Eating More and Getting Leaner at 54: Jodi's Story

Nikkiey: Did you think you'd be able to get there before?

Jodi: No. Isn't that crazy? No, because I was busy listening to everybody telling me, you're going to start looking like a pear, and you're going to get the big pouch, and this and that. And it's like, no, no, no, not going to happen.

Nikkiey: Good job not listening to those opinions. It's very easy to listen to them.

Nikkiey: What's going on, everybody? Today I have WarriorBabe Jodi here with us. Prior to starting WarriorBabe, Jodi's life was about fitness. Fitness was a part of her life. She played tennis, she worked out, she stayed active, but she felt like something was missing. After losing her sister and both of her parents, she was facing reality, and it was moving super, super fast, and she knew that she needed to take her health head on and into her own hands, not just for herself, but for her family. And then WarriorBabe entered her life and gave her the tools to build the whole package: fitness, nutrition and a mindset that would last a lifetime. And now she's stronger, more confident, even helping others make better choices, and today she's here to share her story. Jodi, welcome.

Jodi: Thank you.

Nikkiey: Can you let the listeners know where you're from, how old you are, and what you do for work?

Jodi: I live in Florida right now, by way of New Jersey, born and raised. I'm 54 years old, and I work in healthcare analytics for a healthcare insurance company.

Nikkiey: Wonderful. How's the Florida weather treating you right now?

Jodi: It's perfect. Not yet. In a couple weeks I won't be saying the same thing.

Nikkiey: Always jealous. Yeah, you're going to get the heat, right? It gets pretty hot down there.

Jodi: It does, yeah.

Nikkiey: All right, so let's dive into your story before WarriorBabe. What was your health and fitness like before you joined us?

Jodi: Like you said, ever since I was younger, I was always very active. I played sports. I worked out. I thought I was eating healthy. I thought I was doing the right things. But something wasn't completely connected. I would look in the mirror and think, for the amount that I'm working out, why is this not looking right? Why is that not looking right? I'm not eating that much. Why am I not losing weight? Why am I not getting muscles? Anybody that looked at me said, oh, you're so thin, you look good. But there's that term, and I think I got it from one of your podcasts: skinny fat. So I always felt like something was missing there.

I knew I wanted to stay active, but I kept hearing, oh, you're getting close to menopause, and you're going to gain five pounds every year. You're going to get a pouch. Your butt's going to get bigger. Your body's just going to completely change, and there's nothing you can do about it. And I was like, oh, hell no. That's not going to happen. So I started doing some research. I started looking at podcasts, and that's when I stumbled upon you. Every time I was in the car, I would just listen to your podcast, and listen to your podcast, and listen to your podcast. And I was like, oh my God, this is so perfect. This is exactly what I need. Everything was really resonating with me.

So I decided maybe it is time to start thinking about myself. I'm always looking out for my kids and for my husband. I took care of my sister. I took care of my mom when she was sick. And I was like, you know what? I don't want to be that person. I want to take care of myself. That was my time.

Nikkiey: I love that.

Jodi: And it came down to the point where I asked myself, do I want to spend the money on myself? And I was like, you know what? You cannot put a price on health. I mean that. It was just one of those things. I bit the bullet. I did it. And it was probably one of the best things that I've done in my life. Honestly, game changing in so many aspects, physically, mentally. My whole life has changed because of it.

Nikkiey: Love that. And I can't wait to unpack, specifically around the podcast, what stuck out to you the most and what you were listening to and hearing, and then your journey in WarriorBabe. I love to hear that it's been the best decision you've made.

I want to unpack a little bit more, because there are so many women that listen to this that are going to feel like they're in the same boat. They're active. They're doing all the right things. They're trying to stay healthy. What do you feel like were the most frustrating parts about feeling like your body wasn't responding to the things that you were doing?

Jodi: It's frustrating because you think you're doing the right thing. You think, I'm eating healthy. I'm not eating a lot. I'm not eating carbs. What's not working? Everything you read says don't eat carbs, don't eat fats, don't eat too much of this, lower your calories. And I tried all that, and something's just not right. It was just so frustrating. And it turns out I wasn't eating enough. I was definitely not eating enough, or eating the right foods that I needed. I was actually shocked when I joined and met with my coach and she gave me my macros. I was like, oh God, really? You've got to be kidding me. How am I going to do this?

