How to Stop Emotional Eating and Lose Weight After 50

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Carrie: A breakthrough with WarriorBabe. And I don't know if it's the daily systems I've put in place every morning, with taking the time I need to get all the things ready for the day with scripture reading, prayer, getting my water, taking an early walk, eating my meals, and knowing exactly what I'm doing throughout the day with my meals, that it never crossed my mind. Because food is for energy and life. It's not to tamp down any feelings. And so it never crossed my mind to eat my feelings.

Nikkiey: What is going on, everybody? Welcome back to The WarriorBabe Show. Today I have a very, very special episode lined up for you guys. I love sharing real stories from real people, and today is just that. Our guest today is a remarkable individual who has taken control of her health and her fitness journey through the WarriorBabe program. Her dedication, her hard work and her incredible transformation are nothing short of inspiring. So everybody that's listening, please join me in welcoming Carrie, who is here to share her journey, her challenges, her successes, and all decked out in WarriorBabe gear, and the nails. Showing the nails, Carrie.

Carrie: Gotta be on brand.

Nikkiey: Gotta be on brand. Welcome to the show, Carrie.

Carrie: Thank you so much. My name is Carrie Craft. I am 52. I'll be 53 on October 3rd. Gifts accepted and welcome. I am from Topeka, Kansas.

Nikkiey: Wow. Okay, so we got a Kansas babe in the house. Let's go.

Carrie: That's right.

Nikkiey: Well, as we dive into all of the questions I need to delve into with you and have you share your story, I want to give a little bit of background for the listeners. Carrie started her journey in WarriorBabe in our Blueprint program, and we're going to talk a little bit about that. We don't offer the Blueprint program anymore. We're strictly all VIP, which she's in right now. But she started back in October of 2022, right?

Carrie: Yes.

Nikkiey: And you were at 230 pounds at that point, right?

Carrie: Yes.

Nikkiey: Okay. And then you got down to 213 in seven months, right?

Carrie: Yes.

Nikkiey: And then you eventually hit your lowest weight at 212, right?

Carrie: Yes.

Nikkiey: Oh, I know. We're going to unpack all of this.

Carrie: Yes, we're going to unpack it. And then life happened.

Nikkiey: Life happened, as it totally does with a lot of people. Especially with the Blueprint, we don't hold your hand as much as we do in VIP. So you gained all that weight back. You joined the VIP program this year, February of 2024.

Carrie: Yes.

Nikkiey: You were weighing the same as when you started the Blueprint. You were 230.

Carrie: Correct.

Nikkiey: Four months. Four months. You dropped back down to 213, with Coach Holly. Shout out Coach Holly. And you're eating more carbs, right?

Carrie: That's the thing. Can I just say, this morning I'm 207.8.

Nikkiey: Oh. Let's go. Let's go.

Carrie: Yes. Coach Holly adjusted my macros and took down my protein a little bit, took down the fat a little bit, and gave me more carbs. And I'm like, what?

Nikkiey: That's what I like to hear. Carbs. Make carbs great again.

Carrie: That's right.

Nikkiey: All right. So let's briefly talk about the initial challenges you were experiencing before you signed up for the WarriorBabe Blueprint. Can you touch on those?

Carrie: Of course. I've not been happy with my body since I was 12 years old. And I wasn't a fat kid. I can look at pictures. I was very active, riding my bike, climbing trees, running around crazy. But I saw my mom constantly dieting, just growing up in the 80s where you have Denise Austin and Jane Fonda. And I'm like, I did not look like those chicks, right? And I'm like, what's wrong with me? So I was just constantly dieting, not happy with my body.

And then in our early marriage, my husband and I decided to become foster parents. I first got a job at a children's home, and I gained 20 pounds there. They told us, if you don't watch yourself, you're going to gain 20 pounds. I'm like, whatever. I was 24 years old. I gained 20 pounds. And then as a foster parent, I gained 70 pounds.

Nikkiey: Oh, my goodness.

Carrie: As a foster parent. And so through these years, from age 12 into early adulthood, I was trying all the different diets, trying everything, and nothing really worked. But it was my foster care journey where I realized I eat my feelings. And I could look back at my childhood, my teen years, coming home from school and just powering down all the food because I was depressed.

Nikkiey: Wow.

