How to Get Lean After 40 by Eating More: Megan's Story

Megan: I've had lots of different personal trainers and always worked out and always sought the best supplements and things like that. Nothing ever really worked. Regardless of how much I worked out, what I ate, what supplements I took, my body pretty much always looked the same.

Nikkiey: What's going on, everybody? Today I've got WarriorBabe Megan here with us.

Before WarriorBabe, she spent her entire life chasing impossible standards, whether it was that she was too skinny or too fat or never enough. She tried everything and she finally reached a breaking point where she was ready to give up. But when she found WarriorBabe, now she's not just stronger physically. She's completely transformed her mindset, her relationship with food, and most importantly, the way that she sees herself. So there's no more unrealistic expectations, no more self-doubt, just confidence, freedom, and strength.

And she's here today to share her story. Megan, welcome.

Megan: Thank you for having me. I'm super excited to be here.

Nikkiey: Same. I'm excited for you to dive into your story. So for the listeners, can you let them know where you're from, what you do for work, and how old you are?

Megan: I'm from Colorado most times. I part-time in the panhandle of Florida. I'm 47 years old, and what do I do? I'm a wife, a mother, and a business owner. We have businesses in Florida and Colorado, and then we homeschool.

Nikkiey: Jack of all trades.

Megan: Yeah. Busy all the time.

Nikkiey: Well, I love that because I'm busy all the time. We're going to take into context how you've been so successful on your journey as well, because that's a story a lot of people let get in the way of their journey. But it didn't for you. All right, let's talk about what your health and fitness looked like before WarriorBabe.

Megan: I had really tried everything. My friends and people around me always said, "Oh, Megan, you're so healthy. You're the healthiest person I know." Because I was always trying to eat right. I ate good foods. And I had lots of different personal trainers and always worked out and always sought the best supplements and things like that. But nothing ever really worked. Regardless of how much I worked out, what I ate, what supplements I took, my body pretty much always looked the same.

Nikkiey: When you say that you tried everything, what was the most exhausting part of that? Constantly trying to chase an ideal body?

Megan: Well, I think first of all, I don't know what the ideal body was, so I didn't even know what the mark was that I was trying to hit. I don't think I knew it at the time. But looking back, I'm like, I don't even know what I was really trying to achieve. I knew what too fat was. I knew what too skinny was. And so somewhere in the middle, I guess. I don't really know. But I think the most exhausting part was thinking there was something that I was missing and always searching for that thing.

Nikkiey: And that constant back and forth, looking to see whether it was too skinny or too fat, how did that impact your confidence on a day-to-day basis?

Megan: Gosh, it's funny, because another thing people would say about me was that I'm super confident. And I would do things that I love, like doing things that make me afraid and overcoming fear. So from that perspective, I looked like a super confident person, but it was definitely one of those things where I walked confidently because I had to, because otherwise I would have never walked out of the bathroom or gotten out of the car. But I definitely had incredibly low self-esteem and never felt like I was good enough to be in the room.

Nikkiey: Wow. Thanks for sharing that. When I was reading through your bio, you mentioned that you prayed to just love yourself. What was that moment like for you?

Megan: Well, it's funny. I actually talked to my mom before this to make sure that if I mentioned her, she would be okay with it. She was visiting in September when I joined WarriorBabe. I've watched her her whole life binge diet, binge eat, binge good food, binge bad food, and literally just never love herself. So she was visiting in September and I drove her to the airport, which is a two-hour drive. I dropped her off and I was like, man, her entire life. She had a lot of stuff thrown on her as a child, body image things that she kind of passed on to me. But she just never loved herself. And I realized, I don't want to live life like that. I need to love me.

