Lose Body Fat After 40 by Eating More: Kristy's Story

Kristy: I didn't come in with an excessive amount of weight, but I was carrying a lot of fat that I didn't want to have. I wanted to be stronger. I wanted to see some more definition. But I've dropped 5% body fat in six months.

Nikkiey: What's going on, everybody? Today I've got another WarriorBabe here with us, WarriorBabe Kristy. She came to WarriorBabe after trying everything from fasting to low-carb diets to HIIT workouts with no lasting results. She felt stuck. She felt frustrated, and she was ready to accept that gaining weight in her 40s was just inevitable. She's going to get into her story today with us. Kristy, welcome.

Kristy: Thank you. I did not come from a family that focused on fitness or nutrition at all. The most I saw my parents do was take walks after dinner. So it just wasn't a thing for me, and it was probably in my 20s that I started discovering that I could do something to actually change maybe the shape of my body or the strength of my body.

So I started with Pilates just a couple times a week and started to get some shape, and that was great. And I would say in my 20s and 30s, I was very much someone who would tell you I ate for survival. I'm like, I can live on bread and diet soda alone, and as long as I ate in moderation, I was doing okay. Let's say I didn't fix my childhood traumas with food. I was not somebody who ate my feelings. I did other things probably that were destructive, but not that.

So it was kind of easy. Then I got into my 30s, and I had infertility and was on all the hormones, everything that comes with infertility, for a couple of years. Got pregnant with twins and gained 55 pounds, and bed rest and all that. After that, your hormones just kind of go crazy, and I lost all the weight. And then they were keeping me busy, and it was just something I wasn't focusing on. Then the weight started kind of coming, right?

It was a little bit every year. I started noticing that the things I was doing before weren't working anymore. Well, you've got kids around, and whatever's left on their plate you eat, and you just keep going.

Nikkiey: Moms will definitely resonate with that.

Kristy: Yes. So into my 40s, let's say that was when COVID hit, what, five years ago? So let's say 42. At 42, I had probably put on 10 pounds. And now I'm thinking, okay, if this happens every decade, what are my 60s going to look like?

And looking at my family history, I thought, this is just what happens in your 40s. This is just part of it. But I was a little resistant to accepting that. And so I started, I mean, during COVID we had a lot of extra time, right? So I was just researching all the things. And that's when I started shifting out of yoga and thinking, okay, I need to do a little bit more strength training. So maybe I'll try to follow this online workout and do a little bit of strength training. Well, that wasn't really working. Let me try this metabolic renewal, and maybe I'll get the HIIT workouts, and I can do it from home.

And, oh, I'm going to burn so many calories, and this is going to be great. Then I read, okay, now calorie deficit. All right, so I'm going to get to 1,200 calories a day. And every time I would try something new, just like most people would probably say, you lose a little bit of weight. You're like, oh, this is going to work. It's great. And then a few weeks later, you're like, ah, this isn't really working. I think I need to move to the next thing, you know?

Nikkiey: Yeah.

Kristy: So I tried intermittent fasting. Yes, I tried all of those things.

Nikkiey: Were you one of those, too, where the scale affected how you felt on a daily basis if you stepped on it? Were you stepping on it every day? What did that look like?

Kristy: I was stepping on it every day.

Nikkiey: Really?

Kristy: Yeah, I was stepping on it every day. And it didn't necessarily control how I felt about me, but it made me control my behaviors differently each day. So if it was looking better, I might allow myself something. If it was looking worse, I might not. So it was controlling me more than my feelings. I also asked the question: if I can't do this until I'm 80, I don't want to start doing it.

Nikkiey: Well, that gave me the chills. Oh, I love that question.

Kristy: It's just that my yoga was kind of like, oh, I can do this for life. I look next to me, and someone on the mat next to me is 80. I'm like, all right, this is something we can do for life.

Nikkiey: Sure.

Kristy: But then it stopped working. It's not that it doesn't work, because yoga is amazing and still has so many wonderful benefits, but it wasn't enough.

