Macros vs Calories and Workout Recovery for Women Over 40

Nikkiey: Real quick, if you want to learn more about macronutrients and understand that methodology on how they can help you achieve your body composition goals of changing the way your body looks, I put together a free 15-minute training where I dive into macronutrients and how you can control your body for the rest of your life with them. That link is in the description below. Click on it after listening to the show today.

Nikkiey: The 1500 calories, girl, you need more than that.

Nikkiey: We are going to be bringing in participants that I get to speak with, that I get to coach live. So first and foremost, I'm going to welcome Jenny into the room. What's up, Jenny? What's going on?

Jenny: Hey.

Nikkiey: Oh, wow, we got an accent going on. Where are you from?

Jenny: Tennessee.

Nikkiey: Oh, man, I love it. That is strong. Very strong.

Jenny: I'm country as cornbread, honey.

Nikkiey: Let's go. So you are a WarriorBabe, I see.

Jenny: I am.

Nikkiey: Okay, cool. Well, what you got for me? What question do you have?

Jenny: So the original question that I was asking: recovery. It's so hard. I can't even really go down my basement steps after a leg day.

Nikkiey: So you're holding on to the railing and wobbling your way down?

Jenny: And sitting on a toilet, it's nearly impossible. I kind of fall down on it.

Nikkiey: Been there, done that. I know that type of vibe. Okay, so let me understand a little bit more. How long are you typically taking to recover from those workouts? Is it one day, two days, three days, five days, one week?

Jenny: Oh, at least four to five days.

Nikkiey: And this is from...

Jenny: Too long.

Nikkiey: Yeah, that is too long. Okay. So talk to me about what your post-workout nutrition looks like.

Jenny: So my protein right now is 139. That's what you're asking, right?

Nikkiey: What is your post-workout like? What do you have as soon as you're done working out, eating-wise? What do you consume?

Jenny: So my go-to that I really like is a whey protein, First Form, and the Chex rice cereal, the cinnamon rice cereal, 33 grams, and 50 grams of blueberries. That's what I eat after.

Nikkiey: Okay. And how about overall consistency with your nutrition and your macros?

Jenny: I'm learning. I'm learning.

Nikkiey: How long have you been a WarriorBabe?

Jenny: March.

Nikkiey: Okay. March, April, May, June, July. Four months. Okay, yeah, you are learning. How are you feeling compared to before joining WarriorBabe? Do you feel like you're doing a lot of things differently now than you were before?

Jenny: So my blood pressure is great. My blood pressure hasn't been this good since I was a teenager. They diagnosed me with hypertension, and I'm in menopause. I'm 48. And I'm having a really hard time with building muscle. I lift, and I lift good, and I feel like I'm doing the workouts well. But I don't do them as consistently as I should because of recovery.

Nikkiey: Gotcha. So talk to me about that consistency with workouts. What does that look like? Is it like, I'm going to hit a leg day and then I don't do the rest of the workouts? Or is it that I'm going to do leg day this week, but not next week because I was too sore from the week prior?

Jenny: I follow the app day by day. I follow whatever that app says where I'm at. Right now I'm on the last week of the first phase. I'm on the eighth week, second day. But I didn't do my leg day. I switched and went straight to back and biceps. So I'm going to do my leg day probably today, this afternoon. Usually I do the leg day first, but I didn't.

Nikkiey: Okay. And then one last thing. This is all super helpful, because I think I already have a game plan for you. And you being a WarriorBabe and inside the program and the app, there's already a plan forward for you in terms of the phases you have access to in the app. So one last question: how's your sleep?

Jenny: Most of the time I sleep pretty good. I'm in bed at 10. I'm usually up by 6, which could be better, I know. But for some reason that's just the way it is with me. Sometimes it's 9:30-ish, but for the most part it's 10. I'm up at 6, 6:30. I have to be at work at 8. But when I sleep, I sleep good.

Nikkiey: Yeah, that's about eight hours right there. So are you head down, out like a light, or does it take a little bit to fall asleep?

Jenny: When my head's down, I'm out. Especially with my cat.

Nikkiey: You don't really wake up in the middle of the night or anything?

Jenny: I feel like I wake up probably at three or four and then I go back to sleep.

Nikkiey: Cool. Okay, so it still sounds like you have an efficient night's sleep. So, a couple of things to pull out from what you just mentioned. Obviously post-workout nutrition is so important, and what you have going on there with your protein and carbohydrate afterwards is solid. If you haven't heard me say it, I will always say that you break down the muscle while you're working out and you build it with the nutrition you have in the 24 to 48 hours after that workout session.

That's why I was asking about consistency and making sure you're on point with your nutrition as best as you can, especially with the protein. Your fats and carbs kind of fluctuate, and like you said, you're learning. It's four months into WarriorBabe, so a lot of things are new, which is freaking awesome and exciting for you, but it's still the learning curve for sure. So if carbs and fats aren't necessarily being nailed, at least focus on the protein, because that's what's going to be the building block for your muscles. Rest and sleep sound good. That sounds efficient.

What I want you to do, though, is evaluate your workout routine. What I mean by that is phase three. You said you're on phase one right now, right? Phase three and on is all full body. And I'm sure you've probably seen the community inside the Facebook group going, oh my God, I love the full-body workouts, this is amazing, this is a game changer. This is going to be the most beneficial thing for you in terms of recovery, because you're not going to have just one set leg day. You're going to break up your leg exercises over the span of five days, for example, and that's going to give you more rest and recovery in between.

