Is it possible to lose weight in a long weekend? I took up the challenge with FitFarms in Somerset, UK.

Not believing the statistics in front of me, I measure my waist again. But the results are the same every time. I’ve lost two-and a-half-inches off my waist and five percent of my total body fat in just two days.

My ‘fitness report card’ takes me by surprise, like I’m expecting a ‘B’ at best but have been awarded with an undeserving ‘A’.

My secret? A few days ago, I arrived at the FitFarms Knowle Manor retreat in Minehead, Somerset. The company, which also has sites in Derbyshire and Dorset, promotes a holistic approach to help you lose weight and get healthy.

The lush green surroundings are certainly conducive to feeling good, but the starter-size portions of food at dinner do take me by surprise!

“Eighty percent of what you eat is how you look,” says my mentor, Ian. So I quickly banish thoughts of Mars bars from my mind.

The approach obviously works, as one lady I meet says she’s lost seven stone in the past 12 months at FitFarms.

For someone who thinks of exercise as an occasional trip to the gym and carrying shopping bags from the supermarket, waking up for a cardio session at 6:45am is a shock to my lazy muscles. By the end of day one, I’ve done aerobics, yoga, circuits, boxing, interval training, aqua aerobics and resistance training.

But Fit Farms isn’t just all work and no play. We go for some amazing walks on the Exmoor estate. The uphill Gravity Walk, in particular, is hard on the legs, but the breathtaking view of Minehead beach is worth the effort.

When I leave, armed with a 12-week aftercare fitness programme, I am ready to embrace a healthier lifestyle. And that Mars bar doesn’t seem so tempting after all.

  • The key to a healthy lifestyle is moderation, as Nel Staveley discovers on a boot camp in Cheltenham.

According to Matt Kendrick, co-owner of MK Life Fit, who organise Body MOT boot camps at the Puma Cheltenham Park Hotel, we should all be living by the 80:20 rule.

“Be good 80 per cent of the time and have what you want 20 per cent,” he says.

It’s a premise our grandparents’ generation understood, but one our increasingly faddy modern world has forgotten.

We’re so busy shunning all carbs or trying to master the steps of some new ridiculous dance craze, we forget nutrition and fitness doesn’t have to be complicated. Pure, non-processed food and regular, balanced, easy exercise will not only make you look better, you’ll feel better, healthier and more energized too.

Throughout the weekend, Matt and his team take me through various exercise classes, combining both cardio and resistance. Some classes are in the hotel’s gym using ‘proper’ equipment, some are held outside and rely on nothing but our own body weight, and some are the more gentle, but very effective, Pilates.

They all share a few common themes though - a sense of teamwork and personal attention.

As another plus, the MK team also reward my hard work with a full sports massage, and a menu tailored by their qualified chef.

By the end of the weekend, I’m not even slightly overwhelmed by my lifestyle changes.

And sure enough, a few weeks on, I’m on 80 per cent homemade soup, 20 per cent soup from a shop; 80 per cent running with push-ups and lunges thrown in, 20 per cent just running.

I’m sure in an ideal world I’d change more. But in a time and cash poor world, my energy levels and general sense of wellbeing are telling me it’s a very good start.

Factfile

  • The Body MOT package costs £269 per person for the weekend, which takes place from Friday to Sunday and includes all meals, accommodation and activities. For details, visit pumahotels.co.uk/ bodymot or call 0800 0142630. The Puma Body MOT is available on select weekends from January to April at Cheltenham Park Hotel, The Imperial Hotel in Blackpool, Redworth Hall Hotel in County Durham, Shrigley Hall Hotel in Cheshire, Billesley Manor Hotel near Stratford-upon-Avon, Hinckley Island Hotel in Leicestershire and The Imperial Hotel in Torquay.
  • FitFarms (fitfarms.co.uk; 0800 634 3070) dates run throughout the year in the Peak District, Somerset and Dorset, with prices starting from £599 for a three-night Weekend Course, to £1,099 for a shared room on a seven-night course. FitFarms also launch in Spain on March 1.