Nutritionist or Trainer?

TheJHopkinsProject
TheJHopkinsProject Posts: 28 Member
edited November 8 in Introduce Yourself
If you were able to hire someone to help you through your process, would it be more important to you to have a nutritionist or a personal trainer for the gym?

Replies

  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,022 Member
    Trainer. You can pretty much learn how to eat correctly for free. Learning how to do exercises correctly from just watching a video or reading it from an illustration ISN'T the same as having a pro watch you do it and fix any mechanics or form.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
    Trainer
  • melindacronin
    melindacronin Posts: 7
    TRAINER
  • bls7964
    bls7964 Posts: 4
    Trainer
  • newdaydawning79
    newdaydawning79 Posts: 1,503 Member
    Trainer. Considering I could take a course to get a nutritionist certificate for $90 after a Groupon...I'd put much more weight in a trainer to help me reach my goals.
  • fatfudgery
    fatfudgery Posts: 449 Member
    If you can find a good trainer, then that's definitely the way to go. The problem is that good trainers who actually know what they're talking about are extremely hard to find.

    Oh, the stuff I see the trainers at the gyms I go to put their customers through... :s
  • simplydelish2
    simplydelish2 Posts: 726 Member
    Since weight loss is done in the kitchen - I'd spend my money on the nutritionist first, trainer second. You can't out exercise a bad diet. Just like a trainer corrects small errors in movement, a nutritionist can correct errors in eating - even if you've taken a course or think you know what you are doing.

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  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    Neither.
    Nutritionists aren't regulated but registered dieticians are.
    There are so many crap trainers and so many different foundations that they can't get certified through, that it's ridiculous. Plus some gyms have hired trainers that haven't even taken their certification test (like my old gym and my ex. he was working as a PT without his cert.)
  • TheJHopkinsProject
    TheJHopkinsProject Posts: 28 Member
    603reader wrote: »
    Neither.
    Nutritionists aren't regulated but registered dieticians are.
    There are so many crap trainers and so many different foundations that they can't get certified through, that it's ridiculous. Plus some gyms have hired trainers that haven't even taken their certification test (like my old gym and my ex. he was working as a PT without his cert.)

    Is there someway to know if they are licensed or not?
  • theskipper54
    theskipper54 Posts: 20 Member
    A good trainer. And I emphasize 'good'. Get references. Most quality trainers know a lot about nutrition and will incorporate that info into your program. Thats what I'm doing and its working well so far.
  • TheJHopkinsProject
    TheJHopkinsProject Posts: 28 Member
    simplydelish2 wrote: »
    Since weight loss is done in the kitchen - I'd spend my money on the nutritionist first, trainer second. You can't out exercise a bad diet. Just like a trainer corrects small errors in movement, a nutritionist can correct errors in eating - even if you've taken a course or think you know what you are doing.

    20757594.png

    I've always heard it was 80% diet and 20% gym.

  • Deadlay
    Deadlay Posts: 135 Member
    edited November 2014
    Judging by the training I've seen at the local gym here, I'd never pay for it. Although what was said up above, a good trainer is worth it if you can find one. And I have to say you can learn a lot through websites and videos.

    A nutritionist or dietician would probably tell me to drink less beer and I wouldn't like that.
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    jenniferschaeffer wrote: »
    603reader wrote: »
    Neither.
    Nutritionists aren't regulated but registered dieticians are.
    There are so many crap trainers and so many different foundations that they can't get certified through, that it's ridiculous. Plus some gyms have hired trainers that haven't even taken their certification test (like my old gym and my ex. he was working as a PT without his cert.)

    Is there someway to know if they are licensed or not?

    Read their qualifications.

    http://www.eatright.org/BecomeanRDorDTR/content.aspx?id=8143
    http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Nutritionist
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    Nutritionist
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I would ask this...what are your specific goals? Why are you considering either? Don't get me wrong, there's absolutely nothing wrong with having a nutritionist or a PT; I'm currently working with a coach/PT right now, but for very specific reasons. In my experience, you'll get more out of the experience and are likely to find a better PT than not if you have some specific goals.

    For me, I really wanted to get into Oly-lifting...I have a background and some experience in Oly-lifting, but I really wanted to get into it. I've been looking for a good coach for about a year or so and finally found one...tons of PTs out there, but none of them fit the bill for what I was wanting to do. My coach used to be one of the coaches in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center...he's the real deal and exactly what I've been holding out for.

    My feeling is that if you have more or less generic goals...i.e. lose some weight and tone up...you're more or less going to end up with a "generic", run of the mill PT.

    As far as the nutritionist is concerned, I'd not bother...as has been stated, it's pretty easy to get a handle on nutrition on your own. My coach is also a registered dietitian and he did "clean up" my diet a bit for what we're doing right now...but he simply cut back on some stuff that I already knew I needed to cut back on if I was going to lean out; the bulk of my diet was good to go already.
  • pscarolina
    pscarolina Posts: 133 Member
    603reader wrote: »
    Neither.
    Nutritionists aren't regulated but registered dieticians are.
    There are so many crap trainers and so many different foundations that they can't get certified through, that it's ridiculous. Plus some gyms have hired trainers that haven't even taken their certification test (like my old gym and my ex. he was working as a PT without his cert.)

    +1
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