Losing Weight at 54 With Crohn's: A Macro Story

Kris: I lost 20 pounds. I'm in a pant size that I haven't been in since I was, I don't know, 16, 17. I remind myself it's not about the scale. The scale is a bitch and it lies all the time.

Nikkiey: Amen. Hey, so today's story I'm really excited for you guys to hear, because for 35 years, Kris struggled with failed diets. She struggled with weight fluctuation. She struggled with chronic stress. She's tried everything from keto to calorie counting and even some miracle pills, but nothing stuck. Then at 54, she decided it was time for a real, lasting change. Now she's 20 pounds down, stronger than ever, and more confident in her body and in her mindset. Today, she's here to tell that story. Kris, what's up?

Kris: Hey, what's up? It's good to be here.

Nikkiey: Well, thank you for being here, one. And two, I just want to dive right into it. I want you to share with us, before joining WarriorBabe, what was your story like? Not only what you were going through, but also the internal dialogue. What were the thoughts running through your mind when it came to your body, your health and your fitness?

Kris: Yeah. So I'll go back, back, back, back. I grew up in a relatively small high school, and so I was a three-sport athlete all through high school. I was busy from the middle of August to the end of May with volleyball, basketball, softball, all the things. And I was also that kid that loved PE. So I was always doing something nine months out of the year. I graduated from high school and all of that stopped. I went to college and instead of the freshman 15, I gained the freshman 40.

Nikkiey: Yeah.

Kris: Right. Exactly. The freshman 40. And I came home and my mom, God love her, was just beside herself. She wasn't sure what to do. She tried to help me every way she could. I did the Jenny Craig thing. I lost some weight, but honestly I was like, nah, pass. I did it because she paid for it and I did it because she wanted me to.

Nikkiey: How old were you at that time?

Kris: 19, 20.

Nikkiey: Wow. And was that something your mom wanted you to do, or was that something you wanted?

Kris: Well, yes and no. It was her idea. She said, I'm concerned about how much weight you've put on. If you are willing to do this, I'll pay for it, kind of a thing. And I think you need to try and get this under control. Now, I like my body, but my body style was not my mother's. I am built after my dad. So my body was never in the mold of my mom's. And I can remember comments, never done intentionally to hurt me, but I can remember in high school my mom said at one point, you're in a size 14 pant. If you don't stop, you're going to have to start buying your own clothes, kind of a thing. Now, I was in a size 14 pant because my thighs were like tree trunks.

Nikkiey: Right. Like sports.

Kris: Right, exactly. I'd have to buy pants that fit my thighs, not pants that fit my waist.

Nikkiey: Well, let me just unpack that really quick, because sometimes that is where all of the subconscious thoughts, actions and behaviors start: from comments from our parents, and they're just doing their best. I totally know those weren't comments meant to intentionally hurt you. But how did that make you feel when you heard those comments?

Kris: Oh God. Clearly it had a significant emotional impact on me, because it's almost 40 years later and I still remember it.

Nikkiey: So you did Jenny Craig. What else were you doing at that same time?

Kris: Jenny Craig. I tried working out. I remember one fall, I lost a bunch of weight in the summer, and it might've been after Jenny Craig, and I went back to school and I would work out: StairMaster, treadmill, all the things. But being a female of the eighties, my senior year in high school I took a fitness class, which was supposed to be a weight training class.

Nikkiey: What did that look like in the eighties?

Kris: Well, it was, you guys go ahead and lift weights. I didn't have a clue.

Nikkiey: What you were doing.

Kris: Yeah, I didn't know what I was doing. Had I seen people bench press? Sure. I'd never done a back squat. I didn't know how to do a back squat properly. So I'm doing cardio on the StairMaster and the treadmill trying to keep the weight off. Anybody that's been to college knows that 90% of what they feed you is carbs.

Nikkiey: Yeah. Carbs and fat.

Kris: Right. And I wasn't even a drinker. That's the other part. I gained 40 pounds without drinking alcohol.

Nikkiey: Wow.

