Worse than useless advice
canroadrunner
Posts: 203 Member
I lost weight with MFP while I was training for a Spartan race. After the race was over, I slacked off on my exercise and, I ate a bunch of junk and gained my weight back. I knew winter was coming, my outdoor exercise was over and so I decided to join a gym.
I joined a gym at the spa I go to. I like it because it's not well known and I have the gym to myself for hours. However, the membership is a little more expensive because it includes some add-ons like personal training sessions, infrared sauna AND nutritional consults once a month. (The personal trainer is awesome).
I made my appointment with the consultant and she was fricking worse than useless. I don't know what the hell kind of training she had but I was more knowledgeable about nutrition than she was. Examples of her advice: without knowing my energy expenditure on exercise, she told me that I should eat their specially planned diet which amounted to 1100 calories per day (including a number of meal replacement shakes which she would gladly sell me) EVEN THOUGH the computer testing she did showed my BMR to be 1600. (As measured by my HRM, I typically burn between 600-900 calories a day through exercise, including weight training.) I am a big girl, 5'9" and 200 lbs. 1100 calories a day is ridiculous.
When I told her I would not drink her shakes, she told me that they would then customize a diet for me using regular food. Again, what a waste. Even though I told her I was diabetic, none of her planning seemed to take this into account. Her menus included larger amounts of carbs than I would ever eat at any one meal and more importantly, not enough protein with meals.
I thanked her politely and came back here to do my own thing with nutrition. Now I just see her so I can get my bodyfat measurement done. Quite a disappointment.
So now, I've come back, I eat at least 1600 calories a day and most of my exercise calories back. I feel strong and energetic and most importantly I know that I'm losing weight the correct way that is good for the long term.
I joined a gym at the spa I go to. I like it because it's not well known and I have the gym to myself for hours. However, the membership is a little more expensive because it includes some add-ons like personal training sessions, infrared sauna AND nutritional consults once a month. (The personal trainer is awesome).
I made my appointment with the consultant and she was fricking worse than useless. I don't know what the hell kind of training she had but I was more knowledgeable about nutrition than she was. Examples of her advice: without knowing my energy expenditure on exercise, she told me that I should eat their specially planned diet which amounted to 1100 calories per day (including a number of meal replacement shakes which she would gladly sell me) EVEN THOUGH the computer testing she did showed my BMR to be 1600. (As measured by my HRM, I typically burn between 600-900 calories a day through exercise, including weight training.) I am a big girl, 5'9" and 200 lbs. 1100 calories a day is ridiculous.
When I told her I would not drink her shakes, she told me that they would then customize a diet for me using regular food. Again, what a waste. Even though I told her I was diabetic, none of her planning seemed to take this into account. Her menus included larger amounts of carbs than I would ever eat at any one meal and more importantly, not enough protein with meals.
I thanked her politely and came back here to do my own thing with nutrition. Now I just see her so I can get my bodyfat measurement done. Quite a disappointment.
So now, I've come back, I eat at least 1600 calories a day and most of my exercise calories back. I feel strong and energetic and most importantly I know that I'm losing weight the correct way that is good for the long term.
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Replies
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the sad thing is, there are plenty of others who DON'T know anything about nutrition and are taking her advise to heart....scary!0
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wow....just wow..its sad when you have more experience than the person who had some sort of education.0
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I am going thru the same thing at the moment....I am also 200 pounds and 5"9 and my "food coach" wants me to eat 1200 cals everyday and 1 day at 1300 cals.....and one day with only vegetables and meat (not even fruit). I know have to deal with telling her this week no I wont be doing that...ill be eating 2050 cals a day.0
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You know, when I read stuff like this it makes me want to retrain as a nutritionist/dietician and go out there and tell people to eat!!!
I'm into my first week of reset, after upping my calories before I found EM2WL & upping them again (!). I'm loving all the food, can see a difference already in my body shape (getting smaller in the right places), so why wouldn't anyone want to recommend this to others? What's wrong with these people?
Sorry, just having a moment... Glad you guys are ignoring your coaches!0 -
If people admitted that EM2WL worked, they would be out of jobs. They have to plan on failure so you keep coming back. I am sorry but some people are not out to help, they are out for themselves.0
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Trainers are not nutritionists/dieticians, nor are Dr.'s. You should never get advice from them in this area because the majority will tell you the same thing, eat low cal lol Even some nutritionists are questionable!
Keep doing what you are doing, sounds like you are doing a great job on your own :0) Well and with MFP!!
Good Luck
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It wasn't the trainer. It was the consultant who was supposedly the "expert" in nutrition. Not.0
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I won't say all but some consultants, gym nutritionists, trainers....they tend to try to lock down a sale and to do that they need quick results to keep you coming back. Vlcd initially causes rapid weight loss but unfortunately it is muscle, water and fat...not good.0
