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April 22, 2019
Are you an emotional eater?
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why you can’t stop your binge/emotional eating even though it is ruining your life?
If you still aren’t sure if you are an emotional eater, if you find yourself eating for any other reason than legitimate hunger, you are eating out of emotion.
If you have followed me for any period of time you know that I was a huge binge eater for decades. I would find myself eating out of emotion for any reason, it really didn’t matter if I was sad or happy, it had just become a way of life for me. It wasn’t until I got to the root cause of why I was emotionally eating was I able to radically change my life. I’ll come back to this in a minute.
Most of my time was spent either feeling really good about myself when I was ‘perfect’ and adhering to the newest diet I was on or feeling like absolute crap about myself when I fell off the wagon and ate something I deemed ‘bad’ and ended up in a binge fest. I felt tremendous shame when I lost control over those foods I swore I would never eat again and kept finding myself in this vicious cycle.
See if this sounds familiar. I would start a new diet, be ‘perfect’ for a week or so, and then life would hit. I would feel stressed and find myself eating something I swore I’d never touch again to make myself not only forget what was wrong, but to make me feel better. Then I’d swear to myself that I would never do that again and that the next time would be different, except that it wasn’t. I would find myself repeating that same binge/shame cycle for nearly a decade of my life.
I tried everything under the sun to lose weight and stop the cycle of emotional eating. I did the normal diet pills, shakes, deprivation diets, and endless hours of exercise in the hope that this would finally be the last time. It was crazy when I look back because I kept doing the same thing over and over again, wishing and hoping for a different outcome. I kept beating my head against the wall like this for far too long.
The reason behind binge eating is typically tied to deprivation. If you are used to going on these crazy making diets where you only allow yourself to have chicken and broccoli you can probably relate. You swear off any foods you legitimately like and think that you’ll be able to sustain this. A week or two goes by and WHAM, you find yourself face first in a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, wondering how in the hell you got here. That is what most people would refer to as ‘falling off the wagon’ eating.
Or maybe you were at work one day and the boss brought in some doughnuts and left them in the break room. You walk by, see the doughnuts, and sneak one. After you’ve finished the doughnut you are filled with so much guilt and shame because you just broke your diet. So what do you do? you proceed to eat 3 more because you failed again, so what does it matter? This is what keeps us stuck in this never ending cycle of misery.
Those who emotionally eat are usually doing so to avoid or escape uncomfortable emotions. I know I did this myself anytime I had to think about my past or something stressful came up that I just wanted to run from. The only issue with this, as you know, is that the problems don’t go away. So not only do you still have these unresolved issues, but you must also deal with an ever expanding waist line.
If you find yourself falling under the category of a ‘restrictive dieter’ just know you are setting yourself up for failure and remaining stuck on the guilt/shame cycle of binge & emotional eating.
If you moralize foods by labeling them as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ or if you self-worth is dependent on your weight, you are setting yourself up for failure.
If you truly want to be free from binge eating and emotional eating there are some things you must do.
#1 You have to practice mindfulness and learn to reconnect with your body. I go in depth in this area with my coaching clients.
#2 You have to change your relationship with food. Going on restrictive diets simply doesn’t work long term. You will ultimately find yourself eating everything around that food that you crave and then that food itself.
#3 Stop focusing on the outcome and be happy with yourself at the place you are at right now. Far too often we tell ourselves that we will be happy when _____. By doing this we are indirectly telling ourselves that we can’t be happy until we reach a certain weight. This will only ensure you stay miserable and sabotage your efforts.
#4 You must heal your damaged body image and look at how you got here in the first place. You will never be able to shame your way into wellness or self-love. I feel that if we can identify those underlying causes of why we eat to avoid we can heal and ultimately the weight issues resolve themselves.
In order to do all of this you are going to need help and that is where I come in. Not only have I gone through all of this myself, but I’ve done the work to heal. I have since come down from nearly 300 pounds, dealt with some pretty traumatic childhood issues, and now help people just like you to do the same.
Coaching is for you if you can identify with the following:
- You find yourself face first in a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and you’re telling yourself that you know you shouldn’t be doing this, you hate yourself, but you just don’t know how to stop.
