Laura took a 3 day "Fitness Boot Camp" Carmen Valino/thelondonpaper

IMAGINE spending three whole days with a total stranger, who comes to your house, cooks you food and puts you through a gruelling exercise regime

There’ll be no booze, no lie-ins and, I’m guessing, no fun. No, you haven’t invited RoboMum for a weekend stay – it’s personal trainer Gina ­Hemmings. Her three-day boot camp offers hours of ­intense fat-burning and body- toning exercises, nutrient-laden meals and… massages. Not ordinarily a bad thing, of course, except one of them centres on the colon. And I’m pretty sure I don’t want one.

Either way, here’s how Gina and I bonded over push-ups, veggie omelettes, and a great deal of pain.

Day 1

'I feel sick and possibly want to harm Gina'

The doorbell rings at 9am on the dot, and I’m nervous. I can’t shake the image of some scary battleaxe in military fatigues waiting on the other side.

The prospect of spending my weekend with a total stranger who barks exercise orders and prepares my food as if I were her pet dog doesn’t fill me with joy. But Gina Hemmings isn’t the ogre I imagined. In fact, ignore that she’s gorgeous, tiny and toned, and there’s nothing not to like about her.

The first thing she does is give me a heart monitor.

“You burn the most fat when your heart is beating at 74 per cent of what it’s ­capable,” she says. Mmm, I might learn something.

The first exercise is a 45- minute run – piece of cake, I’ve run a marathon don’t you know? But the monitor starts bleeping and Gina tells me to slow down.

Back home, the 3lb dumbbells come out before I’ve even had a chance to switch on Saturday Kitchen. Step-up aerobics, boxing and Pilates in the front room follow.

“This will make you stronger, leaner and give you a flatter tummy,” Gina says. I repeat her words in my head each time she has me hold another painful pose for a count of 30.

Finally, she tells me to rest. Good. I’m knackered, feel sick, and possibly want to harm Gina. After lunch (tuna and bean salad), she promises me a stroll in the park. Easy. Or it would be if it wasn’t for the 19lb vest on my shoulders. “It will make you work harder and up your heart rate,” she says when I give her a look that says: “For the love of God, why?!”

By 4pm, it’s time to wind down… with a colon massage. But instead of poking in places she shouldn’t, she makes circular motions on my stomach. It’s reckoned to have the same effect as a mild colonic but with less immediate results (I was “regular” for a week after).

By 6.30pm, Gina is out of the door, having whipped up my salmon teriyaki stir-fry. I feel proud about the amount of exercise I did but I am glad to have nothing to do and no one to talk to.

Day 2

‘Every part of me aches’

I know what hell awaits me today. At least yesterday I was oblivious. But I’m not in half as much pain as I expected – thank God for the massage.

The run is easier, despite protests from my tight thigh muscles, which is perhaps down to the wine I didn’t drink last night.

But the exercises at home are harder – and there are so many. After weights there are press-ups, sit-ups, and squats. Every part of me aches.

“The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn,” Gina says. “Even when you are doing nothing.”

Easy for her to say from the comfort of my couch – I think I should charge her rent.

Gina rustles up my lunch of veggie omelette. I’ve lost all awkwardness about the fact she’s turned into my mother, letting me sit and do nothing while she cooks for me – I’m simply too tired.

Another post-lunch walk. I curse the vest, but taking it off after feels great, as I know I’m on easy street from here on in: an all- over body massage and a tasty meal.

A tough day but worth it.

Day 3

‘I’m craving a bacon sandwich’

This is so not worth it. I don’t want to get up. I’d rather be fat and asleep. When Gina arrives I hit the fruit, yoghurt and nuts with fake enthusiasm while secretly craving a bacon sandwich. The afternoon walk was a sodden one in the rain. What am I doing? I’m traipsing around my local park sopping wet, carrying the weight of a small person on my chest.

To improve my fitness we switch today’s run for interval training, alternating skipping with sprinting up my driveway and jogging down. This is tough but the end is in sight. With all the hard bits over, I can relax with a massage, bath and dinner.

I climb into bed a few hours later, which I’ve been wanting to do since getting up. My head hits the ­pillow and I’m out for the count.

The Verdict

Three days is just the right amount of time to spend doing intense exercise – it pushed me without pushing me over the edge. Spending a long weekend with a stranger isn’t as bad as it sounds when it’s with someone you get on with. I lost 2.5lb over the three days and a further 1lb a week later. My tummy is noticeably flatter which is a great confidence boost. But let’s not forget the £500 price tag. I could have bought a wardrobe of confidence-boosting clothes for that. But it’s a great kick-start to getting fit. I’ve ordered a heart-rate monitor and dumbbells so I can continue exercising and, determined to keep up my healthy diet, I’ve not been tempted by rubbish food. I won’t lie to you though… it took less than 24 hours for wine and I to get reacquainted. So is it worth it? Yes, though it requires willpower, it will give you a firm grounding in nutrition and exercise. However, it’s money down the drain unless you’re prepared to give up the white baguettes and doughnuts for good when Gina shuts the door behind her.

Fit in the city

£500 (plus food bill) For more details on Fit in the City, see Gina’s website, www.ginahemmings.com

What I ate

Breakfast

Every day: Chopped fruit with natural yoghurt and mixed nuts and seeds

Ginger and lemon tea “Fruit is full of vitamins and antioxidants,” says Gina.

Lunch

Day 1: Tuna and mixed bean salad

Day 2: Vegetable omelette with salad

Day 3: Salmon and avocado salad

“Eggs are a high quality protein and vegetables and salad are full of antioxidants,” says Gina.

Mid-afternoon snack

Every day: Apple, ginger and lemon tea

Dinner

Day 1: Teriyaki salmon stir-fry

Day 2: Cajun chicken with roasted vegetables

Day 3: Vegetable frittata, peppermint tea

“Chicken is high in protein and low in fat,” says Gina.