Losing Weight by Eating More After Years of Dieting

Nikkiey: Can you take us back to what that version of you looked like before us?

Debbie: I wasted a lot of money. I wasted a lot of time, frustration. I just had to do something.

Nikkiey: What progress are you the most proud of right now?

Debbie: The most proud of is my abs are showing. It just makes you so happy and excited to be able to say, hey, this is what I'm doing and I would love to share it with you as well.

Nikkiey: What's going on, everybody? So we have another WarriorBabe here with us, WarriorBabe Debbie, and she spent years trying every single program out there. She has a specific title that she calls herself. I don't know if we'll talk about that on this episode, but she's very open about how she's never stuck with anything long enough to really see long-term results. And after she retired from the Navy, which, thank you for your service, Debbie...

Debbie: Thank you.

Nikkiey: The structure that she had during that disappeared, and with it went her confidence and her control. She stopped looking in the mirror, she avoided photos, and she watched her health start to decline.

But then insert WarriorBabe, and everything changed. She's found a new sense of team and consistent coaching and motivation to do this for herself. Debbie started lifting heavier and doing all the things to start feeling stronger. Now she's off her heart medication, which I can't wait to get into that story, and she's loving her body again and finally proud of what she sees, on the inside and out. So Debbie is here to share her story. Welcome, Debbie.

Debbie: Oh, thank you. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.

Nikkiey: Of course. I'm excited to chat about your journey. So let's start back before WarriorBabe. Can you take us back to what that version of you looked like before us?

Debbie: I'll try to make things a little bit quicker than my whole life. I've been in and out of exercise quite a bit, and so I'm always looking for that next quick thing to lose those extra 10 pounds or whatever. I'm at that 10 to 20 pounds that are really hard to lose.

So I've tried multiple things. Originally, as a kid, I was into weightlifting, so I have that in the back of my mind, and I loved it. But then you get into the 80s, when you're doing all the aerobics and the running and all that. So I've just tried everything. And then more recently, before WarriorBabe, it was just any program that sounded like, hey, it's going to get me there.

It's going to help me lose this extra weight I have, or give me a body that I can appreciate or look at. Then that's what I would do. And I wasted a lot of money. I wasted a lot of time, frustration. So that's where I was at the time.

Nikkiey: You're not alone. I want you to know that. I'm sure, from being a WarriorBabe now, you're hearing it from the women and you're like, holy cow.

Debbie: Yeah, that was me.

Nikkiey: So you're not alone in that regard. There have been so many women who have tried so many diets, and they've been on that hamster wheel of losing and gaining and losing and gaining. Was there a specific moment where you realized, all right, something's got to give, I really need to change?

Debbie: OK, it's going to sound silly, but it's a picture. I take horrible pictures.

Number one, even now, I'm like, OK, let me make sure I like that picture. But anyway, it was a picture. I went to Disneyland with my neighbors, and we took a picture in front of the castle. And I didn't even know who that person in the picture was. What was worse, Nikkiey, is he went and got a Shutterfly print of it, and then he put it on my refrigerator. So now I have to look at that every day.

And I was like, this is getting crazy. I just had to do something. This was crazy.

Nikkiey: Isn't that crazy to think, though, that it ended up being a motivation you saw every single day? You're like, this picture just makes me...

Debbie: I know. And it was the motivation.

Nikkiey: You're like, all right, dude, I need to change, or something needs to change.

Debbie: And what's crazy is you don't even feel that way inside. You don't feel that way inside until you see something like that, and you're like, oh no. I've been around enough, being in the Navy, I've been around enough guys to know what looks good or what doesn't look good to people. But yeah, that was very hard. And so I was like, I have to do something, because I just couldn't take it. I was actually getting more and more down on myself. And I would not look in a mirror after that. There's just no way.

Nikkiey: At that point, you were like, this has to stop. Were there any specific warning signs with your health that made things feel a bit urgent to make a change?

Debbie: That was the other thing. I've been healthy pretty much all my life. Thank the Lord, I'm just very fortunate that way. And then when I retired, I had some bad tests come back. All of a sudden my heart rate is beating crazy and my blood pressure is up. I have cholesterol, but that's familial, so I have family cholesterol.