So think about it. One leg day is what you're experiencing right now. You're hitting all the intensity, all the volume, all the reps, all the sets in one day. And if you're having a brutal leg day like that, you sound like a go-getter when you're inside the gym, right? Head down, you do the work.

Jenny: You show up, you do the work. Yes, ma'am.

Nikkiey: Love that. Stay with that. Now think about it. You're going to be able to space that out over five days, and maybe legs falls into the third exercise of the day. I don't remember exactly how we programmed it inside the app. But you're going to be able to go balls to the wall for three to four sets, and that's it for legs. And then you're going to have rest and recovery for 24 hours until the next day, when you hit another leg exercise in the full-body workout. For me personally, because last year I had to reevaluate my training, switching to full body this way was an absolute game changer for my recovery periods.

So that's what I'm going to recommend for you. Finish out phase one. You said you're at what, week three?

Jenny: I'm on the eighth week.

Nikkiey: Oh, you're on the eighth week. Perfect. So skip phase two and go to phase three. I know a lot of people were submitting more questions around how I felt about that, and I am totally okay with you doing that. Phase one and phase two are more introductory to our style of training. Phase three goes into what I just explained, which is full body, which I feel is the best for overall recovery, not just for women my age, but women your age and on. So I think that's going to be your best bet for sure.

Jenny: I will do that. Thank you.

Nikkiey: You're welcome.

Jenny: Thank you for choosing me to talk to. I appreciate it.

Nikkiey: Of course. It was a pleasure speaking with you. Keep rocking.

Jenny: My goal is VIP.

Nikkiey: Let's go. Incredible coaches up in VIP that can support and help you.

Jenny: Even the ones on Facebook are awesome. And the coaching calls, when I've been on a couple of coaching calls, they're awesome.

Nikkiey: Amazing. Well, then I'll see you on the community calls up there, because I host one every month. So I hope to see you on the screen on Zoom and I'll shout you out. I'll be like, what's going on, Jenny?

Jenny: Thank you.

Nikkiey: You're welcome, babe. Keep crushing it. I'll talk to you soon, okay?

Jenny: Thank you. Bye-bye.

Nikkiey: All right, bye-bye. So beautiful. Amazing. We just got to talk with Jenny. Let's move on to another one of our babes. We have Rachel, so let's admit Rachel into the room. What's up, Rachel?

Rachel: Hey, Nikkiey. How are you?

Nikkiey: Hey, I'm so good. How are you?

Rachel: I'm doing great, thank you.

Nikkiey: So where are you from?

Rachel: I am currently in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Nikkiey: Oh, okay. Beautiful. Been there your whole life?

Rachel: No, I've been here for a little over a year. I'm originally from mid-Missouri.

Nikkiey: Cool. Well, thanks for submitting a Q&A. I'm stoked to have you on here. How can I help? What's your question?

Rachel: I'm really excited. I've just been trying to figure this out, and this is kind of the main reason why I wanted to join the program in the first place. It's kind of a two-parter, I suppose. But it's really: what is the secret to macros? So many of us are taught to count calories, to rely on the scale, and that that's the only way. So what makes macros so different? And really, how do we know what's going to work for us as we age?

Nikkiey: I love that one. That's a great freaking question. Because I think, like you said, every woman I speak to, women that are 40, 45, 50-plus years old, have been brought up with marketing around this strategy and to look this way. And things are definitely changing, or there's definitely a different approach when it comes to wanting to build muscle and lose body fat, right?

So let me ask you, so I have a little bit of understanding about you and where you're at with macronutrients. What's your current understanding of macros and their role and what they do in the body?

Rachel: I'm a strict beginner when it comes to macros. I'm definitely the one having to change my complete train of thought and way of thinking, because I was raised on counting calories and measuring it by the scale. So I'm still a beginner when it comes to macros.

Nikkiey: Awesome. Love that. That's exciting, because there's a whole other array of abundance on the other side with macronutrients. Now, are you looking to understand macros in terms of your overall wellness? Or are you focusing more on weight management as you age?

Rachel: I would actually say both. I have had a variety of health issues, and so right now, with my coach and the program, I'm working to heal myself from the inside out. So my path is going to look quite a bit different than others' might. For me, it's going to be twofold. It's going to need to cover both of those aspects.

Nikkiey: Okay. So tell me a little bit more about your fitness goals.

Rachel: I really just want to be able to gain more energy. I want to feel better, not just about how I look, but just in general. I want to be able to keep up with the puppies. I just want to feel good about myself and feel good enough to keep up with life, and to be able to experience all of the things I want to experience on a daily basis. So I want to look good, I want to feel good. But at the same time, I want to know how to do that without having to rely on medication, without having to rely on everybody else telling me to do this or do that. I want to know inherently what I really need to be focusing on and what's going to be best for me.

Nikkiey: Ladies, are you feeling frustrated with the 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: Awesome. I love that. That's powerful. You said you're working with a coach. Are you a WarriorBabe, or are you in another program?

Rachel: No, I am a WarriorBabe. I joined about three weeks ago.

Nikkiey: Oh, congrats. That's early. You are a fresh new WarriorBabe. Let's go. That's amazing. Who's your coach?

