diet

As we move into December we can really start getting into the Christmas spirit and if you have your eye focused on that perfect Christmas outfit then our top tips will help to get you in party-ready shape. Ideal Weight Coach Lisa Bennett’s top tip is use your Christmas shopping trips as an Ideal Weight Workout to help you lose pounds on the run up to Christmas and into the New Year.

Lisa Bennett says: ‘Think of your Christmas shopping trips as a great way to lose pounds. Many of us walk for miles to find that perfect gift and laden with more presents than Rudolf can carry, you are...

Back to school means getting into a routine so that your skin looks its best. Sure, it will take some work but you can't expect to eat junk and suddenly wake up to a ravishing complexion! Here are a few tips to keep in mind while you embark on your studies. 1. Wash your face with an acne-fighting cleanser twice in the morning and twice in the evening and each time you sweat, such as after the gym. Just be sure to follow with a moisturiser since removing too much oil can result in your skin overproducing oil to compensate breaking you out further! A moisturiser specifically geared...

After terrible embarrassment on a holiday flight where she couldn’t fit into her seat, Devon woman Claire Coles has lost an amazing 11 stone and 9 dress sizes.

“I couldn’t fit into the seat, and after the embarrassment of asking for a seat belt extender, it was still a very tight fit, my legs were pinched and I couldn't even lower the tray, it was very uncomfortable. I was so embarrassed and unhappy, I just wanted the floor to open up and swallow me, I spent the five hours of the flight in tears," Claire said.

It was looking at holiday pictures when Claire...

It's a bit of a cliche, but nobody said this was going to be easy! This week I've had my first real setback: straining my soleus (the muscle from your calf to your achilles). This, coupled with a busy weekend involving a fair amount of eating and drinking exactly what I shouldn't be, has made me feel like I've really fallen off the wagon.

All that being said, I have still managed to fit in 2 1/2 training sessions! The first this week was another circuits and resistance session. After warming up and stretching, I started with a circuit of 5 exercises; doing each for 45 seconds. The...

An East Devon-based holistic cosmetic clinic dedicated to face and body skin health both physically and visually, is expanding to larger, brand new premises in central Exeter. South West Skin & Laser based in Budleigh Salterton has acquired the 125-year leasehold interest of an extensive suite in Augustus House, a large residential development on Isca Place located in New North Road. The 7,233 sq.ft. unit based near Central Station is currently nothing more than a concrete shell, however the Mother and daughter team Dr Ros Debenham a qualified doctor and Katie Debenham a fully...

I've had a hectic couple of weeks with work and a weekend away to London, but have still managed to fit in 3 workouts. I'm really starting to feel like my fitness is improving and Martin is incorporating more advanced exercises into the sessions.

The first session was a kettlebell and bodyweight circuit. The first time I completed the circuit I used a mixture of an 8kg and 12kg kettlebell; doing exercises such as squats, lunges, kettlebell swings, a clean and jerk lift for 30 seconds each. The circuit also incorporated bodyweight exercises such as burpees and walkouts, which...

With Martin away working at a bootcamp, my challenge this week has been keeping up my training on my own.

Before leaving, Martin gave me a programme for me to complete in the gym. As my leg was still a bit sore at the beginning of the week, I went to a couple of spinning classes instead so I wasn't bearing any weight on it. I stayed with my gym buddy Sarah to do some weights after a class as well, just to keep up with my resistance training.

I felt confident enough to get back in the gym by Sunday and in the afternoon, managed to tear myself away from the 6 Nations to go up...

So I’ve made it through my first proper week of fat-loss training, and just about made it to the other side! There were moments when I thought I was going to pass out and others when I thought I was going to puke, and I have never experienced post-exercise aches like I’ve had this week, but it feels amazing to know that I’ve done it!

I’ve completed two more training sessions this week, one resistance and circuit based, and another trip to the quay for more of the dreaded hill sprints.

The resistance session was made up of 2 circuits and a 10 minute boxing exercise. The...

Until fairly recently, my diet and fitness had taken a bit of a back seat to vodka and bacon sandwiches. But about this time last year, fed up of feeling fat and needing a week-night hobby that didn't involve Eastenders, I joined the David Lloyd gym in Exeter. And because I pay a fortune for it and signed up to a year's contract, I felt I didn't have much choice but to go!

It took me a little while to work out that getting fit didn't necessarily mean getting slim, but once I'd realised this, I signed up to the Slimming World plan to give me a bit of guidance on how to eat healthily...