Hello! Just joined... (personal trainer)

Hi there,

My name is Verner and I just joined this community to hopefully help in the near future.

I am a personal trainer in the San Francisco area and I routinely advice my clients to use MyFitnessPal to log and track their food. I think it's a great resource and I thought that maybe I could join and help answer any questions that anyone has in terms of health, nutrition, diet, exercise..anything!

A little about me: I'm 32 years old, and like I mentioned, I live in San Francisco area with my new fiance!

I work at a local gym and my specialty is weight loss.

So, if you ever feel like you struggle with self control, changing your eating habits, postpartum weight loss, consistency, or anything else.. I'd love to help!

Thank you for allowing me to join and I look forward to getting to know this community!

- Verner
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Replies

  • LeslieTSUK
    LeslieTSUK Posts: 215 Member
    Hi Verner,
    great to have you here on the forum.

    And since your offering help, grins, just a little question.

    I have nerve damage in my arms/hands/feet and back, so my mobility is limited.

    I'm ok on the food side, got that well in hand, could you recommend any types of exercises or equipment that would be helpful to tone up tummy and thighs as i try to loose the extra weight.?

    Big thanks in advance.

    I'm based in england uk
  • p_emmel5
    p_emmel5 Posts: 39 Member
    Welcome Verner. as a personal trainer you can use this as a great tool for your clients. My nutritionist logs on the check my food log and makes adjustments during the week before my appointment.
  • VernerDixon
    VernerDixon Posts: 38 Member
    Hi Leslie,

    What is your nerve damage from?

    If it is based in the back (ie disk issues) I'm hesitant on giving you workout advice without knowing your issues better.

    In general, exercising with nerve damage should be done with low to no impact.

    Swimming is a great way to exercise, as well as biking. You'll want to take it slow and just have common sense when exercising.. if it hurts or doesn't feel right, avoid it.

    Gentle stretching and a proper warmup as well as balancing exercises can be great for long-term care.
  • LeslieTSUK
    LeslieTSUK Posts: 215 Member
    Hi Leslie,

    What is your nerve damage from?

    If it is based in the back (ie disk issues) I'm hesitant on giving you workout advice without knowing your issues better.

    In general, exercising with nerve damage should be done with low to no impact.

    Swimming is a great way to exercise, as well as biking. You'll want to take it slow and just have common sense when exercising.. if it hurts or doesn't feel right, avoid it.

    Gentle stretching and a proper warmup as well as balancing exercises can be great for long-term care.

    Hi verner,
    I've been diabetic since young, and until 3 years ago it was really badly controlled.
    Now i have that well and truly A1, but the neuropathy was from the diabetes.

    I did used to walk a lot so was very fit though big, until the nerve damage kicked in and got weaker over time.

    I think my discs are ok, probably just weak muscles and obviously pain from the nerves.

    Slowly loosing the weight to get better mobility hopefully, but all my weight mainly around tummy area so was just looking for any possible ways to try target that area, help tone it up as the weight comes off.

    I know you can't give anything too specific totally understand that, but do you know of anything that could possibly help or worth a try?

    Swimming does sound a good idea, will look into that :)

    Many thanks in advance

    And totally appreciate the help
  • tomaspetro
    tomaspetro Posts: 1,508 Member
    Hi Vermer, thank you for your kind offer. I'm 64 and have been over 300 for the last 25 years. Since January, I've lost about 100 pounds on a 1200 to 1400 calorie diet and walking 10 K steps a day, every day. I'm at 240 right now. I've been thinking a lot about running but based on a couple of 20 step trials , it's more like lumbering than running. Would you advise continuing to try or maybe just increase my walking intensity or something else entirely?
    Thanks
    Tom
  • LeonCX
    LeonCX Posts: 862 Member
    I haven't started any exercise yet, but would love a PT's advice when the time comes. Hope you will add me and thanks.
  • VernerDixon
    VernerDixon Posts: 38 Member
    Welcome Verner. as a personal trainer you can use this as a great tool for your clients. My nutritionist logs on the check my food log and makes adjustments during the week before my appointment.