Rachel: Kylie.

Nikkiey: Oh, nice. Kylie V. You got a tough cookie there with her. She's a good one. She'll keep you accountable, that's for sure. Okay, so your overall question, going back, is: what's the whole big ordeal about macronutrients? Why macronutrients? What sets them apart from counting calories? That was your main question?

Rachel: Yes.

Nikkiey: So, counting calories doesn't consider the overall quality or nutritional composition of the foods you're consuming. For example, a sugary soft drink and a piece of fruit may have similar calorie counts, but their nutritional values are entirely different. The sugary drink is going to have tons of sugar, tons of high-fructose corn syrup, all that stuff. Its calories may be similar to a piece of fruit, but the piece of fruit has a different type of sugar that is better for the body.

Then think about tracking macros. Tracking macros focuses on the quality of the calories you are consuming, and it's ensuring that you're getting the right balance of the macronutrients: the right balance of protein, the right balance of carbs, the right balance of fats. And it recognizes that not all calories are created equal. For example, protein calories can help build muscle. Carbohydrate calories provide your body energy, provide your brain energy, provide all of the things energy-wise, and also help recover the muscles you break down inside the gym, along with protein when you combine them together. And fat calories support your overall cellular health and your overall hormone production.

And I can tell you that a lot of women steer away from having a lot of fat because they feel like if they eat fat, they're going to get fat. This is where a lot of imbalances can happen within the body, because now they're not eating enough fat, and hormone production gets all wacky, or hypothyroid happens, or X, Y, and Z happens. When people just count calories, they probably consume tons of carbs and little protein.

So when you make sure you're balancing things out by focusing on and tracking macros, you can ensure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs to function optimally. That leads to overall improvement of your health, your wellness, your body, your state of mind, everything, in terms of a sustainable approach to food.

And it's also worth noting that when you count macros, you're inherently counting calories. It involves an overall calorie mark, say 1,800. If you're tracking macronutrients, you have the split between protein, fats, and carbs, and that's going to get you to the 1,800 calories. But when people just focus on counting calories, it could be a blend of like 20% protein, 70% carbs and 10% fat. So you see that it's all over the place. With total caloric intake, it's understanding that it's the way it's broken down. It's the distribution of calories across the different types of nutrients. Does that make sense?

Rachel: It does, yes.

Nikkiey: Cool. So does that answer your question? I think I just went on a mini rant.

Rachel: No, no. It definitely helps make the information easier to digest, to understand what exactly macros are giving me versus just the calories. I think it's a different level of accountability, which is ultimately a great way of looking at it. I can definitely eat pizza, but it's making me more aware of what that pizza consists of and where it falls within everything else I'm doing that day. So it's not just that one slice is so many calories. Okay, where does the cheese and everything else fall into it too? So I think I have a better grasp of it. Thank you for that.

Nikkiey: For sure. And if you want to have a slice of pizza, have the slice of pizza. Have a protein shake with it or some chicken on the side, right? There's your balance. You have some protein, fat, carb, and then just make sure the rest of the day is a little bit more balanced with more quality food. But you get what I'm saying.

Rachel: Yes, very much so. Thank you.

Nikkiey: And then as you age, I don't expect everyone to track macros for the rest of their life, but understanding this stuff is so valuable to your toolkit for understanding food as you go throughout the rest of your life. And as you understand what you're fueling your body with, it helps you age with energy, age with longevity, age with all of the things, second to strength training. That's a huge component too, with aging, with longevity and building more muscle, because I believe muscle is the organ of longevity. But understanding food more, which macros give you, that education, that learning experience, can serve you for the rest of your life.

And I know you said you're only three weeks in, so accept that learning macros is going to take time. Especially if you're the newest of all newest beginners, just accept that. Maybe you and Kylie are focusing on just protein right now and just hitting your protein. That's a win. Look at it like that. Maybe you're doing more than you were before WarriorBabe. Maybe you're focusing on getting what you need for your body. So just accept it. Macros are freaking bomb. Take your journey in steps and strides, which I'm sure you and Kylie already have mapped out.

Rachel: Definitely. Absolutely. Thank you so much.

Nikkiey: Yeah, Rachel, absolutely. It was a pleasure speaking with you. Keep crushing your journey. I hope to see you inside the community more.

Rachel: Absolutely. Thank you again. I appreciate it. It was great speaking with you.

Nikkiey: Likewise. All right, see you, Rachel. Take care. Bye.

Woo, let's go. Freaking love this. You guys, this is so much freaking fun. Okay, I'm going to hop on to who we got. We got Kristen and we got Courtney in the waiting room. I'm going to go to Kristen. Hey, how are you?

Kristen: Good. How are you?

Nikkiey: I'm good. Where are you tuning in from? Where are you in the States?

Kristen: I'm in Illinois, south of Chicago.

Nikkiey: Oh, nice. Cool beans. Are you a WarriorBabe?

Kristen: Yes, I am.

Nikkiey: Woo, let's go. Are you in VIP or the Blueprint?

Kristen: VIP.

Nikkiey: Okay, I knew your face looked familiar. I've seen you on calls before. All right, what you got for me? What's your question?

Kristen: So I am just coming off of the build phase. I just started my cut this week. I'm wondering what your tips would be for me to optimize my results.

