Well done Gracie!

My longest standing friend, Jennie, has a beautiful black Labrador, called Gracie, who is now over 14. In human years that equates to 98 years old! Jen has a daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren who live in America and the only way for her to visit them for Christmas was for someone to look after Gracie. Fortunately, I have an understanding husband who agreed that we could dog sit for the

New Year Preparations

I know it’s Christmas Day on Friday but we’re all chasing our tails trying to get everything ready for the New Year. There is SO much happening!Firstly, my new and highly effective diet book – Amazing Inch Loss Plan – is about to be published. It is very exciting to have written a book that I know people will love because I know there are lots of people out there who would love to lose a stone in

What a wonderful day!

I’ve been in the weight loss business for 38 years now and I’ve been fortunate enough to have enjoyed so many exciting events and activities, privileges and performances but on Friday I experienced something for the first time.I held a reception for a very special group of VIPs at Quorn House, (our offices). The guests were my Trial Dieters.At the end of May I met for the first time a group of

Christmas really has arrived in Quorn House!

Our offices are situated in a beautiful Georgian property in the heart of Quorn in Leicestershire. We moved in there to create Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs back in 1993. We were the first folk to buy the house as it had been previously owned for centuries by the Farnham family.When we bought Quorn House it was in a pretty neglected state but now it is in prime condition and every square

It’s December and I love Christmas!

This year Christmas is going to be special. It’s not that we are doing anything exotic or different, it’s just that it’s been a pretty tough year in many respects and now it’s all coming good!I knew this year would be busy. I had to write a new diet book and record a new fitness DVD. We also decided to build a television studio and launch a new online television channel. To do that, you also

Launch of rosemaryconley.tv

Last week I carried out a very interesting interview with a gastric weight loss surgeon for my forthcoming rosemary conley.tv channel, which is launching on the web on 5th January next year. I felt it was important for viewers of rosemary conley.tv to be able to hear from a surgeon who actually performed gastric banding, gastric bypasses and so on because I think many folk consider taking these

You’re never too old!

You’re never too old!Last night I went to my diet and fitness class as usual. It is very exciting to be meeting lots of new members now that I have changed my venue from the centre of Leicester where car parking fees were extortionate to a suburb where parking is free.Last week two new ladies joined - one in her mid-eighties and the other a little younger. With new hips and knees their mobility

The value of team spirit!

Last week our lovely staff went on a challenging bike ride together to raise funds for Steps Leicestershire Conductive Education Centre in Shepshed, Leicestershire, which is the main charity that Mike and I support.The bike ride had started in the Spring of this year with the idea that, cumulatively, the staff would cycle the 2,775 miles which is the distance of the circumference of the UK and,

Look out for the warning signs!

Every week I meet wonderful folk who have lost weight and transformed their lives. And they all wish they had done it earlier.Weight creeps up on us. Half a pound here and a couple of pounds there and, before you know it, half a stone has gone on – then a stone. Nobody who has lost 10 stone ever, in their wildest imagination, anticipated that their weight problem would become so great. Folk go

Poor Gordon!

Whilst I’m not a huge fan of our Prime Minister, I do feel really sorry for him today. Amongst his vastly hectic, globe-trotting, life Gordon Brown found the time to write a personal, hand-written note to a fallen serviceman’s mother offering his condolences at her sad loss. Unfortunately, Mr Brown addressed the letter to Mrs ‘James’, not Mrs Janes and as a result Mrs Janes is very upset and has

Simple Rule of Life

Last Wednesday evening I was asked to present the prizes at a local school and to address the invited audience. I love talking to young people who have gone through the major part of their school lives and who are just off to college. It is such a significant and exciting time of their lives.These are the lessons I passed on to them:Be nice to people – it makes you happier.Always tell the

New class venue and a new era!

On Monday my Monday night classes moved from the Holiday Inn in the centre of Leicester to Birstall Golf Club, on the outskirts of the city. This may not be headline news but it was significant for my class members and very significant for me.I have held classes at the Holiday Inn for almost 24 years. To put this into perspective, I have known my husband for 26 years and been married to Mike for

What an achievement!

Over the last couple of days we have been celebrating the achievements of some wonderful folk who have lost massive amounts of weight to be crowned Slimmers of the Year. For the first time we are giving awards to slimmers in different categories because it is impossible to place all great achievers on a level playing field. So in January we will be announcing our Yummy Mummy Slimmer of the Year,

Convention Celebrations

Last Friday was the day of our Annual Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs Franchisee Convention and what a fantastic day it turned out to be! Tears and laughter, inspiration by the bucketful and lots and lots to look forward to in the new year. Everyone was buzzing!As well as sharing the new diet plan, which is based on my book due for publication in January, and lots of exciting products due

Exciting times

Every year we hold our Annual Convention when all of our franchisees from across the United Kingdom come together to hear of the plans for the next twelve months. This year is going to be particularly exciting as my brand new diet book will form the basis of the diet plan offered to members of Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs in 2010. It is a fantastic diet that is massively effective so

Watch those portion sizes!