Carrie: Eating late at night just because I was sad and not wanting to deal, not wanting tomorrow to come. I would rather stay up late and eat. And I was working with my first foster child, and I was putting her to bed, and she shared with me something that happened to her. It was truly horrible. And I mindlessly went into the kitchen and I ate two more bowls of chili. And I was on my third piece of pie when I thought, what are you doing?

Nikkiey: Wow.

Carrie: And that's when I realized, you are eating your feelings. But I didn't know how to get a hold of that. I didn't know what to do with it. My highest weight was 274. I just got tired of it, Nikkiey. I think that's where my journey started with WarriorBabe. I just got tired of it. I got tired of going to the doctor with any issue and being told, well, you are fat, have you thought about losing weight? So I just got tired of it.

Nikkiey: Wow. What a story, Carrie. Selfishly, I didn't know that, so it's nice to hear that story and hear what you went through at the beginning. Thank you for sharing that. It's vulnerable, but there are so many people that could resonate with that story. So with all of that you shared, when you said you were tired and you'd just had enough, did you see me on Instagram or Facebook or something like that? What made you motivated?

Carrie: I saw you on Facebook. I saw your Facebook ads and I listened to you, and then I clicked and I watched the little video thing, and then I got signed up for the emails. So I'm getting all this knowledge from you, and I'm like, I like what you have to say. And so I started getting my life back. My journey started in July, August of 2021, just walking. That's all I focused on, walking.

And then I saw you on Facebook. I'm like, look at her. I like what you have to say, and it makes sense. And what hit me is when you said, if you want to learn how to control your body and the way you look for the rest of your life, come see us. And I'm like, that's what I want. So I started looking at the content you put out there that's readily available to anybody. I started walking. Then I started implementing macros to the best of my ability, trying to figure it out, listening to your podcast. And then I started lifting weights with what knowledge I had, because I've tried everything, and just doing those things.

And then I started talking to my husband. I'm like, I would like to join. So I learned about the Blueprint program and I got into that. And my husband just saw my consistency. I was really striving. I got down from 274 to 230 just by walking and dabbling in macros.

Nikkiey: Yes. Say that louder. Say that louder.

Carrie: Just walking and doing my best with macros got me 40 pounds lighter. And then when I gained it all back, I went to my husband and said, I need hand-holding. I need someone to help me get through this plateau, because I am struggling.

Nikkiey: So what were you struggling with the most during your experience in the Blueprint? How did you gain that weight back?

Carrie: Oh, okay. Well, my daughter got married last August. And so the stress of all that. I had an injury to my left ear in July, and that stressed me out. I lost a little bit of hearing. Firecrackers.

Nikkiey: Okay. I was thinking a dodgeball hit you.

Carrie: No, no. I didn't move quick enough. It's totally dumb. It's so stupid, but that took me off my game, because there's a lot of static and blaring and it was terrible. And so I was eating my feelings there, and my daughter got married, and then my friend and I took a road trip to New Orleans and we ate well, friend. We enjoyed ourselves.

Nikkiey: In true Nikkiey fashion, did you eat like an a-hole?

Carrie: You know, it was so funny when I heard you say that, because I thought that was a term I coined. I thought just my sisters and I were the only ones who said that.

Nikkiey: Yes, ma'am.

Carrie: And then in November, my dad, who is a type 2 diabetic, ended up on Thanksgiving Day with a sore on his foot, and when we saw it, we're like, you're going to the ER right now. And it ended up with my sister and me staying at his house for two weeks, taking care of our stepmom while my dad was in the hospital getting his foot taken care of. And we comforted ourselves with Oreos and no-bake cookies.

Nikkiey: Oh, Oreos. Oh gosh. That's a weakness right there.

Carrie: I can't even tell you the amount of Oreos and no-bakes we consumed.

Nikkiey: No-bake cookies. You eat the cookie dough?

Carrie: No, they're no-bake cookies. It's oats and chocolate.

Nikkiey: Oh, and peanut butter. Oh Lord.

Carrie: And you don't bake them. But we bought them at Dillons and they're amazing. That's how we comforted ourselves.

Nikkiey: There are so many people that can resonate with that. So many people have come to me asking, how do you deal with emotional eating? How do you deal with standing in your kitchen and thinking, how am I here right now? In those moments, like you said when you were fostering earlier on, when you brought that awareness, what clicked for you? What made you go, oh my God, I'm standing here eating my feelings right now?

