education Centre for children with cerebral palsy and Down syndrome,(70%), The Matt Hampson Trust (20%) and Ashby Folville Village charities (10%). Last year the event raised over £26,000.
So, on behalf of the charities, we would like to thank the following companies for their support. Without their help this event would not have been possible.
If you would like to join us on the evening, or buy a ticket for the Mega Raffle, check out the website www.musicinthemeadow.co.uk or call us on 01509 622022.
In a week’s time we will be hosting Music in the Meadow 2009. This is a highly professional gig which is more a mini Glastonbury than Glyndebourne, and we are hoping that everyone who attends will have a fantastic time but the icing on the cake is that every cost for staging the event has been met by the wonderful local companies who are providing all the equipment. Staging, lighting, facilities, marquees, printing, insurance have all been given to us, plus the bands are playing for no charge. Isn’t that brilliant!
In this economic climate I think it is extraordinary and inspiring that firms can be so generous and I hope that everyone will leave the event feeling that they have had a fun and entertaining evening, happy in the knowledge that every £ paid for an entry ticket, raffle ticket, Jug of Pimms or for a go on the Tombola will be given to the charities – STEPS Conductive Education Centre for children with cerebral palsy and Down syndrome,(70%), The Matt Hampson Trust (20%) and Ashby Folville Village charities (10%). Last year the event raised over £26,000.
So, on behalf of the charities, we would like to thank the following companies for their support. Without their help this event would not have been possible.
If you would like to join us on the evening, or buy a ticket for the Mega Raffle, check out the website www.musicinthemeadow.co.uk or call us on 01509 622022.
Thursday 20 August 2009
If you think you can do it, you can!
Today I will be spending time with our latest franchisees who are reaching the end of their training, ready to open their classes in September. They will have been undergoing training over the last four months to qualify as Exercise to Music instructors, nutrition consultants and business women. They have all purchased a franchise, passed their exams and now it’s time to flee the nest and run their own classes for their own members. They will be understandably nervous.
To have reached this point I have no doubt that there have been tears, heartache and sleepless nights – but they will also have grown as individuals, pushed the boundaries, stretched themselves beyond where they felt they could ever reach. And that’s great! Their confidence will have scaled new heights and their nervousness at running their own business will be matched only by the excitement of achieving something for themselves, by themselves.
My day with the girls today will involve them having a make-over with a professional makeup artist and being professionally photographed on their own and with me for their publicity photographs. (It’s a strange thing but lots of our members don’t believe that I personally know all our franchisees. Be assured, they wouldn’t have been offered a franchise if I didn’t!) Every one of these ladies has been selected because they are special. They will have come from a variety of backgrounds – some professional, some not – but that doesn’t matter. What is important is they genuinely care about people, are passionate about making their members’ lives better, are interested in the subject of diet and fitness and love exercising to music and can move with the beat!
In three months' time they will all come back for their Continuing Professional Development Training Part 1 so that they can share their experiences of the first three months of their business. They will learn and grow as a result of discussing the ups and downs of these all important first 12 weeks of their business. They will encourage each other and commiserate where necessary. Nobody said running your own business was easy but if you have the right attitude, are prepared to work hard and make that extra effort, you will succeed. And that is what I will be talking about with them after we have completed the photographs. Their ongoing training will not stop throughout their time with our Company and their lives hopefully will be richer for it. I’m not just talking about monetary reward, I’m talking about personal fulfilment – and that’s priceless.
The training that we give to our franchisees is awesome. I challenge any company in our industry to come close to the standard that we offer. Why do we try so hard? Because we want to do the very best we can to ensure that every single one of our franchisees is a success and that every member who attends one of our classes feels that they are receiving an excellent and personal service.
All of the girls have received the same training and some will be more successful than others. It won’t be anything to do with the area in which they live or the part of the country they come from. It will be down to whether they follow the guidance and advice we will have given them and how much effort and interest they devote to their members and their business. Their business is a career not a hobby. Today I will be trying to encourage them to believe that they can be a fantastic success. I truly hope they will be.
If you would like to know more about how to be considered as a franchisee for our company, please check out our website www.rosemaryconley.com or call Dawn O’Dowd on 01509 622000 for a free Prospectus and DVD without any obligation whatsoever.
To have reached this point I have no doubt that there have been tears, heartache and sleepless nights – but they will also have grown as individuals, pushed the boundaries, stretched themselves beyond where they felt they could ever reach. And that’s great! Their confidence will have scaled new heights and their nervousness at running their own business will be matched only by the excitement of achieving something for themselves, by themselves.
My day with the girls today will involve them having a make-over with a professional makeup artist and being professionally photographed on their own and with me for their publicity photographs. (It’s a strange thing but lots of our members don’t believe that I personally know all our franchisees. Be assured, they wouldn’t have been offered a franchise if I didn’t!) Every one of these ladies has been selected because they are special. They will have come from a variety of backgrounds – some professional, some not – but that doesn’t matter. What is important is they genuinely care about people, are passionate about making their members’ lives better, are interested in the subject of diet and fitness and love exercising to music and can move with the beat!
In three months' time they will all come back for their Continuing Professional Development Training Part 1 so that they can share their experiences of the first three months of their business. They will learn and grow as a result of discussing the ups and downs of these all important first 12 weeks of their business. They will encourage each other and commiserate where necessary. Nobody said running your own business was easy but if you have the right attitude, are prepared to work hard and make that extra effort, you will succeed. And that is what I will be talking about with them after we have completed the photographs. Their ongoing training will not stop throughout their time with our Company and their lives hopefully will be richer for it. I’m not just talking about monetary reward, I’m talking about personal fulfilment – and that’s priceless.
The training that we give to our franchisees is awesome. I challenge any company in our industry to come close to the standard that we offer. Why do we try so hard? Because we want to do the very best we can to ensure that every single one of our franchisees is a success and that every member who attends one of our classes feels that they are receiving an excellent and personal service.
All of the girls have received the same training and some will be more successful than others. It won’t be anything to do with the area in which they live or the part of the country they come from. It will be down to whether they follow the guidance and advice we will have given them and how much effort and interest they devote to their members and their business. Their business is a career not a hobby. Today I will be trying to encourage them to believe that they can be a fantastic success. I truly hope they will be.
If you would like to know more about how to be considered as a franchisee for our company, please check out our website www.rosemaryconley.com or call Dawn O’Dowd on 01509 622000 for a free Prospectus and DVD without any obligation whatsoever.