We live in a super-sized society when everything to do with food seems to be getting bigger! Cereal bowls, soup bowls, plates, wine glasses, dessert dishes – they’re all much larger than they used to be and it isn’t good for us.I am sure that those fabulous and enormous platters that your haute cuisine is served upon in a stylish restaurant were not designed to be full! So when we see them in

Amazing weight losses - amazing people!

Last Thursday we had a very exciting day at Quorn House. Fifteen delightful folk descended on our offices for the judging day of our Slimmer of the Year competition. We had invited three men and twelve women to come and meet me together with my Magazine Editor and Art Director. The place was buzzing in anticipation and excitement.After a welcome cup of coffee I took them on a tour of the house,

When change can be fun!

For the last 24 years I have held two diet and fitness classes at the Holiday Inn in Leicester city centre on a Monday evening. It has been a long and happy relationship and five years ago the Holiday Inn have even named a meeting room after me – The Conley Room. Hundreds of ladies and some men have happily come along to enjoy a workout and dietary advice every week during that time. In fact the

Awesome Women!

Yesterday I was honoured to be invited to the Women of the Year Lunch at London’s Intercontinental Hotel on Park Lane. It is always a prestigious affair with an array of women who have achieved all kinds of success in any manner of fields of life. Of course you have your celebs such as Esther Rantzen, Maureen Lipman and Katherine Jenkins as well as household radio names such as Sarah Kennedy and

The inspiration of meeting successful slimmers!

You would be amazed how often we are asked by the press for a before and after photograph of one of our slimmers who fits into a specific profile: eg in their twenties, forties, who’s lost 6 stone, who can wear a bikini, etc., etc.Last Thursday we had a wonderful day at Quorn House when we invited some fabulously successful dieters who had attended our classes to be photographed specifically for

Only do the things that only you can do.

This is the advice I gave myself 20 years ago and also to some very enterprising women I have had the pleasure of meeting in the last couple of days. Let me explain.I actually enjoy cleaning. When I do it I think I do it well but twenty years ago I realised that there was stuff I should be doing, that only I could do, that I didn’t have time to do because I was cleaning. So, I decided to employ

Fat parents = fat kids?

It is very rare that I will use the ‘f’ word ‘FAT’. It’s not very PC in the world of diet and exercise and one that often causes offence. It’s a word we use on ourselves but not one we like people to use to describe us.So how about ‘obese’? That is a much more offensive word, in my opinion, and one that we would never use to describe ourselves yet it is a word used every day in the media and by

Why cereal is still the best breakfast

I heard on the news this morning that it has been recognised that some breakfast cereals contain a lot of salt. By ‘a lot’ I think they are meaning ‘more than you would imagine’ rather than a ‘salt-pot-full’. The majority of breakfast cereals offer less than 1 gram of salt per serving and we are recommended to restrict our daily salt intake to around 6 grams a day. So what’s the fuss?We are

Free parking for hospital visitors

So the government are talking about allowing free NHS hospital car parking for those visiting their loved ones. Good! Let’s hope it happens. For anyone who is visiting a hospital the whole experience is difficult. Knowing where to go, worrying about getting there on time, queuing up for visiting, taking time off work – the whole experience is stressful and tiring yet incredibly valuable to the

Exciting times!

This is a very exciting time for us. It is the run up to January which is the busiest time of our working year as everyone wants to lose weight after Christmas. Next January is also a new decade and that makes it special. On top of that my 30th video/DVD will be published, my brand new diet book (which works unbelievable well) will be published and we officially launch our online TV channel which

I can't believe it's almost October!

We have had an amazingly dry summer here in the UK with lots of sunshine. We have enjoyed it but now it is well and truly autumn and the leaves are turning golden and the conkers are ready for gathering. The harvest is in and the fields have been ploughed ready for a new crop next year. As we get older we realise how fast the months pass by and as I was sitting with my mum-in-law yesterday in the

Back to work!

Last year I decided to take a sabbatical for nine weeks in the late summer to have a complete rest and enjoy some quality time with Mike, away from the pressures of work. It was great and four weeks of the nine were spent in Portugal and the remainder were spent doing some much needed work at home and having a completely chilled time. I loved it. But I wouldn’t want to do it all the time – so no,

Are you starting your diet today?

Most people start their diet on a Monday because it is the beginning of a new week and, psychologically, a new week. Often the shopping is done over the weekend and you will have no doubt decided towards the end of last week that today you would make a real effort to lose weight in time for Christmas.Before you start the day, step on to your scales in your birthday suit and note what you weigh.

MY TRIBUTE TO JULIE PIDGELEY

Today I attended the funeral of one of our franchisees – Julie Pidgeley. It is the first time one of our franchisees has died and Julie will be greatly missed by us all – particularly the members of her classes who so loved and respected her. They loved her zest for life, her encouragement, her energy and her unfailing support. Julie totally loved her job of teaching aerobics and helping her

Enjoy today!

