How a Busy Mom Lost 85 Pounds Without Cutting Carbs

Nikkiey: Real quick, the only ask I could ever have of you guys is to help spread the word so we can help more women lose body fat, build muscle, reach their goals, and feel insanely confident. And the only way we can do that is if you rate, review, and share this podcast. So the single thing I ask you to do is leave a review. It will take you 10 seconds, and it will mean the absolute world to me and may change the world of someone else.

Marie: You're going to have slips and things like that. You're going to have periods of time when you have these great surges, you're doing great, and then you fall again. And that's okay. The idea, though, is that you keep going and that you learn from it. And that's kind of where I'm at with the mindset. I'm really changing that, because mindset happens when you start to see yourself differently and identify yourself differently. And I'm starting to see myself as a WarriorBabe.

Nikkiey: In the time of Marie being a WarriorBabe, she's lost, up to this point, 85 pounds. So she started around 315...

Marie: 314, yeah.

Nikkiey: And 85 pounds down. And guys, I'm going to have Marie elaborate more on her story because it's so amazing coming from her, but she is a busy, busy, busy, like a whole new level of busy, mom of two sets of twins, four years and younger.

Marie: My boys are four. My girls are two. It's fun.

Nikkiey: So if you have been living with the good old 'I don't have enough time' excuse, let Marie be a new standard for you all, seriously. Marie is going to drop some insane value and insight today, as she has done such an incredible job both mentally and physically so far. She's still got a lot of room to go, and she's totally aware of that, but up to this point she's made incredible progress. So she's going to share a lot of value with you guys. So everybody, let's welcome Marie. I am so excited to have you.

Marie: Thanks, Nikkiey. I'm super excited to do this because, like I said to you, I was shocked that you asked me. I was like, I'm not ready, though. And you pointed out that I have made a significant amount of progress. So yeah, let's do it. Let's talk about it.

Nikkiey: All right, cool, babe. So let's give everybody a little background on you: how old you are, your occupation. And when you guys hear the occupation, you'll be like, she's got two sets of twins and she does that? You're really going to re-question your...

Marie: Yeah, so I am 39. I'll be the big 4-0 in July, so that's a big milestone. Like you mentioned, I have two sets of twins. The boys are four and the girls are two. And that has been complete chaos, but beautiful chaos, as they say. And I am also a full-time psychiatrist. I am the medical director for my department for my company. So I see patients, and I'm the head of the emergency department for psychiatry and also consultation liaison psychiatry. So it's pretty busy.

Nikkiey: Yeah, very, very. So give us a rundown of how long you've been in the fitness world.

Marie: It's varied, let's put it that way. I grew up playing three sports: tennis, basketball, softball. That's what I did. So during that time, I would lift, I went to practice, things like that. But I was never what I would call a gym rat or anything like that. I just really enjoyed playing sports. Post-college, you have med school, you have residency, you have life, all that stuff. And honestly, my health just went down, because I unfortunately had other priorities at the time, and I did not make that a priority for myself. And then I had the twins and everything. During that time, I didn't really focus on any sort of exercising. I just wanted the quick fix. If I do my diet, if I clean it up or something like that, the weight will come off or I'll be able to manage it. And so I've tried probably almost everything they have under the sun.

And it really wasn't until May of last year, when one of my husband's good friends that he works with... she is buff. You should see her muscles. We're good friends on Facebook, and she actually follows you. And so that's kind of how I stumbled across WarriorBabe. I'm like, who's this Nikkiey Stott girl? She looks awesome. And then I discovered the WarriorBabe community, and that's kind of what happened here. And I got back into fitness. I remember I really enjoyed lifting when I was doing that for sports. I'm not a big runner. I don't like it. But surprisingly, I'm starting to enjoy jogging a little bit more now. And I've really started to identify myself as somebody who is not just an athlete who plays sports, but somebody who is into fitness now. So I got away from it for a really long time, but I'm back. I love it.

Nikkiey: So to that point, when May 2020 hit last year, what were you doing before you found WarriorBabe? You touched on having tried everything under the sun. What were some of the things you were doing?

