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News & Updates
December 2, 2018
Tips on dealing with life’s struggles
I have received a lot of messages from folks regarding depression and this time of year. I know that for many it is a joyous time, but for some of you it is very hard. Maybe you’re dealing with the recent loss of a loved one, a relationship has ended, etc.
No matter the case, I want you to know that I get it. You are not alone and you don’t need to feel guilty or ashamed for FEELING depressed.
If you have followed me for any amount of time you know that I will not say, “I AM” depressed, but I will say that I feel depressed. When we say, “I am” we are owning that thing or feeling, and I don’t want to own depression, but I will allow myself to feel it and process it in a healthy way.
It has been my experience working with clients that far too many Christians suffer in silence when it comes to depression. They feel as if they aren’t ‘spiritual’ enough, so that’s why they feel depressed. You’ll even hear other Christians tell them to just “pray it away!”, as if it was that easy. Now, I do know, and believe in the power of prayer, but comments like that are incredibly insensitive to the person suffering before you.
I’m going to share my testimony of sorts and how I handle dealing with depression. This isn’t advice for you to take, but what I choose to do.
Many people are shocked when I tell them that I have dealt with depression, and anxiety for the better part of my existence on this big ball of mud.
There is no shame in ‘FEELING’ depressed or anxious. I say “feel” because I am very careful in how I choose my words surrounding anything. I won’t own depression or anxiety. I won’t say “I am depressed” but I will say “I feel depressed.” By doing this I have not personalized it or made it about me, it is just a feeling I’m experiencing at that moment.
I think the important thing to keep in mind is that everyone has dealt with this at some point and time, it’s just to what severity. I have found that those who deal with, myself included, often felt like they are the only one or that they are somehow defective.
There are a myriad of reasons as to why someone may deal with depression or anxiety. If you have a history of emotional, sexual, or physical abuse and didn’t have some level of depression or anxiety I would be shocked.
These types of childhood trauma, at a young age, literally change the brain. As a child you were constantly on guard, waiting for the next thing to happen. Being in this constant state of ‘fight or flight’ keeps cortisol [stress] levels high, even when the danger is gone. This usually will carry on into adulthood. This is just a snippet of the research I’ve come across, and it helped me as a survivor, to understand what I was dealing with.
I will share how I have managed this in my own life. I am not against antidepressants, but no longer use them. I chose to come off of them as they just made me ‘flat’ emotionally. I never had any really good days or bad days, I just felt ‘meh’ most of the time.
This has worked for me and it has been proven in studies to work for many who deal with depression and anxiety.
- I pay very close attention to my diet. I ensure that I get all the necessary vitamins and minerals my body needs to function. Many people who eat a diet high in processed foods, sugar, fat; tend to be more depressed than others.
- I strength train, and move my body however I can. This release of endorphins helps tremendously with depression and anxiety. It also give me an outlet for all those feelings I’ve stored up.
- When I feel my mood shift I gently remind myself that I have been here before and that it will be okay. I just make myself do those things that help me maintain, such as being mindful of diet, and continuing to exercise. Most who become depressed just say “f**k it” and crawl into a hole. I have found that I have to act against those impulses. I know that if I let myself go there that it will only get worse. I have to force myself to act in spite of how I feel.
- I have a support system. It’s very easy to feel like you’re the only one who feels this way, and that can lead to isolation. This is where the ‘enemy’ can really beat you up. You need to surround yourself with people you can safely share with.
- I don’t self medicate with food, alcohol, etc. I allow myself to feel EVERYTHING. If you run from this you’ll only compound your problems.
- I watch my intake of caffeine. If you have issues with anxiety this can exacerbate the problem.
- I don’t allow others to minimize my experience. There are many who say “just get over it.” If it were that easy I believe many would. No one who has truly suffered from deep depression wants to feel that way.
- I give myself permission to be human. No one is ‘depression’ or ‘anxiety’ it is just something you’re dealing with at the moment. Remember that no one has it all together, and this doesn’t define me, it’s just a part of my story that I can use to help others know that they are not alone.
