doing homework on my trainer

hey guys, a have a personal trainer, and he has me on 1450 calories a day and 115 grams of protein .IM 145 ,24, and is going to cycle when the time is right. Does this seem like a good diet to you. I want to be about 15 or 20 pounds of leaner muscle.It just doesnt seem right the way he has me. He says he is trying to change body composition without gaining or lsong weight. im just trying to do some homework on my trainer, any tips. And 1 more ? , im having a hard time finding good foods for me, healthy foods, any tips thanks so much

You need more calories and protein then that to build muscle mass.

I agree with Rickson

Agreed, At least try bumping up to 200 Grams of Protein a day if you're trying to gain muscle.

1.5 grams of protein per lean pound, 2-3 Grams of carbs.

Why dont you follow his program for awhile and give it a chance...He is there with you and may have a clearer picture of what you need. The calories are low but protein intake is way overrated. Carb intake is what determiines weight gain or loss.. not protein. Thats why the Atkins diet and others work..they restrict carbs and load youu with protein...and you do not gain weight..you lose it.

I am a personal trainer and nothing is as irksome as when someone you spend time with and analyze goes to every other person and asks their opinion on what you say. If you hire someone give them the confidence it takes to succeed for awhile.

I will be the first to disagree with you Prot. Let me guess, you were a kinesiology major that learned about protein from books endorsed by the FDA and written in 1970s. Sorry so harsh, but I have a friend who is a trainer built like a marathon runner that says the same thing about protein and it annoys the hell out of me when he recites some book he read in college and acts like a know it all.

Well, I will be the second to disagree with you Prot! Carb intake is not the only thing that determines weight loss. Your body burns protein, carbs, and fat for energy which all can result in weight loss. In a carb deficient state the body will pull more from fat, and protein which can result in a loss of muscle mass. That is why it is crucial that you increase protein intake when on a low-carb diet. Also, reducing your carbs too low can cause the metabolism to slow down too much and put a halt to your weight loss. You kinda contradict yourself in your post. First you say that protein intake is overrated, and then you bump the atkins diet saying that it loads you with protein causing you to lose weight. So do you agree with boosting protein intake or not?

Jwill75--If you hired a personal trainer and all he did was tell you to lower your calories to 1450 and take in 115g of protein, I would definitely seek out extra help. He should have laid out a diet plan for you which included types of foods. He should also be able to explain the reasoning behind why he has you on such a diet. IMO I think that the diet he has you on is way under what you need to gain mass. Personally, I think that all you are gonna do is lose weight, which will include muscle as well as fat.

I agree with prot, protein is over rated, though 115 grams sounds a little low, but I don't know much about your overall condition, health, or bodyfat. What are your stats beyond age and weight?

Give your trainers program a chance and if it doesn't work out then give him the heave ho.

I personally take in around 150 grams of protein a day, sometimes only 130 and I have never had any problems maintaining mass or building.

I have seen your pic and I won't argue with you D but how the hell do you only eat 150 grams a day, thats like three meals. Lets not forget everyone is different. O yea, My buddy was was over 220 and fat, he dieted with the traditional 3 meals a day routine with quality foods and now he is 180, it was short period of time too, he ran like crazy. Needless to say he never took juice and he looks great now. So like I said everyone is different...

I consume about 150 grams of fat a day too.

You're right though, everyone is different. Metabolism, activity and genetics have much to do with weight loss and lean body mass. I'm sure there's way more factors than those three.

What does your diet look like?

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Originally posted by chinups
What does your diet look like?

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I'm doing a CKD. Lots of eggs, beef, fish, chicken, and EFA's.

Did you ask your trainer for a diet plan or did you just ask for advice? There's a difference. If you just asked for advice and he simply said lower your calories, I can understand that, not a good answer but I can understand. But if you asked and paid for nutritional counseling then you should go to someone who can help you out more. Most trainers don't know enough about nutrition. I've been a trainer for over 10 years and I see it all the time. If you don't ask for a meal plan they will just give you something basic, to cover there tail. Some places don't want the trainers to give out any nutritional advice at all. Did he ask any questions about you daily activity, how many times a day you eat, what types of food you like, what you do for a living, etc.?

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Originally posted by sigrabbit
I will be the first to disagree with you Prot. Let me guess, you were a kinesiology major that learned about protein from books endorsed by the FDA and written in 1970s. Sorry so harsh, but I have a friend who is a trainer built like a marathon runner that says the same thing about protein and it annoys the hell out of me when he recites some book he read in college and acts like a know it all.

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and I take no protein supplements. I believe eating a lot is sufficient but to keep carbs low...eating fruits and vegetables but little pasta, rice, and bread or potatoes. I keep total calories low. I am not interested in gaining more size right now so I concentrate on staying lean. I never read that book but I know Mike Mentzer went on a 600 calorie diet with fairly low protein before contests. The Nautilus people did research years ago where they studied various diets and found the higher protein and high fat group lost a lot more weight(bodyfat) than just reducing calories and/or keeping carbs high.

The real myth perpetrated by the medical nutritionist is that a high carb diet is good for you. Only when bulking is this so. Years ago I gained 17 pounds on a mix of nonfat milk I made myself. Did it in three weeks. Milk is high in protein but higher in carb grams. and I was natural.


I have spent thousands of dollars over the years on the supplement industry and it was all wasted.

The only benefit from the higher protein diet...no one needs more than 150 grams...is that it displaces carbs. For a younger, lighter trainer I would not restrict carbs but there are a lot of gaps in knowledge that I dont believ we see. So I opt to give the trainer the benefit of the doubt.