Trainer says to Net 1000 Calories?!

marissabakescakes
marissabakescakes Posts: 35 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
If this was the beginning of my weight loss journey, I would be setting my calories to exactly what this lady told me. Now I'm a little smarter, and less naive. I just want to get some feedback from others that have had similar experiences.

I went for my first session with my trainer, who is amazing and understands that lifting heavy weights is exactly what I need at this point in my journey. However, the nutritional information she gave me seems beyond OFF. We did a body composition analysis and it calculated my BMR at 1520 calories. She then went on to add an estimate of exercise to that number (350 for workouts) to bring me to approx. 1850 on workout days. I was thinking, amazing! This lady knows that you actually have to eat to maintain muscle and not become skinny fat. BUT THEN she proceeds to remove 500 calories from these numbers, to have me losing 1 pound per week. So basically, I would only be eating 1000 calories on my rest days, and 1350 on workout days. WHAT?!

Now I have done sufficient enough research on TDEE % and such to know that this is crazy. How am I supposed to sustain any energy on 1000 NET calories a day on exercise days, and only 1000 period on rest days. Plus the amount of muscle mass I would lose would waste any efforts I have made heavy lifting.

What the heck are they teaching some of these trainers in college? She is knowledgeable when it comes to effective exercise and pushing you to the limit, plus she can monitor my form. But the nutritional advice she gave me has me worried. What do you guys think, should I stick with her for the workouts and ignore her nutritional advice, or keep searching?

Also, when you were getting into lifting, what resources did you find most useful for routines and such? There is so much information out there! Thanks :smooched: :heart:
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Replies

  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    I honestly believe that open minded mfp members, who have been here a while and actually read studies that are posted and participate in groups and such, probably have more knowledge about nutrition than a lot, if not most trainers.
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
    She's a physical trainer, not a nutritionist or an M.D.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Keep her for the exercise side of it.

    The nutrition side of it - do it yourself or find someone else.

    She seems to have forgotten the NEAT /SPA and TEF aspects of the energy balance equation....
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    First off, I don't buy in to the 1200 calorie alarmism.

    On my rest days I go for 1400 calories and judging by your pics I'v e got a good bit more mass than you as well as being male. But I do add an extra 1000 calories on weights workout days.
    In the past however, I've done similar and done ok.
    Hell, I've had 1000 calorie days at 185lbs or so with 0 net calories and not noticed anything bad come from that - I do try and be a little more consistent these days.

    I was going t suggest she confused BMR and TDEE - however, that BMR sounds a smidge highwhen matched to your pictures (I don't know your height, age or weight however), I wonder if that could be a sedentary TDEE calculation. (Seems a little low for that.)
    If it was TDEE, then the calculation would be correct for 1lb/week loss.
  • arrseegee
    arrseegee Posts: 575 Member
    I honestly believe that open minded mfp members, who have been here a while and actually read studies that are posted and participate in groups and such, probably have more knowledge about nutrition than a lot, if not most trainers.

    I totally agree.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,871 Member
    I somehow doubt you only burn 1520 calories a day before exercise. Anyway, firstly never take what a trainer says verbatim without checking other sources and 1000 cal deficit is generally too agressive.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    I was going t suggest she confused BMR and TDEE - however, that BMR sounds a smidge highwhen matched to your pictures (I don't know your height, age or weight however), I wonder if that could be a sedentary TDEE calculation.

    Thing is if it was a sedentary TDEE calculation that would put the OP's BMR at around 1,250 (1,500 divided by 1.2) which doesn't seem likely to me.

    Whilst I agree with you that the whole "zomg 1,200 calories you are going to die" thing is a bit alarmist I think her trainer has just messed up the calculation in truth.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Using Mifflin-St Jeor; a 28 year old 5'2" woman who weighs 129lb would have a TDEE of 1524 as an idea. BMR 1270
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
    It's not crazy. I've been doing 1000 calories a day - supervised by my doctor - and I've lost fat and gained muscle. Food choices are what makes the difference.
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    Your trainer is a complete idiot. Most trainers require no real certification or training to work at a gym, so don't assume for one second they all know what they are talking about.
  • bperkins88
    bperkins88 Posts: 357 Member
    I'm 5'7 and I burn 2000 cals / day doing absolutely nothing
  • NiikouruDesu
    NiikouruDesu Posts: 100
    That is low. Perhaps the calculations were for a sedentary lifestyle.

