Can't Lose Weight After 50? What Finally Worked for Erin

Erin: I didn't feel like myself. I didn't feel good. It really was depressing, demoralizing. It became a grind. Working out wasn't fun. And you gave me hope, in all honesty. And I'm strong. It's not like I'm skinny, but it was a Hail Mary and it was worth it.

Nikkiey: What's going on, everybody? Hey, you guys, welcome back. So I've got another WarriorBabe here with us, WarriorBabe Erin, and she's in her 50s. She's a full-time Orangetheory coach and a world traveler, and just casually summited Mount Kilimanjaro, right? That's crazy.

But not too long ago, she was gaining a pound every week and couldn't figure out why that was happening. And like so many women, you guys listening to this right now who are entering into menopause, she thought that she was doing everything right. She was eating clean. She was working out hard, until her body told a different story. So in this Success Stories episode, Erin's going to share how WarriorBabe helped her shift everything, from her macros to her mindset. And now she's stronger, she's leaner, she's got an incredible transformation, and she's more unstoppable than ever. So we're going to dive into her story. Erin, welcome.

Erin: Thank you. Hello.

Nikkiey: For anybody that's tuning in and listening to this right now, can you let everyone know what you do? I know I just touched on a couple of things, but you also said you were a life coach. So let's dive into what you do for work and where you're located in the States, so everyone knows that before we dive in.

Erin: So about a year and a half ago, I quit the corporate world. I'd been in sales for over 20 years. I decided I'd figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I left the corporate craziness and burnout, relocated from San Jose, California up to Vancouver, Washington, and started over.

So now I'm a life coach, now a high performance coach, which is basically a life coach on steroids. It's more about helping people with habits and sustainable success, both professionally and personally. So it's a dream come true. And then I also coach Orangetheory just because I love it. It's just really fun. So that's what I'm doing now.

Nikkiey: That's super cool. It's like you're never too old to change your career. You're never too old to get fit, right?

Erin: Yeah. You've got to take a chance.

Nikkiey: Absolutely. Okay, cool. So let's talk about where your situation was before you found WarriorBabe, with your health and your fitness journey. What were you struggling with, both physically and emotionally, at the time?

Erin: It was really hard, because I actually found rock climbing in my mid-40s, outdoor rock climbing, like Half Dome in Yosemite and stuff. So I'd always felt pretty strong. And then all of a sudden I turned 51 and I was gaining a pound a week. I didn't change much. I started trying to work out more. I didn't really have the time for it. I was working two jobs at the time, really three. And I was adding on more cardio, all the things we're supposed to do.

I was trying to eat clean, and I was under-eating and didn't realize it, all the things that we learned about in WarriorBabe. But it was brutal. I didn't feel like myself. I didn't feel good. And it affected my ability to climb. It just sucked. And I was in outside sales at the time, so I was getting steps in. I was a very active person. I wasn't sitting on the couch eating bonbons. I was out there doing stuff, and nothing I did was working. I had never experienced that before. It was really upsetting.

Nikkiey: Wow. At what point did you realize that something needed to change?

Erin: I'd actually been seeing your stuff on Instagram for about four months before I finally went, okay. I tried other things, right? I tried to figure it out, and it wasn't working. I found a macro calculator, and it did not work. There's a whole difference when you're in your 50s versus generic.

And finally, it was right when I moved to the Pacific Northwest, and I went, okay, enough is enough. I feel horrible. This is an opportunity. I need to do something for myself. And so I just said, screw it. I went in and filled out the form and went for it.

Nikkiey: I can't wait to unpack what you were thinking in those four months and why it took four months. I'm going to get there in a minute. But you mentioned that you were gaining a pound a week, even though you were working out, what, three to four times a week, and you were eating, quote unquote, decent.

Erin: Yeah. Four times a week.

Nikkiey: You sound like you're a go-getter. You're going to put in the work, and you were moving around. Were you going from house to house for outside sales?

Erin: Outside sales, hair salons. Hence the blue hair.

Nikkiey: Oh, okay. Got you. So what did that feel like when you were doing all the work but not getting the result?

