Thailand detox retreat: Apprentice star Claire Young returns a new person

Add to My Stories Since appearing on The Apprentice three years ago, I've lost more than three-and-a-half stone. it hasn't been easy, it hasn't been pretty and it's been tough keeping it off. everyone in life has a weak spot and mine is controlling the bathroom scales. I can handle the brutality of the boardroom, yet the constant emotional drag of weight loss is a battle I'd rather do without. Lord Sugar versus the weighing scales - I ask myself which is scarier? Both are ruthlessly honest and straight to the point.
For anyone who has been overweight - OK, let's not dress it up, fat - the danger signs are clear: bras struggling to contain newly acquired flesh; clothes becoming snug and the muffin top (the bit that overhangs the waist of your jeans) making a regular appearance.

On a mission: Claire Young, in blue bikini, takes a dip with her friend Alice at the Kamalaya resort My naughty habits - too many cappuccinos and family-size bags of sweets are my guilty pleasures - were taking their toll and I knew I had to take myself in hand. I needed a break that was going to make me focus on my physical well-being instead of just lying on a beach drinking too many cocktails, eating junk and partying.
After much research, I booked a fortnight's detox plan at Kamalaya resort on the island of Koh Samui in Thailand. it describes itself as a 'wellness sanctuary' - and it sounded perfect. I chose Thailand for two reasons: firstly, winter sun. After a hideous start to winter with barbaric sub-zero temperatures, it seemed almost essential to feel some rays on my skin. I felt I'd been in my jeans, thermals and long boots for so long that they would need to be surgically removed.
Secondly, I wanted a change from previous fitness holidays I'd been on. After being snapped on a beach by the paparazzi during The Apprentice looking like Jabba the H! utt, I p romptly booked myself on a boot camp 'fat fighters' holiday. I've done a couple of them since, and they do the trick. You lose up to a stone in a week and dramatically improve your fitness levels.But there is a catch. The biggest battle to staying slim is controlling your mind, not your legs, bum and tum. So having read more about alternative approaches, I was curious to try a more holistic approach. Crossing my fingers and hoping for long-term results, I jumped on a BA flight with my good pal Alice Dogruyol (fellow fat fighter) and headed east.

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Anyone who knows me would say I'm pretty straight-talking - my nickname is 'the rottweiler'. I don't do fluff, so I was slightly anxious that I might have signed away two weeks of my life to meeting tree-hugging hippies and nibbling lettuce leaves.
But from the second we got to Kamalaya, any preconceptions were banished and I was happy to hand over my worn-out body to the experts. I arrived exhausted, hungover from my best friend's wedding and feeling blobby. I was on a mission to leave Thailand glowing, fit, happy, recharged and a few pounds lighter. I took with me a little black dress (very little!) and hung it in the wardrobe as a reminder of why i was there.
We arrived late on New Year's Eve so I was ecstatic to find I could enjoy a celebratory banquet and one glass of champagne before the detox started. i enjoyed every mouthful!
Fireworks exploded over the sky and lanterns were lit as we made and i counted down to 2011. I woke up on New Year's Day hangover-free (which was a first). The sun was shining and i almost gave myself a pat on the back for having the sense to book the trip.
My beautiful villa had incredible views across the ocean. in ancient times, monks lived on the land now occupied by the resort - and the site is blessed. it feels magic! al. The atmosphere is hard to put into words; it encourages you to step down the gears and you immediately relax.
But the party always has to end, as they say, and mine did when i met Lily, my personal wellbeing consultant, who put me on an immediate 14-day detox plan. This involved:

• no alcohol, fat, sugar, dairy, meat, fish, chicken, caffeine or carbohydrates
• Daily supplements, homeopathy, protein shakes and plenty of water.

After the first 24-hour withdrawal period, when I felt like death warmed up, I found that following the plan was OK. I was never hungry and the food was delicious. Breakfast was a platter of nuts, seeds and fruit, all washed down with a wheatgrass shot that has more vitamins than 2lb of green vegetables.
Lunch was a vegetable curry and dinner usually soup and vegetables. in Thailand, they eat little dairy, fat or carbohydrates such as bread, pasta or pastries, and once you don't have them for a few days you don't miss them. Your taste buds do alter.
The best thing about Kamalaya's ethos is that they've recognised one size doesn't fit all. People are there for different reasons so individual plans are devised to help visitors get the most out of their stay. Even Alice and I went along with very different 'shopping lists' and our plans therefore varied hugely. it's also a very friendly resort, with communal tables for meals if that's your thing, so if you travel by yourself there's the opportunity to socialise with others. i made some great friends.
Aside from the detox diet I exercised-every morning with running, Thai boxing (my instructor told me I had a beautiful kick!) and personal training with seriously hard weights. The activities were all part of my programme.
Alice focused more on yoga, Pilates and alternative therapies such as reiki, acupuncture and blue light therapy, which helps mood and energy levels.

Weight y issue: Claire, pictured fifth from the left on the back row, on The Apprentice in 2008 There is a full timetable of classes from early to late so you can do as much, or as little, as you wish. I spent my afternoons reading on the private beach and evenings enjoying spa treatments. I even had three colonic treatments. Once you accept that you are going to lose your dignity, they're not so bad. I felt a million times better for them. i had never taken a two-week break from work and it was the best thing I'd ever done. I switched off mentally and just focused on myself.
Our time and energy are our most valuable commodities so we all need to remember to focus on the balance every now and then. nowadays everyone is so busy, it's a constant juggle to treat ourselves properly.
Kamalaya pampers you like royalty and you start to question why you don't do the same for yourself. It's a holiday break fit for a princess and, in fact, we crossed paths with Sarah Ferguson who was there filming a show for Oprah Winfrey. I left Thailand relaxed, 11lb lighter, fitter, with sun-kissed skin and, most importantly, wanting to look after myself. I vowed there would be no more junk food, only healthy eating and exercise. I returned home raring to go.
Of course there has to be room for the odd splurge but i no longer felt the need for that to be a daily occurrence. My little black dress fitted and I was able to partner it with the best accessory of all - a big smile.
Thank you Kamalaya, my mission was accomplished. But I'll be back!

Getting there

British Airways (0844 493 0787, www.ba.com) offers flights from Heathrow to Bangkok and can arrange onward fares with Bangkok Airways to Koh Samui. Return fares start at 797. Seven nights at Kamalaya for an all-inclusive detox starts at 2,051pp single-occupancy until the end of October. This includes airport transfers, accommodation in a hillside garden-view room, all food and drink, one detox consultation with follow-up, one body bio-impedance analysis! , detox herbal remedies and supplements, use of pools and fitness centre, daily fitness activities and a wellness gift pack.
For further information visit www.kamalaya.com, email reservations@kamalaya.com or call 00 66 77 429 800.