Nikkiey: Yes. How was your build? How long was that phase?

Kristen: Six months. About six and a half months, actually.

Nikkiey: Nice. Are you happy with the progress you made?

Kristen: Yes. Strength really went up. And I have to say, I didn't start feeling uncomfortable with it until probably that final week right before the cut was going to start.

Nikkiey: Good. Did you start VIP in a build?

Kristen: No. I've been with WarriorBabe for a year and a half. So I've been through the retrain, worked into maintenance and then went into the build.

Nikkiey: Oh, wow. You have put in the work. That's amazing. I love to hear that kind of trajectory story. You didn't start in a cut, which was smart. I don't know what your eating habits were like, but it sounds like retraining first was a good start for you. You needed to do that. We don't put everybody into a retrain and then maintenance and then build. So that's awesome. How much food are you eating right now, coming out of a build?

Kristen: Right now I am down to about 2,175 calories. I was up to around 2,300 calories.

Nikkiey: How old are you, can I ask?

Kristen: 54.

Nikkiey: Can we just trump people eating 1,500 calories at 54 years old? Because you just heard it straight from Kristen that she's 54 and she was at 2,300 calories. That's awesome. Your metabolism is really thanking you right now for being up that high for a decent amount of time.

Okay, so tips coming out of a build. I tend to get sidetracked; I want to know you a little bit more. What are your specific goals for cutting?

Kristen: To show the muscle that I gained through that build. I went into it wanting to get more muscle because I knew if I didn't get the muscle built, my body fat was not going to decrease.

Nikkiey: Yes. Beautiful. Who's your coach? Because she taught you well.

Kristen: Raven.

Nikkiey: Oh, Raven. You know, Raven was one of our first team members when WarriorBabe was first birthed.

Kristen: That's what she was saying before.

Nikkiey: She's awesome. You have a very special coach. Okay, so tips for coming from a build into a cut. First and foremost, and I'm sure Raven has this down pat for you already, it's going to be a slow and gradual transition, which you may have already experienced. You said you went from 2,300 to around 2,100 right now. That's a very small caloric decrease, but that's really important in terms of having your body adapt in the right way. You don't want to just slash your calories, go too deep into a cut, and then you're starving and you have nothing to work with, right? So gradually decreasing would be my number one tip.

And what's super exciting is you're going to start revealing the hard work you just put in, the time you've been with WarriorBabe and the muscle you've built. If you do this the right way, you're going to see all that hard work, which I know is your overall goal.

Then make sure you're maintaining your protein intake. While you're reducing your overall caloric intake during this cut, it's important to either maintain your protein or even increase it a little bit, and play around with the other macronutrients. We want to make sure that while you go into this cut, you're preserving the muscle mass you just built while you're in a caloric deficit. Because if you don't, there's a small percentage of muscle mass you can lose when you're in a cut, because you're not eating as much food. To get on top of that, you've got to make sure you're eating enough protein, either staying where you're at or eating a little bit more as you get deeper into a cut.

Third thing. So one, slow, gradual decline. Two, maintaining your protein. Three, monitoring your progress. In VIP you have weekly check-ins, you do photos, X, Y and Z. I do not want you relying on the scale, because this is where it gets tricky for you. You've built muscle, right? So when you start to decrease body fat and your muscle is being held on to, it's more dense. You may not see the reflection on the scale that you'd hope to when you're going into a cut. You may stay around the same weight, give or take a few pounds, but you could be drastically seeing your body composition change in your progress photos. You could feel your skin getting a little bit more lean, or you could see more when you're lifting. You can see muscles working more, right?

And I think that's so important to communicate to Raven. Sometimes when we look at the pictures you upload via the app, it's hard to make some of the distinctions you may be seeing when you're working out and getting a pump on, because usually those pictures are taken first thing in the morning. So make sure you're communicating that in the adjustment form you fill out every single week. As you're seeing progress for yourself, make sure you're saying that back to Raven, because it's positive feedback for both of you.

And I had a fourth one too. Oh, strength training. Okay, get ready for this one. You just told me you gained so much strength and you feel so much stronger. Well, that may decrease a little bit as you go into a cut, okay? I don't want you to feel deflated if you're not lifting as heavy a weight as you were while you were maintaining and building and all the things you were doing previously. That's completely normal, because you're not eating as much food as you were in a build and maintenance. So a good strategy would be to make sure you're increasing your reps and decreasing your rest times. This will make you feel more effective inside your workout, and mentally it's almost equal to how much weight you were lifting before. But don't let that stop you from being challenged by weight. Still challenge yourself with weight. Still push yourself with weight. Just know that some of that may decrease a little bit as you go into a cut.

Kristen: Yeah.

Nikkiey: But this is exciting for you. I'm excited for you. I can't wait to see your transformation as you go into this next phase. Oh, one last thing, a fifth one: hunger. It's normal. You're going to feel hungry at periods. But again, having your protein intake a little bit higher will help satiate that hunger. It could even be that you're just like, Raven, I need like five grams more protein. I don't know what this magic number is, but whenever I increase someone's number by five, they're like, Nikkiey, that drastically helped. And I'm like, it's five grams, but okay. So if you're ever feeling hungry, just ask for more protein, and know that the hunger is totally normal. The point where I would say something is if you feel like you're going to gnaw your hand off within an hour of eating a meal. Then it's, hey, Raven, we need to adjust some things here.

