SUCCESS TRANSFORMATION STORY – JAMES HANTON’S GOT EM FIT PROGRAM
CONGRATULATIONS MEGAN BRANNAN!
My Name is Megan Brannan and I am 37 years old, a wife and a mother to 5-year-old twin boys. I grew up in the Kansas City area, but when I married my husband 12 years ago, we had a dream of owning property and a farm and in 2010, we made that a reality and moved to our current city of Garnett, KS where we own 40 acres of land. I started my working career in insurance and made the recent switch to commercial real estate recruiting. When I am not at work or chasing around my active boys, I enjoy working out and taking care of our farm.
Age:
37
City:
Garnett
Relationship status:
Married
Occupation:
Talent Acquisition Sourcing Specialist
Fitness category
Transformation
Transformation story
I am fairly private about my fitness journey, but I love to share if asked and be that inspiration someone may need in order to know it is possible to be a working mother and wife and be able to go through a health journey to be the best version of yourself. I was skinny, not fit, but skinny throughout my childhood and teenage years. Not until I reached my early 20’s that I started to put on weight. Throughout about a 15-year span, I would gain a massive amount of weight, about 65 pounds on top of my smaller frame. Eating out, sweet binges, eating food because it was there and not being active all did it. During the span, I would try yoyo-dieting, diet pills, the apple cider vinegar trick, being active for a week and giving up because I didn’t lose any weight. I would see pictures of myself and be disgusted, I would never look at myself in the mirror, I had low self-confidence. I wanted to lose weight and feel better with the healthier version but didn’t know where to start or where to seek support. It wasn’t until September 1st, 2019 when I was introduced to GOTEMFIT and met James that I could see the light at the end of the fitness tunnel. I joined one of their many fitness challenges and that was the day I decided to change my life and become the healthiest, the fittest version of myself. Since that day, I haven’t looked back. I completed the challenge was astonished at the results I had thus far and became a member of the gym permanently. I watched my food intake and managed my nutrition with macros provided by James attended training classes numerous times a week and became stronger physically and mentally by gaining self-confidence. I was inspired by the dedication of others having the same goal. I completely changed my eating habits. Throughout the fitness journey, I had three fitness injuries, but the inspiration and dedication from others and my motivation I pushed through. I was in the obese category for my BMI and am now at a manageable healthy weight and in the fitness category for my BMI, having lost 30 pounds and 19 percent body fat.
“James made me fall in love with fitness for the first time in my life. His training style is the right combination of grit and grace, and his energy and motivation are contagious. I would recommend him to anyone!” ~ Megan Brannan
In your opinion, weight loss is more of a fitness issue or a health issue, and why?
I think weight loss goes hand in hand with being healthy and your fitness goals. Having a good fitness routine will help you lose weight, but I focus on building muscle, eating clean and losing body fat. Being at a manageable weight will put you in a place of being the healthier version of yourself and avoiding any long-term effects at being at an unhealthy body fat percentage.
Can you share with us your goals for fitness and life?
To maintain my nutrition and get stronger and leaner and share my story to anyone that wants to hear or needs inspiration.
What does your coach James mean to you?
James is my inspiration, my motivator and my continued support and one of the main reasons I am where I am today in my fitness and my health goals. Without James, I would still be obese and having that dream of being a healthier version of me would not be a reality.
What’s it like being part of the “GOTEMFIT” family. What impact does a positive community have on your life?
I have been a part of gyms before when I would attempt fitness, but never had any success or the motivation to keep going. When I was introduced to GOTEMFIT, I immediately felt that sense of community and family and enjoyed working out for the first time in years. You have continued support and motivation from others. I have never experienced this type of inspiration and community like this before. The positive community helps keep you encouraged to push on even in the moments of struggle. We celebrate the wins and encourage them in the struggles.
What is the biggest lesson you have ever learned?
Consistency is key and never give up on anything you do in life.
What is your number one tip for people on their fitness journey?
You must have a good balance in your nutrition and your fitness regime, or it is harder to keep on track and maintain.
What does success mean to you?
Success is doing the best you can in anything you do and having determination. Set a goal and work to obtain it and do not give up until you reach it.
Share your unique training/coaching methods
I push myself. In workouts, I push myself to increase my heart rate to burn more calories per work out, I push myself to lift heavier or longer. I work different muscles on different days, and I listen to my body. If a muscle group is fatigued, I let it rest. When I first started, I worked out too much for me. REST is important and works for different muscle groups alternating days.
Training Plan:
I do HIIT train 3-4 times weekly and 2 days of cardio, an hour at a time. I try to follow:
- Monday-HIIT training, working arms and back, abs
- Tuesday-an hour of cardio
- Wednesday- HIIT, Legs, abs
- Thursday-cardio
- Friday-rest
- Saturday: HIIT, quads, arms, abs
- Sunday-rest
Nutritional Plan:
I keep track of my nutrition with my macros. Counting macros made a world of difference to know how much of each macro I need to eat to help fuel my body.
Supplement Plan:
I take a probiotic/prebiotic, a women’s vitamin, and include protein powder in my routine.
Do you prefer to take and recommend all-natural (no sugar, no artificial colours/flavours/sweeteners) supplements or supplements with artificial flavours and sweeteners? And Why?
I prefer to take more natural or organic products to help keep what I am feeding my body cleaner. The only caffeine I drink Is my morning coffee/creamer in order to help keep me balanced and not feeling deprived.
What separates Status from other fitness magazines
I love what the magazine represents and embraces. You will see people from different fitness levels and not one size that fits all in fitness. I love seeing the different transformations and where they came from to deciding to transform their health along with the different articles on different ways to improve fitness or your health or how to just get through the holidays because who doesn’t like those cookies.
What is your favourite quote to live by?
“Strive for Progress, Not Perfection”.
5 things people don’t know about you:
- I am a naturally shy person but love to help and support others and offer advice.
- I love to travel.
- I am very ambitious and a self-motivator and can sometimes be too self-critical
- My husband and I own 40 acres of land and outside of work and the Gym, I love to feed and take care of the cows and work the land.
- I love to dance as one way to include fitness in my routine. I love to HIIT train, Zumba, and all-around dance.
If you could inspire one person, who would that be?
My kids. I want them to see hard work, motivation and determination pay off on anything they do in life.
Who inspires you? And why?
My inspiration comes from everyone, whether it is someone that is starting their fitness journey or someone that has transformed and continuing their journey. I hope they know those are the ones that inspire me to keep on going and to continue to crush my fitness goals.