Wednesday 19 August 2009
Temptation! Just don’t allow it near you!
Yesterday I was sitting at my desk alongside my PA, two of my fellow Directors and their PA when some sample snack pots arrived. These were little containers with a variety of delicious snacks from nuts, dried fruit, baked wheat, mustard-coated nuts – you name it they were there. Initially I resisted seeing them as nothing more than food I didn’t need that, once I’d eaten one, I would want more!
As my colleagues munched away contentedly, making various comments on the good or bad qualities of each individual product, I ended up not being able to resist joining in the tasting party. I didn’t eat a lot but I ate more than if they hadn’t been there!
I then got a bit cross. These products were being marketed as being ‘healthy’ but I suggest that the fat and calorie value of them probably amounted to those contained in a Mars bar by the time you had eaten the whole pot – or two!
I wouldn’t mind having a £1 for every time a dieter has said to me ‘but nuts are healthy aren’t they?’ and ‘dried fruit is good for you, isn’t it!’. The answer is yes to both questions but they are HIGH IN CALORIES! The fact remains that if you eat something – whatever it is – extra, it is putting more calories in to your body which will prevent you from losing weight if that is what you are trying to achieve. Food producers want you to buy their products and we have to be aware that if we are to buy it, it must have a place within our healthy eating campaign.
So, remove temptation. Realise that if you have something around you that you basically like, you will probably eat it. Don’t put yourself to the test as you will almost certainly fail. I know I would.
Make sensible choices and you will be a winner in the long run. It really is worth the effort and resisting the temptation to buy them in the first place.
As my colleagues munched away contentedly, making various comments on the good or bad qualities of each individual product, I ended up not being able to resist joining in the tasting party. I didn’t eat a lot but I ate more than if they hadn’t been there!
I then got a bit cross. These products were being marketed as being ‘healthy’ but I suggest that the fat and calorie value of them probably amounted to those contained in a Mars bar by the time you had eaten the whole pot – or two!
I wouldn’t mind having a £1 for every time a dieter has said to me ‘but nuts are healthy aren’t they?’ and ‘dried fruit is good for you, isn’t it!’. The answer is yes to both questions but they are HIGH IN CALORIES! The fact remains that if you eat something – whatever it is – extra, it is putting more calories in to your body which will prevent you from losing weight if that is what you are trying to achieve. Food producers want you to buy their products and we have to be aware that if we are to buy it, it must have a place within our healthy eating campaign.
So, remove temptation. Realise that if you have something around you that you basically like, you will probably eat it. Don’t put yourself to the test as you will almost certainly fail. I know I would.
Make sensible choices and you will be a winner in the long run. It really is worth the effort and resisting the temptation to buy them in the first place.
Tuesday 18 August 2009
I used to be a binge eater!
Yesterday I was chatting to Professor Raj Persaud for a project we are working on at the moment. Raj writes for my magazine and is an eminent psychologist and psychiatrist who I first met on ITV’s This Morning with Richard and Judy. I am fascinated by the whole subject of psychology, particularly relating to the subject of weight loss.
Among many other topics that we were discussing, ‘binge eating’ was an obvious subject to be covered, and one that I was particularly interested in as I used to be a serious sufferer of the condition.
I first became overweight in my teens, having been a skinny child due to being a chronic asthmatic on the one hand but always pretty active too. As I left school just before my 15th birthday to go to secretarial college, I became fairly sedentary and my weight started to creep on. When I took at job at an American company where they gave you a half pint cup of all milk coffee and a Penguin bar each morning, it didn’t take long for the pounds to pile on. I slimmed down to eight stone for my wedding at 21 and then took a Cordon Bleu cookery course which taught me how to cook gorgeous food which I couldn’t stop eating. Then my weight problem really started. I started binge eating and the more I worried about my weight, and the lower my self-esteem became, the more I binged. It was as though my mind was fixated on becoming slim but my mouth was determined to eat as much ice cream; toast spread with lashings of butter and heaps of marmalade; bowl after bowl of cereal; any left-overs – even off other people’s plates and chocolate.
I would eat until I felt sick and then promise that the next day I would skip breakfast to compensate. Then, as I continued to binge, I would vow to skip lunch and then, later, dinner and have a fasting day! I felt so utterly miserable and totally stressed by what I was doing. I would get on the scales the next day and my heart would sink. I’d have gained lbs. As I skipped breakfast and lunch I still felt miserable, and by five o’clock I was starving and by six, I was in binge mode again. It was a relentless cycle of self-destruction and one that I battled with for years. By age 23 I was 10st 4lbs and at 5’ 2” tall I looked very overweight.
I managed to reduce my weight to an acceptable eight-and-a-half stone through enormous effort and at age 25 I had decided to help others who struggled with their weight and start my own slimming group with six of my neighbours. This was the start of a business that would change my life. But I still binged, right up until I had to go on a low fat diet for my gallstones in 1986. Going on a low fat diet transformed my eating habits and I haven’t binged for over 20 years!
I learned that by eating three, regular, meals a day I could eat a sufficient quantity to satisfy my appetite but, because the food was low in fat and therefore lower in calories, I could keep my weight at a lower level. I even dropped six pounds in the first three weeks and have pretty well maintained my weight at around eight stone ever since.
But there was something else I learned to do and that, I believe, is the reason for that success. If I did have a binge, I made myself eat my normal scheduled meal anyway – even though I was no longer hungry. By not starving myself to compensate, I stopped the binge-starve cycle and I have never looked back. And that was exactly the advice given by Professor Raj Persaud yesterday. So, if you are a binge eater, you are not going mad, you’re just trying too hard to compensate. So, eat more meals and, hopefully, you’ll stop your binging.
For more help with weight loss, have a look at my website at our Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs and Rosemary Conley Online services. Have a good day and eat your meals!
Among many other topics that we were discussing, ‘binge eating’ was an obvious subject to be covered, and one that I was particularly interested in as I used to be a serious sufferer of the condition.