Erin: It was frustrating, a little depressing. I became really self-conscious. I'm one that's like, okay, everyone's body type, whatever it is. I've been in fitness, and so I embrace all that, but I had never experienced this extreme. I got to a point where I weighed almost as much as I did when I was pregnant with my first child, without having a baby. So I was just very fluffy. It really was depressing, demoralizing. When you're trying things and it's not working, it sucks. And you feel almost helpless, like, what am I doing wrong? What's going on?

And then there's that whole, oh, well, this is just what it is, right? Menopause belly. Which, I'm so glad I can look at my friends now and go, no, you don't have to. That's a bunch of BS. But there was a point of, do I have to accept this as my new reality? There was a little bit of that. So that was the big part: do I accept? And I'm not someone who accepts, but there was a moment of trying to navigate that. How did I feel about that? And then I decided I didn't like it.

Nikkiey: Did you ever worry that that type of weight gain was just going to be the new normal for you?

Erin: Yeah. Like it would just keep getting worse. In the beginning, I was kind of like, okay, this isn't too horrible, is it okay? But then week four, week five, week six. I think I gained 15 pounds. It was literally a pound a week. I had never experienced anything like that. And like I said, it really affected my self-esteem, how I felt. It sucked.

Nikkiey: Did it ever get to the point, because you're very adventurous and you like doing things, I mean, you just low-key summited Mount Kilimanjaro, that's crazy...

Erin: But that was after WarriorBabe helped me out.

Nikkiey: Yeah, but that's amazing. But with the rock climbing and the things you like to do that you mentioned picking up in your 40s, was there a fear that you would lose the ability to do that?

Erin: Yeah. Look, I have daughters. I want to set an example for them. I had just discovered this passion in my mid-40s. And I was getting heavier, and I was getting worried about my flexibility. There's a lot involved with weight gain. It causes issues, and getting heavier on the rock is not ideal.

And again, I was working out a lot and not seeing the results. I did it, but there wasn't joy in it. It became a grind. Working out wasn't fun. And so it really affected my mental state. I got kind of resentful, like, okay, I'm trying to eat right, I'm working out. And then there were those days, in full honesty, of, well, screw it, I might as well eat the pizza, because I'm doing everything right and it's not doing me any good. So why am I even doing this? It became a sacrifice. My whole mindset around health shifted. But I also know how important it is for mental health, and that was where the concern came in, where I went, okay, I've got to do something.

Nikkiey: Yeah. It's frustrating and disheartening when you think you're doing all this work and you're not getting where you want to be.

Erin: It was like I was running straight into a brick wall. It did not feel good.

Nikkiey: Okay. So let's talk about when you discovered WarriorBabe. You sat on it for four months.

Erin: I'm going to say guilt of investing in myself. I think a lot of women, especially moms, feel that about spending money on ourselves, putting that time into ourselves. We're told that's selfish, right? And so for me, a big part of it was guilt. Am I really going to go and spend this money on only me? Now I have a totally different mindset. What I've done has actually helped my kids, and we can talk about that in a little bit. That investment was the best thing I ever did, but it took me that long.

And also, you kept talking about menopause, right? I'd had a nutritionist in the past, and I actually went back and looked at my old stats. They didn't work anymore. That's how it goes. Even within WarriorBabe, I couldn't go back to what I was doing at the beginning. My coach changed things for me.

So it was guilt of investing in myself. But I've also learned that when I invest in myself, that's when I take it seriously. If it's free, like a little free webinar, and they just tell you enough, no. I need the accountability. If I spend that money, I'm going to get off my butt and go do that workout. I'm going to count my macros and make sure, because this is an investment and I'm not throwing that money down the toilet. That was a shift for me that I didn't recognize until I started the program. It was like, oh, that's my own aspect of accountability that I wasn't expecting. Oh yeah, damn straight, I hit my macros.

The price tag was kind of a shell shock at first. But then I divided it by 12, and I had to justify it. So I heard about it, finally got the information, and it was the best thing I ever did. I signed up for a second year. I'm in my second year now.

Nikkiey: That's awesome. I love that. I love the way you just broke that down, too, because I know a lot of women are going to really resonate with that, especially the guilt aspect. Moms, wives, they put themselves last and they're not making themselves a priority. We're definitely going to pin that and circle back to how it's made such a positive impact on your family and your kids. What made you finally say yes to WarriorBabe?

