binge eating – Born Again Fitness

August 8, 2020 • Sticky Post

Are you led by faith or f.e.a.r.?

Do you find yourself wanting to make a change in a certain area of your life but continually struggle in this area? For some of us it can be related to our weight and the endless diets we start and stop, for others it might be cutting back on the wine in the evening, endless hours spent binge watching Netflix, etc.

Long lasting change will always come down to the ‘story’ that we choose to cling to, the beliefs we hold subconsciously about what we are worth or deserve, and how we ‘speak’ to ourselves each and everyday.  I want you to check in with yourself and see if your inner voice is one of f.e.a.r. [false evidence appearing real] or one of faith.

Here is how you can tell the difference.

If your inner voice is leading you by fear you might be saying:

✅ It’s too hard.
✅ I’ll never be able to do it.
✅ I will fail just like before.
✅ That’s easier said than done.
✅ They’ll judge me.
✅ I’m too old and far gone.
✅ I have so far to go why bother.

If your inner voice is leading you by faith you might be saying:

✅ This is hard but I will face it.
✅ I’ve made mistakes in the past but this time things can be different.
✅ Asking for help takes strength and i’ll get it if I need it.
✅ It takes courage to start and take action.
✅ The power to change is mine and i’ll take full responsibility for that.

Which ‘voice’ is the one you hear the most? If you aren’t sure just take a look at those areas of your life that you don’t really like, those parts of you that you want to change, but have always struggled to do so.  To really get the most out of this I’d like you to do an activity that I have my clients do and then share with me what you come up with.  Obviously you’ll only do this if you are serious about change and know within you that there is more to the life you are currently living but you just need a little help getting there. You will need to do this when you have some quiet time where you won’t be distracted.

I also want you to do this without judging yourself. This is key because if you judge yourself you will limit that part of you that wants to heal and bring you a new found awareness to your habits, patterns, and addictions.  Remember, we are all human and we do things for a reason. Many of my clients have a history of physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse. I tell them all the time that your past trauma is manifesting itself in some really ‘crazy’ ways in your life. This provides them with an explanation as to why they have engaged in certain behaviors that they really hate, and paves the way for the ability to let those things go and choose different.

So, all I want you to do is grab a sheet of paper and make a numerical list from 1-4. I want you to write down three questions that you want an answer to. Your fourth question is going to be, “Who am I and what is my purpose?”  Here is an example of a question I did the other day: “Why do I feel the need to stay in this position at Fairmont High?” and what came up for me was pretty profound. I’ll share that a little later on.  Once you have your questions written down you will take 5 deep belly breaths and as you exhale you will ask yourself the question. Then just allow yourself to sit with the silence and see what comes up. You can take as long as you need for each question, but I promise that the answer will come if you can sit with yourself.

If you do this I’d love to hear what came up for you. In regard to the question I had asked myself, the answer(s) that came to me was scarcity and fear. I was afraid that if I left a current situation that I might not ever get that kind of opportunity again. Now that I am aware of why I was holding onto this ‘thing’ in my life that gave me the freedom to let it go. I know that there will always be opportunity for me and that I would never be able to experience ‘better’ if I chose to settle. I have freed myself from staying somewhere from a place of fear and scarcity.

If this is something you’d like to find freedom from then reach out to me here and we can set up a time to talk about your goals. I can then share how I can specifically help you.

God bless,
Brandon Jenkins
Born Again Fitness
Online Fitness, Nutrition, and Lifestyle Coach

4 Week Rapid Fat Loss Program

January 19, 2020

How do I stop my emotional eating?

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 my coaching group can change your life or hit reply and we can connect that way.

God bless,

Brandon Jenkins

November 4, 2019

Why a lack of motivation isn’t your problem

I hope you are doing well so far and are excited for the upcoming week.

I’ll make this message short and sweet. I’ve been talking to folks who complain that they aren’t ‘motivated’ when it comes to getting in shape or making any life changes that would benefit them.

I told them that was rubbish and that it wasn’t motivation that they lacked.

You may also be one of those who use the lack of motivation as an excuse to stay stuck and not do the work, but here is what you most likely are really deficient in.

You lack vision and a plan.

If you have no vision for what you want your life to look like things will be ‘muddy’ for you. You might have some idea but not a clear vision.This lack of vision will leave you feeling frustrated and will keep you from taking action.

If you don’t have a plan you will also feel a sense of hopelessness and claim it is a lack of motivation. It really comes down to not knowing how to get to where it is you say you want to be, not a lack of motivation.