Marie: Oh, yeah. Largely for the last 15 years of my life, I have dabbled on and off, primarily with low-carb diets. So Atkins, keto, Ideal Protein, name it, that's what I did. The reason why I did those is because food wasn't really limited. You just have to stay away from a certain food. And if you can stay away from that, you can eat as much as you want of everything else. That's going to be a theme for me, you will notice, throughout this interview: quantity of food. And so that's why I always gravitated to those things. And I did lose weight temporarily, but the moment you shove a carb in your mouth, that's when it would all come back. And it was just a roller coaster for me. And I couldn't stop. And then I would fall off the wagon, and I'd say, meh. And then a few months later, I would try again.

I also did Weight Watchers for a hot couple of months, because I was like, oh, that's something different. And I did lose weight. But I felt so fluffy. I lost the weight, but it wasn't fat. A lot of it was muscle. I was flabby and not toned, and I really did not enjoy that. So after that, I went back to all these higher-protein, low-carb diets. And I found myself up to 316 pounds after having both sets of twins and nursing. I was eating like 4,000 calories a day just to produce enough milk for these kids. So I wasn't losing baby weight. Plus, I was still gaining weight to nurse these babies. And I nursed both sets of twins for a year each. So that's how I found myself where I was. And I just couldn't take it anymore.

Nikkiey: What was that trigger point? Were you like, all right, I've got to do something?

Marie: I saw a picture of myself. When I look back now at my beginning photos... nobody ever wants to take those beginning photos, because you're like, oh, that's not what I want to look like. And everyone says you just have to do it, because when you compare the progress, you're going to be amazed. And that is true. But I saw a photo of myself that somebody took, and I didn't even recognize that person. I had no idea what I actually looked like. I don't have a full-length mirror in my house for a reason. So I would just be looking at myself from here up all the time. And then I saw this photo, and I was like, something has to change. Because being a doctor, I know that I am on this road to a life of eventually developing type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure and all that stuff. And I thought to myself, is my only chance going to be bariatric surgery? Is that going to be my only chance? And it turns out no, WarriorBabe was the answer for me.

Nikkiey: So show your mug really quick. Share your coffee mug.

Marie: Oh, so my nanny got this for me for Christmas. It says, wait, let's see, 'Wake up and be awesome.' As you can tell, for me, coffee is life with the life that I lead. So this coffee mug is quite large. But every day I wake up and I try to be awesome. That's what it comes down to.

Nikkiey: Yes, I love it. Let's talk about your results. Dive a little bit more into what you've achieved and how you achieved it, because it has not been easy. And you have, what, two, four, six, eight little feet running around your home on a daily basis.

Marie: Well, 12 if you include our one-year-old puppy, because we're just gluttons for punishment for some reason.

Nikkiey: That's right, you got him in the middle of your...

Marie: Oh, yeah. A couple of months after I joined WarriorBabe, we're like, oh, getting a puppy, why not? But let me tell you something, he's loving the extra cardio that you gave me recently. I'll tell you that.

Nikkiey: Awesome.

Marie: Oh, gosh, the journey hasn't been easy. In the beginning, just like everything else that I did, you're gung-ho. You're motivated. You're like, I got this. And so I joined just the WarriorBabe community. And I only did the first two weeks in the community in terms of getting those starter emails, and those were really motivating for me. I didn't start exercising. I'm like, I'll start the exercises a little bit later, after these emails, because honestly, I was a little scared of it. I'm going to be honest: am I going to be able to do these things? And I was tracking macros. And it was literally just two weeks in that they opened up slots for VIP. And one of the things you had mentioned in your emails was to get an accountability partner. So I found one. And she was like, oh, I think I'm going to go for VIP. And I was like, am I ready for that? Are they going to take me? These thoughts are running through my head. And so I was like, yeah, let me check this out. Let me see what it's like. Because, Marie, what you've been doing in your life, trying to do it on your own, obviously has not been working. I kind of needed a good kick in the ass. So I thought, let me see what VIP is about. And I had my first call with Raven, and then I met with you. And I was like, oh, okay, there's a lot of support here. Maybe this is what I need, because I've never had that, other than going to Weight Watchers meetings. But that's a whole other story. I never had that other support.

So I started with VIP, and I will never forget those first workouts you gave me. They were all bodyweight workouts, and I wanted to literally die. I really did. I had my neighbor's daughter, who's like six years younger than me but in much better shape than me, do them with me. And she was like, oh my God, I don't think I'm going to make this. We really wanted to die. But I needed that extra support there to say, come on, Marie, let's go do this. And I did. And as sweaty as I was, and as disgusting as I was afterwards, and as much as I really felt like I wasn't going to be able to get up and walk, I still just did it. Because at the end of the day, I knew, oh crap, on Sunday I'm going to have to meet with Nikkiey and the other women in my group, and they're going to be like...

