Advice from my trainer - thoughts?

RainbootsToBikinis

Last week I met with a trainer at my gym to have my body fat % tested. Then we started talking about my goals, what I'm currently doing, and what my nutrition is like.

I'm currently following Jamie Eason's LiveFit program from bodybuilding.com, for those of you not familiar with it you work one body part each day over 6 days (back, chest, arms, shoulders, legsx2) and on 4 days a week (days you don't work legs) you follow with 30 minutes of moderate intensity cardio. She told me that while doing this I can add in a second lower intensity cardio session that's as long as I want and it wont affect the muscle I'm building in the morning. She told me as far as nutrition as long as I'm getting enough protein I can do both workouts and still keep my calories between 1200 and 1500.

Thoughts? I'm 21 and about 160lbs needing to lose about another 40.

nxd10

That sounds like excellent advice. You're lucky to have a trainer.

amnsetie

I think she has you a little low.
mfp has given you more, I assume you are about 5'5"?

RainbootsToBikinis

I'm 5'5 and I have my calories set to 1lb a week since I stopped losing for a little bit, but if I can drop it down to 1200 and lose more without losing my muscle I'd love to do that. If I set MFP to 2lbs per week it gives me 1200.

SideSteel

I would suspect that 1200 will be far too low if your goal is LBM retention. I wouldn't try to lose faster than about 1/week at your stats.

MoreBean13

I would suspect that 1200 will be far too low if your goal is LBM retention. I wouldn't try to lose faster than about 1/week at your stats.

^^good advice. 2lb/wk is really a more appropriate goal for people with a lot more weight to lose.

RainbootsToBikinis

What is consider a lot to lose? I feel like 30-40 would be considered a lot to lose.

SideSteel

First we'd have to assume that 40lbs is even a realistic goal. I suppose that would depend on a few factors, it MIGHT be realistic, it might be too much to lose. That would put you on the low end of healthy weight with a small bone structure (IIRC).

I wouldn't try to push beyond 1.5/week, max.

Generally speaking, I believe there are several variables that go into play when looking at LBM retention. Deficit size is one of them, protein intake, training protocol, training experience, current fitness level, how obese/lean you are, etc.

An obese person who has never touched a weight before has more wiggle room that someone who isn't as heavy and has some training experience -- strictly referring to LBM here.

The above is sort of random info, but what it says is -- the faster you try and cut fat, the more challenges you will face with trying to retain LBM.

Choice is yours really.