Can Eating More Help You Lose Weight After 60?

Nikkiey: What initially drew you in to the program?

Michelle: I felt like I was getting weaker. I could feel my muscles atrophying and going away. I was scared, depressed.

Nikkiey: Were there any early wins that you experienced after joining?

Michelle: The strength has come on so fast. I was losing my muscles. I'm getting those back. I lost weight, but I'm eating more. It's just incredible.

Nikkiey: What's going on, everybody? Today I've got another WarriorBabe here with us, WarriorBabe Michelle. At 67 years old, Michelle thought that her strength and her energy were slipping away for good. She was an athlete before. She was a gymnast, a track star, a cheerleader. And then she suddenly found herself struggling to lift a bag of dog food. Her gut issues were starting to flare up. Her body just felt weak. And she started to wonder if this was just a part of getting older, a part of aging.

And then she found WarriorBabe. Now Michelle is stronger than ever. She's eating more than she has in years and completely transforming how she views food, how she views strength, and how she views her aging. So today she's here to chat about her story, and I'm really excited to dive into it with her. Michelle, welcome.

Michelle: Thank you.

Nikkiey: So we were just talking about dogs, because you have three Dobermans, and I have a Doberman, and we were resonating on that. So you had a hard time lifting your dog food. Can you tell us what your journey was like with your health and fitness before you found WarriorBabe?

Michelle: Sure. Like you mentioned, I've always been an athlete, very, very active. We have jet skis, stand-up jet skis, not the kind you sit down on, and I still do it in the ocean and in lakes. And I've always been very active snow skiing. And all of a sudden, the past couple years, I started going, am I just turning into a little old lady? Because I felt like I was getting weaker, and I could feel my muscles just atrophying and going away.

And I thought, okay, maybe it's aging, and I'm on this slow and steady spiral, but the speed of that spiral is really picking up every month. Or maybe it's what I'm not eating or what I am eating. I was on whole food plant-based for about four years. And I thought, maybe I'm not getting enough protein. So I went to the lab and asked for a chem panel, and my protein was on the low side, not below normal, but getting pretty low.

And I thought, maybe I need more protein. But in the meantime, like you said, I was having trouble lifting my dog food bag, which is a 47-pound bag. I'm at the store struggling to get this bag into the car. And this guy walks over and says, do you need help? And I was like, yeah, that'd be nice, thank you. And I thought, this never happened to me before. I've never had to ask for help lifting anything. But now I can lift my 70-pound dog.

Nikkiey: Hey, how about that? A 70-pound dog, right?

Michelle: Oh, yeah. It was the weakness and a lot of gut issues, and just not feeling it. When I first started the whole food, I felt great. And then over the years, it was like, no, this isn't so great. And then menopause. Like you said, I'm 67. I kind of ignored menopause because it didn't have a lot of symptoms. I was one of those baby boomers who was afraid of hormone replacement therapy because I had heard about the study. But just about six months ago, I found out that the whole study was flawed.

And I thought, oh my gosh, I should have probably been taking something all this time. So after Maggie's talk on Tuesday, I'm going to get my hormone levels checked for sure.

Nikkiey: Oh, wonderful. Good. I'm glad that encouraged you to get those checked, because that's important. So with those challenges that you faced, you felt weak, but how did that make you feel emotionally, mentally?

Michelle: I was scared, depressed, but mostly scared, because as a nurse taking care of often the elderly for many years, I thought, I'm becoming one of them. I am going to be the frail little old lady. And I already have osteoporosis. So I was really afraid that I would start to hunch over and walk funny. I was starting to have joint pain all over. And I thought, it's happening, and I'm only 67. I didn't think this would happen until my late 80s or 90s maybe. I was really afraid. I've got to do something, because I don't want to be that little old lady who breaks a bone, has a hip fracture, needs a walker or a cane. And my husband is 10 years younger than me. So I've got to keep it up.

Nikkiey: Yeah, you do, girl.

Michelle: I've got to keep it up. So it was fear mostly, that I didn't want him to have to be taking care of me as a little old lady.

