Advice from gym trainer
angelam82
Posts: 61 Member
After reading the info on here over the last few days, I thought I would bring it up with one of the trainers at the gym tonight. She informed me that I should not be eating anymore then 1200 calories per day all up, even after exercise. When I said that I would struggle on that, she said to start at 1500 and gradually decrease....interesting.
Next stop is to have a chat with one of the dieticians at work to get her thoughts.
The whole BMR etc calculations make a lot of sense to me. It seems like the logical way to do sustainable weightloss. However, I do find it interesting as to what the "professionals" say. Said trainer is all of 4'5" and probably only 90lbs (if that). She could probably survive on the smell of an oily rag!
Next stop is to have a chat with one of the dieticians at work to get her thoughts.
The whole BMR etc calculations make a lot of sense to me. It seems like the logical way to do sustainable weightloss. However, I do find it interesting as to what the "professionals" say. Said trainer is all of 4'5" and probably only 90lbs (if that). She could probably survive on the smell of an oily rag!
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Replies
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I was doing the 1200 calories when I first started here. Some weeks I'd lose nothing, the next week I'd lose .5 lbs, the next week gain it was awful and frustrating, then a friend of mine here on MFP worked out my numbers for me and added about 500 calories and I've been consistently losing 2 lbs a week. The week I started 2 lbs, then 2.5 and last week 3 lbs. I work out 6 days a week so 1200 was just not enough for me obviously.0
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I really don't think that's good advice for anyone! No matter how tall you are! I know there's a lot of debate about the whole "starvation mode" but I just don't think it's a good idea to eat so little. You need fuel!!
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After reading the info on here over the last few days, I thought I would bring it up with one of the trainers at the gym tonight. She informed me that I should not be eating anymore then 1200 calories per day all up, even after exercise. When I said that I would struggle on that, she said to start at 1500 and gradually decrease....interesting.
Next stop is to have a chat with one of the dieticians at work to get her thoughts.
The whole BMR etc calculations make a lot of sense to me. It seems like the logical way to do sustainable weightloss. However, I do find it interesting as to what the "professionals" say. Said trainer is all of 4'5" and probably only 90lbs (if that). She could probably survive on the smell of an oily rag!
Said trainer is not a dietitian or nutritionist and clearly has no idea what they are talking about. On 1200 calories without exercising, I am sluggish, famished and get headaches because it is nowhere near enough food for me to survive.0 -
No one can really comment on this without your:
Age
Gender
Height
Weight
Then we can work it out!0 -
But...
I have been on the 1200 calorie a day... since April 23. I have lost 11 pounds, many inches and feel super energetic. I workout with my trainer 2 times a week, do cardio 6 days a week on my own (biking and walking) I am not hungry. I eat a lot of protein and low(er) in Carbs...
It appears to be working for me.. I am confused!0 -
Conclusion:
Not all trainers are any good!!0 -
For the record:
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Height: 5'3"
Weight:88kg/194lbs
Will be having a chat with the dietician at work today. I tried to yesterday, but she was busy with students and seeing patients.0 -
Most people overestimate portion sizes and thus underestimate calories like crazy- ask anyone who thought they were using correct portion sizes and then started using a digital scale. I think trainers assume people can't count calories correctly, and when they suggest 1200 calories they expect you to be eating probably 1600 or 1800 and reporting it as 1200.
Meh. :grumble:0 -
i'd get a new trainer0
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Trainers are not always educated. They get hired because of their looks. They look like everyone else wants to look, so they must know what they are doing right? Wrong!
1. Listen to the dietician as they are educated.
2. Educate yourself
3. Figure out your goals. (for me I didn't want a 1200 calorie diet! I like to eat & 1200 calories made me weak and dizzy especially on exercise days!) So I decided to lose slower and eat more. It worked out for me because I set my goals to lose 1/2 a pound per week and I eat back most of my exercise calories, but not all of them. I have been losing 1+ pounds per week, which is hard for someone who has almost reached goal!