I prayed. I trust God to lead and guide me. It was a two-hour drive home, and I feel like I just had this conversation with God for the whole drive home. And this heaviness came over me. I'd heard all the things that you mentioned, like once you hit a certain age, you can't put on muscle, and when you get too old, you can't lose weight. All of those things were playing in my head. And I was like, gosh, I'm 47. I've hit the point. I had gained 10 pounds in the last year. And so I was like, you know what, I need to be okay with who I am and what I look like and just love me for me. And I was praying that God would help me to do that, despite the fact that I was never going to achieve this thing that I've worked my whole life for.

Nikkiey: Wow. Well, I love that you brought God into the conversation, and that you leaned on him for his support, for his guidance and wisdom in that moment. With having that conversation and putting that out there, in what ways was it answered for you?

Megan: Well, like I said, it was a two-hour drive, and it was probably one of the heaviest I've ever felt in my life. Just this knowing of, I need to love me for me. I can't put these conditions on what I need to be in order to love me. And I know that God loves us unconditionally. So I was praying for his unconditional love and that knowing, for me to somehow grasp it. I can unconditionally love my children. I can unconditionally love the little girl that I once was, who had all of these issues. But to unconditionally love who I am today is totally different.

So this was how I was going back and forth with God on the drive home. And when I got home, I was in my kitchen and I pulled up Facebook, and then you showed up.

Nikkiey: That gave me the chills.

Megan: Yeah. I had never heard of you before. That's kind of why I jumped in and did it, because I felt like it was an answer to prayer.

Nikkiey: Oh man, you're going to make me cry on this interview. That's God's work right there. That's just amazing, that he trusted that WarriorBabe was the catalyst he threw your way for you to experience change for yourself.

Megan: Absolutely.

Nikkiey: So, okay. Was there ever a moment where you were finally like, I'm giving up, I can't do this anymore? Was that before or after the prayer? I'm thinking about the women listening to this right now, and the depths of it. Like you mentioned, this was the heaviest you'd felt. I know you turned to God, but was there ever a moment where you thought, I just can't do this anymore, I'm going to give up? And if not, that's totally fine.

Megan: I think that was part of the heaviness, the accepting that I'm done. I'm done trying. I'm done searching. I'm just going to love me without any of the rest. So I had fully resigned myself to the knowing that I was giving up on all of it.

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. 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.

Wow. Okay. So just to recap what you just shared: you tried everything. You were doing different diets and workout programs, and you were chasing an expectation that, looking back, you weren't really clear on. You weren't clear on the body image you were going after, but you were trying to get some type of result. And the result was more about loving yourself and unconditionally being in the present moment with where you're at, but also obviously wanting a change you could see physically and mentally for yourself. So WarriorBabe popped up. I want to talk about the ad or the video. What resonated with you the most in that moment?

Megan: I don't remember the words, because like I said, I didn't know who you were at all. And since then I have seen this same ad a million times, but it was like, "Are you tired of this and that?" and the fad dieting. I don't remember exactly, but I was in my kitchen in that low place, and I was like, yeah, those are all of the things that I have finally given up on. And then I scheduled the appointment, and in 15 minutes I'm on the phone with this live person. Then I scheduled my sales call and went through that whole thing. And she's like, "What do you think?" And I was like, "Well, I'm afraid to be hopeful." And she's like, "Well, let's talk about it." And I was like, "I think I'm going to do it, but I'm not going to be hopeful that something's actually going to happen."

Nikkiey: Wow. Okay. So what made you decide to take the leap then?

Megan: Because I felt like it was an answer to prayer. Just the timing, the way that it all worked out. I was done, but I was like, okay, fine, I'll give this a try.

Nikkiey: All right. So you're talking to the team, you're getting onboarded, you're talking to your coach. What were your first thoughts as you started the WarriorBabe journey? You mentioned you weren't going to be hopeful. So where was your head at in the first month?

