i need to be pointed in the right direction

This is NOT good. Basically he is getting you to starve yourself so it looks like he is creating results with his program. I personally would fire him, but if you want to keep him, I would have a conversation about what your goals are. It sounds to me like you want to be fit, not just lose weight. Slow and steady is so much better for you.

my trainer who works with me put me on a strict diet and like a dummy i trusted him ive been losing weight BUT ive been getting saggy skin and when i say im losing weight im losing 3+ pounds a week (i started january 1st at 184 im now 170) and im scared because he has me eating 700 - 800 cals a day this is why my diary is closed im to embarrassed to open it. yesterday i had 1300 cal cause i got sick of eating like a bird and had a hot fudge sundae. my carbs are sometimes less then 90g a day and sodium is near 600 mg a day. protein near 20g and sugar is barely there maybe 4g. im dizzy all day long. im ready to do this the healthy way im sick of bird eating please do not bash me just guide me i do know where the report button is thank you. ive quit the gym btw my doctor told me he would hospitalize me if i kept it up.

Get a new trainer! Eating that little can cause you all kinds of health problems.

You don't have to ditch the scale, but be sure to also take measurements. Only weigh in once a week and yes, eat your exercise calories. I am hoping someone will chime in with a good site for determining your TDEE which is total daily energy expenditure.

irresponsible trainer... for sure... don't blame yourself.. you go to an "expert" and hope to get proper guidance.. unfortunately, not always the case..

I'm glad you questioned it. Obviously you trusted your gut instinct that he was way off base. Looks like you're getting some good advice here. I eat 30% less than my TDEE. The info is here in the forum. My weight is coming off slowly but I'm eating well and being active.

Okay so since I'm trainer shopping this OP brings up a good question...how does one discern between a good trainer and bad one from the beginning? Are there specific questions to ask, red flags to look for, associations they should be members of, can we ask for references as we do for a number of other services.

Also is a trainer the best person to get eating advice from? For some reason I have always thought of them as having a very narrow focus of education, training, certification or whatever it is they get and that being related directly to exercise as body movement and the muscle gain, strength gain, flexibility gain, or weight loss, calorie burning those movements can achieve. Is their education/certification/training broader in scope? I ask this in all sincerity, because our dear OP is NOT the first person I've heard talking about their trainer telling them precisely what to eat. It seems that it's common, and I am not looking for my trainer to do that for me once I find one. I ONLY want him or her to guide my movements, exercise routines, etc. and would feel pretty awkward if they started telling me what to eat. I'd almost consider it like an insult like they are calling me fat? I think I may be missing something re: trainers and their scope.

Do they do food, or not?

Hi my name is susan and I'm 59 years old and over weight by 60 pounds but I have joined a gym like you and I'm managing my eating and staying around 1200 calories a day. But I'm eating 3 good meals a day and a couple pieces of chocolate a night and I eat what I'm craving just small amounts . I think your going to eat more of what your being told is forbidden on your strict diet than if you had some leeway , I bought a couple of books that have really helped me with cooking and understanding my metabolism and they are The complete idiots guide to low-carb meals and understanding your metabolism by jillian michaels. Sometimes we need to revolt when we are pushed so hard so maybe just take a break and give your self permission to not be so perfect. I hope you find the answer your looking for and you look amazing so maybe just a little more self love.

The slower the weight loss the easier it is for the skin to go back to normal and not be loose. Be proud of the weightloss so far and slowly up the calories because a sudden raise will make you gain all the weight back. I suggest eating 1000 and then upping it by 200 calories when you feel necessary. Keep up with workouts but ditch the trainer. I have done every possible "diet" known to man so if you have any questions feel free to message me. Dieting since 1st grade, i know what doesnt work. Increasing calories suddenly will just pack on the pounds again. I hope this helps