Kris: So fast forward another year or so, and I decided to take a weight training class in college. The first day they did some one-rep maxes, and at one point they made me stop my leg press because I had done so many reps at so much weight, they didn't want me to get hurt. They said, you know what, I'm going to have to stop you right now. And I was like, okay, that's fine, cool, whatever. Long story short, they asked me to join the powerlifting club, which I did for a short period of time until I got hurt, and then I stopped. So I graduated from college, and in the time since then, I have done keto. I have done the miracle pill thing that you see on Instagram and Facebook and all of the places. I've tried other fitness approaches like V Shred and those kinds of things, in theory similar to—

Nikkiey: I'm going to make a joke about this, because somebody said that on the last interview I did last week, and I was like, but WarriorBabe was way better than V Shred. Right.

Kris: Oh yeah, for sure. And in that time, at 29, I was also diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. So I have struggled with weight because of steroids, because of medications, and then losing a bunch of weight because I would come out of remission and have a full-blown attack. So I've struggled on both ends, you know what I mean?

Nikkiey: Right. That wreaked havoc, for sure.

Kris: Yeah. My metabolism. At 29, all of a sudden I started losing weight and I couldn't figure out why.

Nikkiey: Oh, wow. What autoimmune disease were you diagnosed with?

Kris: Crohn's disease.

Nikkiey: Oh, wow.

Kris: Right. And I would be fine for a little while, and then all of a sudden I'd start losing weight again, and it didn't matter what I ate. I could eat 3,000 calories a day of nothing but crap and I wouldn't gain any weight. So it was tough. It was just up and down, up and down, up and down for 25 years.

Nikkiey: Until when? So you were 54?

Kris: 54. So I joined WarriorBabe in May.

Nikkiey: During that time of the 25 years, up and down, trying to get these medications underway and figuring out that autoimmune disease, were you doing any programs during that time to help support? Were you doing strength training? What did that look like?

Kris: In my mid-twenties, I quit college when I was a senior and decided I was going to do something else. I was working at a factory, and I started working out with a buddy, and my partner at the time did not appreciate how much muscle I put on. Now, part of the reason I got so big was because I had a lot of weight. I had a lot of fat there, but then I was building the muscle under the fat. So I got the big linebacker traps, the linebacker neck. I got bigger in my early days. I ate a lot of fast food.

Nikkiey: Would that flare up your Crohn's during that time?

Kris: I think part of the problem was it was hard to determine what was causing the Crohn's and what wasn't. I was smoking. My gastroenterologist said avoid nuts, avoid seeds, avoid tomatoes, avoid anything that could cause a diverticulitis kind of a thing.

Nikkiey: When you look back at all of these years of understanding Crohn's and trying to figure that out for yourself, but also the dieting and struggling with your weight, what was the most frustrating part to you?

Kris: I think the most frustrating part to me was the fact that I knew the person I was seeing in the mirror wasn't who I was.

Nikkiey: Can you unpack that a little bit? How did that affect your mindset?

Kris: There was a consistent dialogue in my head: clearly nobody wants to be with you. You're not good enough. You're not finding that person that wants to be with you forever because you're not better. Or you are failing at figuring out how to fix this. And half of the problem was that I felt like there was a time when the medical community failed me. Not necessarily my doctor specifically, but just the lack of knowledge and the lack of guidance that you really got. And again, young and dumb, you don't know what you don't know. In my thirties, my mom did a lot more research on my disease than I did. And I think that was probably because in my early thirties, I had an expectation that the medical community would tell me what I needed to know. And that's just not how it works anymore, or maybe how it ever worked.

Nikkiey: What were you hoping they were going to tell you? How to handle Crohn's?

Kris: I would have liked to have had somebody say, here are the things that you should or should not do. And some of that they did, and some of it was my own stubbornness. One of the first things my doctor told me to stop doing was smoking cigarettes, and I kept smoking for 20 years.

Nikkiey: Have you stopped now?

Kris: Yeah.

Nikkiey: When did you stop?

Kris: I stopped in 2021.

Nikkiey: Oh, wow. That's awesome. How do you feel?