I first became overweight in my teens, having been a skinny child due to being a chronic asthmatic on the one hand but always pretty active too. As I left school just before my 15th birthday to go to secretarial college, I became fairly sedentary and my weight started to creep on. When I took at job at an American company where they gave you a half pint cup of all milk coffee and a Penguin bar each morning, it didn’t take long for the pounds to pile on. I slimmed down to eight stone for my wedding at 21 and then took a Cordon Bleu cookery course which taught me how to cook gorgeous food which I couldn’t stop eating. Then my weight problem really started. I started binge eating and the more I worried about my weight, and the lower my self-esteem became, the more I binged. It was as though my mind was fixated on becoming slim but my mouth was determined to eat as much ice cream; toast spread with lashings of butter and heaps of marmalade; bowl after bowl of cereal; any left-overs – even off other people’s plates and chocolate.
I would eat until I felt sick and then promise that the next day I would skip breakfast to compensate. Then, as I continued to binge, I would vow to skip lunch and then, later, dinner and have a fasting day! I felt so utterly miserable and totally stressed by what I was doing. I would get on the scales the next day and my heart would sink. I’d have gained lbs. As I skipped breakfast and lunch I still felt miserable, and by five o’clock I was starving and by six, I was in binge mode again. It was a relentless cycle of self-destruction and one that I battled with for years. By age 23 I was 10st 4lbs and at 5’ 2” tall I looked very overweight.
I managed to reduce my weight to an acceptable eight-and-a-half stone through enormous effort and at age 25 I had decided to help others who struggled with their weight and start my own slimming group with six of my neighbours. This was the start of a business that would change my life. But I still binged, right up until I had to go on a low fat diet for my gallstones in 1986. Going on a low fat diet transformed my eating habits and I haven’t binged for over 20 years!
I learned that by eating three, regular, meals a day I could eat a sufficient quantity to satisfy my appetite but, because the food was low in fat and therefore lower in calories, I could keep my weight at a lower level. I even dropped six pounds in the first three weeks and have pretty well maintained my weight at around eight stone ever since.
But there was something else I learned to do and that, I believe, is the reason for that success. If I did have a binge, I made myself eat my normal scheduled meal anyway – even though I was no longer hungry. By not starving myself to compensate, I stopped the binge-starve cycle and I have never looked back. And that was exactly the advice given by Professor Raj Persaud yesterday. So, if you are a binge eater, you are not going mad, you’re just trying too hard to compensate. So, eat more meals and, hopefully, you’ll stop your binging.
For more help with weight loss, have a look at my website at our Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs and Rosemary Conley Online services. Have a good day and eat your meals!
Monday 17 August 2009
Let’s save our own life!
It is reported that if we eat healthily, are at a healthy weight, take regular exercise and we don’t smoke we can reduce our chances of developing a serious, life-threatening illness by a massive 80%!
Our problem is that we imagine we won’t have the stroke, the heart-attack, the bowel cancer or go blind – it will happen to someone else. But they don’t. The statistics are frightening when you learn how many people are affected and how lives are devastated. But the great news is that even losing SOME weight and taking SOME exercise can dramatically improve your health.
Last week we heard from one of the Trialists who had been testing out my new diet which will be the basis of my new book to be published in the new year. Bill is in his 60’s and is a big man. Bill lost over 1 ½ stone during the trial period and last week told us that he had serious case of cellulitis caused by a insect bite that become badly infected. Bill was told that had he not lost the weight, been eating healthily and taking regular exercise recently, his condition would have left the doctors no alternative but to amputate his leg. Bill is now well on the road to recovery, thankfully.
It’s never a ‘good week’ to start our diet and it’s never a ‘good’ time to get ill either. So, even if we only increase our activity by going for a 15 minute walk every day, or going to an exercise class or playing a sport, it can have a dramatic effect on our health. Then, couple that with eating less high fat food, stopping snacking on crisps and chocolate between meals, and cutting back on our alcohol by 50%, we really could save our life!
Check out our website if you want help, (www.rosemaryconley.com) – we have diet and fitness classes throughout the UK and an online slimming club for those who can’t make it to class – or just make a few simple changes to your lifestyle. You will be so glad when you’ve done it.
Our problem is that we imagine we won’t have the stroke, the heart-attack, the bowel cancer or go blind – it will happen to someone else. But they don’t. The statistics are frightening when you learn how many people are affected and how lives are devastated. But the great news is that even losing SOME weight and taking SOME exercise can dramatically improve your health.
Last week we heard from one of the Trialists who had been testing out my new diet which will be the basis of my new book to be published in the new year. Bill is in his 60’s and is a big man. Bill lost over 1 ½ stone during the trial period and last week told us that he had serious case of cellulitis caused by a insect bite that become badly infected. Bill was told that had he not lost the weight, been eating healthily and taking regular exercise recently, his condition would have left the doctors no alternative but to amputate his leg. Bill is now well on the road to recovery, thankfully.
It’s never a ‘good week’ to start our diet and it’s never a ‘good’ time to get ill either. So, even if we only increase our activity by going for a 15 minute walk every day, or going to an exercise class or playing a sport, it can have a dramatic effect on our health. Then, couple that with eating less high fat food, stopping snacking on crisps and chocolate between meals, and cutting back on our alcohol by 50%, we really could save our life!
Check out our website if you want help, (www.rosemaryconley.com) – we have diet and fitness classes throughout the UK and an online slimming club for those who can’t make it to class – or just make a few simple changes to your lifestyle. You will be so glad when you’ve done it.
Friday 14 August 2009
I’m exhausted!
It’s been a strange week. One filled with frustration at bureaucracy with the Highways Department as I’ve tried to get permission to erect posters to promote Music in the Meadow charity event; excitement as we photographed four wonderful successful slimmers for my magazine; the limitless generosity of our printer Geoff Lagor of Alpha Print who printed us an extra 350 posters for Music in the Meadow for free as the Highways Dept. were being so difficult, and Geoff Adams of Wordcraft who has printed us 10 roadside placards that are as big as a door (the Highways chaps will LOVE them! Not!) – also for free. Mike is all ready to erect them around our local villages on Saturday.
Check out the website www.musicinthemeadow.co.uk for details of the event being held on 29th August, 2009.
The tally so far for sales of Mega Raffle tickets, Gazebo Plot bookings and tickets for the Music in the Meadow event have already totalled £4k and everyone is getting excited. In two weeks’ time Ashby Folville will be turning into a mini Glastonbury and we will be ready for action. But in the meantime, I’m exhausted. It’s because organising events like this – with a wonderful team of helpers – takes time and it has to be fitted in between doing the day job and life carrying on as it does with all its twists and turns, ups and downs.