Carrie: I don't know. Back at that time, I really don't know. Probably pain, because I had just consumed a lot of food. But I don't know. And it's something I find myself doing a lot. I didn't want tomorrow to come, so I would stay awake as long as I could, and I would eat, because eating would keep me awake, because I didn't want to deal with tomorrow. And I found myself in that space a lot, even like six months ago.

But when I gained the weight back up to 230, I said to my husband, I need help. So I did an exploratory call with WarriorBabe about VIP. And I was getting a new job where I would have a consistent income, because I was a contractor before. And he was on board. He's like, yeah, let's do this, and we're going to start it after you get established in your new job. And that's what we did. He's on board. He is there for it.

Nikkiey: That's amazing. That's an amazing support system to have. Does he work out too?

Carrie: Not yet, but he had done a program last year called Fit Father. But now things at work have changed and he hasn't gone back to it, and he sees what I'm doing. I'm like, so what are you going to do?

Nikkiey: That's an amazing support system. That's awesome. So, okay, you're in VIP now, right?

Carrie: Yes.

Nikkiey: It took you seven months to lose the weight in Blueprint. It took you four months to lose the weight this time. And now you're at your lowest, 207.

Carrie: Yeah.

Nikkiey: What's the biggest difference in that time frame? What's making it happen faster?

Carrie: Okay. So with Blueprint, I was using the tools and the dashboard, which are amazing, but I kept taking my carbs down, because I'm like, why is it this? So I just kept bumping my carbs down. Why isn't this working? But Coach Holly was there to be like, you need to be more consistent. You need to hit these macros. She's calling me out, like, you need to do this. And then we're doing a mini cut right now. So she suggested bringing my carbs down a little bit, but not the drastic thing like before, just a little bit. And then she was analyzing my steps, and she's like, you need to move more. So I just started moving more, and my weight is moving.

Nikkiey: Heck yeah. That's amazing. You're making some incredible progress there. Can we wait until you dip into the 100s? It's right around the corner, Carrie. Wonderville is right there.

Carrie: Wonderville? Is that what you're calling it?

Nikkiey: Yeah. I think the term is actually Wonderland. That's what it is. I made up a new one right there, which is fine.

Carrie: I love it.

Nikkiey: It's Wonderland, but I just said Wonderville.

Carrie: I love that.

Nikkiey: So going back to you being overweight, the emotional eating and your doctor telling you, hey, this is what's going on. What were some activities you found difficult that you weren't able to do back then, but you've been able to do since working with Coach Holly and WarriorBabe?

Carrie: I'm walking more. I'm lifting. I keep up progressive overload. I'm seeing my collarbones re-emerging. And it's the little things that seem dumb, but I can bend over in the car and pick something up off the floorboard. I couldn't do that before. I can bend my knees up to my chest and check out my toes and paint my toes. I couldn't do that before. I can tie my shoes with no issue. When you've got a bigger tummy... I've lost six inches around the belly button and six inches in my hips in four months. I can bend.

Nikkiey: Oh my gosh. That is incredible.

Carrie: So I've seen that. And I'm an asthmatic as well. When I was at 270, my pulmonologist said, if you would lose 50 pounds, you would be off these meds. I went back the following year and I still hadn't lost the weight. And then I went back after being in Blueprint, and I was down the 50 pounds, and he discharged me from his care. In the past, I was going through one rescue inhaler a month. Now a rescue inhaler lasts me eight, nine months.

Nikkiey: You're giving me the chills over here. You have a new lease on life.

Carrie: I do. I really do. Just getting that weight off of me and moving and walking has helped my asthma improve.

Nikkiey: Oh my God.

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: Yeah, you have a new lease on life. You're moving better, breathing better, and as you continue the strength training, you're adding more years to your life too. And you have four kids now, right? Three fosters and one biological?

Carrie: One biological daughter, and then three boys that we adopted from foster care.

Nikkiey: Oh my gosh, that's incredible.

Carrie: We are empty nesters though. They're all out there.

Nikkiey: Oh, they're gone.

Carrie: Yes.

Nikkiey: And you have eight grandchildren, right?

Carrie: Yeah. My daughter is pregnant with our eighth grandchild right now.

Nikkiey: So how was moving around when you were 230, 270, with the ones that were younger at that time, compared to now?

Carrie: Well, I'll let you know, because they're coming over tomorrow to spend the weekend with us.