That was the most frustrating thing. I've done so many different fitness programs, tried different diets or ways of eating, and nothing really resonated with me. Nothing seemed to work. I would lose a couple pounds here, tone up a little bit, but it wasn't a lifestyle. And I think that was the most important thing. The thing is, I needed to learn how to do this. Anybody can do a 12-week program. But what happens after week 12? You go back. I don't feel like you have the tools to then move on and do this on your own. At some point, we all have to do it on our own. We could stay forever, but eventually, I know for me, I did the year and I was debating, do I want to do the second year? And I signed up for my second year. I just started my second year. And again, I'm so thankful that I did it, because I couldn't do it on my own right now. I still need that extra time to get me to that point where I can, because I'm still second-guessing myself with some stuff.

Nikkiey: And that's why it's so awesome to have a coach in your corner. You have the responsibilities of your day-to-day, the things you need to do for work and family and friends and living your life, and having a coach say, hey, this is what you need to do, and I'm going to hold you accountable on a weekly basis to do it. All you've got to do is check in and do the work. That's the coolest part about having someone who holds you accountable along the way. And I love that you recognize that, hey, first year down, second year down, I'm still learning these things. Because you have to rewrite the narratives of what you thought you were trying to do beforehand, or what you grew up with around eating right or working out. But there's so much more depth to it. It's like, oh, I was eating healthy, but I wasn't eating enough, which is a different perspective to look at it that way.

I actually want to unpack that a little bit with you. You were active, you were fit, you did all the sports, but you weren't eating enough. What did that look like on a day-to-day basis for you?

Jodi: Back then or now?

Nikkiey: Back then.

Jodi: Back then I would have a protein shake for breakfast and then I wouldn't have anything. I would have my lunch and maybe a little snack and then dinner, but it wasn't enough. I wasn't incorporating enough of the stuff that I probably should have. I had no clue how to fuel my body before I worked out. I didn't understand that you can eat carbs before and after. I had no idea to do any of that stuff. At one point in another program they gave me some macros, but I had no idea what that meant. So I'd just put the stuff in MyFitnessPal and hope for the best. I didn't truly understand it. So yeah, you need X amount of fat, but what kind of fats do you need? What kind of proteins? What kind of carbs? You always think carbs are the enemy, and they're really not, is what I've learned. I actually love my carbs now.

Nikkiey: I love to hear that, because carbs are really important for the types of goals that you want to get after. So what I'm hearing is that the programs you tried before were more like, hey, here's your plan. But there wasn't the education or the knowledge behind what they were giving you, so that you feel confident you can execute, like why you need to eat more food and why you need to do this type of workout. Is that what I'm hearing?

Jodi: Oh, absolutely. It was the education. You can pick up any app in the world and go to the gym and do your workout, but that doesn't mean it's going to work. It doesn't mean you know why you're doing it, or why you're eating that way. WarriorBabe has shown me, and my coach is amazing. I love her. She answers my questions. She helps me physically, mentally, the whole thing. She's taught me so much. Even to the point that just a couple of weeks ago I finished a six-month certification with Cornell in healthy living and nutrition. It was more for me. And what was great about it is everything she's been teaching me, and your podcast has been teaching me, was reiterated in this course. I was doing my assignments and saying, oh my God, I know this. I don't even have to do the research. This is what I'm living every single day. So it's really given me a better understanding of what I need to do and why I need to do it, and how to share that.

Nikkiey: Love that. You've had the experience of it, but now you're gaining the deeper knowledge on it. And then you're able to go and spread the word, which you're already doing, which is super cool.

Jodi: Oh, it's great. A friend just texted me today and said, if you were going to eat lentils, would you put that as a carb or a protein? And I said, well, it's actually both. People are now reaching out to me. They're like, oh, something's working for you. What are you doing? And I love it. It's really become such a big part of my life.

Nikkiey: I love that. I want to go down the path of you losing your sister and your parents. How did that impact your mindset around health and longevity for yourself?

Jodi: It's a terrifying thing. My mom was 62. My father was 61. And my sister passed away almost two years ago at 56. That's the one that hit me the hardest, because I'm 54 now. At that point, I was like, wait a minute. If that happened to three of my five family members, and I have two sisters, what's to say I'm not next? You don't know. And then you hear, oh, you're so healthy, don't worry about it. But you still can't help it. You're faced with your own mortality.

