ThinkSlim

New at the Gym?

If you've ever made the mistake of trying to do too much too soon at the gym you'll love this tongue-in-cheek account of one week with a personal trainer Adonis...

Her first week at the gym

Just remember to take it easy when you start to exercise...

AWOL in Edinburgh and New York

Back in Edinburgh and you'll notice I just got posting again after a busy month.

A couple of weeks ago I visited New York on vacation - what a mad city that is. I hadn't been there since 2001 - it was just as hectic as I remembered but much hotter. (Last time we visited in May). I thought I may have lost weight after walking around site-seeing for 5 or 6 hours every day but the New York food put paid to that....too much cheesecake I think

Since returning home, I've been involved in the Edinburgh tourist industry - doing a bit of admin work for my friends who run a holiday letting agency Edinburgh-flats.com They rent self-catering appartments to visitors from all over the world and so they spend a lot of time preparing the accommodation and meeting and greeting guests. Just now it is hectic, because we are bang in the middle of the Edinburgh festival.

Also it's now time to work on my fitness again - as I have not done much since doing my 5K race on 1st June. It's back to yoga and walking this time - luckily Edinburgh is built on 7 hills so walking ANYWHERE in the city gives you a good work out.

Eat 10,000 Calories a Day without Gaining Weight

Imagine being able to eat anything you like an not gaining an ounce!

That's the kind of calorie loaded diet that Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps has to eat every day to maintain his physique.

Unfortunately the privilege only comes when you follow a grueling training schedule - Micheal spends 5 hours a day training hard to be a world beater - and as a by-product he burns off that huge calorie intake.

If you do the work though this is what you could eat without gaining weight

Maybe it's worth slogging it out in the gym after all - though not at that level for most of us.