Nikkiey: Yay.

Carrie: So I'll have more insight into that tomorrow, because they live two hours away from us, so we don't get to spend as much time with them. But I'm sure it's going to be a heck of a lot easier. And I've gone on walks with my grandsons in the past.

Nikkiey: That just makes my heart feel so good. And how old are they now, so I can paint the picture?

Carrie: The oldest is... you're testing me.

Nikkiey: You weren't ready for that one. I'd probably be the same exact way.

Carrie: I know the oldest is 12. And the youngest was born in May.

Nikkiey: Oh, wow. Okay, those are your grandchildren. How about your kiddos? How old are your kids?

Carrie: My oldest son is 36. And then I have another son who's 30. One of our sons passed away. Our middle son passed away from an accidental drug overdose.

Nikkiey: Oh, wow. I'm so sorry.

Carrie: Yeah. I ate my feelings with that one as well.

Nikkiey: I'm sure. Was that when you were 270?

Carrie: I was actually in the process of losing weight again, and then he passed away. And that's when I developed the pudge above my belt line. I'm like, that's new. We're going to call that Alan, because I ate the feelings over losing our son, Alan. He's forever 23.

Nikkiey: I'm so sorry to hear that. People can resonate with that one too. I'm sure people have eaten their feelings over a loss, whether that be a son, a child, a family member, a cousin, anybody. There are so many different avenues through which emotional eating can happen. So thank you for sharing that.

Carrie: And then our youngest son was born in '92. So is he 32, 33?

Nikkiey: I'm 34, so yeah, he's 32.

Carrie: And our daughter is 26.

Nikkiey: Nice. Okay, wow. So ages from 12 down to a couple of months. That's so cool. I'll have to hear through Holly how you move hanging out with all these guys this weekend.

Carrie: Yes, I will.

Nikkiey: Hey, just want to drop a huge appreciation to you guys listening to the show. It means a lot. I hope you're 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 help this podcast reach others who need to hear these messages too. Thanks so much, guys. Let's get back to the show.

Nikkiey: So in WarriorBabe, I kind of think I know what it is, but I want to hear it from you. What's the biggest breakthrough you've experienced so far inside VIP, working with Coach Holly?

Carrie: I believe it is... now I'm curious to know what you think it is. But the importance of consistency, the importance of consistency, the importance of moving. And then I don't know what has helped heal my heart, because last week I had a falling-out with a family member, a very, very close family member. And I was just heartbroken and grieving and grieving and grieving. And I just couldn't sit still, so I'd go out and walk. I'd walk three or four times a day. I just couldn't sit still.

And I was talking with my sister about it, and I said, holy crap, I haven't even stopped to think about eating my feelings. It never crossed my mind to eat my feelings. And I'm like, what is happening to me? I'm calling that, and I wrote it down, a breakthrough with WarriorBabe. And I don't know if it's the daily systems I've put in place every morning, with taking the time I need to get all the things ready for the day with scripture reading, prayer, getting my water, taking an early walk, eating my meals and knowing exactly what I'm doing throughout the day with my meals, that it never crossed my mind. Because food is for energy and life. It's not to tamp down any feelings. And so it never crossed my mind to eat my feelings.

Nikkiey: That is huge. Huge. I'm speechless. To be able to have that type of transformation, and then to recognize it the way you're recognizing it and articulating it outwardly. That is amazing.

Carrie: I think that's my biggest WarriorBabe breakthrough.

Nikkiey: Okay. I wasn't going to say that. That was yours. That's so crazy. I was going to say the fact that you're eating more carbs.

Carrie: That's important. That's important. And what I've learned from you, Nikkiey: chocolate every day, man. Chocolate every day. And my future goal is to be able to eat intuitively. I know I will get there. I want to be able to go buy a Crumbl cookie and have it sit on my counter like you've talked about, and just nibble on it. I want that life.

Nikkiey: Yes. Yes. You're giving me the chills, Carrie. That's all I want for anybody that's listening to the podcast. It is WarriorBabe through and through. You've been on the struggle bus. You've experienced the challenges. You've been an emotional eater. You've eaten your feelings. You've eaten like an a-hole on vacation. You gained all the weight back. This is the thing I want everyone listening to recognize. You've had your own roller coaster of experiences. But where you're operating from right now, that huge breakthrough you just shared, and recognizing that it never even crossed your mind when you had a falling-out with a family member last week: you are the one in control. From what you said at the beginning of the podcast, from what you saw on Facebook, from the video you watched, you are in control of your body for the rest of your life.

