Sean Prescott Coach

'My pants are falling down. At first I thought dodgy knicker elastic, but 4 pairs in and it's still happening.'

I absolutely love receiving messages like this.

Not because of what it means for the scales (we don't even talk about the scales at all together, which probably sounds odd for a personal trainer eh).

This lady does wish to lose some bodyfat, but it isn't her main goal.

Her main goals are to feel excited about the next chapter in her life, and to feel capable physically and mentally of doing whatever she wants!

Any weight loss or body fat reduction (which will happen), will be happening as a byproduct of the work we are doing chasing those deeper goals, not as a main focus that we track or obsess over weekly.

She started strength training with me.
Not exercising as a chore in a negative way as something she 'had to do', but choosing to do it with a positive view of building a body that feels capable of living life to the full, and that gives the best chance of independence and health when getting older.

We started looking at nutrition and planning ahead.
Not in a restrictive way (nothing at all is off limits), but in a 'how can we make it feel easy and enjoyable to eat in a way that supports your health and gives you the energy you need to feel well fueled for the day?'

And here's the proof that focusing on positive health seeking additions, for positive reasons, works:

Four pairs of knickers don't all develop dodgy elastic at the same time.

We've not once asked the question:

'How much weight have I lost this week?'

This is what the process looks like when it's working properly.

Yeah she could have started achieving the same thing through the typical 'restrict food and do the chore of exercise that you don't even like, just to gain a result' approach.

How often do those results last beyond a few months? 😬

So she's doing it the right way instead... Chipping away at those changes, but as a byproduct of positive lifestyle changes that she actually enjoys, to achieve a deeper vision!

If your goal is to feel better in your body without obsessing over a number... That's exactly what we work on in the PPA.

Send me a message and let's talk.

Something I'm really proud of...

Today I booked the table for the next PPA social, the next monthly quiz night, Tuesday 18th August 🧠🍺

Ten coming to this one. That's nearly half the members!

When I started building PPA, the community side wasn't something people signed up for.

They came for the combined service of a gym plan from me as a PT, and nutrition coaching from me as a nutritionist,
and someone to keep them accountable.

The social stuff was a bonus at best, and seen exactly as that 'a social extra'...

Now it's one of the things I hear about most!

And it's also something that I've learned through my own research and personal development is actually quite critical to the changes lots of these ladies are looking for.

The group walks. The quiz nights. The WhatsApp group when everyone shares their wins for the week that quietly inspires those who are a little quiet or tend to watch from the back.

Belonging to something that's aligned with where you want to go and having a safe space to be yourself beyond the mother, employee, and partner, and to be the version of yourself you want to become that maybe feels a bit silly or strange right now, has a hugely positive impact and influence on whether we make changes that actually happen deep enough to be a lifelong thing.

I strive every day to make PPA that place.

Ten of them turning up on a Tuesday night for a pub quiz tells me it's working, and I'm bloody proud of that.

See you there PPA 🫶🏼

I was sent a WhatsApp message this morning...

'Morning Sean. Just a thought, I've never really thought much about the amount of fibre I have. What is a good aim per meal/day? Or is it not that simple?'

Top question. And the answer actually is pretty simple. (Making the changes might need a bit of help and a nudge, but the answer itself is not a complicated 'it depends' for once)

- Government guidance is 30g per day.
- Or if you'd rather tie it to how much you eat: roughly 15g per 1,000 calories.

That's your target.

Most people in the UK are getting nowhere near it. The average is closer to 18g per day.

So if you've never really thought about fibre before, there's a decent chance there's a gap worth closing.

Here's why you should care:

1) Fibre keeps you fuller for longer - less snacking, less reaching for something quick when you're hungry by 3pm.

2) It supports gut health.

3) Good for blood sugar management and energy levels throughout the day.

4) Important for our digestive system.

5) Helps manage cholesterol levels and benefits heart health.

A few simple ways to increase it without completely overhauling your diet:

- Add a portion of veg to two meals a day rather than one
- Add chia seeds to your fruit and yogurt or into a smoothie
- Swap white bread or pasta for wholegrain versions
- Throw some beans or lentils into whatever you're already cooking
- Snack on fruit

None of those are huge. But they all add up.

Today's question is a great example of something we should all be doing... Paying attention, asking questions, and improving knowledge one bit at a time.

That's how progress actually works.

SHARE THIS as your reminder of what you should gradually be aiming for over time, and some simple tips to get you closer 🤝🏼

And if you've got any other simple tips that people might find useful, it would be great if you could share them in the comments 🙌🏼

'I have good intentions and start off well but then get bored and lose motivation, so I do need a push.'

That's a line from an email I received from a woman before we met. (She's now 8 weeks in, no boredom in sight, motivation is growing every single week rather than shrinking!)

She wrote it like it was a confession.
Like she was warning me that she was a lost cause before we'd even spoken.
She wasn't.
She'd just never been given something that actually met her where she was at.
Something she enjoyed.
Something that gave quick wins (not miracle 6 week results), but steady simple bits of proof that she was on the right track.
Something that had flexibility for the weeks where everything goes a bit mad.

I hear versions of this constantly.

'I always get bored.'
'I know what to do, I just don't do it.'
'I need more willpower.'

None of those are personality flaws.
They're symptoms of the wrong approach.

Swipe through and drop a comment if any of those sound like something you've said to yourself.

Kerry asked me a question in her session today.

It wasn't an exercise technique question. It was more of a 'how to approach something' question.

Something that could have a few different answers depending on the person.

I answered straight away.

Specific, confident, no hesitation.

Then I carried on coaching, but about two minutes later after mulling it over, something bothered me.

I'd answered based on what I would do.
What I prefer.
What works for me.

That's not coaching.

That's just projecting my own bias and preference dressed up as advice.

So I stopped and said:
'Hang on. Actually, I got that one wrong.'

We then spent a few minutes going through the different ways she could approach it, why each one might or might not suit her specifically, and how she could figure out which felt right.

That conversation was worth ten times the original answer I gave her.

Here's why I'm sharing this.

There's a version of 'coaching' you see online a lot...

Someone confident, certain, telling you exactly what to do.

One method. One answer. 'This is the way.'

And sometimes that's fine. Some things do have a clear right answer.

But a lot of the time, it's just someone projecting their own preferences onto you without stopping to ask whether it actually fits your life, your body, your goals, or the way your brain works.

Real coaching is the opposite of that.

It's asking enough questions to understand you specifically, and then helping you figure out your answer, not handing you mine.

I'm human. I get it wrong sometimes. And I'm never too proud to say so.

But I'll always catch it, because being a good coach and always striving to be better is something I'm extremely proud of and something I value highly.

Have a great day ❤️