Nikkiey: Isn't it eye-opening being a nurse? You said when we were catching up beforehand that you were a nurse for 47 years. So you've seen what not taking care of yourself, or just getting older, can look like, and osteoporosis. I'm sure you've seen hip fractures and women who fall, the amount of falls coming in, and you've probably had some patients like that. Did you ever feel discouraged or doubt that you could regain your strength?

Michelle: You know, now that you mention it, I just didn't think that I couldn't. I didn't even think that way. I just thought, I've got to do something. I've got to get better, because what I'm feeling isn't good, and I'm not going to keep going down that road. I've got to find a new path and find it fast, because this doesn't feel good at all. It was just really scary that I was on the wrong road.

Nikkiey: For sure. You mentioned feeling afraid to eat because of bloating and gut discomfort. What kind of toll did that take on your mindset and your daily life?

Michelle: I probably can't even tell you the number of times I told my husband, I wish we didn't have to eat.

Nikkiey: Really?

Michelle: I wish we could survive without food, because I would eat and it would go down fine, and I wouldn't have heartburn or any immediate symptoms. But a few hours later, bloated and just feeling really gassy and distended and uncomfortable, to the point where it's like, I wish I hadn't eaten that. And I couldn't pinpoint it to one particular type of food. I kept going, I think it might be dairy, I think it might be the higher fat, I think it might be... and there was no correlation. It was just discomfort.

And my bowels were all over the place before I did the whole food. I wouldn't have a bowel movement for days, three days sometimes. When I went on the whole food, it was a lot better, but then everything started slowing down again while I was on the whole food. And I thought, I haven't done anything different with my diet, but it's my body. My body isn't responding anymore.

When I first made the big change to whole food plant-based, I saw improvement. But over time it started going down again. And I kept going, okay, something's not working right in this system. So I knew that I needed a new path, because it wasn't working. And I just wished I didn't even have to eat food sometimes. I was afraid to eat food because I knew it would be miserable. I wasn't eating food. Carrie said I was at, I think, between 800 and 900, barely a thousand calories a day when she did my little preliminary thing. And now I'm at 1,800 calories a day. And I can tell, it's music to your ears.

Nikkiey: I know. That's music to my ears. I can't wait to talk about that part of your journey. So you were eating 800, 900 calories, but you didn't know that until you joined, right? Because that actually brought the awareness to it.

Michelle: Right.

Nikkiey: On top of that, what type of exercise were you doing? I know you were an athlete and you did more cardio-based activity. Was there ever strength training involved?

Michelle: No. There was way back when I was in track. And probably about 10, 15 years ago, I was doing a little bit of weights in my house, but nothing legitimate and no structured, regular routine. I'd get on the treadmill or the elliptical, and steps have never been a problem. I don't sit very much at all, because as a nurse you never sit down. So even though I'm retired now, I never sit down. So steps have never been a problem, but there was no good, regimented routine where I'm doing a workout like I am now.

Nikkiey: Sure. Okay, so we'll dive into that, because I'm very curious about where you're at now. But before we do, this is a two-part question. Was there ever a point where you were like, okay, enough, I'm ready to take control again? And second, with whatever you were feeling emotionally at the time when you were like, I need to get back on track, how did you discover WarriorBabe, and what initially drew you in to the program?

Nikkiey: Ladies, are you feeling frustrated with the body changes you're experiencing during menopause? It's time to take control. If you're between 45 and 65 years old and tired of struggling with body fat and muscle loss, WarriorBabe is here for you. We've helped over 18,000 women just like you lose body fat, build toned muscle and understand their bodies better, with personalized plans based on hormone and thyroid testing and more. Imagine knowing exactly what your body needs to see real results, and results that last. Don't wait anymore. Take charge of your health and join our community of strong, empowered women. Visit warriorbabe.com/apply today to start your transformation. That's warriorbabe.com/apply. All right, let's get back to the show.

Michelle: Yes, I needed to make a change, and I knew I needed to do something, because the protein level in my blood wasn't as bad as I kind of wanted it to be. So I couldn't just explain it away with my whole food plant-based: oh, I just need more protein and I'll be fine again. No, it was low, but not that bad. So I thought, okay, that's not the answer. And I was on Facebook and your ad popped up.

