Nutritionist or Trainer?

TheJHopkinsProject

If you were able to hire someone to help you through your process, would it be more important to you to have a nutritionist or a personal trainer for the gym?

ninerbuff

Trainer. You can pretty much learn how to eat correctly for free. Learning how to do exercises correctly from just watching a video or reading it from an illustration ISN'T the same as having a pro watch you do it and fix any mechanics or form.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

libbydoodle11

Trainer

melindacronin

TRAINER

bls7964

Trainer

newdaydawning79

Trainer. Considering I could take a course to get a nutritionist certificate for $90 after a Groupon...I'd put much more weight in a trainer to help me reach my goals.

fatfudgery

If you can find a good trainer, then that's definitely the way to go. The problem is that good trainers who actually know what they're talking about are extremely hard to find.

Oh, the stuff I see the trainers at the gyms I go to put their customers through...

simplydelish2

Since weight loss is done in the kitchen - I'd spend my money on the nutritionist first, trainer second. You can't out exercise a bad diet. Just like a trainer corrects small errors in movement, a nutritionist can correct errors in eating - even if you've taken a course or think you know what you are doing.

lishie_rebooted

Neither.
Nutritionists aren't regulated but registered dieticians are.
There are so many crap trainers and so many different foundations that they can't get certified through, that it's ridiculous. Plus some gyms have hired trainers that haven't even taken their certification test (like my old gym and my ex. he was working as a PT without his cert.)

TheJHopkinsProject

603reader wrote: »

Neither.
Nutritionists aren't regulated but registered dieticians are.
There are so many crap trainers and so many different foundations that they can't get certified through, that it's ridiculous. Plus some gyms have hired trainers that haven't even taken their certification test (like my old gym and my ex. he was working as a PT without his cert.)

Is there someway to know if they are licensed or not?

theskipper54

A good trainer. And I emphasize 'good'. Get references. Most quality trainers know a lot about nutrition and will incorporate that info into your program. Thats what I'm doing and its working well so far.

TheJHopkinsProject

simplydelish2 wrote: »

Since weight loss is done in the kitchen - I'd spend my money on the nutritionist first, trainer second. You can't out exercise a bad diet. Just like a trainer corrects small errors in movement, a nutritionist can correct errors in eating - even if you've taken a course or think you know what you are doing.

I've always heard it was 80% diet and 20% gym.

Deadlay

Judging by the training I've seen at the local gym here, I'd never pay for it. Although what was said up above, a good trainer is worth it if you can find one. And I have to say you can learn a lot through websites and videos.

A nutritionist or dietician would probably tell me to drink less beer and I wouldn't like that.

lishie_rebooted

jenniferschaeffer wrote: »

603reader wrote: »

Neither.
Nutritionists aren't regulated but registered dieticians are.
There are so many crap trainers and so many different foundations that they can't get certified through, that it's ridiculous. Plus some gyms have hired trainers that haven't even taken their certification test (like my old gym and my ex. he was working as a PT without his cert.)

Is there someway to know if they are licensed or not?

Read their qualifications.

http://www.eatright.org/BecomeanRDorDTR/content.aspx?id=8143
http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Nutritionist

gothchiq

Nutritionist

cwolfman13

I would ask this...what are your specific goals? Why are you considering either? Don't get me wrong, there's absolutely nothing wrong with having a nutritionist or a PT; I'm currently working with a coach/PT right now, but for very specific reasons. In my experience, you'll get more out of the experience and are likely to find a better PT than not if you have some specific goals.

For me, I really wanted to get into Oly-lifting...I have a background and some experience in Oly-lifting, but I really wanted to get into it. I've been looking for a good coach for about a year or so and finally found one...tons of PTs out there, but none of them fit the bill for what I was wanting to do. My coach used to be one of the coaches in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center...he's the real deal and exactly what I've been holding out for.

My feeling is that if you have more or less generic goals...i.e. lose some weight and tone up...you're more or less going to end up with a "generic", run of the mill PT.

As far as the nutritionist is concerned, I'd not bother...as has been stated, it's pretty easy to get a handle on nutrition on your own. My coach is also a registered dietitian and he did "clean up" my diet a bit for what we're doing right now...but he simply cut back on some stuff that I already knew I needed to cut back on if I was going to lean out; the bulk of my diet was good to go already.

pscarolina

603reader wrote: »

Neither.
Nutritionists aren't regulated but registered dieticians are.
There are so many crap trainers and so many different foundations that they can't get certified through, that it's ridiculous. Plus some gyms have hired trainers that haven't even taken their certification test (like my old gym and my ex. he was working as a PT without his cert.)

+1