Feel like the trainer who saw me today had no idea what she was doing....

[redirish86]

So today i get in with a trainer at a local athletic club to go over my plan, eating, techniques ect... Upon arriving my first impression of her is shes probably 30 something, not really muscular but not really thin... sorta fat small? I then begin to layout my plan, my eating and my goals(to lose body fat and tone up).... she literally spent 8 minutes with me... here were the notes from her....

Drink more water (I'll give her this one and its rhetorical..)
Do less weights (what??)
Do 60 MINUTES of cardio 6 days a week...more if i can....
.... I'm thoroughly disappointed.. but i'm strapping on my running shoes and heading for the elliptical... Grrrr I was hoping for some tips on my form or tell me my body fat come on...

needless to say I didn't make another appointment...

[StackingPlates]

Sounds as if she has no clue, are you stuck with her or can you shop for another? Pretty much everything she told you is wrong...

[ktb007]

I sincerely hope you didn’t pay for that advice. (srs)

[redirish86]

I sincerely hope you didn’t pay for that advice. (srs)

lol...first lesson's free ... way to get return customers... there is one other gym in town i'll call and see (I live in a small town) I believe there is a male instructor as well at the one I went to today... But i'm kinda leaning towards going it alone at this point... if i continue to stall eventually (months) I will see a nutritionist... i know medically (blood work) im healthy... I think its just a matter of time.. i'm going to continue my weight routine... and when i can i'll add in activity additionally but I really think 2-3 hrs of cardio on top is plenty... can you imagine 6 hours.. whoooo

[thepowerwithin]

I think this site is better with direction, resources, and camaraderie as compared to most trainers at a local gym. The good ones are rare.

[redirish86]

I think this site is better with direction, resources, and camaraderie as compared to most trainers at a local gym. The good ones are rare.

Agreed!

[ktb007]

lol...first lesson's free ... way to get return customers... there is one other gym in town i'll call and see (I live in a small town) I believe there is a male instructor as well at the one I went to today... But i'm kinda leaning towards going it alone at this point... if i continue to stall eventually (months) I will see a nutritionist... i know medically (blood work) im healthy... I think its just a matter of time.. i'm going to continue my weight routine... and when i can i'll add in activity additionally but I really think 2-3 hrs of cardio on top is plenty... can you imagine 6 hours.. whoooo

I am glad you didn’t pay lol! I would ask around see if anyone knows a good personal trainer in your area. It might even be worth your time to drive to a bigger city to have a session or two, at least to get a better idea of form and nutrition if you feel you need the help. And I only do maybe 1 hr. total cardio on thing like and elliptical or treadmill, instead I got for bike rides with my son or go to a fun class at gym. But I agree with thepower, with the help of this site you could do alot on your own.

[Chazster]

To be a certified trainer Pretty much requires you to pass a test and pay some money. Not big requirements. How good they are is extremely related to their own research into the field.

[redirish86]

I am glad you didn’t pay lol! I would ask around see if anyone knows a good personal trainer in your area. It might even be worth your time to drive to a bigger city to have a session or two, at least to get a better idea of form and nutrition if you feel you need the help. And I only do maybe 1 hr. total cardio on thing like and elliptical or treadmill, instead I got for bike rides with my son or go to a fun class at gym. But I agree with thepower, with the help of this site you could do alot on your own.

When you first got on this way of life did you have to play with your calories a lot? Or.. was there an initial phase of your body figuring out what was going on before you saw any losses?

[ktb007]

When you first got on this way of life did you have to play with your calories a lot? Or.. was there an initial phase of your body figuring out what was going on before you saw any losses?

When I first started I was about 220 lbs lol so the weight just fell off. The last 25lbs were hard so it did take some time to find out what worked for me. But I just kept a food log, ate clean, and stayed in the gym and if finally all came off. There is several free apps and web sites that you can use to keep track of your cals that might help you keep track. But just stay with it, it will be worth it in the end!

[acrawlingchaos]

When you first got on this way of life did you have to play with your calories a lot? Or.. was there an initial phase of your body figuring out what was going on before you saw any losses?

There shouldn't be very much playing with numbers, the formula is pretty simple and straight forward.

If you are counting everything, and did your research, you should be able to start dropping weight immediately.

[redirish86]

There shouldn't be very much playing with numbers, the formula is pretty simple and straight forward.

If you are counting everything, and did your research, you should be able to start dropping weight immediately.

Per many many calculations ( im ocd on this ) I ate accordingly for the past 2 weeks with no losses (1700 cals) this week I have dropped to 1400 so im hoping for results!