It was you, and you were talking about menopause and how macros are important. And I'm like, I'm a nurse and she's a nurse, and I don't even know what macros are. How come I don't know what macros are? And then you started to explain. I listened to the whole thing and I put down the phone. I told my husband, I want to do this. And he's like, what's this? And I explained it to him, and I could tell it was kind of like, oh gosh, here's another one, because I've tried a bunch of different things. And I said, no, this really makes sense to me. She's talking about older women after menopause.

And I ignored my menopause and probably really should not have, because now, this far into the game, I probably really need a lot of the hormone replacement that I've ignored. So I said, I really want to try this. And he goes, okay, let's do it. And I'm just so blessed and so happy and so glad that I did. It's incredible. It's been a great, great transformation already.

Nikkiey: That's awesome. To piggyback off what you said, you were listening to someone who's 35, right? Why did you trust me when it came to me talking about menopause, and that WarriorBabe was going to be able to help you? I'm always curious what the older ladies have to say about me, a 35-year-old, a younger woman, talking about menopause. I haven't been through it.

Michelle: Right, right. I think the first thing was, okay, fellow nurse, I know your mind and where you go scientifically, and that you probably did your research. And then when I heard your journey about how you were skinny fat and you went to the gym and you did the whole competition thing and were winning every show, and then said, but I can't sustain this. I can't keep doing this. Oh, by the way, I'm a Dove chocolate girl too.

Nikkiey: Yes.

Michelle: We really are similar in many ways.

Nikkiey: I know. I know.

Michelle: So hearing that whole thing, I thought, I know she did her research, because I know nurses always want the science. Why? How does that happen? The whole Krebs cycle thing. Why does this affect that, and that affects this, and this affects that? So I knew you did that, and that got me to pay attention.

And then when you started talking about how it affects people in menopause, I went, gosh, I wish I had known this when I was 35, before menopause, so I could have prepared for this journey and been in the journey when I hit menopause. That would have been amazing. Now I'm backtracking, trying to get back to where I should have been. So I think it was mainly that I knew you did your research. It made perfect sense to me when you started talking about metabolism and muscle breakdown and muscle growth and how to build muscle and what you need. And I went, oh, she's done the research for me. I'm going.

Nikkiey: Love that. Well, thank you for trusting in me and in us. I'm excited to talk about your transformation. In the first couple of weeks after you joined WarriorBabe, were there any early wins that you experienced?

Michelle: Well, immediately my gut started feeling better. And I think it was just a few weeks in, I was like, is it just me, or do I already feel stronger? No, I do. I have a little bit of arthritis in my thumb, and I had trouble opening a water bottle. But it wasn't just my thumb. It was my whole grip strength. Now it's no problem. I know that doesn't sound like much, opening a jar or a bottle.

Nikkiey: A lot of people will resonate with you saying that. A lot of women have arthritis at a younger age. They listen to this podcast, they listen to these success stories on the website, and they're going to be like, oh, that makes total sense.

Michelle: Yeah. Now it's no problem. I always used to ask my husband, can you open the bottle for me? And now it's like, here, let me get that for you.

Nikkiey: Initially, was there anything more that you noticed? Any aha moments?

Michelle: I felt my skin started looking better.

Nikkiey: Yes. That protein.

Michelle: My skin started looking better. At 67, I'm getting the little wrinkly, flabby skin, and that's getting less.

Nikkiey: I hope I look like you when I'm 67. You look great.

Michelle: The skin improved. The gut improved. My strength improved. And then a few weeks in, when I saw the picture, I was like, this really is working.

Nikkiey: So how did you feel when Carrie was like, okay, you're eating 800, 900 calories, I need you to eat more food? What was your initial thought process?

Michelle: Honestly, I was okay with it. I was a little afraid, because in the past I thought eating more made me gain weight all the time, but it was the wrong food. But I started listening to all your podcasts right away, starting with number one from three years ago.

Nikkiey: Wow.