I hope this helps someone out there to know they aren’t alone. If this message resonates with you hit reply and let me know about.
If you would like to discuss how my COACHING PROGRAM can help you process and work through issues such as depression, emotional eating [binge eating], self-sabotage, shame, or any other thing getting in the way of your true happiness, please fill this FORM out. We can schedule a phone consultation and see if we are a good fit for one another.
Have a blessed day my friends. Just know that God loves you and so do I.
PS- Take a look at how some of my e-books can help jump start your fitness journey. They are packed with relevant, easy to apply health and fitness tips.
You can use the 21 day body reset to finally find out what foods work best for you for maximum fat loss and overall health. This comes with a meal plan and shopping guide.
My 30 day devotional will provide the motivation that you need to keep going on those days that it gets hard. It is packed with tips on fitness and daily scripture for you to meditate upon for the day. It also has an area where you will journal your thoughts and feelings for the day. You will focus on what went well and what you can improve upon. This is a great tool for being able to go back after the initial 30 days and see just how far you have come.
Do you wonder if you’re an emotional eater? do you find yourself starting out on a new health plan only to sabotage yourself a few days or weeks later? If so, my coaching guide is for you. It will explain in detail the importance of nutrition, why macros [carbohydrates, protein, fat] are ALL needed, and important, in your daily diet. It also will provide you with in depth questions you can answer to see exactly where you might be ‘stuck’ so you can begin to work on, and be rid of, unhealthy ways of coping. You no longer have to use food or anything else to numb out or ‘escape’ the trials of life.
November 26, 2018
You no longer have to struggle with losing weight and getting in shape
November 26, 2018
Try this tip to make change easier
I wanted to change, I needed to change, but I really didn’t know HOW to change.
So, you find yourself wanting to make a change, to do things differently in your life but like most people you stay stuck just THINKING about it.
When I wanted to take my health and fitness to the next level and break out of the rut of eating a box of raspberry filled doughnuts and 2 liter bottle of Coke every other day I knew I had to change what I was doing.
Thinking about what you want to accomplish is a great start but that won’t get you off your butt and moving.
If you find yourself in a similar position you must ask yourself, “What would I be doing if I already had achieved my goal?”
So, if your goal was to drop 10 pounds, gain strength and look and feel better, what would that look like? What would that ‘future’ you be doing every day to make this happen?
Well, you could assume this ‘future’ you would be planning their meals and workouts. You would be educating yourself on healthier food choices. Your ‘future’ you may also be watching less T.V. at night and getting more sleep and engaging in activities that get you outside of the house.
Really think about what it is you have to do to get to where you want to be. Make a list of what you would need to do and commit to doing at least one thing on that list EVERY DAY.
I don’t care if it’s as small as walking for 10 minutes, drinking a glass of water instead of a soda or only having one slice of pizza instead of five. The purpose of this is to get you to begin to move in the direction of your goal(s).
You must take ACTION if you want to achieve anything worthwhile in this life. Don’t allow those voices in your head to stop you from trying.
Can you think of one thing you can do today to move you closer to your goal? Tell me about it and let me see if I can help.
October 27, 2018
What do you believe to be true about yourself?
I hope you are having a great Saturday. I was able to get away for some time this morning and go watch some youth soccer matches. It is always a different experience when I can just watch the game and not have to worry about coaching it.
I had an interesting conversation with a mom at this one game. She knows I am a lifestyle/fitness coach and asked me if she could run something by me. I said “sure” and told her to fire away with her questions. She wanted to know why she had such a hard time losing weight and staying on track.
She told me how she starts off pumped up and motivated only to end up feeling flat and deflated within a weeks’ time. She went on to tell me how she felt like a failure because of how many times she has tried to lose weight with little to no success. She has tried Weight Watchers, Keto, fasting, and even used prescription diet pills and nothing worked for her long term.