Carrie: Absolutely. Absolutely.

Nikkiey: I'm speechless.

Carrie: And can I share something else I've recognized? Two things that are huge. I am looking forward to the journey. I no longer stay up at night dreading tomorrow. I'm excited for tomorrow. What successes am I going to see tomorrow? What am I going to get to do tomorrow? What's my workout for tomorrow? What chocolate am I going to enjoy tomorrow? Because I have several. I'm excited. I can't wait to go to bed and do my bedtime routine, and I'm looking forward to my morning routine. And I'm just so thankful for that.

Nikkiey: Oh, it's really hard to not cry right now. It's really hard to not cry. That is it. It's so inspiring. It's so incredible. You've taken control. You're in the driver's seat of your entire journey, and you have WarriorBabe in the passenger seat, just helping you along the way. It's awesome.

And to hear that you have goals and aspirations to eat intuitively, that this isn't something that's going to be for the rest of your life in terms of tracking macros. That's something I try to outwardly express to everybody, because macros can be so daunting for people, especially at the beginning, when they're trying. You even said you dabbled in it. But it doesn't have to be that way for the rest of your life. I don't want it to be that way for the rest of your life. But you are a prime example: you wake up every day, you plan all your things in advance, you know the structure of how your day is going to go. You've implemented the systems, and if you've implemented the systems and you get better at the systems, you're going to eventually get to the goals you have. And now you're on your way. You're experiencing all these transformations. Now you have another new goal, which is eating intuitively, and all the things you just mentioned, having a Crumbl cookie just sitting there and you're not even fazed by it. That is so freaking powerful. Wow.

Carrie: My other big win with WarriorBabe is that I've been chronically stressed for years. Chronically stressed. And a few weeks ago, I was just sitting at my desk and I was like, I don't feel like I'm going to have a heart attack and die right now. I'm not stressed out. I am not stressed out. And I know it's the movement, but I also know it's what I learned from the blood work we did. Because with every issue I was dealing with, they're like, you might need magnesium, you might need magnesium. So I got myself some magnesium, and it's really helped me.

Nikkiey: Oh my gosh. So you did the testing.

Carrie: Yes. That was amazing.

Nikkiey: Do you mind sharing any of the things that came back? Are you comfortable doing that?

Carrie: I meant to have it with me right here, but I was too busy nervously applying my makeup in 15 different layers.

Nikkiey: Putting on all of your WarriorBabe swag.

Carrie: All the gear and coordinating the look, so I didn't bring my results. I know exactly where they are.

Nikkiey: With magnesium, I'm thinking your cortisol probably was...

Carrie: Oh, my cortisol was stupid high.

Nikkiey: Did you have a curve? Were you flatlined?

Carrie: The only time it was optimal was at noon. The rest of the time... I wake up wired. I'm wired all day. I go to bed wired.

Nikkiey: So you had the curve coming back up at night.

Carrie: It was just high. They're like, this is double what it should be. For the overall average, it was stupid high. And with all the issues, everything said magnesium, magnesium, magnesium. And then doing my own research and looking at things, I'm like, let's try magnesium.

Nikkiey: Heck yeah.

Carrie: I take magnesium every single night. I take two of the Pure brand, and it helps dramatically.

Nikkiey: Oh yeah.

Carrie: And I feel like my hormones are balanced. My period has come back.

Nikkiey: No way. I was going to ask you that next. You said you're turning 54, right?

Carrie: No, I'm going to be 53.

Nikkiey: 53. So you went without a period?

Carrie: I'd never gone the full year, so I was not officially menopausal. But I'd gone several months and then I'd have one, and several months and have another one. And now that I've been working with Coach Holly and in the program, it's back to regular. But it's not like what I was in my thirties.

Nikkiey: Right. You wouldn't expect it to be.

Carrie: But it's nothing like that. It's every month.

Nikkiey: Huh. It's still showing its face.

Carrie: Yeah, with cramps. And I'm like, what is this? This is stupid. And this last one, I actually needed a tampon. I haven't had to use a tampon in like 18 months, for just one day. And I told Holly, I said, Dr. Holly, this is dumb.