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Erin: Because I couldn't stand it. I couldn't stand it. And you gave me hope, in all honesty. You spoke to what I was dealing with, and I was like, wait, I'm a badass, damn it. But I'm fluffy right now. There's a badass under here somewhere.

Nikkiey: I know exactly what you mean. On the outside, your personality is a badass, but your body doesn't show it.

Erin: Right. So it was a Hail Mary, and it was worth it. I had moved, and I just went, enough is enough. I'm starting this new chapter and I want to go into it feeling good. And if there's a chance, this is it. So I grabbed onto it like a lifeline.

Nikkiey: Oh, I love that. I ask a lot of WarriorBabes this question when I'm on these interviews with you guys. When did you find us?

Erin: I started looking in 2024, probably earlier in the year, and then I think I finally pulled the trigger in May or June of 2024.

Nikkiey: Okay. So you're listening to a young 30-year-old talk to you about menopause. Why did you believe a young 30-year-old who hadn't been through it?

Erin: Right. 100%. But you had facts on your Instagram, the things that you shared, where you'd obviously researched it. And I was skeptical, because I've been in this life coaching, then high performance coaching world. I've been on calls with people who just decide they're going to coach people because they're passionate about it, with no background, no training, nothing. So I really do my research, especially if I'm going to spend that amount of money.

You had a lot of credibility. Physically, obviously, you'd done the work, but your content was very factual. And you had the reviews, the results, the babes who came out to say, oh no, this absolutely worked. There's fake stuff, AI, happening on Facebook left and right, and you're like, I'm sorry, no. But when you're seeing these real people on your website, or going on Reddit, I went down a rabbit hole, and it was enough credibility that I went, okay, she's done the research. She knows what she's talking about. And again, you were the only one like that, and you had a reputation by that point too.

Nikkiey: Yeah. There's nothing that drives me wilder than when a fitness coach, maybe a year into their own journey, says they want to help women. That's social media nowadays. But I love that you did your research, you looked around, and you saw that there were actually real lives being impacted by this company. So when you started your journey, you got assigned to your coach and started to embark on what your coach was telling you to do. What were your first couple of weeks as a WarriorBabe like?

Erin: It's actually kind of funny. The flip from cardio was hard. I was going to be doing, and I did, Machu Picchu in September of last year, and then Kilimanjaro was in February. At first it was great. I'd been lifting, I mean, I'm at Orangetheory, but I'd prioritized cardio and I'd been grabbing the same weights. I was one of those, grabbing the same weights, whatever.

Nikkiey: I love that honesty.

Erin: And by the way, not anymore. Now in my class, that back weight rack is empty. It's made me a better coach, let me tell you that. I actually had weights at home, and I graduated quite quickly to having to join the local gym. What I had at home was not going to work for me.

It was great. I felt sore in the best way. And at that point I wasn't eating enough. It was hard, I'm not going to lie, because I had grown up with so much bad information. It's calories in, calories out. Like, yes, but no. I'm eating 2000 calories a day right now.

Nikkiey: Wait, what? Are you kidding me? Did you ever expect that was possible, being the age that you are, eating 2000 calories and getting the results?

Erin: No. And I'm working out four days a week, and I'll throw in a hike on occasion. Anything extra is when it fits in for fun, like with a friend. But I work out four days a week, 40 minutes to maybe an hour. I'm blown away. I work out less and eat more, and I look and feel better than I probably have since maybe I was 18. I feel good. It's awesome.

Mount Baker is a big mountain here. Back in August, I decided I needed to take some mountaineering. I live in the Pacific Northwest, I need to learn some of this. I signed up three weeks before. I didn't do anything. I didn't look at the training, because I work out. The people who went had been training for four to five months for this event, and I was like, oopsies. That's fine. I was the oldest by a good 20 years, and I had no issues.

And again, I'm not doing anything crazy. I'm not training for Kilimanjaro anymore. It's just my workout. But I'm strong. My reflexes are so much better. If I roll an ankle, I'm not going to break it. I'm strong. So when I trip, and it's not about being old, I'm just a klutz sometimes, my reflexes are good. I've impressed myself sometimes. The glasses fall and you catch them. I have muscle. I'm strong. I feel like the fluff is gone and the badass is out.