I have a 22-year-old son. I have a 26-year-old daughter who just got married. And I was like, you know what? I don't want them to ever experience what I went through. Whatever I can do to make myself healthy. Obviously certain things are not preventable, like a disease or whatnot. But whatever I can do to build my system, my immunity, everything, to make my life a little bit better and be there for them, be there for my future grandkids. That really was a big drive, unfortunately.

Losing a sibling is awful. It's a horrible thing, and it really affects you mentally and physically. I know a lot of people that would have just said, okay, screw it. I'm not going to do anything. I'm depressed. I'm just going to sit there. And I kind of took the opposite approach. I'm going to take this and I'm going to prove that it's not going to happen to me. I am going to be that person who, hopefully, my kids will have their kids and I'll meet their grandkids. You know what I'm saying? So I took it as an opportunity to better myself. Because again, you can't put a price on health. You really can't. At the end of the day, that's what you have.

And it hasn't always been easy. I'm not going to lie to you. My kids are like, I don't understand. You don't want to drink. You don't want to do this. You want to do that. And I was like, just let me be me. Let me do this for me. Respect me for it and just accept it. I'm not asking your permission. You just need to understand where I'm coming from. And I think they're finally all starting to see that, because of all the loss and all the hardships that we've had, I'm doing it for them and for me. Mostly for me, but for them secondly.

Nikkiey: I love that they're finally starting to see that, because that is a horrible, sad stage of your life. I'm so sorry that you went through that, but it seems like you turned it into a positive. Would you say that was the moment that you realized things needed to change?

Jodi: It was, yes. After that all happened, especially with my sister, that's when I really started to go into perimenopause, and my sister died of ovarian cancer. So that was very scary. I was like, wait a minute, that's really the next stage for me. Is this going to happen to me too? She really didn't take care of herself. So in the back of my mind, I said, well, what if she had eaten healthy? What if she had worked out? Would it have changed the outcome? The outcome may have been the same, but maybe the suffering and the time would have been different. So I felt like I had the power to change and the capability to do it. So why not try? If you don't try, you're not going to find out.

Nikkiey: A hundred percent. Your perspective is spot on. I love that for you. Okay, let's go into the podcast. What stuck out the most about the podcast when you were listening to it?

Jodi: The first one I listened to was the one you did on fat loss versus weight loss. And it was like, wow, this is the truth. Then I literally listened to every single one of your podcasts, and listening to you talk, I was like, wow, this really is true. It's not that difficult. I feel like people overthink it and try to do too much. Like, I'm going to drink this shake and I'm going to eat this meal and I'm going to order this. It doesn't have to be that difficult.

I listened to yours the other day with Caleb. That was amazing. I didn't want to get out of the car. I was home, but I just sat in the driveway. I replayed that one three times, and I don't typically play back podcasts. It was amazing. At one point we were on vacation, I was driving to visit my sister, and the whole three hours was just podcast after podcast, because there's so much to be gained, so much knowledge, and so much of it is relatable. I listen to some podcasts and I'm like, okay, this is just above my head. They get very scientific about this or that. This is really like, oh, I understand this and I can apply this. And it makes you want to listen more and learn from it and take from it, which I think is the most important thing for me. I go back and listen to some of them again if they really resonate with me.

Nikkiey: Love that. And it was from the podcast that you joined WarriorBabe?

Jodi: It was, yep. I think I probably listened for about two weeks. One of them said, if you're interested, click on the link. So I thought, hmm, okay. So I tried it. I remember I was in the car and someone called me and I was like, oh, I don't know. They were explaining it, and I said, okay, I'll sign up for the call the next day. I did some more research and then I had my call, and I was like, you know what? I'm doing it. It's time for me. I've spent all this time getting my kids through school and through this and through that. And now it's time for me to take my life.

Nikkiey: Any hesitations? Any skepticism?

Jodi: I wasn't sure. I was like, hmm, is it really going to work? Financially, it's a lot to lay out at once. I went back and forth a couple of nights thinking maybe I shouldn't have done it. But once I got on my first call with my coach, and whoever did the pairing did it perfectly, I never looked back.

A friend of mine actually called me and asked me about it, because I guess she saw me asking a question on the WarriorBabe page. She said, I don't want to spend the money and this and that. And I said, you should. I'm telling you, it was so worth it. I truly believe if you're paired with the right coach, it makes a difference. Annie has helped me both physically and mentally. She's really helped my mental game a lot. She walks me off the ledge, because I'm hyper-focused on the scale. I'm getting better.