But with my heart rate and the tests, I was so proud of my blood pressure and my heart rate. When I was in the Navy, I would even challenge my sailors, like, hey, I bet I've got better blood pressure than you, even though they were like 20 years younger than me. So I was priding myself on that. And then when I got out and went to the doctor, I was like, what? That's not my blood pressure.

So I definitely had to start figuring out how I could take care of my heart, because my mom's having a lot of heart issues. That was one of the things I was really nervous about.

Nikkiey: It can be totally alarming when you know there are some things that run in your family, and if they're not taken care of, they could be made worse. There's another question I had for you. Before joining WarriorBabe, I read that your garage gym was collecting dust. How did it feel seeing your home gym collect dust like that?

Debbie: It made me sad, because I put a lot into it. About a year prior to that feeling, I was getting ready for a wedding. My friend who lived with me was getting married, and we were getting ready for her wedding. So we bought all kinds of weights, we got a rower, we got a bike, and I'm like, I put all this money into this and now I'm not even using it. Before the wedding we even bought bikes and went on the bike trails. We lost enough to get into our dresses, and then after that we just relaxed again.

Nikkiey: So it was really sad. Did you ever doubt that long-term change was possible for you?

Debbie: I always felt it was possible, but I never followed through. Something would happen and I wouldn't do it that day, and then I just wouldn't keep doing it. Like, I feel great after I go for a run, let's say, or I feel great after I work out, or I'm happy with myself if I didn't eat wrong or whatever. My nutrition isn't that bad, actually, but it was always about trying to stay motivated to keep a program going. You'd see those teasers, like, hey, we're going to make your program, we're going to do this and that. And then they'd send you this big e-file or whatever to print, and you're stuck with, OK, how many trees did I kill to do this? And then I'm not doing it.

Nikkiey: You're riding that rollercoaster. You're trying the program, you're getting a teaser of the results, you get a taste of success, and then you have to change something. That alone can make somebody stall and not want to proceed forward. So many women have done that. They've done the rollercoaster, up, down, up, down, tried so many different things. They've gained the same 5, 10 pounds over and over again.

So I want to bring us to when you first saw WarriorBabe. What popped up for you, and what made you so intrigued that you were like, I need to click on it?

Debbie: It was you. I scroll a lot, so I listened to all the hype about dieting and stuff, and then yours came across. At the end of it, I don't know if it was the way you said it, but you said, fill out a form or answer these questions and see if you could be a WarriorBabe. And I was like, well, yeah, of course I can be. Challenge accepted. I like the challenge.

I don't know exactly how you said it, but then I called immediately. I don't know if I called or I filled it in and they contacted me immediately, one or the other. It was a little while ago. I was like, what? Yeah, I could be a WarriorBabe. I've been in the military.

Nikkiey: That confidence going into it. You're like, challenge accepted, I can totally do this, no problem. What made WarriorBabe feel different from all of the other programs you had tried?

Debbie: It's the community, and just the amount of effort that is put into it, into us. You feel like you're actually getting somebody who cares. Even the slightest thing makes you feel good. We did a challenge for food or something, and I posted something, and then Mo said, hey, that looks yummy. And I'm like, wow, even other people are being nice to me.

It's not just my coach. It's not just me and Stevie. It was awesome. So I was like, this is truly a community, because you do your Tuesdays or your Thursdays. It was just amazing how much effort is put into it.

Nikkiey: Oh, that's really cool to hear. I just interviewed somebody the other day who was with Coach Stevie as well. Stevie is such an incredible coach. Now with these episodes coming out about Stevie, everyone's going to want to work with her. Everyone knows her roster's full. Sorry, guys.

Debbie: I was going to say they've got to be busy, because I know you've been putting out a lot of effort.

Nikkiey: Yes. We want to reach as many women as we possibly can.

Debbie: I know. You're great.

Nikkiey: Quick break. If you're finding this episode helpful so far, it would mean a lot if you could hit pause for just a second, leave a quick rating or review, or share it with someone who could benefit from it. Your support helps more women discover these tools to build muscle, lose fat and feel confident. Thank you so much for being a part of this journey with me.

So what were your first impressions of working with a coach, of working with Stevie? How did she shift things for you?