Kris: It's awesome. But also every time I get a little cough, I go, okay, do I have lung cancer?

Nikkiey: So you start spiraling in your mind. Understandable. You did it for how many years?

Kris: I started in college. When I started gaining weight is when I started smoking, because in my head, it increases the metabolism, the weight's going to go away. Because that's what my mom did.

Nikkiey: Your story so far has been crazy, but you carry it, which is super cool. So up until 54, which is when you joined us, what was the specific moment or experience that made you realize something needed to change?

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.

Kris: So I lost my wife.

Nikkiey: Oh, I'm so sorry.

Kris: Well, thank you. Six years ago today, actually. We never had kids, and I have one brother, and he and his wife never had kids. I have basically been a mama to thousands of children, as I've either taught them or had them in my building.

Nikkiey: Let's share with the people what you do.

Kris: I'm an assistant principal in a middle school.

Nikkiey: That's so badass. So middle school is what, six to eight?

Kris: Yeah. So they're 11 when they get here and they're 14 when they leave. Scientifically, it is the most growth emotionally, physically and psychologically that they will do in their life, next to birth to age two.

Nikkiey: And you have a direct positive impact on that. Thank you for the work that you do.

Kris: Oh, thank you. I tell people all the time, you've got to be half crazy, and people reply with, we know you are.

Nikkiey: Think about the things you have to deal with on a daily basis.

Kris: It is truly different every single day. I never have the same day.

Nikkiey: Okay, so going back to the one experience that made you realize—

Kris: Yeah. So a friend of mine had her second daughter, and she was born about four months before I lost my wife, and she asked me to be her godmother. From the time that child was born, she has been the light of my life, but fearless. And she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, completely different than mine, that basically caused her pain probably since the time she was born, and until she was able to verbalize it, they didn't know what it was. And Carrie has told me numerous times that when Bridget is a middle schooler, she's sending her to my house, because she'll be too much and I'll be the only one who can handle her. That's done jokingly, but it speaks to the kind of kid she is: her strength and her resilience. I watch her. She enjoys everything she does, whether it's softball or gymnastics or basketball. The kid rode a two-wheel bike by the time she was two and a half.

Nikkiey: Oh, wow.

Kris: So she is just fearless. And I thought, I don't have kids of my own, but if I want to see this child become the adult she is clearly meant to become, I need to do something to change my life so that I make sure I'm physically able to be there.

Nikkiey: So that's really the reason.

Kris: And it's interesting. When I decided to join WarriorBabe, I told the onboarding rep, I don't remember who it was, that I had thought about WarriorBabe a year and a half or two years earlier.

Nikkiey: Wait, how did you find WarriorBabe?

Kris: I think initially I found it on Facebook. Being a middle school administrator, I have Facebook, I have Instagram, I have TikTok. The only thing I don't do is Snapchat.

Nikkiey: I feel like all the middle schoolers are on Snap. Well, maybe high schoolers.

Kris: Middle schoolers are on Snap too, but I get too overwhelmed and I'm just, nope, I can't. So I had found WarriorBabe on Facebook first, and I actually set up a phone call and had an initial conversation with someone about my why and all of the things. At the time I just wasn't ready to commit, for whatever reason. I don't remember the reason, honestly. Maybe it was the timing. It was right after Christmas. It was one of those things: I need to do this, but I wasn't ready to actually commit. And the person I spoke to said, if you're not ready to commit, this is a significant monetary investment and buy-in, so you need to be sure this is what you want to do. And I was like, that's fair, and I appreciate your honesty. I'm going to think about it, and if I decide I'm going to go, I'll call back, kind of a thing.

Nikkiey: So that was a year and a half before you actually joined. What did you do in that year and a half?

Kris: Well, I got through my grief from losing my wife. I started lifting with a trainer three days a week, one hour a day. He would put me through progressive overload and all of the things, and I was building muscle. It was great. I felt amazing. But I wasn't losing the fat. And part of that was, when I started, we talked about my goals, and my goal was to build muscle. So he started me on, I think it was 1,975 calories, and just focusing on calories at that point. He was a calorie in, calorie out guy.