Kristen: Okay, great.

Nikkiey: Cool? Awesome. How much longer do you have until you've got to renew?

Kristen: I renew in January.

Nikkiey: Nice. Oh, so you signed on for a year?

Kristen: I've been in for a year and a half.

Nikkiey: A year and a half. That's awesome. I love it.

Kristen: I will definitely be signing back up.

Nikkiey: Beautiful. Amazing. Well, I'm so grateful that you're a WarriorBabe. I'm thankful that you're here along this journey, and I love that I got to speak with you today.

Kristen: Same. Thank you so much.

Nikkiey: You're welcome. Go crush your cut. I'll look forward to your progress.

Kristen: Thanks.

Nikkiey: All right, see ya. All right, let's go, guys. Fam, we are having some fun here. Okay, I've got two more babes in the waiting room. Let me welcome in Julie. Julie, hey, what's up?

Julie: Not much. How are you doing?

Nikkiey: I'm doing well, thanks. How are you?

Julie: Good.

Nikkiey: Where are we at in the States? Where are you calling in from?

Julie: San Francisco.

Nikkiey: Oh, nice. I always get jealous of you PST babes. You still have the majority of your day left.

Julie: Hey, I'm from Ohio, so I know the whole difference.

Nikkiey: Yeah. Cool. Are you a WarriorBabe?

Julie: Yes, I am.

Nikkiey: Nice. VIP or Blueprint?

Julie: Just Blueprint.

Nikkiey: Cool. When are we going to get you up in VIP?

Julie: You know, I would love to. It's just, right now, financially, it's one of those things.

Nikkiey: Sure. No, no, you've got the gold in the Blueprint. You get all the things in the Blueprint. Not to devalue VIP, but you can do a lot of this on your own. You're learning a lot of things through the modules and stuff like that. So it's super cool.

Julie: Exactly. And I like that you have the calls and all that stuff, and you can always reach one of the coaches on Facebook, so it makes it a lot easier.

Nikkiey: Yes. Cool beans. All right, what you got for me? What question do you have?

Julie: So for me, my question is: I have a history of an eating disorder. That's one of the reasons I came into the program, because I wanted to have a healthier relationship with food, which I hadn't had in over 20 years. And now, as I'm working the program, I'm also in the middle of going through menopause, and I really want to build muscle. But I'm so afraid of going into the build because I'm afraid of triggering the anorexia, because I know everybody keeps talking about how you have to be okay with the fluff and all of that.

Even in maintenance, I had increased my macros based on a coach's recommendation. But I think part of it was I wasn't lifting as heavy as I could, because I had a shoulder injury, so I was really lowering down because of that. I started putting on fluff. And then I recently had surgery on my foot, for no injury that I did, and I went back to my previous macros, and that fluff came off. So I want to do the build, and I'm wondering how to do a build, because I know that's the only way I'm going to grow more muscle. I'm not doing it, at least not like I want to, in maintenance. But I'm afraid of increasing the macros and triggering the eating disorder.

Nikkiey: Sure, sure. I totally understand where you're coming from with that. So tell me, where are your macros at right now?

Julie: I believe my carbs are around 114. My protein is about 157, and my fats, I'd have to look, I can't remember exactly. I'm still at the sixth increase of retraining your metabolism. I'm still at that level, and I've been at that for probably six to eight months.

Nikkiey: Okay, so you're at that sixth step and you want to work up into a build. Here's the thing: you don't have to go into a full build. I feel like knowing that will help ease things. What you had said was like a mini build, and that can so be true. You can work to get to your body's maintenance numbers and stay there, and just challenge yourself in the gym a little bit harder by pushing the weight, by increasing the sets, by increasing the reps, or decreasing the reps and pushing heavier weight with a little bit longer rest times. But give your all there, because again, that's where you break down the muscle, and then following the workout is where you build the muscle with what you eat. So we can at least get your body to its maintenance level. What's the overall calorie number you're at with those macros?

Julie: I think it's around 1,800 or 1,900 calories.

Nikkiey: Okay. And remind me of some body stats. How old are you, and what's your current body weight?

Julie: I'm 50 years old, going on 51. I'm 5'4", about 118 pounds currently.

Nikkiey: Okay. So that protein number, I would keep you there. I don't think you necessarily need to go higher, and I wouldn't go lower either, because that protein number could be your best friend to help you feel the cues going on with your body when you start to build more muscle and add more food. It's going to keep you feeling satiated, and it's going to keep you focusing on more nutrient-dense foods, rather than simply increasing the quantity of your macros. I would focus on... oh, you disappeared with your audio or your video there for a second.

Julie: Oops, sorry about that. I was trying to look at my macros for you, so that's why the video went out. So my carbs are 114, my fat is 81 and my protein is 156.

Nikkiey: Okay. So we've got you on the retrain for menopause.

Julie: Yes.

Nikkiey: Gotcha. And your total calories were around 1,800?

Julie: Yeah, 1,900.

Nikkiey: Okay. You're getting pretty close to that maintenance number. I would say pushing 2,100, 2,200 would be pretty solid, and that's a very small increase upwards. I would do it as a gradual increase, which I know you have a couple more steps to finish in that region, because that'll help you add smaller amounts rather than one huge increase.

