Me and "My Personal Trainer"

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ohdaisy

New member
Hi all! First I want to thank everyone for the loads of information on this website. What an inspiration you all are for others! I began coming here about a year ago and have lurked ever since. The same of my weight.

I have finally decided to do something. In my area we have a place called My Personal Trainer. After talking with a friend who has done this program successfully, I joined last week. Sunday I began my 1200 calorie diet - four 300 calories meals. Monday was my first workout. I will be working out (strength training on machines) twice a week on this program. The training lasts about 15-20 minutes. I am also drinking HUMUNGO amounts of water.

I am proud to say that I have done GREAT on this diet so far! No, I don't love it but I have found it to be not near as bad as I once thought it would be. I am adjusting :) Biggest problem I have with it is I eat about 600 of my calories for dinner then nothing the rest of the night. No, I am not hungry before going to bed, I just feel like I haven't done it right solely because I eat so many calories at one sitting.

Anyhow, thanks for the boards. They (you guys) are an inspiration!
 
Well no wonder its taken you so long to get on board if you think you must eat only 1200 calories to lose weight. What's your current weight? Unless your weight is really low already, its really not recommended to start out on such a low calorie amount as 1200. I would save that for the plateau days, months down the road when no more weight will come off on a much higher amount. Did you calculate how many calories you were having before you started your plan? I would start out by lowering that number by a few hundred calories a day. That's just my two cents, but its just not necessary to go that low to lose weight. All my weight was lost on around 1800 a day or more. Good luck and welcome to the forum!
 
Hi Blancita!

I hadn't posted my weight, well, just because. But guess what! According to your sig I am in your boat. Similar starting weight (I was 164 lbs Monday) and I believe goals as well (I want to be 135ish again). I am 34 and 5'3. I have never weighed this much. My weight has just grown this past year after injuring my back (herniated disc) and starting a job where everyone just eats! LOL.

You said 1800 worked for you? What else have you done other than calories? I really can't do much cardio as I don't think my back would handle it well. I have babied it for a year now. I figure if I re-build some muscles first then maybe I can do some cardio. My back is "better" now but not totally. Last thing I want to do is re-injure it.

My Trainer gave me that number to start with. He did say it was initial though. My friend had similar stats as I and it worked for her so I thought ok. I have no idea what my starting calorie intake was.

We are going on a cruise April 26th and I am DETERMINED I will not weigh this when we go.

Thanks for you input and the welcome :)
 
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I know the feeling, I gained my weight, except this final 10 lbs, while I was pregnant. Weight loss is generally about cutting your calories lower than the number of calories it takes just to maintain your weight. Hence I think its important to know what number of calories you were eating to maintain your starting weight. You can plug in a normal days eating into fitday.com and get your calories. Then you want to create a calorie deficit from there, either by exercising or eating less than your maintenance level, or a combination of both. 1200 is far too low to start out with. That should be saved for a last resort if you hit a plateau (and even then I dont know how you manage it). If you're in a rush to lose for your trip, I would try starting with 1600 calories per day and seeing how many pounds you lose. You'd be surprised how much you can lose on that, so why starve yourself on so much less?
 
If you've been lurking on the forum -hopefully you've read the stickied threads and have read how 1200 calories isn't a good idea long term...
 
It would be hard to say what my maintanence calorie intake was because I was consistantly gaining. It would have been over what is required for sure LOL. I guess I could look at a BMR chart and see where 164lbs falls. That would be somewhat of a starting point.

Ok, looked, and EVERYWHERE says something different :smash: It actually ranged from 1500's-2035. Surely I am doing something wrong. Am I using the wrong chart?

I go to the trainer's today and I am going to talk with him about the calorie intake. I think as a general rule they start everyone 1200 cals. A friend at work started and they used 1200 for her as well. Same for my friend who has done it.

Blancita, do you know what your BMR will be when you reach your 130 goal?
 
if everyone were to jump off the golden gate bridge - would you as well :D (god I sound like my mother :D

Do what's smart for your body and not what everyone else is doing...

BMR is your calorie range if you never did anything but stay in bed all day - activity adds onto the bmr range... and you're better off eating higher calories than lower
 
Mal, ty and I have. But then you read something different. Honestly, it all gets soooo confusing. I do believe he has me on 1200 short term. I will be discussing this with him today. Any suggestions as to what all I should be asking?
 
there's 100s of threads on this forum already and i'm too lazy tosearch for them - google harris benedict formula and you'll get a pretty decent calculator.

