Is there a personal trainer in the house?.. tips on finding a good 1?

[Dar]

I am looking to find a great personal trainer in my area...

what should I look for?

I need to get a "few" (a lot) pounds off and i want to do it the right way.

I am planing a family vacation to Jamaica or Cuba in the new year and i want to look FABULOUS

I have been over weight for 17 years and enough is enough.. and I am using this vacation as a motivator


so help me out what am I looking for in a trainer?

 

[Dar]

I find that hard to believe that in this group of diverse people no one is a personal trainer... interesting

 

[wombat]

Well, since nobody else took a stab at this one ...

No, I'm not a personal trainer. I did play two sports in college, and got plenty of fitess training courtesy of the Army, though ...

I would suggest that you get a good book on weight training for fitness. Not kidding here. Putting on some muscle mass will help you lose weight, as muscle needs to use some of the calories you take in just to sustain itself. You can add muscle fastest in the lower body, and if you put work in on that, you won't "bulk up" at all, you'll just get more and more toned.

My wife did this to get the "baby weight" off.

She started with a book called "Your Personal Trainer" by Douglas Brooks. She looks good, and did not end up looking like a body builder. She dropped about four sizes over a year, just by lifting weights, walking, and cutting back on soft drinks.

http://www.amazon.com/Your-Personal...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250390194&sr=1-1

I'd suggest that, and a gym membership where:
- You pay by the month (without those long term contracts and fees)
- They offer qualified assistance
- You can join a regular fitness class to keep you motivated.
- If they have a pool, that's a bonus. Lap swimming and pool walking are good for conditioning too.

I've met some "personal trainers" and most of the ones I've met were just people trying to make a buck on their charisma and looks. The ones who are top-notch cost a lot and are generally training athletes.

 

[Cetawin]

Truthfully...you want to lose pounds fast...quick easy way to take off pounds

Drop the sugars, most of the fats, eat carbs early in the day, eat more protein, eat 5 - 7 small meals per day, drink at least a gallon of water per day and walk for 1/2 hour each evening or morning...take a good vitamin. If you can workout lifting weights or even nautilis 3 - 5 times per week...GREAT! Shoot for 1100 calories per day if not hitting the gym...1500 - 1800 per day if hitting the gym.

Muscle eats fats...it is denser and therefore smaller. So the scale may not change as you put on some muscle but the difference will be in mirror and the closet.

You can do it!

 

[Criskin]

I'm not a personal trainer but I had one for a few months and loved it! I had never been in better shape in my life. I think it is important to find a trainer that you genuinely like...otherwise you are going to dread going. There are also several different certifications that trainers can have, so it is good to check their qualifications as well. My trainer was affiliated with the gym I was a member of, so that made it pretty easy...they had done all of the checking up and I just had to chose which one I wanted. A good trainer will also advise you on nutrition and diet as well. You can work out everyday but if your diet isn't right, you aren't going to get the results you want. * on a side note, if your trainer starts giving you free sessions and taking an overly active interest in your life outside the gym, you should probably find a new trainer!

Another great option that I have used successfully, and is free, is Web MD's food and fitness planner:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/food-fitness-planner

You put in your information and it actually tells you how many calories you should take in to lose weight...plus it takes into account your activity level.

Good luck with your fitness plans!

 

[Dar]

thanks everyone...

I am meeting with a few people this week, of course they will tell me what I want to hear caus ethey are all in a job interview..lol wish me luck