Nikkiey: I love that. You were under-eating and not eating enough beforehand. What did it look like to climb up to 2000 calories for you?

Erin: Oh, it was hard. I was like, I have to eat more food? I wasn't good about planning the night before. Now I have my whole system down, but in the beginning I was trying to make different meals and navigating it. And all of a sudden, after dinner, I'd be like, oh my gosh, I have to have another 20 grams of carbs. How am I getting more food in my body? This can't be right. And you'd say, trust the process, trust the process. So I did.

We got me back up to maintenance. I did a cut with some crazy stuff going on in my life. I'd have to go off a little bit, and then I'd be very disciplined and come back on. And now, after my cut, again, it's insane. This program is insane. It's magical. You are a gift to the world.

I have friends where I go visit, and they're having this small little thing of oatmeal with three berries for breakfast. Maybe they skip lunch, and then dinner, and it kills me. But people have to be ready to hear it. They'll say, you're just lucky. No, this is work. I have an app, and every night, I mean, I'm in that thing five times a day, making sure I'm getting all my macros. I make it a game. It's fun. But this is work. You have to put the effort in.

It just hurts my heart, because they're going to the doctor and getting all these tests done, and I'm just like, stop getting on the bike. Just pick up some weights. No, not five pounds. And let's get you to eat more food. But it goes against what I was raised with in my generation.

Nikkiey: Yeah. They followed all of the diet trends that said eat less and move more back in the day. And isn't it crazy that now it's eat more, move less? It's totally reversed.

Erin: Oh, I had a hard time. I fought Stevie on it, like, are you sure? Not more cardio? I'm going to be hiking for five days. Are you sure? I was nervous. And it was great. Same with Kilimanjaro.

Nikkiey: So let's talk about that. Since you joined WarriorBabe, where are you at now in your journey, and what are some of the cool things you've accomplished, like Kilimanjaro?

Erin: Machu Picchu isn't a huge elevation gain. It's just high altitude and long days. So that was fine, but everyone else did crazy training and I just did my workout plan. Stevie kind of humored me with, all right, we'll give you 20 to 30 minutes of general cardio twice a week. I was like, are you sure? That's it? And if you do Orangetheory, then only do one 20-minute session. So it was hard. I didn't listen in the beginning, and then I was like, okay, I'm tired, I've got to listen to her. So I did, and it paid off.

And then for Kilimanjaro, same thing. It was specific exercises. I had bad knees, and it was no problem. Having all that muscle around them really helps. On Kilimanjaro, I was the oldest. I was with 30-somethings, and one of them was in her 40s.

With that said, we had a brutal windstorm destroy our camp on summit night, and we were told we couldn't summit. We all had to sleep in the mess tent because our tents were destroyed. It was the craziest thing. They'd never had this happen before. So no sleep. It was a rough night. Then about six in the morning it died down a little bit, and only five of us made it. We were able to go, but we'd had no sleep for 24 hours, only three and a half liters of water to go up and then halfway down the mountain. It was a 12-hour day, and I had Cheez-Its and peanut M&Ms, and that was it.

So at 52 years old, I was up there. And because the windstorm had stopped everybody, we were the only group at the top. So we were dancing, doing cartwheels, before we came back down. That's a unique experience. Other people couldn't do it, and I was able to do it, at 52 years old.

Nikkiey: So inspiring. That's crazy. You make me want to go try and summit Kilimanjaro. And you also crushed a 2,000-foot climb in Banff, right?

Erin: Oh yeah. That one was really cool. That was when an elk took out my car the first night, but we duct-taped it together. It's fine. Carry duct tape in your car, by the way.

Nikkiey: I'm sorry, what? An elk?

Erin: I learned on my adventures. By the way, everyone watching this, just keep duct tape in your car. You never know when you're going to need it. First night out, we're driving. Canada is beautiful, but it's at night, and an elk just takes out my front bumper. It's off the ground. The elk just kind of looked at us and kept going.