Debbie: I originally started with a lady they said was closer to my age. Her name was Jan or something, and I don't think she's with you guys anymore. She was dealing with me because I did share that I like to drink wine and stuff like that, so she was focused on that part of it more than anything. I was a little flustered. But then all of a sudden I'm getting a new coach, I got Stevie, and I got workout programs, my new numbers, my new macros and all that stuff. So I love it. And I like Stevie because she doesn't let you BS as much as you want to BS. I don't know if that's good to say, but it's true.

Nikkiey: Absolutely, please say that. We pride ourselves on our coaches giving tough love and a straight, no-BS approach, with empathy, obviously. We're not going to take the excuses. We want you guys to win. We're part of your success story.

Debbie: And there's a full-on grace thing that is amazing. In other programs, if you fail, oh well, I failed. But here it was right off the bat: hey, you don't have to be perfect. You just have to keep going and be consistent. And she's so good about reminding you, like, OK, well, what about this, or what about that, to make sure you get back on track. So it's been good. I traveled a lot with her as my coach, so I know she's probably like, God, does this girl ever stay home? But it's been awesome.

Nikkiey: That's awesome. How was it in the early weeks, transitioning into our methodology when it came to nutrition? You were coming from a world of follow-this-plan, which was probably very broad and aimed at the masses, to following a more individualized approach. How was it in the early weeks getting on board with that?

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Debbie: In the early weeks, I was kind of shocked, because originally it was like, OK, you're going to eat about 1800 calories. And your mind's like, what? I'm supposed to eat 1200. That's what women eat. That's normal. And I was nervous because I felt like I was already chunky, and I didn't want to get more chunky by eating, because what if it didn't work? You don't know at that point in the program.

And with the little bit of exercise I was doing at that time in the program, because you start out slow, very slow, with the bands or on the floor doing bodyweight work and stuff like that, I was really nervous. In general, I've been pretty active overall, because I had to be in the military. When I retired I got a little less active, but I was still walking my dogs and doing all that stuff.

So I was nervous, but eventually I saw things start changing. When I was doing my retrain going into maintenance, I was losing weight. I lost my first 10 pounds right there.

Nikkiey: OK, let me unpack that with you. I love getting different WarriorBabes' perspectives on this, because as you were saying, it's normal in our society for women to be eating 1200 calories. You come into the program and your coach is telling you, hey, we're going to work our way up, or we're going to start at 1800 calories. And as you experienced, you lost weight by eating more food. Share that mindset shift you experienced when you were eating more and losing weight.

Debbie: It was a mind shift. I was totally excited about it. And if you follow through and you listen, then you hear, OK, just trust me now. It'll work. Believe me later.

Nikkiey: There we go. Trust me now, believe me later.

Debbie: Right. And it worked. Those first 10 pounds came off. So now I'm just in the process of trying to whittle, whittle, whittle. My body is more like an apple, you know how people say they have a pear shape or an apple shape. So I hold a lot of it here, and to me that's kind of a hard part to lose. But I'm very happy with what I'm doing.

Nikkiey: It will be a harder area. That's where you've stored it over the years, but it's possible to lose it, as you're seeing with the protocol. With eating more, what does your training protocol look like right now?

Debbie: It's split. I have chest, then a separate day with back and my biceps and triceps, and then calves and glutes, things like that. Is that what you're asking me?

Nikkiey: How does that compare to before you started? How much strength training were you doing before compared to now?

Debbie: I got out of it, even though I really wanted to do it. I built my little garage gym, but making myself go out and use it was always a challenge. I don't know why, even to this day. I have good fitness equipment, even, and I still want to go to the gym, because it's so hard to go out and do it at my own house. I've always paid for a gym, so I was able to start using that again. I kind of outlifted what I had, and I can't afford to keep buying weights and weights. I have a good membership, so I might as well go use it.

So now I've made myself go to the gym, and I have plenty of weight to do what I want. And I've always loved weightlifting. That was one thing that was hard on me with those other programs. They would start me off in a room in a different area, away from the weights I was so used to. I actually grew up in gyms when I was a kid.

So I wanted to go out and use those weights, but the programs would be like, oh no, you have to do this first, you have to do different things. Not even the machines. They had little setups, like, OK, dumbbells in this room, and lunges are good, obviously. But that was the constant thing. And I'm like, no, I want to lift, because I like to lift. It had been years since I got to lift.

And I just love that I get to lift now. And I love all your training, all the little videos that help you see if you're doing it right. Tips, for sure.

