A personal trainer can maximise your gains

Since I committed to weight training regularly at the gym I was starting to get great results. My muscles were developing, my strength increased in ways I could measure week by week but one depressing element remained unchanged. Covering all my muscles like lagging was a cosy layer of fat. This was immensely frustrating as it was concealing my newly found weapons! I decided it was time, once more, to call in the professionals.

When I arranged to meet qualified personal trainer Colin Crerar of Soul Fit I was prepared for a sergeant major type who'd frighten me into fat-burning submission. What I hadn't expected was a great workout buddy whose philosophy was much more carrot than stick.

At our first meeting, Colin took notes of my goals, both short and long-term, he assessed my level of fitness and used calipers to measure my fat. We agreed my short-term target would be to stick to a plan Colin would devise for me for five weeks before measuring the results.

A couple of days later we met for my first session and Colin presented me with a neat little binder packed with nutritional advice, recipes, weekly goals and a five-week diary covering all my meals and all the exercise I would be expected to clock up over the agreed period.

And so on with our first session. I had thought I was pretty fit so Colin's interval training came as a shock. I've been known to run occasionally but I'd only consider sprinting in a life-or-death situation. We made a couple of turns around the Meadows alternately sprinting and jogging, by the end of which I was more than ready for a lie down in a dark room. No such luck, the rest of our session saw us using a children's play park as a military training ground as Colin made me perform sets of sit-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, tricep dips and other tortures until my legs were trembling and I could barely pick up my water bottle.

We agreed that, over the course of the next five weeks, I would be mainly self-motivated. I met up with Colin on just three other occasions and he helped me mix up my programme to stop me getting bored.

The toughest part to stick to was the interval training, but I managed to follow the plan at least 70 per cent of the time. Always, in the back of my head was the thought of those "calipers of shame" and Colin shaking his head sadly at the results. Potential humiliation is a great motivator and when we met up for the final time, my clothes felt looser, I could run a bit faster and a little bit further, and friends were starting to comment on how much "leaner" I was looking. In five weeks, I lost 5lbs and 2 per cent of my fat – an inch off my hips and an inch off my waist. But more importantly I'm on track for my long-term goal of being stronger, fitter and more motivated, for life.

• www.soulfit.co.uk

Fab facts for a beautiful life:-

Sleep easy

This is Stop Snoring Week, so why not attempt to tackle this noisy problem with the No Snore Pillow. According to the makers, it helps by tilting your head slightly forward (whether you sleep on your back or side), so that your airways are kept open throughout the night. It also fits inside any standard pillowcase, so nobody need know.

No Snore Pillow, 19.95, House of Bath (www.houseofbath.co.uk)

Lip smacking

We think of Clarins as a serious skincare brand, which is why its new Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balms come as such a surprise. The colourful packaging of the three varieties (red, coral and clear) is so much fun. However, as expected, these products aren't lacking in the efficacy department, with ingredients including pro-ceramides and high- tech polymers to help fill fine lines and intensively moisturise.

Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balms, 15.50 each (0800 036 3558, www.clarins.co.uk)

City scene

The Urban Rat Race (www.ratraceadventure.com) isn't until the 17 and 18 July. Until then, take part in its new series of Urban Gym Sessions in Edinburgh, with hour-long classes every Monday and Thursday at 6pm. Starting at a base on Castle Terrace, these will involve around 3km of running, interspersed with Rat Stops, which involve replacing gym equipment with pieces of "urban landscape" (ie benches and bollards).

Rat Race Urban Gym Sessions, first no-commitment session, 5 (www.ratraceurbangym.com)

This article was first published in The Scotsman Magazine, April 24, 2010