Inviting your opinions.

KickboxDiva

I picked up a 2015 calendar and have tracked EVERYTHING. I decided that now that I'm nearing my goal THIS will be the year I understand my body. I'm watching body fat measurements, daily morning weight, daily calories and macros, and weekly average calories. I'm hitting 130-160 protein, 50-80 fat, 150-200 carbs and averaging 1950 calories per day.
I've yoyo'd and I don't want to do that again. Been lifting for a year, I see muscle and have a good amount of strength. 5'7 165lbs pinch test measures me between 18-21% My trainer, whom I have much respect for but is still of the bro science mind frame, is all about the pinch test and feels the fluctuation always mean something. I just don't think they are that accurate. For example. at 181.8 lbs I measured 20.5% and last week at 163lbs I measured 21% but am much leaner and stronger. User Error?? So- Today I got a lecture from him when I mentioned that during my cycle last week I was excited to be 3 lbs down. I NEVER weigh during my cycle but since I'm daily weighing I saw that drop. I don't know if that happens every month as March is the first month I daily weight tracked. So as soon as my cycle was over I "gained" Previous weight was 166.4, 165.8 then day 1 of my cycle->163.5!! awesome! stayed within a pound that week then when my cycle ended-> 164.4,165,165.2,165.2,165.4 is where I am today. I should probably have not told him this. Because I got a big lecture on how I'm at the tipping point, It's time to do more, eat less, and he spent a bit of time telling me to do fasted cardio in the morning. I'm swimming against the current of my trainer and need a bit of encouragement. Your thoughts? I'm I being stubborn? On the right track? I started upping calories in December from the 1500-1700 range and have been steady at 1950 for about 3 months. Steady weight until this last week. I'm feeling healthy and strong. Making gains but injured so limited. I still want to lose fat in the last areas. So I'm wondering if I'm due for a lower calorie cycle or just keep the pace. Any thoughts on fasted cardio?

leooftheyear

When i first started my weight loss journey, about 2 years ago, i wasn't watching what i was eating and i was doing a bunch of cardio classes (Body pump, Body attack, spin, pilates, etc) and i did lose weight. About 9 months later, i started counting calories and we really restricting my calories and was hungry and miserable all the time. Then i found TDEE, and starting using it but didn;t really understand it, i also dropped a bunch of my cardio classes in favor of strength training, and i stopped counting calories... didn't lose any weight, and wasn't consistent. Joined weight watchers in October of last year, and cut my calories dirastically and was feeling $hitty at the gym.... in December i found New Rules of LIfting for Women and in January i found this group and i have made more progress in the past 2-3 months than i have in the past 2 years!

Long story short, don;t listen to your trainer, keep doing what you're doing and keep track of how you're feeling

mymodernbabylon

I think your trainer is full of *kitten* to be honest. As you said, full of 'bro science'. I'd ditch him. You are doing well, feeling stronger and are at a great body fat amount (honestly, I'm hoping for 25% at 46 yr of age). Clearly what you are doing is working for you. If you are using the TDEE method, it might be slower, but it's more maintainable AND you might actually be able to hold onto your muscle versus the cardio junky/low calorie way - where you'll lose fat but you'll also lose muscle...and thus your body fat % won't go down.

Neonbeige

Although I cannot provide you with a success story I think you´re on a good way and should stay on that road. Even if you weigh more today than you have during your cycle, you don´t weigh more than before that cycle, do you? So in the end you didn´t really gain. The difference can come from several reasons. The tendency is still downwards, even if it´s slow.

heybales

Fasted cardio for what purpose?

It can have a use - but not for helping to lose more fat.

Ya, they haven't kept up with some of the big names of research based fitness recommendations.

Does he also tell you that you must ingest some protein within 30 min post workout?

Oh, pinch test, 5 or 7 site method, is actually pretty decent accuracy in the hand of an experienced person.
But as you mentioned, the level of hydrated body you present can change the figures.
http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/BodyComp.html

Notice the box - pretty good study stats for accuracy, not as good as men, but oh well.

Also, your BMR literally does change through the month, so parts you do burn more, parts you do burn less. Besides even the hormonal reason for water retained.
So just confirm you are seeing those daily weighings as merely what they are - noise of normal fluctuations that will take about 2 months worth of data to make anything out of.

KickboxDiva

@heybales. Yes, I actually also got a speech today about not burning up my muscle by jumping on the Jacobs ladder after lifting and forgetting to bring whey to the gym. I don't mind drinking it, I think it helps me to not be shakey and sore plus won't hit my protein numbers very well without it. There's just so much info out there. It's hard to make sense of it all. He's been my trainer for a few years and for the last year 4-5 days a week and I wouldn't want to change. He's helped me work thru tons of injuries. It's just the diet I don't agree with. The gym I go to has lots of competitors and they are so successful but I know with my history of yo yo I don't want to force a fast cut and then struggle later. I'm thrilled my calories are up and weight stable. I'm just not sure where to go from here and when I give in and talk to him like I have been doing all year his advice is so different than what I'm doing it makes me doubt myself. I'm following lots of female power lifters, bikini, iifym, ect that eat and train like I do, even higher calories. But the one thing they all have in common is they are pretty young. Anyway, I'm going to keep at it and see what happens In another month and hope I come back with a super success story. This is the weight I always stall out at. I want to go past it, more importantly I want to be tight in my bathing suit this summer!

heybales

The drinking protein within 30 min was to see if still going on bro-science, which he is.
Not needed at all.

Wondering how some cardio like Jacob's ladder is going to burn up muscle after lifting.
The lifting would have damaged and freed up some proteins that could be used as energy if needed, but you likely still have plenty of carbs, unless your lifting is long circuit training depleting your muscle carb stores.
But if the lifting was good enough, you are automatically slowed down on the cardio by being wiped out.

Imagine how successful some of them might be if they followed actual science based results, or likely there'd be no difference with many different methods because none really give an advantage.