Many people make the decision to follow the EM2WL lifestyle, and then head out to seek a local Certified Personal Trainer to assist them on their journey. However, merely days into the training (sometimes even after the first session) they will come back to us in a state of confusion, because they have received conflicting information and don’t know which to follow. As a trainer, I’ve made a couple of observations of how some (including myself) do things differently from most. Knowing the different schools of thought can help you to interview & pick the personal trainer that is best for you.
Work Harder
Most trainers know that they have a limited amount of time to make an impact. The client needs to see results, and they need to see them fast, or else they are quickly moving on. Most of the “stay the course,” “be consistent,” “trust the process” lines that we throw out there are not often used in mainstream training, because, quite frankly, clients don’t want to hear it. A personal trainer that wants a client to keep coming back for more has to achieve a LOT in a small amount of time, or at least enough to make an impact. So one way to do this is to work you very hard within the first few sessions, so that you can see that you work much harder with them, than you did before they came into the picture. Often, a bit more cardio than necessary may be thrown in for good measure, to make sure that you feel “worked.”
Eat Less
Another way a personal trainer can make that impact, is by telling you that your current cal intake (whatever it may be) is too high. This lowering of cals is almost a guaranteed drop in lbs within the first week or so, simply because the cals were high(er), and now they’re not. Having such a significant drop in lbs within the first week or so will buy the trainer MUCH more time with that client, because they have earned their trust. If they can quickly get you to drop weight, then long after you’ve stopped going to them, and gained the weight back, (because you’ve gone back to eating normal, and working out in your regular manner) you’ll always remember how you had “better” results when you worked with them. You’ll go back (at your higher cal intake) they will have you drop calories (again), while kicking your butt with the workouts. So as long as you stay with them, and dependent on them, you both “win.”
Business is business
I can’t knock the trainers that use these methods, because, quite honestly, they are very lucrative. But, ethically, I just can’t do it. I don’t mind showing a person that they can work harder than they have been, but I’d never recommend more exercise, or less food, than is necessary. My goal as a trainer (and the type of trainer I suggest you look for when interviewing) is to allow a person to develop a plan of attack that will fit into their lives, and that will apply long after our session is over. A client needs to become self-sufficient, and know what to do when the trainer is no longer around. I have no desire to become a persons fad diet.
The true cost
Although it’s harder to look a client in the eye and tell them to do the opposite of everything that they’ve read, and that they shouldn’t expect any results from working with me for at least the first month, it sets the standard for our relationship right off the bat. I let them know that I will not withhold any “secrets” from them in what they need to reach their goals, my tactics are simple: fuel your body, work hard, and stay consistent.
The client needs to be committed to a lifestyle, not just trying to fit into their skinny jeans by next Friday.
There are enough trainers out there that can help them accomplish that, but I am trying to help them fit into their skinny jeans for the rest of their lives. They will leave our sessions armed with info to help themselves and others around them. I may lose a bit more peeps that way, who aren’t willing to wait, but that is fine, because I need to see that the person wants what I’m trying to give, with the same passion that I give it.
Find a personal trainer that empowers you to make your own decisions in due time, and has former clients that have had long-term results, not just *fast* results….. unless that is what YOU want.
Q: I heard you guys discuss cutting and bulking, so I Googled it. I wonder if so much of what I read regarding separating “bulking” with “cutting” is for the bodybuilding, “big muscle” guys/girls. I am a 47 year old, who just wants to lose fat and show definition in my muscles so my body has a nice shape, not be a body builder. As I am working out, I keep wondering, okay, am I suppose to be in “building” mode here? But I still have fat I want to lose. I am more regularly checking the body fat % on my scale (28.2 now).Based on my goals do I need to be eating more?
A: Googling the words “bulking/cutting” will definitely bring up bodybuilding type sites, and visions of men gorging themselves in the name of “building muscle” which is why most women shun it. However, this is not the image that we should first think of. At EM2WL, we often use the terms “bulking” and “cutting” synonymously with “building muscle” and “losing fat,” respectively. These terms are not to be feared, but understood, even if only on their most basic level. Certain goals have an environment in which they thrive best, and yes, “normal” folk (especially, women) would greatly benefit from using such precise strategies. Even in basic personal training studies for how to train “normal” people the exact same process is discussed (it is referred to as “periodization”).
