Gym assessment - not good/not bad

Debx12345

i had my gym assessment today, it's not a full assessment, just weigh me, measure me etc. Had put a pound on but lost an inch off tum. So not too displeased with that. But told her I wanted to get down to 8 st 7lb. She asked me when was I that before and told her 13 years ago. She said as we get older our bodies slow down (so to speak), and unless I do drastic diet measures, I wouldn't see that weight again. Sob sob.

I am 130lbs and 5' 2", a uk size 10. So know I'm not too bad, but just saddened me to think all this hard work I do, calorie counting and exercise, is now just to maintain, so to speak.

Anyway trying not to get too disheartened (though you wouldn't believe it reading all that). Gym has given me a new programme to focus on burning fat and more toning. So going to enjoy Xmas, keep working out stop stressing about my body.

Azdak

This might be true for you, but I am always distrustful of "absolutist" types of statements. Nothing you wrote in your post would indicate that there was any solid evidence for the statement that person made about you. Unfortunately, a lot of trainers speak in a series of stream-of-consciousness cliches, without really thinking about what they are saying.

OTOH, it is true that some people have unrealistic expectations for their goal weights--usually because they don't have good reference points.

Before you can really talk seriously about "goal weight" you MUST know your body fat %. If that was not part of your "assessment", then your trainer is just blowing smoke.

A big part of why our bodies "slow down" as we get older is because we lose lean mass. We also sharply reduce our casual activity. That can forestalled somewhat with the appropriate training.

In the end, the trainer may be 100% correct in your case. And age is inevitable. However, you are just 43--you're not dead and I suspect there is plenty of room for improvement, if that's what you really want.

PJilly

I hate that kind of thinking — that at some magic age, it becomes too difficult to lose weight. Don't believe it. It can become an excuse to stop trying to improve. And then you certainly won't lose the weight. If you have a reasonable deficit and are consistent, the weight will come off. If you exercise regularly, you will become stronger and more fit. All of these things will make you healthier and make you feel better, and they all make it easier to lose more weight (which may become a lesser priority as you discover how great you can feel if you take good care of yourself). Trainers are just people. Some are smart, and some are less so.

Debx12345

Before you can really talk seriously about "goal weight" you MUST know your body fat %. If that was not part of your "assessment", then your trainer is just blowing smoke.

A big part of why our bodies "slow down" as we get older is because we lose lean mass. We also sharply reduce our casual activity. That can forestalled somewhat with the appropriate training.

In the end, the trainer may be 100% correct in your case. And age is inevitable. However, you are just 43--you're not dead and I suspect there is plenty of room for improvement, if that's what you really want.

They did my body fat, but she just said it was normal. I know on my scales at home it reads 30.4. And I do more exercise now than I have ever done in my life !!!! Just lost really how to improve .

Azdak

Before you can really talk seriously about "goal weight" you MUST know your body fat %. If that was not part of your "assessment", then your trainer is just blowing smoke.

A big part of why our bodies "slow down" as we get older is because we lose lean mass. We also sharply reduce our casual activity. That can forestalled somewhat with the appropriate training.

In the end, the trainer may be 100% correct in your case. And age is inevitable. However, you are just 43--you're not dead and I suspect there is plenty of room for improvement, if that's what you really want.

They did my body fat, but she just said it was normal. I know on my scales at home it reads 30.4. And I do more exercise now than I have ever done in my life !!!! Just lost really how to improve .

Grrr...hate the "stone" weights--too much math! :laugh:

Unfortunately, "normal" can include a wide range. We have standards that list 35% body fat as still in a "healthy" range--something I don't quite agree with. If the scale fat % is in the ballpark at all, that leaves a fat free mass of 91 lbs.If you have a smaller frame, that number is not unreasonable.

Your goal of 8 st 7lb is about 119 lbs. At your current fat free mass, that would be about 24%-25% fat. That's is the realm of possibility.

Again, that all depends on how accurate the numbers are. You should ask the trainer for the specific body fat %. It's accuracy depends both on the method used and the skill of the operator. If you are currently 30% fat, then 119 may not be "impossible". If you are 25% fat, then going to 119 means getting under 20%, which is more of a long shot.

The lower your body fat %, the harder it becomes to go lower. My best advice would be to maintain a smaller, but consistent calorie deficit (no more than 500 per day), lift at moderate to heavy intensities (4-10RM weights), consume 1.0-1.5 g protein per kg body weight , and include 1-2 higher-intensity interval sessions per week. And, every four weeks, I would eat at maintenance calorie level for 7-10 days.

Debx12345

Thanks for that, I currently aim for net 1200, my bmr on this site 1198, my maintenance is about 1698. Can I just ask - why every four weeks should I eat maintenance for 7-10 days ?

It's funny that about a year ago I would have been overjoyed to be this weight and body size, think as we get to where we want to be we change the goal post so we have to aim higher.