Michelle: And I still have a lot more to go. But when I started listening and you explained so much about it, I thought, okay, I'm going to have to increase the different macros, and I understand now, it makes sense. So I was nervous about it a little bit, but I also trusted it enough, because I had done my research too and listened to some of those podcasts about metabolism. And my husband and I had just gotten the Good Energy book that talks about mitochondria and metabolism and the needs of the body and all that. So I went, wow, this kind of goes hand in hand with what Dr. Casey Means was saying in her book too, because we were very interested in that. So it all kind of made sense.

And I went, I'm going to trust the process. I'm going to do whatever they tell me to do to a T, and I'm going to try this. And it's working, 200%. And my energy level... I've never had an energy problem. I'm always a get-up-and-go kind of person. Oh, you need that? Okay, let's go, let's go. I told Carrie, can you have 200%? Because I feel like that's what I've got. It's amazing. I feel 200% at 67.

Nikkiey: Great. Fantastic.

Michelle: I run circles around people my age. It's fantastic. Two cups of coffee in the morning and that's it, no other caffeine the rest of the day. Just amazing. No problem with energy at all. And I never sit down. When I sit down, it's usually 7:30 or 8 o'clock at night to either read a book or watch a documentary or something. That's when I sit. Otherwise, oh, I'm sitting now. Okay.

Nikkiey: Hey, while you're listening, if you're getting value from this episode, take a moment to tap that review button or share this podcast with a friend. It's a small gesture that goes a long way in helping more women find their way to feeling stronger and more confident in their skin. I appreciate you so much for taking the time to support this show.

Nikkiey: So since you joined WarriorBabe, where are you now in your journey? What are some of the biggest things you've accomplished that you're really proud of?

Michelle: Well, like I said, my strength. Usually a workout feels great when I start, but every now and then I'll start a workout going, oh, this 15 pounds is really heavy. And next thing I know, it's like, no, I can do six more. Oh my gosh, maybe I need 20 pounds. And then I start doing 20. It's so exciting to see that what started off as five or 10 pounds, now 15 is not a problem. Gosh, I think I can even do 20. Yes, I can. Oh my God. The strength has come on so fast. I was losing my muscles. I'm getting those back. It seems like they're building very fast. And I've lost weight, but I'm eating more. It's just incredible. I've lost 10 pounds, and I'm only four foot eleven.

And my husband, when he saw one of my last pictures, goes, shouldn't you be wearing the exact same bathing suit? I said, the bottoms are falling off. I can hardly wear those bottoms. I did it for my last picture, but I can't swim in them or they'll come off.

Nikkiey: Wow. How does that feel?

Michelle: It's fantastic. And I find myself creating exercises in everything I do. I have a French press where you're supposed to push down slowly on the thing that presses the coffee, and instead of just pressing slowly, I lift my elbow and make sure I'm using my tricep as I'm doing it. Or if I'm reading the Bible, instead of sitting down, I'll stand up and do leg presses or lunges or something while I'm reading. Or instead of just getting in the pool to cool off, because we're in Arizona, I put on a belt and do tethered swimming. So I stay in place and just swim in place for four or five minutes.

Nikkiey: Wow.

Michelle: So I'm turning everything into an exercise without even thinking about it. I just go, let me make this count with what I'm doing right now, and it becomes exercise at the same time.

Nikkiey: That's inspiration to me. I sit down and read my Bible. Maybe I should get up and do some squats while I'm reading it.

Michelle: I do. I just stand here while I'm reading, and I can still pay attention. Or I do little presses off my desk.

Nikkiey: Look at you. That's awesome. How does it feel to be eating 1,800 calories?

Michelle: Oh my gosh. It's like, oh my gosh, I have to eat some more. What am I going to add? I think I'll have peanut butter with chocolate chips on a rice cake.

Nikkiey: Okay, first of all, that sounds amazing. And did you think before WarriorBabe that you could eat that and still reach your goals?