Over the weekend I was reading some philosophical thoughts of a 90 year old. I thought I would write my own – some have been said to me, some are my own creation. You could add your own to the list:The greatest thing is to love and be loved in returnLive for today but remember tomorrowI want to be slim more than I want that Mars barHow will you feel about today’s crisis in 6 months’ time?Remember

Making the most of your loved ones

Thirteen years ago our wonderful and much loved German shepherd, Nikki, was diagnosed with heart failure and breast cancer having nearly collapsed and had been left at the vets for tests. By late afternoon, the vet broke the news to us that she was too ill to treat and there was really only one course of action to consider. I rang Mike immediately to break the news. This was a pet who was more

September - an important point of the year

In the diet and fitness business there are three main points in the year when folk join slimming clubs and gyms to lose a few pounds and get themselves in shape. The main one is January – after the Christmas blow-out and it’s time for new year resolutions. The second peak is after Easter as folk realise it is time to slim down for their holiday and for wearing lighter, sleeveless clothes for the

Why are we so keen to criticise?

Last week it was reported in the media that inmates in prisons were served a healthier diet than patients in NHS hospitals. As my mother-in-law, aged 87, is currently residing in our local hospital, I considered very carefully the reports being made across the nation.When Mike, my husband, and I visited his mum we enquired what she thought of the food. “Very good” she responded without hesitation

Who won our Fab Low Fat Food Awards for 2009?

Yesterday we held our champagne Awards Ceremony at the Marriott County Hall Hotel in London to applaud the winners of our 2009 Rosemary Conley Fab Low Fat Food Awards. It was great to be able to meet the representatives of the various companies and to personally congratulate the winners of the 14 categories to whom we gave awards.Voted for by readers of my magazine, Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness

Fab Low Fat Food Awards

Today we celebrate the very best of low fat foods that are available in our supermarkets today. In 2008 we launched the Rosemary Conley Fab Low Fat Food Awards because we wanted to find out which foods the readers of our magazine thought were the best. So, this is the second year of these awards and again they have been voted for by the readers of our magazine, visitors to our website and

Music in the Meadow - a fantastic success

What a fantastic success Music in the Meadow proved to be on Saturday evening with five bands offering a variety of music from R & B to Beatles to folk music - there was something to suit everyone’s taste, and the sun shone! For the first time in four years we had not one drop of rain which made all the difference to the enjoyment of the event and at one point hundreds of guests were dancing in

Well done students!

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

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

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

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

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 –

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

Win, win, win in the new look website competition

As you may know, earlier this month we launched our new-look website www.rosemaryconley.com. We hope you like the enhanced site, which has been made easier to navigate and has a fresh new feel.To make it even more exciting, I’ve launched our first-ever competition on the site and ten lucky visitors can win one of ten one-year (9 issues) subscriptions to the Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness magazine

Sheer joy when the job is done!

As many of you know, the Special Olympics GB 2009 are being held in Leicester this week. People of all ages with learning difficulties are participating in 21 sports and competing for that coveted place on the podium to collect a medal.Yesterday was my day to be privileged to be asked to present some of the medals at the gymnastics venue. When I arrived in the morning I was escorted to the sports

British Franchise Association's Franchisee of the Year

Yesterday I went to London with Angie Higgins, one of the Directors of Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs and, Sarah Skelton. Sarah runs a very successful franchise in and around Norwich in Norfolk and last November she was awarded our highest accolade, Franchisee of the Year, because she is exceptional.Each year the British Franchise Association organise two award ceremonies – one for

Why Portion Size is so important

Yesterday I talked about portion control at my diet and fitness classes that I hold at the Holiday Inn in Leicester. Having taken the same class in this hotel for 23 years there isn’t much I haven’t talked about to my members, particularly as most of them have been attending during that time! But portion control is one of those subjects that should be right at the top of the list of priorities if

Courage and perseverance, against the odds

On Saturday evening Mike and I were privileged to be guests at the Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics GB Leicester 2009. It is the second time that these very special Games have been hosted by our home town Leicester and we, as a city and county, feel very honoured to be staging this event again. The last time the games were hosted here was in 1989 and it is the first time the games have

Inch loss is as important as weight loss!

When we start to diet I believe we put too much emphasis on weight loss. Obviously getting on the scales is a great guide to how well we are doing in our slim down campaign but we shouldn’t forget to measure ourselves too.The problem with scales is that our weight can fluctuate according to the type of food we have eaten, the time of the month – all manner of things, in fact. Some people become

Customer Care – the Key to Success

It was a big mistake when United Airlines showed little interest when one of their passengers complained that their guitar had been damaged in transit. Dave Carroll is a professional musician and he was devastated to find that when he collected his Taylor acoustic guitar after his flight into Chicago’s O’Hare airport, it had been broken so he took up the matter with United Airlines. They just

Tom Daly has done it!