Megan: Well, it's funny, because I signed up and then a few days later we were going on vacation for a week. And I met my coach, who is in her mid-twenties, and I kind of stalked her and I was like, oh great, did I just... I totally had buyer's remorse. Because she's cute, and I was like, cute and all, but helping women my age? But there was that part of me that was like, you know what? I thought I knew health and fitness. I like science, and I've done a lot of research and reading, which really makes it hard, because the whole WarriorBabe methodology is very different. You're actually eating food.

Nikkiey: Shocking.

Megan: And I was like, this is so different, but all the things I knew before weren't right. So I'm committing for a year. I'm going to freaking go all in. I was already thinking that a year from now I'm going to gain another 10 pounds anyway, so what's the worst that could happen? So I was like, I'm going to go all in. I'm going to listen to everything. I'm going to do the things. And if it doesn't work, whatever. I'm not in a worse place than I would have been.

Nikkiey: Right. Okay, I love that. Two things I want to unpack there. Your coach's approach and the WarriorBabe methodology kind of went against everything you thought you knew. Like you just said, we actually tell you to eat food. What was the hardest part of letting go of old beliefs?

Megan: Well, she really had to go slow with me, I feel like. I lived a keto lifestyle, and with keto you barely eat vegetables. And then I also got into intermittent fasting for about 10 years, and for the last three years I did keto and extreme intermittent fasting. So I really only ate one meal a day. I had no hunger cues whatsoever. And the hardest part for me was learning to have a different relationship with food.

It's so fun to go back and look at my food logs from the very beginning, because I was like, I'll log everything. But the hardest part for me was, I kept asking, am I doing this right? I'm supposed to eat all this food? She's like, "Eat five times a day." I'm like, holy crap. But I'll do it. Whatever.

Nikkiey: That's hilarious. So did you finally get back your hunger cues when you ate that much food? What did that feel like for you?

Megan: I did. And it was really, really exciting. It's funny now, because I joined in September and it's June, and my family makes fun of me all the time. They're like, "Oh, Mom hasn't eaten for an hour. She's going to get hangry."

Nikkiey: They know the countdown of when you're going to get hungry. That's hilarious. Did you come into WarriorBabe going into the retrain process then?

Megan: That's another thing. I didn't ask a lot of questions, but yes, I believe retrain is where I was, because she started me out kind of lower and then I worked up calories. She first started me out with five meals a day. Then she's like, "Okay, I want you to hit this protein." And once I could do that, she's like, "I want you to hit this." Was it the fat or the carbs? The carbs were the hardest part. She's like, "Meg, you need carbs." And I was like, "Well, I ate an apple. That's a carb."

Nikkiey: Right.

Megan: And now I'm at 210 carbs a day.

Nikkiey: That's wild to me. We're going to talk about your progress and the results you've achieved, but coming off of keto to be at 210 grams of carbs a day, what is your view on carbs now versus back when you were limiting them drastically?

Megan: Well, I saw carbs as bad, which is just so weird, because you're looking at fruit and going, how can fruit be bad? But now I love it. I buy carrot juice because I'm like, I need to get these carbs in somehow. It's definitely different. Even Lindsay, she's like, "Meg, can you eat some bread?" And I was like, "Oh, I thought I could just eat fruit." She's like, "No, have some spaghetti." And I was like, "Oh, are you sure?" So I would eat sourdough bread and ask, "Is this okay?" And she's like, "Yes, this is what you're supposed to do." And I was like, oh, okay.

Nikkiey: So your world of carbs has opened up drastically.

Megan: Oh yeah.

Nikkiey: Okay. So what made WarriorBabe stand out from all the other programs that you've tried?

Megan: Well, I can tell you why I think your listeners should choose WarriorBabe, if that would be acceptable.

Nikkiey: Of course.

Megan: Okay. I feel like people my age, we pay for nutritionists or dietitians, we pay personal trainers, we pay psychologists or life coaches. And they're all in these different areas, so none of them know what's going on in the other areas of your life. And I feel like with WarriorBabe, you guys encompass all of that. I can tell a little story about how I got to see that.

