Hitting a plateau plus checking trainer's advice.

Indrus

Hello!
I've lost 40 lbs this past year through a combination of eating less and working out. For a while I worked out with someone who had me doing cardio mixed with some lifting. I made some great headway working with her. She didn't work out for scheduling reasons so now I'm working with a trainer once a week who has me doing only strength training. My weight loss slowed way down and now has seemed to almost stop. Is this normal? He's having me do more complex lifting, and after last week's workout I gained 5 pounds. Is that also normal? I have lost a pound since then over the past three days. I drink a two-serving isoflex protein shake every morning for breakfast. The most frustrating thing is that his meter still has me gaining body fat %, but I'm not eating any different. I know I still have a long way to go. I started at 325 lbs a year ago and am now at 287. Recent lowest was at 283 until my last workout. I did biking yesterday and burned 400 calories but the trainer says that since I am protein deficient and am doing cardio my body is breaking down muscle as well as fat.
Thanks in advance for any help or advice!

ElizabethKalmbach

In broad strokes, the trainer may be correct, however - when you lose weight, you will ALWAYS lose some muscle and some fat. Making the ratio work out in your favor is why people specifically go after resistance training and why lifters keep their protein macros higher than what MFP suggests by default.

Gaining a bit of water weight after a heavy lifting workout is perfectly normal. I would give the new trainer's methodology 4-6 weeks to prove itself before you quit. Most of what you've stated sounds about right and perfectly reasonable for most scenarios barring medical stuff only your doctor should advise you on.

Good job keeping after your workouts!

COGypsy

Perhaps the previous responses to this question would be of help:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10775398/working-out-and-eating-less-but-at-plateau#latest

sijomial

How are you accounting for the calorie burn from your exercise?
(MFP eat back exercise calories or TDEE average daily?)
Your new exercise routine will be burning far less calories, although strength training is a great thing to do it's not a big calorie burner so your calorie balance may have shifted somewhat.

Your training should be alligned to your health and fitness goals and not the preferences of your trainer. Have you no interest in CV fitness and heart health? Do you dislike cardio?

Yes gaining water / inflammation weight is very common after starting a new or more intense lifting routine.

What is your protein goal in grams and are you meeting it most days?

Your trainer should know that BIA scales can be deadfully inaccurate and when retaining water, as you probably are from soreness, is just about guaranteed to skew the results badly. Remember they measure electrical resistance and not directly body composition.

You need to give a few weeks for your change in routine to settle out, look further ahead. If you are confident you are in a calorie deficit remember you are still losing fat if not weight.

What evidence does your trainer have you are protein deficient?
Cardio doesn't burn muscle for fuel, that's a myth and I would be concerned at a trainer who peddles such nonsense. Personally that would be a huge red flag about their level of knowledge and I'd dump him/her.

DancingMoosie

I agree with what everyone has said. But, wanted to add that you can still bring your calorie burn up by doing cardio when you're not lifting. Changing the cardio+weights to complex lifting is a good move, but you brought down your calorie burn. So you have to then either eat less or add cardio. I like to eat more, so I cardio more between lifting sessions 😉