Michelle: Never, never. I thought I'd probably be 150 pounds by now if I ate that much. It's incredible that just by eating the right food in the right proportions, your body's like, hey, you finally got it. Finally, you're feeding me what I need. That's what my body is telling me. Thank you. You've stopped eating the crap. Oh, and I stopped drinking wine. I was drinking wine every single night, I think because I was depressed. And it's a plant. It's whole food plant-based.

Nikkiey: That works. It's grapes.

Michelle: It's grapes. But I stopped a year ago completely. And not drinking alcohol has not been a problem at all. I think that has helped with everything too.

Nikkiey: Not drinking, and eating 1,800 calories at 67, is incredible. Not many people can say that at that age. I was going to ask, when you stopped drinking the wine, how did your sleep change?

Michelle: Oh, way better. We have a bed that records our sleep and tells you a score in the morning.

Nikkiey: Oh, you have that number?

Michelle: Yeah. It tells you if you've moved a whole lot while you're sleeping and all that. And I would be constantly... I'd sleep really well, then move, move, move, move, sleep. Move, move, move, move, sleep. Just constant movement. And I wasn't getting good scores. And now I'm in the nineties and I've got total green, good sleep. My sleep is so much better. I'm sure it was the blood sugar spikes from the wine that were keeping me awake before. And I know now I don't have to have a glass of wine to relax.

Nikkiey: No, you don't. You just change your mindset and love the habit.

Michelle: In fact, we bought three of these.

Nikkiey: Yes.

Michelle: For our kids.

Nikkiey: Oh, love that. Love making new habits.

Michelle: And it's working, and my husband's doing it. He's like, do they have WarriorBros, for guys? Warrior guys? And I said, no. But he's adopted it. He's eating what I'm eating, and he's adopted a lot of what I'm doing. He read Atomic Habits as well, and he's like, I need a new habit stacked onto this habit so that I remember to do that. So we're both kind of doing the program, and he's lost some weight. He's always been very active as well, but now he's talking about, maybe I should start lifting a little. I'm like, yeah, I think you probably should.

Nikkiey: I love it.

Michelle: So it's great to have that support. And I think he's going to be on the same journey as me.

Nikkiey: I love that. That was going to be my next question for you, how this lifestyle you've embarked on has impacted your husband. Because I saw that you said your husband told you that your waist and your butt felt like an 18-year-old's.

Michelle: Did you just say that out loud?

Nikkiey: Was I not supposed to?

Michelle: Okay. That's okay.

Nikkiey: That's incredible. How did you feel hearing that?

Michelle: I know. I forgot about that until you said it. I think I need to blush.

Nikkiey: Full heat over your body right now.

Michelle: I'd better open a window.

Nikkiey: That's such a compliment.

Michelle: It was. It made me feel really good. He's very supportive. And like I said, I try not to make a big deal out of things like, wait, I have to measure that, I have to weigh it, wait, don't put that on my plate. I try not to make a big deal. If I go to a restaurant, I just order basic, like a piece of salmon with some sautéed vegetables. And I don't freak out about the quantity. I just kind of guess. And you get so good at it that you can look at it and go, that's a little more than four ounces, I'm going to say that's six.

And I did that. We go to Rocky Point, Mexico, four times a year for off-road racing. And we were at a restaurant, and my girlfriend was with us as well. I didn't want to make a big deal about what am I going to eat and how am I going to weigh all this and bring out a scale. So I just did that. She asked me, how are you going to do your fish? And I said, I'm going to count it as six ounces. That's probably a little bit more. And I came back from vacation with no change in weight. Everything was good, and it wasn't a big deal. I don't let it stress me out. Just do the best you can.

Nikkiey: You need to say that louder for the women in the back. A lot of women stress out over vacations. It's the mentality that when they start a program, they have to be perfect. Consistent is what we want everyone to be, because that doesn't need you to be perfect. You just need to show up consistently. But women get nervous, because there's an old mindset that comes into a new program where it's like, oh, well, if I'm on vacation, then I'm just going to do whatever.

But I love that you just took it like, okay, I'm going to do my best to at least track what I'm eating so that there's some type of awareness with my food diary. And if it doesn't happen perfectly, at least I'm accountable for what I'm eating that day, and you don't go off the rails. Maybe you have a treat here and there. But you came back and you were like, oh, I didn't gain anything.