Nikkiey: You're in my territory.

Erin: 100%. I had a ram try to ram my car the next day. My car was bringing on some big animal energy. I don't know what was going on. Foreign country, late at night, no cell service, duct-taping the car. So we had a late night. But the next morning, I hadn't climbed in almost a year because of the life changes I'd been making, and Kilimanjaro kind of took up my thought process. And we had a huge climb, three days in a row. I was tired, but I actually wasn't even sore.

I was with someone about eight years younger who does it for a living. And I'll just be honest, at one point as we're hiking, because these are long approaches and you have your gear on you, these aren't pull-off-the-side-of-the-road climbs, he was breathing pretty heavy, and I was like, yep, I'm good.

Nikkiey: I love that for you.

Erin: It felt good. I'm older and I haven't been doing it, and I feel awesome.

Nikkiey: Dude. For you, what does it mean to live at this level of strength, to be able to do those things?

Erin: It's life-changing. It's my confidence, my resilience. I remember the first time being in Banff and being in these areas. There are grizzly bears, and I got to have these cool experiences. I got to have an elk take out my car, which is a funny story, because I am strong enough in my 50s to go rock climb in Canada, in one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I was able to summit Kilimanjaro. I'm going to go to Greece next year and rock climb on one of the remote islands, I can't say the name. Those are not things I could have done.

My parents didn't do that. My dad golfed. That was his outdoor exercise. My mom had none. She didn't even walk. It was sort of that over-40, over-the-hill kind of concept. And it doesn't have to be that way. My life just keeps getting better. But if I wasn't strong, if I wasn't eating healthy and taking care of my body, that wouldn't have happened.

But another huge reason I'm doing this, and I don't want to mess with your flow: I have daughters, and I know what it was like for my mom when my grandma had to go into a home. Physically, she shut down, mentally, all the things. And I know that doing new experiences really helps the brain, and I'm doing new experiences all the time because of my body, because of my nutrition. I don't want my daughters to have to worry about mom in a home, or my health. I'm taking care of myself the best I can. So that investment is reducing my future medical bills. The investment I made in WarriorBabe is reducing mental stress for my daughters. I have a 19-year-old, she'll be 20 in a couple of weeks, and a 21-year-old.

And I'm setting a role model example. Not only did I just change my job, but who has blue hair and is climbing Kilimanjaro at 52? There are women out there that do it. I met some of them out there, but not a lot. And my thing is, there should be more. There can be more. So if the 30-somethings can see this and hear about it, and the 40s who start going, oh, I'm over the hill, no, stop that. Because I didn't find WarriorBabe until I was 51.

Nikkiey: That's part of your why, and I love that so much. I'm glad you circled back to that, because with the investment, you felt guilty about making it for yourself, like it was selfish, putting yourself last. So how have you turned into a role model now for your family and your daughters?

Erin: They think it's freaking cool. And I use it to say, you can do anything, so don't get stuck in a rut. I'm very big about the shoulds. Don't do what you should do, what you're supposed to do. Honor your heart and your gut and balance some of that out. So hopefully I'm breaking some of those generational bad habits or examples.

And I want them to know that it's okay. I don't want them sacrificing for their partner in an unhealthy way. There's the mental load, all the things that happen. It's not selfish, because the more I have in my cup, the more I can pour into others. I've been drained. I've been divorced. I've dealt with all of that. A lot of women and babes out there will know: when your cup is empty, you're empty. And when you're trying to pour from an empty cup, that's just not good.

Nikkiey: 1000%.

Erin: So I've become better. The more I do for me, not just this and how I feel, but then this allows me to do all these cool things. I show up better for the people in my life, my friends, my clients, everything. I didn't know that going into it. It's a really cool after-effect to recognize.

Nikkiey: Doesn't WarriorBabe cause you, not just in fitness, to think and act differently?

Erin: Yeah. But a lot of that is because you have so much training and so much support, with the videos and the huddles. There's a lot there, because you need the education. I did. I thought I didn't. I'm in fitness. I was cocky. Just tell me what to work out, tell me what to eat, whatever. But the mental part: I was fighting my coach on, no, I should do more cardio, or are you sure I should be eating this much? Questioning her. She's so patient, so kind with me. She's incredible.