Nikkiey: Ladies, are you feeling frustrated with 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. At WarriorBabe, 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.

Nikkiey: Oh, I just recorded a podcast for you today, then. It'll come out on Friday.

Jodi: All right, I'll be listening. Because I get on the scale and I'm like, wait a minute, why did I gain so much weight? A pound or two overnight. And then I'm learning: I didn't sleep. I haven't gone to the bathroom. Or I had maybe some salt last night, not enough water. So I'm starting to have a healthier relationship with the scale as well.

Nikkiey: I love that so much for you, because it's not the be-all of your whole story. It's a tool. It's a data point.

Jodi: Yeah. It's unlearning. I'm learning more that it's the way my clothes are fitting me, that kind of stuff. How I look in the mirror. How I look in a bathing suit. My pictures. When I look back at my pictures from now to day one, it's mind-blowing. I thought I looked good back then, and I probably looked okay, but when I look at how I look now, for the first time I'm like, I feel good. I look good.

Nikkiey: You feel more confident in your skin.

Jodi: I do. I feel so much more confident in my skin. Like I said, my daughter got married in December and I wore a dress I probably wouldn't normally have worn. It was cut. My arms, my shoulders. I looked good.

Nikkiey: I know you talked about that last time, and you mentioned it in the bio as well. Why do you think that was so hard for you? Because you said, I want to look incredible.

Jodi: I think because I never felt that way. I would always look at myself and think, yeah, I look okay. But I had some friends who were really cut and defined, and my arms were always my thing. I always wanted to look defined and cut, really for myself. It wasn't about what other people would think. I wanted to feel good for me and look good. And with the wedding, I worked so hard. So when I got there and my son saw me, he goes, shit, mom, you're ripped. He's like, oh my God. For your 22-year-old son to say, shit, you're ripped, mom, that was such a great feeling. To some people that's nothing. To me, that meant a lot.

Nikkiey: Heck yeah. It's that external validation of the hard work that you're putting in, which is incredible.

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 take us through the first couple of months with WarriorBabe, because you weren't eating enough. And then your coach had you do the retrain process, right?

Jodi: Yes, I did. I was in a retrain for a few months, and that was really difficult at first, because I didn't understand it. But I responded really fast to the retrain. I didn't realize that I wasn't eating enough. I wasn't drinking enough. I wasn't eating the right foods. You always think less is better, but it's not. I learned that less is not more in this case. You need to fuel your body the right way. So I started eating healthier. I started reading labels and scanning stuff. And it was amazing. Some of the stuff that I thought was good for me really wasn't.

Nikkiey: Like what?

Jodi: Certain kinds of breads. I'd think, okay, this is healthy, it's a whole grain bread, but maybe that's not really the right one. There's more stuff in it. So I tried to find more fruits, more vegetables, a lot more protein. I never ate oatmeal before. Now I eat oatmeal. I've learned I'm a very picky eater, so I'm starting to incorporate more, and learning when to eat it. That was huge too.

I grew up with dinner being your vegetables, your protein, and rice or potatoes or whatever. Now I really don't eat that type of carb at dinner anymore. Usually lunch, depending on when I work out, is when I have my best carbs. Vegetables or salad will be my nighttime carb. I try to stay away from the potatoes and the starches at night because they weren't sitting well, and I try to get them in when I'm more active. I just never understood the timing of food, what to pair with what. So that was a big challenge for me, a big struggle with this whole process. It was frustrating learning how to balance it all out. But I got there.

Nikkiey: You did. How much food were you eating at the top of your retrain?

Jodi: I think at one point I was close to 1,500 calories.

Nikkiey: Wow.

Jodi: Yeah. And now I'm just about at maintenance. We just upped it a little bit, so I think I'm at about 130 carbs and 50 fats, which I was like, oh God, I don't know if I could do that. But again, making the right food choices, it all fits like a little puzzle.

One thing I've learned too is I don't do it that day. I plan it. I'll sit on the couch at night as we're watching TV and I'll ask, what do you want for dinner? And he's like, really? We just finished dinner. But we need to figure out what we're having tomorrow night so I can plan my day. By planning my day and figuring out what time I'm going to work out, that helps me keep myself very structured.

Nikkiey: Love that. You should always plan the day before for the next day.