Nikkiey: It's a complete program, which is awesome. If you can remember back to before you were eating around 1800 calories, when you were eating less, or maybe eating healthy but not eating enough, how did you feel then compared to now with your energy?

Debbie: I think I have better energy now, especially because of how much I'm doing. I've always eaten pretty well. I stay away from fried foods. But sometimes I would cut out too much, like do a keto program, and then all of a sudden you're gaining it right back. If you cheat at all, you're in big trouble. That's what I've told people. But energy-wise, it's hard to say, Nikkiey, because I've always been pretty hyper. And my job starts at three or four in the morning, so it's kind of hard to judge. But I'm a happy morning person.

Nikkiey: Say less. That's totally fair. We mentioned community earlier, and I want to pick your brain on how it felt to finally be part of a team and have people in your corner cheering you on. How did that feel?

Debbie: Like I said, the first thing was Mo clicking on my post and saying, yeah, that looks great. People I don't even know are encouraging me. And then our group under Stevie got bigger, so we're always messaging back and forth and cheering each other on when we send pictures, or if we do a little challenge together or something like that.

Having that is extra and just wonderful, because there are other people going through what you're going through, and you can share those times together. It really does help you. And it keeps you going, because you don't want to be the one left out, not knowing what the heck's going on.

Nikkiey: Right. I'm sure you're inspiring the WarriorBabes, getting up at 4 a.m. to go to work.

Debbie: Well, I don't know if they know that.

Nikkiey: Now they know.

Debbie: But the accountability is the other thing. I'm accountable to Stevie, of course, and my program, and accountable to myself, but also I hear, OK, that girl is getting her personal best every single time she works out. I need to start doing that. So it really does push you to have those little groups. That's one of the best things.

Nikkiey: You can tell you have a very competitive character.

Debbie: I think it just came from the Navy. I joined the Navy at 33, so I was the old lady in the group, but I still just have that heart. I get along with young people really well, and I'm generally pretty upbeat.

Nikkiey: You can tell just by chatting with you now.

Debbie: I'm wiggling too much.

Nikkiey: No. So you mentioned that you lost 10 pounds with the retrain, and that you're noticing your body slowly recomping. What progress are you the most proud of right now in your journey?

Debbie: The most proud of is my abs are showing on the side. I have little lines here. And my biceps are coming out a lot better. I'm a bowler, and this arm was always big and this arm was little, because this one did all my bowling. I'd always show off my biceps, but now they're actually there, and I'm like, oh my God. And yesterday I turned my arm and I'm like, oh, I see the little line coming down from my tricep. So that's cool too.

Nikkiey: Look at you go.

Debbie: So it's just a matter of getting this layer off, and that'll just take time. That's all.

Nikkiey: Let's share with the listeners how long you've been a WarriorBabe.

Debbie: I think it's been since March, '24 to '25, so March to October. So 17 months, I guess.

Nikkiey: That's awesome. And you renewed for another year, right?

Debbie: Yes. I had to. I was really resistant, because I was like, oh God. But my friend told me, this is the only program you have not griped about at all. She said, if you want to do it, you should, because you always say something like, oh, I don't like the trainer, I don't like this or that. But she said with this one, you never say anything.

Nikkiey: That's incredible. You've been with us for over a year. Has this been the longest program you've been in?

Debbie: By far. For sure. And I'm shocked that I've even stayed this long, but I think it's the accountability factor. I don't want to let somebody down. That's just me being a Leo, I think. I just don't want to not do what I was told to do, basically.

Nikkiey: That's a good attribute.

Debbie: But I love it.

Nikkiey: I love that you're that dedicated and showing up for yourself. That goes a long way. And earlier you talked about how much money you spent on all the programs you were trying. So when you made this investment in yourself, how did you feel about that?

Debbie: Well, I'm doing it because I made a big investment, but it makes me happy that there is actually something that's going to work. I'm not buying a special pill or doing some other thing. Of course, you might take something to help your liver out or maybe help you sleep. But other than that, it's been great that I don't have to sit there and try to navigate a whole different program all by myself. And if I have questions, I have Stevie there to ask, hey, am I doing this right? I can video myself and ask, what am I doing? I was trying to do something really heavy once, and she's like, oh no, you need to go back down, because my form was all out of whack. So it's nice to have that, because you don't have that in other programs.