Nikkiey: So good.

Erin: But she's like, Erin, trust the process. Fine. But then when you start to get that information and understand it, it's like, oh, yes, it's so different now. So it's that support that also helps it be a mindset shift that stays.

Nikkiey: And it's the accountability you mentioned earlier too. You're accountable every week. It's not just, here's your program. It's, are you following through on it? And then also challenging you on the thought process, like the cardio aspect and the are-you-sure. You have somebody to bounce things off. It's your partner in crime. You're essentially walking the same road together. Which leads me to my next question: how has your overall experience working with your coach shaped your journey?

Erin: I couldn't do it on my own. I thought I knew what to do, but actually I didn't. I know how to lift weights, but one, I don't want to figure it out. I need someone who's going to figure it out for me, and she's the professional on this. I know how to lift the weight, I know proper form because of what I do, but the programming is priceless. And the nutrition, to be able to look at it and understand that what's working for me is not going to work for someone else who is 52, five foot five, doing whatever. It's that individual attention, which is really helpful.

And then having those monthly check-ins where we talk face to face, and then the message app, so I can reach out and say, hey, this wasn't working. I'd hurt my wrist doing something, and she gave me some ideas of what I could do around that and worked with me through it. So it's accountability, but it's also, like I said, I need to be told what to do. With the mental load, a lot of women are just mentally overwhelmed. So tell me what to do, please. Thank you. That is worth every penny right there.

Nikkiey: It's nice. You don't have to figure it out. You're literally told, here's your workout, here's what you need to eat, here are your numbers, let's hit it. And let's talk about it on a monthly basis and catch up on a weekly basis on your check-ins.

Erin: Yeah, it's perfect. And this week is a new program. It's always so much fun in the beginning. And it was walking lunges, or the Bulgarian split squats, and you're going, okay, I paid for this.

Nikkiey: I know, but it's so good. Do you ever go to Stevie and say, I absolutely hate this exercise, and the next thing you know, it's in your program?

Erin: Don't poke the bull.

Nikkiey: That used to be my favorite thing when I coached clients. Oh, you don't like that? Okay, here you go. Here are five sets of it.

Erin: Oh yeah. That last round was like, oh. And progressive overload, understanding that. I was never doing that, and it has made a difference. I'm in a cut, and we're going to start a build for me probably in the next few weeks, so I get to do that next. And what's funny is we just had our check-in yesterday, and I realized, even with the weight I'm going to gain in a build, I want to get bigger right now. And we'll do a little cut afterwards.

Nikkiey: Wait, I've got to pause on that. You just said, I want to get bigger right now.

Erin: I want to get bigger. I want more muscle. I want more.

Nikkiey: Did you ever imagine yourself saying that? No woman says that.

Erin: I know. And I'm strong. It's not like I'm skinny, but I'm lean. And I said to her at one point, I think maybe we need to stop the cut. Who does that? I feel like I'm strong as heck. So we're going into the build so I can get bigger, and I'm very excited about that. I want the arms. I like looking and feeling strong.

Nikkiey: It just matches your personality.

Erin: Thank you. But it's really about what it does in here. I'll go all day without looking in a mirror. But when I can literally catch my glasses before they fall on the ground, or someone needs help, or I can pick up my own suitcase with one hand...

Nikkiey: Lifting treadmills at work or something, I read that?

Erin: Oh yeah. I'm the oldest coach by about 20 years, but they don't treat me that way, because I can hold my own. Once a month we do a deep clean, and we deadlift the treadmills to move them and clean behind them. The first time, I was like, okay, we're going to see how this goes. Fortunately I'd been in WarriorBabe for about two months. Thank goodness, because I don't know if I could have done it before. So now it's a badge of honor. We deadlift. I've paid my dues, and I just pick those babies up. Now we kind of compete for it. It's fun. It's a rite of passage.

Nikkiey: Wow, I love that. That's incredible. Your whole story is amazing. Going back to you saying you felt it was selfish, what I wanted to ask you was, how would you redefine that now? In my terms, I'd say it's actually more selfless, because now you're filling your cup up and pouring it into everybody else.

