What is your opinion on personal training????

It is indeed worth it! I started my journey in January 2010 with a personal trainer seeing her once a week, and she gave me awesome advice about beating plateaus and strengthening my muscles. After working with her for about 5 months (without a diet change) i went from 320 to 292! and that was just from working with her and cardio. I fell off the wagon a little and went back up to 307 in the fall (gained 17 pounds, 21st b day and vacay!). Then i got mono and went down to 283.5... long story short, i got back on track with my trainer about 2 months ago and i am down to 266.3! i see her twice a week and the motivation is amazing! it really helps with discipline :-).

I think you have to find a personal trainer that is right for you- so if you are thinking about spending the cash then be sure to talk to different people to ensure that they have the right strategy and a compatible personality for you. My mom and sister went to a personal trainer together and she was definitely not a good match for them- she would work them until they were throwing up and close to passing out and didnt work with them to modify their diets or help them learn tools that would keep them healthy for the long run. On the other hand, my moms best friend has a trainer through her gym who she loves and works with her to help her meet her personal goals without killing her in the process.

For me it has most definitely been worth it. It's not so much the 30 pounds and numerous inches she's helped me lose, it's what she helped me gain. She's really helped me to become a lot more self-confident and not afraid to set more aggressive goals. She's helped me do things I never thought I'd be able to do.

If you find someone who works well with you, it can really sharpen your focus and help you achieve your goals much faster than you could on your own.

Absolutely - if you get the right person!! Ask for references - how they work - in my case I needed someone that understood the challenges a 50 year old obese person faces when they start, so it was important to understand what success they have had with similar clients.....

Unfortunately there are quite a few trainers out there that has done a 3 day course - and have a one plan fits all approach (in my experience - and I still see them at my gym) - six weeks later and not a hell of a lot of change in their clients - if the client still actually comes to the gym.

My trainer is my absolute hero - he is as dedicated as I am to change my body - and celebrates every one of my achievements with great gusto.

I fondly call him all sorts of names - but he gets results that I never believed I could achieve!!

If you have a good personal trainer, then they are priceless. I have been working with a PT for almost 10 weeks now and I love it! We never do the same thing twice, and I have noticed huge changes in my fitness level.