Nikkiey: You can easily just record yourself and send it to your coach to see what you need to fix or if you're doing it right. Speaking of taking videos, what was it like seeing vacation pictures that you actually liked for the first time in a while?

Debbie: This year I went to Italy, and I did not want to have ugly pictures. My friend and I know how to stand and pose a little bit, but the pictures finally came out better, a lot better. I liked them. I wasn't ashamed when she shared them. My face is kind of round, and I don't know why the camera is so mean to me. But that was a big goal of mine. I just wanted to not ruin pictures. I felt like I was ruining good pictures with my friend, and she knew exactly what I would like or not like. So that's why it was so important for me to get to that point. That's what I had in mind for August, and that's what I wanted to do. And I did, and I liked them. I had a lot to do in August, so it was great.

Nikkiey: Did you replace the Shutterfly photo on your fridge with a new one?

Debbie: I don't know what to do with that, because they're my neighbors. They literally walk in whenever they want. So what do you do? He made it for me, but I hate it. I might have to tell them I've got to take it down.

Nikkiey: Or put the Italy picture right next to it. Be reminded.

Debbie: No, then they'd be jealous. I'm just kidding. It's good intentions. They think I'm beautiful, they think it's great. So it's not that. It's how you see yourself and how you want to feel about yourself. That's the important part, I think. And having a lot of encouragement, knowledge and advice through all the little Tuesday calls you listen to, hearing the different places people are coming from and learning those kinds of things, it's like, OK, I'm not the only one, and I can keep going and try to do something better.

Nikkiey: Yes, I love that. And speaking of empowerment and the encouragement and advice you get: you're lifting heavier now, you're off your heart medication, which is so incredible, and you're showing up consistently more than you ever have in any other program. What has that done for your self-confidence?

Debbie: It boosts it so much just to know that I'm actually following through. I think I had some self-confidence before WarriorBabe, but it's made me that much stronger. It was there, but now it's here. It's made me stronger, and I share it a lot. I tell my friends and try to get them on board, and my mom: the protein, you've got to have the protein, this is what I'm doing. It just makes you so happy and excited to be able to say, hey, this is what I'm doing, and I would love to share it with you as well.

Nikkiey: Oh, I love it. That's awesome. All right, as we start wrapping up this interview, I have one last question for you. For anybody watching or listening to your story right now who may be feeling lost or inconsistent or just stuck, what would you want them to know?

Debbie: If you have the means and you're able to do it, I would definitely do it, because it supports those drives you have inside you, the whole reason you're even scrolling for those kinds of things. If you have the means, try it, get involved and give to it fully, and it will work. And if you don't have the means, then start watching and doing the little programs you offer on the side. Then you'll say, hey, I think this will work for me in the long run, and you find the means to do it.

It's a community, and the community is what's so important. And even you just being yourself and being so loving towards us. Every day you love us and tell us, hey, keep it up, babes. You call us babes, and it's just amazing. I've felt that all along. Having that makes you feel special. Like, oh yeah, dude, I'm a WarriorBabe. That's right.

Nikkiey: I love that. Heck yes. I love all you guys, all the WarriorBabes. That's amazing, Debbie. And that's a great segue into what I have to say after listening to your journey. It's proof that it's never too late. You took back control of your health, and you took back control of your happiness. You went from the military structure, to the self-doubt, to hiding behind the pictures, and now you're showing up strong. You said you had confidence, but now your confidence seems like it's through the roof.

Debbie: Yes, definitely.

Nikkiey: Your story reminds people listening that when you find the right community, when you find people in your corner who can back you up, who truly love you and make you feel seen and make you feel like you can do anything, you believe in what's possible. And you started to change your body composition. You really get to rediscover yourself, which is really cool.

Debbie: I'd really like to shout out Santana too. She's so awesome. She responds within a second. Whatever your business purpose is, it's awesome. We feel the love out here, for sure.

Nikkiey: Oh, she's going to love to hear that. I'm going to have to send her a message. She got a shout-out. She's incredible. The whole team is a dream team behind the scenes.

Debbie: I'm sure.

Nikkiey: Well, Debbie, thank you for being here, thank you for sharing your story, and most importantly, thank you for being a WarriorBabe. Keep crushing it.

Debbie: Thank you. I appreciate 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.