So I just kind of did that and stuck with the macros. In the beginning, it was really easy for me. And I think the first really big bump in the road for mindset came in July, when I was like, hey, Nikkiey, remember those cheat meals everyone's talking about? When do I get one? And you're like, sure, I'll give you one, why not? And I was shocked that you gave me one. I was like, oh, okay, let's see how this goes.

Nikkiey: Ask and you shall receive.

Marie: I know. I was like, thank you. I remember you made a comment to me, because I was scared. I have this habit of binging and then not getting back on track, and I didn't want that to happen again. And you said to me, well, let's deal with this now rather than later. I was like, okay, let's try it. So I remember doing that first meal, and it was glorious. It was wonderful. I remember exactly what I had: Japanese hibachi with some sushi, and it was phenomenal. It was a Saturday night, and we had our group call on Sunday. The next day I got up and I went right back on my macros. And what I think really helped me is planning all that stuff, making sure that I'm logging my food so I don't have to think about it. The more I think about food, the more I want to start to cheat or start to slip, and it just becomes too much of a focus at my forefront. And that's not what I need. I kind of just need to go through the motions. Yeah, you put a little bit of thinking into it, but I need to go through the motions and just do. Because once I get thinking, forget it, it's all over.

Nikkiey: Yeah. So many women struggle with that cheat meal, and then the next day it turns into two meals. You woke up and you had your meal, and now it's back to the game.

Marie: Right. So that was a huge win for me, because I remember that was in the middle of July, and just the fact that I was back there and I showed up to the call in the program and I was right back on track. I'm like, holy crap, I've never done this before, because this normally would turn into a cheat week. So that was huge. And then I've still had bumps in the road.

Nikkiey: Well, yeah. So you've lost 85 pounds, but we can even talk a little bit about how the 80 pounds was in the first eight months.

Marie: Yep.

Nikkiey: And these last two months, you got COVID, the family was sick. This is where people are like, nope, I'm out, and then they go back to old habits and everything. Touch on that, because you had the bumps, but you're back at it.

Marie: Well, you always say progress is not linear, and you are absolutely correct. It's not. It goes up and down and up and down and up and down like this, but the idea is that the average continues in a straight line. That's the point. And so what I had to do is work a lot on my mindset in terms of that scale and what that scale means. For me, I don't feel like I'm your average WarriorBabe, because a lot of these women don't have nearly as much weight to lose, and a lot of them are focused on building muscle and things like that. So I don't feel like I'm your average person, and the scale does mean more in my journey because of that. But I can't get too focused on it. So for a long time, what I had to do is step on the scale on Saturdays for my check-in, and that was it. Whatever happened had happened.

What I've been working on lately, over the past month or so, is really: well, Marie, what does that number mean? Does it mean that you're a crappy mom because of that number? No. Does it mean that you're a good doctor or a bad doctor because of it? No. So why does it have so much meaning to you? And so what I've started to learn is to use it. I actually weigh myself every day now, because I don't want to be afraid of the scale. And I use that number to say to myself, oh, hey, that's how this food affected me last night. Or for instance, this past Sunday in our call, when I was like, oh, well, Nikkiey, sometimes I turn post-check-in cheat meals into half cheat days...

Nikkiey: The honesty came out.

Marie: Yes, the honesty came out. I mean, when you've been on this journey for so long, stuff like that does happen. But what I started to do was use the scale to say, Marie, that's how that behavior affected you. You ended up gaining four and a half pounds. Granted, it's water weight. But you ended up gaining four and a half pounds the day after you turned your cheat meal into two cheat meals after your check-in. Typically I would beat myself up about that, but I'm just trying to look at it objectively and say, okay, this is information I can now use. So the next time I face my cheat meal on Saturday night, I say, hey, Marie, what happened last week? Oh, you didn't lose as much weight this week because you had the second cheat meal on the same day. So is that something you want to do?

You're going to have slips and things like that. You're going to have periods of time when you have these great surges, you're doing great, and then you fall again. And that's okay. The idea, though, is that you keep going and that you learn from it. And that's where I'm at with the mindset, really changing that, because mindset happens when you start to see yourself differently and identify yourself differently. And I'm starting to see myself as a WarriorBabe. Because I look at you and I'm like, oh, look at Nikkiey. She's amazing. And now I'm starting to see myself as, oh, I'm like that too.