Most women want a certain “look,” but fail to realize that they are not eating enough, or doing the type of workouts required to build muscle. Others, don’t even realize that the “look” that they want requires muscle. Don’t let the terms confuse you. The simplicity of it all is what makes us think there has to be more to it. It doesn’t matter how old you are, in order to build muscle, you have to eat more. The muscle you build will burn the fat 10xs faster than the “mainstream” methods basically spinning your wheels, keeping cals low, and exercise high. You probably already know that you won’t get bulky from lifting weights. But, we also have to remember that it is seriously, excruciatingly, hard for women to pack on muscle, and most highly overestimate how much they have. Seeing as we can only gain a max of .25 lbs of muscle per week, it takes a while to pack on a serious amount of muscle, & most of the “bigger” muscle women have done the bulk/cut process for over a decade to pack on that amount of muscle w/o steroids.
The added benefit of being a “recreational” lifter, is that you “bulk” or “cut” at a schedule that works for you, not according to a contest.Which means that you could bulk a month or a year, depending in what you’re comfortable with (realizing that even a whole year of bulking would still barely put on a MAX of 12lbs of muscle). Plus remember the other benefits, when you go through a bulk, it also helps to reset your metabolism, which means when you go back to your “cut” the weight loss process is much easier (& comfortable due to being able to cut at higher cals than before) and because of the muscle that you were building (that is now scorching fat) you typically don’t have to lose anywhere near the same amount as before.
So fuel properly, and don’t be afraid to lift heavy…you won’t turn into a body builder. Promise. No one ever went to sleep and woke up “too” buff.
Hi, my name is Helene and I’m a 43-year old married, mother of four. Two sets of twins, to be more specific. Two sets of twins who are two years apart, to be…well, insane. You got to roll with the punches, right?
Growing up, weight was never an issue for me. If anything, I was underweight…not by choice, of course. I ate whatever my mom put in front of me. She controlled every morsel that went in my mouth…or didn’t go in my mouth. Not that she starved me or anything but I wasn’t one of those kids who had free access to the pantry or the refrigerator. And she never bought “junk food”. I don’t think I actually knew what a twinkie tasted like until my college years.
Speaking of college years, it was the first time in my life where I had the freedom to do my own grocery shopping. I went a little wild…eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. If I wanted a soda at 3 am, my mom wasn’t there to prevent me from drinking it.
Fortunately, and thanks to a fast metabolism, I didn’t gain too much weight and the weight I did gain, I was able to take off fairly quickly. What I loved my most about my body was how proportionate it was…I was your classic 36-24-36 kind of girl. My arms were toned and sculpted, my tummy was tight and flat and my legs were muscular and lean.
And then I got married…and had kids. Poof….my perfect body was gone. Just like that.
I had four kids, ages two and under….a husband who often traveled out of town on business…and I was frumpy and bloated and frustrated. Oh, and tired. Very very tired.
When I had time to eat, it wasn’t usually something healthy. And exercise? Who had time for that? I could barely squeeze in a 2-minute shower on most days.
Over the course of four years, I continued to gain more weight. And if I was in denial about exactly how heavy I had gotten, my mother was there to point it out, often making comments such as, “Helene, you’ve gained so much weight!” and “You’re getting as big as a house!” As if I couldn’t look in a mirror and see it for myself?
It wasn’t until I ran into an old friend at the store one day and instead of raving about how great I looked, she smiled politely at me and said, “Wow, it’s been awhile!” I immediately went into self-hatred mode and said, “I’m surprised you even recognized me, considering how fat I’ve gotten!”
She shrugged and said, “Cut yourself some slack. You just had another set of twins!”
“Yeah,” I answered. “FOUR years ago!”
I sobbed the whole way home, incredibly disappointed in myself. It was then that I vowed to make some positive changes. How could I expect my kids to eat healthy foods and be active when I wasn’t exactly the best role model? I didn’t want to be the “couch potato mom”, watching my kids from the sideline. I wanted to be the mom running alongside her kids, keeping up with them and cheering them on.
At that point, two friends and I joined a gym and hired a personal trainer. This was the first time in my life I had ever lifted weights and I fell in love with it. It made me feel strong…powerful…invincible.
Our trainer continued to challenge us….box jumps, Bosu burpees, walking lunges carrying 25-lb kettlebells in each hand, walking on the treadmill at a 10% incline with a 50-lb child on my back. Every time I said, “I don’t think I can do this”, our trainer was right there screaming, “Yes, you can!” And I did.
Now that I had a regular workout routine in place, it was time to focus on my diet. When my trainer said I wasn’t eating enough food, I laughed in her face. In fact, I think I might have even snorted once or twice.