I have people tell me all the time what they want to do, such as lose weight, start exercising again, eat better, look for a better job, etc. This is great and I love that they are dreaming about a better life for themselves, but they run into problems when I ask them what their plan is. I will usually get a generic answer like, “I’m just going to eat better” or “I’m going to work out next week.”

The issues is these are very vague responses and are not specific enough. It isn’t a plan that you can follow. If you find you say similar things just know you are hoping that you will reach your destination instead of having an actionable plan that you know will get you there.

I have all my clients use Sunday as the day they will plan our the upcoming week so they can be successful. We plan out what they will meal prep, what days they will train and what they will do, etc. We make sure they have a specific, easy to follow, plan of action they can follow.

This not only helps to keep them on track but we can measure what they are doing. Meaning, if they aren’t getting the results we want then we look back at their action plan and can find out why.

So, there is no more guessing or ‘hoping’ and ‘wishing’ that they will get results. If you follow the plan you will get results. If you have no plan then it makes sense if you are still struggling to get results year after year.

I care about you and I want you to get results.

If you use what I am about to give you then you will get the results you want. The key is you MUST use it. I don’t care if you have thoughts that you won’t be successful, just use it.

I am attaching my s.m.a.r.t. goal setting guide that will help you to create an action plan for any goal you have in your life. Open it up and begin filling it out.

As always let me know your thoughts and if it helps. The key is for you to take action. So don’t just look at it and then say you’ll do it later.

Do it now.

It’ll take you less than 10 minutes to do. Set yourself up for a successful week my friend.

God bless,

Brandon Jenkins

One on one coaching application.

November 3, 2019

Emotional Eating

I am back with my final post regarding emotional eating and how our beliefs determine our feelings and behavior.Keep in mind that in order to be free from your stress eating you must be aware of your beliefs before you can change them. If you change your beliefs then you can expect to experience new feelings and behaviors.

This is what I help you to do with my coaching program. Once the connection is made, and those uncomfortable feelings you’ve been running from for years are given space to be felt, dramatic changes begin to occur in your life.Keep in mind that the diet industry will have you believe that your problem is the food you are putting in your mouth.

They are wrong and I can prove it.

It has never been about the food and it never will be.

If food was the issue you could simply go on any diet you choose and you’d never deal with emotional eating again.Maybe you think it’s about the food too. If so, I want to ask you how many diets you’ve been on? Have you lost count? If it was about the food you’d have had the success you so desperately want by now. The food is just a symptom of a much larger problem and by only addressing your diet without doing the internal work and looking at how your current belief system is keeping you stuck is insanity. But many people go on diet after diet without doing the internal work because it keeps them safe.

As long as we are able to keep our focus on anything other than ourselves we don’t have to feel, but what you don’t realize is that it is the feeling [emotions] that will free you.The good news is most of your beliefs that you have today aren’t even your own. They were given to you as a young child by mom, dad and society and you readily accepted them because you didn’t know any better. Maybe your mom had a dysfunctional relationship with her body and would make negative comments about herself or food in front of you. As a child you look up to her so you naturally internalize these messages even if they were never directly said to you. As a child you think, “if mom feels like this about herself or food then I need to as well.”Maybe you had a parent take out their self loathing on you and they did speak negativity over your life. If they were unhappy with themselves it isn’t unusual to have that spill over onto others around them.

Many of my clients have had a history like this but are afraid to really look at this because they feel as if they can’t question how they were raised. It’s as if they are not being loyal to their parents. I reassure them that it is okay to take an objective look at how we were raised and to acknowledge that at times our parents made mistakes. I believe in dealing with reality and by doing so we can find freedom.Maybe you have some beliefs that you aren’t quite sure about. Are they right or could they possibly be irrational? Take a look at some of these that I used to believe and that I’ve heard from my coaching clients.