Last evening it was STEPS Trustees’ Meeting- STEPS is a conductive education centre for children with cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. STEPS will receive 70% of the proceeds of M.I.M. and as such, it is a very significant event for the charity. This week we have welcomed our wonderful new General Manager to STEPS. This is what we have been working towards for the last three years. Someone, full time, to be ‘head mistress’ to run the school and take it forward to new heights. Up to now we have run the STEPS Centre with the teaching staff, volunteers and Trustees with the lion’s share being done by the charity’s founder and President, Dr Heather Crate. When Heather’s grandson, Shaun, was born with severe Cerebral Palsy 19 years ago, I am sure Heather would never have guessed what challenges lay ahead and that so much would be achieved as a result of her outstanding dedication and determination. Last night was a proud evening.
So, today, at the end of this peculiar week, life will continue to be hectic and I will look forward to the weekend and being able to do some exercise to re-energise myself. I have sat down too much this week and my stress levels have suffered because of my inactivity. As soon as I start getting more active, my body and my brain will benefit hugely. Where’s Waise (our dog)? Let’s go for a walk!
Thursday 13 August 2009
Being more than you thought you could be
Yesterday was a very enjoyable day. It was the photoshoot for the slimmers who will be appearing in our Christmas edition of my magazine, Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness. These days are always special but yesterday was particularly so.
Just after Christmas, my final fitness DVD will be released. It is my 30th and I have no regrets that it is my last one. They involve a huge amount of time and energy but each one has been special. Yesterday we photographed three of the girls who feature in this last DVD - a mum, Sue, and her twin daughters, Cassie and Caroline. I class them as friends because we spent a great deal of time together earlier in the year when we rehearsed and perfected our routines before going into the studio to record the DVD. Every one of the seven of us worked our socks off, as well as our fitness consultant, Mary Morris, and the crew . There was a camaraderie that developed between us all as we gave the DVD our best shot and the result is an extremely effective DVD which tens of thousands (hopefully) of folk will work-out to for many weeks and months from next January. If they do, they will become healthier and fitter as a result. It works and the three girls who came for the photoshoot today are testament to that fact. They have lost five stone between them and have maintained their weight loss for over a year and today they looked stunning in their fabulous clothes and professionally created make-up.
Another member of my DVD team also called in yesterday - 19 year old Allyson Wicklen. Allyson is stunningly pretty and 5’ 11” tall and she used to be a size 22. Now she’s a size 12 having lost 4 stone. Today I introduced Allyson to Pat Keeling, the proprietor of the Pat Keeling Model Agency in Leicester. I have known Pat for almost 30 years and, having worked with her recently on a charity event. Pat came along to Quorn House for the shoot just out of interest and to meet the girls. I introduced Allyson to her. Allyson is model material and I hope that one day she will carve herself a career that will capitalise on her natural assets.
Another successful slimmer who was invited to the shoot today was Cheryl from Wales who had lost 4 ½ stone with our Online Club, (www.rosemaryconleyonline.com). Cheryl is a mature student who is studying Egyptology for a Masters degree and, as there is no Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club in her locality, opted for our online service instead. Cheryl looked fabulous. With an enviable figure and now wearing size 8, it was an easy task to dress her to look stunning.
As I looked at the five folk who had visited us that day, I felt a real sense of pride. Not that I had created a diet or fitness regime but that, somehow, through the wonderful team with whom I work, we had provided the facility to enable these lovely people to make a choice to change their lives for the better and live it to the full. That, is brilliant. And it is that, that makes me want to get up in the morning. And long may it continue!
Just after Christmas, my final fitness DVD will be released. It is my 30th and I have no regrets that it is my last one. They involve a huge amount of time and energy but each one has been special. Yesterday we photographed three of the girls who feature in this last DVD - a mum, Sue, and her twin daughters, Cassie and Caroline. I class them as friends because we spent a great deal of time together earlier in the year when we rehearsed and perfected our routines before going into the studio to record the DVD. Every one of the seven of us worked our socks off, as well as our fitness consultant, Mary Morris, and the crew . There was a camaraderie that developed between us all as we gave the DVD our best shot and the result is an extremely effective DVD which tens of thousands (hopefully) of folk will work-out to for many weeks and months from next January. If they do, they will become healthier and fitter as a result. It works and the three girls who came for the photoshoot today are testament to that fact. They have lost five stone between them and have maintained their weight loss for over a year and today they looked stunning in their fabulous clothes and professionally created make-up.
Another member of my DVD team also called in yesterday - 19 year old Allyson Wicklen. Allyson is stunningly pretty and 5’ 11” tall and she used to be a size 22. Now she’s a size 12 having lost 4 stone. Today I introduced Allyson to Pat Keeling, the proprietor of the Pat Keeling Model Agency in Leicester. I have known Pat for almost 30 years and, having worked with her recently on a charity event. Pat came along to Quorn House for the shoot just out of interest and to meet the girls. I introduced Allyson to her. Allyson is model material and I hope that one day she will carve herself a career that will capitalise on her natural assets.
Another successful slimmer who was invited to the shoot today was Cheryl from Wales who had lost 4 ½ stone with our Online Club, (www.rosemaryconleyonline.com). Cheryl is a mature student who is studying Egyptology for a Masters degree and, as there is no Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club in her locality, opted for our online service instead. Cheryl looked fabulous. With an enviable figure and now wearing size 8, it was an easy task to dress her to look stunning.
As I looked at the five folk who had visited us that day, I felt a real sense of pride. Not that I had created a diet or fitness regime but that, somehow, through the wonderful team with whom I work, we had provided the facility to enable these lovely people to make a choice to change their lives for the better and live it to the full. That, is brilliant. And it is that, that makes me want to get up in the morning. And long may it continue!
Wednesday 12 August 2009
I can’t believe it!
It is very rare that I get really cross. Yesterday I did get really cross!
Mike and I are organising a charity event two-weeks-on-Saturday, (29th) to raise funds for children with cerebral palsy (STEPS), a rugby player who had his neck broken (Matt Hampson) and our local village hall and church. In the last two years that we have hosted this event in our field and over £50,000 has been raised for these charities. The event is called Music in the Meadow and all the costs are covered by ourselves and our very generous sponsors. Every penny and pound raised goes to the charities. It is a brilliant event and the folk who attend love it – and so do we. It truly is a fun evening out for everyone.