This time last year many of us hadn’t heard of the name Tom Daly but he shot to fame when he was included in the British diving team for the Beijing Olympics. He hit the headlines because then he was only 14 years old. Whilst he performed well at the Olympics, he didn’t win a medal. And as we all said at the time, ‘but he has plenty of time – he’s only young’.Today we woke up to the news that Tom

Be encouraged by how quickly the body responds to exercise

Exercise is one of those things we know we should do more of, we know it’s good for us but somehow we just don’t quite make the time and effort to do enough of it. As a nation we watch on average 27 hours of television a week and yet we say we don’t exercise because ‘we don’t have time’!To exercise we must be motivated – either by the activity itself, (because we love doing it), or by the

You’re never too old...

Whether you are a fan or golf or not, you would have to know that over the last few days the Open has been held in Turnberry. For the less well informed, the Open is a major world golf tournament and Turnberry, (Scotland) is the best links, (by the sea), golf course location in the world.I have never played golf but I was brought up in a golfing family. My parents played golf and I spent many an

Supermarkets are ruling the roost!

Yesterday I had a meeting with my publishers regarding my new book. The book is nearly written – just the exercise section to complete – and I am pretty sure that when the book is published in January, it will be a best seller. I really don’t mean that to sound arrogant but this all-new diet has been tried and tested with better results than any of my previous 30 diet books and I know folk will

Look on the Packet

Yesterday I spent the day adding some final touches to the new book I have written this year to be published in January 2010. Not only will the diet be published in book form for sale in shops around the country, it will also be adapted into a handy format issued to all the new members who join Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs.When I create a new diet I like to put it to the test so I run a

Motivation is the key

As unique individuals on this earth we are all motivated by different things and some folk are more motivated than others. In my field of work – helping people to lose weight and become fitter – motivation plays a massive role.As I read the amazing before and after stories of the successful slimmers who appear in my magazine, there is usually one particular situation which happened that triggered

What else can we do to help?

We are building a TV studio at our offices for a new project to be launched later in the year. The studio is almost complete and recording is about to get into full flow. We need to hang some special fabric on the walls to offer some extra sound absorption, so yesterday it was decided to buy some, to hang around the perimeter, just as I’ve seen in other TV recording studios.There is a bit of an ‘

Back home safe and sound!

Friday was the last full day of our holiday and my holidaymakers took a chair lift up a mountain, walked down to a hut for lunch and then relaxed in the afternoon ready for our final evening’s activity – the big Awards Ceremony.Everyone on the holiday wins an award, from Slimmer of the Week to who caught the biggest fish when we went trout fishing. There were Bravery Awards for those scared of

Tears and Laughter!

It is now Day 6 of our splendid holiday in the Austrian alps. Everyone is energised and very relieved that the Concert, held last night, is over! Not only that, they have now had their final weigh-in too.Despite having a vast array of foods on the breakfast buffet each morning, eating traditional Austrian food in a hut in the mountains yesterday, and a delicious four-course meal last evening –

Champagne and Fresh Air

It’s Day 5 of our Austrian Activity Holiday and the sun is trying to shine. Our holiday guests are getting fitter by the day and the weight losses are mounting up.Yesterday all of the guests went to Bregenz, a beautiful town situated on Lake Constance in Austria. Bregenz is famous for its open air theatre with the stage being suspended actually on the lake. It is a magnificent sight and the stage

Expect the unexpected...

It’s Day 4 of our Austrian Activity holiday and it’s still raining! However, the damp weather has not caused us to have any less fun or laughter.Yesterday we divided into two groups – the fit and the super fit – because Tuesday was the day to visit Norbert in his farmhouse half way up a mountain at the tiny place called Burstegg. It is a two hour, all uphill hike but it’s well worth the effort.

Austrian Activity Holiday

It is now Day 3 of our Austrian Activity Holiday and we are all having a very happy time, despite the damp weather.Yesterday we walked along the bank of the Lech river, through fields bathed in summer flowers, surrounded by mountains, clean air and a sense of extreme peace. The countryside is enchanting and exercise is a total pleasure.Our 40-strong group chat to each other as we walk along,

Our Austrian Holiday so far!

On Saturday forty of us met up at Zurich Airport having travelled from Manchester, Heathrow or Birmingham and, on schedule, arrived within half an hour of each other. All was going so well until our transfer coach was delayed for 1 ½ hours due to an accident on the motorway which caused massive delays. So we, that’s myself and my two fellow holiday guides, looked after everyone’s luggage and we

Off to the Austrian Alps!

Tomorrow, almost 40 women will be travelling with me and my two colleagues to Zurich, Switzerland and then on to Lech in Austria for a House Party Activity Holiday. It is the 23rd time we have organised this trip which started back in 1983. We stay at the same hotel, Der Berghof, which is run by the third generation of the Burger family.Each day will start with an early morning walk, then a daily

From morbidly obese to fitness instructor!

Two years ago Gill Butcher, from Northampton, went to work and every day on her way home she called to see her elderly mother. Once home, Gill would cook for her husband and then spend the evening on the sofa watching TV before collapsing into bed at the end of another exhausting day. They never entertained or went out socially because, apart from visiting her mother and going to work, Gill had

Today is an important day!

