Do you dream of a world where your metabolism is as fast as your Wi-Fi connection?
Introducing the “Fast-and-Feast” 5-Day Intermittent Fasting Retreat!
Are you tired of constantly counting calories, weighing portions, feeling guilty, and obsessing about that slice of cake you’ve been denying yourself? Well, put down your fork and pay close attention because this retreat is for you if you want to permanently lose the weight that has crept on, but don’t want to harm your body while you shed the kilos.
You definitely don’t want to reduce your body’s resistance to infection. You want to eat healthily, building your body’s natural immunity, while you get rid of the excess weight that puts you at risk of a variety of diseases, including COVID.
This is your opportunity to test-drive intermittent fasting, aka time-restricted eating, to find out if it suits you, while at the same time detoxing your body and your mind, while walking the Camino de Santiago de Compostella. During this 5-day retreat, hosted in the foothills of the mighty Pyrenées mountains in the sun-blessed south of France, and have all your questions will be answered by a medical doctor who has been living this lifestyle herself for several years.
The Intermittent Fasting: Detox Your Body Detox Your Mind Weight Loss retreat is the perfect way to kick-start a weight loss program that will enable you to lose weight and keep it off permanently! So…
Are you ready for a weight loss retreat that will leave you feeling vibrantly alive, full of joie de vivre, deliciously indulged and profoundly relaxed from the top of your head to the tips of your toes?
Imagine sitting under 200-year-old lime trees, comfortably ensconced in a sun-lounger, listening to the birds chatting away happily in the trees, sipping a scrumptious, ice-cold glass of fresh-pressed juice with the perfume of wildflowers and herbs scenting the air…
…and your most pressing problem this difficult decision: should you get up and go for a leisurely walk through the vineyards, meadows and sunflower fields surrounding you or should you stay exactly where you are and meditate some more about how intensely grateful you are to be right here, right now?
It is easy to START a diet. STAYING on a weight loss program is much more difficult.
It is easy to START an exercise program. Exercising regularly for the rest of your life is much more challenging.
The problem is, if you want to lose weight, you have to eat less and exercise more and if you want to keep that weight off permanently you will have to stick to a weight management and a regular exercise program.
If you are ready to discover a way of eating and exercising that you can easily incorporate into your daily life, that will allow you to lose weight steadily and keep it off permanently, that will not be detrimental to your health but will leave you feeling healthy and full of energy, then the Detox Your Body Detox Your Mind Weight Loss Retreat is exactly what you have been looking for.
Intermittent Fasting has many benefits. Evidence-based research has demonstrated that it may
- help you lose weight and keep it off forever
- extend your lifespan, helping you to live healthily for longer
- make you more resistant to infections, including viral infections
- help you sleep better
- reduce insulin resistance, lowering your risk of type 2 diabetes
- reduce inflammation that causes or worsens many chronic diseases like arthritis
I want more than just a (temporary) detox and weight loss for my guests. I want to empower and educate my guests to be able to keep the weight off permanently and develop a long-term exercise program that will improve their health, lower their stress levels and decrease their risk of developing various acute and chronic diseases. I know personal weight loss is a challenge that requires support and guidance and this is why this retreat provides mental, emotional, physical, and nutritional guidance and support.
I designed this retreat in 2019, a year after I started intermittent fasting myself. I am a medical doctor with many years of experience in helping people lose weight and maintain their weight loss. I chose to host these weight loss retreats in a part of the world where inhabitants live the longest, healthiest and fittest lives in Europe, despite eating substantial amounts of rich food and drinking copious amounts of wine. As well as being a medical hypnotherapist and a certified master NLP practitioner, I am also a certified equine-assisted experiential learning coach. I am convinced that mindful eating, combined with intermittent fasting, is the secret of losing weight and keeping it off permanently.
