It sounds like, despite the little info he provided, you learned some good core exercises and your body fat %. That's a start, but surely not worth his fee for 10 more nightmare sessions with him. He should have to pay YOU to be stuck with him!

The exercise you did is called the Plank, and it IS hard.

To lose weight from your lower body, you cannot spot reduce by just doing more on the lower body. So you need to do whatever possible to burn as many calories and the weight from the bottom and elsewhere will come off. I've found heavy weights, especially for the legs (which are large muscle groups that burn lots of calories when worked) work wonders. Steve gives some suggestions on a good starting program in one of the forums which you might find useful.

If there's a better trainer in there that actually will talk to me about caloric needs, good heart rate when doing cardio, stretches, so on and so forth, then I think I might shell out the cash to pay for some sessions.

This guy, however, didn't answer any of the questions I had pertaining to any of those things. And when I asked about caloric intake being in balance with working out, he just said to me "Eat less on days you don't work out. Eat more on days you do."

*sigh*

- Sunny

Ask us, we're cheaper.

Yea, I knew there wasn't exactly a miracle that was going to fix my wide caboose. I was a little put off that we didn't even cover toning exercises since my lower half isn't in the greatest shape at all. Just upper body and core.

I've been reading Steve's posts on some of that stuff and his info is more helpful than just about anything the trainer had to say.

Back to the gym this evening. I'm trying to conquer the elliptical and I can tell its getting easier. Yay for me!

- Sunny

Hi there Sunny,

I found your post at the August Challenge and decided to look up your journal. We're pretty much in the same boat here... trying to get in the 170s. I hope everything went well at the gym. You're 3 lbs away from the 170s. You can do it!

-Sheryl

Hey there Sheryl,

Thanks for hoppin' over here and saying hello! I'm glad to know there's someone else in the same boat as myself. How close to the 170s are you? Three pounds seems so close, but I haven't been able to shed them. I was actually 181 over Christmas (so close!) but then I had a trip back home and ended up 10lbs heavier! Three months later, I'm almost back down to my starting point.

I'm still trying to get amped about going to the gym Its only 4pm here and I probably won't get there until 7pm or so. I'm trying to will myself to want to go, but I just can't seem to do it. I'm going even if I don't want to.. but I tend to stay longer and get more done if I want to be there.

- Sunny

(I'll hop over to your journal asap.)

Hey if you have the patience to go back in my diary about 2 weeks, you'll find my experience when I signed up at the gym. I asked them about personal trainers and they immediately introduced me to the one that was there. The first thing she said to me, "I will teach you so much about nutrition." The way she said it, I knew she wanted to tell me on the ride home from the gym don't stop at the McDonalds drive through for your usual 6 Big Macs fatty. I thanked her kindly, but it was oil and water. I immediately emailed one of the other trainers whose certification caught my eye and explained my life story and asked her if she could help me. She has worked with overweight people before and doesn't assume I can't do anything. She spends a lot of time finding out what I'm doing and tailoring my workout for it. She does discuss nutrition a bit, but its more to improve things I do than to lecture me on stuff I already know. You're so much closer to goal than I am and I'm surprised to see you getting that same kind of ignorant trainer talk.

Society looks down on us and most overweight people have some bad habits of their own, but weight is 70% genetic. Not every overweight person has a bottle of crisco and a bowl of bacon bits on their desk to snack on while they're on the computer. My trainer is hugely expensive ($55 per session), but my god what going to her twice has done for my attitude and motivation level is amazing. A good trainer is worth their weight in gold. It might be worth shelling out some dough for one you actually like.

Wow Joe that's nice of you!

Sunny sorry about the B.S.!

Hmmmmm I should be a trainer, I have been trained now on what people don't like!

I think you'd be a great trainer Val. I think that attitude from some trainers is something a lot of intelligent women get from dopey guys. My friend Colleen is my school's computer teacher, but she actually has a degree in computers and work in the field. She constantly has people assume she has no clue about computers simply because she's a woman. I think women in the workforce put up with a bit of that naturally. When it comes to trainers, I want somebody to treat me as an individual with a clue. When a trainer doesn't treat you as an individual, I just don't see how its going to be a very worthwhile experience.

Joe: I would love to! My "thing" in life is to treat people like individuals, as I may judge like anyone else at times, my talent is not to. It's about individual experience. However, I can't even get to my goal weight without regressing, I have a horrible sweet tooth, and I wouldn't know the first thing about handeling a person whose body type is WAY different from mine, so I'd have to take a bunch of classes if I was seriously going to.

Hi Sunnygirl!!!!!!

Hey Sunny don't worry about it because it's a hard thing to get use to doing. I was the same way and now I feel guilty if I miss a day.......

The personal trainer thing I had a bad experience as well and it has me turned off of them. I'm sure there are good ones out there but I just haven't found them yet lol....

What's up, Girl? How ya doin?

Hey everyone! Sorry I kinda dropped off the forum world for a bit. Its been a busy busy weekend and I finally got my computer turned on and was able to sit down with a cup of tea.

I have some great news! I weighed 181 this morning!!!! Finally, I've pushed past that barrier I was struggling with around 184-185 and as soon as I went past it, the weight shed off nicely. Is that normal?

I'm so close to the 170s. Its exciting!

Cannon, thanks for telling me about your trainer experience. I had read just a little of your journal when you were trainer hunting and I kind of remember you having an experience with one of those people who assumes too much and asks too little. I'm glad you've found someone that is really motivating you. I think I should have Val drive up here and train me! Hahaha.... That would be really expensive.

Val, you'd make a wonderful trainer! You have a good attitude in life and I think that really motivates people. Plus you've spent all this time talking to people who are trying to lose weight that you'd really understand where people are coming from. I know you wouldn't give the McD's speech unless you saw someone chow down on a Big Mac just before walking into the gym. Haha. (I've seen that before...)

Hillbillylee, I made myself go to the gym last night and I wasn't there for long. But at least I went and did something. I'll be going again tonight to compensate for cutting last night's visit a little short. I just couldn't keep my mind occupied when I started doing my cardio.
I think I might have found a trainer that doesn't treat everyone like they don't know a thing. I don't know what his name is yet, but I saw him helping another woman who is about my size and shape and he really seemed like he was genuinely interested in showing her what to do.

Its time to fix my weight tracker and drink my cup of jasmine green tea. Yumm!

- Sunny

Hey Sunny!
Just thought I would drop in and see how you are doing?
You broke your plateau .. that is so awesome ..
soon you will be in the 170s ..you should be proud of yourself

"
You rock!

keep chugging .. I am trying to start chugging. .lmao

ttylater hun
always
natalie jo

Hey natalie!

I wanted you to know that I went to the gym and did the bike for 35 minutes like I said I would. Then I got totally busy and didn't have a chance to tell you. Hahaha... I think I need to figure out a regular posting time.

I've also been bad about updating fitday and keeping track of my calories.

- Sunny