    It's not crazy. I've been doing 1000 calories a day - supervised by my doctor - and I've lost fat and gained muscle. Food choices are what makes the difference.

    ^ Correction, either just lost fat, or gained muscle in a caloric surplus/bulking phase. Just keeping the information true here for OP
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Using Mifflin-St Jeor; a 28 year old 5'2" woman who weighs 129lb would have a TDEE of 1524 as an idea. BMR 1270

    Fair play. I guess without knowing the OP's stats it's guesswork at this stage and maybe the advice isn't as bad as it seems at first glance.
  • 4Healthyliving
    4Healthyliving Posts: 16 Member
    you are a smart woman. the math is correct but the health as you said is crazy. Concentrate not on calories but on making your goal over the next 2 weeks to eat 75% of calories from the fruit and vegetable family. This will fire up your metabolism. Make sure to drinks 3 quarts of water. It take 2 quarts of water just to maintain, the body is 70% water and that water need to be constantly exchanged. Now you may need to start slow by exchanging one item of food with a vegetable or fruit everyday until you get to 75%. If this is the case until you get to that 75% watch your calories but don't go below 1200 a day. AgingWithoutDisease.com
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    Your trainer has confused BMR with TDEE. You're supposed to eat 500 calories per day below your TDEE, not BMR. It's hard to estimate your TDEE, but there are numerous equations out there based on activity level and BMR.

    BMR does not take any activity into account. So if you ate 500 calories below your BMR, you'd be losing far more than 1 pound per week, but it wouldn't be in a healthy manner. You'd probably lose muscle along with fat, be pretty grumpy, and just not feel good.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    As with most trainer's they think they know about nutrition but in fact are all pretty clueless. Use your trainer for what they actually no and ignore the nonsense
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,871 Member
    you are a smart woman. the math is correct but the health as you said is crazy. Concentrate not on calories but on making your goal over the next 2 weeks to eat 75% of calories from the fruit and vegetable family. This will fire up your metabolism. Make sure to drinks 3 quarts of water. It take 2 quarts of water just to maintain, the body is 70% water and that water need to be constantly exchanged. Now you may need to start slow by exchanging one item of food with a vegetable or fruit everyday until you get to 75%. If this is the case until you get to that 75% watch your calories but don't go below 1200 a day. AgingWithoutDisease.com
    You need to expand your information base.
  • marissabakescakes
    marissabakescakes Posts: 35 Member
    Thank you guys for the advice. The BMR actually seems to add up as I am 5'4 and 150 pounds. My goal is to avoid losing as much muscle as possible while sculpting a lean(ish) body through weight lifting. I am not sedentary at all. I work 8 hour shifts on my feet, head to the gym after work and go home and run around after my 17 month old daughter. I am currently eating 1500-1600 calories a day and I still always feeling hungry and grumpy. I can't even imagine a day eating the way this lady has suggested. I would be a ticking bomb by the end of the day. :noway:

    I just want to ensure I am doing everything correct. It is hard not to feeling overwhelmed and bombarded my the ridiculous amount of information out there.:laugh:
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,292 Member
    Thank you guys for the advice. The BMR actually seems to add up as I am 5'4 and 150 pounds. My goal is to avoid losing as much muscle as possible while sculpting a lean(ish) body through weight lifting. I am not sedentary at all. I work 8 hour shifts on my feet, head to the gym after work and go home and run around after my 17 month old daughter. I am currently eating 1500-1600 calories a day and I still always feeling hungry and grumpy. I can't even imagine a day eating the way this lady has suggested. I would be a ticking bomb by the end of the day. :noway:

    I just want to ensure I am doing everything correct. It is hard not to feeling overwhelmed and bombarded my the ridiculous amount of information out there.:laugh:

    If your goal is to lose the least amount of muscle possible, then I would suggest netting your BMR, or do TDEE - 10 to15%, and make sure you are getting adequate protein (minimum should be 100+ grams).

    Most trainers are not trained in nutrition, so if you think their advice may be off, then don't follow it.
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    Your BMR is what your body would burn if you stayed in bed all day sleeping. If you get up and pee or brush your teeth, you burn above your BMR. Walk to the living room, cook a meal, do a load of laundry, all of that is above and beyond your BMR.

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