She went through the whole “your muscles need fuel, you’re starving yourself, blah, blah, blah” speech with me but I refused to listen. Finally, I agreed to increase my calories from 1200 a day to 1400 a day but that was my limit.
Within a couple weeks of eating 1400 calories, the weight began falling off of me at a quicker rate. Hmmm, maybe she was onto something here. So I increased again to 1500-1600 calories. And the weight continued to come off. My trainer continued desperately to get me to increase to 1700-1800 calories but I wasn’t hearing any of it.
In my mind, it made absolutely no sense to eat more than 1500-1600 calories a day. And sometimes, honestly, even THAT felt like a lot.
After 6 months, my commitment to work out with a trainer was done and I had lost a total of 25 pounds. People were noticing the changes in my body, especially my husband. I cried tears of joy when I went through my closet, found the dress I had worn at our rehearsal dinner the night before we were married and it fit!!!
I continued working out on my own and managed to lose another 7 pounds. But then I hit a plateau, which was extremely frustrating considering how hard I was working out.
So I did what most people do when they hit a plateau… decreasing calories back down to 1200. It makes sense, right? Decrease your calories = lose weight. It should be that simple.
Problem is…it’s not that simple. Well, in the first week it was. I dropped about 4 pounds (probably mostly water and some hard-earned muscle). And the second week, I lost another 2 pounds (and more muscle).
Then I got stuck….again. I decreased my calories down to 1000. Not only was I hungry all the time, I was miserable and cranky. I watched other people enjoy their food, eating whatever they wanted, and I secretly wished on them an embarrassing case of explosive diarrhea.
Before I knew it, Thanksgiving and Christmas were upon us and after being stuck for a couple months at the same weight and virtually starving ALL. THE. TIME. I waved the white flag and allowed myself to eat whatever wasn’t nailed down.
Feeling miserable and defeated, I ended up gaining 20 of the 32 pounds back.
March 2012
One evening, after the kids were in bed and my husband was on a business trip, I was flipping through the tv channels and stumbled upon an infomercial for Jillian Michael’s Body Revolution. I was intrigued and continued watching it, thinking, “I could do that! I CAN do that! I WILL do that!”
I googled it, found the website and ordered it almost immediately. Then I went in search of others online who were also doing the program, as a means of encouragement and support.
I ended up on My Fitness Pal and found a wonderful group of people who were also doing the program.
When I received the DVD’s in the mail, I poured through the information and began the program the next day. While I enjoyed the workouts immensely, I wasn’t enjoying the food plan, which only allowed for 1200 calories a day. My tummy growled almost all day long and I barely had enough energy to get through the workouts. There was no way I could continue this for another 11 weeks.
That’s when I found the Eat More 2 Weigh Less group on MFP. I stayed up late one night reading all the threads on the forum and trying to wrap my head around the process. I plugged my numbers into one of the online calculators and was completely blown away that not only was my BMR 1576 but my TDEE was 2400!!
I decided to increase my calories slowly, going from 1200 to 1400. And then from 1400 slowly up to 1800. I lost three pounds within the first week but then I got stuck losing and gaining the same lousy two pounds.
My brain screamed, “Decrease your calories! You’re eating too much!!” but my gut told me that there was something to this EM2WL process. I can’t explain it but I truly, whole-heartedly believed this would work for me. So, without hesitation, I increased my calories to 1900 and my weight began the downward spiral yet again.
I invested in a BodyMedia Fit so I could get the most accurate numbers possible. Imagine how shocked I was to learn that my actual TDEE was around 2800!! So even eating 1900 calories still wasn’t enough!!
Now, I’ve finally got a handle on things and I can say with all honesty that I love this way of living. Since I’ve been consistently eating the same amount of calories day in and day out, I’m dropping anywhere from .5 to 1.5 pounds a week.
In the 3 months I’ve been part of the EM2WL group, I’ve lost 9 pounds and over 20 inches. 9 pounds in 3 months may not seem like a lot but just look at my pictures and you can see how much my body has transformed in that short period of time. Last year at this time, I was 15 pounds lighter but my measurements are EXACTLY the same now as they were back then!
I cannot imagine ever going back to eating 1200 calories again. Or even 1500 calories. This is not a diet for me. It is a lifestyle change. I eat a clean diet for the most part but I do indulge in treats about 1-2 times a week. Nothing is off limits for me as I have learned how to integrate any food I want into my calories and macros.
I’ve completed the Jillian Michael’s Body Revolution program and have since moved on to ChaLEAN Extreme and Turbo Fire. My workout schedule includes 3 days of strength training and 2-3 days of cardio. I also enjoy swimming and bike riding, which I’ll sometimes do in place of a cardio DVD.
