I don't want to question my trainer but

MindfulNat

I recently started a lifting program with my trainer.

He's got me going to the gym 3xweek, for heavy lifting. No cardio. I need to lose a good 60lbs.
I also asked him to help me with nutrition and this is where I am not really comfortable with his plan:

He cut out pretty much everything I enjoy (yes, the not so clean stuff)
He cut out some fruits (I can only eat specific fruits)
He cut out potatoes, bread, pasta.

Then he is asking me to eat 2oz of protein prety much 6-7 times a day, plus nuts x7 times.

The only (starchy?!) carb I have is: Brown rice, oatmeal, Quinoa and sweet potato.

Is this really the only way to gain muscle and lose fat? What about just counting calories, and eating reasonably healthy, but still eating bread and sometimes sweets?

This heavy lifting is all new to me and I do notice that I'm slowly gaining strength, so I want to keep doing it (I also really enjoy going to the gym), but the nutrition part is not at all enjoyable.

Thanks for all the advice!

SezxyStef

I would personally question a trainer who gave that advice too.

Getting in enough protien is important, I strive for at least 120g a day (based on my LBM) and I lift 3x a week. I haven't personally cut anything from my intake, just stayed in a reasonable deficet and have had great success with maintaining my LBM, losing fat and gaining strength.

I wont go any further than that as I feel others here have much more experience than I do.

gweneddk

In my personal opinion, I wouldn't put much stock in a trainer who gave that kind of nutrition plan unless the client comes to them saying "I want to overhaul my diet completely and I'm willing to change a lot of things at once." Most people are not able to change so many things, so quickly. [Although some people like me do enjoy a black and white approach from time to time.]

How did you select this trainer? When I selected my trainer I told him I wanted to lift heavy weights, 3-4/week and that I didn't want to do cardio. I wanted to lose 40 lbs but mostly I was going to him to teach me how to lift. I already knew from talking to him that this would be in line with the approach he typically uses with clients. But if I went to him and told him that I wanted to train to run a marathon and he programmed me with only heavy weights, then that would not be a good match.

You ask "is this the only way?" No, of course not. Some PTs can be pretty inflexible though and say "this is what has worked for me and my clients, so this is what I want you to do." When I first started with my trainer, he had a "nutrition manual" with guidelines similar to what you've outlined, but he quickly realized that is way too big of a change for 99% of his clients and stopped treating it like a nutrition bible.

I think the 2oz of protein 6-7 times per day is pretty much BS. Nothing wrong with that amount of protein, but there's no reason you can't eat 3-6oz portions 3-4 times per day, and probably feel more satisfied.

I would just bring up your concerns by saying that you really miss certain foods and would like to find a way to fit them into your daily diet occasionally. Say that you know it will take quite some time to lose all the weight and you want to find a sustainable way to do it.

MindfulNat

Thank you for your responses.

I actually had asked the lady in charge at my local gym to match me with a trainer. I also had told this trainer that I wanted to learn to lift heavy weights (I'm really glad I did, because I LOVE it).

A few weeks ago, I came up to my trainer and told him that I thought it was very difficult, and not for me (the nutrition part). He only answered: I know it's difficult, I never said it would be easy, but if you want results, you have to stick to it. I really don't agree.

I went on the Scooby calculator and apparently I can eat up to 1800 cals. if I continue to train the way I do, so I'm thinking, I could just eat at or less than 1800 and be ok to lose fat.

I do understand that protein is super important, and I incorporate it as much as I can (more than 100g), but I also want a cookie sometimes, or even just watermelon!

Shaky44

I actually had asked the lady in charge at my local gym to match me with a trainer.

I've noticed that everyone who gets matched with trainer by our gym's management ends up with someone who is inexperienced and doesn't have much of an existing client base.

It's probably just a coincidence.

jacksonpt

That's pretty standard advice, and it will certainly work if you can stick to it.

I'm not sure if that's common advice because so many trainers/coaches don't understand/buy into IIFYM, or if they don't think the average person can stick to the moderation necessary for IIFYM, but ultimately both will work. Which one is better will depend on the individual.

EvanKeel

but the nutrition part is not at all enjoyable.

And that's why it's a bad fit for you and is less likely to work.

MindfulNat

Yes, thank you all so much.

I will stop with his nutrition plan and follow the IIFYM method instead. It's going to be a better fit for me.

jacksonpt

Yes, thank you all so much.

I will stop with his nutrition plan and follow the IIFYM method instead. It's going to be a better fit for me.

Why not ask him about it? He may very well have a good reason for it, and understanding that reasoning could be valuable to you.

arewethereyet

You are paying him, no?

Then he is giving you a service, and you are the customer. INSIST on sitting down with him and explaining you must have a program that works with you.

Something so very restrictive is hard to stick with, and likely to make you fail later on.

Educate yourself a bit (such as what you are doing now)

I had the BEST trainer ever, and I miss her so very much. She too gave me almost the same info as this trainer on our first or second visit . I explained that if I were to try to do that AND do my 5 day a week workout I would burn out (I had already lost 35 lbs)

I ended up doing a moderation of what she said, and lost 2 sizes and not a pound. I also tripled what I could lift

EvanKeel

Yes, thank you all so much.

I will stop with his nutrition plan and follow the IIFYM method instead. It's going to be a better fit for me.

Why not ask him about it? He may very well have a good reason for it, and understanding that reasoning could be valuable to you.

I'd be fascinated to know what his reasoning is. There isn't any mention of meal timing that would have an impact on lifting performance, though I'm not an RD, so I could be wrong. All that's mentioned is spreading out protein, and I highly doubt that's going to make a difference given what we know here. Most of the choices listed center around restricting food types. And unless he had a conversation with her about her eating habits, preferences, and history, which I suspect didn't happen, he's probably just following some boiler plate eating program without a good understanding of why.

But one never knows...

MindfulNat

Yes I am paying him.

Maybe he created the plan to make it "easier" for me instead of counting calories, etc. But at the same time, I can't have such a strict diet, I'll end up just hating the process.

I will ask him about it (I'm seeing him next week), and hopefully he'll agree with me or at least modify his plan to help me out.

SideSteel

Ask him in detail about it and reply here with that information if you don't mind.

At the surface I don't agree with your trainer, but as with anything context is quite important.

neandermagnon

(snip)

Eta: sorry missed that this was in Eat train progress forum (post was in my newsfeed didn't see what subforum it was in) and you're not asking for general advice...