my next affordable-to-all group workshop for women to find out how to solve all their beauty, style, bodyshape, hair,lingerie, wardrobe dilemmas in a 2 hour workshop with me this evening in Chelsea.

The next workshops are on Thursday 22nd Thursday 23rd September.

My first workshop out of London at Warner Leisure Hotels at Littlecote, Berkshire is on 25th September.

slow but steady! still improving....

body fat down a little
waist down 1.5"
hips down 3/4"

Steve now would like me to do a detox for 7 days on only vegs and powders( not over the counter branded slimming powders but ones to help detox- "estrobalance" for hormones and "ultra inflam" to cleanse.

this will have to wait another week or so as am too busy with work to not be eating proper meals to energise me for the next 2 weeks.

Progress checkup again! At the last check I had lost a further 3/4" off my hips and today I have lost a further 1/2" from my waist and another 1% of body fat.

But it sucks getting older, not just because when we look in the mirror we get a shock, but as our metabolism slows down it becomes more difficult to lose actual pounds on the scales, even when we look slimmer.

So training sessions are the way forwards with heavier weights/low reps rather than low weights/lots of reps. This will apparently burn fat more efficiently.  I am still on no carbs/high protein diet with thin skinned fruits always eaten with protein and lots of vegs. One cheat meal a week eating anything and alcohol with that meal too.

I discovered in the last week that pine nuts, (even if eaten with a mix of seeds) can give you a nasty metallic taste in your mouth. I googled it and found lots of others had discovered the same effect. Not good!  But back to normal now.

Peak XV fitness (www.peakxvfitness.com) is Steve's nutrition and fitness website. It will be launching soon providing free information on diets, exercise plans and supplements to help you lose weight and get healthy, as well as selling nutrition plans, exercise programmes and supplements for people who want the best results. Steve has also started a group on facebook for those who are interested (peakxvfitness). It is dedicated to improving health and fitness, and will provide free information and challenge common myths about health and fitness.

I held my monthly makeover and style "Discover the New You" workshop at myhotelchelsea, London. You can find out more about the masterclasses at www.discoverthenewyou.co.uk. You can also see the "after" photos of some of the attendees learning how to pose for the camera with Kodak.

The next workshop is on Wednesday June 23rd 7.30pm
to book call 0207 370 2884 or book online at www.discoverthenewyou.co.uk

I've been so busy that I've had no time to update my diet progress with nutritionist Steve, but it's now 2 weeks since my last review and I can reveal that I had a bit of a blip over the Bank Holiday weekend. After vigorously following Steve's instructions- "eat like a caveman"- only protein and vegs, I was allowed to add berries into the meal times- twice a day. That was very exciting, but even more exciting I could now have a "cheat" day, once a week, eating anything I wished!

But... when in the Isle of Wight and invited out to Supper and then a Sunday lunch it was all too easy to turn a cheat day into a cheat weekend... and unfortunately my weigh-in was on the next day, so progress was slightly slowed down!

Now I am on a treat "cheat meal" once a week and adding 2 portions of low-GI fruits to my berries. I am still on protein and vegs- no carbs and no other cheating!
So how much have I lost now?....

4% of body fat
2.5" from my tum
1.25" from my hips
and not disclosing my weight yet but its slowly going down.

By the way did I mention that Steve is the nutritionist for Fulham football team and they've been rather successful recently! Maybe I might reach the same fitness level too!....still got quite a while to go I feel. 

If you quote "ceril" and email to steve-hhc@hotmail.co.uk, Steve will give you a special VIP discount on your own personalised weight loss programme!

weighed in again with Steve and body fat measured with the callipers. I have not cheated once so the weight and fat loss should be ongoing.
and it is...

another 0.6% loss of bodyfat and 0.8 kgs.

I have lost 2" around my tum so far.

So after 2 weeks on protein and vegs-no carbs- I have been given a cheat day to eat anything I want. Funnily I dont really want to go off this diet as i am on a roll. But I have instrcutions, so i am going to choose one day over the Bank Holiday.

From now on I can also have servings of berries with my protein twice daily.

Also I can have one "cheat" meal a week where I can eat whatever I want and have alcohol but NO second helpings. 

This is quite easy and I'm not having any cravings!

week 3 and time for my weigh-in and body fat-loss measuring.

Lost 2 kilos- yay!! 

So far lost 2% of my 8% body fat excess- checked by Steve's rather painful "body fat" check callipers. (The callipers grab your fleshy bits- not comfortable, but satisfying when there is an apparent loss.

still on the no carbs diet for another week.
Adding extra magnesium to my diet after my night time meal and also extra Omega 3 oils to my foods.

Do feel am beginning to look a bit better in my clothes again.  

On the second appointment with Steve, although I did not feel any slimmer, Steve measured me with his "fat measuring" callipers and found that I had actually lost some body fat, although the scales remained the same. This was without dieting but simply taking his 7 meals worth of digestion-improving supplements.

So now for week 2and 3, as I am impatient, he has put me on a "Caveman boot camp diet." I can only eat anything that "flys, swims or has four legs" together with green vegetables. So basically a low-carb diet.  Also no alcohol which is probably the most difficult part.

My next visit to Steve is Friday. My assistant Susie did observe today that I looked thinner- but scales at home dont agree! sticking at it though. This is a 3 month project to become the old me again.