Every day we are alive is important and I am grateful for every one of them. But today I am writing the diet for my new book which will be published in January. I have already designed the meals, (breakfasts, lunches, dinners), and they have been calculated for calories and nutrition, but today I put them together into combinations so that dieters can open my book and see that on, say, Day 6 the

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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/rosemaryYesterday was the first day of June and I thought

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

The Story of the Portuguese Duckling

It was two years ago that Mike and I were sitting in our villa here in Portugal, just looking out on to the garden when something scuttled in front of our patio doors, swiftly followed by a cat. We leapt up to find, huddled in the corner of the patio door, the tiniest of ducklings looking very frightened and lonely. In fact, it was so tiny, even the cat had dived past it, not realising it was

Stroke - the silent killer

In recent weeks the Government has sponsored a major health campaign to help us recognise early symptoms of stroke. It has worked and many lives have been saved already, and we are all that bit more aware of those initial indications – facial signals, slurred speech, restricted mobility particularly from the arms. It has also given us the confidence to pick up the phone immediately if we see

Has Britain really got talent?

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

Bank Holidays and shaping up for summer...

I like Bank Holidays because they punctuate the year and give us a breather from the hussle and bussle of everyday life. But they do much more than that. They give us a point on the calender, a marker from which we can make new beginnings and start new habits.With such beautiful weather for most people over the weekend it really does focus our minds on shaping up for summer. As we shed our warm

Spring Bank Holiday Weekend

The Spring Bank holiday signifies the beginning of summer and it is also half-term so lots of parents will have taken the week off to stay at home with their children. After watching TV last night there is no doubt that the DIY stores are hoping you will be flocking to scoop up their ‘50% off sale bargains, plus another 20% off everything’!These days we cram so much into every day that when a few

Facial-Flex Ultra on TV

Apologies for the absence of Rosemary’s blog over the last couple of days. Unfortunately Rosemary is unwell at the moment but will be back writing her blog as soon as she is feeling better.In the meantime, the team at Rosemary Conley thought you might be interested to know that Facial-Flex Ultra, which Rosemary has personally been using for many years, is due to be featured on Channel 4’s Extreme

Fund raising activities

What a wonderful weekend of fund-raising was carried out by numerous Rosemary Conley members, franchisees and staff. One of our magazine slimmers, Alyson Knowles, successfully completed her 10-Marathons-in-10-days Challenge and has raised over £6,100 for the Brathay Hall Trust. After shedding over 3 stone at her local Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Club, Alyson, a former yo-yo dieter – was able

Forth Road Bridge

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

Calendar Girls 2009

I was excited to hear that the WI Calendar Girls are celebrating their 10 year anniversary. I wonder if they realised what a sensation they would be when they first had the original idea in 1999?I can remember watching the film and crying with laughter at the brilliant way their story was portrayed.There is of course a serious side to the reason why they produced the calendar in the first place

What is your favourite low fat food?

I wonder what is YOUR favourite low fat food? Mine are Total 2% fat Greek Yogurt, my own branded Less than 5% Mature Cheese made by Wyke Farms, (found in Asda and Morrisons), Dolmio Light Bolognese Sauce, and not forgetting, of course, our RC Low Fat chocolate mousse, (sold in Asda) which is unbelievably delicious. They all taste great and don’t taste like a low fat food. And that’s the key, in

Congratulations Chris Evans!

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

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

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

The youth of today can be our inspiration

Last night I had the privilege of watching six teams from Leicestershire Schools battle it out at the Young Enterprise County Finals. They had already progressed from the Area Finals and here they were, in front of a panel of Judges selected from leading businesses, to excite and impress.Each Young Enterprise ‘company’, is set up near the start of the academic year and pupils have volunteered to

Exercise has to be fun!

‘Eat less and do more’ is the simple answer to turning around the growing obesity problem in this country. And we know that’s true, but sometimes it’s hard to change our habits. Life gets in the way of our good intentions and ‘stuff’ happens to knock us off track.Sticking to a proper diet takes time and planning and real discipline. Taking regular exercise takes effort and determination. I know

Can eating at the table help you to lose weight?

Years ago I remember meeting a rather intimidating woman who owned The Golden Door health spa in America during filming for ITV’s This Morning programme. She was emphatic that every meal should be treated as a banquet. ‘Always sit at a table which should be set beautifully. Use pretty dishes to enhance presentation and eat slowly. Enjoy the experience’, she insisted. Of course she was right but

Is breakfast cereal good or bad for our kids?

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

Is your body ready for a Barbecue Summer?

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

So drinking wine will make you live longer?

In the news today is the announcement that if you drink half a glass of wine a day, you could live five years longer. Is this good news, I wonder, or is it just going to make us feel guilty if we drink a whole glass or worry if we don’t like wine?The body has an interesting relationship with alcohol. On the one hand we are told it is good for our health, and on the other, the body treats alcohol

Are your jeans making you fat?

