Tales from the Boot Camp with Dan Sheridan

Mid-December, and the Christmas period is beginning to loom large. But before talk turns to presents under the tree, for me it's all about chalking off the final days of my 10-week camp with LIFE Personal Fitness.

The last few weeks have moved at a serious pace, with routines and exercises reflecting the impressive levels of fitness now being reached by some of my fellow campers.

As for myself, I've found some aspects easier than others – I've already voiced in some detail my thoughts on running, but my overall endurance has definitely improved and there's no question I'm feeling fitter.

Of course, my diet has helped this process enormously, and the simple removal of a handful of key ingredients has contributed almost as much as the exercise.

Sugar – for the obvious reasons – has been the big one, but the fact I no longer eat bread, and all the things that go with it (butter, mayonnaise, cheese etc), means I've cut out some big-hitters on the calorie front.

The exercise has undoubtedly given me a boost, but for anyone thinking of joining such a camp in the New Year, getting through it alongside a revamped diet will bring about the most noticeable results.

Exactly how well I've done, such as how much weight I've lost, will be revealed as the camp winds up over the next seven days.

Christmas is coming, but there's still work to be done before those presents start piling up under the tree.

A typical menu for Monday's LIFE Personal Fitness session.