And I'd also like to make a note here on the mental side with you. In order to build muscle, you've got to keep reminding yourself, number one, that you are much more than your body image. Number two, in order to build more muscle, you have to fuel the process, and fueling the process needs food, because muscle is an active tissue. The way it gets repaired and built is through energy, and where that energy comes from is obviously the food you're eating. So if you think about the science of it, that will help with the mental side. And remind yourself that muscle is a statement of strength. It's a statement of health. It's not just appearance.

Julie: A question for you: how heavy do you have to lift? Because I see some people showing these huge weights, and I know for myself, with past injuries, there's only a certain level I can get up to safely training on my own at the gym. Do you have to lift these huge weights? I know you have to increase the weight, but does it have to be this astronomical amount?

Nikkiey: No, no, no. It's definitely not. I like to explain it in two ways, and the second one is something you have access to in the Blueprint. I don't know if you've seen this module yet. Number one: within the last three reps of a set is where you should feel challenged. If you're just going through the motions and you get to, say, the 10th rep and it's like, oh, that was easy, it's not challenging, or even the last five aren't challenging, pick up a heavier weight. The last three reps should be challenging for you, making ugly faces, uncomfortable. It's like, oh my God, am I actually going to be able to push this? Total mind over body, and push through that.

The second one is in the Blueprint, in the workout philosophy section. You have access to learn how to find your one-rep max. For you personally, I think this would be a good indicator in terms of strength: figuring out what that one-rep max is and then working backwards and programming. This is actually going to come up in the Blueprint. You have a couple of phases coming up where we're going to help you learn this. This is actually very exciting. You're the first one to know that, and now everybody listening knows. So you'll be taught how to do it, but you can also learn how to do it within the modules.

Let's say, for example, you can lift 135 on a squat. Then you can easily work backwards with percentages on a week-to-week basis, which will help you get stronger in that respect. That's how you know your muscles are getting stronger, because you're doing it, as I like to say, in a very strategic manner, paying attention quantitatively to your numbers. So it's not that you need to lift astronomical weight. It's: how much can Julie lift? What's her max rep, or close to a max rep? Even if you can't do it by yourself in the gym for safety reasons, like you said, maybe you bang out two or three reps, and you can put that into a calculator online to figure out what your one-rep max would be. Then you can work backwards from that with percentages on a weekly basis.

And going back to the nutrition side of things, I would go into a mini build. I don't think you personally have to do a full-on blowout build. Maybe you've seen Cheryl at 3,600 calories. That's different. Everyone's different, right? So I would say go into your maintenance and then pay attention to your progress when you're eating those macros. Tune in and assess how you're feeling. Are you hungry? Are you feeling bloated? What caused the bloat? Was it a food, or do we have to pull back down in macros for two weeks before your body can fully adjust? And then gradually increase.

And pay attention to your progress. If you're watching any numbers go upwards too quickly, like more than five pounds in a matter of three weeks, then I would say, okay, let's pull your macros back a little bit. Let's go back to what you were at before you adjusted upwards and spend a little more time there, so your body can totally adapt first before you move upward.

Julie: Okay. So to increase the macros, would I just go back to the calculator for menopause, hit increase, and then go by the next level it gives me? Oh, actually, I'm sorry, I misspoke. I've been at the eighth one for six to eight months. So I'm at the max for maintenance. That's my max.

Nikkiey: Oh, okay, I thought you said you were at six. So then what I would do: there's an adjustment section in the Blueprint. You would go to the adjustment section and put in those macros to make an adjustment for menopause to go up, and it'll increase you a little bit. If it increases your protein, don't increase the protein. Stay with that protein and allow the fats and the carbs to be increased incrementally. You may hit a ceiling with the fats. I wouldn't really put you over about 90 grams of fat. So if you hit a ceiling there, you can test a little bit with carbs.

By the way, this is what makes VIP so great: we can do these things for you. I feel like I'm spewing all these numbers out, and I want to make sure you're getting the full coaching. We could just do this for you. Make VIP a priority too. But definitely go in and use the adjustment calculators for now, and pay attention to the upcoming phases in the Blueprint, because we're going to speak more to helping you figure out what those maxes are. Even if you're doing it by yourself, you can figure out a three-rep max and put it into a calculator.

Julie: Perfect. Okay. Thank you.

Nikkiey: You're welcome, Julie. It was great talking to you, and I'll see you soon.

Julie: I appreciate it. Bye.

Nikkiey: All right, we are moving and grooving here. I haven't checked in on Facebook. How are we doing on Facebook? Beautiful. Okay, guys, I've got room for one more, and I think we only have one more guest in the waiting room: Courtney. I'm going to admit her in. What's up, Courtney?

Courtney: Hello. Sorry, I was tuning in on the Facebook Live and there was a little bit of lag. How are you, Nikkiey? Can you hear me okay?

Nikkiey: I'm great. Yeah, I can hear you. It's a little laggy, but it's okay. I can make it out. Where are you calling from?

Courtney: Sorry about that. I'm coming in from Utah.

Nikkiey: Utah. Okay. I just got off with someone from California, so you're on the West Coast too. I'm jealous of your time zones, because you still have the majority of your day left. That's what I was just telling the last one too.

Courtney: Yeah, it's nice. We love it over here.

Nikkiey: Who's this little one here with you?

Courtney: This is Bonnie.