    Exactly. It's a great tool for both client and trainer to both review together.
  • VernerDixon
    VernerDixon Posts: 38 Member
    Hi Leslie,

    What is your nerve damage from?

    If it is based in the back (ie disk issues) I'm hesitant on giving you workout advice without knowing your issues better.

    In general, exercising with nerve damage should be done with low to no impact.

    Swimming is a great way to exercise, as well as biking. You'll want to take it slow and just have common sense when exercising.. if it hurts or doesn't feel right, avoid it.

    Gentle stretching and a proper warmup as well as balancing exercises can be great for long-term care.

    Hi verner,
    I've been diabetic since young, and until 3 years ago it was really badly controlled.
    Now i have that well and truly A1, but the neuropathy was from the diabetes.

    I did used to walk a lot so was very fit though big, until the nerve damage kicked in and got weaker over time.

    I think my discs are ok, probably just weak muscles and obviously pain from the nerves.

    Slowly loosing the weight to get better mobility hopefully, but all my weight mainly around tummy area so was just looking for any possible ways to try target that area, help tone it up as the weight comes off.

    I know you can't give anything too specific totally understand that, but do you know of anything that could possibly help or worth a try?

    Swimming does sound a good idea, will look into that :)

    Many thanks in advance

    And totally appreciate the help

    Dr. Stuart McGill is an expert in spinal biomechanics, and when dealing with diabetic neuropathy it's best to play it safe with your spine and nervous system.. Check out McGill's stuff on Youtube ("McGill crunch) to see demos on how to perform the exercise right. McGill's stuff is great and probably up your alley.
  • Memowe
    Memowe Posts: 137 Member
    Welcome to MFP! I also new around here but the community has been wonderful! I have a little question, When I bike ride my right foot goes numb after thirty minutes, I'm not sure what causes this and in any other exercise that I do it never happens. Is it dangerous to continue biking or is it just an odd nerve problem?
  • VernerDixon
    VernerDixon Posts: 38 Member
    Hi Vermer, thank you for your kind offer. I'm 64 and have been over 300 for the last 25 years. Since January, I've lost about 100 pounds on a 1200 to 1400 calorie diet and walking 10 K steps a day, every day. I'm at 240 right now. I've been thinking a lot about running but based on a couple of 20 step trials , it's more like lumbering than running. Would you advise continuing to try or maybe just increase my walking intensity or something else entirely?
    Thanks
    Tom
    I would say continue to try Tom! You're doing great!

    If you like running, by all means, continue running, nothing's holding you back. Walk when you need to walk and run when you can again.

    And 100 pounds?!? That's awesome Tom..Congrats and keep it up, you're doing great!!
  • Hi Verner,

    Nice to have you here... I just started here and today is my first day. I do care about my health but in last couple of years i put up so much weight. My problem is my food habit, sometimes i cant control my eating habits as i skip my normal food and instead go for Junk.
    Is there anyway to think in-different and get on with diet.

    Regards,

    Mustaq
  • KCarlssen
    KCarlssen Posts: 14 Member
    Hello Verner,

    It's nice to have someone with professional knowledge to turn to on this site.

    Four years ago I fell in the shower and bruised my right shoulder. It has actually
    never felt the same since. My physician did give me some steroid injections at the
    time which helped, but he warned that they should not be repeated. I don't have
    the strength I used to and I really need to do something to stop the downhill
    slide of my arm strength. Is it a bit weird to only lift weights on one side? I am not
    sure the right side could handle weight training, so the left side would look great and the
    right not so great. :-(

    My uncle had rotator cuff repair surgery a few years ago and he was totally im-
    mobilized for a month afterward. I am working fulltime and cannot take that kind
    of time off. So am hoping for a strength training program that will get me a bit
    more strength and get rid of the "batwings" too! Hahaha. Gotta get in shape
    for retirement!

    Thanks for any input you can provide. Have a great day.