I told her that it really wasn’t her fault as to why she wasn’t succeeding. I said it really comes down to the beliefs you hold to be true about yourself. You see, anything you find yourself really struggling with in your life can be traced back to what you hold to be true about that thing.
I’ll give you an example of what I mean. Growing up my parents had some very interesting beliefs surrounding money. They had what I call a ‘deprivation mindset’ and like many of us, didn’t know it. I can remember vividly them always saying how they couldn’t afford something or they had to save money for a rainy day.
They were constantly speaking ‘lack’ into their lives when it came to money and they unknowingly passed these beliefs onto me. I grew up with the same mindset about money. I always felt like being financially well off was meant for everyone else but me. This was all due to my programming I received as a child by my well meaning parents.
I have since been able to work through that false belief and no longer hold that to be true. I had to be very intentional to reprogram my subconscious as this is where virtually all our mental blocks reside. Think of your subconscious mind like a tape player, until you change the tape, nothing will change.
This is where this ladies issues with weight loss were taking place. Her subconscious beliefs about herself were keeping her stuck and fat. I told her until she took measures to address those false beliefs she held about herself that she would most likely continue to struggle. Think about yourself. How many times have you tried to lose weight only to hear that voice in your head tell you that “you’ll fail just like last time” or “you won’t be successful.” Maybe you said something different, but the message was still a negative one. These limiting beliefs are keeping you stuck but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Maybe you can relate to this woman’s story that I shared. Maybe your issue isn’t weight at all, but is related to money, relationships, etc. No matter what it is, you can be assured that those areas in your life in which you struggle to change can be traced back to limiting beliefs.
Many of my clients have come from a background of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, so you can imagine how many of them grew up in a very chaotic environment. I tell these clients that I work with that their behaviors are just a manifestation of the abuse that they endured. The good thing is they survived the abuse and now they can change the dysfunctional behavior that is now causing problems in their lives. That could be emotional eating, binge eating, sex addiction, using alcohol to escape, etc.
If you have followed me for any amount of time then you know my story. I am a survivor of sexual abuse, weighed nearly 300 pounds, and was miserable for a big portion of my life. I was always dieting and trying to lose weight, but I didn’t want to be healthy. I was desperate. I was tired of the self-loathing that I felt towards myself and I was sure that if I was able to lose the weight I would finally have the happiness I was so desperately craving. By following a detailed plan, one many of my clients now use, I was able to get off the weight loss roller coaster and lose nearly 100 pounds and have kept it off.
Just like we are told to ‘renew our minds’ in Romans, I was able to do just that. That is the biggest thing that helped me to get to where I am today. I had to work on changing those limiting beliefs that I had about myself. I had to ‘change the tape’ and put in a new one. I put in a new tape that told me I could do anything I set my mind to do and that I was worth it. Friends, the process isn’t an easy one, but it was the best thing I ever did for me and those around me. I became a better son, brother, and dad because of it.
So, what are you struggling with? What is that one thing you truly want to see change in your life but you keep running into resistance? You can be sure that you have some limiting beliefs surrounding that. Just know you aren’t a failure if you haven’t had the success that you want. You just need to take a different approach to your situation. If you’d like to know more about my coaching program and how I can help you to change your own ‘tape’ and finally have the life you want please reach out to me today.
Go here to get started. ⤵️
July 4, 2018
Jump start your fitness, feel great, and have more confidence
If you’re tired of trying to guess which exercises to do to give you the best results and what foods to eat to lose weight, I have you covered. Many of my clients struggled with this as well before coming to me. They went to the gym and did those exercises they thought would help, but ended up back on the treadmill after feeling frustrated from trying to guess all the time. Some even hurt themselves because they were doing too much. Keep in mind that less is more when it comes to training. They would even eat the foods they thought would get them leaner, but ended up quitting in frustration after continuing to gain weight!
I’m sure many of you can relate to these frustrating situations. You desperately want to lose weight so that you can feel better, but end up frustrated because of lack luster results that come from not really knowing what to do.
With my 4 week Jump Start program you will get what you need to be successful long term. I want this to be a life long change for you and not something that you’ll do for a few weeks and quit.