I love wearing jeans. They are comfortable and fashionable, extremely versatile as they can be dressed up or down to look stunning. And they can be worn at any age with or without a belt, with flat shoes or the highest of heels and, of course, boots. The key is that they suit YOU as a unique individual and that they actually fit! This is where, unfortunately, wearing jeans can go

Fair weather fitness? - get active and beat the cold and rain!

The last couple of weeks of sunshine have lifted our spirits after a long and colder than usual winter. The sun encourages us to get on our bikes, go for a walk, get in the garden and generally get active. But now the sun has gone in and it has turned chilly again and the inclination is to stay in and do less. This is really bad news for our health and our fitness. There is no doubt, activity is

Love your work!

Last Friday and Saturday we held our Training Convention at Center Parcs in Nottinghamshire. This is an annual event when all of our franchisees, and their employees, are invited to listen to experts in the field of nutrition and weight management, and workout at Masterclasses taught by some of the UK's most respected fitness professionals. It is an extraordinary gathering of like-minded women,

The London Marathon

Tomorrow is the London Marathon and tens of thousands of people will be setting out on one of the biggest challenges of their life. The pressure to reach the finishing line is enormous and the physical challenge to the body is immense. I am in total awe of anyone who runs a marathon, let alone one with such a high profile and that is televised.Everybody wants to be fit but finding the motivation

When chips are the low fat option.

Well, what a great night we had last night! We were invited to dine in Hell’s Kitchen and to enjoy the world-renowned cuisine of Marco Pierre-White.Hell’s Kitchen is a working kitchen created in a film studio. But once you step on to the red carpet you suddenly walk from an industrial zone to luxury dining and a red velvet curtained bar with a menu of exotic cocktails. How easy it would be to

Call for unhealthy sandwiches to be better labelled

Which? magazine has published a report highlighting the fact that pre-packed sandwiches can contain a scary amount of unhealthy salt, fat and sugar. They are calling for more information to be included on the labelling and for the nutritional content to be more easily understood.Of course it is helpful to know how many calories and how much fat is in a sandwich but there is no doubt that

Guests at Hell's Kitchen

Tomorrow, Mike and I have been invited to dine at Hell’s Kitchen in London. I have to admit that this is the first time we have ever attended anything like this as neither of us are huge fans of reality TV programmes. In anticipation of our dining experience we have been watching the series unfold and develop and I have to say it is fascinating to see the true personalities of the celebrities

So is Alli the wonder slimming pill?

From tomorrow a new slimming pill will be available over the counter from a chemist near you. The drug, Alli (pronounced 'Ah-lie') is a reduced-strength version of Xenical the weight-loss medication which has been available on prescription for the last 10 years. This is the drug that can cause rather embarrassing side effects unless you stick rigidly to the low-fat eating plan - basically it can

Losing weight and achieving a healthier, fitter, body.

Friday was a fantastic day for us at the Roadshow in Swansea. It was an action packed day filled with enthusiasm and excitement, and total optimism towards achieving a healthier, fitter, body.At the end of the day more than thirty people stood on the stage having lost varying amounts of weight from 3 stone upwards with several losing as much as seven, eight or nine stone. (This wonderful group

An investment for the future.

Every Saturday,if I'm not away,I call in for lunch at Mike's mum's. Jeanne is an exceptional lady. She always looks beautifully dressed, with her hair carefully styled, and wearing just the right jewellery to complement her ensemble. In fact it is not unusual for people to approach her in the street and tell her how elegant she looks. She is my role model for someone in the autumn of their life.

Roadshow in Swansea

Today I am in Swansea at one of our Roadshows with 275 women who have travelled from all over the South West and across Wales to find extra motivation to lose weight and get fitter. Apart from listening to talks from myself and my fitness colleague Mary Morris, they will do a couple of workouts and have a low calorie, low fat lunch. The highlight of the day so far has been the fact that they have

Launch of Kids 2 – fitness classes for parents and children

Today sees the press launch of a fantastic initiative which we have undertaken to help educate children towards healthier eating and greater activity.This initiative called Kids 2 involves a child and an adult (usually a parent) attending a course of 6 classes over a 6-week period. The pair will participate in fun activities which offer physical and nutritional games and quizzes along with

Men don't do queuing!

Today we fly home and I'm bracing myself for the 'airport experience'. Mike doesn't like airports or queuing. We don't arrive too early, so that we don't have to queue for long to check-in. We will be the last ones to stand up to join the queue to board the aircraft - which actually is quite a shrewd move as the last on the coach to the plane is first off when you get there. we will probably be

After Easter - a good time to slim.