It’s all about being informed and making good, healthy choices. I now think of food not as the enemy but as fuel for my body.
Instead of feeling badly for what I’ve put my body through these last few years, I thank it now. It was strong enough to grow and give birth to 4 beautiful children. So the least I can do is continue to reward it with a healthy amount of nutritious foods.
Of course, I’m still in the middle of my journey. I have about 30 more pounds to lose. However, I don’t see myself giving up out of frustration like I have in the past. I have finally found something that works for me (and it does not involve decreasing calories)!!
Just thought I’d send in a quick update on my metabolic reset progress:
I’m just starting week 3 of my metabolic reset. My bloat is finally gone, my weight seems to have temporarily stabilized at a one pound gain since starting the reset (for a total of 5 lbs). My jeans fit more comfortably again (I was unable to wear them 2 weeks ago if I wanted to also breath), and on top of it all, I am STARVING all the time!! I really understand now when people say it’s like they woke up a monster!
I’m so excited though because these are exactly the types of symptoms I’ve been waiting for these past 10 weeks since starting to up calories! That’s a long wait, but now I can see some awesome signs that I’m waking up that metabolism! Whoo-hoo!!
We are so excited to have a recurring feature on EM2WL, called “The Journey.” We strive to stress the importance of staying consistent, trusting the process, and making EM2WL a lifestyle. In featured “Journey’s” we get an inside look at how each person will make the process work for them, as well as demonstrating how this process looks from fresh angles. Journey participants agree to keeping us updated periodically, first sharing their story, then updating as their journey progresses…
Today, Nicole is inviting the EM2WL family to follow her journey from the beginning.
My Journey – The ‘Long Haul’:
I’m a very active 38 year old mother that has been struggling to lose weight for over 20 YEARS. After my first child, I had hit an all-time high of 197 lbs. Through exercise and the Weight Watchers program I lost 60lbs over the course of 4 years (I had child number two in the middle). However, as I got closer and closer to my goal weight, I found that I had to keep lowering my calories and increasing my exercise. When I was at my goal weight of 135 lbs I found that I was doing 2 hours a day of high intensity cardio plus just kept myself constantly moving and my calorie intake was extremely low. (I started to not meet the minimal requirements for weight watchers anymore because I just couldn’t keep the weight from coming back on at that level). Needless to say, it wasn’t long before I found myself exhausted, with constant injuries (I broke my very first bone), on high doses of depression medication and very strong prescription sleeping medication because I had severe insomnia. These helped a bit but I had to keep going back to my dr. to up the medication because after a while, they just weren’t as effective. As well, I continued to gain weight. Over the course of 3 years I had gained back 30 lbs. My doctor was stumped as to my weight gain since my tracking and records showed that I should be LOSING weight and she was positive the meds were more likely to see patients lose than gain on them, so she sent me to a nutritionist/personal trainer. After 6 months with her, she also threw up her hands in despair and said she didn’t know how to help me – I was doing everything they asked…nothing worked. The one common thing that neither did was to ask me what my NET calories were, what my BMR was. They didn’t even think in those terms, and from what I know now – I was nowhere close to getting enough calories to satisfy my BMR requirements.
Finally in a fit of frustration I cold-turkey’d off all the meds (which made my dr. raise her eyebrows at me) and told her to find another solution because this wasn’t working for me. I needed to lose weight and feel better, not just medicate and gain more!
1 month later I stumbled onto MFP in my personal search for a solution on the internet and discovered this whole new concept of net calories and eating enough. I found that I was averaging a NET calorie/day of approximately 600-800 because of the crazy exercise I was doing and the VLCD I was using. (around 1200) Often I wasn’t even Netting 0 or above…I had a negative Net. By this time I had also started the p90X exercise program.
At first I slowly started to up my calories after figuring out my BMR (1490) and TDEE (2130-2370) to 1500 Net minimum. This was very scary for me. Thankfully I did not gained tons of weight (about 4 lbs) but within a few days my depression was gone, I was no longer exhausted all the time and I began sleeping like a baby! Those NSV’s in themselves proved to me that no matter what happened, I was doing something good for my body.
