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I’ve always been a bit of a yo-yo dieter – Weight watchers, Rosemary Conley, Atkins – I’ve tried them all. I’ve even had quite a bit of success in terms of weight loss but for me every diet I tried had one major flaw - once I reached my goal weight I struggled, invariably unsuccessfully, to maintain the weigh loss.

La Manga Bootcamp promised weigh loss, luxury villas, good food and given the references to cycling, walking and hiking didn’t sound too tough I thought I’d give it a go. After all I could survive anything for a week and if it was really unbearable I had my escape plan ready - move out of the villa book into the hotel next door and spend the week making use of La Manga’s excellent tennis and golf facilities.

Bootcamp was intensive, exhausting, emotional, tough but very rewarding and not once did I think about checking into that hotel! There was a never ending programme of exercise but the variety of activities meant that it was always interesting and when ever you felt that you just couldn’t take another step, or do another press up there was always one of the trainers or another member of the group there to encourage and coax you into giving that little bit more.  Although the trainers were Royal Marines there was none of the shouting or issuing of orders that I had expected – results were achieved by encouragement and instilling into each individual a sense of belief that they could do it.

On the rare occasions that we weren’t climbing mountains, doing hill sprints, boxing or lifting weights we were being given an insight into the triggers underlying all our unhealthy eating habits by the nutritionist Marisa Peer. I was sceptical at first about her methods for changing bad habits that had been with me for years but I had nothing to lose so adopted her approach with no expectation of it working for me. I was amazed.  I don’t understand why but her system works. I am now completely indifferent to foods which I simply could not resist before.

Bootcamp delivered on its promises. A 10lb weight loss was enough to kick start yet another health campaign but this time there was one significant difference and that was my mental attitude. Three months on and I’m still following the eating plan and exercising regularly and the pounds are continuing to drop off and this time I know it’s for good.

The exercise was great in making me realise that the only constraint on the amount and intensity of exercise you can do is your own mental attitude rather than any physical limitation.

Similarly Marisa showed me that I didn’t have to change my eating habits I only had to change my attitude to food. I now follow Marisa’s eating rules and it’s incredibly easy to follow, I’m not on a diet I don’t deprive myself of any food that I want – it’s just the foods I want have changed.

My only advice to any one considering doing a boot camp is “do it” – don’t put it off until next month, until you lose some weight or until you get fitter – you’ll only regret it.

Jenny McCurry

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