Obviously the event needs to be publicised. We have a website www.musicinthemeadow.co.uk , we produce leaflets and posters and some large roadside posters to publicise the event. Ah! That’s the problem - roadside posters.
Now, we’re not stupid. We’re not going to place the posters in dangerous places to obscure vision of traffic or in fact anywhere that would cause a public nuisance. The day after the event all posters are taken down as we are responsible organisers. This event is not for commercial or personal gain. IT IS ALL FOR CHARITY!
Having obtained all the necessary licenses to run the event, get insurance, and so on, we thought we would inform the local county council of our desire to publicise the event and our wish to place some large roadside posters, just for two weeks, in safe but strategic positions. Last year we hadn’t realised that we had to do that and our beautiful, expensive-but-kindly-donated posters were whipped away, destroyed and discarded two days after they had been put up! After a pleasant and peaceful discussion it was agreed that they would allow us to replace some of them (kindly re-produced by our very generous printer) and there they stayed until the day of the event and then dismounted.
So, yesterday I popped in to the appropriate office to discuss our proposal. Unfortunately, my meeting was with someone who had a degree in Highways Management but who had presumably failed his ‘O’ level in Common Sense and Community Relations! I was informed that whilst we could place some signage in our immediate village location, beyond the Parish of Ashby Folville was not permitted. It was considered to be ‘advertising’. Our village has 80 inhabitants. It isn’t even included on the signpost on the main road a mile away! We have a pub, a cricket field and a church and that’s it! We have virtually no passing traffic.
I have a variety of character traits, (good and bad!), and one of them is persistence. I pleaded for a sign to be placed at the side of a roundabout in a particularly strategic position, where all traffic slowed down and it would not cause a hazard. I was told it could be a distraction to motorists so could be classed as dangerous. I persisted ‘but what about the signage on the roundabout itself, displaying the sponsorship of the roundabout, which the council had sold for financial reward?’ My man didn’t approve of that either! It wasn’t his decision. I was told I could put in an application in writing to the manager detailing my wish-list for consideration, but he was currently on holiday and didn’t return until five days before the event. My man was not for turning and I was getting nowhere!
I left having shaken hands with my Graduate in Highways Management and sat in my car in disbelief. I am so not used to dealing with people who just cannot make common sense judgements. I drove back to our office and looked at all of our employees with a sense of pride, believing that any one of them would be able to make a sensible, responsible decision if called to do so, that would be appropriate.
By this time the big posters were coming off the production line at the printers and I had visions of them only making a wonderful display in our village. For my own sanity I had to call the Highways Dept. again. Thankfully, another, more helpful guy at the council spoke to me and agreed that the posters could be displayed in the two neighbouring villages as well as our own and that another manager would be returning from holiday next Monday – a week earlier than the other guy. Progress! So, it’s fingers crossed for a positive response and let’s hope we get more than a handful of folks coming to our event!
Mike and I are organising a charity event two-weeks-on-Saturday, (29th) to raise funds for children with cerebral palsy (STEPS), a rugby player who had his neck broken (Matt Hampson) and our local village hall and church. In the last two years that we have hosted this event in our field and over £50,000 has been raised for these charities. The event is called Music in the Meadow and all the costs are covered by ourselves and our very generous sponsors. Every penny and pound raised goes to the charities. It is a brilliant event and the folk who attend love it – and so do we. It truly is a fun evening out for everyone.
Obviously the event needs to be publicised. We have a website www.musicinthemeadow.co.uk , we produce leaflets and posters and some large roadside posters to publicise the event. Ah! That’s the problem - roadside posters.
Now, we’re not stupid. We’re not going to place the posters in dangerous places to obscure vision of traffic or in fact anywhere that would cause a public nuisance. The day after the event all posters are taken down as we are responsible organisers. This event is not for commercial or personal gain. IT IS ALL FOR CHARITY!
Having obtained all the necessary licenses to run the event, get insurance, and so on, we thought we would inform the local county council of our desire to publicise the event and our wish to place some large roadside posters, just for two weeks, in safe but strategic positions. Last year we hadn’t realised that we had to do that and our beautiful, expensive-but-kindly-donated posters were whipped away, destroyed and discarded two days after they had been put up! After a pleasant and peaceful discussion it was agreed that they would allow us to replace some of them (kindly re-produced by our very generous printer) and there they stayed until the day of the event and then dismounted.
So, yesterday I popped in to the appropriate office to discuss our proposal. Unfortunately, my meeting was with someone who had a degree in Highways Management but who had presumably failed his ‘O’ level in Common Sense and Community Relations! I was informed that whilst we could place some signage in our immediate village location, beyond the Parish of Ashby Folville was not permitted. It was considered to be ‘advertising’. Our village has 80 inhabitants. It isn’t even included on the signpost on the main road a mile away! We have a pub, a cricket field and a church and that’s it! We have virtually no passing traffic.
I have a variety of character traits, (good and bad!), and one of them is persistence. I pleaded for a sign to be placed at the side of a roundabout in a particularly strategic position, where all traffic slowed down and it would not cause a hazard. I was told it could be a distraction to motorists so could be classed as dangerous. I persisted ‘but what about the signage on the roundabout itself, displaying the sponsorship of the roundabout, which the council had sold for financial reward?’ My man didn’t approve of that either! It wasn’t his decision. I was told I could put in an application in writing to the manager detailing my wish-list for consideration, but he was currently on holiday and didn’t return until five days before the event. My man was not for turning and I was getting nowhere!
I left having shaken hands with my Graduate in Highways Management and sat in my car in disbelief. I am so not used to dealing with people who just cannot make common sense judgements. I drove back to our office and looked at all of our employees with a sense of pride, believing that any one of them would be able to make a sensible, responsible decision if called to do so, that would be appropriate.
By this time the big posters were coming off the production line at the printers and I had visions of them only making a wonderful display in our village. For my own sanity I had to call the Highways Dept. again. Thankfully, another, more helpful guy at the council spoke to me and agreed that the posters could be displayed in the two neighbouring villages as well as our own and that another manager would be returning from holiday next Monday – a week earlier than the other guy. Progress! So, it’s fingers crossed for a positive response and let’s hope we get more than a handful of folks coming to our event!
Tuesday 11 August 2009
We don’t know we’re born!
On Sunday evening Mike and I watched the moving documentary about Harry Patch (available to view now on BBC iplayer), the last survivor of the first World War, who died recently aged 111 years. If you missed the programme, check out BBC’s website to read his obituary.