The idea of dieting is not to lose weight quick and then stop dieting. You are making a lifestyle change and slow and steady is the best way to do it. Good luck!0 -
I can say this, I am 5'6'' and 118lb and my maintenance is around 1700/day, which most maintenance calculators take into account 1 hour of exercise a day, so if you did the standard weight loss reduction of 500 calories, that would be, hey, 1200/day!! So for you at 5'3'', you could maybe safely go down to even 1000/day, but idk your maintenance. This had always worked for me and continues to (I was being bad and gained 10lb last month, and went from 1700, back to 1200, and have lost 5lb in 2 weeks)! I do not eat back exercise calories, as they are already accounted for in my maintenance. Everyone is different though, and if you train heavier than 1 hour a day, you should add some to compensate so you aren't starving yourself. However, ME eating 1200/day is NOT starving me.
Hope that helps ya. 0 -
I can say this, I am 5'6'' and 118lb and my maintenance is around 1700/day, which most maintenance calculators take into account 1 hour of exercise a day, so if you did the standard weight loss reduction of 500 calories, that would be, hey, 1200/day!! So for you at 5'3'', you could maybe safely go down to even 1000/day, but idk your maintenance. This had always worked for me and continues to (I was being bad and gained 10lb last month, and went from 1700, back to 1200, and have lost 5lb in 2 weeks)! I do not eat back exercise calories, as they are already accounted for in my maintenance. Everyone is different though, and if you train heavier than 1 hour a day, you should add some to compensate so you aren't starving yourself. However, ME eating 1200/day is NOT starving me. Hope that helps ya.
Your maintenance is only 1700 - wow thats low. I am heavier (so my maintenance would be higher) but a lot older (so my maintenance should be lower) but the same height and without exercise, my maintenance is about 2100. Workouts increase that by a lot.
My point here, is that you cannot really say that 1000 is OK for someone else just because the math works from your stats (and ignoring the problem of getting appropriate macro and micronutrients at that level as well as the sustainability of it).
OP: to echo what others have said - trainers have no nutritional training and often give out terrible advice (not all but some). Talk to a Registered Dietician before cutting calories.0 -
I have to say though, not all dieticians are good either. I went to one a few months back to try and get help with my chronic hypoglycemia. I brought up tdee and she didn't know what it was. She didn't even take into account that I was running 4 days a week - just said I shouldn't need more than 1600 cals a day.
Um, that's what I ate over the weekend when I had a tummy bug. I'm just shy of 5'2 and am trying to eat around tdee, which for me is almost 2300. I wasn't fueling my workouts before. Now I can push myself even further.
Having been a trainer in another life (and decade) just keep in mind that the "professionals" don't know everything.0 -
Generally speaking unless the trainer is a dietician, they are not suppose to give you nutrition advice.0
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I can say this, I am 5'6'' and 118lb and my maintenance is around 1700/day, which most maintenance calculators take into account 1 hour of exercise a day, so if you did the standard weight loss reduction of 500 calories, that would be, hey, 1200/day!! So for you at 5'3'', you could maybe safely go down to even 1000/day, but idk your maintenance. This had always worked for me and continues to (I was being bad and gained 10lb last month, and went from 1700, back to 1200, and have lost 5lb in 2 weeks)! I do not eat back exercise calories, as they are already accounted for in my maintenance. Everyone is different though, and if you train heavier than 1 hour a day, you should add some to compensate so you aren't starving yourself. However, ME eating 1200/day is NOT starving me. Hope that helps ya.
Your maintenance is only 1700 - wow thats low. I am heavier (so my maintenance would be higher) but a lot older (so my maintenance should be lower) but the same height and without exercise, my maintenance is about 2100. Workouts increase that by a lot.
My point here, is that you cannot really say that 1000 is OK for someone else just because the math works from your stats (and ignoring the problem of getting appropriate macro and micronutrients at that level as well as the sustainability of it).
OP: to echo what others have said - trainers have no nutritional training and often give out terrible advice (not all but some). Talk to a Registered Dietician before cutting calories.
It seems low to me now too cause when I weighed 165or even 130 it was much higher, but that is what happens when you get thinner (unfortunately
) your body doesn't need as many calories to keep going. According to the BMR tool on MFP my BMR is only 1317! Yikes, I'd be starving if I ate that, even without any exercise or activity. I have experimented with my maintenance though and 1700 seems to be the right number for me to neither gain or lose weight, so I know it's correct.