[acrawlingchaos]

Ok, now I am curious... because something seems off. If you could indulge me.



. How much cardio have you been doing?

. Have you been counting macros or just calories?

. Are you weighing and measuring everything?

. What are you using to track your diet?

. How active is your job?

Also, describe any "cheats", "treats", "binges" or "refeeds" that you practice, including alcohol consumption.

[Papa21]

Ok, now I am curious... because something seems off. If you could indulge me.



. How much cardio have you been doing?

. Have you been counting macros or just calories?

. Are you weighing and measuring everything?

. What are you using to track your diet?

. How active is your job?

Also, describe any "cheats", "treats", "binges" or "refeds" that you practice, including alcohol consumption.

I agree with a lot on this post but I wouldn't get too caught up on weighing your food at this point. I'm in the early stages of a weight loss/muscle gain programme and you shouldn't have to weigh everything this early on to see results.

Keep your protein intake up, your carb and fat sources clean and exercise at least 3 times a week and you'll start to see results. Re type of exercise, in the early stages I would actually be more inclined to do more weights and less cardio...ideally I would aim for 3 weights sessions and 2 cardio per week to get things rolling. The cardio can be something as simple as a 30 fast walk.

Aim for over 125g protein per day and use a protein shake if necessary. I would find it near impossible to hit my protein target if I didn't use a shake.

You may find a nutritionist more help at this point than an actual trainer.

Oh....and drink water...

[acrawlingchaos]

I agree with a lot on this post but I wouldn't get too caught up on weighing your food at this point. I'm in the early stages of a weight loss/muscle gain programme and you shouldn't have to weigh everything this early on to see results.

Weighing and measuring is a matter of choice, there is no reason not to. If you THINK you are in a deficit, and your weight is not moving... weighing and measuring is the only real alternative if you are "stuck".

[N1tr0]

i feel bad if you paid for that advice

[wakechica]

I think this site is better with direction, resources, and camaraderie as compared to most trainers at a local gym. The good ones are rare.

^^ This

[rdferguson]

Doesn't sound like she has a great wealth of professional knowledge if that's what you got from her. Fairly disappointing. But, on the bright side, for such sub-par advice, you only lost 8 minutes of your life listening to her. These consultations typically go for 30 or 60 min in most gyms I've been in, and the standard of knowledge from the trainers is just as hit-or-miss.

[redirish86]

Ok, now I am curious... because something seems off. If you could indulge me.



. How much cardio have you been doing?

. Have you been counting macros or just calories?

. Are you weighing and measuring everything?

. What are you using to track your diet?

. How active is your job?

Also, describe any "cheats", "treats", "binges" or "refeeds" that you practice, including alcohol consumption.

I do weights 2 days on 1 day off split schedule so heres my schedule

Day 1 Flat bench press/incline bench/dumbell flys/scul crashes/dips/rode press downs - 25 minutes of post cardio

Day 2- Bent over rows/dead lift/lat pull down/seated dumbell curl/ez bar curl/reverse EZ - again post cardio

Day 3- off 2 sets of 25 minute cardio one AM one PM

Day 4-Squats/walking lunges/leg curls/military presses/around the world - again cardio

REPEAT

Ok, now food and I track methodically

Breakfast - 4-6 oz of lean meat (chicken/turkey/beef ect)
sour cream (2 tbsp)
1 oz shredded cheese
diced celery or green beans broccoli ect.
Snack- 2-3 tbsp peanut butter
apple or celery
Lunch- Protein shake (90 cals 0 carbs)
cup of almond milk
might use flax seed or PB2
Snack- 100 calorie pack of almonds or cheese stick
Dinner- 6-8 oz of lean meat
sour cream or light dressing
veggie source
toppings additionally may include Parmesan or spices

Now for the extras... i drink coffee daily 2-3 cups ... I was using and tracking half and half.. now ive switched to 2% (which sucks) yesterday my cals ended up at 1530 my protein 115g.... as you can see I eat fairly low carb... prior to this week i was up at 1700 calories a day on the same plan (larger portions) and in 2 weeks with my work out plan i gained 4 lbs... im still up those 4lbs and on day 4 of 14-1500 a day...

Please advise!

I don't drink alcohol... and i've had blood work done with no medical problems... this shouldnt happen when your 25! The only positive is I can see some muscle definition.. and i've lost apprx 3 inches.

[acrawlingchaos]

There could be several things going on.

1. You are not counting correctly.

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but at 1700 calories with several sessions of cardio with no known medical condition, you SHOULD be losing weight. I would re-evaluate the way you count. Include ALL condiments, coffee, cream etc... Anything with a caloric value should be counted, and measured. Some of your values seem estimated.