After seeing myself on a recent appearance on TV and realising that both the scales and mirror weren't lying and that I had put on a serious amount of weight, it was time to address how to lose the weight successfully

The person who is hopefully going to solve this issue is Steve Hines, a nutritionist, physio and trainer for Fulham football club.

Steve works on a hormone balancing system through "BioSignature". 
The first week he surprisingly hasn't put me on a diet, but gave me a series of stomach acid testing supplements to take for 7 meal times, that will determine how I am digesting/absorbing all the nutrients from the food I eat.

My next appointment is Thursday.....

Once again I find myself over-stressed, worn out and run-down so I am at Grayshott health spa for a 3-day quickie break.

When I arrive I am still at London pace but after a day I become slower and relaxed. My days include a swim, steam cabinet, massage, and choices of gym, vibro-gym, pilates, tai-chi or relaxation classes.

A variety of extra treatments that I have also treated myself to- include hypnotherapy to stop late night snacking, Reiki (healing) and cranial osteopathy. What draws me back repeatedly to Grayshott is that whatever treatment I choose, the therapist is always fantastic. I have found that often some of the glitziest health spas don't have great therapists as they seem to provide career launch pads for young beauty therapists. Grayshott is definitely not like this and many of the senior therapists have been there for over 10 years or more.

Food is also completely delicious and although presented as though it's a 5* dining experience everything is carefully cooked with attention to health, calorie and portion control.

After 6 days at the retreat I am leaving in the morning around 7Ibs lighter and feeling so better in myself.  As the weather has been so bad here in Devon,  I joined Dinnaton health club(a members only club) near Ivybridge to swim in their pool each morning and for the pilates classes.  This is not something that is advocated by the retreat, as they fill your day sufficiently with talks, treatments and yoga and meditations, but I wanted to swim regularly as was missing it.

Whilst parking my car in the car park,  I noticed "Exquisite Beauty", a small beauty salon beside the health club. If you are local to the area, I would highly recommend this small salon that was bought and taken over 3 years ago by Kate Lethbridge when she was only 18.  Kate runs the salon and does the treatments with skill and care and is fully booked most days. The pedicure, eye lash and eyebrow tints were as good as those I have had in London.  If a 21year old can make such a success of a business in only 3 years, I wondered what she will be doing in 10 years time! I say watch out Estee Lauder....

What do you do when you feel exhausted, over stressed, over-fed and a need to escape?

You go to a detox retreat in west Devon near Chagford, to re-educate your thought processes and eating patterns so that you can look after yourself in the future in a healthier way.

So now I am 4 days into my week's stay in a Devon farmhouse.
3 days on juices and broths only (delicious, but strangely I have never felt starving) ....together with colon-cleansing powders added to the juices (disgusting but effective) have made me feel refreshed and re-vitalised.  I have also had hypnotherapy and nutritional advice to help my ongoing journey to a new me. 

Holly, who runs the retreat, has given me great massage treatments with relaxation and meditation classes and talks on looking at your life in different ways. 

The person who may have helped me the most is the homeopath I didnt feel I needed to see- Phill de Jong (email him at earth845@btinternet.com). He was brilliant, and underlying emotions in me emerged whilst chatting to him that were obviously being well-hidden by me (even from myself). He left remedies for me to take whilst here and on an ongoing basis at home.

So I shall leave hopefully not only slimmer, but with renewed positivity toward life.  But  I am waiting until day 6 to weigh myself and try on my tightest jeans………
www.breathedetox.co.uk

I have used this wrap when I have needed to look my best for a red carpet event, or a TV appearance. We girls all have “feeling fat” days, even if we actually aren’t any different in size from the day before, but at those times of the month, or after a few days of over indulgence, then this wrap is definitely a quick fix to help you feel and look slimmer. After the treatment you really have lost inches, and the skin appears smoother. Even better the effect is guaranteed for 30 days - or your money back (as far as they are aware, this is the only beauty treatment available in the UK that offers such a guarantee). Of course, with any treatment, it works best when it is done on a course basis, together with a healthier diet and exercise. But there is no doubt that Universal contour wrap works and helps you look better for that special occasion. I believe that it is the only treatment of its kind that guarantees an inch loss. It certainly works for me brilliantly. I have my treatments at the Balance, Kings rd, London SW3

Jem comes to you, and whilst living in your home, creates a spa-in-your-home and detox for a minimum of 4 days. He comes armed with huge juicing machines, and boxes of organic fruit and vegs. You are woken daily with hot water and lemon. You will then have a juiced mixed fruit drink for breakfast, juiced fruit and veg for lunch and tea and a vegetable broth for dinner during your fast. You break the fast on the last day with a delicious salad of all sorts of leaves and raw and sprouting vegetables and seeds. His cooking is great and is it is amazing what he can rustle up with just fruit and veg. In between each “meal” you will have treatments that include yoga, chi gung, massage, Indian head massage, Thai yoga massage, meditation and other therapies.  He is also interesting to chat to about how you feel about your current life and lifestyle and moving on in your life with goals and aspirations.  I would recommend doing this when you have a child-free period, otherwise it is not so restful and beneficial as it could be.

Chandra is an excellent yoga teacher, and gives one-to-one yoga classes in SW London.

www.yogastudiochandramaan.nl