And you are right, I have no idea what's healthy for her, because for one, I am not a nutritionist, and also, I don't know her body, which is why I said "you could maybe safely go down to even 1000/day, but idk your maintenance" She would have to be thin already to go to that lower calorie amount. I also couldn't recommend proper macros for her because everyone's body reacts differently to food. I am a protein type, and do not feel full or energized for long from carbs, whereas some people are the opposite.
And I agree 100% that you should only listen to a nutritionist, and your body!! 0 -
Hate to be a link-dumper, but here is it again: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
Use that. It will give you a calorie range to stay in. Don't listen to the trainers so much... they typically don't know squat about nutrition. I've had two trainers (at 24hr Fitness, to specify) tell me the same rubbish. They tell me not to eat after a certain time at night (which is a myth). They tell me not to eat carbs late (always have, still lost weight - another myth). They tell me not to do high intensity interval training (HIIT) on the cardio machines because it gets my heart rate so high that I am actually burning muscle instead of fat (derp-myth).
If you have a lot of weight to lose, you can stand to have more of a deficit, but I would start with what Fat2Fit recommends, stick with it for 4-6 weeks, and if, after that time, you're not losing, then reduce by a hundred calories at a time until you hit the sweet spot.
This is assuming you are as honest as possible with your calorie logging, and reasonable about your "calories burned" estimates.
Best of luck.
*Edit for typoes... oi.0 -
I think you need to find what works for you but i am
age 49
femals
height 5'6"
weight 152
I have been at 1200 cals a day not eating back exercise cals and have lost 102 lbs in 21 months. I am full most of the time, I eat foods that are really filling. I think eating at 1200 cals a day can easily be done depending on what you eat.0 -
For the record:
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Height: 5'3"
Weight:88kg/194lbs
Will be having a chat with the dietician at work today. I tried to yesterday, but she was busy with students and seeing patients.
I am 8 years older, an inch shorter, and 15 pounds heavier ( currently). By MFP guidelines, I have my calories set at about 1550 a day and I eat back as many of my exercise calories as I can. I am on a lower carb diet, so it is hard to get the calories in some days ( sometimes I eat Atkins meal bars as a snack!). In the last 5 weeks I have lost 9.8 pounds--despite blowing my macros several times!0 -
After reading the info on here over the last few days, I thought I would bring it up with one of the trainers at the gym tonight. She informed me that I should not be eating anymore then 1200 calories per day all up, even after exercise. When I said that I would struggle on that, she said to start at 1500 and gradually decrease....interesting.
Next stop is to have a chat with one of the dieticians at work to get her thoughts.
The whole BMR etc calculations make a lot of sense to me. It seems like the logical way to do sustainable weightloss. However, I do find it interesting as to what the "professionals" say. Said trainer is all of 4'5" and probably only 90lbs (if that). She could probably survive on the smell of an oily rag!
Here's someone else who asked their trainer
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/206951-asked-my-trainer-re-eating-back-calories0 -
I think you need to find what works for you but i am
age 49
femals
height 5'6"
weight 152
I have been at 1200 cals a day not eating back exercise cals and have lost 102 lbs in 21 months. I am full most of the time, I eat foods that are really filling. I think eating at 1200 cals a day can easily be done depending on what you eat.
That's great progress! Congrats! In 6 months of eating 1200/day I lost 50lb, so we lost at almost the exact same rate, seems to have worked for us! =D
I give alot of credit for my weight loss to eating healthy though! I did not eat anything unhealthy except on my cheat day.
I also worked out very hard doing HIIT 4 days a week for 1 hour a day. The other days I rested and hiked or something fun usually one of the rest days.0 -
After reading the info on here over the last few days, I thought I would bring it up with one of the trainers at the gym tonight. She informed me that I should not be eating anymore then 1200 calories per day all up, even after exercise. When I said that I would struggle on that, she said to start at 1500 and gradually decrease....interesting.
Next stop is to have a chat with one of the dieticians at work to get her thoughts.