Those of us who were born after World War II have no comprehension of what it must have been like to have lived through one war, let alone two! The first World War must have been unimaginably tough and for Harry Patch to have survived both to reach such an amazing age is extraordinary and inspiring.
As we watched the programme I felt immensely grateful – and a little guilty - for the fact that we live in a country where we have so much and everyday life is relatively straight-forward. Then I watched BBC Breakfast the next morning to see a soldier who had lost both his legs and his right arm in Afghanistan and who had come to terms with his disabilities, worked hard to learn to walk on two artificial legs and have a cheerful, smiling face with no feeling of self-pity or regret. What had happened was part of life and sometimes life is tough. Really tough.
My job is to help people to lose weight and become fitter and I am privileged to be in a position to do that but we should all take a moment to pause and re-consider whether we really want to eat that extra bar of chocolate or packet of crisps or drink that extra glass of wine which isn’t very good for us. We have choices and it is really important that we treat our body with the respect it deserves, to keep it healthy and fit. We should be grateful that we have two legs and two arms to be able to do our everyday tasks without even thinking about it.
So, long may we remember you, Harry Patch, and may you help us never to forget how fortunate we are to be alive in the 21st Century when life is good and worth living to the full. We really don’t know we’re born, do we?
Those of us who were born after World War II have no comprehension of what it must have been like to have lived through one war, let alone two! The first World War must have been unimaginably tough and for Harry Patch to have survived both to reach such an amazing age is extraordinary and inspiring.
As we watched the programme I felt immensely grateful – and a little guilty - for the fact that we live in a country where we have so much and everyday life is relatively straight-forward. Then I watched BBC Breakfast the next morning to see a soldier who had lost both his legs and his right arm in Afghanistan and who had come to terms with his disabilities, worked hard to learn to walk on two artificial legs and have a cheerful, smiling face with no feeling of self-pity or regret. What had happened was part of life and sometimes life is tough. Really tough.
My job is to help people to lose weight and become fitter and I am privileged to be in a position to do that but we should all take a moment to pause and re-consider whether we really want to eat that extra bar of chocolate or packet of crisps or drink that extra glass of wine which isn’t very good for us. We have choices and it is really important that we treat our body with the respect it deserves, to keep it healthy and fit. We should be grateful that we have two legs and two arms to be able to do our everyday tasks without even thinking about it.
So, long may we remember you, Harry Patch, and may you help us never to forget how fortunate we are to be alive in the 21st Century when life is good and worth living to the full. We really don’t know we’re born, do we?
Monday 10 August 2009
The only way to overcome fear is to do the thing you fear to do!
On Friday evening I compered a charity Fashion Show organised by Marks and Spencer at the Marriott Hotel in Leicester, close to the M & S Fosse Park Store. It was a great event and I hope that all 300 guests enjoyed their evening of entertainment in aid of a local arthritis charity called CLASH as much as I did.
But it was a fashion show with a difference. None of the models were professionals as all the models – men and women - were employees of M & S, and the child models were children of staff members. One of the children, ten year old Joel Whitfield, even performed a dance solo. He was good enough to be an aspiring Billy Elliot. They all did a splendid job!
For the last eight weeks, since the idea of a charity fashion show first sprang to mind, each Sunday the volunteer models have been meeting to practise their choreographed routines. I have no doubt that over those weeks their self-confidence grew and grew and on Friday it was their big day. Day-wear, evening-wear, children’s wear – you name it, it was on that catwalk.
At the interval I visited the ladies’ cloakroom to find young female staff members getting dressed in M & S lingerie – the next set of fashions to be modelled. They looked fabulous in their undies but you can imagine their last-minute nerves! Suddenly, what seemed like a good idea last Sunday suddenly hit as reality. They were going to be parading in front of their colleagues – male and female – and 300 guests in next-to-nothing! This was a seriously scary situation!
Anyway, after the interval and the auction and other fund raising activities, it was their turn. Bravely – if looking slightly ashen – they mounted the catwalk and strutted their stuff like true professionals. They were accompanied by some of the young male staff who stripped down to their boxers to much applause from the appreciative, mainly female, audience. I think everyone in that room was full of admiration for their bravery and envy at their gorgeous figures.
Once they had done their first routine, they were relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed it and no doubt their initial nerves were completely diminished as they stepped on to the stage and did the thing they feared to do. And that is the only way to overcome fear. Everyone who appeared in the Fashion Show will never forget that evening and everyone of them will have grown in self-confidence. Brilliant!
But it was a fashion show with a difference. None of the models were professionals as all the models – men and women - were employees of M & S, and the child models were children of staff members. One of the children, ten year old Joel Whitfield, even performed a dance solo. He was good enough to be an aspiring Billy Elliot. They all did a splendid job!
For the last eight weeks, since the idea of a charity fashion show first sprang to mind, each Sunday the volunteer models have been meeting to practise their choreographed routines. I have no doubt that over those weeks their self-confidence grew and grew and on Friday it was their big day. Day-wear, evening-wear, children’s wear – you name it, it was on that catwalk.
At the interval I visited the ladies’ cloakroom to find young female staff members getting dressed in M & S lingerie – the next set of fashions to be modelled. They looked fabulous in their undies but you can imagine their last-minute nerves! Suddenly, what seemed like a good idea last Sunday suddenly hit as reality. They were going to be parading in front of their colleagues – male and female – and 300 guests in next-to-nothing! This was a seriously scary situation!
Anyway, after the interval and the auction and other fund raising activities, it was their turn. Bravely – if looking slightly ashen – they mounted the catwalk and strutted their stuff like true professionals. They were accompanied by some of the young male staff who stripped down to their boxers to much applause from the appreciative, mainly female, audience. I think everyone in that room was full of admiration for their bravery and envy at their gorgeous figures.
Once they had done their first routine, they were relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed it and no doubt their initial nerves were completely diminished as they stepped on to the stage and did the thing they feared to do. And that is the only way to overcome fear. Everyone who appeared in the Fashion Show will never forget that evening and everyone of them will have grown in self-confidence. Brilliant!