Nikkiey: What did you think about it then, and what do you think about it now?

Kris: Well, then, everything I knew about losing weight was calorie in, calorie out. That was what I was taught.

Nikkiey: That's fair.

Kris: The first time I heard about macros was on Facebook with Nikkiey Stott. Maybe not the very first time, but in that effort to improve fitness and body composition, that was the first time I had heard it. When I wasn't seeing a body shift. I mean, yes, clearly mass moves mass. I was back squatting 210. I was deadlifting 235. And at 52, I was like, hell yes, that's a weight.

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Kris: We would do weigh-ins every six weeks, and I'd step on the scale and I would weigh more, and I would weigh more, and I would weigh more. And I knew enough to know that muscle is denser, so that was part of the reason I was putting on the weight. But part of the reason I wanted to do the weightlifting was to shed some of the fat, and it just wasn't happening. And his response to me was, then you need to do more cardio.

Nikkiey: Oh man.

Kris: And I have a knee that has had an ACL reconstruction. I have another knee that the doctor has said will need to be replaced. During my training with him, I tore my rotator cuff. So I have a rotator cuff that needs to be fixed that I'm not in any hurry to do, because that's four to six months.

Nikkiey: Jeez. Did you do more cardio? Did you listen to him?

Kris: No, I did not do more cardio. I stuck with what I was doing, and I tried to pay more attention to my food. I got rid of soda. I tried to get rid of a lot of the sugar I was consuming, or the fast food I was consuming.

Nikkiey: Great.

Kris: That was a great conversation with him: okay, I need to change my food. Food is 80% of the problem. I said, I've heard some things about macro counting. Should we look at that? And he looked at me and he goes, nah, that's garbage. That doesn't mean anything. And I was like, okay. I trusted him, because he went to school to be a trainer, for fitness and health and all of that stuff. And he was a college football player, so I knew he had experience in that kind of athletic space. So I probably gave him a little bit more credit.

Nikkiey: How long did you stick with him? The whole year and a half?

Kris: I lifted with him for almost three years. It would have been three years in August. So I was with him for two and a half.

Nikkiey: Got it. And what initially drew you back to WarriorBabe a year and a half after your first call?

Kris: What drew me back was Bridget, and deciding I needed to do something different. And I started listening to your podcast. I started listening to The WarriorBabe Show because I was like, okay, this interested me before. I need to do some more research, get some more information, figure out what this is about. Maybe, honestly, I can do this without doing the actual program. Maybe I can learn enough through the podcast to do this myself.

Nikkiey: Do you think with all the things you're listening to on the podcast, it's pretty fair that you probably could?

Kris: Well, so I did. I started listening to The WarriorBabe Show in January, and I started at the beginning. By that time you were already in year two. But I listened to every single podcast. That's all I did for the first three months, in my car on my way to and from work, was listen to The WarriorBabe Show. And in February, I decided to try and do it on my own. So I did, and I lost 20 pounds.

Nikkiey: You lost 20 pounds not yet in WarriorBabe? Just by listening to The WarriorBabe Show?

Kris: Yeah.

Nikkiey: What specifically did you do differently?

Kris: In one of your episodes, you talked about being in menopause and figuring out your fats. So I went with: what's your goal weight? Eat that many grams of protein. And then how many grams of fat should you have in menopause? And then I went with where my calories were with my other trainer, and I figured I'd been eating about 1,500 calories. So I got the protein figured out, I got the fat figured out, and then I figured out how many carbs were left. And let's go. So I lost 20 pounds from February until probably the beginning of May, so about three months. I lost 20 pounds before I actually joined WarriorBabe. And then I was like, okay, she has brought me as far as she can bring me. I need somebody to help me with these adjustments now, because I quit losing weight and I wasn't seeing a change in my body comp. I need to do something with the food. So that's when I made my second call to WarriorBabe and got my first coach. I kept my trainer for about six weeks as a transition, just to help me with form and function and all of those things. And after about six weeks, I said, I think we're good. I know you feel kind of weird just standing here watching me do a workout somebody else has given me. So we're good. And so I stopped with him, and I've only been with WarriorBabe since the end of June 2024. I joined WarriorBabe in May of 2024 and stopped with my other trainer a month later.