Nikkiey: So when you asked yourself that question, when you were doing intermittent fasting and low-carb diets, what was your answer?

Kristy: They didn't work for me. It just wasn't enough, and I didn't have a lot of energy, and my sleep was struggling. Now, it was COVID, right? So there were a lot of other things going on. I also got remarried and blended a family three months before COVID hit. So there was a lot going on. There were eight of us in the house.

Nikkiey: Holy cow. Okay. I should have asked that when you said blended family: how big is the family? Eight of you guys. Holy cow.

Kristy: Well, I have two, he has three, and then my mom lives with us, and she's lived with me since the kids were born. So we have a full house.

Nikkiey: Yes. What kind of toll did that trial and error, going back and forth and trying all these different things, take on your confidence and your motivation on a daily basis?

Kristy: Well, I was starting to give up. Not fully give up, because I don't think I'd ever stop trying something, but I just thought I had to accept what the mirror was showing me. And also what my mind was telling me, right? I was telling myself all kinds of stories, that this isn't going to work, and there's not going to be something that's ever going to make me feel that confidence that I once had.

Nikkiey: There's another question that popped into my mind when you were talking about that, because you were following programs. You were following what you were being told to do. So at that point, I can understand that it felt like you were doing everything right. You thought you were doing everything right, because this is what the program was telling you to do, but you still weren't getting the results that you wanted. How did that feel? Like, well, I feel like I'm doing everything right, but I'm still not where I want to be. How did that feel for you?

Kristy: So I didn't have the one-on-one touch with any of those programs, right? There was no personal coach, no one I could talk to about why isn't this working for me or what am I doing wrong. And so I thought, well, they just don't know my body. My body's different. It needs a different formula. I just hadn't found the right thing.

Nikkiey: I wanted to touch on something. You mentioned in the little form that I was reading for you to come on to this interview with me that you wanted to see muscle definition. You wanted to see more tone, but you didn't know the difference between fat and muscle, or losing weight and losing fat. How did that knowledge gap, and you learning about it, impact how you went about getting results and how you saw your body at that point?

Kristy: So, understanding that even if you cut out all the fat, even if you were in a deficit for a long time and were able to cut fat, that doesn't mean you have muscle. Right. I didn't really realize that. I just thought the fat was covering up the muscle that I had, but I really didn't have any muscle, or at least not a lot of muscle. And then I was retaining fat on top of that. So I've already been through one cut, actually, and it did not reveal as much as I thought it would, because I hadn't built as much as I thought I had. That has been eye-opening. You don't know what you don't know.

Nikkiey: Sure. I was going to say, I didn't know that either when I first started. So I'm in the same boat with you on where you are in your journey, compared to when I first started. So yeah, a hundred percent, you don't know what you don't know.

Kristy: You don't know what you don't know. And so it has been really fascinating to learn. I was eating for survival, right? Now I eat for fuel.

Nikkiey: Amen.

Kristy: Yeah. And I may not be somebody who's a foodie. I'm kind of like you, where I'm fine with boring. I'm fine with it being five of the same consistent meals every day. So I am fine with that, which helps, I think.

Nikkiey: For sure. You're managing eight people in that household. Like you said, you have a lot of responsibilities, and a lot of time was taken up that kept you from even putting yourself first. So if there's one thing you can take the thought process out of, it's food, making it just super simple things to eat throughout the day.

Kristy: Right. No-brainer. I don't think about it. But I wasn't eating enough. So now I'm eating 800 more calories a day, at least.

Nikkiey: Jaw drop, for the people not watching this on video right now. My jaw just dropped. What? 800 more calories a day?

Kristy: Yes. And I still feel hungry sometimes, which is awesome, because I'm like, oh, my body's finally doing what it was supposed to do. And so now my body's trusting me, and I feel hungry. I feel skinny from within. Regardless of what I looked like on the outside, from the very beginning I started to feel that inside, and it felt amazing.