Jodi: Yes. And I've gotten to the point where if we go out to dinner, I'll look at the menu first and say, I think this is what I'm going to have. If they say it's just plain grilled chicken, I'm going to put in some extra fat, because I know if they're doing something with it, it doesn't taste the same as my grilled chicken. So I try to compensate. I don't know exactly what it is, but I always try to play around with it so that it fits.

Nikkiey: How about training? What does training look like now compared to before?

Jodi: I work out five days a week. Before, I'd done Orange Theory, I did all that kind of stuff. Now I'm doing a leg day, then maybe an upper push, then another leg day, maybe one on quads and one on hamstrings. I didn't really understand how you had to break up the exercises for the different body parts. I just thought I'd walk through all the machines and do a circuit and I'd be great. But now focusing on each part of the body on different days is helping me, because I'm feeling it more. I'm definitely seeing more of a change because of that. I usually do five days in a row, but if I can't, I'll just move it. I don't really work out on the weekends that much, but if I can't work out tomorrow, let's say, then I'll push it to Saturday, depending on my schedule.

Nikkiey: Love that, because you have seven days in the week. You can move your two rest days wherever you need to if you don't get Monday through Friday in.

Jodi: Right. And I also play tennis usually two to three days a week on top of that. My friends are like, what do you mean you're going to the gym and you play tennis? And I'm like, that's not exercise.

Nikkiey: Yeah, I feel the same way. I play in a women's basketball league on Monday nights, but I still need to get my strength training in. It's just not exercise to me.

Jodi: And I love the gym. I absolutely love going there. It's my happy place. If I don't go, I just don't feel great. If I'm in a really bad mood, my husband and my kids will be like, did you go to the gym tonight, mom? Isn't that crazy? You can really see the difference in me now. I wasn't always like that. But now if I'm in a bad mood, just going to the gym and getting that little workout helps. Someone even said to me at the gym the other day, because I was in between sets dancing around to my music, wow, you're so happy to work out. I wasn't always like that. It's just become a part of my life now.

Nikkiey: Yeah. You get to work out. You don't have to work out.

Jodi: Right, exactly. It's a mindset everybody should have around it. I have friends that say, well, I have to go to the gym, I hate it. And I'm like, I love it. It's my thing to do.

Nikkiey: Yeah, totally. It makes you feel so much better. It makes you feel like you accomplished something hard in the day when you put yourself under that type of stress of a workout, in a good way.

Jodi: Yeah. I put my headphones on and it's my way of tuning out the rest of the world, what's going on at work or this or that. It's my hour for me.

Nikkiey: For sure. Love that. So important. From Orange Theory and all the other things you've tried, the different diet programs, what do you feel makes WarriorBabe different from those other approaches?

Jodi: I think it's the one-on-one, personally. Orange Theory was great initially, but there were too many people. It was do these exercises as fast as you can, get on the rower and do as many rows as you can in a minute. So your form isn't right, and you just don't know what to do. Everybody's doing the same thing, and it may not be what you need. I feel like my workouts are tailored to exactly what I need, to my goals. And the fact that my coach changes them every month when I need it is great too. Every month I'm so excited. I can't wait to see what's in store for me. It's like your own personal trainer. It really is. And I have the videos on there to show me the form. Every workout she's given me has been amazing, and I love the variety more than anything.

Nikkiey: To that point, it just popped in my head. You said it's like your own personal trainer. What would you say to someone who says, oh, I just need to train in person with someone, versus the experience you're getting online?

Jodi: People have said that to me. Truthfully, I think I get more from being online. I see some of these people at the gym with their trainers, and yeah, they're working with them, but they're talking. They're having full-on conversations about their daughter and cheerleading and this and that.

Nikkiey: I know. I see that all the time.

Jodi: And because you're connected through the app, if I'm at the gym and I don't understand something or have a question, I'll just shoot her a message, and her response time is usually amazing. So it is kind of like I have somebody there. I personally think it's the greatest thing in the world. I don't need somebody right on top of me.

That's another thing. When people say, oh, it's so expensive, I say, no, it's really not. Where I live, we have a gym with trainers, and the trainers are between 90 and 100 dollars an hour. Do you want to do that five days a week? Some of the Lifetime ones are like 180. So you have that, and then you have someone giving you all your nutrition, and then your team huddles and your calls with your coach. You can't put a price on it, but I think it's absolutely worth it for everything you're getting. And online is so much better because you can take it anywhere you go. I bring it on vacation with me. If I'm in a hotel traveling for work, I bring it with me. I don't need my personal trainer in person because I have it. It's always there.

