Reese Witherspoon has returned from her honeymoon in Belize. Surprisingly she didn’t offer up any of those shots to People Magazine. Then again, remember, she “mourns the loss of her privacy”. So I guess that’s her line.

As many of us do when we return from vacation, Reese went for a run yesterday to burn off some of her celebration indulgences. She went with a friend; talking makes the pain more bearable. I can’t do this when I run though. I can’t talk. It’s too hard. If I go with Fiona, I make her do all the talking, and we come up with agenda items before we start. Like I’ll say – ok, tell me first about work, then tell me about that bitch x and what she wore when you saw her, and then tell me about what you’re going to make me when I come over for dinner this weekend, and on.

When I was in Barbados this weekend, I forgot my goddamn iPod and Hayley had me on 6 minute running intervals which were brutal, especially without music. How do people work out without a distraction? I admire you.

Anyway, more and more of you have been sending in your questions for my trainer Hayley and she’s been diligently answering all of them. The most common questions seem to be focused on how to find a good trainer and about weight loss. This is how Hayley responded to a reader last month. I thought it was a very tangible explanation of goals and diet. Hope this is helpful.

It is important that you find a trainer that you trust. You want someone who makes you feel comfortable, understands what you need and are looking for and delivers that to you. They should have experience (the more education the better but you will pay more for that) and be fit themselves (it is amazing how many trainers out there are not fit themselves). Look for a trainer who trains as their career, not just a few hours here and there or is using it as a stepping stone to get somewhere else. Most really good trainers do not work for corporate gyms but work independently. Gyms do not pay trainers a lot so someone who has a lot of experience and education and is working in the industry as their career will most likely work on their own so that they can make a decent living. (A gym will take 60-70% of what they charge for themselves and then give the trainer the rest). Don't expect magic from your trainer - they will provide you with the tools to achieve what you are looking to achieve but you are the one who has to put in the work. You need to be the one that is motivated as a trainer can only do so much.

What is considered a reasonable rate?
A reasonable rate for a trainer is 60-80$ an hour. Some charge 100$ an hour but I think that is ridiculous. If you train with a partner then usually the rate will be about 50-55$ per person.

Would impact be made by meeting with a trainer once a week or do you really need to meet more frequently?
Depending on how motivated you are, that determines how many times you should see your trainer. Most of my clients see me 1 - 2 times per week. I don't like to see my clients more than that as I like them to be independently motivated and do a ton of stuff on their own. You could always start with 2 or 3 days a week right at the beginning then bring it down to 1 as you become more comfertable with doing stuff on your own.

What about nutrition? What do your average meals looks like? Does your trainer believe that weight loss is more about what and how much you eat, or exercise?
Weight loss is definitely 80% your diet. It doesn't matter how much you exercise if you are over eating you will not lose a pound. It takes 3500 calories to lose 1 pound. Might sound like a lot but actually it is quite easy. I like to break it down into 1 day at a time. In order to lose 1 pound a week you need to create a calorie deficit of 500 calories each day (meaning you are intaking 500 calories less than you are expending). If you do it through exercise alone (and you are eating your daily caloric requirement) then you will need to run 5 miles (in example). If you do it through diet alone then you need to eat 500 calories a day less. If you do it with a combination (my favourite) of diet and exercise then you eat 250 calories less and burn 250 more calories. This is easy - 3 miles (walking or running) and take your sugar out of your coffee, take out 1 piece of bread out of your diet and no "treats". If you want to lose 2 pounds a week you need to double that equation. There are lots of other tricks too, like drinking lots of water, eating lots of raw veggies throughout the day, cutting out sugar, eating more fruit in the morning more veggies at night. In regards to what your meals should look like - every meal should be 50% fruits or vegetables (fruit in the morning, veggies in the afternoon) and 25-30% protein and 25-20% carbohydrates (complex carbs such as ancient grains, sweet potatoes, etc). Your snacks should be "mini meals". Left overs work perfect for these. Try and do 3 meals a day of about 400 calories and 2 "mini meals" that are 200-250 calories.


Photo from Flynetonline.com