I will be with you every step of the way to ensure that you succeed this time. You won’t be alone and you won’t have to guess anymore. This alone takes away the stress of this journey. All you need to do is show up and reap the rewards of better health, mobility, looking amazing in your clothes, and feeling sexy again.
My 4 week Jump Start program has everything that you need to incinerate body fat with my metabolic workouts that can be done in under 30 minutes. I will calculate your macros [carbs,protein,fat] so you know exactly how much to eat to reach your specific fitness goals. You can say goodbye to guessing and deprivation diets. With macro tracking you truly can enjoy the foods you like and still lose weight. My program takes away the guilt and shame you experience when you eat foods you have deemed ‘bad’ as there are no bad foods! You will begin to look at food differently and change your relationship with it. Lastly you will have massive accountability in my exclusive online group. You’ll be able to receive support from others who are on the same journey as you.
Below are some testimonials from some group members:
“I couldn’t figure out why I was struggling to lose the 15 pounds I had gained 3 years ago. I mean, I had lost 100 pounds, so why is 15 so difficult? During the first few weeks, he helped me realize that there had only been about a 3 week period in the past 4 years that I had NOT been in dieting mode. It’s time to fuel my body, maintain, rest, and recover for a few months. Thanks, Brandon!”
-Christy
“So stoked!! I noticed one other thing. We have a tiny kitchen and normally if I’m in it ppl are banging into me to get around. Sandra walked past me yesterday and didn’t even brush me let alone bang into me!! and her friend, Pat, said to her that she’s noticed that I’ve gotten smaller!! ””
-Naomi
The mental game will continue. I have talked the talk….walked the walk…and fallen down so many times. That said…I ALWAYS get back up!! My prayer is this…God give me the strength to be more like you! This group…the way I embraced it as guided my steps on the road to healthier habits! I will continue on this path. God bless.
-Michele
“ I noticed I felt better and slept better on the days I exercised. On the days I didn’t, I seemed less energetic or enthusiastic. Shooting for 3-4 exercise days this week!”
-Lynne
You can have the same results as these ladies and more. I have made this so simple that their is really no way you can not succeed. No more guessing, no wondering if what you’re doing is the ‘right thing’ to do, no more feeling alone and isolated. With my 4 week Jump Start program you’ll be on your way to living a life that you are proud of.
So once again here is what you will receive:
*Customized metabolic workouts that will incinerate stubborn body-fat and can be done in under 30 short minutes
*Nutrition guidance so you know how much, and what to eat, to reach your goals
*My 30 day devotional to help with the emotional aspect of this journey
*Access to my online private support group for added accountability
*Unlimited email support for answers to any questions you might have
If this sounds like what you need to get started and finally succeed click the button below. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I look forward to seeing you on the inside!
June 30, 2018
Normal eaters versus emotional eaters
Over the years of working with many clients I have noticed a trend with those who are ‘normal’ eaters and those who are not [emotional].
Those who don’t have issues surrounding food are able to listen to their bodies and overall make healthy choices. They are able to stop when full, trust themselves to make good decisions, have healthy internal dialogue and really enjoy food.
For those of us who use food as a way to escape, or restrict food as a way to punish ourselves, it is the polar opposite. We have this deprivation mindset, we are full of fear, have a childish need for instant gratification, poor self-talk, and deny what is really going on in our lives.
For those of you who can relate to what I’m saying you also will realize that the funny, yet scary thing is it isn’t even about the food. This is the message that I hammer home with my clients all the time.
Your issues with food are all about what is going on inside of you. The food is just a symptom of a much larger problem. That is why you can go from diet to diet, experience some success, but it never lasts. If it was all about a diet and training program you would have beat this long ago, but it isn’t. You’ve go to do some hard work, face some of your fears, and allow yourself to begin to feel again.
This all starts with changing the beliefs you hold about yourself to be true and this in turn will pave the way for you to change your relationship with food and the outer world.