Friday 7 August 2009
Music in the Meadow 2009
On Saturday, 29th August, the Bank holiday weekend, we will be hosting Music in the Meadow close to our home in Ashby Folville, near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire. Whilst Music in the Meadow is now in its fifth year, this is the third time we have hosted it ourselves.It is a fantastically fun evening in the glorious setting of Ashby Folville, one of the prettiest villages in the midlands, and all the monies raised from the event go straight to the benefitting charities. No expenses are deducted because our kind sponsors pay for everything. Last year we raised £26,500 for charity.
We are raising funds for STEPS Conductive Education Centre for children with Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome and other motor dysfunctions, (70% share), The Matt Hampson Trust – Matt was a Prop Forward for Leicester Tigers and suffered a serious neck injury whilst training for the England Under 21s in 2005, (20%), and Ashby Folville Village Hall and Church funds (10%).
A variety of music will be played throughout the evening including the Beatles tribute band – The upBeatles, and Midlands-based Soul and R&B dance band Hopwood Junction plus support acts. There will be a Mega Raffle which includes five holidays for two to be won, a Tombola to beat all tombolas as one in five tickets wins and the prizes are superb. You can pre-order jugs of Pimms or buy it (and wine) on the night.
It really is a great event for all the family, so if you live within a 50 mile radius of Ashby Folville maybe you’d like to come along, bring a picnic (no naked flames and no glasses please) and have a great time supporting very worthwhile charities. The gates open at 5pm with the music starting at 6pm. The event closes at midnight. Tickets cost £20 for adults and £5 for children under 16. Car parking is free. If you are thinking of coming, check out the Music in the Meadow website: www.musicinthemeadow.co.uk or maybe you’d like to purchase some tickets for the Mega Raffle. The prizes are all listed on the website and tickets can be order by post or by calling out event organiser Gaynor Cawood at our offices on 01509 622022.
Thursday 6 August 2009
Are our fat cells for life?
Years ago it used to be said that our fat cells were laid down during our early years and by the end of our teens, whatever number we had then were going to be with us for life. We could, of course, fill up those fat cells so they became bigger as we gained weight, or they reduced in size when we lost a few pounds, but the underlying number remained the same.
But it has now been discovered that that is not the case. It’s true that fat cells are laid down in the womb and through our growing years but they can keep on increasing if we keep on eating to excess. The fatter we get, the more fat cells we develop so, sadly, there is no limit to how big we can become.
There is some good news though. Whereas we once believed that our formative fat cells were there for life, in fact, they don’t have to be. Apparently, if we lose weight and keep the weight off, the body ‘gobbles up’ the redundant fat cells. This should give us all tremendous encouragement and the incentive to slim down and stay that way rather than resign ourselves that ‘we’re made that way’.
Exercise plays a very important role in keeping us leaner and in so many areas of our health that we should seriously make time to do some activity every day. Even if it is just walking up and down stairs more often, going for a walk in our lunch break or playing active games with our families or going for a bike ride, the benefits to keeping ourselves slimmer and fitter are enormous. We will not only help to keep our heart and lungs in better health, we will be burning fat and helping to keep our weight under control.
Exercise should be fun and I still think that working out with others in a class is one of the most fun ways – plus you work lots of different muscles which give you a better shape. Have a look on our website, (www.rosemaryconley.com), if you would like to see if one of our diet and fitness classes is near to where you live or work. Just by doing a bit of exercise on a regular basis can make a huge difference to the way you look and feel.
Why not write down today five things you could do on a daily basis that would get you moving more. You don’t have to train for a marathon - just move about more throughout your day.
But it has now been discovered that that is not the case. It’s true that fat cells are laid down in the womb and through our growing years but they can keep on increasing if we keep on eating to excess. The fatter we get, the more fat cells we develop so, sadly, there is no limit to how big we can become.
There is some good news though. Whereas we once believed that our formative fat cells were there for life, in fact, they don’t have to be. Apparently, if we lose weight and keep the weight off, the body ‘gobbles up’ the redundant fat cells. This should give us all tremendous encouragement and the incentive to slim down and stay that way rather than resign ourselves that ‘we’re made that way’.
Exercise plays a very important role in keeping us leaner and in so many areas of our health that we should seriously make time to do some activity every day. Even if it is just walking up and down stairs more often, going for a walk in our lunch break or playing active games with our families or going for a bike ride, the benefits to keeping ourselves slimmer and fitter are enormous. We will not only help to keep our heart and lungs in better health, we will be burning fat and helping to keep our weight under control.
Exercise should be fun and I still think that working out with others in a class is one of the most fun ways – plus you work lots of different muscles which give you a better shape. Have a look on our website, (www.rosemaryconley.com), if you would like to see if one of our diet and fitness classes is near to where you live or work. Just by doing a bit of exercise on a regular basis can make a huge difference to the way you look and feel.
Why not write down today five things you could do on a daily basis that would get you moving more. You don’t have to train for a marathon - just move about more throughout your day.
Wednesday 5 August 2009
So what has happened to Madonna?
There has been much discussion and publicity in the last few days about Madonna. Recent photographs in newspapers have shown her looking thin and muscular, and Madonna is furious. The many and varied reports of protruding veins, and criticism that she has taken her fitness regime far too far, have all added fuel to the fire of criticism of a pop star that is known for extremes.
It is reported that Madonna exercises for a couple of hours every day and that her workouts are gruelling. It is therefore not surprising that she is ultra thin and has strong muscles! Anyone who works out to that degree is displaying symptoms of obsession with exercise which is always worrying, but it is particularly worrying in someone of Madonna’s age and build. Madonna is extremely lean, with virtually no body fat, with the consequence that her veins are seen resting on her muscles which then give this rather unattractive appearance.
As we get older our bodies change – our skin becomes thinner and our veins become larger. That’s why Madonna’s veins look so protruding. And there is a real lesson here for all of us. We need to be a healthy weight, exercising at a healthy level, and dressing in an appropriate way for our age.
Having said all of that, it must be very hard to be in the limelight all of the time, with paparazzi waiting at every doorway to snatch that awful photograph that will float its way on to the pages of every hungry newspaper the next day. And, hopefully, Madonna has learned an important lesson. As we become older there are bits of us that need to be covered up and maybe next time she will be wearing long sleeves to cover up her waif-like arms. Unfortunately, however, I don’t think she will. Madonna is not known for dressing discreetly.
But Madonna is a great singer and long may she continue to entertain us. The press will never ignore her and nor would she want them to. After all, she is the ultimate material girl.