Irrational beliefs about food:

Food is the enemy
Food will make me fat
Food comforts me
Food should never be wasted
Food is life
Food is a reward
I’ll always struggle with what I eat
I should only eat food that is good for me

Irrational beliefs about eating:

If I don’t eat it all there will be none left for me later
I wish I didn’t have to eat to survive
Once I start eating I’m afraid I’ll never stop
I hate eating around other people
I’m ashamed of myself when I eat
I’d rather eat my feelings than to actually have to feel them
It’s better to not eat than to be overweight
The only time I feel okay is when I’m eating
I feel guilty for eating certain foods
I eat to fill the void inside of me
What I eat dictates how I feel about myself. If I eat what I consider are ‘good’ foods I do great. If I eat ‘bad’ foods I feel tremendous shame
I moralize food

Irrational beliefs about weight:

In order to be happy I must be thin
I believe that in order to be truly happy I must be thin
I can’t find true love because I’m fat
If I’m fat I don’t deserve to be happy and have a good life
My weight keeps me safe from being hurt again. This is especially true if you have a history of sexual, physical or emotional abuse
Thin people live a charmed life
I am deathly afraid of gaining a single pound!
I should only eat bland, low calorie foods in order to lose weight

Irrational beliefs about your body:

I will never have the happiness that I want with my current body
I should be perfect and so should my body
I don’t trust myself to give my body the care that it needs
I deserve to feel ashamed of my body and how it looks
I am only lovable when I’m thin
No one will love me while I’m fat
I have no control over my body
I have convinced myself that I don’t care what I look like. This is another defense mechanism that gives you the false sense of safety. If I tell myself this lie I don’t have to look at, or deal with, how I truly feel
If I can keep the focus on controlling my body I can avoid looking at the current state of my life
How I look determines my self-worth

So, after reading all of that can you identify with any of these limiting, irrational beliefs?If you are nodding your head that is a good thing. You might be asking yourself why that is but it is the truth! Remember in my first email I said we have to have a certain level of self awareness in order to change. The fact that you recognize some of these are what you believe to be true is your first step in being able to change them and create a new life for yourself.I know that proposition is exciting and scary at the same time.

I mean, how will you live? If you’ve struggled with your weight for a long period of time then it is very possible that it has become your identity now and although you dream about being at a normal weight that can be hard to grasp. I want you to know that this is very normal as I dealt with that myself as did many of my clients. Even though being overweight was painful it had also become my ‘normal’ so to think about being any other way was a process. Thankfully my coaching program makes this mental transition possible and gives you the blueprint to follow and make it a reality.Now I want you to do something for me and make your own list.

This is the type of actionable work that I give to my coaching clients to help facilitate change and heal their relationship with themselves, and in turn their relationship with food changes all on its own.I want you to make a list of your own beliefs. They might look like this, “I will always be fat” or “I will never lose this weight just like my mom or dad said.” The use of “I” statements is a good thing. Be sure to list exactly what your inner critic says to you, word for word. Some of them may be similar and that’s okay, just write all of them down that pertain to your weight, body, eating habits, and happiness.

This can be your starting point to begin change and build the life you want and deserve.Well my friend that is all for now. I hope that you take some time to create that list and really look at how your beliefs may be influencing your life today. I told you that at the end of this mini series I was going to offer you the chance to work with me one on one. If what I have shared over the last week has resonated with you I want to be your coach. If you know you want more from life and are tired of trying to figure it out on your own, I want you to know I get it. I used to be right where you are and I have created a faith based program that takes the guess work out of it all.You just have to stop thinking about change and take action. That is the only way out.

If you’re curious and want to set up a free consultation hit reply and type, “I’m ready” and we can jump on the phone to discuss your goals and I can share exactly how I will help you to succeed.You can also go here and fill out my application.

Remember that change is scary and you’ll do everything in your power to talk yourself out of it. Don’t believe the lie you tell yourself that you’ll do it, “later” or “tomorrow.” When you procrastinate just know that it is because of f.e.a.r. so take action now.

Reach out to me today if you’re interested in online coaching or personal training in Caldwell, Boise, Nampa, Eagle, Meridian or Middleton.

October 16, 2019

Physical vs. Emotional Hunger

“Eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full.” It sounds so simple, yet countless people struggle with putting this principle into practice.

Why is overeating such a battle?

One of the main reasons is because people aren’t tuned in to their bodies. They lose sensitivity to true stomach hunger, and get it confused with a multitude of other signals and needs.

What is stomach hunger?

Stomach hunger–or physical hunger–involves a complex interaction between the digestive system, endocrine system and the brain. When the body needs refueling, we start feeling tired and weak, while finding it harder to concentrate and work. The stomach, which is located just below the ribcage, starts to ache and rumble. This is true stomach hunger. When we begin eating in response, we really enjoy the food and start feeling better, because a bodily need is being met.

What happens when I ignore my stomach hunger?