Nikkiey: When you joined us, you had done a lot of the work yourself. Was there anything you were skeptical about when you joined the program?

Kris: No, frankly, because I had lost 20 pounds doing my version of macro counting. And honestly, Nikkiey, because I spent a year and a half between my first call and my second call, and because I'd listened to The WarriorBabe Show, there were things I was very focused on paying attention to.

Nikkiey: What were those things?

Kris: Now, I am a girl that loves her protein. I do not have a problem getting my protein in a day. So when people are like, I can't eat 160 grams of protein, I'm like, really? Because I feel like I could eat 200 grams of protein if I wanted to. I was a meat and potatoes kid growing up, so not a big deal. I think the one thing I was most skeptical about was the amount of fat I could eat. That was probably the biggest thing.

Nikkiey: Why?

Kris: Because I'm a kid of the eighties. I was born in 1970. All I've heard my entire life is how fat is bad for you.

Nikkiey: Yep. Fat will make you fat.

Kris: That's right. Fat will make you fat. And it doesn't matter if it's avocado or beef fat. Fat is fat and it's all bad for you.

Nikkiey: I love the narratives that happened in the eighties that women carry all the way through now. And I just hope that WarriorBabe is a part of breaking those narratives.

Kris: Well, I will tell you, I have conversations with people all the time. The number of people that have stopped me in the hallway and said, what are you doing? You look amazing. And I go, I'm counting macros. And then I tell them WarriorBabe is the program, check it out online. I am an actual advertisement for you. Listen to The WarriorBabe Show, you're going to get really good ideas, all these things. And I have a custodian who I'm actually, strangely, writing her macros.

Nikkiey: That is beautiful. So since joining in June, where are you now in your journey?

Kris: I wasn't part of WarriorBabe more than a month and a half and I got in on the July 4th sale, so I've already extended for a year. I've lost an additional 20 pounds since joining. But the best part, honestly, is the fact that I'm in a pant size that I haven't been in since I was, I don't know, 16, 17.

Nikkiey: What size?

Kris: Well, okay, so here's the deal. I wear men's clothes. I don't wear women's pants because they don't have enough pockets for me. So when I first started counting my own macros, I was in a size 42 waist pant. I am now in a size 32 waist pant. That's down 10 pant sizes. And I went from a unisex extra large sweatshirt, and now I'm either in a small or a medium, depending on the cut.

Nikkiey: Oh my goodness. I just got full body chills.

Kris: It is incredible. I look at myself in the mirror and I go, who are you? Because I still can't believe it. My coach Lindsay will tell you that my weight has not moved. And there are times where I get a little annoyed and bummed, and Lindsay has to go, okay, here we go. Here's where I see it. I see it here on your ab definition. I see it here on your back. She has to help me see it, because I don't see the change, but it's there. Clearly it's there, because people keep saying things to me. And so I remind myself, it's not about the scale. The scale is a bitch and it lies all the time.

Nikkiey: Amen.

Kris: I got on the scale this morning and I was—

Nikkiey: Especially because you have muscle, you know? Look at that flex. Let's go. But to see body composition changes despite the number on the scale, that is a huge testament to the success you're making.

Kris: It's amazing. It really is. And I have to tell a quick story, because nothing is funnier than watching 13-year-olds. I was walking down the hallway one day, going to the fitness room, and I had a muscle shirt on. There were some kids here after school, and they're like, Ms. Weiss, where are you going? I said, I'm going down to the fitness room. And they're like, are you going to go pump iron? And I went, yes, I am. And their mouths just dropped.

Nikkiey: They've got to be looking at you like, if my assistant principal can go lift some weights—

Kris: Well, that's the other thing. I retire in three years, and honestly, if I can make an impact on some of these kids to recognize that it's okay to go lift weights, because it's only going to make you stronger. Do it now. Don't wait until you're old like me to do that stuff.

