Personal Trainer when the Motivation Lacks: Worth it?

marinabjorns

I recently lost 24 lbs/11 kg mainly by maintaining a healthy diet with restricted amount of calories (1520 pr. day) plus light exercising; badminton 1-3 hours a week and jogging every now and then.

While I am super proud of this number, I cannot say the same about my body.
I mainly lost weight on my hips, collarbone-area, face and breasts; my belly and thighs are still big. This makes me quite insecure since I don't think I look very proportional - I'm also upset about having smaller breasts.

I lost a lot of motivation lately, possibly due to stressful exams and being tempted to relax more as I got in a relationship. I joined a fitness centre but I have become terrible at pulling myself together and just go (insecurities? laziness?).

So I am considering to hire a personal trainer who can help me achieve my goals while staying motivated. I imagine that it will be very expensive for me (I'm a student), but I'm willing to pay for a healthier and happier lifestyle.


What are your experiences with a personal trainer? Is it worth it? And how do you get back up from loss of motivation? ☺

debrakgoogins

I worked with a personal trainer for almost a year. He was wonderful and pushed me further than I ever thought I was capable of. It gave me accountability and forced me to get my butt to the gym. He also taught me proper form and gave me modifications for exercises. (I have some significant joint issues) Do your research and find someone you get along with but won't let you slack.

Motivation starts with you. Noone can force you to be motivated. You just have to do it.

jjpptt2

Determining worth is difficult and subjective. Different people get different benefits, and different people put different value on their money. Personally, I've found trainers/coaches to be both worth it and not worth it. The difference depends on the trainer and how vested I am in my own goals/improvement. If I don't care to make the effort, a coach isn't going to change that.

TavistockToad

a personal trainer wont be able to help you lose from certain areas - you cant spot reduce.

a lifting programme would probably help you like the results of weight loss more than you currently do, and a trainer could definitely help with that.

FL_Hiker

Depending on your personality and if you enjoy caring for things.. I got a very active dog. If I don't get my butt up in the morning he is pulling the covers off of me, bringing me his leash, if that still doesn't work he starts bringing me my socks and shoes lol. I also know if I don't give him the appropriate exercise he needs since he is a young high energy dog he will likely eat my house while i'm away. Either way not something i'm about to experiment with and try out.... so he gets a 3-5 mile run every day and a quick walk every evening after dinner. I'd also feel really guilty if I didn't take him outside and exercise him before I left for the day...I also used to feel insecure about running by myself... but now I feel much better because he is running right by my side every day and I know most people are looking at him instead of me. If you're not interested in cardio however maybe a human personal trainer would be a better idea . I'm also not sure which is more expensive? At least with the dog you would also get the added benefit of a cuddle buddy.

HilTri

I went to a trainer for several sessions to learn new exercises. He gave me a printout of the routine so I can refer to it. Trainers are expensive so I didn’t want to continue paying for one. It was motivating to try new exercises.

Lesley2603

I’ve been working with a trainer for almost three years. I was 57 and obese, joined the gym because my son had announced his engagement and I wanted to look good in wedding photos. Honestly, if I didn’t have a trainer I would have lasted two weeks, when you walk into a gym it can be such a scary place, I knew what a treadmill was and that was it. He has been so supportive, has pushed me way past what I thought my limits were, I have gone from uk size 20 to size 8, but the biggest difference has been in my confidence. He is expensive but so worth it

pondee629

"a personal trainer who can help me achieve my goals while staying motivated" A personal trainer will provide you with a program to help you achieve your goals. "Motivation?"; whether you want to achieve your goals is entirely up to you. You will either do the work or not based on if you want to. No one else can provide you with the determination to get your various body parts to the gym and do the work needed. Motivation is good for achieving a short term goal right now. Determination is what gets you to do the work each and every scheduled day. Do or not do, up to you.

JBApplebee

pondee629 wrote: »

"a personal trainer who can help me achieve my goals while staying motivated" A personal trainer will provide you with a program to help you achieve your goals. "Motivation?"; whether you want to achieve your goals is entirely up to you. You will either do the work or not based on if you want to. No one else can provide you with the determination to get your various body parts to the gym and do the work needed. Motivation is good for achieving a short term goal right now. Determination is what gets you to do the work each and every scheduled day. Do or not do, up to you.

How very Yoda of you! I go to 9Round which is a kickboxing exercise program & there is always at least one trainer there to spar with you on a couple of the rounds. They are always energetic & supportive, which helps on those days that you are not at the top of your game so you can give a little extra.

pondee629

" which helps on those days that you are not at the top of your game so you can give a little extra." Yes: as I said: Motivation is good for achieving a short term goal right now. It's determination that gets you to the gym to even see the trainer who may help you achieve a short term goal for that day if you just aren't feeling it. But you felt it enough to get in the game each and every day. No trainer, nor anyone else, is going to do that for you.

JBApplebee

pondee629 wrote: »

" which helps on those days that you are not at the top of your game so you can give a little extra." Yes: as I said: Motivation is good for achieving a short term goal right now. It's determination that gets you to the gym to even see the trainer who may help you achieve a short term goal for that day if you just aren't feeling it. But you felt it enough to get in the game each and every day. No trainer, nor anyone else, is going to do that for you.

My Yoda comment was in reference to your last line, which was like Yoda's "do or do not, there is no try." No disagreement with your post at all.

DisneyRachel

I'm doing orange theory fitness and love it. It's kind of like a personal trainer but in a group. Each time i go, the workout is different. The people there are very supportive. I follow my coach on IG and she motivates me there.

pondee629

JBApplebee wrote: »

pondee629 wrote: »

" which helps on those days that you are not at the top of your game so you can give a little extra." Yes: as I said: Motivation is good for achieving a short term goal right now. It's determination that gets you to the gym to even see the trainer who may help you achieve a short term goal for that day if you just aren't feeling it. But you felt it enough to get in the game each and every day. No trainer, nor anyone else, is going to do that for you.

My Yoda comment was in reference to your last line, which was like Yoda's "do or do not, there is no try." No disagreement with your post at all.

Mea culpa.

mph323

I've been working with a personal trainer for about a year, and for me, she's the motivation I need to do my resistance training on a regular basis. I have all the good intentions, but like you have trouble motivating myself out of the house, even though I enjoy my time there once I walk in the door. Motivation-wise, she takes enough interest in reasons why I cancel at the last minute that I rarely do it.

happytree923

I paid for a personal trainer for a few months and it was a very significant part of my budget. If you are 100% sure you can swing it financially, I think it's worth it if you find someone you mesh well with. For me my main issue was insecurity when weight lifting. Having the trainer taught me proper form and also validated that I'm not a complete idiot with form anyway (her corrections were usually small) so I can try new things confidently. The investment and being too embarrassed to blow it off is really motivating.
BUT, if you aren't sure about the money, maybe try working out at home for a while. Youtube has lots of free bodyweight workout videos (I like Fitness Blender), walking or jogging around your home is easy too. I know it doesn't feel right when you're already paying for the gym membership but I find lowering the barrier to exercise makes it harder to make excuses and getting results is motivating. This is the type of routine I've been using when life happens and getting to the gym feels like one more annoying chore and it's been working well.