Conflicting advice and now confused as ever.

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sugarbeans
sugarbeans Posts: 676 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
According to Jillian Michaels you should do 40% carbs 30% protein and 30% for fat, and be around 1200-1500 cal/day. MFP says 1240 net cals for me.
I want to be 135lbs but my trainer says both Jillian and MFP aren't correct. My trainer feels that I should be at 50%carbs 40% protein and 10% fat because I am wanting to burn fat so why intake 30%. She also feels that I should be around 1400-1500 cal/day and insists that I will never be 135lbs.
Reason for why I won't be 135lbs is because my lean muscle mass is already at 125lbs and you should have at least 20% body fat.. so being 135lbs is virtually impossible. So now I have confused myself and would like to know which do I follow?
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Replies

  • aschr690
    aschr690 Posts: 41 Member
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    Honestly I would probably go with your personal trainer, because they know you and your body on an individual level. Jillian Micheal's information and MFP is more of a general coverage of people, but everyone is different and your trainer knows the specifics. I'm not an authority on the subject, but that is how I look at the situation :)
  • NightOwl1
    NightOwl1 Posts: 881 Member
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    How fast are you trying to lose? You may be setting your goals too high, and if you lower it, you may find yourself with a higher net calorie count, which may be healthier.

    As far as the breakdown goes of how you get your calories, as long as you are eating healthy and not too high in any one category, I think it doesn't matter where you get your calories from. A calorie is a calorie. Healthy fats are an essential part of your diet, so as long as you are getting your fats from sources high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and not saturated or trans fat, don't worry about it too much.

    As far as losing weight goes, when you lose weight, most people lose muscle weight as well as fat weight. So unless you are doing weight training several times a week, you will have less muscle than you did when you started losing weight.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    Pick one and run with it. There's so many different programs / methods out there it can get confusing, you can't follow them all at once.
    How long have you had the trainer?
    I've read so many different plans on the internet, different methods in different magazines, each one seems to contradict another. Just pick one and give it time, "we" didn't get to the way we are overnight, it also won't disappear overnight.
  • Cytherea
    Cytherea Posts: 515 Member
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    Maybe it is impossible for you to get down to 135, maybe it isn't, but you don't have to worry about that now. You don't NEED to have a major goal. Just start trying to lose weight and exercise and see where it takes you. I wouldn't stress about your final weight at the moment- you've just started on the journey! See what happens and go from there. Maybe you'll find that the trainer is right, and you'll be happy at a higher weight when you get there, or maybe they'll end up being wrong and you can get down there, but either way, it will be a positive change.

    Remember, fat is not necessarily bad. Our body needs it. I find that personally, if I'm way under what MFP gives me on fat for a long time, I have a harder time losing weight. Just to keep another perspective in mind. Obviously I'm not a nutritionist or a personal trainer, but I've definitely found this happening in my experience over the past year of seriously trying to lose weight.

    You can always try one method/plan, see how it works, and if it doesn't, switch it up. Nothing is set in stone and you have to find what works best for you. If what your trainer tells you isn't working, try how MFP does it. However you do it, you will most likely be able to lose weight and be healthier, so it is all good! Just make sure to stick with it! :flowerforyou:
  • leslielove
    leslielove Posts: 251 Member
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    I follow 40/30/30 because that's what works for my body. You have to find .the ratios that work for you and your body.

    You do need fat. You can get lower than 20% body fat if you want to, women can get down to about12% before it starts messing with the reproductive system. It depends on how athletic you are/want to be/look.


    Follow your trainer's advice and see how the ratios work. It you're not losing, tweak the ratios.
  • husstler
    husstler Posts: 39 Member
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    It can be really confusing but I need to ask, is your trainer a registered dietitian, nutritionist, or physician? I would be very wary of any professional in the training business who tells you that you should not have more than 10% fat. What are her credentials?

    For the record, the American Heart Association recommends that between 25 and 35 percent of the day's total calories come from fat. There are a lot of good nutrition books out there written by qualified professionals. I'd seriously suggest hitting the bookstore or library. I have found the Complete Idiots Guide to Total Nutrition by Joy Bauer really helpful. It was recommended by my doctor. Good luck!
  • lordofultima
    lordofultima Posts: 293
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    Fat does not cause you to get fat. Healthy fats are an ESSENTIAL key to burning fat, in fact.
  • davidpetersonharvey
    davidpetersonharvey Posts: 5 Member
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    Nothing against your trainer, but, if he is not a nutritionist, I'd consider the fact that two other sources are giving you consistent information and he isn't. There's a lot of misinformation that gets spread in gyms, like the trainer that told me one time that only 3% of your diet should be fat calories and you should only have 3% body fat.