Nikkiey: To think about where the majority of 56-year-olds are at and where you're at now, you're way ahead of the game. You've added years to your life with what you've been doing over the last couple of years. That's awesome. So you've had those physical changes, but also mental changes. I love what you wrote in your application about the confidence in your daily life. What does that look like for you?

Kris: I don't know that people necessarily realize this, but there is a significant opportunity for you to have bad spinal issues if you don't stand up straight. And it's not just about standing up straight. It's also about looking up. At 55, I can admit this: I have spent a good portion of my lifetime looking down. When I walk, my eyes tend to look at the ground, not forward. And now I am standing up straight, and I almost worry that people might think I'm trying to look like I'm full of myself, you know what I mean? Walking with that stature, that confidence. And there was a time when I did. I can remember when I was 12, I walked like a badass, and then I got picked on for it. So that's also part of the mental. It's not unusual for kids to get picked on when they're younger.

Nikkiey: Totally. I got picked on too. I got called a man, and I still do on my ads.

Kris: Yep. I got called Amazon. The kids would call me Amazon lady because I grew faster than everybody else. I've been the same height since I was 12. I was the tallest in my class until I wasn't.

Nikkiey: I resonate so hard with that. So now you stand taller, now you talk more confidently.

Kris: I do. I stand taller. I talk more confidently. I used to have an issue. You put me in front of a thousand kids and I can talk all day long, but you put me in front of more than 10 or 15 adults and I am a bumbling fool. That's changed. I can even do that better now, strangely.

Nikkiey: Let's go. How does it feel to be in control like that? In control of your mindset, your fitness, your health?

Kris: This has been good for me in so many ways, truly. It's not just about the physical. It really is about the mental and the mind. If I think about what I've done in the last three years, but especially in the last six to eight months, the impact it has had on me has been nothing short of miraculous as far as I'm concerned. Because most women get to this age, and I'm in menopause, post-menopausal probably, and they automatically assume they can't do things. They act like the best years are behind them. I mean, yeah, sure, it took me longer to build this bicep than it would take a 20-year-old. I'll be honest with you: my goal is to have Nikkiey Stott arms and shoulders.

Nikkiey: Let's go. You're well on your way there, Kris. You're looking good.

Kris: I told Lindsay the other day, this next phase, I want to work on my shoulder cut. And she was like, okay. I've been doing a lot of raises, baby.

Nikkiey: How much food are you eating now?

Kris: I'm actually at just short of 2,100, I think. We just did a bump last week. I'm at 215 carbs, 70 fats and 115 protein.

Nikkiey: If it was the 16-year-old you hearing that right now, she'd probably be freaking out.

Kris: Well, it's funny. My mom's 75. I love my mother, but when she saw me for the first time after I joined WarriorBabe, she was blown away. And every time I see her, her grin is just bigger and bigger, because I think she sees the difference in who I am, not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. All of the things she wished for me when I gained the freshman 40 have finally happened. And I keep telling her, you could do this.

Nikkiey: I just interviewed a 75-year-old last week.

Kris: Right. They winter in Arizona, so I was out there for Christmas and I took my bands with me. Lindsay gave me a band workout, and I was out on the porch doing my band workout, and my mom comes out and she's like, really? That's all you're doing right now? And I said, well, this isn't what I do every day. I actually lift weights every day. But yes, there are people for whom this is all they do, Mom. This is how they lift, because they don't have access to a gym. They meet you where you are.

Nikkiey: That's the plan. That's our motto.

Kris: You can do this if you want. And she's like, no, I can't. Why not? Because I need someone there to tell me what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong.

Nikkiey: Well, you could go even deeper. I'm sure you do that with your kiddos. But why?

Kris: Oh, of course. But at 75, I'm not arguing with my mother. That's a path to lost time.

Nikkiey: I feel you. Maybe she'll be inspired if you share that podcast with her. She can hear it from another 75-year-old.

Kris: Maybe I should. I actually did think about that the other day. I don't know if she'd listen to it, but I can always send it to her. I should do that.