Nikkiey: That's so amazing. And mentally, physically, you're going to get to that goal. I cannot wait. This is Marie 1.0. Wait till we get to Marie 2.0, when we lose the big poundage and reveal more of the muscle you've got underneath from all your athletic years. That's going to be Marie 2.0.

Marie: And then we'll do Marie 3.0. I don't even know what comes next after that. But I'm just focusing on this year. When I started, I said, Nikkiey, I'm going to be realistic. I will dedicate two years of my life to you. So that's the journey we're on right now.

Nikkiey: That's amazing, babe. I love it. And you're giving it your all, so I can't wait to see what the end of those two years looks like.

Marie: Oh, me too.

Nikkiey: So I want to touch on time. How do you find the time? The pictures of the boys... they're out in the snow, bundled up, and you're doing cables. I love the cables, by the way.

Marie: Oh, geez. Yeah, so time. One thing that I have learned being a mom of two sets of twins and having my life is that you have to be flexible. If you can't roll with the punches, you're not going to survive. That's what it comes down to. And my career has helped me with that, because that's how my career is. In the emergency department, you never know what's rolling in. You never know what you're going to see. You never know what you're going to get. And that's just kind of how I live my life. I have an idea. I have a plan. But I can't get bogged down in those minor details.

So one, the meal prepping has really helped me. I do a lot of meal prepping on Sunday, and then usually Wednesday evenings I'll add some more stuff in. That's been a huge help for me. I just put it in big containers and throw it in the refrigerator, and then I take it out the next day. I work from home, so I don't have to put it in little packages. When it comes to my workouts, honestly, two days a week I work in the evenings, so I have my nanny come a couple of hours early on those two days so I can get my workouts in. I work out from home, so instead of a gym membership, I'm using that money to pay someone else to be with my kids so I can work out. I do workouts four days a week. On the other days, I have to say, my husband is so incredibly supportive, and that's really what it comes down to. I have such good help around me. He knows that this is what I want to do and this is my goal, so he's going to make it happen. So oftentimes it'll be after work, when he's home with the kids. But I incorporate the kids into my workouts pretty much.

Nikkiey: 'Boys, come here and let me impress you.'

Marie: Yeah, well, Andrew's favorite exercise of all time is burpees. This is from when I started in the beginning, when I was doing one of the HIIT sessions. And he's like, Mommy, let's do burpees. I'm like, no, I don't want to. Why do you want to do this? But I have small dumbbells for them, and they will lie down next to me and do the workouts that I'm doing too. And they do crawl on me. Does it make for the perfect workout? No, it absolutely doesn't make for the perfect workout, but I make it work for me. And clearly, if you can get past the whole perfection thing, you're still going to do well and get the results that you want, because it's working for me. Working out from home is what I need to do, and I just put it in there. And for my cardio, I alternate walking and running. I do one minute running, two minutes walking, and I bring the dog. That's what I do. So I incorporate my family into working out.

Nikkiey: And I mean, it serves you selfishly, but you're having them pick up on your habits. You're helping them.

Marie: Oh, absolutely. Around Christmas time, my boys decided to draw a picture of our family in front of a Christmas tree. They're little stick figures, it's cute. And they decided they wanted everyone in the family to have an accessory or something like that. So my husband, I think they gave him a cell phone, because my husband always has a cell phone. For me, they put a cup of coffee in one of my hands, and in the other hand, they drew a dumbbell. And I stopped and I'm like, wait, that's how they see me? Oh my God. And I loved that, because that's how I want to see myself, and I want them to see that, because I want to instill those habits in them. So they're right there along with me. Or I use my kids' swing set to work out. I hook everything up out there. And sometimes they're outside playing while I'm working out. They'll go down the slides, they'll do their thing. One of my kids loves playing soccer, so in between, I'll kick a goal with him. That's just how we do it. I incorporate it in there, and that's how the time happens.

Nikkiey: That's so amazing. Like I said at the beginning, if you guys question whether you have enough time, take those strategies Marie just shared. That's incredible. You're such a role model, even for the people around you: our group, meaning the WarriorBabes, and the women who are going to be listening to this. So incredible, babe.

