Gloria Kamil, longtime OPEN EXCHANGE lister, offers fitness for women in her well equipped personal studio in the East Bay.

Q: How do you begin a fitness regime with a new client?
Gloria: The first thing I do when I get a potential new client is I ask them to come in for a fitness consultation which takes around an hour. Each consultation is very individualized and depends a lot on what the person is hoping to achieve.

Q: How often do you see your clients and how long does each session run?
Gloria: I prefer to see clients at least three times a week, each for an hour-long session. I encourage clients to work out on their own because that time alone is not enough to lose weight.

Q: What do you do with your clients during those sessions?
Gloria: I show them how to do the exercises. The majority of people do not know how to exercise. It is important to learn how to do the exercises correctly focusing on the right muscles. Sometimes I will work out with my clients but most of the time it takes all of my attention just to make sure they are doing the exercises correctly. A lot of people are under the misconception that trainers work out with their clients but the most important thing is learning to do the exercises correctly.

Q: What's the most common mistake women make when they try to "get fit"?
Gloria: The most common one is that they want to overdo. First of all you must start out with the basics. You can't eat what you want. Nutrition and fitness go hand in hand, one or the other can not work on their own.

Q: Given that nutrition is an important part of getting fit, are there any foods that one absolutely should not eat?
Gloria: Yes, definitely. You must think of it as a lifestyle and there are just some foods that you cannot go back to. Potato chips, for example. It is a very high fat trigger food. You eat and eat and you never get enough of them. But if you eliminate those types of foods completely, it eliminates the cravings.

Q: Should losing weight be the number one reason clients come to you or should the number one reason be to get fit?
Gloria: The majority of people come to me because they want to lose weight but it should go deeper than the weight loss. You have to look at the quality of life that you want to live when you get older. It should be about wanting to live a better quality of life.

Q: What should we be eating to live healthy? Is it different for everyone?
Gloria: Basically, I believe that we should eat a lot more vegetables in their natural state, without condiments. I encourage my clients to start eating their vegetables with nothing on them. They can then experience how a tomato actually tastes and how refreshing a juicy cucumber can be.

Q: How does the age of each individual client shape the way you help them?
Gloria: Obviously, the younger you are, the easier it is to see those results. The workout does not vary that much due to age.

Q: When someone gets stuck on a plateau in their weight loss, is there anything they can do to jump-start it again?
Gloria: You have to do something different. Number one you can increase your exercise and number two you can change what you are eating. A lot of people get discouraged but you will be able to break through it if you don't give up.

Q: Do people ever feel they have so far to go that beginning to exercise is pointless.
Gloria: Some women feel that way but it is important to remember that, yes, it will take you a long time, but if you stick with it you can do it!

Q: Do you have any great success stories that might inspire other women?
Gloria: One girl was brought to me when she was fourteen by her mother, and she just really shined in weight training. She had been shy but this changed her whole body and attitude. If we can get people just moving their bodies, we can change their lives!