Nikkiey: Yes, Kristy. Yes. And you can say that with a knowing behind it, and you fully understand it. Knowledge is power. To have the type of power that you've gained on this journey is huge to set you up for success continuing forward.

Kristy: Yeah. So I definitely had to trust the process, and I think investing in it for a year and putting some financial investment into it is actually making me show up. I'm paying for it and I'm showing up for it, and I'm going to do all the things. Everything that they tell me to do, I'm going to do. And I just trusted it. Because truthfully, it was a last-ditch effort.

Nikkiey: All the women I've had on these interviews mention that: I just listened. I trusted the process. I didn't let my own past successes or stories get in the way, whether that's stories from past programs or stories about eating from how you grew up. That has been an ongoing theme that I'm hearing, and it's why you're so successful too. You just listened to the process and trusted the process, and that's how you're successful with it. Last-ditch effort. What about WarriorBabe was giving you hope?

Kristy: So I ran across your advertisements, and I went through to get the free stuff at the end.

Nikkiey: Sure.

Kristy: The free stuff, which is amazing that you do that, by the way. So I got all the free stuff at the end. And then I got the call: hey, come talk to us. Let's schedule an interview. Let's talk. And I'm like, no, no, no, I'm not ready. I know it's going to cost money. I don't want to put any money into this, because nothing I've done has worked. And what if it's just another one of those things that doesn't work for me? It's just the negative self-talk.

And then I followed the podcast, every little email you sent. I listened to every little snippet, and I got a lot out of that, and I listened to all of it. And I think over time, it probably took me six months before I was like, okay, I need to do this for me. And I talked to my husband about it: this is a financial investment. Can I do it? And he was all for it and very supportive.

Nikkiey: Which is also a big part of huge success.

Kristy: Right. Yeah. And I appreciated him for that. But I thought, well, I've never had someone really hold my hand and teach me, and really understand my body, see my pictures, see my measurements, know what I've done, see what I'm eating, what I'm trying. All of that was the first time. So I was like, if that doesn't work, then I don't even know what to do. So I did feel like I needed that personal touch.

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.

Now, you mentioned the value of the program and the investment that went into it. With everything else you've tried, I would assume, and I don't know how much those programs are...

Kristy: $70.

Nikkiey: I was going to say $175.

Kristy: Yeah. They're ongoing, like a subscription. You get the videos, you get the workouts, that kind of thing. But the other thing I could not embrace, and didn't embrace until now, is that it's really 80% nutrition and 20% workouts. I was trying to put all the effort into the workouts. And even now, when I tell people what I'm doing, and I'm starting to have people randomly ask me questions about what I'm doing, which is really fun because...

Nikkiey: Change is happening.

Kristy: I know. And this time I actually got a question yesterday. It wasn't, are you losing weight? It was, are you lifting weights? And I was like...

Nikkiey: Oh, that is such a compliment.

Kristy: Right. That's why it feels so good. There's so much that I've learned about the nutrition piece. I'd heard about macros before, and I had tried some of that with the metabolic workouts and things, but I didn't necessarily understand the balance. I didn't really understand the fueling part and what you really need. I was going to all of my workouts fasted.

Nikkiey: I know. I just covered my eyes, guys.

Kristy: I was eating after. So I learned about pre-workout. I learned about post-workout. I've learned about the food. I'm eating 150 grams of protein now, and I'm splitting it into five meals. How do I get that in five meals? And as many whole foods as possible. All those small, practical things that I've learned.

It's all the education that comes with the coaching and the nutrition. I've even been handed meal plans. I haven't necessarily used all of them, because I'm also thinking, well, how can I make this fit into my lifestyle? It needs to be the kinds of foods that are in my house, that I like, that I will eat. That's the thing. Can I do this into my 80s?

Nikkiey: Exactly.

Kristy: I can.