Testimonial
I have experienced dietary issues for as long as I can remember and earlier this year I began to explore Intermittent Fasting as a solution to help me on my journey to better understanding my body. I chose this retreat as I hoped it would be a direct-to-source way of gaining more reliable knowledge about intermittent fasting; its benefits, and challenges, as well as tips and tricks on how to introduce it into my lifestyle in the smoothest way possible. I felt from Margaretha’s profile that she had the experience to effectively answer any questions I may have. Within 24 hours of meeting Margaretha I felt confident that the intermittent fasting lifestyle was the right solution for me. All of our conversations on the topic were open, informative and above all realistic, as we discussed how to make Intermittent Fasting work in line with a busy social life.
The Intermittent Fasting education aside, I really enjoyed so many other parts of this retreat; not least spending quality time with Margaretha over dinner where we shared life experiences and connected beyond our shared interest in Intermittent Fasting. I also grabbed with both hands the opportunity to walk parts of the Camino de Santiago – something I have been drawn to for some time – and I can safely say it did not disappoint. Overall I had a really enjoyable few days with Margaretha in her home in beautiful french countryside and I would recommend anyone who has been thinking about Intermittent Fasting to join this retreat for a few days of education, relaxation (the daily massages were dreamy) and also great company. J Butterfield (review posted on Bookretreats.com)
Thank you so much Margaretha for a very special 14 days. It was a joy to meet you, other guests, your friends, the horses and not forgetting the cats! I felt peaceful and relaxed and learnt so much after trying many diets over the years. Choosing to stay longer proved to be invaluable during my introduction to Intermittent fasting. It gave me time to readjust and the 16/8 plan suits me perfectly. Our in-depth discussions have helped me to accept realistic weight loss targets and eating healthier foods now should enable me to lose weight permanently.
I also had the opportunity to walk two stretches of the Camino de Santiago which was an experience not to be missed. Margaretha, your kind words of guidance helped it to be a very rewarding experience and I can’t thank you enough. Marilyn E. (review posted on Bookeretreats.com°
Only a limited number of participants will be able to attend a Detox and Introduction to Intermittent Fasting Weight Loss Retreat every year.
To ensure everyone gets individual, quality attention and the time to ask questions, I limit the size of my groups and I host a limited amount of retreats per year – which means you will need to reserve early to be one of the few fortunate guests who come here this year.
Transport
It’s very easy to get here – Fly or take the train from where you are to Bordeaux or Toulouse. Toulouse is the easiest to access from here. From Toulouse, there is a train to Auch, from there a bus to Nogaro. The easiest is to pick up a hire car in Bordeaux/Toulouse. You can also fly to Pau/Tarbes-Lourdes/Biarritz.
Imagine how different your life will be in a year’s time if you decide to begin losing weight by eating mindfully and changing your life today. Contact me at welcome2gascony@gmail.com asap.
What is included in this retreat:
- 4 nights’ accommodation in an authentic half-timbered French farmhouse in the heart of the Cotes de Gascogne wine region in the south-west of France
- Scrumptious local food served during an 18/6 or 20/4 window
- Free transport from Nogaro to the venue
- Wifi connection
- Self-guided local walks (sections of the Camino de Santiago de Compostella – 11km Day 1, 10 km Day 2 and a vineyard walk on Day 3)
- Inspiring Writing Meditation sessions
- In-depth Intermittent Fasting discussions
- Welcome dinner on the day of arrival and scrumptious brunch on the day of departure
What is NOT included:
- Transport costs to local airports and train stations – there are 4 international airports (Toulouse, Bordeaux, Biarritz and Pau) less than 2 hours’ drive from here.
- Transport from local airports to local train stations (Auch and Mont de Marsan)
- Transport from local train stations to Nogaro/ Aire-sur-Adour.
- Personal Health Insurance and/or Travel Insurance (we highly recommend insurance cover in case you need to cancel)
- Alcoholic drinks
- Dinner on Day 4. We have this meal in a local restaurant to boost the local economy post-COVID (cost 15-30 euros, depending on your choices.)