Hey, just want to drop a huge appreciation to you guys listening to the show. It means a lot. I hope you guys are enjoying it, and there's so much more to come. If you are enjoying it, hit the subscribe button. I'd appreciate that tons, and it would also help this podcast reach others who need to hear these messages too. Thanks so much, guys. Let's get back to the show.

Now, coming from what you were doing previously, you shared about the quantity of food, right? Very minimal, cutting out macro groups. So how did you deal with the psychology side of eating more to lose weight?

Marie: I still am. For me, with what I had done previously with the low carbs and stuff like that, I didn't pay attention to how much I was eating, and I probably was eating a hell of a lot more than I should have been, because I would just cut out large groups. For me, the whole thing playing with my mind was, wait, I get to eat carbs? How are these carbs... oh my God, I'm going to blow up. My belly is going to be even bigger than it already is. So that was the big thing for me. I have always been a volume eater. That's something I'm still struggling with, and I have developed some tricks to manage it. But with the whole psychology of 'you can eat carbs and it is okay,' I literally just had to say, I'm not going to think about it. I'm going to put my trust in you, and we will see what happens. Like I told you, I would give you two years of my life. I might question every once in a while, but I will believe you and we'll see what happens.

It's like when you gave me that diet break. I had way more carbs and fat. And I'm like, Nikkiey, don't do this to me. I've come so far. I'm going to gain weight. Nope, lost. Totally lost. I was like, what? So I told you, I will never question you again. I'll do what you tell me to do, because what I've been doing for 39 years has not worked, so why would I know any better? That's really what it comes down to.

Nikkiey: Amen. Amen. A fucking men.

Marie: The gospel according to Nikkiey. That's what it comes down to.

Nikkiey: And all the coaches too, because after Marie joined, we've definitely increased our coaching department. There are 10 more coaches now. It's the whole WarriorBabe Bible, the gospel that we preach: more food gets you more results. If you're eating more food and you lose weight, then plateauing is totally, 150,000% normal. And to break through that? More food.

Marie: Well, one of the great things is that we have these groups and we meet every Sunday, and the women in our group are so supportive. Like I mentioned, I don't feel like the average woman who joins WarriorBabe, but they just embraced me with open arms. Like, girl, yeah, you've got a lot of fluff on you, but it's okay. It's all right. And they have been such a source of strength and support and inspiration for me. And the fact that we meet every Sunday with you and the rest of them, that's what keeps me going. That's what keeps me coming back.

Nikkiey: It's great. Our group is so supportive. It's a whole community, from the VIP to the Blueprint. There's so much support. It's incredible. Marie is a VIP, so we have that added one-on-one and added group interaction weekly, which is so nice.

Marie: It does. Yeah, for sure.

Nikkiey: Marie, what's some advice you could give... there are a lot of women listening to this. What advice could you give somebody who's in your shoes, or was in your shoes, and is just starting their fitness journey?

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Marie: I think what makes my journey a little unique, a little different than other women's, is that other women come in like, oh, I can't eat that much food, whereas I'm like, yes, give me all the food you can, because I am a volume eater. And like I mentioned, I struggle with the whole binging. Oh, look at this little cookie. I have not in the past been able to have one or two cookies like a normal person. I have to eat the entire box, or half of it. That's always been a struggle for me, which is why I went to the whole keto and low-carb diets, because I could eat as much as I wanted, other than that. But it's not sustainable. This is the first thing that has been sustainable for me.

So there were a few things I had to do. My first thing was, I like to eat at night. At least that was me when I first started. So in the beginning, I would hold off on eating in the morning a little bit, because I was only doing five meals a day, since I just don't have time to eat six times a day. So I would hold off on eating a little bit, and then I would eat regularly after that, so I would still have room for my late-night snack, and my late-night snack was actually a late-night snack. That was something that was big for me, so I didn't feel hungry before going to bed or anything like that. That really helped me.

Something I've realized recently is that when I'm in a cut, because your calories are lower, if you eat six times a day, I don't feel satisfied at the end of a meal, because I'm used to going into a food coma after I eat. So I do five meals a day, typically. And I make sure I'm eating regularly. I'm literally eating every three to three and a half hours. And eating regularly gets me into a habit, number one. Number two, I'm not obsessing over it all the time, because like I said, if I think about the food too much, forget it, it's all over. And then I'm not super hungry later on in the day. And by having five instead of six meals, I feel more satisfied at the end of my meal, rather than being like, oh, that's all I can have. I remember taking a picture of my tiny little pile of rice and sending it to Cheryl, who was eating like a billion grams of carbs a day. I'm like, Cheryl, look at this tiny little pile of rice I get. And she's like, that's a few bites there.