It is reported that Madonna exercises for a couple of hours every day and that her workouts are gruelling. It is therefore not surprising that she is ultra thin and has strong muscles! Anyone who works out to that degree is displaying symptoms of obsession with exercise which is always worrying, but it is particularly worrying in someone of Madonna’s age and build. Madonna is extremely lean, with virtually no body fat, with the consequence that her veins are seen resting on her muscles which then give this rather unattractive appearance.
As we get older our bodies change – our skin becomes thinner and our veins become larger. That’s why Madonna’s veins look so protruding. And there is a real lesson here for all of us. We need to be a healthy weight, exercising at a healthy level, and dressing in an appropriate way for our age.
Having said all of that, it must be very hard to be in the limelight all of the time, with paparazzi waiting at every doorway to snatch that awful photograph that will float its way on to the pages of every hungry newspaper the next day. And, hopefully, Madonna has learned an important lesson. As we become older there are bits of us that need to be covered up and maybe next time she will be wearing long sleeves to cover up her waif-like arms. Unfortunately, however, I don’t think she will. Madonna is not known for dressing discreetly.
But Madonna is a great singer and long may she continue to entertain us. The press will never ignore her and nor would she want them to. After all, she is the ultimate material girl.
Tuesday 4 August 2009
The Five Key Steps To Losing Weight
Yesterday, a lot of folk will have embarked on a diet in a desperate attempt to lose weight because they are simply fed up with carrying around their excess bulk, feeling unnecessarily tired, and having a very low self-esteem. Monday is the most popular day for starting a diet as it signifies the start of a fresh week and most of us have a pretty predictable work pattern and that helps us stock to our diet.
To be successful on any weight-loss campaign we need to understand that we have to cut down on the calories we eat and we need to step up the number of calories we spend. We can have very good intentions of eating more healthily and doing more exercise but when reality takes over, often we make some effort but not enough to give us the quick weight loss we need to spur us on to our ultimate goal.
So here are my top tips to keep you on track to quick results.
Remember, we don’t become overweight overnight so be patient but when you do reach your goal, you will feel like a new person and every bit of effort will have been worth it.
Have a good day!
To be successful on any weight-loss campaign we need to understand that we have to cut down on the calories we eat and we need to step up the number of calories we spend. We can have very good intentions of eating more healthily and doing more exercise but when reality takes over, often we make some effort but not enough to give us the quick weight loss we need to spur us on to our ultimate goal.
So here are my top tips to keep you on track to quick results.
- To lose weight you need to stick to a reduced calorie diet and the easiest way to do that is to eat low fat foods which should contain significantly fewer calories that their high-fat equivalent. Check out the food labels and buy foods with 5% fat or less, and check out the calories per portion that you are going to eat. Cut right back on alcohol as alcohol just causes you to gain weight.
- Next, reduce your portion size. This is, in my opinion, the biggest reason why so many people are overweight. We are just getting used to eating too much. Find yourself a smaller plate and cereal bowl and cut back your portions. If you have a set of my Portion Pots, use them. (find them on our website www.rosemaryconley.com)
- Stop snacking between meals. That’s a tough one if you’re used to munching your way through a packet of crisps and a Mars bar every day but if you are serious about getting back into shape, then you do need to cut back on the high fat treats that do nothing for you except make you fat. If you feel really hungry mid-morning or mid-afternoon, have a small piece of fruit – just one!
- Exercise burns extra calories and any activity that uses your heart and lungs – in other words makes you out of breath – also burns fat. We need to do 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise 3 – 5 times a week to be healthy, but while we are trying to lose weight, our exercise time is crucial. It will speed up your progress significantly. Also do some toning exercises which will strengthen your muscles and give you a better shape. (Try our diet and fitness classes as the exercises we teach in them will burn fat and tone you up- find out where your local Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness classes are held here).
- Last, but by no means least, write down everything you eat and drink, every day. By doing so research has proven that you double your rate of progress. It just makes you more accountable than eating something and thinking ‘just one won’t hurt’ – but unfortunately, every little extra adds up.
Remember, we don’t become overweight overnight so be patient but when you do reach your goal, you will feel like a new person and every bit of effort will have been worth it.
Have a good day!
Monday 3 August 2009
Please vote for Steps!
Those of you that follow my Blog regularly will know that we are big supporters of STEPS Conductive Education Centre in Leicestershire which helps children who suffer from Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome and other motor dysfunctions from across the East Midlands to tremendous effect. The charity helps children of all ages but particularly from birth to five years, some with severe learning difficulties, and each year we need to raise £200,000 to pay the running costs of the school so that the facility is free to the children and families who benefit.
Last year a super new John Lewis store was opened in the new Highcross Shopping Centre in Leicester and, as in all John Lewis stores, each year the staff organise a variety of fundraising events in aid of their chosen charity. As the Leicester John Lewis couldn’t agree on one particular charity, they have listed ten very worthy causes, including STEPS, and have asked customers and supporters to vote for their favourite. The one that gets the most votes becomes their nominated charity for this year. STEPS NEEDS YOUR HELP and all you have to do is JUST VOTE FOR THEM!
How do you vote?
To vote for STEPS please visit John Lewis' in Leicester and vote INSTORE. For more information about STEPS go to www.stepscentre.org.uk. Or you can go to our website www.rosemaryconley.com. Remember you can only vote INSTORE.
Your vote will be so appreciated and if we are able to get STEPS nominated as the John Lewis Charity of the Year in Leicester it will make a massive difference to these very special children and the Charity. Thank you very much in anticipation of your support.
Last year a super new John Lewis store was opened in the new Highcross Shopping Centre in Leicester and, as in all John Lewis stores, each year the staff organise a variety of fundraising events in aid of their chosen charity. As the Leicester John Lewis couldn’t agree on one particular charity, they have listed ten very worthy causes, including STEPS, and have asked customers and supporters to vote for their favourite. The one that gets the most votes becomes their nominated charity for this year. STEPS NEEDS YOUR HELP and all you have to do is JUST VOTE FOR THEM!
How do you vote?
To vote for STEPS please visit John Lewis' in Leicester and vote INSTORE. For more information about STEPS go to www.stepscentre.org.uk. Or you can go to our website www.rosemaryconley.com. Remember you can only vote INSTORE.
Your vote will be so appreciated and if we are able to get STEPS nominated as the John Lewis Charity of the Year in Leicester it will make a massive difference to these very special children and the Charity. Thank you very much in anticipation of your support.
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