    Kathy
  • VernerDixon
    VernerDixon Posts: 38 Member
    Welcome to MFP! I also new around here but the community has been wonderful! I have a little question, When I bike ride my right foot goes numb after thirty minutes, I'm not sure what causes this and in any other exercise that I do it never happens. Is it dangerous to continue biking or is it just an odd nerve problem?

    Could be a shoe problem.. One foot might be bigger /wider than the other, maybe check out the fit of your shoes.
  • VernerDixon
    VernerDixon Posts: 38 Member
    Hello Verner,

    It's nice to have someone with professional knowledge to turn to on this site.

    Four years ago I fell in the shower and bruised my right shoulder. It has actually
    never felt the same since. My physician did give me some steroid injections at the
    time which helped, but he warned that they should not be repeated. I don't have
    the strength I used to and I really need to do something to stop the downhill
    slide of my arm strength. Is it a bit weird to only lift weights on one side? I am not
    sure the right side could handle weight training, so the left side would look great and the
    right not so great. :-(

    My uncle had rotator cuff repair surgery a few years ago and he was totally im-
    mobilized for a month afterward. I am working fulltime and cannot take that kind
    of time off. So am hoping for a strength training program that will get me a bit
    more strength and get rid of the "batwings" too! Hahaha. Gotta get in shape
    for retirement!

    Thanks for any input you can provide. Have a great day.

    Kathy

    Hey Kathy,
    I have a few clients with bad shoulders and even if you don't have a bad shoulder now, it's important to keep up the strength and stability of the shoulder joint.
    This is a great site and shows a ton of exercises you can do to strengthen your shoulders.

    http://functionalresistancetraining.com/exercises/shoulder-stability-exercises

    Check it out.

    I recommend starting withOUT using weights and just concentrate on getting the motion right.
    Start with Prone Cobra, and Y,T, and I's (you'll see them on that link above) and add one new exercise a week.
  • KCarlssen
    KCarlssen Posts: 14 Member
    Thanks so much, Verner. I will look at the material and
    get started on building stronger shoulders asap.

    Kathy
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    Two questions.

    1) I have COPD (68% lung function approx), but train hard regardless and have done for several years now (boxing, weights, cycling, circuits, running, elliptical on intervals) and have always wondered if, because of the extra effort I am having to exert, I am likely to be burning more energy off? I have noticed that when I am on track with my workouts, I seem to drop fat pretty rapidly and can get away with eating quite a large amount.

    2) After 2 months off from training from Nov to January, due to severe chest infections, during which I ate pretty freely, I got back to training end of Jan and after feb 3rd, stopped my periods for 7 months. Never happened before. I thought it was early menopause, as did my gp, but after gaining 6 Ibs rather rapidly over the course of a month(no idea why it went on so fast), my period returned. I was around 12% bodyfat prior to getting ill, but had certainly gone up a fair bit from that during my months off, and I still got periods at 12%. Is it possible getting back into working out hard stopped them ?
  • nancybuss
    nancybuss Posts: 1,461 Member
    Welcome !!!!
  • juliemwhite12
    juliemwhite12 Posts: 5 Member
    Hey there! I am also new to MFP & would love some friends lol, hope you add me :)
  • VernerDixon
    VernerDixon Posts: 38 Member
    Two questions.

    1) I have COPD (68% lung function approx), but train hard regardless and have done for several years now (boxing, weights, cycling, circuits, running, elliptical on intervals) and have always wondered if, because of the extra effort I am having to exert, I am likely to be burning more energy off? I have noticed that when I am on track with my workouts, I seem to drop fat pretty rapidly and can get away with eating quite a large amount.

    2) After 2 months off from training from Nov to January, due to severe chest infections, during which I ate pretty freely, I got back to training end of Jan and after feb 3rd, stopped my periods for 7 months. Never happened before. I thought it was early menopause, as did my gp, but after gaining 6 Ibs rather rapidly over the course of a month(no idea why it went on so fast), my period returned. I was around 12% bodyfat prior to getting ill, but had certainly gone up a fair bit from that during my months off, and I still got periods at 12%. Is it possible getting back into working out hard stopped them ?

