Inspiration: The “Warriors” – Brenda McKinney

“Sometimes the falling down is the best thing that happens to you.”
– Brenda McKinney, Endorphin Warrior customer since 2010

Brenda McKinney - Endorphin Warrior customer since 2010

In 2007, Endorphin Warrior customer Brenda McKinney weighed 314 lbs.  Since then, she’s lost over 125 lbs and over 90 inches.  How did she do it?  By eating healthier and working out.  Now, she’s helping to inspire others to live a healthier lifestyle.

Bio info

– Career: Graphic designer by day and Certified Personal Trainer, group fitness and spin instructor part-time.
– Interests: Enjoys trail running and races, cycling, walking her dog, and finding unusual events and doing them just to prove to herself that she can…like the Men’s Health Urbanathlon in Chicago last year.
– Age: 36
– Married: yes
– Children: 3 furry, four-legged children (2 cats, 1 dog)
– City of residence: Georgetown, Ontario, Canada

Favorite Endorphin Warrior product?

“Favorite product is the Warrior Training Bracelet.  I literally wear it every day and not just for training.  It’s a little reminder that when things start to suck you just need to embrace the suck and then kick it in the butt.  That goes for training, racing and everyday life.  It’s like a little affirmation on my wrist that reminds me how strong I am (mine says ‘STRENGTH’).  It becomes a piece of you…you train in it…you sweat in it…it’s part of your journey.”

How did you get so heavy?

“Growing up I was always thin, but I wasn’t really physically active.  When I became an adult, I started a real job, sat on my rear all day and I started putting on weight.  I simply didn’t know how to eat correctly.  By the time I got married I weighed 230 lbs.  In 2001, I tried a restrictive 800-calorie-a-day diet and lost 50 lbs in less than a month, but then later gained back the weight I’d lost, plus soon was up to 315 lbs.  After attempting diet after diet, I came to believe that maybe I was just meant to be fat.”

What was the turning point for you?

“Twelve years later, two things happened. Our 4 year old black lab died suddenly and I realized that the same thing could happen to me.  Also, we were invited to a wedding on a cruise ship and so I was confronted with the possibility that I was going to have to wear a bathing suit.  I hired a personal trainer and within 6 months, everything started to change.  It became less about vanity and all about being healthy and seeing how far I could push myself.  I learned that our bodies are very forgiving, which motivated me even more because I was able to do things I was never able to do before….and never imagined I would ever do.”

What’s the key to losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight?

“I worked my butt off, literally, for 6 months, but I was not seeing the results I thought I should have been seeing.  I realized that although I was working hard, I was not fueling my body with the right foods or enough food.  I was addicted to diet food basically, low fat, no fat processed foods.  If it came in a box and said it was good for me — I ate it because I didn’t know any better.  I picked up a copy of Tosca Reno’s Clean Eating and it literally changed my life.  Eating is 80% of the equation.  Working out is important, but if you’re not eating right, you won’t see the results you want.”

How has regular, vigorous exercise changed your life?

“People often ask me if I think I will ever be big again.  The answer to that would be — no!  This isn’t some crazy diet I went on, it’s my lifestyle now.  If I don’t get a workout in I feel tired and cranky.  It makes me feel good and not to mention, I rarely get sick which is another bonus.”

What have you learned about yourself through this process?

“I’ve learned that I’m not perfect.  I have my bad days and eat cookies.  But it’s how I handle myself after that happens that defines who I have become as a person now.  I don’t beat myself up, I move on.  I never deprive myself of things either.  I love movie popcorn so I eat it once in awhile.  The most important thing I’ve learned is that results are not guaranteed…they are earned!”

What are your goals for the future?

“LOL, this could be a long list.  I really want to continue to inspire others to make healthy changes in their life…to educate them that you don’t need ‘diets’ or weird gimmicks.  To be honest, if there was a way to take down the ‘diet’ industry, I’d love to see it fall.  I eventually want to be doing this type of work full time.  I’m really big on workplace wellness, as well as working with individual people, so I could see myself doing something with that.  Basically, I want to reach as many people as possible and get the word out that change is possible.”

Thank you Brenda.  Warrior On!