The whole BMR etc calculations make a lot of sense to me. It seems like the logical way to do sustainable weightloss. However, I do find it interesting as to what the "professionals" say. Said trainer is all of 4'5" and probably only 90lbs (if that). She could probably survive on the smell of an oily rag!
Thanks for the link. She sounds like she knows what she's talking about. However when I ate my exercise calories back I started gaining weight, so maybe my body is already used to the lower calories like she suggests. That doesn't make sense to me though, because I do 2 cheat days a week to reset my metabolism. Oh well. I guess I will just stick to my 1700/day maintenance since it works for me.
Here's someone else who asked their trainer
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/206951-asked-my-trainer-re-eating-back-calories0 -
I can say this, I am 5'6'' and 118lb and my maintenance is around 1700/day, which most maintenance calculators take into account 1 hour of exercise a day, so if you did the standard weight loss reduction of 500 calories, that would be, hey, 1200/day!! So for you at 5'3'', you could maybe safely go down to even 1000/day, but idk your maintenance. This had always worked for me and continues to (I was being bad and gained 10lb last month, and went from 1700, back to 1200, and have lost 5lb in 2 weeks)! I do not eat back exercise calories, as they are already accounted for in my maintenance. Everyone is different though, and if you train heavier than 1 hour a day, you should add some to compensate so you aren't starving yourself. However, ME eating 1200/day is NOT starving me. Hope that helps ya.
Your maintenance is only 1700 - wow thats low. I am heavier (so my maintenance would be higher) but a lot older (so my maintenance should be lower) but the same height and without exercise, my maintenance is about 2100. Workouts increase that by a lot.
My point here, is that you cannot really say that 1000 is OK for someone else just because the math works from your stats (and ignoring the problem of getting appropriate macro and micronutrients at that level as well as the sustainability of it).
OP: to echo what others have said - trainers have no nutritional training and often give out terrible advice (not all but some). Talk to a Registered Dietician before cutting calories.
It seems low to me now too cause when I weighed 165or even 130 it was much higher, but that is what happens when you get thinner (unfortunately ) your body doesn't need as many calories to keep going. According to the BMR tool on MFP my BMR is only 1317! Yikes, I'd be starving if I ate that, even without any exercise or activity. I have experimented with my maintenance though and 1700 seems to be the right number for me to neither gain or lose weight, so I know it's correct.
And you are right, I have no idea what's healthy for her, because for one, I am not a nutritionist, and also, I don't know her body, which is why I said "you could maybe safely go down to even 1000/day, but idk your maintenance" She would have to be thin already to go to that lower calorie amount. I also couldn't recommend proper macros for her because everyone's body reacts differently to food. I am a protein type, and do not feel full or energized for long from carbs, whereas some people are the opposite.
And I agree 100% that you should only listen to a nutritionist, and your body!!
The anticipated difference in someone's BMR at a 40lb difference in weight is only about 150 calories (which is less than the impact of a 20+ year age difference).
My BMR is 200 more than yours and I lose weight at 1900 calories at a rate of 1lb a week.
My point is - it is individual (not arguing with you on that as you did say that in your post also).0 -
Hate to be a link-dumper, but here is it again: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
This link is legit. I put in my numbers and it was within 50 calories. I've had my resting metabolic rate tested at a lab and here's what it found
Age 33
Weight 195
5'7"
Resting metabolic rate was 1900 calories. My body fat is about 16-17%
Some of you that are complaining about 1200 calories or 1500 calories not being enough and your scared of being hungry etc. If you are eating clean foods like veggies, lean meats, etc you can be fairly satisfied at 1500 calories. Veggies are filling and very low in calories. A decent sized boneless skinless chicken breast is only 150 calories. A platefully of brocolli is like 50 calories. Those 2 together would be a very filling meal at 200 calories, lots of protein, and fiber.
If you are eating lots of calorie dense foods with lots of sugar and refinded carbs you will not be full. You'll hit 1500 calories and still be starving.
Remember if you are trying to lose weight it might be uncomfortable sometimes. Suck it up. Eat clean foods. Drink lots of water and you'll be full enough. Good luck.0
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