Michelle: Yeah. I just tried to be smart when I was ordering. Don't order something like a casserole that has 50 different ingredients when you have no idea of the macros in it. Just do the easy stuff, like sautéed vegetables and brown rice and some salmon, and don't get the sauce on it, or put the sauce on the side and just taste it. It really isn't hard if you just don't put so much pressure on yourself to go gram by gram in those kinds of situations. At home, yeah, I'm the gram-by-gram girl. But in certain situations like that, I don't want to make people feel like it's a pain in the butt, that I take so much time to be able to eat and that kind of stuff.

Nikkiey: You want to encourage people about the lifestyle and not make them think a different way about it.

Michelle: Right.

Nikkiey: There was a question that I had for you that just popped in, and now it's popping out. Oh, okay. So you went from 800, 900 calories up to 1,800 calories. I'm sure that was part of the process Carrie put you through. How does it feel to keep increasing food but lose weight? Growing up, thinking you had to eat less to look a certain way, to be skinny, and then you hear us saying, no, you've got to eat more, and then you actually reap the rewards of eating more and losing weight.

Michelle: It's mind-blowing. Probably about a month and a half ago, she kept saying, okay, we're going to increase your calories. And I'm like, but I feel good at this weight right now, and I'm thinking if you increase, I'm going to increase. Even though I know that muscle weighs more than fat, I was still a little nervous. And I said, I'm going to trust you. Whatever you say to do, I'm going to do it. But yikes. And I did it. And it's like, no, I'm still losing weight. Okay.

And at the last meeting I had with her, she goes, do you want a cheat day? Just a day where you can eat whatever you want. And I'm like, no, let's just keep going. You can increase me whenever you want, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet. And I said, it's not so much that I'm afraid of it as that I don't even feel like I need it. I'm so satiated with what I've got, and with having so many choices in front of me. Even whole food plant-based, even though there are still a lot of choices in it, is still restrictive, because I was eating no dairy, no meat, no fish, nothing like that at all.

So that was pretty restrictive. And now I'm eating meat and fish and chicken and eggs and all that. I feel like I have no restrictions, even though I weigh and I'm following the macros and I'm tracking and getting as close as I can. If I want a piece of Dove chocolate, I throw it in there early on so that I can account for it and make sure that I don't go over on my carbs or fats or anything later in the day. So I feel like there's freedom in food now. Even though I'm increasing my calories, I am free to eat whatever I want, as long as I stay within the lines on the road. And it's easy.

Nikkiey: That's the best thing that I've ever heard a WarriorBabe say: food freedom. You can eat whatever you want, as long as it's within the confines, making smart choices. It's like the 80/20 rule that we talk about. You can eat whole foods the majority of the time and then allow yourself to have the Dove chocolate, allow yourself to have the sweet things if you want them. Sometimes you don't feel like you need to, because you're so satiated. I think that's a really important thing to note, the food freedom that you've gained from your journey.

Michelle: Right. It's incredible. I love it. Right now I can't imagine not being in the program. I got the year, and then I did two more. And now I'm thinking, but what happens in three years? I don't want to be on my own. I want to have this help all the time. So we'll see how that goes.

Nikkiey: We're not going anywhere. And WarriorBros too. Honestly, it's been eight years now that we've been around, and two or three years in, people were like, you've got to make a WarriorBro, you've got to make a WarriorBro. We're staying in our lane. We like being WarriorBabe and helping women.

So there's one more question I had about your mindset now. You mentioned you can't imagine not being in the program. What's your mindset now compared to before, especially around food, around aging, around strength training? What's the biggest mindset shift you've experienced?

Michelle: I think I'm not afraid anymore. Like I said, I have food freedom versus food fear. I truly feared eating the wrong thing, and I didn't know what was wrong, because everything I tried seemed to be wrong eventually. If it wasn't my gut, it was my weight. And if it wasn't my weight, it was just my overall feeling. So I had a fear of food, and now I have total freedom with food, and I'm not afraid when Carrie says we're going to up your calories. It's just such a relief, to be able to eat what I am, not as much as I want, but to just follow those macros and feel as good as I'm feeling now. It's just mind-blowing that it's working so well.