Nikkiey: I love that you pointed out the one-on-ones and all the other things you get with the program, the huddles, the community calls. Some people look at the cost of the program and think, oh, it's just training and nutrition. But they forget the value of the accountability that comes along with making a successful program actually work.

Jodi: Agreed. That accountability is huge. And for example, all the women in our group, we don't know each other, but the support that we have for each other is amazing. You're vulnerable and you're okay sharing with people, and you're not judged, because these people don't know you. Some of the stuff I say about my insecurities, I put something in the group and we start talking. It's not that my friends wouldn't understand, but I feel like these women aren't judging me because they don't know me. We've never met. We have our bi-weekly call, so we're really starting to get to know each other and share stuff, which is huge. You need that group. It helps you get through. If someone's frustrated, someone complains about the scale, or I can't work out for this reason, or I don't know what to eat, we're sharing recipes. We share foods that we found. It's invaluable.

Nikkiey: I love that.

Jodi: It really is. What I've learned in this whole thing is it's not just food. It's not just working out. It's mental. It's a whole package. And when you put the whole package together, it's amazing. I'm truly so thankful that I found it. I can't even tell you.

Nikkiey: Yay. I'm so glad you stumbled across the podcast. Okay, let's talk about your accomplishments. Since joining WarriorBabe, where are you now in your journey, and what are some of the top accomplishments you've had?

Jodi: Right now I'm in maintenance. The next step will be a cut. I'm still learning a lot of stuff, obviously. My main accomplishment, I think, is really just sticking with the program. It would have been easy to say, I don't want to do this. And learning to ask the questions, something I've never done before: why am I doing it this way? What is this? And relying on other people. That's very hard. I'm not that person. So to me, that vulnerability is a huge accomplishment, being okay with saying, here are my pictures, and showing them to people.

Nikkiey: It is huge.

Jodi: Physically, I look better at 54 than I did at 21. I feel better. From that perspective, that's huge. I'm eating healthier. I'm eating more than I've ever eaten, in terms of variety and food. And just having something of my own. This is all for me. That's an accomplishment, being able to say to everybody else in my world, great, I'm still here for you, but I'm doing something for me.

Nikkiey: Which is still positively impacting those around you, because you mentioned your son lost 40 pounds, right? From what you're learning and what you're teaching him. How does that make you feel?

Jodi: It makes me feel amazing. He's at school, and he'll call me and say, I'm about to eat, what should I do? Should I do this? Or he'll call me from the gym and say, I'm hitting legs today, what do you think about this exercise? And I'm like, wow, he's a 22-year-old kid calling his mom for this stuff.

Nikkiey: 40 pounds, Jodi. What you've done for yourself in your journey is helping others. It's helping your family.

Jodi: And that's the thing. This has made me want to do more. I want to take this, and I don't know what my next steps are going to be with it. But I took that certification and I have this whole new thirst for knowledge. I want to do something at this stage of my life. What can I do with it? So that's really my challenge right now, in a good way, figuring out what I'm going to do.

Nikkiey: It doesn't end here. Just start working with people, get those testimonials, get those life-changing stories. That's your first step. Keep helping them as much as you can. I love that. How do you think WarriorBabe has changed your life outside of just fitness? How has it changed your entire lifestyle?

Jodi: It's made me more confident. It's made me more aware. It's definitely helped my insecurities and my mental strength. And it's made me put a lot of stuff in perspective, even just watching some of your testimonials and listening to some of the stories. You realize you need to hear this kind of stuff to better yourself as a person, and that you're not alone out there. Everybody has something. You can look at someone and it looks like they have the perfect world, the perfect life, but that's not the case. You've got to work to get to what your perfect is. I don't know if I'll ever get there, but I feel like I'm working towards bettering myself, and I'm happier than I've ever been.

Feeling good, looking good, the mental aspect, it helps everything, including relationships with people. My husband is a hundred percent supportive, which is great. At first he didn't fully understand what I was doing either, but now he totally gets it. He's on board and he eats the way that I eat. He even goes to the gym with me some days. It's given me a new lease on life, truly. It's changed my life. I could have gone on the way I was and I would have been fine, but I didn't realize what was missing, if that makes sense. And there was something missing. So I guess maybe I was searching for something, I stumbled across it, and there you go.

