Having read how Woman’s Hour presenter Jenni Murray piled on the pounds again after losing 5 stone on the Dukan diet, and recently joined Weight Watchers to start all over again (I must confess I am a lapsed member), I wondered if she had considered boot camp to help kick start her diet and renewed healthy lifesytyle.

I am a guest of Champneys Boot Camp at Henlow Grange next week and am now questioning the wisdom of my enthusiasm. Yes, I enjoy exercise and fitness, I love healthy food (especially if someone else prepares it), there will be pampering too (bliss!!), and surely good company thrown in, as well as wallowing in their luxury surroundings.

My jellywobbes are because I wonder how I am going to survive on 1500 calories a day after probably burning that many calories during my activities (see the programme below), and I discovered last week that caffeine is banned too. Neither do I intend to sneak in Mars bars or any other temptations which will cause havoc to my week when I am determined to return home, not only a few pounds lighter, but also with those psychological dietary messages firmly engrained in my mind which should keep me on the straight and narrow.

The week includes a health check up (blood pressure, weight and body measurements), 4-6 hours of exercise per day, nutrition and fitness talks, a nutrition plan, seven Champneys treatments, plus a dedicated team to motivate and guide us during the week and, most importantly, support us when we get home. With the average weight loss of 6.3lbs and 4.5 inches, I have set myself high expectations and look forward to my clothes feeling looser.

I have good news for Jenni. A fitness instructor from the spa called me last week to check out my health background and told me they still had one place available at Henlow Grange. Jenni, why not give boot camp a try too! We can compare notes and support each other.

And good luck with WW, I know it is a sensible diet, that it promotes a healthy approach to food and exercise that should stay with  you for life. That’s what my boot camp will be hoping to achieve too, but I’ll be burning a few thousand calories while having fun too.

I hope to have enough energy left at the end of each day to write up about it on my blog, there’s no telling what’s going to happen.