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Low Carb Just "a Fad".

rhubarb73

Well-Known Member
Messages
709
Location
West Yorkshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
aubergine
Hello - help required if anyone is up for joining in an argument.
I seem to have stumbled into a squabble with a personal fitness trainer at my local sports club. He is using the club's social media account to promote his weight lifting classes, but also his views on diets which make some fairly bold public claims. These claims include:
- low carb and low sugar are "fad" diets
- those "fad" diets won't last
- strength testing is more important to weight loss than reducing carbs
- weight lifting is 25% of any diet
- there is no such thing as "bad for you" foods
- sugar is not inherently fattening
- weight loss is only achieved through calorie control, sugar reduction is only an indirect cause.
- there is no upper limit on protein intake resulting in detrimental impact

He's got a bit upset with me because I've told him his advice is factually incorrect, and in parts dangerous (getting an overweight or obese person to take up weight lifting before getting some dietary control increases the risk of heart problems). It is also pretty unpleasant to say to people who are trying low carb and may be low on confidence or insecure that their diet is a fad and won't last. He's demanded evidence that he wrong - I've pointed at some, and he just scoffs. It winds me up that he's using a public platform and a health banner to say things that are self serving but flawed.
Anyway the more evidence I can throw in his direction, the better. Any thoughts? (or should I just ignore it and get on with my life?)
 
Sounds like a ghastly Twitter troll but in real life. I think I'd change gyms. I'd also let the gym owners know why - unless he's the owner, he shouldn't be allowed to treat paying customers in such a fashion. And if he is the owner, he deserves to lose business.
 
He's an idiot. I read somewhere low carb has been around since the 1800's. To be honest, I wouldn't waste my energy on him. Find another gym and get on with your life.
 
You can't fix stupid. Whatever evidence you might present to this man will not change his mind, let him dig his own hole while you yourself improve your health (and your stress levels).
 
Maybe plant the seed of doubt by telling him how much you look forward to seeing how successful his regime is in promoting weightloss and that you hope he will be giving details on the social media account so that there can be no argument about it working.
 
Guzzler said:
You can't fix stupid. Whatever evidence you might present to this man will not change his mind, let him dig his own hole while you yourself improve your health (and your stress levels).
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Indeed - it's pointless trying to reason with a fanatic with an axe to grind. Best to smile sweetly and let your results speak for themselves.
 
If we take our diabetic hats off and exclude the minority with various metabolic disorders then his statements aren't as bad as they look. I read this as though he is preaching to the general population of which the majority are not diabetics nor unfortunate enough to be bestowed with other disorders.
- low carb and low sugar are "fad" diets:
- those "fad" diets won't last: For the majority, the statement is not that outlandish. For carb tolerant majorities it may well be a fad.
- strength testing is more important to weight loss than reducing carbs: Not certain what he means by 'strength testing'. If he means exercise then he is not really being honest. If he means reducing carbs and then replacing the lost energy input from another source that is a different thing.
- weight lifting is 25% of any diet: Trying hard to sell his service I suppose. In reality, exercise is not a massive contributor to weight loss.
- there is no such thing as "bad for you" foods: Probably not much to say about that. I think we all know otherwise.
- sugar is not inherently fattening: True. It does depend on quantity and what else is being consumed though.
- weight loss is only achieved through calorie control, sugar reduction is only an indirect cause: True again. Reduction of stored energy is achieved by consuming less than what is required. The rate of loss may vary but the statement is correct.
- there is no upper limit on protein intake resulting in detrimental impact: A broad statement. There is no implicit meaning in what he says. Clarification is required. Deny all fats and see how far he gets.
 
rhubarb73 said:
-low carb and low sugar are "fad" diets
- those "fad" diets won't last
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Firstly point out the meaning of FAD - an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived; a craze.

Secondly remind him of William Bantings booklet called Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public and written in 1863. Maybe refer him to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Banting, just to fill in some gaps like why he followed the dietary regime he did.