But the biggest thing that I've learned is what foods I can incorporate that are going to give me a larger volume, so I feel like I'm eating more. So instead of just eating my organic brown rice, I mix a crap ton of riced cauliflower in with my brown rice. So I'm still getting my complex carbs, I'm getting my veggies, which is really good, and my plate looks super full. And I am eating a heck of a lot more when you do something like that. Or spaghetti squash, because pasta is the one thing I still have to tackle when it comes to portion control. So I do the spaghetti squash, and I can eat a ton of it. And no, it's not the same as eating noodles, let's be honest. But when you put your pasta sauce on top and your meat and whatever you want on there, it tricks my mind enough to be like, okay, you're eating a ton of food, so you are going to be satisfied, and this is a good thing. And I'm still eating clean.

I used to joke, and this was more of a defense mechanism, that portion control is for communists. So that tells you where my mindset was. And now I'm like, haha, that's funny, Marie, but let's be realistic, because portion control is really important. So that is something I'm working on. And rather than saying to myself, I can't stop eating this, I'm saying, yes, I can. And I'm trying to incorporate more things into my macros. Like last night, I had a rice cake with some peanut butter, some mini chocolate chips on top, and some strawberries, in addition to some turkey, I think. So I got my turkey with the protein in there, but then I got that. For me, it's more about mindful eating and slowing down, and actually enjoying what I'm eating and trying to taste it rather than just inhaling everything. So by spacing these things out, by making sure that I am satisfied at the end of each meal, that I'm eating a good volume and it's fitting into my macros because of my food choices, and that I am incorporating little treats in there, that's what's really been helpful for me. And when my kids are done eating, all those leftover scraps, instead of me mindlessly putting them in my mouth, go right in the dog dish.

Nikkiey: That's important. There you go. Beautiful. Those are some great starter tips for people. Portion control is so important. And your mind saying 'yes, I can,' that's huge. It's a huge part of growing the mindset to work with you, not against you, along your journey. Big, valuable tips, babe. Thank you.

So describe what being a WarriorBabe is like. What does that mean to you?

Marie: The first word that comes to mind is strong. And not just physically strong. Obviously that goes without saying. But strong in your mind, having a strong sense of self. I hear a lot of women whose friends and family... they're not as fortunate as I am, because mine are incredibly supportive. But I hear a lot of these women say people will say things to them like, why do you want to look like that? Or, why can't you have fun and just eat this like the rest of us? It takes a lot of strength to not give in to that. Peer pressure is a real thing. That's legit. So I think you have to have a strong sense of self, knowing who you are and where you want to be in life, and then also being able to say no to those people, to stand up to them. And then obviously kicking ass in the gym or at home with your workouts and things like that. That's part of being a WarriorBabe.

Nikkiey: Hell yeah. I love it. I love it. When you first saw WarriorBabe, what made you pull the trigger?

Marie: I remember this. I was lying in my boys' room putting them to sleep. They're in their little toddler beds, and because there are two of them, I'm kind of between them, and I have my phone as I'm waiting for them to fall asleep. And I'm just looking on Facebook. Like I mentioned, my husband's friend is a physical specimen, so I clicked on her page, and then you came up. And I was like, oh, she looks good. Let me see what this is all about. And what made me pull the trigger is that this sounded like something different than what I had done, and the fact that it's individualized, where everything else was just, hey, everybody do the exact same thing. How is that going to help anybody? It might work for a little bit, but you're going to plateau at some point, because everyone's body is different. So it's definitely individualized. I liked the idea that this seemed like it could be sustainable, because that has always been my biggest issue. After a few months, it's like, well, what's going to keep you going? You can't avoid an entire food group forever. I guess some people can. I can't. I've clearly failed many times over. So I knew that wasn't the right road for me. So that was something that seemed legit.