Nikkiey: Yeah. What did it look like when you first started with your coach, in the first month with macros? Your ability to put it into action, what did that look like?

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.

Kristy: As I said, I just tried to do everything they told me to do. So I asked a lot of questions. I think I started with just tracking, right? So she could see what I was doing. And then we added in more protein each week as I was retraining my metabolism. I think I retrained pretty quickly, though.

Nikkiey: Yeah. I mean, you're six months in and you're eating 800 more calories than you were.

Kristy: Yeah. And I did gain just a little bit of weight. But I was like, well, I'm eating more food, of course, but I'm just going to trust that this is part of it. And it quickly started going back down. But I was all in from the very beginning. And that's my biggest piece of advice to anyone who decides to invest in this program with their time, their energy, everything: do it all.

The other thing I have to be honest about is that it's not like you jump in and you're doing all the things. You're getting little bits at a time, so you're habit stacking and figuring out how to get there. And it's amazing the amount of knowledge I've accumulated over six months that I had none of at the beginning.

Nikkiey: Oh, man, Kristy. You should be so proud of yourself, from where we were talking about at the beginning of your journey to where you are now. How has your view of yourself changed from the beginning to now?

Kristy: I've definitely grown in confidence, but I actually feel like I'm loving myself. And that's really important to me. And I have hope in being able to tackle this part of myself, knowing that I have tools and resources and education to move into the next couple of decades.

And I watch the other women in this group, which is another part of it, the community. I see 60, I see 70, and I see them. I don't know what that's going to look like for me with actual weights and things like that. But I know that this is something that's sustainable, and that is 100% what I was looking for. And so I'm grateful. I'm really grateful to have found it.

Nikkiey: That's amazing. I'm happy you found us, and I'm happy you trusted us at the beginning of the journey. Because I know that investment can be a little, whoa. It's a pricey investment. But you made the investment in yourself and you showed up.

We talked about some of your achievements, but sleep was another one that I was interested in and curious about, because you've had better sleep now. So what did your sleep look like before, and what does it look like now?

Kristy: Yeah, and that's an ongoing journey. I'm trying to figure out what works to keep me in deep sleep. I have this amazing bed that tracks my sleep, and it tells me my deep and my REM. And it's probably similar to what it was.

Nikkiey: What bed is it?

Kristy: It's a Tempur-Pedic sleep tracker.

Nikkiey: Okay, cool.

Kristy: So it tracks all of that, my heart rate. It gives me a score, and I don't love the score part, because I'm like, no, I thought I slept better than that.

Nikkiey: Yeah, my bed does that too. I have a Sleep Number, and it does that.

Kristy: Yes, and now it's started giving me a performance report. This is how you're going to perform today. And I'm like, no, no, you don't get to tell me.

Nikkiey: That perfectionist mentality.

Kristy: I know. So I definitely wasn't focused on sleep as part of what was needed for my overall well-being. I've always liked sleep, and I've been a seven-to-eight-hour sleeper the majority of my life, but I wasn't really focused on and committed to making sure that was part of the puzzle. So I just sleep heavier. I sleep more soundly. And I actually don't fully know why yet, but my sleep has been more restful. I'm not aching in the night like maybe I was before. So I don't know. Actually, I do know. It's the food.

Nikkiey: I was just going to say. I was going to wait to see if you'd get there.

Kristy: I do know. So there you go. I was not fueling my body, so my recovery was horrible. And now I'm getting the recovery.

I didn't come in with an excessive amount of weight, but I was carrying a lot of fat that I didn't want to have. I wanted to be stronger. I wanted to see some more definition. So that was the more physical side. And there are so many other things that we've already talked about, which are far more important. But I've dropped 5% body fat in six months, and my scale has only gone down maybe five pounds. Maybe.

Nikkiey: Okay. So how's your viewpoint on that now? How is it different, with the scale only five pounds down, but 5% body fat down and a visible change in your body?