2. The increased weight could be a temporary influx of fluid (especially if you where KETO prior), or sodium.

3. Increase NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis). These are the everyday small things you can do that make a difference over time. Take stairs, walk to the store, etc etc.

4. If you want to decrease calories, I would advise you to decrease no more than 100 calories every two weeks. This will give you time to monitor incremental changes better, avoid too steep of a cut, and will keep you from spinning your wheels. If you were at 1700, go to 1600 first for two weeks.

I would also like to know WHEN you weight yourself. When and under what conditions?

[redirish86]

When you state that being KETO Prior could play into water gain? I'm assuming you mean ketosis, which for the past 5 years I was on atkins.. very low carb, I did very little exercise... as far as daily activity it isnt great... i make a point of doing something (aside from my work outs) for 2hrs a day... .if its all the grocery shopping, cleaning, gardening ect... i try to make sure im consistently busy for at least that long, of course with 2 kids its non stop but I dont feel that active hence the added cardio... Also I weigh myself daily before getting dressed... i realize how counter productive it can be but i've been the same weight for nearly 2.5 weeks now, up from my starting weight..

[locolala]

What is your maintenance?

[redirish86]

What is your maintenance?

Again, depending on the calculator, between 2000-2200 cals a day...

[oregonchick76]

For free, if you're willing to stick around and read through the forum, you will learn everything you need to know to achieve your goals. If you want a cheerleader, well, if you pay me $65 per hr...

[acrawlingchaos]

When you state that being KETO Prior could play into water gain? I'm assuming you mean ketosis, which for the past 5 years I was on atkins.. very low carb, I did very little exercise...

Normally, when people first start to go low carb, they see a large initial drop in weight. Carbs will increase water retention. You already had a very low amount of water retention BECAUSE you were in ketosis. The increase in carbs you just started could be a likely cause for an INITIAL weight increase. I would hold at your intake another two week (or as stated before) only drop by 100 calories and monitior.

Though I think counting needs to be addressed.

as far as daily activity it isnt great... i make a point of doing something (aside from my work outs) for 2hrs a day... .if its all the grocery shopping, cleaning, gardening ect... i try to make sure im consistently busy for at least that long, of course with 2 kids its non stop but I dont feel that active hence the added cardio... Also I weigh myself daily before getting dressed... i realize how counter productive it can be but i've been the same weight for nearly 2.5 weeks now, up from my starting weight..

Your NEAT seems fine and you are being active. You should be making sure you weighing in the morning AFTER eliminating (and yes, nude).

Again, depending on the calculator, between 2000-2200 cals a day...

These calculators are only a starting point. Everyone has a unique metabolism, so these calculators are nothing more than an initial guide.

I will have to say it comes back to HOW you count. You seem to only skim upon this, and I believe you are consuming more calories than you think. You already admit to not counting coffee or the cream. Some of you weights seem estimated. Do you physically own a food scale and weigh and measure the portions of your foods?

[Bucknut8084]

There is a very easy way to find out if a trainer is qualified or not.

1. Do they have a portfolio of client results?

2. Do they have a reputable certification from ACSM, NASM, NSCA?

3. Do they have a degree in exercise science?

If they can't provide at least 1 of 3 run like hell.

[liuzhoudragon]

PT's are very hit or miss.
It is important to see who in your area is good or has a decent repuation.

So far I have heard good things about the follow PT's on this planet.

1.
2.
3.

I didn't forget to fill in there names. I have never meet or heard of a PT that was't a bafoon.

[rdferguson]

PT's are very hit or miss.
It is important to see who in your area is good or has a decent repuation.

So far I have heard good things about the follow PT's on this planet.

1.
2.
3.

I didn't forget to fill in there names. I have never meet or heard of a PT that was't a bafoon.

This leaves only 2 possibilities:

1. You've never heard of me.
2. I'm foreverabafoon.jpg :'(

[redirish86]

I do own an old school food scale and use it regularly.. this morning i pulled out my trusty measuring spoons and left them out on the counter... used them for my half and half... Another thing that happened, yesterday come mid afternoon i was so weak and really hungry i ended up eating an extra protein shake with PB and i ended up around 1800 cals but it was also a heavy work out day? Is it normal to have higher days of hunger?
Going to look at digital food scales and see what I can do today ... Thank you for all your help, i'm tightening the reigns!

[Holly2710]

It really isnt difficult to become a personal trainer. The program also does not encorporate a lot of nutrition in its teachings. I have found a lot of personal trainers really aren't knowledgable when it comes to biomechanics they know very little unless they have further certifications. Always check and see their certifications prior.