So, don’t lose hope if you struggle in this area. You can be free from the bondage of emotional eating, feelings of low self-worth and self sabotaging behavior.
The freedom will begin once you step out of denial about how bad it really is and move forward into healing.
If you’d like to explore this further you can reach out to me here.
Brandon Jenkins
Online fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle coach.
June 21, 2018
Are you constantly hungry?
Do you find yourself hungry all the time? Some of these reasons may be why.
Poor sleep habits:
Sleep is required for proper brain function and also is vitally important for a healthy immune system. If you’re not sleeping well you can be sure to get sick more often and will find yourself making poor dietary choices. It is because sleeping is a big factor in controlling your appetite. How many times have you found yourself reaching for high sugar, high fat foods after a poor night’s sleep? This may be due to increased levels of ghrelin. This is an appetite stimulating hormone that can be affected by lack of sleep.
Lack of protein in your diet:
Protein has been shown to improve satiety, meaning you feel fuller for longer periods of time, and can help to reduce overall appetite. Protein works to help increase the hormones in the body that signal to the brain that you are ‘full’ and can help to lower the hormones that signal hunger. You can use a whey or hemp supplement in addition to your whole food choices in order to get more protein in during the day.
You are eating too much processed crap:
If you are consuming a lot of refined carbohydrates you are potentially setting yourself up to eat far more throughout the day. This is because the body is able to rapidly digest these foods which in turn will cause you to tend to eat more as you don’t feel as full for longer periods of time. Also, eating a lot of processed foods can cause low blood sugar levels which may then signal to the body that you need more food [energy]. Try to incorporate more high fiber foods, protein, veggies and healthy fats at every meal to combat this.
Your water intake is poor:
Those who don’t drink enough water may find themselves eating when they aren’t legitimately hungry. This is because dehydration can mask itself as hunger in the body. So, before you reach for that yummy doughnut, drink a glass or two of water and see if that feeling of hunger doesn’t go away.
You eat in a chaotic environment:
Do you find yourself eating in front of the television, in the car, or while surfing Facebook? Those who ate while distracted tend to eat more. I advise my clients to be mindful when eating and to eat in a distraction free zone. This will allow you to not only fully enjoy the food in front of you but to be aware of the signals your body sends to you letting you know that you are full. Think about it like this. When many people go to the movies they can kill an entire bucket of popcorn, candy, and a drink without giving it a second thought. Why? Because they are eating while distracted and just consumed well over 2000 calories! Try this for yourself and see if you don’t eat less while being in a quiet, distraction free zone.
So what do you think? Can you identify with any of these? What changes can you make starting today to move you into a better place?
Until next time,
Brandon Jenkins
April 1, 2018
What we do to avoid facing the truth in our lives
Okay, this is gonna be deep so take a deep breath. I was sitting here just thinking about all the stuff we go through in order to avoid facing the TRUTH.
Look at your own life and really think about it. Get RADICALLY honest with yourself and you’ll see what I am talking about.
Somewhere along the way it was modeled for us by our primary caregivers (no blame, just facts) that is was not SAFE to be honest. We watched our parents disown their self/feelings and in turn sent the message to us that it wasn’t safe to feel/share certain things. That we need to just, ‘go with the flow’ and not rock the boat. You may now find yourself sending these messages to your kids. This is how the cycle of abuse and dysfunction is passed down from generation to generation.
Sound familiar?
I believe that we all deserve the TRUTH and that by owing our “truth” we can, and will be set free from the demons who torment us.
Let me give you some examples of things I have heard from clients, witnessed, or was my truth for sometime. Some of these may or may not resonate with you.
“I can’t share with my wife/husband that I am unhappy or my needs aren’t being met. I don’t want to hurt them.”
So instead of being honest you go outside the marriage and have an affair or numb with drugs, alcohol, work, etc.
“I was sexually molested as a child but it wasn’t that bad!”
Yes, it truly was that bad and sexual abuse changes a person on so many levels. Instead of dealing with the truth of what happened to you then you may become promiscuous, abuse drugs, alcohol, have failed relationship after relationship. These can all be traced back to the abuse in your childhood.