If you don’t feed your body when it needs food, the physical symptoms intensify. The stomach starts to really hurt. You find it more difficult to concentrate and may experience lightheadedness. You may also get irritable and short-tempered. In addition, some people get shaky and nervous, while others get a headache. Because you are so ravenous at this point, once you do start to eat, you’re very vulnerable to uncontrolled eating or bingeing.

When I eat, how do I know when to stop?

Hunger and fullness is regulated by the hypothalamus in the brain. When your body has had enough food to satisfy its needs, signals are sent to the hypothalamus, registering fullness (also called satiety). When we are in tune to our bodies, we recognize when it’s time to stop eating. The stomach feels comfortable, and satisfied–not stuffed. We soon begin to feel calmer, more alert and energized.

It takes approximately 20 minutes for fullness signals to transmit from the stomach back to the brain. So, if you eat too fast and aren’t paying attention, it’s easy to override this system and eat more than what the body is calling for.

How do I know when I am overeating?

When you are eating at a calm, relaxed pace and paying attention to your body, you will notice the following when you have eaten more than physically needed:

✅You are mechanically taking bites and swallowing, but you aren’t really enjoying the food anymore.
✅You are feeling pressure and discomfort in your stomach. If filled further, it starts to hurt. You may even feel queasy.
✅After a while you start to feel sluggish.

What if I can’t detect hunger and/or fullness signals in my body?

Assuming that you’re not eating too hurriedly or with many distractions, there are several possible reasons for having difficulty perceiving these internal bodily cues. If you’ve been ignoring your hunger and fullness signals for a long time, you may have temporarily lost your physical sensitivity to them.

This is often the outcome of frequent dieting, chronically restricting food intake, being raised to “clean your plate,” or struggling with any kind of disordered eating. If this is the case for you, it will take some time to rediscover hunger and fullness cues, which may require professional guidance. Outside help is especially crucial if: 1) you are never hungry and routinely get full with just a few bites, or 2) you are always hungry and never feel satisfied after eating.

Sometimes, there are emotional reasons for a person being unable to access their hunger and fullness signals. Getting in touch with body sensations stirs up painful memories for some people, while others feel undeserving of meeting their own needs. If you are one of these people, it is important to work through these issues with a therapist who specializes in eating disorders.

Lastly, in some cases, there are medical explanations for problems with hunger and fullness. For instance, certain medications, specific diseases, depression, stress and pain can clearly increase or decrease the appetite. But overall, there are still many unanswered questions regarding the body’s regulation of food intake. Research is currently underway to try to better understand the complex mechanisms, and to figure out why some people struggle more than others.
What are some “false alarm” signals that are often confused with stomach hunger?

Sometimes, we mistake other signals in our bodies for physical hunger. They are legitimate sensations, but not true stomach hunger. Here are some examples:

“Teeth Hunger”

Sometimes, especially if we’re feeling irritated or stressed, we want to chew our frustrations away. Our bodies are not calling for food, but we put it in our mouths as an attempt to relieve anxiety.

“Mouth Hunger”

We see or smell something that looks so delicious that our mouths start to water. Sometimes just thinking about a food brings on a craving for it. We desire to taste the food, but really aren’t physically hungry.

“Mind Hunger”

We look at the clock and think we have to eat a certain amount of food because “it’s time”, even if we don’t feel like eating.

Thirst

Sometimes we confuse the sluggishness of dehydration with actual hunger. The body is calling for fluids, not food.

Fatigue

When we sense that our energy levels are low, some of us automatically think that if we eat something, we’ll feel better. However, if we’ve been working extra hard and/or haven’t been getting enough sleep, our bodies are calling for rest, not food.

“Heart Hunger/Emotional Hunger”

We feel an ache and emptiness in our hearts due to unmet emotional and/or spiritual needs. Rather than acknowledge our feelings and work through our issues, we try to fill the void with food. Or sometimes we try to use food to “stuff” our feelings down. Although there can be physical discomfort in the gut when we’re upset, it is a distinctly different sensation from stomach hunger.

Moving forward…

As you can see, the simple design of physical hunger and fullness is often overshadowed by other body signals, habits, needs and emotions. Identifying and dealing with them appropriately is a huge step in the process of discerning true stomach hunger. Learning to eat intuitively–meeting your body’s true physical needs for fuel and nourishment–will help you naturally reach the healthiest weight for your one-of-a-kind body.

Brandon Jenkins
www.bornagainfitness.com
Online fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle coach.

Article source.

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.