I was doing three weight workouts a week, skiing on Fridays, and skinning, which is going up the mountain, on Thursdays. And when you do the programs, you've got to do all the things, answer all the questions, fill out all the comments. So even if I just say something like "felt great after my workout," I always comment something. And for about two weeks, Lindsay's like, "Meg, you've been saying your energy's low. Let's look at what you've got going on."

And I'm thinking, let's say I told that to my dietitian. She'd be like, "Oh, you're good. Just stick it out." If I told that to my personal trainer, she'd be like, "Toughen up, buttercup. Let's get it on." Maybe the psychologist would be like, "What's your stress? Let's manage it." But Lindsay's like, "Okay, let's look at all the things." And she's like, "When you're skinning, you're burning 600 calories an hour. You need more food." So we upped my calories and all of a sudden I'm not tired anymore.

And probably several months later, I was commenting low energy again. In my mind I'm like, oh, I need more food, she's going to up my calories again. So we started talking, and I mentioned I've got a couple of businesses and there was a lot of stress in my life at the time. And I was on the fifth week of my build. And she's like, "So let's talk about this tired." And I was like, man, I went to dinner last night and I literally fell asleep at the table. I finished eating and I put my head down on the table, and I couldn't drive home. I told my husband, "You need to drive." And I got home, climbed into bed with my purse still on my arm, fell asleep and woke up the next morning. That's how tired I was.

Nikkiey: Holy cow.

Megan: So I get on with Lindsay and she's assessing all of the things, and she's like, "I think it's the stress. I think it's the work stress." We talked over that a little bit, and I can't change that. It's a growing business. And she's like, "I think we need to get you out of this build. It's too much." And I was like, I trust you more than I trust me. If she was only seeing me from a workout perspective, I feel like she'd have been like, "Toughen up. You got this. You can do it. I'm going to cheer you on the whole way." But I didn't need to be cheered on. I needed to be out of it.

Nikkiey: Wow. I love that story, because it really does encompass the different buckets that WarriorBabe addresses. It's not just, I'm going to look at you from the workout lens or the nutrition lens. I'm going to look at you from the whole lifestyle that you're involved in and responsible for. You're a business owner, you're a mom, you're a jack of all trades, like we said at the beginning, and you're also trying to work on yourself and put yourself first with fitness and nutrition. And those signals that were happening in your body and in your mind were important to address from all facets, not just fitness and nutrition. I love that you highlighted that, because that's what WarriorBabe is proud of, being all-encompassing. We're meeting you where you're at. You're all at different stages, life responsibilities, ages, stresses, from widow to empty nester to all of the things. So I appreciate you sharing that story, because it really highlights that.

Megan: Yeah. And the interesting thing is, if you had asked me, I loved the building. Especially seeing my metrics going up, the lean mass and the fat, it really turns me on. I can't wait for a year from now. I don't even want to do a cut. I'm like, let's just build. So I would have said, no, I want to stay in this thing. But instead I was like, I trust you more than I trust me. In my mind, though, I was like, how is this really going to help? So she changed my workouts. She's like, "You can finish out this week, and then next week we're going to put you in a deload," which I actually did for four weeks, until this week. And I was like, I don't see how this is really going to help. And it freaking did. I couldn't believe it. My body could handle bands and bodyweight and HIIT, but it couldn't handle building the muscle. Isn't that wild, how our bodies work?

Nikkiey: Yeah. It is a lot of work for your body to build muscle.

Megan: Fascinating.

Nikkiey: A lot of work. And it's not just on the workout side of things. Like you said, you were experiencing it on the nutrition side as well. You have to eat a lot of food. It's cool to see the stats go up, but there's a lot of work that goes on behind it.

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.

Okay. Before we dive into the results you've experienced since September, was there a moment early on in your journey where you were like, wow? Because you said you weren't going to get your hopes up. Expectations were low. Was there a moment you realized, okay, wow, this is working, and we delivered on our promise?

