If you are seriously looking to lose weight and kick-start a healthy regime, look no further than Fitfarms in Devon. Set on a 100-acre estate nestled in the peaceful Aville valley, they offer separate week long courses for men and women.

When David Leafe signed up for a week at a weight-loss retreat, he was thinking fluffy robes - not hard slog.

When I returned from "fat camp" two months ago, the first thing I did was try on a pair of "leisure slacks" with a 40in waist - an emergency purchase last Christmas when I could no longer squeeze into any of my smart trousers.

The location of Fitfarms in Somerset is excellent, close to Exmoor where you will be doing long and challenging walks in some of the most glorious countryside in England.

My reasons for going to Fitfarms, a weight and fitness retreat, were vanity and fitness. I have spent most of my life doing martial arts and dance, but the past few years I had done nothing! So although I was happy with the way I looked, I want to stay happy.

The Weight-Loss Camp - Naomi Abeykoon was put through her paces at FitFarms

FitFarms wastes no time getting its participants to start moving - we play an activity-based getting-to-know-you game on the fist night! And the group is varied, to say the least.

Podgy pals Beveley Nothman, 45, from Buckinghamshire and Michelle Mercer, 36, from Berkshire , feared they'd never lose their baby weight.

Lose weight down at the farm

Forget yo-yo dieting and gym memberships - the way to get trim is a trip to a fitness resort.

We put FitFarms new fat-busting holiday to the test... - Rachel Roberts

Forget the sugary cakes and biscuits Tesco has on its shelves - my daily nutritionist-devised diet will provide around 1,500 calories.

FitFarms Not for the faint hearted I was sitting in my office sipping a cup of tea when the invitation came in for a week at Fit farms and in blissful ignorance I thought "That looks like fun, a health farm that specialises in fitness -a bit of aerobic, walking and stretching."

Devon help me! Anyone who knows me knows I don't pander to skinny-celebrity culture. I'm happy being a big woman and I've run workshops celebrating the scared feminine since my twenties. Yet, even though my life has been blessed with abundance - especially since I married my wife, Margi, last year - I knew that, deep down, i still had some work to do on myself.

Forget extreme boot camp, Fitfarms is the ideal fitness holiday of choice for women across the UK who seek a healthier and fitter lifestyle that is both sustainable and achievable, all on home soil and in a fun environment. If you are looking to shed a few pounds and get fit before your big day, it's a great place to start.

(BY LAURA WILLIAMS - FITNESS & DIET EXPERT)
No longer seen as old-style fat farms, weightloss retreats are perfect for those looking to shift a Christmas-pud tum and locate long forgotten waist lines.

The sun shimmers in the clear blue sky as the lush green trees sway gently in the warm breeze. I let out a loud yawn before taking a swig of my cool drink. 'All right girls?' I manage eyeing the 20 ladies lined up next to me. They nod, their faces as flushed as mine. A dribble of sweat runs down my cheek and I change position.

Enrol at a Fitfarm
If you are serious about slimming and shaping up then visit a FitFarm to shed that stubborn weight once and for all. FitFarms are five-star women only wellness retreats specialising in weight loss.

FitFarms for a healthier and fitter lifestyle - "No. 1 Womens-only weight loss camp" - Sunday Times

FitFarms, the residential weight loss and fitness camp, is based in the Peak District and on Exmoor. Fitfarms focuses on intensive, natural and informative weight-loss programmes just for women.

Forget the vacation, ditch the staycation, the hottest new trend is the weigh-cation! A body boosting holiday at Fitfarms - voted number one by the Sunday Times and featured on the BBC - is the perfect way to take a break, get fit and look fabulous.