And then also having the support behind it. That's what I think is one of the biggest things, hands down: having the entire community, having you as my coach, having all of the support on Facebook, and also within the calls and everything. And our group is tight-knit. We message each other. I feel closer to some of these women than I do to other people I see on a regular basis. We have a common goal, and everyone is just so supportive. Those were really the biggest things that made me pull the trigger. I said, you know what, Marie, you clearly have no idea what you're doing. You can either go down the road of being incredibly unhealthy and dying young. You could get bariatric surgery, but that's not going to solve your binge eating problem. It's just a temporary fix. Or you can really try to do something. And I never realized how much my mindset would change in this. This is not just a diet and exercise program. This is so much more. I feel like I'm in freaking therapy every week, which is a good thing. Everyone needs therapy.

Nikkiey: I know, that's what we joke about, but it's true. We don't just prescribe macros and workouts, man. We're helping these women, first of all, break belief systems and believe. Macros alone are obviously not going to get them to where they need to be. So it's a total rewiring of every mental aspect that comes with dieting and diet culture, and really getting them to point B.

Marie: Absolutely. And you would think, as a psychiatrist, I would know the psychology behind eating and be like, come on, let's go. You would think that. But now I'm like, well, now I've got to believe the stuff I tell my clients and my patients. I actually have to apply it. And clearly, I wasn't ready until now. Previously, my biggest thing was social situations. Before kids, when I sort of had a life, going out in social situations was really hard for me. And now I just happened to be at a point in my life, mainly because of my family and my children, where I said, something has to change, because I need to be there for them later on. I want to be able to run around and keep up with them. I'm running next to my boys now, and I couldn't do that a year ago. No freaking way. And it makes me happy to be able to do that.

Nikkiey: That's so amazing, Marie. I love it. Your whole presence inside our community is amazing, and your progress is just so inspirational.

Marie: Thanks. Well, I couldn't have done it without you. We're a good team.

Nikkiey: Oh, absolutely. The group, the entire team, couldn't have done it without you guys.

Marie: Yes.

Nikkiey: So to close off this interview, which has been so freaking amazing: I took tons and tons of value from what Marie shared, the insight she shared, definitely the time management for those of you who say you're busy and all that jazz. Marie has a very busy life, and she's achieving her goals every single day, and there's nothing that's going to stop her until she gets to where she wants to be. And I think it's super incredible that you had options, like you said. You had the path of going down the unhealthy route, but you're like, well, obviously the realistic thing is managing myself, figuring out myself, figuring out my habits and making them better. And when you open up awareness to what you need to fix, you're more likely to fix it rather than hide it. And that's uncomfortable as fuck. We've had a lot of uncomfortable moments, but that's what's gotten you to grow and to be where you are right now.

Marie: Completely. I tell you this all the time: I will never forget the first time you told people how much I weighed. It was because I broke through the barrier from 300 into the 200s, and I'm like, holy shit, Nikkiey just told everyone how much I weighed. Oh my God. And then I stopped, and I'm like, well, why do you care so much? No one even flinched, like, ew, or anything. It's all my worry and my baggage that I'm carrying with it, and nobody else in this community even cared. They were so excited for me. This group and this whole program have forced me to be vulnerable, which I did not like. I hate it, but it's what I need. I sit here and just say, yeah, this is me, this is who I am, and this is what I'm dealing with, and people accept you for it. And that's the beauty of it, because then you can be open and honest about things, and that's when change really happens.

Nikkiey: Yeah, powerful, babe. All right, to close down this interview, what is your favorite snack and/or macro combo?

Marie: Oh, my favorites. Something snacky, not a meal?

Nikkiey: It can be either.

Marie: Hmm. This changes for me all the time. My new kick is what I mentioned I had last night: a rice cake with some peanut butter on there, no sugar added of course, little mini chocolate chips, with strawberries. That's the snacky part. And then I buy the Applegate turkey and ham, because those are Whole30 compliant, from Whole Foods. So I eat some turkey with that. That's my new snacky thing that I'm really into right now.

Nikkiey: Touch of salt, touch of sweet.

Marie: Exactly.

Nikkiey: I love it. And what's your favorite muscle group to work out?

Marie: Well, my favorite exercise of all time is hip thrusts, hands down. I love hip thrusts, because I want a big old butt, a big old muscular badonk. Give it to me. But I don't love working out glutes all the time. I just love hip thrusts. So my favorite body part to work out is my back. I actually love doing rows with the cables and everything. Back's my favorite.

Nikkiey: Insert the photo of Marie outside. I'm going to put that in at least five spots throughout this entire video. Talk about snow, like five or six inches of snow, if not more, and doing rows.