Optional extras to make 100% sure you benefit from this retreat:
- To facilitate transport arrangements, or to explore the region, you are welcome to arrive a day early – we offer bed-and-breakfast accommodation on a day-to-day basis, from 119 euro per room per night, but only to our retreat guests,
- Non-participating partners are very welcome at a reduced cost – there is a lot for them to discover and do in the immediate vicinity.
- 30-60 min massages (if availability allows)
- 45 minutes motivation-maximising Hypnotherapy sessions
Program
- 10:00 Instruction/Discussion about Mindful Eating and Intermittent Fasting
- 11:00 Morning Coffee/Tea break
- 11:30-14h30 Walking Meditation (Camino de Santiago/vineyard walk)
- 14:30-16:00 Free time
- 16h00 Afternoon Coffee/Tea
- 16:30 Writing Meditation
- 19h00 Dinner
Enough free time is available for relaxing and recharging your batteries. None of the activities is mandatory. If you prefer to skip an activity and just relax and read quietly in the garden, you are more than welcome. The program is not set in stone and might be adjusted according to outside temperatures/other retreat activities.
Accommodation
The Gastronomy of Gascony
Meals are a celebration of the wonderful variety of fresh local produce available from our garden as well as from the local weekly fresh food markets.
We serve brunch and dinner, as part of an intermittent fasting régime, for a healthy but not too strenuous detox. You also have the option, at brunch, to make sandwiches to eat during your walk.
If you have any food intolerances, allergies or dislike some ingredient or food, please let us know during your booking. We cater for vegetarian and gluten-free diets on request.
Retreat Host Dr M Montagu
“After working for 20 years as a medical doctor in a variety of specialities including psychiatry and general practice, I came to the conclusion that many diseases have their roots in my patients’ inability to handle stress effectively. Instead of treating stress-related illnesses, I decided to look at practical ways that my patients can use to prevent stress from ruining their health.
I studied a number of alternative therapies including hypnotherapy and NLP, and eventually combined my education and experience to create the transformational virtual and residential retreats that I host in the south of France.”
Dr M Montagu MBChB MRCGP MedHypDip NLP Master Pract Cert Prof Life Coach Cert Counseling Cert EAGALA Cert
Do you feel stuck in a rut and desperately long to escape?
If you do, then a 5/7/10/14-day Detox Your Body Detox Your Mind with Intermittent Fasting Weight Loss retreat here in the sun-blessed south of France might be exactly what you need right now.
Cost
The cost of this 5-day 4-night retreat, as described above, starts at 899 euros for a single bedroom and 1799 euros for 2 people in a double bedroom. Please enquire about longer retreats. Our retreats start at 18h00 on the day of arrival to 11h00 on the day of departure.
So seize this exceptional opportunity to spend a few nights with us NOW…to help you make your trip a special one, please let us know you are coming by making a reservation. A warm welcome awaits you amidst the Armagnac, Saint Mont and Cotes de Gascogne vineyards in the sun-blessed southwest of France.
Ready to make a reservation? To pay your deposit and secure your booking, please contact us with the dates of the week that suits you at welcome2gascony(at)gmail.com or click on the button below to inquire about availability.
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Privacy notice
We take your privacy seriously. Your email address is not passed on or sold to any third parties whatsoever, you are not subscribing to any mailing lists and we promise to only use your details to contact you directly ourselves.
Deposit
To confirm your booking, a 25% deposit is required. Balance of payment is due 30 days prior to the start of your holiday. Please note: As our deposits are not refundable and our cancellation policy is firm, we strongly recommend the purchase of adequate travel insurance. Any cancellation received in writing up to 30 days before the holiday starts will result in a loss of 50% of the holiday price. Any cancellation made in writing less than 30 days before the holiday starts, or once the holiday has started, will result in a total loss of funds. Depending on availability, you can choose to transfer your booking to another date without incurring any additional fees. We reserve the right to cancel the holiday (if we do so your deposit will be refunded in full).
Please read our terms and conditions
Description frequently updated.