Erin: It's recognizing that there's a ripple effect. I was cranky. Like I said, I was depressed. I was frustrated. At the time I was still a sales manager, and I was short with people, didn't have as much patience, all the things. It just doesn't feel good. When you feel good, you have energy. So for me, it's worth the investment, recognizing the ripple effect: the better you are, the more you can give to others. So it's this weird selfless cycle, but we've got to make that mind shift.

And it's your health. It isn't about looks. Trust me, I've got muscles, and it feels good, but that's not where it started. It's about my health, and that's ultimately where it goes back to my kids. I want to be a role model. And as I get older, I don't want them worrying about me. With my parents, it's a whole different ball game, and I want to change that cycle.

Nikkiey: That's such a beautiful why. I love that. One last question as we wrap up this interview. For anybody watching or listening to your story right now who's maybe in the same spot you were in before you started WarriorBabe, what would you want them to know?

Erin: It's life-changing. There's nothing like it. It's so worth it. Like I said, I signed up for a second year, and when I started, it was going to be one year. Okay, I'm going to do this investment. And the value... it took me four months, and this is legit. I'm in the life coaching business. I'm in that world, and I see all the charlatans out there, or people who are passionate but don't know what they don't know, which is even scarier.

This is a legitimate program that was life-changing. I was gaining a pound a week. I felt bad. Outside and inside, I was covered in marshmallow fluff. And now my energy, my clarity, the way I look at the world, it's freed up mental space for more of what matters, because I'm not worrying about this part of my life anymore. My nutrition and my health are great. It's that right there.

Nikkiey: I love that. Freeing up mental space. It's so thought-consuming. As you get older and you feel like your health is declining, that's a big thing to consume your mind.

Erin: Yep. And you go down the path, you start looking online, and next thing you know, you have too many tabs open on the computer because you're looking at all these different ways to try to figure things out. Or, oh my gosh, does this mean menopause belly is here to stay? And someone tells you to drink lemon juice with cayenne in water and it's going to burn the fat away.

Nikkiey: That cracks me up.

Erin: There are just so many out there. And I know enough not to do that. But for this, again, I am 52 years old, eating 2000 calories a day, working out four days a week. My workout today took 40 minutes, and I didn't rush. I add on a stretch at the beginning and a stretch at the end. That's it.

Nikkiey: You're telling me you don't have to eat 1200 calories and work out five or six days a week for three hours a day?

Erin: Nope. And run five miles. We talk about how it hurts my heart. There are a couple of people at the gym who, no matter what time I go, are there, for three hours. They're there all the time. I don't have time for that either. It's a priority, just like eating healthy is a priority, just like meeting with a friend is a priority. My health is a priority, but for an hour. And then I can come back. If it was, oh yeah, you've got to do it for two to three hours, no one can do that. But you can do an hour. Make it that priority.

Nikkiey: And you've got to do it with intention too. A lot of people just kind of mosey around the gym going through the motions, but you're showing up with intention. You're getting it.

Erin: Oh yeah. And if I see someone who's not going up, it's, you've been lifting the same weight for a while. What's going on? Remember progressive overload? What's happening with you?

Nikkiey: Love that accountability. Well, Erin, this has been such a pleasure, hearing your story. You've had such an incredible transformation within the program, and it's been great getting to know you as a human and hearing about your go-getter, determined mentality. For all the women listening to this, Erin's story proves that you don't have to starve yourself. You don't have to over-train. You don't have to settle for getting weaker as you age or letting your health continue to decline. You hear Erin talking. She's thriving in all aspects of her life at 52 years old, and she's accomplished so many cool things. I'm literally going to pick your brain after this and ask what your training for Kilimanjaro was. You're inspiring me. But seriously, thank you for being here, thank you for inspiring the listeners, and thank you for being a true WarriorBabe. I appreciate you.

Erin: Thank you. This was really fun. I appreciate it. And thank you for creating WarriorBabe.

Nikkiey: Of course. And anybody listening to this, if you're resonating with Erin's story and you want to check out WarriorBabe, go to warriorbabe.com. Don't sit on it. If you're feeling any type of way, do it. That's what Erin's saying. Just check it out. What do you have to lose?