Nikkiey: I've talked to women who are like, I'm so thankful I don't have a period anymore. All these things you're saying are stupid, and I totally agree. It's stupid.

Carrie: But she was so amazing. She said it means your body is operating the way it's supposed to, and you're going to be able to lose even more fat. And I'm like, okay, we'll just hold on longer. And I know that the longer you get to hold on to it, the healthier your body is. So I'm not going to bitch and moan about it too much, but there's a little bit.

Nikkiey: A little bit. Just a tad bit. You're going to be a late menopause bloomer, which is so good. And this is what I was going to ask you, if you've experienced any of those symptoms, so we're already kind of there. You're heading into menopause so much stronger than you would at 270 pounds.

Carrie: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.

Nikkiey: Oh my God. That just tacks some more years onto your life. I can't wait to see Carrie Craft at 90, 95 years old, just rocking it out.

Carrie: That's the goal. I told Coach Holly, I'd like to be 110, but healthy. A strong 110.

Nikkiey: Now, I know it doesn't matter because everyone's so individual, but how much food are you eating now?

Carrie: Oh man. Let me look at my app.

Nikkiey: I'm curious. And everyone listening, please don't run off from this podcast and go to MyFitnessPal and copy Carrie's macros. Everybody is so individually different. I'm just so curious.

Carrie: My calories right now are 1,818.

Nikkiey: Okay, 1,818. What do your protein, fat and carbs look like?

Carrie: My protein is 150.

Nikkiey: Nice.

Carrie: My fat is 62.

Nikkiey: Nice.

Carrie: And my carbs are 165.

Nikkiey: Let's go. That's music to my ears. 1,800 calories and you're losing weight.

Carrie: Yes. I'm losing weight.

Nikkiey: Do you have to eat 1,100 calories, 1,000 calories?

Carrie: I've been there. I've been there. Did not work.

Nikkiey: Incredible. Did not work. How much do you think you were eating prior? Granted, you were definitely throwing yourself into a calorie surplus with the emotional eating, but were you one of those people who would emotionally eat and then not eat the next day?

Carrie: I didn't ever go into not eating the next day, but I probably did punish myself with food. I rewarded myself with food and I punished myself with food. I celebrate with food. I mourn with food. Everything is food.

Nikkiey: And now you've had that breakthrough. That's incredible. It's okay that that keeps happening. It happens to me all the time when I'm in meetings.

Carrie: I thought I took care of it. I'm so sorry.

Nikkiey: It's okay. No worries at all. It makes it very authentic. I'm going to keep it in. So of all the things, and you shared so many amazing breakthroughs, what would you say you're most proud of since beginning your fitness journey with WarriorBabe?

Carrie: Staying consistent. I know what my strengths are, and self-discipline is not in the top 15. So just being consistent, prioritizing my health, prioritizing my spiritual health, prioritizing me. I'm very proud of that. I'm very proud of the breakthroughs I've made, not just with emotional eating, but in my mindset shift. You've got to have the right mindset to do this.

Nikkiey: Amen. Amen. The coaches, myself, the whole team at WarriorBabe, we say it's not just about the macros and the workouts. You can find macros and workouts anywhere online. Any fitness program, any fitness coach is going to give you macros and a workout plan to follow. What I pride myself, our coaches and the whole WarriorBabe team on, and what we've built, is that we understand all the women coming into our community need some type of behavioral shift. And that comes down to the mindset one has.

Carrie: And I've lost weight before. I've been under 200 pounds before, but for a hot minute. Because then I just start stressing. And I brought this to Coach Holly because I'm right there. I said, who am I if I'm not the fat one? Because I have little sisters, and they're not overweight. Who am I if I'm not the fat one?

Nikkiey: Wait, that's so much to unpack.

Carrie: And I'm like, I don't know who I am. And then I'm starting to draw attention from men, and what do I do with that? I'm like, who am I? And Coach Holly, I don't know if you know her very well, but she does not cuss. And she was awesome. She said, who are you? You are Carrie Craft, and you are a badass.

Nikkiey: I can see Coach Holly doing that right now.

Carrie: You're a badass. I've had some emotional moments with Coach Holly.

Nikkiey: That just keeps adding on to your breakthroughs here. I think that one is really important, if you don't mind going down that avenue. So many people don't know what success looks like on the other end. They're afraid to meet that person. They're afraid to accomplish losing a hundred pounds or more.

