Do I need a new trainer?

[Lyrric]

Hi,

I've been seeing a trainer for an hour twice a week for about 7 weeks now. My goal was to lose 20 pounds (I'm about 190) and get more toned, but primarily to lose the weight. So far, I have lost none.

The method we're using focuses on circuit training and building strength and flexibility and I can use slightly heavier weights than when we started, I do have more flexibility and stamina. But I haven't lost any weight and that was my primary goal.

I like my trainer, but I'm getting really discouraged. And yes, I could be eating better, exercising on days I don't see the trainer, etc., but isn't the point of seeing this person so that I will see results anyway?

Are we doing it wrong? Is this the wrong method and should I find someone who focuses more on cardio to lose the weight? Or is this part of some natural ramping up process? My trainer has said it takes about 3 months before I'll start seeing the difference in the mirror and 6 months before other people will. Is that typical?

I don't have any experience with this and would appreciate advice.

Thanks. :]

 

[CrazyOldMan]

OK I am working on guess work here. Don't know either of you so having to.

If you are carrying a lot of weight and the trainer is concerned about your body’s ability to cope with moving the weight and range of motion, what they are doing is absolutely spot on, with one exception. I will detail why.
Cardio is work that takes a long time, if your body is not able to move effectively for short duration, making you do the same movements for a long duration is setting you up for serious injury, even if low intensity. If your range of movement means that you would not be able to keep safe alignment on the cardio activities again making you do so would be inviting damage.
You have asked to lose weight and get toned, if you are lifting more you have gained toned muscle, even if you cannot yet see it, and if your weight is stable you must have lost fat, because muscle is heavy.
The exception is a big one. The fact you don't know what your trainer is doing means poor communication between the two of you and that is very important. If they aren't coming forward you need to ask them. They should also be giving you guidance on what to do outside of sessions, ideally with exercise, if they feel you are safe to, and especially diet and other lifestyle.

I did a good bit of personal training many years ago, but was fortunate enough to be totally independent of any gym. Those who aren't are often under immense pressure to sell sessions so can be as keyed into this as their customers. If you read this as PTs are bad, you have missed the point. It is a vocation and those doing it could earn more at desk jobs so there is a desire to help people get fit deeply rooted in every one of them, unfortunately many of them are pressured to think more of other things too, and that is beyond their control.

Fitness is a huge field and no PTs know all of it. I am good in my area, but asked to help people perfect basketball shooting or football (soccer) dribbling I don't have a clue. Fortunately I have a nice desk job so can simply say, go somewhere else and not worry.
There is a possibility that your PT is more resistance training biased and doesn't have a lot of knowledge about cardio. Ask them and you will find out.
Cardio is often very dull and PTs can become worried that sitting someone on an exercise bike for most of the session will be seen as cheeky and a waste of money so avoid doing so. It may be that they feel you are capable but would see them as just money grabbing if they did so. Ask if they feel you would be safe to do cardio on other days and what they advise. You may find that it's good to keep going to them for the resistance based toning and they will give you homework cardio for a couple of other days.

 

[BasketLady]

And yes, I could be eating better, exercising on days I don't see the trainer, etc., but isn't the point of seeing this person so that I will see results anyway?

Basically - if you are seeing a trainer twice a week and not doing anything else for the rest of the week - including watching your diet - NO, you probably will NOT see the results you want!! Unfortunately, trainers are not miracle workers - what they do in two hours you could totally un-do in the other 166 hours of that week!

If you think your trainer doesn't know what they are talking about, you aren't comfortable with them, they do something to hurt you, etc... then find a new trainer. If you commit yourself to losing the weight and are doing your part the other 5 days a week and you still are not seeing results....then find a new trainer. But if you are looking for someone to give you the desired results in two hours a week without changing anything else in your life.....you will go through MANY trainers - you might as well save your money!!

JMO....

 

[Goldfish]

No amount of work with a PT will make you lose weight if you aren't eating appropriately for it. PT's don't wave a magic wand and get you results in spite of yourself. PT's show you what to do, lead the way and coach you along the way.

With the 3 months before you see it and 6 months before others do, I think that's the wrong way around. You see yourself in the mirror every day, so you don't notice differences as readily. People who see you only once or twice a week will see the difference sooner, because of all the time they spend not seeing you.

In my experience, if you get into good training practices from day 1 and start fixing up your eating habits right away to be conducive towards being healthier and losing weight, you'll start to feel better than pre-exercise within 1-4 weeks (depending on what your starting point was), and in that same time frame, there'll be a change in how tightly you do up your belt. In the 4-8 week period, people will start noticing that you've lost some weight, and in the 8-16 week period, you'll start seeing it in the mirror (especially if you took before photos to compare to). But both diet and exercise has to right for all of that to occur. If diet isn't conducive to weight loss, it might take the whole 16 weeks before you move your belt in one notch. If your diet isn't conducive to being strong and healthy, and/or your exercise routine sucks, you'll probably never experience feeling better physically/mentally relative to how you were before you began training, even if you do lose a lot of weight (a lot of people on weight loss plans get it wrong, and instead of feeling more alive, more free, less stressed and less sore, they end up feeling frail, faint, weak and grumpy).

 

[PLB_old]

I like my trainer, but I'm getting really discouraged. And yes, I could be eating better, exercising on days I don't see the trainer, etc., but isn't the point of seeing this person so that I will see results anyway?

No. Your trainer is getting 2 hours per week with you. The other 166 hours each week are up to you. Which do you think will make the most difference?

 

[jes1]

I think you must give it some more time.

 

[jesspinto]

Working out for an hour just twice a week honestly won't show any difference. U'll have to work out daily or atleast 5-6 times a week.