Nikkiey: She's all blinged out with her necklaces. Good waving. Hi. How old is she?

Courtney: She's almost one and a half.

Nikkiey: Oh, you're a big girl. Yes, you are. How cute. All right, Courtney, are you a WarriorBabe?

Courtney: I am. I'm in the Blueprint.

Nikkiey: Very nice. I just got done talking to somebody else in the Blueprint. Awesome. What you got for me? What question do you have?

Courtney: My question is a little multifaceted. I am training for an ultramarathon that's happening in November. It's going to be 30.2 miles, and I'm just trying to figure out how to adjust my macros and everything. I was in a build for about nine months because I was breastfeeding and stuff, so I didn't want to be in a cut at that point. So I'm trying to figure out how to adjust my cutting macros so that I'm in a caloric deficit, but not burning so many calories that my body goes into starvation mode, if that makes sense.

Nikkiey: Yeah, that totally makes sense. To be honest with you, I wouldn't put yourself in a cut. If you're going to be doing all this training and all this running, your exercise is putting you into a deficit. So I would allow the exercise to cause a deficit rather than nutrition, because you need the nutrition to fuel your exercise, especially with a goal this big. 30.2 miles. What are you going to do for 30.2 miles, man? What do you do in that time frame? Do you listen to music? Do you zone out? What goes on?

Courtney: My cousin and I are going to do it together. The ultramarathon we're doing is a Spartan, so it has about two obstacles per mile, I think. There are going to be 60 obstacles. So it's broken up nicely, which will be good, because I'm the same way. I can't run a straight 30 miles and keep my sanity. But right now my carbs are 195, my fats are 62 and my protein is at 162, I believe.

Nikkiey: Okay. Tell me some body stats. How tall are you? How much do you weigh?

Courtney: I'm 5'1" and 138.

Nikkiey: Okay. Are you still breastfeeding?

Courtney: Nope. I finished that about two months ago.

Nikkiey: Okay, so you're not doing that. That's good, because you burn more calories doing that too. With your exercise and that, you would need to be eating a heck of a lot of food. Really quick, what is the calorie number you're at with those macros?

Courtney: 1,986.

Nikkiey: 1,986. And what does your training regime look like right now to get ready for this?

Courtney: On the weekdays, I'll run a mile in the morning and a mile at night. And on the weekends I'm currently doing less than five miles, but it will gradually increase until I'm running a marathon on Saturdays.

Nikkiey: Okay. So are these your cut macros right now?

Courtney: Yes.

Nikkiey: What were you eating before that?

Courtney: I've been using the cutting adjustment calculator in the modules, and it's had me decrease by about 15 grams of carbs and five grams of fat each cut I've done. But I stayed consistent with each macro adjustment for about two weeks before doing another cut.

Nikkiey: Awesome. How long have you been at these new numbers you just gave me?

Courtney: About three weeks.

Nikkiey: Three weeks. Okay. Being 5'1" and 138, are you seeing any progress with the current macros you're on?

Courtney: Yes, I'm seeing slight progress. My main concern is the fat around my midsection and my thighs and butt area, and I've seen very slight differences between my progress photos. But I just want to make sure I'm not doing my body a detriment, if that makes sense.

Nikkiey: Oh, for sure. That's where I would say, as you continue to increase your workload with your training, I wouldn't continue to cut your calories, because, like I mentioned at the beginning, this increased exercise... Mav, we have a thunderstorm going on, he's freaking out. Think about the exercise as being your cutting adjustments, because you're going to be increasing your workload. And when you increase your workload and you need to meet the demand of both, by not going too low with your food, you're going to want to trend back upwards.

So some cues I would listen to in your body. First, your recovery after training. How is your recovery? It's a little lower right now, but as you increase, pay attention to your leg recovery, pay attention to your sleep, pay attention to your mood. If those things start to regress, and you're having a long recovery time, you're not sleeping as well, you're more irritable, that's where I would shift back upwards a little bit with your macros, slightly, like adding in another 150 calories, using the calculator to bump yourself back up. That's what I would focus on, instead of trending any lower than where you're at. Maybe you can make one more adjustment before you really turn up your training, to see a little more progress with your body. But I wouldn't go any lower than that, to be honest, because like I said, you're going to meet the deficit with your training, with the exercise you're doing. And that's really what you're training for right now, that type of activity. So that's what I would say in terms of tactical things to do.

Courtney: Okay, that makes a lot of sense. As my training goes up, I'm going to burn more calories. So why deplete it in my nutrition when it's already going to be depleted in training? Thank you.

Nikkiey: Exactly.

Courtney: And I also wanted to ask, since I'm doing so much cardio anyway, do you think I need to add in a leg day or two leg days throughout the week?

Nikkiey: I wouldn't add in two. What phase are you on inside the Blueprint?

Courtney: What do you mean? I'm sorry, will you tell me the phases again?

Nikkiey: No worries. What phase in terms of workouts: phase one, phase two, phase three. Are you inside the app?

Courtney: I do have the app, but I'm not very tech savvy. I don't know what phase I'm in. I'm so sorry.

Nikkiey: Oh no, it's okay. Are you doing leg day, shoulder day, chest and back, something like that? A muscle group per day, not necessarily full body?

Courtney: Yeah.

