Weight Loss Retreat or Boot camp?
Weight Loss Retreat or Boot camp?
There are so many residential weight loss programmes to choice from these days, weight loss retreat, fat camp, fit camp, fat farm, bootcamp.
So many names but are they really the same or different? Surely it’s just the same horse with a different jockey?
How do you decide which is the right residential weight loss option for you?
When choosing a residential retreat to support your weight loss goals there are a number of factors to help answer this question.
Are you looking for a quick fix or changes for life?
Are you looking to shift a few pounds before an upcoming event, slim into your swimsuit for a holiday? Or perhaps you are looking to lose a more substantial amount of weight? Perhaps your health has begun to be affected by your current lifestyle?
Many bootcamps still work of the old adage “eat less, move more” they promote rapid weight loss through low calorie diets and intensive training. While at the opposite end some venues focus on restrictive diet plans, removing whole food groups or supplemented juice plans supported by “optional” activity programmes.
While any approach that reduces calorie intake will promote short term weight loss these programmes are not relevant to real life, are not sustainable and can negatively impact health in the long term.
Are you looking for single sex or mixed groups?
Many boot camps are run by men, to be more precise ex-military or active service men, while they can have an understanding of the health and fitness needs and requirements for other service men, when it comes to delicate balance for womens health, unless they have studied this in particular then they may be applying a “one size fits all” approach to health and fitness.
Also, ask yourself if you want to work out in a mixed group or would you feel more comfortable in a single sex group. When you are learning new techniques, new exercises and learning to stretch your own limits then you want to be free from any negative self chatter or self limiting beliefs. Also do you want to compete with the boys, is that a realistic model for you or would it feel intimidating?
Are you looking to address not only the physical but the psychological and emotional aspects of weight loss?
For many women the links between psychological and physical hunger are inexplicably linked. If you are prone to emotional or comfort eating, cravings, binges or have concerns about control over food then when looking at weight loss retreats look at the qualifications and experiences of the team who will support you to work on this area and if they are not listed on the website then ask. Are the tools and resources on offer going to support you in the longer term?
Is food important to you?
For some food is purely fuel, for others it is pleasure. Very often the two seem to be mutually exclusive, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Just like a fad diet a poorly designed nutrition plan, a low fat/no fat, low calorie type plan will only provide temporary results.
Look at the style of food you will be served, is there variety? Is the menu designed to promote optimum health? Is the type of food something you would like to eat for life?
Why is The Body Retreat different from Bootcamp?
While The Body Retreat does run weight loss retreats we don’t advocate a focus on quick fix weight loss or becoming obsessive on the number on the scale, rather we use weight as an indicator of health and of progress but its not the only one.
The journey to health and wellbeing should be a pleasure not a chore, if its aggressive, austere, complicated, or just too hard then it is not suitable for the long term. So The Body Retreat is about balance not quick fix, it’s about respecting and protecting your body for life.
Our Four Pillars at The Body Retreat are:
Mindset
Thoughts become actions and actions become behaviours, which in turn drives results, get this right the rest will follow. All our retreats have behavioural change at their heart. We work content free, so no “happy clappy group sharing sessions here” this means you can sure of safety and privacy while you address self-sabotaging behaviours. Our behaviour coach is onsite all day every day.
Menu
You cannot out train a bad diet, so getting the right nutrition is paramount and also you will find that the body can do amazing things to heal and support itself with the right fuel. Our eminently qualified Nutritional Therapist has created a suite of workshops that are practical and relevant for today’s modern woman.
Movement
This is different from exercise, we encourage women to aim to be active every day for good overall health but to exercise with purpose for fitness, strength and weight management. Our lead trainer is a weight loss and obesity specialist and has decades of experience working with women at all stages of their lives.
Maintenance
Rest and Regeneration, one of the best parts of The Body Retreat, the reward for the hard work in other areas, the time when changes are embedded and strengthened, the key to making changes for life. Not finding time but making time to care for your body and mind to ensure good health today and every day. We have joined forces with Mio skincare to promote fit skin for life and work with some amazing local therapists to provide a variety of complimentary treatments on retreat.
Can a week on retreat really change your life?
We believe it can and we have almost 12 years experience and hundreds of success stories of women whom we have helped to lose the fear of food, find the strength to reclaim their health and to achieve the body and fitness they both want and deserve. But more importantly our weight loss retreats are designed to promote sustainable lifestyle changes and so avoid the rebound effect of weight gain post retreat.
So when it comes to making the investment of both time and money in choosing a residential weight loss event take the time to find the answers you need.