“I was abandoned by one or both of my parents either emotionally, physically, or both.”
The result here may be that you abandon yourself. Accepting treatment that you don’t deserve OR you don’t allow anyone to get close to you. You may push them away if they get too close so you don’t have to experience being abandoned all over again. You may also choose partners today that are emotionally unavailable or who ultimately abandon you.
These are just a few and you can plug your own experiences in here as well. I learned a long time ago that in order to heal from my own issues I had to face the truth of what happened to me or what I was doing.
The truth will set us free. Stop running from it and allow yourself the freedom to begin speaking your truth.
You know that you can’t run from it, drink enough, have enough sex, snort enough, smoke enough, eat enough, etc. You can’t do any of that enough to make the pain go away.
Do what you must to be set free. I’m taking on new clients and can help you with this.
Anyway, these are just some of my thoughts. Let me know what you think and feel free to shoot me a message if any of this hit home with you.
If you’re ready to face this head on click the link below.
http://bornagainfitness.com/remote-online-coaching/
God bless you today.
Brandon
March 15, 2018
How are you spending your time?
This topic has been on my mind a lot lately, so I decided to share it with all of you.
I want you to take a minute to think about the most valuable thing that we own, but many of us don’t realize the true value of it until it is gone.
We waste it every day on things that really don’t matter, only to look back, and wonder where it has gone.
TIME.
The thing we take for granted, until it is gone.
We waste countless hours of our time on things that don’t matter.
We tell ourselves that we will, “do it tomorrow.”
We play on Facebook, watch T.V., surf the internet, pour all our energy into a job, continue to do things we know don’t work, etc.
I can look back on my own life and see where this held true. I had allowed myself to become consumed with work and school. I felt like I was doing the right thing at the time, but looking back I can see how I allowed that to get in the way of personal relationships.
What I was doing wasn’t inherently wrong, but the time I was spending on these things was out of balance.
I had to pull back, reduce the hours I was working, and intentionally make spending time with loved ones a priority. Fast forward to today and one way I am doing this by coaching my daughter in soccer. This is my third year with her, and I plan on coaching girls’ soccer in high school, God willing. My daughter and I get to spend a lot more time together and are making memories that will last long after I am gone.
So, my question to you is, “where are you spending your time?”
Are you neglecting your health or family because you’re spending your time doing other trivial things?
What can you do today to begin to spend your time more wisely?
I think we all can benefit from asking ourselves this question every now and then.
Where we spend our time will reflect what we prioritize in life.
One day you and I are going to ‘run out of time’ so be sure you spent it well.
If you recognize that you need to make some changes in your life, comment and tell me how you will do this.
Cheers,
Brandon
February 7, 2018
Exercises to strengthen your core
Watch this is you have any kind of low back issues. ☝️
You must strengthen your core, booty, and possibly other weak muscle groups. There may be some you need to stretch and others you need to leave alone.
This isn’t a ‘quick fix’ issue by any means, but if you’re consistent you’ll notice a considerable difference.
Far too many people will opt for surgery and going on pain meds first, before utilizing corrective exercise methods. 👌
If you’ve been on my page for a while you’ll know that I dealt with a chronic SI issue. I was also in APT, which many people unknowingly are. My situation only began to get better when I took an active role in my recovery.
I was told I’d never be able to deadlift or squat again by a PT. She may have meant well, but lit a 🔥 under my butt. I have always loved to prove people wrong, and I did. I refused to accept what she was telling me.
Remember, when you see folks like this you’re only getting their opinion. You are not your diagnosis.
I began to research extensively regarding a hypermobile SI joint and all it entails. I then began experimenting with different training protocols and have created one that works.
I can now squat and deadlift MORE now than in the past. The pain I was in is nothing like it was before.
My message is simple.
Take an active role in your recovery. Exhaust all efforts before opting for surgery or taking pain medication.
A lot of the issues we see today can effectively be managed with diet and exercise.