Anyone ever transformed themselves using a personal trainer?!

[ladymuckbeth]

Hi there,

After my umpteenth latest failed efforts to lose weight and keep it off (I lost 4 stone with Dukan about 18 months ago but a 6 month period of much change and upheaval has seen me put half of it back on... :( ) I am now looking at engaging a personal trainer for a full-on 3 month programme to completely overhaul my fitness, hopefully leaving me with some good routines to continue with.

I've decided I need to acquire some really good behaviours, which doesn't seem to happen merely by dieting. Yes, I get really 'into the groove', but once I lose the weight, I also seem to lose my way. I'm now 41 and a mother of twin toddlers, and determined once and for all to turn my fitness and body type around. I've been lucky enough to be pretty healthy so far in my life, but feel as though if I don't make big changes now, I'm just slowly going to deteriorate into being old, unfit, and out of shape. At the moment I'm probably about 2 - 2.5 stone overweight, but more importantly I think I have the 'look' of a much older body. (Thankfully I don't think my face is too bad, otherwise I'd be REALLY depressed! )

Does anyone have any experience of this? I've found a trainer I'm meeting on Monday to discuss options with. Key for me is that he is an advocate of a low-carb/paleo way of eating, which after much research is definitely the healthiest way to eat in my opinion. But I'd love to hear that it is possible to turn these bingo wings, flabby stomach, and wobbly legs into something approaching a look of toned health.

[foreverondiet]

I think the point is that whatever regime you use, be it dukan, paleo, ww, sw, personal trainer etc etc if you don't stick the new way of eating long term you'll put the weight back on. Exercise does help but way of eating is crucial.

Of course you can improve your wobbly legs and flabby stomach (bingo arms very stubborn though) but if you don't maintain the regime and way of eating forever the toned health look won't last.

[MaloryMad]

I agree with foreverondiet.

Nearly 10 years ago, when I was 42, having never exercised very much at all, I started to workout with weights and did a bit of cardio. I also lost some weight, only about 1st.
I dropped two dress sizes in three months and everyone, I mean everyone, was telling me how fantastic I looked etc. My body shape had changed completely, due to the weight training. I had gorgeous feminine curves where before I'd just had flab. It's worth noting that at the time I was still about 2st overweight. The workouts made all the difference.

But after 6 months I was bored with the diet, and the workouts dropped off to twice a week then once a week then eventually I stopped altogether. So you've got to keep it up. But to answer your question, yes even at the advanced (!) age of 42, it was possible for me to have a better body than I'd ever had. While still carrying excess weight. It was a lot of hard work, coupled with top notch fitness advice, but it was worth it.
And I could kick myself now for slipping back into old habits!

[ladymuckbeth]

Thanks for these messages and for your thoughts.

I know that it's sort of through desperation that I am trying to attack this through exercise along with diet. I know from my own experience that diet accounts for probably 80% of final results, but that for me it becomes a challenge of reaching X goal, and once there I feel like I'm walking a tightrope - avoiding disaster each day until eventually something comes to topple me off (stress being the main culprit) and slowly my weight starts tipping in the upward direction.

I refuse to give in and accept that I am bound to forever be overweight. I do know that there are probably deeply set reasons WHY I am the way I am, yet therapy hasn't managed to make it go away either.

[MaloryMad]

I'm obese now so I'm certainly no expert in helping with this, I just wanted to reassure you that you can have a very good body in your 40's. And also as I said, for me the exercise made a huge difference. I'd lost the same amount of weight several times before, without exercise, but never had the fantastic results I got with exercise added too.

I've never got down to goal weight but I have heard many, many maintainers say what you're saying, it's very difficult indeed and most of them find maintaining to be harder than actually losing in the first place.

[ladymuckbeth]

Thanks Malory. Re. maintaining, am almost thinking it'll be a lifetime's endeavour. I think if you're the kind of person to be perennially overweight with occasional 'blips' at a normal weight (as I am), it's nigh on impossible to reprogramme your brain to think that thin = normal. I know that whenever I reach a normal weight, it doesn't feel normal to me to look that way, and I feel almost self-conscious.

[BJR]

If you find the right personal trainer then I think it can be an amazing thing. I worked out with a trainer for around a year and had brilliant results in terms of my health and the apperance and shape of my body. I think the most important thing is learing to love exercise and finding ways to fit it into your life that is maintainable.

You mentioned that you are looking for a trainer for 3 months but you might want to consider continuing the sessions on a less frequent basis after that as 3 months is a relatively short period of time in terms of change. You may want some extra support after that in helping you through slumps in motivation and helping to keep your routines varied.

Good luck with it all!

[ladymuckbeth]

Thanks, you're right - it's more that I'm looking for a 3 month intense start, and hopefully then continue on a less 'full on' basis. I met someone yesterday and think I'm going to go ahead with him. We'll see each other 3 times a week for 3 months to start with and go from there.

[MaloryMad]

I think if you transform yourself with exercise to the extent that I did it will be easier to accept the change in your body at a normal weight. I don't know, it's just that I was in fitness mindset more than diet mindset when I did it and so my body looked right to me because of the hard work I was putting in. I was thinking like a fit person for the first time in my life. Hopefully you'll feel that way this time too.
Good luck with the trainer and do let us know how you get on.

[ladybirdpoppy]

Last October I signed up with a p.t at my local gym and it was the best decision I ever made. I had being going to the gym the past few years and never really lost or changed shape. Approaching 40, I was really uphappy with my middle core, bum and thighs. By Christmas I had lost a stone but it was the inches.. 15 in total from bust, waist and bum. I met with her twice a week. It wasn't just about exercise but also nutrition, discovered I was eating far too much hidden sugar even in fruit, eating the right food at right time of day. I carried on following the routine and by April thus year lost the second stone and a total if 23 inches. I weighed 10st 11 with body fat 28% size 12-14, now 8st 10ish with body fat 18% and between size 6-8. As I built up my core strength now go to classes that I would have stayed away from such as hit, boxing, circuits. Take the plunge its worth it!