Nikkiey: Love that. What's it like working with a coach?

Michelle: Oh, she's been great. I had my first interview, and I feel so bad, because they're great people on your team. I think it was Melanie, I can't remember, who first asked me questions to help decide on my coach. And I've always been into natural things, like I said, the whole food plant-based and things like that. And when she sent me Carrie's bio, I'm like, oh my gosh, this is totally up my alley. She's into the naturopath stuff and nature. It was just incredible. It was like we were meant to be. She's a perfect, perfect match. And she's such a good cheerleader. She's like, oh my gosh, Michelle, look at your pictures. Holy shit. What are you doing? You're amazing. Keep it up.

Nikkiey: You have a gem of a coach.

Michelle: She's fantastic. Well, don't tell anybody, or they're going to want her and she'll be too busy.

Nikkiey: It's recorded now, Michelle.

Michelle: Oh, true.

Nikkiey: No, I think Carrie's getting pretty maxed out. She's got her roster full, unless somebody leaves the program. But yeah, you have a gem of a coach. She lives in the jungle and eats fruit.

Michelle: I know. She travels all over the place. She's like Adam and Eve. She just picks her fruit from the tree and eats it. Hopefully she doesn't eat the wrong one. I've got to tell her not to.

Nikkiey: One time we were on a call, a team huddle, and I grabbed my lotion, which is right here. It's shea butter. And I was putting it on, and she said something like, I don't even put anything on my body that I wouldn't put in my body. And I was like, can you eat shea butter? Yes. Okay.

I love that you found that coach. One thing we really take into account is who you work with. That's a big part of your experience and your journey. A lot of the WarriorBabes, when I do these interviews, every one of them pretty much says, I don't know what you guys do on the back end, how you match us up, but you matched me up perfectly. That just makes my heart so happy, to hear that you enjoy working with your coach. Who you work with is a huge reason for your success in the program.

So I have one last question. For someone who may be listening to this right now, listening to your story, watching your story, maybe in the same spot you were in, what would you want them to know?

Michelle: Trust the process. Trust your coach. Trust the entire program. You guys know what you're doing. It's apparent that you did your research, you did your study, and that everybody's body needs a certain amount of macros in order to feed correctly. And the system works. Right now I find it infallible. It's perfect. For me, it's been perfect for this body to go the direction that I wanted it to go, with strength, with weight, with feeling, with skin, with everything overall. Just trust it. It works. Don't be afraid. Go for it. Do it. Do it. Do it.

Nikkiey: We're going strong. Look at those muscles, too. For people that are listening on audio, Michelle's muscles got good. Flex that muscle for us. Let me see it. Look at that. That's incredible. It looks so good. You did that.

Michelle: Both of us. Both of us.

Nikkiey: Yes. Teamwork. And Carrie too, as well. To everyone that's listening, let Michelle's story inspire you. Her story proves that strength doesn't fade with age. It grows with trust, with belief, with knowledge, with consistency. At 67 years old, she's always been going, going, going, like she said, and she's not slowing down anytime soon. She's getting stronger. She's eating more. She's living fully again. She's proof that it's never too late to feel powerful, to feel confident, and to be proud of the woman you see in the mirror. So ladies, if Michelle's story resonated with you, let it be inspiration. Check out WarriorBabe. Go to warriorbabe.com. We're here to help you. Michelle, thank you for sharing your story. I know it's going to make a positive impact on anybody listening. Appreciate you.

Michelle: Thanks for the opportunity. Appreciate it. Thanks for everything you're doing.

Nikkiey: Thank you. Real quick, if this episode resonated with you or gave you the push that you needed, I'd love for you to pay it forward. Drop a quick rating and review, share the podcast with someone who might need it, and help me keep spreading the word. Your feedback not only helps the show grow, but it might just be the nudge someone else needs to kickstart their transformation. Thank you so, so much for your support.