BUT keep in mind that depending on the state of your current metabolism how long you'be been dieting, etc... that number is not going to be precise -it might be a close enough though...

every body is different -and tehre is no one size fits all approach - and someone tells you otherwise -run in the opposite direction...
 
1200 does seem a bit aggressive. I've seen much worse, but......

Ask your trainer if he's trying to change your lifestyle or give the image that he's "the man" when it comes to weight loss by having you follow a diet that isn't necessarily proper.

Increasing activity above and beyond what you're body is used to while simultaneously dropping calories a lot is a surefire way to run into problems, mentally and physically.
 
Wow you are fast!

Why do the BMR's say different things when putting in the exact same info? The fitday one tells me 1504.70. Going by that I am only cutting out 304 calories a day??

No, I wouldnt jump, but I had to start somewhere. I have never had to diet. I never cared about calories, etc. I needed something and someone to guide me. I knew it worked for her, so why wouldnt it work for me? How do I know what is good for my body unless I start somewhere? The where to start is hard. Also, doing this alone, I will fail. That is why I need the guidance.
 
Starting somewhere is how to start but I'd strongly suggest starting at a higher range of calories - and if you don't get results after a couple of weeks, then adjust downwards - but when you start off at alow range -you've got no wiggle room at all -you can't go lower... so you end up stuck...
 
this thread -which was an article from a recent magazine had a fairly common sense approach
http://weight-loss.fitness.com/weight-loss-media/19246-10-diet-myths-real-simple-magazine.html

Myth No. 8: To lose weight, you need to cut calories drastically.
The Theory: Eat much less; weigh much less.

The Reality: Sure, if you subsist on 1,200 calories a day, you’ll take off weight, but it won’t be for long. Consider an analysis of 31 studies of long-term diets, where the diets averaged 1,200 calories a day. The report, published last April in American Psychologist, found that within four to five years, the majority of dieters in these studies regained the weight they had lost. “Psychologically, it’s difficult for people to adhere to strict diets over a long period because they feel deprived and hungry,” says Traci Mann, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, and the lead author of the report. “Also, our bodies are brilliant at keeping us alive when we try to starve them.” Your body becomes more efficient at using the calories you consume, so you need fewer to survive. In addition, people who are put on a very-low-calorie diet (800 calories a day) have an increased risk of developing gallstones and digestive issues.

The Best Advice: Don’t starve yourself. “If you want to lose weight and keep it off forever, you need a modest calorie restriction that you simply continue and never stop,” says nutritionist Christopher Gardner. But what’s the right number of calories for you? Use this easy formula, a favorite of cardiologist Thomas Lee, editor in chief of the Harvard Heart Letter.

First find your activity level on the table below. Multiply your weight by the number indicated. (You may fall between two categories. If that’s the case, adjust the number by adding a point or so.) The result is the number of calories you need to maintain your weight. Let’s say you weigh 135 pounds and do light exercise one to three days a week. Multiply 135 by 13.5 to get, approximately, 1,800 calories. If you want to drop some pounds, try cutting out 250 calories a day, says Lee. In a year, if you make no other changes, you could be 26 pounds lighter. Exercise more and you could lose more, too.

And Your Number Is…
You Exercise: Almost never
Multiply Your Current Weight By: 12

You Exercise: Lightly, one to three days a week
Multiply Your Current Weight By: 13.5

You Exercise: Moderately, three to five days a week
Multiply Your Current Weight By: 15.5

You Exercise: Vigorously, six to seven days a week
Multiply Your Current Weight By: 17

You Exercise: Vigorously, daily, and you have a physical job
Multiply Your Current Weight By: 19
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ohdaisy said:
Wow you are fast!

Why do the BMR's say different things when putting in the exact same info? The fitday one tells me 1504.70. Going by that I am only cutting out 304 calories a day??

No, I wouldnt jump, but I had to start somewhere. I have never had to diet. I never cared about calories, etc. I needed something and someone to guide me. I knew it worked for her, so why wouldnt it work for me? How do I know what is good for my body unless I start somewhere? The where to start is hard. Also, doing this alone, I will fail. That is why I need the guidance.
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BMR is the amount of calories you need if you stayed in bed the entire day. You walk around, clean the house, go places, etc. All that adds several hundred calories. Then if you exercise, that's even more calories burned. So your daily maintenance needs are probably closer to 1900. Again, try adding up a typical day's calories before dieting and see how much you were eating. This will help you figure out your starting point. The point is to continue to eat as much as possible yet still lose weight.
 