Anyone wanting to lose weight will find their greatest motivation to start on their diet after a festival where they have eaten lots. That's why the New Year, after the Christmas binge, is the number one recruiting time for members to slimming clubs and gyms and Easter, after the indulgence of Easter eggs, is the second. Would-be slimmers feel they have had their treat and they are fired up ready

Gary Player

If ever we needed convincing that staying fit and eating healthily keeps us young, veteran golfer and three times US Masters champion Gary Player's extraodinary achievement to have completed at a record breaking 52 US Masters proves the point. At 73 years of age he has finally retired after an incredible 162 tour wins and last night celebrated his remarkable career with a braii — a South African

Easter Eggs

It's Good Friday and across the nations most of the world is on holiday for the Easter weekend. And lots of folk are looking forward to eating their Easter Eggs and spending time with their family. Let's hope that if you are trying to lose weight, your loved ones gave you something other than chocolate to celebrate this most important weekend in the Christian calender.The problem with chocolate

The increasing cost of obesity

So the NHS are having to invest in super-sized beds, super-strong operating tables and lifting equipment to cope with an ever increasing size of patient. We have known for years that the cost of obesity to the NHS is astronomical and unless we turn the trend of the nation becoming fatter, potentially, obesity will break the NHS bank! It is no surprise then that the latest report from the

Home cooking

As reported on TV this morning, there's a trend away from buying ready-made meals and towards preparing meals at home to save money. Excellent! This is one of the upsides of a recession - people become more resourceful and push back the boundaries of habit.In recent years chefs cooking on television has attracted huge audiences and, not surprisingly, as we Brits seem to have an obsession with

Views of the recent Vitality Show at Earls Court, London

Some views of our Stand at the recent Vitality Show held at Earls Court, London. A great time was had by all who attended and it was a pleasure to meet so many of you there! We are now looking forward to next year's event.

Fight depression with activity.

Today there is a report on the alarming rise in the number of folk being prescribed anti-depressants and the economic climate is being blamed for their low mood. And not surprisingly. With job insecurity, house values falling and uncertainty prevailing in so many areas of people's lives it's not surprising that lots of folk are getting worried and feeling down.But we can help ourselves become

Informed choices when eating out.

Brilliant! The Food Standards Agency are recommending to restaurants that they include the calorie content of individual dishes on their menus so that customers can make informed choices and many of the fast food chains are happy to comply.Previously, you had to log on to Pizza Hut's websites to investigate the calorie content of their menu which was helpful for folk like us who needed the

Keeping fit helps keeping you feeling young.

Last evening we attended a delightful Golden Wedding party to celebrate the fifty year marriage of a wonderful couple. The bride is in her eighties and the groom is in his seventies and inevitably there were many of the other guests who were in their advanced years too - some who live here in Portugal on a golfing resort and others who had flown over from around the world. It was a superb

The joys of Spring weather

As we're sitting in the sunshine here in Portugal with some friends who have just flown in this morning, they have been saying how lovely and sunny it has been over the last week or so in England where they live in the south. I love the feeling of the sun on my back and realise how the animals who live outside throughout the cold winters in England must be feeling now that the spring grass is

Hope and belief in Alan Shearer

So Alan Shearer has accepted the job as Manager of Newcastle United and the fans are thrilled. His appointment has brought hope and belief to a football club that has been suffering in uncertainty for months but now the fans believe that Shearer can instill in to the players the power of confidence - the belief that they CAN win!No one knows how Saturday's game against Chelsea will turn out but

May issue of Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness magazine published today

As I’m sitting here in the sunshine it makes me realise that Summer’s around the corner and lots of women across the UK will be preparing to run the Race for Life. Training for such an event gives us the motivation we need to be more active and there’s nothing better to motivate us to lose those winter pounds and get fit. This year we thought it would be really helpful to create a safe and

Airline seats are not designed for the overweight.

Today I flew out to Portugal from East Midlands Airport. All went well, the plane was full and on time. Well done Easyjet. But I really feel for anyone who is dramatically overweight. Flying must be one of the most uncomfortable and stressful experiences.I find low-cost air travel to be brilliant and I'm happy with the 'no frills' policy. The space between the seats is fine for a small person

Polypill not the only answer to improving our health

So there’s a new tablet called the polypill to be launched to help reduce our risk of stroke/heart disease and lots more. Of course this is good news but in the time that it takes for this pill to be launched, we as a nation can dramatically reduce our risk of heart disease, developing type 2 diabetes and cancer and reduce our risk of stroke by making a few simple changes to our lifestyle. Even a

Health checks for the over 40s will save lives

Today’s announcement by the government for health checks for the over-40s is an excellent idea, which will, I am sure, save many lives. Every five years, those aged 40 to 74 will have their weight and cholesterol checked. Obesity and overweight leads to serious health problems. Anyone with high cholesterol is on the fast track to heart disease and strokes. There is also an increasing prevalence

Slimmers of the Year at the Vitality Show

We are all still recovering from our marathon Vitality Show Extravaganza but have had time to reflect on the event of the last four days and the high spots. We were so proud of our four national Slimmers of the Year who attended the show and met the public on our Stand. We had lifesize before and after photographs of all four of them and the expressions on the faces of the general public when