Nikkiey: That's God's work right there. You were searching for something. You felt like something was missing. You were trying to find the answers. And then all of a sudden you stumbled across a podcast, which led you down this journey of your own personal transformation, both in confidence and in the knowledge of fitness and nutrition. And now you're taking it to help other people. That's a full circle moment right there. I'm so proud of everything that you've accomplished. It's huge.

Jodi: It is. Like I said, I am proud of myself. I feel great. And trust me, I still have work to do. There's a lot more that I want to do and I want to learn, and I know I can do it. I'm going to get there.

Nikkiey: Heck yeah. What are the goals you want to accomplish in your cut?

Jodi: I'm not really sure yet. It's a good question.

Nikkiey: Will this be your first one? You went through retrain, then maintenance, and now you're going into your cut. Okay, that's super exciting. You're going to get to see how your body responds to it, and that'll be a whole other learning curve.

Jodi: And that's what's so exciting about it, because I have no idea what it's going to be like. I have no clue. It'll be interesting to see. Like I said, it's fun to see the muscles popping out of my legs now, or this or that. I want to get there at 54.

Nikkiey: Did you think you'd be able to get there at 54?

Jodi: No. Isn't that crazy? Because I was busy listening to everybody telling me you're going to start looking like a pear, you're going to get the big pouch and this and that. And it's like, no, no, no, not going to happen.

Nikkiey: Good job not listening to those opinions. It's very easy to listen to them.

Jodi: I have some friends that are older, and they're like, oh, you wait, just wait and see. And I'm like, nope, not going to happen.

Nikkiey: Everyone's like, your doom years are ahead of you. The one that makes me feel the saddest is when people say they feel like a stranger in their body when they hit menopause or perimenopause. They have no idea, and then they accept what the doctors and people say, that this is just what happens and get used to it.

Jodi: And that's something I won't do. I used to do that. I have a lot of friends that are going on hormones and this and that, and I'm not doing any of that. I even got off anxiety medicine I was on for years.

Nikkiey: Wow.

Jodi: I got off all of that stuff. I do everything naturally now, vitamins and so on. We did the testing, Dr. Cabral's testing, and my cortisol was low. So I'm on supplements for the cortisol and this and that, all the vitamins and supplements. That's all I take now.

Nikkiey: Love that. Let's go.

Jodi: I don't want to put anything in my body. I don't want to do hormones. I don't want to do any of this. I'm going to try to do this as naturally as I can.

Nikkiey: Yeah, definitely do it as naturally as you can. And then if it's ever needed, HRT has taken on a good reputation in this space. It's getting a lot more traction in terms of positivity around it, but only if you need it. So you should be proud of yourself for taking the natural steps first, until you need to figure out potentially what's next.

For anybody listening right now who's maybe afraid to take their next step, what would you tell them about how WarriorBabe could make a positive impact on their life?

Jodi: I would say take the step, take the plunge. Again, if they're concerned about the cost, you can't put a price on your health. It will change you in ways that you didn't realize you needed to change. If you're looking at it and saying, oh, it's a workout program, it's this or that, it is so much more. It's doing something for you. You would do it for someone else, right? If your child needed something, you would do it for them. If your husband or your partner needed something, you would do it for them. You've got to be a little bit selfish. My dad used to say, you've got to look out for number one, because if you don't, nobody else will.

Nikkiey: Heck yeah.

Jodi: Literally, if you're thinking about this program, do it. Honestly, it's game changing. It really is.

Nikkiey: Thank you. I'm so grateful that you trusted in us at the beginning and now you're here.

Jodi: Well, I thank you. I tell everyone I can about it.

Nikkiey: I love that. And for everyone listening, you just heard Jodi's story, and it shows that transformation is not just about weight loss, or fat loss. It's about knowledge. It's about gaining confidence. It's about stepping into your power. Jodi, you stepped into your power, you're thriving through this journey, and now it's positively impacting other people in your space, your friends, your son. You wanted to be there for your family, and in the process you found a strength you never expected. So everyone listening, if you're ready to take control of your health, if you're ready for that sign, this could be your sign after listening to Jodi's story. Start today and see how far you can go. Thank you so much for sharing your story, Jodi. I know it's going to positively impact at least one person who listens to this, and potentially their whole life could change from that. So thank you.

Jodi: Thank you.

Nikkiey: 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, so much for your support.