Steve said:
1200 does seem a bit aggressive. I've seen much worse, but......

Ask your trainer if he's trying to change your lifestyle or give the image that he's "the man" when it comes to weight loss by having you follow a diet that isn't necessarily proper.

Increasing activity above and beyond what you're body is used to while simultaneously dropping calories a lot is a surefire way to run into problems, mentally and physically.
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Actually wait... Steve, he did tell me we are changing my lifestyle. Eating smaller portions, spread out in 4 sittings. He also tries to be realistic. He believes that most ppl try to make diets be perfect, leading to failure (because no one is perfect), he "says" he is there to help make the 2 fit together realistically. Actually, in reading posts you have written, he reminds me of you. You both have said many of the same things.

Here is what the training is....

Strength training twice a week. Lasting about 20 minutes a session. The weights start off low. You do reps over a 10 second interval. They are to be done smoothly. When you have done the rep smoothly, and in less time than 10 seconds frame, the weight gets increased.
 
You do reps over a 10 second interval. They are to be done smoothly. When you have done the rep smoothly, and in less time than 10 seconds frame, the weight gets increased.
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OOH I KNow what book he's reading!!!

I'd seriously find a new trainer :)
 
Tyvm for that article Mal! I totally agree with you in that, I have no where else to go being on 1200. Again, I am going to talk with him and before I mention increasing my calories, I want to hear his rationale of the 1200.

I put in my weight and I chose the "hardly ever" just to be safe. While I know my activity is probably more than that, I'd rather be safe. It gave me 1968.

Thank you Mal, Cita, and Steve! I will report back and let you know what I find out today :)
 
ohdaisy said:
Actually wait... Steve, he did tell me we are changing my lifestyle.
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Saying you are doing something and actually doing something are very different things, no?

At 1200 calories, you are 7.xxx calories per pound of body weight. In all actuality, that isn't too bad.

However, are you hungry on this plan?

Also, considering the fact that you don't have too terribly much weight to lose, I'd say eating as much as possible while still allowing consistent, appreciable weight loss each week is the goal. 1200, in my mind, in combination with exercise, is lower than this amount.

Reason this is important is, a) you are female and females have the proclivity to lose muscle easily while dieting and b) you're goal should be to look and feel good, not just lose weight. By eating below the threshold I mentioned above, you aren't doing your body justice.

Eating smaller portions, spread out in 4 sittings. He also tries to be realistic. He believes that most ppl try to make diets be perfect, leading to failure (because no one is perfect), he "says" he is there to help make the 2 fit together realistically.
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By being overly strict with caloric intake, I'd say this is the biggest hurdle of them all that trips up most people. So I'm not so sure I agree with your trainer here.

With those guidelines, a trainer can recommend eating 400 calories, but if he's making these small portions and spreading them out, he's being realistic.

Actually, in reading posts you have written, he reminds me of you. You both have said many of the same things.
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Hmmm....

Scratch what I said above then. I like him.

Haha....

:p

Here is what the training is....

Strength training twice a week. Lasting about 20 minutes a session. The weights start off low. You do reps over a 10 second interval. They are to be done smoothly. When you have done the rep smoothly, and in less time than 10 seconds frame, the weight gets increased.
Click to expand...

So you do as many reps as possible within the 10 seconds?
 
Steve, yes, it is 2 different things... I am determined I am making a new lifestyle for myself. With or without him. I am not getting any younger and being more healthy and aware is important to me. As for hunger, I am not starving. I do well during the day but when I come home I am hungry. That is where I am eating the whole rest of my 600 calories for dinner (around 6pm). I am then ok for the rest of the night.

Also, no, it isnt as many as possible in 10 seconds. It is one per 10 second. 5 secs up, 5 secs down. If you are doing them faster than the allotted time (not sure how fast this is but) the weight gets increased. He wants ya to be able to do them smoothly, as to not tear or injure yourself.

I do feel he is a good guy. Know how you get that vibe from someone? Like you can tell they are a good person? Well, yeah. While at the same time I do realize he is making money. Now I am nervous about my gut feeling, lol.

Ok, one more thing about the 1200 calories, sort of... After I had my second son I held on to some weight for about a year. I did notice that it was after I began eating more (not trying too, I just did) that I had started losing the weight. I definitely see what Cita is saying. Just this time, I am eating more and gaining so I dont think this theory will apply to me at the moment.

Ok, I am off to read the 1200 calorie thread, run errands and then the trainer. Thank you guys for reading and helping me. I will report back.
 
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