Carrie: Sure. And I had one of my good friends... I noticed her being distant with me, and a couple of weeks went by, and then she approached me, I think she sent me a message, and she said, I'm so sorry. Because she's overweight. She said, I see your success and it's making me uncomfortable. It's not you, it's me. I'm working through it. And we're good now. But that still goes through my mind. I don't want anybody to feel bad because I'm being successful, but I don't want to not be successful for others to be okay.

Nikkiey: Balancing that, for sure. And what you said earlier was that prioritizing yourself is one of the things you're most proud of since the beginning of your journey, and you had to prioritize yourself in those situations. So for people who are afraid of success, how did you navigate that? Did you ever have those thoughts too, being afraid of what it looks like for you? Like you just said, who am I? How do you navigate that?

Carrie: You know what, I think that's where I'm at in the journey right now, because I'm 207. I haven't gotten to Wonderville, Wonderland, yet.

Nikkiey: You're so close.

Carrie: I'm very close. I'm right there, but I'm not there yet. And I feel like that's probably tearful conversations I'm going to be having with my coach. And I'm glad I have her for that, because in the past, I'd just get in my head. I've done this to myself before. I came back from a vacation where I was very mindful about my eating, and I was at 195, and I thought, oh, you're going to be successful. And so what did I do? I purposely quit my program and gained it all back. I've done this before. I've done this before. So I'm glad I have a coach, because Coach Holly's not going to settle for that.

Nikkiey: Coach Holly will put you in your place.

Carrie: Yes.

Nikkiey: Shout out Coach Holly.

Carrie: When I got assigned to her, the first thing I did was internet-stalk her. I found her picture and I'm like, oh, she's going to hurt me. And I showed it to my sisters, and they're like, we'll pray for you. Good luck. She's going to kick my ass.

Nikkiey: I know. She comes into meetings, typically in a tank top, and I'm like, can you put the guns away, please? They're just huge. Her abs have abs. She's a beast, but she is the sweetest person ever.

Carrie: I truly feel like she cares about me and about everyone she's working with. And I love her accent. She's got the best Southern accent ever.

Nikkiey: She does. She totally does. Wow, this has been so amazing. We've hit 500,000 downloads on this podcast, so there are 3,000 or 4,000 listeners per episode. Somebody out there isn't doing something to move forward on their journey. What would you tell somebody right now who's unsure about taking the next step, specifically with WarriorBabe?

Carrie: You and your health are worth the investment, of both the time and the finances. That's one thing I did the math on. When I saw what it was going to be to be a VIP member, I did the math and I'm like, that's a car payment. Am I worth a car payment? Yes. Yes. I am worth a car payment.

Nikkiey: Let's go, Carrie. I think that's the best answer I've ever freaking heard. That's incredible. Thank you so freaking much for sharing your story and being vulnerable. I know it's going to resonate with the listeners. And the successes you've experienced, and you're just halfway through right now.

Carrie: I know. I'm at month five. I am so excited. Where am I going to be at the year mark? I'm so excited. And I've let Coach Holly know my ultimate goals, and we're going to work for those.

Nikkiey: What is the ultimate goal?

Carrie: Okay. I told her, even if I can just maintain them for five minutes, I want abs. Even if it's just for a photo shoot, and then I'm going to have some Pringles and Oreos.

Nikkiey: We'll make the first goal five minutes, and then the future goal will be longer than five minutes.

Carrie: I just want to be cut. I just want to be cut and do a hot photo shoot. It's so fun. I do some movements and I'm like, that's a back muscle. I felt that engage.

Nikkiey: You're starting to see your upper core come in.

Carrie: Thank you. And I'm getting some definition right in here.

Nikkiey: Top down, baby. It starts top down. You're going to see it all. I'm sure you see it in your face.

Carrie: I'm on Zoom a lot, and everybody's like, we see it in your face. And I've been loving talking with women about their journeys. I'm like, okay, go walk, go drink more water. And with my sisters on their journey, I'm like, you need to up that protein. You are not eating enough protein.

Nikkiey: That's what I'm talking about, Carrie. I love it. Well, thank you so much for sharing your story, for kicking ass in your journey and for inspiring others. It's amazing. Thank you for your time.

Carrie: Thank you.

Nikkiey: Appreciate you guys. See you in the next one.

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. 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. Thank you.