    Hi Graelwyn75,
    Great questions. :) I'll try my best..

    1- It sounds like you're a pretty hard worker and I would suspect that your body is pretty use to training at a lower lung capacity, so I don't think it has much to do with your COPD. I suspect that when you get back into working out hard, your body just responds well.

    2- I would suspect that if you lost your period for that long (7 months) then yes..it was due to over exertion and/or low body fat..

    Read this: (from medscape.com)
    Amenorrhea presents in two forms. Primary amenorrhea is the complete absence of menstruation by age 16 in a female with secondary sex characteristics. Secondary amenorrhea is the absence of 3 to 12 consecutive menstrual periods after menarche.

    Secondary amenorrhea should never be considered a normal response to intense training. Once amenorrhea is detected, the etiology must be determined.

    Exercise-associated amenorrhea (EAA) is the most common cause of secondary amenorrhea in athletes. EAA is believed to be the result of a disorder in the hypothalamus and results in a hypo-estrogen state. Specifically, there is a decrease in the pulse frequency of gonadotrophic-releasing hormone. This results in a decrease in the frequency of luteinizing hormone from the pituitary. In time, low estrogen levels can result in diminished bone mineral density and osteoporosis., it was due to a decrease in body fat. is the absence of menstrual periods. Women who are athletes or who exercise excessively on a regular basis are at risk of developing.
  • VernerDixon
    VernerDixon Posts: 38 Member
    Two questions.

    1) I have COPD (68% lung function approx), but train hard regardless and have done for several years now (boxing, weights, cycling, circuits, running, elliptical on intervals) and have always wondered if, because of the extra effort I am having to exert, I am likely to be burning more energy off? I have noticed that when I am on track with my workouts, I seem to drop fat pretty rapidly and can get away with eating quite a large amount.

    2) After 2 months off from training from Nov to January, due to severe chest infections, during which I ate pretty freely, I got back to training end of Jan and after feb 3rd, stopped my periods for 7 months. Never happened before. I thought it was early menopause, as did my gp, but after gaining 6 Ibs rather rapidly over the course of a month(no idea why it went on so fast), my period returned. I was around 12% bodyfat prior to getting ill, but had certainly gone up a fair bit from that during my months off, and I still got periods at 12%. Is it possible getting back into working out hard stopped them ?

    Hi Graelwyn75,
    Great questions. :) I'll try my best..

    1- It sounds like you're a pretty hard worker and I would suspect that your body is pretty use to training at a lower lung capacity, so I don't think it has much to do with your COPD. I suspect that when you get back into working out hard, your body just responds well.

    2- I would suspect that if you lost your period for that long (7 months) then yes..it was due to over exertion and/or low body fat..

    Read this: (from medscape.com)
    Amenorrhea presents in two forms. Primary amenorrhea is the complete absence of menstruation by age 16 in a female with secondary sex characteristics. Secondary amenorrhea is the absence of 3 to 12 consecutive menstrual periods after menarche.

    Secondary amenorrhea should never be considered a normal response to intense training. Once amenorrhea is detected, the etiology must be determined.

    Exercise-associated amenorrhea (EAA) is the most common cause of secondary amenorrhea in athletes. EAA is believed to be the result of a disorder in the hypothalamus and results in a hypo-estrogen state. Specifically, there is a decrease in the pulse frequency of gonadotrophic-releasing hormone. This results in a decrease in the frequency of luteinizing hormone from the pituitary. In time, low estrogen levels can result in diminished bone mineral density and osteoporosis., it was due to a decrease in body fat. is the absence of menstrual periods. Women who are athletes or who exercise excessively on a regular basis are at risk of developing.

    one more thing.. exercise is very beneficial and is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle.. it becomes UNhealthy when it becomes extreme or interferes with your normal bodily functions (ie hormone pathways), or could potentially hurt you long-term.
  • fabulousmomma
    fabulousmomma Posts: 172 Member
    Hi Verner
    I've recently rejoined MFP. I currently weigh 173 pounds and Im 5'6.5 . I saw somewhere on here that your supposed to eat back the calories you burn in a day....Is their truth to this? If that's true then how does one get to the caloric deficit?