    Since a trainer in a gym once left me unable to use my arms for two weeks, I may have a slightly biased view against trainers, but I do think that, if your trainer isn't a nutritionist, it's probably best for him not to advise you in that area.

    FoodPyramid.gov has useful information, including the nutritional guidelines you can download from http://www.mypyramid.gov/guidelines/index.html that I hope will be useful to you.

    Best of health to you!

    David
  • Shawnalee0703
    Shawnalee0703 Posts: 1,093
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    I was told by my pt to stick around 50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fat.I stick to 45/30/25 MYSELF. Fat is a very important part of your diet... but only in natural form. Also... every person needs different amounts of each depending on how your body uses it. This is called oxidizing. Look up an oxidizer test and see what results you get from that quiz. It takes information about your diet, your cravings and your reactions to certain types of food to determine what % is best for your chemistry. Give it a shot. I would not recommend going much over 20% fat when trying to lose weight but again..... make sure that fat is natural: dairy, oils (sesame, olive, peanut, safflower), nuts and lean meats being a few examples..


    fyi the 40/30/30 is JM's general formula (balanced oxidizer, which I am) which she suggests in cases that she is unaware of the actual oxidizing rate of the people on her site or reading her books. I have read 3 of her books and she has a quiz available in a couple of them to determine which is your best fit. Also, fast, slow and balance oxidizers use all different foods differently and there may be suggestions on what meats to eat more of or less of for YOUR body's benefit. But again, every person is different and you can find a quiz online that may help you find (or narrow down) this information. It makes sense to me that your nutritionist would suggest a significant amount of carbs, protein and fat.... your body needs them all to function healthily. ;)
    This is a great question and is really important to know. Props to you for wanting to know. :-D
    You are correct... unless you are an athlete there is no reason for a healthy woman to be below 20%. Whether or not you can get 135 pounds really depends on your current body fat percentage. As long as you are a healthy BF% and you are happy with yourself and you are healthy... who cares what the scale actually says; right? ;)
  • juliana1977
    juliana1977 Posts: 153 Member
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    It really depends on what is going to work for your body. Mine is 50%, 30% 20% the only reason my fat is a little lower is b/c I have a very high cholesterol and triglicerides and I am working to lower them. My carbs are higher b/c I need a lot of good carbs (full os soluble fiber) to help to lower triglicerides. It is working so far! In my opinion and with my diet would be too dificult to stay below 20% fat just b/c I need a lot of good fats to raise my good cholesterol. So it is not so much how much you of each of them but what you are eating IMO!
  • lordofultima
    lordofultima Posts: 293
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    I'm doing:

    Low Carb Days: 30% Carbs, 45% Protein, 25% Fat
    High Carb Days: 50% Carbs, 30% Protein, 20% Fat
  • MISTTIMI
    MISTTIMI Posts: 53
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    Most trainers at the gym I used to work for used the 40-40-20 formula.
  • sugarbeans
    sugarbeans Posts: 676 Member
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    I"m a balanced oxidizer and as far as weight loss I have set my goals to 2lbs a week. I will not cry if I'm 1 or 1.5 lbs or heck even .5 lbs aweek for weight loss. Like Pandorian has said we didn't gain weight over night so losing it isn't going to come over night. I know this by losing 70lbs already and taking 2 years to do so. Unrealistically and Ideally I would love to just magically wish the weight gone and within seconds it was. Reality wise I won't and part of this journey is not only losing weight but also losing the insecurities, the fears and finding out who you are as a person.
    I just don't want to be losing weight in a unhealthy fashion. Right now I have my settings to 40C 30P and 30F and yes I know there are essential fats that are needed. 135lbs is what I always wanted to be but it's not necessary it's just a number to strive for. Once I have lost more weight or inches(tend to lose more inches than weight which is fine) I will figure out whether 135 is too small for my frame or not.
    My trainer is amazing and has helped me with a lot of things but Jillian has been around longer I just got confused. I'm enjoying MFP and trying to reach the settings they have I don't panic if I'm over in Calories a day or two in arow as long as it is under 1500 cal/day (before exercise).
    Thanks for the advice and support.
    =)
  • Shawnalee0703
    Shawnalee0703 Posts: 1,093
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    I"m a balanced oxidizer and as far as weight loss I have set my goals to 2lbs a week. I will not cry if I'm 1 or 1.5 lbs or heck even .5 lbs aweek for weight loss. Like Pandorian has said we didn't gain weight over night so losing it isn't going to come over night. I know this by losing 70lbs already and taking 2 years to do so. Unrealistically and Ideally I would love to just magically wish the weight gone and within seconds it was. Reality wise I won't and part of this journey is not only losing weight but also losing the insecurities, the fears and finding out who you are as a person.
    I just don't want to be losing weight in a unhealthy fashion. Right now I have my settings to 40C 30P and 30F and yes I know there are essential fats that are needed. 135lbs is what I always wanted to be but it's not necessary it's just a number to strive for. Once I have lost more weight or inches(tend to lose more inches than weight which is fine) I will figure out whether 135 is too small for my frame or not.
    My trainer is amazing and has helped me with a lot of things but Jillian has been around longer I just got confused. I'm enjoying MFP and trying to reach the settings they have I don't panic if I'm over in Calories a day or two in arow as long as it is under 1500 cal/day (before exercise).
    Thanks for the advice and support.
    =)
    You sound like you are doing well and you have the right frame of mind! I am the same way... I have a weight goal window and I will just see when I get there. I have A LOT of muscle for a woman so I weigh super duper heavy! haha Keep up the hard work and you will feel great and meet milestones in no time! :-D
  • Bluedimplett
    Bluedimplett Posts: 52 Member
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    I was on your boat a few months ago as well. It is a frustrating thing to feel. Im not a nutritionist at all but i have based my breakdown based on just reading alot of the net. You also gotta take into consideration what your trying to accomplish. i created my breakdown based on the fact that i'm more interested in losing weight than gaining muscle/toning at this time of my weight loss journey.

    i do: 45/35/20

    if you talk to a body builder they eat tons and tons of protein. my friend competed in "body figure" and she had to get down to 7% body fat and accomplished that by eating a whole lot of protein, very little fat and carbs.
  • BoresEasily
    BoresEasily Posts: 582
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    If you can afford it see a nutritionist. Don't pay attention to your trainer or anyone else because only a nutritionist is going to know what you need. Anything else is just a best guess. If you can't afford a nutritionist than experiment, try them all for a certain length of time and see which you feel best on.
  • smilestb99
    smilestb99 Posts: 50
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    This is the best way I can explain the proportions and it's how my naturopathic doctor told me to measure- You need about a handfull (with hand stretched out) of carbs, a palm full of protein, and a thumb full of healthy fat. Now, your trainer may alter yours a bit depending on the workouts you're doing as far as portion sizes, calories, etc.
  • maxjane
    maxjane Posts: 3
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    I'm no expert, but I have significantly reduced my fat intake and have only about 10 - 15grams per day, from milk, olive oil, avocado, meat and other healthy, natural sources. I've increased my protein too, but apart from MFP measuring it, I don't. I only eat small amounts of rice, no doughy bread or pasta and occasionally splurge on a healthy, thin wrap (carbs) with protein (steak slices or tuna) and loads of salad. I've lost 4 kg in about 3 1/2 weeks. I've also noticed that while I'm much heavier than I used to be, my body is more compact and toned from 5 - 6 workouts a week. I want to get to my magic number too, but both I and others can see how much smaller my figure is from frequent exercise. It takes about 6 - 12 weeks of intense training to make real progress:)

    One more trick is: have exotic fruit as a treat, like mango or cherries. I occasionally slip in @6grams of Lindt dark chocolate on a naughty day, too, and I still lose weight:)
  • BoresEasily
    BoresEasily Posts: 582
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    This is the best way I can explain the proportions and it's how my naturopathic doctor told me to measure- You need about a handfull (with hand stretched out) of carbs, a palm full of protein, and a thumb full of healthy fat. Now, your trainer may alter yours a bit depending on the workouts you're doing as far as portion sizes, calories, etc.

    Is that like a homeopath?
  • BoresEasily
    BoresEasily Posts: 582
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    As ultima said previously. Fats are good for you they keep you feeling fuller longer. Healthy fats that is. But I'll say it again. See a nutritionist. Your trainer, Jillian Michaels, et cetera are not professionals in the field of nutrition. That is unless your trainer is a certified nutritionist, find that out before you take his advice.

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