Megan: Yeah. I've had the privilege of getting to meet Lindsay in person, because we both live in Colorado, which was so freaking cool, because I'm a person who likes to connect with people. And she's like, "Meg, have you looked at your stats?" I'm just entering the stats, doing the things. Your program is really cool in the back end, how you can see the pictures and see the metrics. And she's like, "Have you looked at any of this?" And I was like, no, I'm keeping my head down. I'm doing it. I'm trusting you.

Nikkiey: Kind of like being addicted to the process rather than focused on the goal.

Megan: And so she's like, "Look at these pictures." She showed me my starting picture and then a picture from somewhere along the way, and I was like, whoa, that's crazy. And then after that moment, I saw a girl in the WarriorBabe VIP group who was really muscular. I texted that picture to Lindsay, because this is probably the ideal image that I had worked for my whole life, but I didn't really know what it was. I texted it to her and said, "Hey, can I do this?" And she's like, "Heck yeah." And I was like, really? That was the moment I got hope again.

Nikkiey: The giddiness there. I love that. And to segue into the results, because that's what I was just doing, bringing up your before and afters, and we're definitely going to work them into the video. If y'all could see me right now, I'm getting ready to jaw drop on video. Some of you may only be listening to the audio, but just know that my jaw is dropping. I'm looking at your before, and this is just in March, so I can't imagine what June is now. Not to say you were overweight before, but now you look fit. The shoulders are starting to get well-rounded. The abs are starting to pop, the lines and the definition. You look like you're meant to be a powerlifter. Does that make sense? You've got muscle, girl, and you can see it coming through in your back. Did you see your booty? Because the booty is shaping.

Megan: I know. And man, if you could see it now, because that was in March and it's June. I think I've dropped about 2% in body fat since then, and I've gained about five pounds in lean mass.

Nikkiey: Holy cow. And at 47, that's how old you said you were, right? Doesn't that blow your mind on the belief? You're never too old to build muscle.

Megan: No.

Nikkiey: Okay, love that. Let's talk about that. Go ahead.

Megan: Oh, sorry. Let me just say about that photo, for the people who can see it: I weigh 152 pounds in both pictures.

Nikkiey: No, you don't.

Megan: Yeah. I just gave you the chills.

Nikkiey: I'm so glad that you brought that up. Are you serious?

Megan: Totally. So there's the "fat Meg" who's 152 pounds, thinking she needs to weigh at least 130. And then there's the Meg in March who still weighs 152 pounds. And you can see how different that looks. And today I weigh 158.

Nikkiey: No way. So you're heavier, but you probably look thinner in the photos. Does that blow your mind on weight?

Megan: Yes. Totally. It totally counteracts everything that we've been taught and conditioned to believe.

Nikkiey: Absolutely. That entire time you were talking, my mouth was just completely dropped. I love those stories, because it will blow the minds of the listeners and the people who see this on video. I love when people bring up that they weigh the same in both pictures, because that puts into perspective that the muscle you've fed and built and grown is more dense than the fat volume you had before. That's why you can weigh the same but look thinner and more toned and built, because of the muscle you've built.

Megan: Yeah. Wild.

Nikkiey: I'm going to have to see a June photo soon. Okay, let's talk about these stats. I know you just shared a bit about the weight and body fat percentage, but you started in September, and now it's June. What are all the things you've experienced, result-wise, and what are you the most proud of?

Megan: Well, honestly, the thing I'm most proud of is that I have a healthy relationship with food, and I love me unconditionally. I want to talk about judgment too. But I love that I can look at food and, I mean, I'll go to In-N-Out and eat In-N-Out. I had Five Guys for the first time ever. I asked my kids, "What's your guys' favorite?" and I got that. And I actually did go over my fat for the day, and Lindsay's like, "Good for you. Heck yeah." Because I can count on one hand how many times I've gone over my macros. I love eating and I love food. Before, I used to say, "I don't like food. If I could just drink my nutrition, I'd be happy," because I just didn't like it.