    Also I have my calorie goal set for 1200 per day, is this good? I do around 45 minutes of cardio 4 times a week.

    Any advise is much appreciated, thanks!

    Jill
    :smile:
  • Apothys28
    Apothys28 Posts: 56 Member
    Hey Verner,
    Are you familiar with the Popliteus Muscle behind the right knee? After all my runs, my Popliteus Muscle bothers me for about 24/hrs. Even if I run, it starts to bother me but after about a few KM I don't feel it again. After 24 hours the pain pretty much completely goes away so I don't believe its too serious yet. Are you familiar with this and how it can be corrected?
  • kamaperry
    kamaperry Posts: 885 Member
    Hi there,

    My name is Verner and I just joined this community to hopefully help in the near future.

    I am a personal trainer in the San Francisco area and I routinely advice my clients to use MyFitnessPal to log and track their food. I think it's a great resource and I thought that maybe I could join and help answer any questions that anyone has in terms of health, nutrition, diet, exercise..anything!

    A little about me: I'm 32 years old, and like I mentioned, I live in San Francisco area with my new fiance!

    I work at a local gym and my specialty is weight loss.

    So, if you ever feel like you struggle with self control, changing your eating habits, postpartum weight loss, consistency, or anything else.. I'd love to help!

    Thank you for allowing me to join and I look forward to getting to know this community!

    - Verner
    Welcome, Verner!!
  • KatVarley
    KatVarley Posts: 534 Member
    Hello... I am wondering as a Trainer, what you would recommend for a protein/carb/fat ratio in daily nutrition for a woman, 50 yo looking to trim about 15- 20lbs of unwanted fat and turn it into lean muscle. I do work out a lot running and strength training. Nutrition seems to be my problem.

    Thanks
    Kat:smile:
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
    Hi Verner,

    I recently started reading 'The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man Look Like a Goddess,' any thoughts?

    I am reading about meals and nutrition, my plan is to cut down on cardio and increase my overall strength. I have been doing HIIT workouts 3 to 4 times a week (the 4th is only if I don't complete one of the 3), this was suggested to re-start my weight loss and it has.

    I have since noticed that my body is changing in a way that I am not completely happy with. While my core seems to be getting firmer my hips seem to be going away causing me to look a little straight at least from the front my waist is 27 and my hips are 39, chest is 32. I really want to tone up/develop some strength in my upper body. Would it be silly to strength train on my upper body only, while still doing cardio?

    You can be brutally honest - after all I really have very few clues. I am willing to work along with the book and go from there if that would the best overall route - health wise.

    Thanks
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    Two questions.

    1) I have COPD (68% lung function approx), but train hard regardless and have done for several years now (boxing, weights, cycling, circuits, running, elliptical on intervals) and have always wondered if, because of the extra effort I am having to exert, I am likely to be burning more energy off? I have noticed that when I am on track with my workouts, I seem to drop fat pretty rapidly and can get away with eating quite a large amount.

    2) After 2 months off from training from Nov to January, due to severe chest infections, during which I ate pretty freely, I got back to training end of Jan and after feb 3rd, stopped my periods for 7 months. Never happened before. I thought it was early menopause, as did my gp, but after gaining 6 Ibs rather rapidly over the course of a month(no idea why it went on so fast), my period returned. I was around 12% bodyfat prior to getting ill, but had certainly gone up a fair bit from that during my months off, and I still got periods at 12%. Is it possible getting back into working out hard stopped them ?

    Hi Graelwyn75,
    Great questions. :) I'll try my best..

    1- It sounds like you're a pretty hard worker and I would suspect that your body is pretty use to training at a lower lung capacity, so I don't think it has much to do with your COPD. I suspect that when you get back into working out hard, your body just responds well.

