Trousers malfunction-4:The lady who made the trousers fall

Rosemary Conley

These days, marketing and product publicity are deployed so masterfully that people fall in the trap as though blindfolded!

Rosemary Conley, the 54-year old  fitness guru of the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Mr. Colin Hall, ( of the trouser malfunction fame) was anyway very famous and has now become more well known. No news item about the fallen trousers ends without a mention of the fitness guru who is training him to shed his extra weight.

·        In 1986 Rosemary discovered a low-fat diet plan, which transformed her body in a way she had never been able to achieve with previous diets.

·        In 1993, Rosemary launched her Diet and Fitness Clubs and its national network today has  190 professionally qualified exercise teachers currently running more than 2,000 weekly classes across the UK for over 80,000 members.

·        In 1996, her Diet & Fitness magazine was launched. This award-winning publication has more than 5,00,000 readers and became market leader in its sector after just three issues.

Her product titles are very seductive and compelling as you will see from the website. :for example, she wants us to make a donation to some charities whenever we consume extra calories on special occasions. This way we become conscious about what wrong we did and learn now onwards to eat healthily and not feel the guilt of overindulgence. She calls this "calorieoffset: Do not feel guilt, feel grateful"

·        From 1996 to 2000 she  was a consultant to world-famous retail store Marks & Spencer and helped them to develop their low fat, calorie-controlled food range.

·        Rosemary has presented her own TV Series on BBC etc channels  seven years.

• Rosemary was awarded CBE (the Commander of British Empire) by the Queen in 2004 for her services to the fitness and diet industry.
• She  has 37 years' experience of helping people to lose weight and become fitter. Sales of her 29 books and 29 fitness videos exceed 90,00,000 copies, and she is widely acknowledged as the UK's most successful diet and fitness expert.

Her advice for us:

If your motivation is high when you start a diet, you are 10 times more likely to succeed, so how can you stop the willpower from waning?

 (

http://www.rosemaryconley.com/content/rosemary-writes-archive/rosemary-writes-april-2009.htm)

When we embark on a diet and fitness plan our motivation is strong and the results on the scales are fast and easy to see. The challenge comes when the novelty wears off and the weight doesn’t drop off at the same rate it did at the beginning.

Here are my top 20 tips to keep you motivated:

1. Determine your goals. Find a reason for getting slim and fitter and write it down eg a forthcoming holiday, wedding or special event for which you really want to be slim. Set a timescale and note down your results as you achieve each milestone.
    
2. Reward yourself as you reach each goal eg each time you lose 7lb. Enjoying short-term rewards for your success whether it's buying a new pair of shoes or booking a manicure can keep you motivated.
    
3. For each pound you lose on the scales, place the equivalent weight in the form of books or cans into a bag. If ever you feel frustrated when your rate of weight loss slows down, pick up the bag to refresh your memory of how far you have come.
    
4. As well as weighing yourself each week, always measure around your bust/chest, waist, hips and widest part. Make a note of your weekly inch or centimetre loss. Sometimes we lose inches even when our weight remains the same.
    
5. If you live near one of our diet and fitness classes, do go along. Being in a class with people just like you and participating in an exercise session that will burn fat and tone you up will help you to stay on track. There is a workout at every class we run.
    
6. Find a diet buddy to encourage you on your journey and avoid negative people.
    
7. Whether a member of our RC class or our RC online slimming club, you will receive a certificate for each stone you lose. Stick these on your fridge to remind you of your achievements.
    
8. Always keep your ‘before’ photograph handy and take interim pictures too so you have a visual record of your progress.

   1.  

9. Go clothes shopping and try on a dress in your ‘old’ size and realise how much you must have slimmed down.
    
10. While shopping, find your dream dress and hold it against you in the size you are aiming for and imagine yourself wearing it. If you can afford it, buy it and use it as a goal.
     
11. Keep motivated by reading the stories of our successful slimmers featured in this magazine. They did it and so can you!
     
12. Start a scrapbook of momentos of your weight-loss journey, Slimmer of the Week certificates, congratulatory notes and cards to remind you of how well you are doing.
     
13. Cut out your favourite low-fat recipes from this magazine. Keep them in a folder as your personal recipe book.
     
14. If you have a bad day, don't beat yourself up. Just get back on the diet, eat your three daily meals and do a bit more exercise to burn some extra calories.
     
15. Get your hair restyled. Go to a good salon and speak to a stylist to find the best manageable style for you. A new hair colouring can take years off you.
     
16. Never discard the largest garment you wore when you were at your heaviest. It will act as a real motivational reminder of your progress.
     
17. Celebrate each time you reach a new ‘stone’ category on your weight-loss record card, for instance going from, say, 13st-something to 12st-something.
     
18. Exercise helps your skin to shrink back so keep active and massage cream over your body after every shower or bath to help keep your skin soft and toned. Treat yourself to our Body Firming Cream. It’s great value, very effective and smells and feels delightful. I use it every day.
     
19. Start dressing thoughtfully to emphasise your slimmer figure. Take pride in your appearance and you'll find that people will pay you compliments, which will encourage you to keep going.
     
20. Losing your excess weight, getting fitter and eating more healthily is the best thing you can do to stay healthy. Next time you go to the doctor, ask them to check your blood pressure and cholesterol level. Seeing the improvements to your health will motivate you to keep it up long term. You really could be saving your life!

1. 21.This additional tip is from me, not from Rosemary but me...

1. "Keep the photograph and news item cutting about the trousers malfunction of Lord Mayor of Leicester - or35 year old Angelina McAvenna who was HER student.