I was still scared that I had the numbers wrong, scared that it wouldn’t work, scared that I’d never lose, but for the first time I actually had hope too. This is the ONE thing I had not yet tried so I figured, what the heck…it’s worth a shot! I kept rereading the forum for a little bump in encouragement whenever I needed it. I still tended to underestimate calories burned just in case (since I ate those back to stay at my net calorie goal of 1500) and I felt so strange being able to eat a piece of apple pie and still have room to eat some chocolate too at the end of the day! I also found that I had a problem of saving a lot of calories to the end of the day so I would suddenly have to try to eat a huge amount before bed because before, I used to be so hungry at bedtime, I HAD to save most of my calories for then and eat filling foods or I would never sleep! It’s a habit I’ve slowly been able to break (not completely yet though).
I managed to get my calorie intake up to TDEE – 15%. After 7 weeks at that level (plus still maintaining a crazy workout schedule from before) I found I was still a bit tired (not exhausted like before though), my weight was up 4lbs and I had gained over 6 inches! I was mortified! However, after speaking with Lucia, she informed me that I needed to reduce the exercise. I had used the wrong activity level and was maintaining too high of a deficit still. So, I listened to her advice and dropped the exercise but kept my calories the same. Within a week I started to feel better. I also started to reread through the forum and discovered that with my diet history, a full reset was likely what I needed to get the weight to stop dropping. So, the next day, I upped my calories to maintenance, maintained my workouts and as of today found that some of the 6 inches I gained have disappeared and I’ve even seen a small reduction in a couple of places (thigh/neck) to lower than start! I’m still bigger in the waist and upper body but I am assuming that is due mainly to water retention and the fact that I am now lifting without being in a caloric deficit.
I am excited for when I will see inches really start dropping or my weight to come down, but for now, I will continue on through my reset (I have gained 1.6 lbs since starting my reset) and give my body the time it requires to heal. I feel better than I have in years (despite my small emotional pity parties over my waist increase that makes my jeans almost un-wearable – I was already maxing them out so they didn’t have much room left).
This road is mentally difficult and tiring. Going against everything society tries to cram down our throats about weight loss, dealing with the looks of pity as people watch me gain weight and eat (usually more than they do), trying to reassure my husband that this IS the right thing to do, and all the time feeling unsure and scared myself, yet believing in it completely at the same time. The research is out there, the testimonies are out there… I know my story will be one of success. I just have to have patience and strength to do it right and see it through. I may not see the quick results that some others have when they started the Eat More plan, but then I did a LOT of damage to my system…it’ll take time to repair that. I’m already 10 weeks in with no loss, just gain and I’m just now starting to get hungry days (a good sign). It’s the long haul for me, but I’m ok with that because I know the destination is worth the trip.
Starting Info (March, 2012):
Eating 1200 cals or less (NET < 1000 – often between 0[or negative value] and 800) Plus some binge days due to special events.
Desk Job: Workout 7 days/week (P90X-lifting/cardio + 1.5 hrs brisk walking daily) I also did anything else I could think of that simply kept me moving.
Desk Job: Workout: 6 days/week (3x lifting + 6 days 1 hr brisk walks) I also still try to stay relatively active through my day, but much less intensity.
Weight: 166.2 lbs
Neck: 13 ½ “
R Bicep: 11 ½ ”
R Forearm: 10 ¼ ”
Over Bust: 38”
Bust: 42”
Under Bust: 36 ½ ”
Waist: 36 ½ ”
Hips: 41”
R Wrist: 6”
R Thigh: 23 ½ ”
R Calf: 15 ½ “
Remember, EM2WL is a lifestyle, not a quick fix. Featured Journeyers will remind us that we are all a “work-in-progress.” If you are interested in being featured in The Journey, please contact us for more info.
How to Pick a Personal Trainer…
Another way a personal trainer can make that impact, is by telling you that your current cal intake (whatever it may be) is too high. This lowering of cals is almost a guaranteed drop in lbs within the first week or so, simply because the cals were high(er), and now they’re not. Having such a significant drop in lbs within the first week or so will buy the trainer MUCH more time with that client, because they have earned their trust. If they can quickly get you to drop weight, then long after you’ve stopped going to them, and gained the weight back, (because you’ve gone back to eating normal, and working out in your regular manner) you’ll always remember how you had “better” results when you worked with them. You’ll go back (at your higher cal intake) they will have you drop calories (again), while kicking your butt with the workouts. So as long as you stay with them, and dependent on them, you both “win.”
Although it’s harder to look a client in the eye and tell them to do the opposite of everything that they’ve read, and that they shouldn’t expect any results from working with me for at least the first month, it sets the standard for our relationship right off the bat. I let them know that I will not withhold any “secrets” from them in what they need to reach their goals, my tactics are simple: fuel your body, work hard, and stay consistent.
Recent Comments