    2- I would suspect that if you lost your period for that long (7 months) then yes..it was due to over exertion and/or low body fat..

    Read this: (from medscape.com)
    Amenorrhea presents in two forms. Primary amenorrhea is the complete absence of menstruation by age 16 in a female with secondary sex characteristics. Secondary amenorrhea is the absence of 3 to 12 consecutive menstrual periods after menarche.

    Secondary amenorrhea should never be considered a normal response to intense training. Once amenorrhea is detected, the etiology must be determined.

    Exercise-associated amenorrhea (EAA) is the most common cause of secondary amenorrhea in athletes. EAA is believed to be the result of a disorder in the hypothalamus and results in a hypo-estrogen state. Specifically, there is a decrease in the pulse frequency of gonadotrophic-releasing hormone. This results in a decrease in the frequency of luteinizing hormone from the pituitary. In time, low estrogen levels can result in diminished bone mineral density and osteoporosis., it was due to a decrease in body fat. is the absence of menstrual periods. Women who are athletes or who exercise excessively on a regular basis are at risk of developing.

    one more thing.. exercise is very beneficial and is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle.. it becomes UNhealthy when it becomes extreme or interferes with your normal bodily functions (ie hormone pathways), or could potentially hurt you long-term.

    Interesting, thanks.
    It is strange as I only averaged 60-120 minutes a day, in the form of boxing, weights, elliptical, cycling, walking, usually some combination of those, and not every day either. I just seem to lose fat quite rapidly once I get going, so I suppose I must train more intensely than I imagine. I always put the discomfort down to my COPD rather than pushing myself hard. Mind you, the PT I used to work with used to boast about me a little to other trainers, haha.
  • sweetcurlz67
    sweetcurlz67 Posts: 1,168 Member
    Awe...

    looks like you've got your work cut out for ya!!! :wink:

    Welcome... :flowerforyou:
  • VernerDixon
    VernerDixon Posts: 38 Member
    Hi Verner
    I've recently rejoined MFP. I currently weigh 173 pounds and Im 5'6.5 . I saw somewhere on here that your supposed to eat back the calories you burn in a day....Is their truth to this? If that's true then how does one get to the caloric deficit?

    Also I have my calorie goal set for 1200 per day, is this good? I do around 45 minutes of cardio 4 times a week.

    Any advise is much appreciated, thanks!

    Jill
    :smile:
    Hi Jill,

    Good question..

    I think this is something a lot of people have misconstrued because there are so many different factors when it comes to fitness.

    "Eating back your calories" I think comes from a standpoint of maintaining your weight and muscle mass..kind of a bodybuilder thing...BUT, when it comes to a weight loss goal, "eating back your calories" results in an even caloric expenditure and intake.
    And we all know that to lose weight, you need to be in a caloric deficit.

    So.. eating back your calories will ultimately hinder your ability to lose weight efficiently.

    Keep in mind that one piece of information or "tip", may not be suitable for your specific goal!

    Hope this helps!

    Verner
  • lisaward111
    lisaward111 Posts: 30 Member
    Hello,
    Im Lisa I started exercising and dieting 3 days ago I'm trying to lose 20 pounds in 2 months, I need some moral support.
  • VernerDixon
    VernerDixon Posts: 38 Member
    Hey Verner,
    Are you familiar with the Popliteus Muscle behind the right knee? After all my runs, my Popliteus Muscle bothers me for about 24/hrs. Even if I run, it starts to bother me but after about a few KM I don't feel it again. After 24 hours the pain pretty much completely goes away so I don't believe its too serious yet. Are you familiar with this and how it can be corrected?

    Hi, yes i have a little familiarity with the popliteus muscle..

    I'm assuming you feel pain on the medial side (inside) of your knee? (typical area for pain)
    If so, it's probably a tendonitis (meaning inflammation of the tendon and not necessarily the muscle itself).
    Gentle stretching, massage, and anti-inflammatory treatment is recommended until it gets better.