Nikkiey: But to hear you eating 215 grams of carbs and 2,100 calories—

Kris: I never in a million years thought I was going to eat 215 grams of carbs. That's crazy.

Nikkiey: What's your relationship like now? Because you didn't know what macros were. How do you feel about macros now?

Kris: Oh, are you kidding? I talk about macros to anybody that'll listen. People say, how did you do this, Kris? I don't understand. You really want to know? Okay, here it is. And they're like, wait, what? But here's the thing: you've got to figure out what you're eating now. The first step is to figure out what you're eating now. I've got a friend I've been trying to help do macros on her own. She's been listening to The WarriorBabe Show, all of the things. And I'm like, Sarah, you can't do it halfway. You either commit to the macros or you don't. We had a conversation a week ago where I said, look, nobody says you can't have pizza. Have the pizza. But if you know that Friday night is pizza night, then put it in Friday morning, or Thursday night, whatever, and then eat the rest of the day around what you're going to have for dinner.

Nikkiey: Let's go, Kris.

Kris: And she's like, wait, I can do that? Of course you can do that. When I started WarriorBabe, I did the Nikkiey Stott four pieces of dark chocolate every night.

Nikkiey: Let's go. I love that.

Kris: That was the first thing I put in MyFitnessPal every single day, because I couldn't give up my chocolate.

Nikkiey: Thank you for spreading the message. There is nothing wrong with it. You know you're going to have fettuccine Alfredo tonight? Fine. Put it in there. Eat the rest of the day around it.

Kris: It's only as hard as you make it.

Nikkiey: That's right.

Kris: And that's the other thing. I am not the recipe girl. I am not the five-course meal girl. I bulk make all of my protein on Sunday.

Nikkiey: That has literally been the most consistent statement I've been hearing in the interviews: you eat the same thing almost every day and you're not a cook. I'm the same way. I don't want to cook. Make it silly, stupid simple and eat the same thing every day, and it's a prime pathway for success.

Kris: Yep. I have two different breakfasts that I'll have, and then I have the same second meal, same third meal, same fourth meal. And then dinner is based on what I have left after the rest of the day. But I figure it out. Sometimes I need an extra tablespoon of peanut butter.

Nikkiey: Isn't that the best? You can just scoop it up.

Kris: Are you kidding me? I need some more peanut butter. It's amazing.

Nikkiey: I love it. Well, Kris, it's been so cool to hear your story and to be able to chat with you one-on-one. It's very inspiring, and I thank you for putting in the work and the effort. You're being a ripple effect for those around you, in your ecosystem and bubble.

Kris: I hope I'm able to continue to do that for people. That's kind of who I am as a person, a helper and a fixer, I guess. But thank you for taking the knowledge you got from your fitness journey and turning it into something everybody can use. Anybody that asks me, that's what I tell them to do.

Nikkiey: Thank you. I appreciate that. What would you tell somebody right now who's watching and thinking about taking the next step, but they're unsure? What would you tell them about WarriorBabe and the impact it could have on their life?

Kris: There are so many things I would tell them, but we only have so much time. So I think the biggest message I would send is that you will never regret the work you put into yourself and into improving how you feel about yourself, and WarriorBabe can help you do that.

Nikkiey: I love that. Thank you, Kris. Your story has been incredible, and I know it's going to inspire so many women listening to this. I always say you could change one person's life just by being here and having this conversation with me, and you're already doing it in your life as well. So thank you for sharing your journey. Thank you for proving that it's never too late to take control of your body, build strength and create lasting change. Like I said earlier, you're adding more years to your life, which is super cool. So anyone listening, if you're resonating with Kris's story, you can do this too. The answer is yes. Check out warriorbabe.com. We've got you. Kris, thank you so much for your time. You're hilarious, and thank you for the work you do. Keep at the lives you're inspiring and keep at the journey you're on for yourself.

Kris: Thanks, Nikkiey. I appreciate that.

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 just be the nudge someone else needs to kickstart their transformation. Thank you so, so much for your support.