Question re personal trainers

[Derf]

Hi Derf

I am a personal trainer, and i do ask clients to keep a food diary. I am only as strict as the client wants me to be with them. Some ask me to really push and others just want gentle motivation.

That being said...you mentioned you wanted to lose 10 pounds. These are the HARDEST 10 to lose. You are already in your healthy BMI range (22.5) and to lose another 10 you would still be there (20.8) BUT these are the ones that take commitment and work. So that means cutting out sugar all together and being quite strict with eating. Not necessarily cutting calories but making sure that nothing "empty" comes in. ie only nutritious foods.

I was 129 pounds for 2 years. healthy BMI (23.6). I needed to lose some weight for mtb racing. I cut out all processed wheat including pasta. If its baked i make it myself (except bread). breads are actually organic spelt. Rice is brown (basmati or regular) and barley and millet. i eat lots of fruit and veggies, i eat breakfast every day and only whole foods...i am currently maintaining 117 pounds. like i said. it took commitment and work.

perhaps its a little frustrating to have a candy circled in red, but remember this is to gently remind you that if you REALLY want to lose those 10 pounds it means NO candy, and sticking to the food plan.

So although i agree on how strict he is being with you, i am much more of a "whole foods" type person. i don't believe in protein supplementation, you get PLENTY of protein from regular food. (plus if you look at the WHO behind the supplement companies you will notice they are usually marketing companies not any kind of HEALTH company, not to mention lots of the whey products are ehmmm waste products of milk processing, they just found something to do with it...)...

anyway this is just my stand on things, and i am sure if you told your PT "well this chick on TE said this and that, he would say he disagreed with me...fitness and nutrition is unfortunately a very gray area and you really have to interpret lots of info.

What is your educational background of your PT?

sorry its a little long...

Smile

Hannah

PS regarding nutrition and PT - my scope of practice is to make recommendations based on the food guide, which i do. if there is something specific that needs attention (for example one of my clients in her 50's can't have dairy, and doesn't do sardines so she needs a source of calcium. i sent her to a dietician for a recommendation on a good supplement and alternatives).

He's getting a degree in geography and has some AA degree in something (but I don't think it's health/fitness related). Regarding these smoothies, he had me buy something called Super Food and I use that plus something else called Greens Plus.

[han-grrl]

So i hate to sound ehmmm, well like this...but what fitness related education DOES he have?

He's getting a degree in geography and has some AA degree in something (but I don't think it's health/fitness related). Regarding these smoothies, he had me buy something called Super Food and I use that plus something else called Greens Plus.

[Derf]

So i hate to sound ehmmm, well like this...but what fitness related education DOES he have?

The various trainers at this particular club all have different certifications. Whether they are the A level (higher price) or B level depends on these certs. He is A level, but I cannot for the life of me remember his certifications. I will look tonight when I'm at gym and jot them down (they have an area where everyone's pics and certs are posted).

[han-grrl]

about the supplements, and why he chose those...

many gyms get kickbacks for selling certain product lines...

[Derf]

about the supplements, and why he chose those...

many gyms get kickbacks for selling certain product lines...

Oh, I didn't buy through him. I got at Whole Foods. When he first recommended, he said the Greens Plus was cause he doesn't think I eat enough vegetables and he said the Super Food was because I needed extra protein for strength training. I also add a little flax seed oil to the smoothies.
Thanks for all the great advice btw!

[Offthegrid]

You've perhaps seen my post about my personal trainer, and I LOVE working with him. He's the perfect person to train me, and I really look forward to meeting with him. So I'm sorry that you don't have the same relationship with your trainer.

If you dread meeting with him, then that almost defeats the purpose ... but keep in mind that he's trying to help you the best he knows how.

Although my trainer does not require me to keep a food diary, I do. But I only report to him my calorie intake for the day, exercise, net calories, and percentage fat, carbs and protein along with the averages for the week.

He doesn't ask me to do this; I just do it because I know it's what I need to lose weight and stay accountable. (He said he wishes all his clients would do that.) This week he gently told me I can't have a 900 net calorie day and expect to perform well. And in the past, I'd go for a 2-hour bike ride and then eat 3,000 calories so I wouldn't lost weight.

He recommends I keep percentages of 60% carbs, 20% fat, 20% protein when the season starts. For now he says I can keep the carbs a bit lower -- 50 to 55% -- to spur the weight loss.

Unless you were consistently low on protein, I don't see the need for the protein shakes. IMHO, they are just an expensive waste of money when you could get the same thing by eating real food like turkey, tuna, salmon, chicken, etc.

[han-grrl]

Derf -

The supplement industry is not regulated, meaning they can pretty much put whatever they like on the label.

If you aren't eating enough veggies, the solution should be, eat more veggies, not replace them with powder.

extra protein is not necessary for muscle building. in fact for every extra pound of muscle, you really only need like a table spoon extra of protein. yep.

Anyway, i hope you are able to discuss matters with your trainer without him getting offended in any way.

Cheers

hannah