Success At The Vitality Show

Sorry to have missed a couple of days. Life has been manic and I've had no internet access. The Vitality Show has been a huge success for us and we have met thousands of lovely people who were thrilled to have their books or DVD's signed and I was delighted to shake the hand of so many successful slimmers. I feel it is a real privilege when I meet folk who tell me that they feel they know me

Day two of the Vitality Show

Day one of the Vitality Show completed. We were all exhausted at the end of our very long day which finished at 9pm as we left Earl’s Court. Our stand is headed with the words lose 7lb in 14 days and lots of people came to ask how that could be done. I explained that on my Gi Hip and Thigh diet it is totally possible to lose 7lb in 14 days on the Fat Attack Fortnight but some people said they

Rosemary Conley's first day at the Vitality Show in London

It’s an exciting day today as we travel down to the Vitality Show at Earl’s Court. This is the fourth year we have been there but it is the first time I will be there every day so I expect to be totally exhausted by Sunday night. Why do I want to do it? Because the people that come onto our stand and who listen to my talks are the loveliest folk around. I meet people who have lost weight on my

Healthy school dinners

Healthy school dinners are in the news again and I think the government has to be very careful not to push children away from eating moderately healthy food by making the food too different to what they are used to eating. It took 20 years to get the great British public to reduce their smoking habits dramatically. Gently, gently is my philosophy for helping children to eat more healthily and I

Listen to Rosemary Conley’s radio interview about her new 4-in-1 Recipe Collection book on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire

Listen to Rosemary Conley’s radio interview about her new 4-in-1 Recipe Collection book on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire.This morning at 11.30 I’m doing out an interview on BBC Radio Coventry and Warwickshire about my new 4-in-1 Recipe Collection. The book is packed with over 250 scrumptious recipes and for every book sold, £1 will be donated to Diabetes UK. I am delighted to be raising funds

Rosemary Conley interview with Rebecca Adlington on YouTube

Rosemary Conley interview with Rebecca Adlington on YouTubeI’m really excited about seeing my first broadcast on YouTube today ( part 1 and part 2). The footage is from an interview I carried out with the Olympic double Gold medal winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington, which can be found in print in the April issue of my magazine, Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness. It was a privilege to interview

Rosemary Conley's skating lesson

I am skiving today! I’m off to the National Ice Centre in Nottingham for my first skating lesson after a gap of two years. Up to August 2006 I had never skated but I was asked to audition for Dancing on Ice for the ‘07 series so I took some lessons. I was short-listed but didn’t make it into the final selection but it introduced me to a whole new, exciting sport. The reason for not having a

Join Rosemary Conley and team at the Vitality Show

Making the most of today because on Thursday Mike, myself and the team go down to Earls Court for the Vitality Show. We’re there for the whole four days and, if it is anything like last year’s show, it will be hard work but great fun. It would be great to see anyone who’s reading this to come and visit us. Dean Simpole-Clark our chef will be cooking on the stand and I will be giving a talk at

Jade Goody's death

It was sad to wake up this morning to the news that Jade Goody had lost her battle with cervical cancer in the early hours of this morning. I know nothing of Jade's lifestyle other than what has been reported in the press but what IS shocking is this young mum of two little boys has died at the young age of 27. Cancer could happen to any of us and often we can have illnesses that linger beneath

Race For Life

What a beautiful Spring day! Makes you feel good to be alive. I've been to Oakham this morning to see my seamstress, Chris, who will shorten some new trousers I've bought for the summer. Chris told me she is going to run the Race For Life this year to help lose a few lbs. I told her about our Race For Life Fitness Plan and Progress Chart which we are giving away free in my magazine which comes

Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness magazine hot off the presses

I’m off to the printers this morning where the next issue of our magazine is being printed today. It’ll be great to see the cover of the Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness magazine coming off the presses. We’re filming it for Rosemary Conley TV, which is to be launched later in the year.

Rebecca Adlington wins 800m title in the British Swimming Championships

It’s great news about Rebecca Adlington winning the 800m Freestyle title in the British Swimming Championships yesterday. I had the privilege of interviewing Rebecca for Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness magazine a few weeks ago. That interview is in the current issue which is available in supermarkets nationwide. She is a great girl and I was completely inspired after meeting her.

Natasha Richardson's tragic ski accident

What a tragedy to hear of the terrible accident that took the life of Natasha Richardson. Mike and I have been wearing helmets for skiing for the last couple of years and when you realise that a simple bump on the head on the nursery slopes can have such tragic consequences, I would only encourage anybody and everybody, no matter what your ski limit, to always ski in a helmet. It could save your

Obesity danger rivals smoking

The report out today by a group of Oxford University experts, which warns that obesity is as hazardous to health as smoking, shortening life by a decade, just goes to reinforce the importance of controlling our weight, eating a healthier diet and taking regular exercise. By taking some relatively simple steps we can dramatically improve our weight and health. Visit my website, http://

National Obesity Awareness Week

My successful free bmi online testing saves countless lives.1 in 4 People in the UK are obese. 30,000 people in the UK die prematurely every year from obesity related conditions. 60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of all children will be obese by 2050* more....