HAWTHORNE: Monitoring, the bathroom scale

HAWTHORNE: Monitoring, the bathroom scale

Personal trainer Sean Hawthorne asks, if we know what to do, then why don't we do it?

The bathroom scale…..friend or foe?

Today’s discussion is about our second ingredient for change – Monitoring.

Monitoring is exactly what it sounds like, we take a measure as the baseline (the starting point) and then we continue to measure and track the results of our efforts to see if our change plan and the actions we take are having the desired effect.

So, let’s look at how we’re going to use this concept to build our skills for change and talk about the number one tool for positive changes to our health and body composition, the bathroom scale. As a career personal trainer, I coach health and wellness through nutrition and exercise and I understand the sensitivity, the emotion, and the challenges associated with our physique culture, perceptions of body image and our health. And the bathroom scale is not without a little controversy.

If your goal is to lose bodyfat and improve your body composition, the number on the scale has to down, it’s that simple. The concept of “swapping” bodyfat for muscle or losing “inches” without change on the scale is wrong, the rates of change are just not the same. Muscle growth is challenging, it takes time and effort to build strength and size. Now this is entirely anecdotal, but I competed in drug-tested bodybuilding competitions and over the course of 8 years my stage weight went from 204 lbs to 220 lbs. As a professional trainer with a goal of winning National and International titles I gained an average of 2lbs of muscle per year.

Monitoring is critical to successful change and if you’ve decided to start weighing yourself daily, just take note that your weight goes up and down for a variety of reasons and that tracking and recording your weight won’t result in a nice straight line. The points on that line will fluctuate up and down, but as long as that trend is dropping, you’re on target!

The missing piece of the weight loss puzzle?

ABOUT SEAN HAWTHORNE:

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Rehabilitation is icky. (That’s not a technical term 😉) It’s hard on your psyche, I went from casually curling 70 pound dumbbells to failing with 5 lbs. It hurts, holding that little green band in a supinated position is extremely uncomfortable. And it’s slow (might be my maturity level), it’s taken several months to be able to externally rotate that little green band as poorly as it looks. . . But, what else am I going to do? Quit lifting weights? Never throw a football to my son again? Switch to button up shirts? No. As an existentialist I’m all about quality and not quantity. It’s worth the effort. Netflix and chill is not a sport. If you’re injured or have chronic pain, don’t settle, find some professional advice and get to work. . . If you read this far and you’re curious, I crashed on my dirt bike and tore my shoulder to shit. External rotation and humeral stability are severely compromised. I started with strength and stability (static) and have progressed to eccentric with very limited ranges of motion through the concentric contraction, it’s been 13 months since the accident. . . #kelowna #onelife #change #weightloss #fitness #change #exercise #practice #rehabilitation #coach #coaching #diet #nutrition #motivation #influence #performance #success #awesome #captainawesome #mentalfitness #deliberatepractice #kaizen #happy

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Sean Hawthorne is the owner and operator of OneLife Health and Wellness, Kelowna’s first and longest running private, personal training facility. While working in Dubai, UAE as a Contracts and Project Manager, Sean decided to leave his successful career in Civil Engineering Technology and pursue his passion for health, fitness and helping others achieve their goals. He returned to Canada in 2001, taking formal education in Exercise Science and starting his career in the field of health and fitness. Working in collaboration with their clients, Sean and his team of health and fitness professionals strive to continually improve their skills and to help everyone reach their goals.

Contact Sean:

1-life.ca/

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