Even as a teenager, now over 50 years ago for me, I remember mum dieting and the first thing she did was cut out bread and potatoes. So this low carb lark isn't so much of a fad really and certainly not short lived. Maybe he can explain why in his ignorance he can say that something that has been a round for over 150 years is in his mind a fad.

BTW, I recommend reading about Banting, and the physician (Dr William Harvey) who recommended a low carb diet after attending lectures in Paris about Diabetes. The Frenchman (Claud Bernard) who gave the lectures is interesting as well.

I think he needs to have some empirical evidence to backup his BS. He's entitled to his opinions, but he can't just grab ideas out of thin air. He needs the evidence, maybe he can suggest some further reading?
 
In my experience most fitness trainers don't last, they are a fad.
There are some great trainers out there and there's some (think you have found one) that aren't.
Weight lifting along with other exercise and a LCHF diet are not incompatible.
I think he has been subjected to the great commercial pressure that the weight and fitness industry can apply through advertising.
 
That really just goes to show that he's not a very good personal trainer.

Most of the work I've done with personal trainers heavily involves nutrition, and good ones looking to achieve body transformation understand that this is a process that links a few components, namely, hormones, diet and exercise. Most will admit that 90% of weight loss and body transformation is driven by diet, and that the key is to encouraging weight loss is to try and reduce body fat.

The ones who achieve best results generally use the formula of reducing carbs to reduce insulin response and allow the body to burn fat rather than store it, then use the exercise to enhance that fat burn (i.e. they send you keto for 6-8 weeks alongside an intense workout schedule). Having said that, they also recognise that they have to observe and modify this approach as it doesn't always work for everyone.

So I'd suggest that that personal trainer perhaps needs to go back to school and see what the professionals are doing!
 
Hello rhubarb73. Realistically if someone has a financial interest in something then you can reasonably regard any advice given as suspect. At the risk of offending this forum, gender and testosterone are a good mix for someone to appear as a bully. Bullying is defined as how it is perceived, not how it was intended. So you have choices. You could just bite the bullet and continue and keep quiet. You could move gyms. You could make a complaint to the management. You could print off research that backs your argument and give it to him. Mix and match the strategies? If he is earning ££ by promoting his views then don’t expect a Damascus moment from him, he has too much to protect. Best of luck.
 
Here's my list.

Weight loss is 90% dependant on diet.
'You can't outrun a bad diet ' Prof. Tim Noakes.
 
Lifting weights is very good training for being able to lift weights, whether it has any other benefits is doubtful. For many people it is a fad and not sustainable.
 
rhubarb73 said:
Anyway the more evidence I can throw in his direction, the better. Any thoughts? (or should I just ignore it and get on with my life?)
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In a word yes. My grandson just laughs at the total ignorance of the fitness trainers at his gym.
 
I’m afraid I’m in the ‘ignore him and get on with your life’ camp! You will never convince such a person and you will waste too much time and energy trying.
 
I would be concerned about his attitude being inflicted on other gym users and his other clients.

So I think I would write a letter to the management of the gym expressing my deep concern that this person is dealing with people whose health may be negatively affected by his ignorance and bull-headedness.

You will never change his mind. Anyone who communicates in 'sound bites' and pushes their own agenda over the health of their audience is too full of themselves to change. But you can be a voice of sanity ansuggest to the gym management that he is harming their reputation and credibility.
 
I would ask to see his qualifications to give nutritional advice - unlikely he has any.
As a teenager in the '70s I was heavily into body building just to build myself up. Every serious bodybuilder then targeted high protein low carb foods to build muscle and burn fat especially leading up to a competition. It was well known that carbohydrates caused a weight gain and loss of muscle definition.
 
Hi @rhubarb73,
Unscrupulous sales people are a blight on the health area. Selling their product is their main aim.
Ask him on social media to provide references to his claims. Consider throwing in terms like randomised trials, double blind trials if need be and as others have said for his qualifications, say in dietetics, human physiology and medicine.
 
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