Trying to stay positive-would appreciate some tips!

mcneil1908
mcneil1908 Posts: 13
in Health and Weight Loss
For as long as I can remember, I've been a junk and fast food junkie. However, I've always balanced it out by being rather active. My mid-30s have changed up all of that and with that change came 30 lbs. I am now actively trying to change my lifestyle. I have been actively tracking my food and exercise for two weeks on MFP.

When my trainer told me I needed to go down to 1500 calories a day 2 weeks ago I cut out soda, fast food and only ate 2 sweets out of 14 days...which is a huge step for me! I also worked out 4 days out of the week. I was feeling pretty good about myself. Then, yesterday I took my MFP diary to my trainer with the hopes of seeing if my choices/exercise would help me lose these 30lbs. He told me that I wasn't eating enough and needed to make better choices. "No more processed foods..." he yelled....I felt depleted. I asked for better options and he just kept saying eat natural. I admit I eat frozen dinners for lunch and snack a lot throughout the day but I'd really appreciate someone telling me where/how to find some reasonable alternatives so that I stay full and don't feel deprived…and can someone decode “eat natural”. I had a good cry last night but today I am back ready to knock this out but I must admit I am a little discouraged... I've opened my diary and would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • cyreta
    cyreta Posts: 19 Member
    Ok, I'm in no way an expert on this, but I have looked up stuff online and in books, and I feel like I can comment. Take from this what you will. Congratulations, first of all, on cutting out soda and fast food. Those are really, really hard to do- I'm still struggling with the soda issue! Your diary is set for 1200 calories now. Is that where you plan on keeping for a while, or do you have it set there and ean 300 calories over every day.? Whichever way is fine.

    I think by "eating natural" he means to eat fruit, vegetables, and maybe lean meats that you buy in their natural state and then cook yourself (or eat raw). What you have then is food you can recognize, name the ingredients, and avoid any chemicals or added sugars. A frozen meal of stir-fried chicken and rice may be low-fat and low calorie, but also will have chemicals, additives, and preservatives. If you take raw chicken breast, brown rice, vegetables, and seasonings and cook them together yourself, you often get better quality food and there are no added chemicals (not debating organic vs. non-organic now). And it's often cheaper because you get a lot of food when you do this and can eat it for several meals. Sometimes fiber is higher, which can leave you full longer.

    The meals that you have in the diary that I saw was a cereal, milk, bread with butter, and bacon for breakfast, then chips and an apple for snack. I don't know anything about the cereal, but I'm guessing that it had added sugar in it. Maybe not. The bread I know has additives in it, and a lot of sugar. Bacon is a cured meat that may or may not have nitrates/nitrites, but it does have a lot of fat and salt in it. Others may have better ideas, but maybe an egg or two with no butter, some yogurt, the apple, and 1 piece of whole wheat bread might be another way to go. That avoids many of the carbs, ups your protein, gives you something sweet, and is a pretty big breakfast for someone who wants to lose only 30 pounds (I want to lose 60, which is where the "only" comes from lol). It also avoids chemicals, additives (probably still some in the bread, but you cut it in half and lowered the sugar just by eating 1 piece instead of 2), and the nitrates in the cured meats.

    If it comes from the ground, and it still looks like it did when it came from the ground when you buy it/cook it, it's probably "natural".

    One more thing- is there a possibility you'd reconsider your choice of trainer? Anyone who takes what you have done and then decides to yell at you for not doing more, without any help in understanding what that "more" might be, is, IMO, a huge jerk! I certainly wouldn't want to pay him to make me feel like crap.

    Good luck!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    One more thing- is there a possibility you'd reconsider your choice of trainer? Anyone who takes what you have done and then decides to yell at you for not doing more, without any help in understanding what that "more" might be, is, IMO, a huge jerk! I certainly wouldn't want to pay him to make me feel like crap.

    I was thinking the same thing.....

    Sounds like he's learned the buzzwords but not what they mean. I forget who said this (and I'm paraphrasing) a good communicator is someone who can take complex ideas and make them simple not someone who can take simple ideas and make them complex.
  • mcneil1908
    mcneil1908 Posts: 13
    Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. I was so nervous to make my first post so you don't know how much I appreciate it.

    When I put my information and desired goal in MFP placed me at 1200 but my trainer insists thats too low so I am really not sure so I've been trying to stay somewhere in between 1200-1500. Aye!


    I have to develop a taste for eggs-the more I read the more I notice that eating eggs can do my body good. I can do turkey bacon and cut back on my bread slices that's not a problem.

    Your natural definition helps me a lot....now I just need to get motivated to play around in the kitchen.

    I think the trainer is frustrated with me because I ask so many questions...I really wanna understand so perhaps he reached his max yesterday. When he saw I looked discouraged he offered an apology...not sure if it was genuine. I probably need more hand holding than most because I am basically starting from scratch with changing this lifestyle.
  • mcneil1908
    mcneil1908 Posts: 13
    Yeah he kept saying the buzzwords but really couldn't breakdown what it meant...its a process I suppose. Your responses have encouraged me -thanks so much.

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