And then I love me. In the past, I still have a little roll, and it's itty bitty, but I would have never been okay with it. I would have sucked it in and sat up tall and really killed myself no matter where I was to make sure it didn't spill out and nobody saw it. And today I wander around Florida in a tube top and I'm like, whatever, this little thing, I don't even care. I love me and I'm unashamed of how I look, and it's all okay.

Nikkiey: That is so beautiful. That is so powerful. It's like you were rewriting the narratives you were believing about yourself to be more empowering for you, to be more accepting of where you are now, and, as you mentioned earlier, unconditionally loving you in the present moment and where you are in your journey.

Megan: Yes. And the third thing I'm most proud of, and I think a lot of people can resonate with this, is hard to say, because it's awful. I judged everyone and I didn't know I did it. It was very, very subconscious, but I've done it my whole life. I learned it at an early age. You know what's too skinny, what's too fat. And I think that turned into, let me find her flaws so that I can feel good about me. I could have found flaws in you, and you look gorgeous right now, but it would make me feel better about me. Which it truly doesn't. It really makes you feel terrible. But I lived my life judging everybody and measuring myself up against everyone. I think something in us thinks that's going to make us feel better, but it doesn't.

I can tell you a quick story about when I realized I'm free of this. I took my kids to Kilwins for ice cream, and I was in the car because I wasn't getting any. So I'm just sitting in my car people watching, and these three girls got out of the car right in front of me, maybe early twenties. They all had sundresses on. And I'm fairly confident that in the past, and I'm 47, why am I comparing myself to a 20-year-old? But I know I would have, and I probably would have been like, oh, her dress is too short, and why would she choose that color? That's just how I used to be, and I didn't even realize I did it. I know a lot of us do that subconsciously. But instead, they got out of the car and they were all giggling and laughing as they walked toward the ice cream shop, and I felt like I got sucked into their moment. I was smiling and admiring the happy joy they were having. And I was so filled with joy instead of feeling like crap because I was judging them and measuring myself up against them.

Nikkiey: Wow. I love that story. It really puts into perspective how you've grown, from judging to non-judging, and seeing how much joy there is outside of comparison or judging someone, which I think is a beautiful thing. You should be proud of yourself for that. It's huge.

Megan: I'm super thankful to be free of that, because it doesn't feel good.

Nikkiey: No, it doesn't. It's a totally different energy wavelength. It's more negative than it is uplifting or empowering or positive.

Megan: Totally.

Nikkiey: It's huge. And this brings it back to what you talked about. Obviously we're a fitness coaching company, but we care about all facets of your life, one being the mindset, and then your lifestyle and the way you show up on a daily basis. If you put your work into the fitness and nutrition, you're going to notice it flow into different buckets of your life. And that was a really cool change you noticed along your journey as part of one of those buckets.

Megan: Yes.

Nikkiey: So as we start to wrap up this interview, you mentioned that the biggest achievement for you isn't just fitness. It's the hope aspect too. The hope thing has been a consistent thread in this interview, because you came in not wanting to be hopeful. So how has that changed for you?

Megan: Well, I absolutely have hope.

Nikkiey: I love that. I love that we delivered on a promise.

Megan: Oh gosh. Right. And I'm so thankful that I trusted the process so that I could see it. I'll tell you the hope that I have. I know that I'm going to live the rest of my life like this. It's almost like a dream. I'm like, pinch me so I can wake up, because I'm eating food and have a healthy relationship with food. That's weird when you've never had it your whole life. It's like a fantasy world. I'm eating all of these foods and that's the right thing to do. It's confusing for my brain, which didn't function that way forever. And so I'm excited to live the rest of my life eating.

