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!