05 Jan, 2009

Ask the Coach: Training but not Losing Weight

Question

Despite training with a personal trainer once a week I have not succeeded in losing any weight. I have also gained some in the past few weeks. I am very concerned about this. I am aged 52 and wonder if this is a factor. I would appreciate some advice.

Answer

The information you provided is very limited. You mention that you train with a personal trainer once a week but you do not mention what you do in the other 167 hours of the week, training and nutrition etc. A personal trainer can offer you guidance in with a structured training program, encourage you and also make you accountable to perform the actions you promise. It is however your eating patterns and the foods that you eat that will have a massive bearing on your goal to lose weight.

As we age, there are numerous changes to the body in relation to your hormones, muscles and bones. You may lose some flexibility, but if you are not weight training you will lose muscle mass which in turn will slow down your metabolism. In order to lose weight we must increase our metabolism and burn more calories than we are consuming. So if you meeting your trainer once a week, ask him or her to devise a plan that you can carry out on yourself for another three days. Age will only be a factor if you are unable to exercise through injury or inflexibility. It shouldn’t be a limiting factor in achieving your goal as it is nothing but a number.