Marie: Listen, you just have to make life work. Do you think my house is as clean as I would like it to be? That's what it comes down to. With four little kids, it's not going to happen. Something has to give. And so you roll with the punches. It's snowing? I'll put some snow pants on. That's just what you do. I could work out, or I could sit here and run after the kids and make sure my house is spotless, so that it's going to be destroyed five seconds later. I'm going to work out, and I'm going to teach them to put their toys away. It'll happen one day.

Nikkiey: I love it. Awesome, Marie. Thank you so, so much for being here and sharing insight and value. It's so appreciated.

Marie: Thanks for having me. It was awesome. It was fun.

Nikkiey: For those of you who watched this interview and want to learn more about WarriorBabe and the programs we offer to get started, you can check out warriorbabe.com. Be part of it. Like Marie says, the support is so freaking amazing, for thousands of women who are getting toned and becoming stronger, more confident versions of themselves. So definitely check out warriorbabe.com. And Marie, thank you, babe. Again, I appreciate you. I appreciate all you guys.

Marie: And guys, really check it out. You will not regret it, because I definitely don't. Thank you.

Nikkiey: And stay tuned for Marie 2.0.

Marie: In a year. Give me another year.

Nikkiey: Yeah, let's do it. Cool. See you, everyone.

Testimonials: The best way to get in shape for women over 40 is not keto, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, or super intense workouts. If you're over 40, stop for just one second, because you're going to want to hear this. I am 56 years old. In six months, I have lost 13 pounds. I have lost five inches on my waist. I've lost five inches on my hips, and none of my clothes fit me. I have never seen a transformation in my body the way I have with this program. I actually had six-pack abs, something I hadn't seen since my early 30s. I had muscle. I was shredded. I felt really good looking in the mirror. Not only had my body started to transform, but my mindset was on another level. All of a sudden I started to drop weight. It was amazing. I went from 174 pounds to now I weigh 154 pounds. I went from a size 14 to a size 8. I have more muscle than I've ever had in my life. I'm 49 years old. My body fat has dropped 5%. I feel better than I have in a really long time. It's been life-changing.

Thousands of our older clients who are going through menopause and post-menopause are getting amazing results. The pounds just melted off. I lost 14 pounds. It's just emotional, because it really has honestly changed my life. I feel amazing. I think I look amazing. I have muscles. I never thought that this was going to be my life. My body is moving all this weight that it hasn't moved in so long, and I'm also seeing how much energy I have at the gym. I'm like, this is amazing.

No keto, no intermittent fasting, no low-fat, no low-carb. They failed me, just like they fail women everywhere, 24/7. These restrictive diets focus on what not to eat. Don't eat that donut. Zero refined carbs. Don't eat beyond your daily three smoothies. I'd rather focus on what to eat any day of the week: the exact balance of fats, carbs, and protein for my unique body, opening up food options I could never find in any diet plan. When I made this switch, it fueled my muscles, helping me get lean and toned while eating way more and working out less. And it can do the same for you.

My mind was so blown by the fact that I got to eat more food and still see results. I'm eating lots of carbs, and my strength has gone through the roof. I couldn't believe in my mind that it was okay to eat carbs. Everything around me, myself, my friends, everything was telling me that carbs were bad. As a crazy, hectic mom, I'm just looking for balance. And this program allowed me to eat food, lift, which I absolutely love, and exercise in a way that was fueling my body and feeding my muscles.

After working with thousands of WarriorBabes, we have cracked the code on building muscle and losing fat. No strenuous diets or four-hour-long workouts. Just four simple methods that are proven to work. If you give it your all and you trust the coaches and you are consistent and you do all the things they're telling you to do, this program is going to work for you. I couldn't be happier with my decision. Man, I wish I started this earlier. If you're sitting on the fence, get off the fence. It will change your life. I recommend this program to anyone, to my family, to my friends. I love it. It's not for four weeks. It's not for eight weeks or for six months. It's forever. If you've tried a whole bunch of other things and you just want something that really works, something you can stick with, and something that's going to be a long-term life change, then maybe this is for you. I'm loving it.

Nikkiey: Hey guys, real quick. If you're interested in taking your body to the next level, losing body fat, building more muscle, and feeling more confident, do it alongside one of our 30-plus professional coaches. Work one-on-one with her to eliminate all of the guesswork you may have. All you need to do is the work she tells you to do to get to those goals of yours. To learn more, click the link below this podcast and apply to our VIP program right now.