Kristy: Yeah. Before I even went into the cut and lost the pounds, I was weighing the same and still saw a significant change in my shape. It gives you an incredible amount of confidence, and it's also that I'm reaching my goals. I'm hitting the things that I wanted to do. And now I'm going to change my goals and make them different, and see where it takes me. Because you don't know what you don't know. So sometimes when you're setting your goals, you have a small mind about them instead of a bigger mind about them.

Nikkiey: Oh, man. I love that perspective.

Kristy: Yeah. And I've tripled some of my weights. Because I also learned that if you don't have to rest in between your sets, you're not lifting heavy enough.

Nikkiey: It's like you've listened to the community calls, the podcast, all of it.

Kristy: My personal story is that in my workouts, I was building little supersets of things in between my sets. And so I was never lifting heavy enough on any muscle group.

Nikkiey: So now what do you...

Kristy: And now I feel like I can wear this shirt in the gym. I actually feel like I am.

Nikkiey: That's so cool.

Kristy: I'm pushing to failure in some cases. I actually had somebody walk over to me in the gym this morning who thought I needed help. I was like, no, no, I got this.

Nikkiey: Let's go. This is the way. Did you think all this was possible at 47?

Kristy: No, no. A lot of people wait until they're about to turn 50. And I'm like, no, I'm going to breeze into 50. That's going to be great.

Nikkiey: Yeah. You mentioned that you see 60, you see 70 inside the group, and now you've got the tools and the resources that are going to help you get there. And that's the answer to your question, can I do this into my 80s? You're learning everything you need to do. I'm thoroughly impressed with your knowledge of everything you've spoken to here in this interview, everything that you have learned. That'll take you so far.

Kristy: I learned it all from this program. And the more you're in it, your algorithm feed starts to give you more and more of the same. And I love it. I'm like, let's keep bringing it on.

Nikkiey: That's awesome. What would you tell somebody listening to this right now who feels like they've tried everything and nothing works? What would you tell them about WarriorBabe?

Kristy: I actually wrote something out that I want to read to you.

Nikkiey: Yeah. Please do.

Kristy: If you're thinking about joining WarriorBabe, do it, but come in ready to show up for yourself. This isn't a quick fix or a magic plan. It's a mindset shift. You'll learn how to train with intention, fuel your body like it matters, and stop second-guessing your worth in the mirror. At first it might feel intimidating, but trust me, every rep, every meal, every mindset redirection adds up to something powerful: confidence. You'll stop chasing skinny and start chasing strength, mentally and physically. So my advice: don't wait until you feel ready, because that moment is built in the process. And WarriorBabe will teach you how to build it.

Nikkiey: Oh, my goodness. You made me cry. I got the chills. They're sticking up. That was beautiful.

Kristy: It's true.

Nikkiey: And thank you for that preparation, for thinking it through and writing it out. That means a lot. There's us, there's the coaches, but you guys and your stories and your transformations and the way that you feel about the program, I can't even put it into words. I just appreciate that. That means a lot.

Kristy: Well, thank you. Thank you for founding it and for growing it.

Nikkiey: That's why I wake up every day for you guys. I wake up every day to bring more, to show up for you guys and what you can receive from this program, the value of it. So thank you for trusting us. And Kristy, your story is proof that it doesn't need to be another quick fix. You need a system that works for you. You need the accountability, the support. But most importantly, you've got to show up for yourself, like what you wrote there. So I appreciate you taking the time to share your story here with us. If any of you resonate with Kristy's story, check out warriorbabe.com. Check out all the other success stories as well, and see what resonates with you the most. Give it a shot. Thank you, Kristy. I appreciate you.

Kristy: Thank you.

Nikkiey: Hey, really quick before you go, I have one small favor to ask. If this episode brought you value or sparked something in you, take just a moment to hit that review button. Your rating and review make all the difference, helping more women discover the tools they need to transform their fitness and their confidence. It takes less than a minute, but it can change the path of someone else's journey. Thank you so much for leaving that review. I appreciate you so much.