Nikkiey: I love that. We have success stories every day, and we highlight them in our meeting once a month as a company. And my favorite takeaways, whenever I do these interviews or we share success stories, are "I get to eat food," "I get to eat more food," and "I get to eat the foods I enjoy forever." I love that takeaway, because food isn't meant to be this bad thing. It's meant to fuel you and give you overall wellbeing and nourishment.

Megan: And it's funny, because the image I searched for my whole life, I'm going to get there. I know that I will. And I'm stoked. I probably would have been in a hurry to get into a cut, but now I'm not in a hurry to get there. But I know when I do, look out.

Nikkiey: Yes, girl. I can't wait to see what's next. You've been here since September, and I'm sure you're going to go into your second year. We're going to have to do a second interview, because it's really cool to see where you were at the beginning and where you are now, and to know, from what you're saying about the goal you have in mind for yourself, that you're going to be unstoppable getting there. You're going to get there. And I can't wait to see when that future you shows up and is present in the moment. You're in it. You're living it.

Megan: Well, I will be going into a second year for sure.

Nikkiey: Oh, I love that. Okay. What would you say to someone listening to this right now who's stuck in the same cycle you were in? Always trying to chase that perfect body, but never feeling like they were enough along the way. What would you say to that woman, and how can WarriorBabe help her?

Megan: I think if any of your listeners resonate at all with the chasing and never finding, or the giving up, or maybe they're still in the "there's a thing out there, I just have to find the thing," like the supplement or the fad diet or whatever. If they're looking for the thing, the thing is actually a long-term lifestyle. My mind has been blown with how life has changed for me since WarriorBabe. So if there's anybody out there who's on the fence about whether to do this, it's a financial commitment, but without question, you are worth it. You are worth the money it takes to do this. Some people may have to buckle down. It could be a really hard decision. But here's the thing: you're going to be mentally showing up for your family and your friends and your work way better than you ever did, and you're going to be happier than you ever were before. So how do you put a price on those things?

Nikkiey: Girl, yes. Meg, say it louder. I love that. That's so powerful. For everybody listening, your story shows that real transformation isn't just about weight loss, and it's not just about building muscle, although you've done that and been successful at it, and your transformation photos are incredible. It's also about breaking free from the expectations that hold you back. You learned to love yourself. You learned to trust the journey. You learned to build strength in ways that go far beyond working out and far beyond hitting your nutrition and eating all the foods now, all the carbs. It goes so much further than that. It goes to you. I think the coolest takeaway is that you love yourself, you're in the present moment, and you're here now. That's going to continue to be part of you moving forward: you're showing up in the present moment, not attached to the past and not attached to the future. Although you have a goal and you're striving to get there, you're living in the moment. I think that's really cool.

And if you're listening to this right now and feeling like you're chasing impossible standards, or chasing a body image you don't even know, and I love that you were so honest about that, Meg, that you had no idea what you were chasing. You were chasing all the fad diets out there that promised you some unrealistic expectation. And you realized it's a lifestyle. If you feel like you are Meg and you want to learn how to make it a lifestyle, then definitely check out WarriorBabe. Go to warriorbabe.com, get absorbed in our ecosystem, and we would love to help you. Meg, thank you. Is there anything else you'd want to say or share before we wrap it up?

Megan: No, I don't think so. Well, yeah, maybe for the new babes, because I see this come up. Let's say you join: don't expect changes overnight. I was like, I'm going to give it a year, I'm not going to pick myself apart along the way, and I'm just going to see where I end up in a year. And I feel like a lot of newbies come in and say, "It's been three weeks." I actually gained 10 pounds right off the bat. And I looked better with 10 more pounds on me. Just trust the process.

Nikkiey: Amen to that. Thank you for adding that in there, and thank you for being here and sharing your story. I appreciate you.

Megan: Thank you very much. It was great to be here with you.

Nikkiey: Real quick: if this episode resonated with you or gave you the push 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 be the nudge someone else needs to kickstart their transformation. Thank you so, so much for your support.