- You are a chronic dieter and always find yourself on a diet more often than not. You’ve done everything from Keto to IF and sucked down more nasty shakes then you care to admit.
- You catch yourself always preoccupied with the thought of food. I know for myself when I was eating breakfast I was also thinking about what I was going to have for lunch, etc.
- You have what I call the ‘mirage mentality’ and think that if you finally have the perfect body everything will be okay and you will love yourself. I can tell you that this is a mirage [wishful thinking] and even if I could miraculously give you the body of your dreams, unless you deal with the internal stuff, you will still be miserable.
If you found yourself nodding your head to any of the above I want to do the following for you:
- No longer obsess about food or go on any more deprivation diets.
- Be able to eat foods you once moralized as bad and not end up in a feeding frenzy, binge fest.
- Finally be able to love the skin your in, the reflection you see in the mirror, and no longer be at war with yourself.
- Have a healthy relationship with food and no longer feel like a slave to your emotions.
So my friend, here is what time it is…
If going on miserable deprivation diets, doing endless amounts of cardio, and trying to hate yourself into wellness is working for you, keep on keeping on.
If however you find that your diets are literally sucking the life out of you, you can’t maintain them for more than an week or two without going into binge mode and are open to trying something that will help change your way of thinking and being, I want to help.
If you are truly sick and tired of being sick and tired, doing the same old thing and getting nowhere, go here NOW to learn more about how coaching can change your life.
God bless,
Brandon Jenkins
March 25, 2019
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December 12, 2018
Are your thoughts ruining your life?
If you’re reading this know it isn’t by accident. You were meant to read this and begin the process of letting go of your limiting beliefs.
You see, far too many of us are walking around with a ‘poverty mindset’ and then wonder why we lack those things we truly desire.
Whatever you are FOCUSING on the most will manifest itself in your life. Do any of these limiting beliefs sound familiar?
🔹️I’ll never be able to afford it.
🔹️I don’t believe I can do it.
🔹️I’ll never lose this weight!
🔹️They just have it easier than I do.
🔹️I’ll always be alone.
🔹️This is my lot in life.
🔹️I’m just not motivated.
🔹️I have no energy!
🔹️I’m just unlucky.
🔹️I’ll start tomorrow. [procrastinate & avoid]
🔹️I’m such a failure.
🔹️I failed before so why try again?
All of these are self-fulfilling prophecies, and the MORE you repeat them to yourself the MORE you will struggle with them. Think of your thought life as a big magnet. Whatever dominates your thinking the most is what you will attract into your life.
Make sense?
There is abundance EVERYWHERE and you don’t have to struggle for the rest of your life.
You can either CHOOSE to believe that you will always struggle or you can CHOOSE to believe that you will OVERCOME.
Let go of those negative, unproductive, patterns of thinking and being. They aren’t helping you and are only keeping you stuck.
Begin today to FOCUS on the life you want. Follow that up with affirmations that reflect the life you want, and then take ACTION.
Yes, it will be hard to do at first. You will want to reject what you’re doing, but in time you will start to accept this new information.
Remember that in order to RECEIVE you must first BELIEVE. ☝️
Do you need to take out some mental ‘trash’ and renew your mind? Are you confused as to where to start and feel overwhelmed?
If so, I want to help you on this journey. I too struggled unnecessarily for a long time. Then one day I got tired of how my life looked and how I was living. I was tired of not being happy, using food to cope, and missing out on really living life. I had allowed myself to become a prisoner in my own body because of the weight.
I had hit my ‘bottom’ and to be honest that’s the best place one can be at times. You’re left with no other choice but to fight or die. I chose to fight and here I am today. I want you to choose to fight as well.
There will be no perfect time to start, so just do it now. You’ll try to talk yourself out of it like you’ve done a million times before. I want you to stop doing that. That is just a tactic used by the enemy to keep you stuck and miserable. Take a leap of faith and trust that God will help see you through this.
Reach out to me today for a phone consultation. I can work with you no matter where you call home. I have clients all over the globe who are finding freedom from those things that used to hold them back. You can be one of them too.
Go here to set up the call that can radically change your life.
Also, be sure to grab my FREE fat loss guide. It also has a sample menu for you to follow.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
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
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.
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