Nikkiey: Okay. So in phase three, you're going to transition to full body, and that's what I would honestly recommend you do while you're training for this. What is it again, a triathlon?

Courtney: A Spartan ultra.

Nikkiey: Spartan ultra. Okay. So that's what I would recommend: transition to the full-body workouts, which is phase three, because you shouldn't be doing two leg days when you're training for this kind of stuff. It'll put a better training regime in place for you to do your runs, do your miles, and focus on the strength training days we have. And you don't have to do all five. You can make it match your training schedule. Say you have big runs; take the next day as a rest day and then do the strength training. And on easier strength training days, you can add in the miles you have to do. But if you can, what I would recommend is doing your miles separate from strength training days, and make sure you still have at least one to two rest days a week. Does that make sense?

Courtney: So if I'm just running about two miles a day during the weekdays and doing the full-body strength training in phase three, do you think that'll be okay for my goals?

Nikkiey: Oh yeah, totally. Two miles a day, that's easy. I'm saying as you increase your mileage per day, if you ever have days where you're getting into seven, eight, nine, 10 miles, I wouldn't pair that with strength training. Helpful?

Courtney: Yes, that's super helpful. I feel like it's a very unique question, a unique circumstance. I appreciate you taking the time to answer all of our questions.

Nikkiey: Hell yeah. I enjoyed doing this with you guys. We'll definitely be doing more of these. I hope you share your progress inside the community so we can cheer you on for this extravagant run you're going to be doing, all the things you're going to be doing. It takes a unique person to do this. So keep crushing it and keep being a WarriorBabe, and I hope to see you inside the community.

Courtney: For sure. Thank you so much, Nikkiey. Have a great rest of your day.

Nikkiey: All right. You guys, I've got one more waiting in the room. I could do this all day. I could do this all day. So let's do one more. I know I said that was the last one, but we'll do one more and then we'll rock and roll. We've got Jessica in the house. What's up, Jessica?

Jessica: Hi, nice to meet you.

Nikkiey: Hey, nice to meet you too. Where are you calling in from?

Jessica: I am actually at a horse show in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Nikkiey: Oh, nice. You're not too far away. I'm a couple of states up above you. I'm in PA.

Jessica: I didn't think I was going to be able to do this because of the camper. My daughter called in sick, but my mom went and got her.

Nikkiey: Oh, well, that's nice. Good. Are you a WarriorBabe?

Jessica: I'm not. I would like to be. I am saving up. My husband is financially making me wait, but I've been working with Janie, and she helped a lot. So I would like to be eventually. That is my goal.

Nikkiey: Good. Do I need to call the husband and be like, why are we financially holding her back? Let's go.

Jessica: Yeah, exactly.

Nikkiey: So what's up? How can I support you today? What questions do you have?

Jessica: Oh goodness, I have a million. But I think my thing is trying to figure out macros. Everybody has a different school of thought on it, and I'm trying to figure out a way to do that along with hormones. I have had a horrible time with taking birth control. Birth control has made me gain a lot of weight in my midsection. And after two kiddos, having a lot of weight that way, it has been hard to get rid of. I feel like taking the birth control makes it a lot worse. So doing that along with working out and trying to lose weight, I have maintained, I have definitely toned up, but I would still like to lose more. So I guess trying to figure out how to calculate macros, and how to calculate how much protein I should be eating, is the biggest thing.

Nikkiey: Yeah, for sure. Okay, so I'll tackle that question with you. I can definitely help you in terms of what you need for protein, because it's probably the easiest one. But what's really cool and unique about WarriorBabe is that on your way in, you fill out an intake form that helps our team understand you a little bit more in depth, what you've got going on. The things I would love to dive into to understand you more will all be handled on your way into WarriorBabe, and we'll be able to place you exactly where we feel you should be, because there are different starting points for everybody. Everybody's so unique.

And one thing: screw the online calculators. Stop going to them, stop trying to figure them out, because everybody has an array of different combinations and different formulas. What makes WarriorBabe unique is that over the last five years, in the first initial years, I worked very closely with thousands of women. I got to understand their bodies, their needs and the things they were going through, from having a baby, breastfeeding and postpartum all the way up to menopause and post-menopause and all of that jazz. And what I saw was that different combinations work for different women in these stages.

So to answer your question in terms of macros, with protein, you want to have at least your body weight in protein. To back up a step, do you know how much protein you get daily?

Jessica: I've been doing about a hundred, if I can get to that. I've been starting to try to do more protein bars and protein shakes, but I'm so confused about what to do with protein powder, plant-based or beef-based or whey, I guess. So I try to get to around a hundred every day.

Nikkiey: Okay. What's your body weight?

Jessica: 121.

Nikkiey: 121. Okay, so you're not that far off. First, with the protein bars and the protein shakes: love that. Love to have them as a meal replacement or wherever you need to fit them in. But know that those sources aren't the best quality, because they're processed food essentially. They're artificial protein. You're going to feel better digestion-wise and bloat-wise with protein coming from whole food sources like chicken breast. Do you have any restrictions there, like vegan, vegetarian, anything like that?

Jessica: I have the alpha-gal allergy, so I can't have any hooved animals, but I can have chicken and fish and turkey and all that. So no pork.

Nikkiey: Pork, ew, gross. I don't like it either. That's a good thing to not be allowed to have, in my opinion. So, whole food sources like chicken. To break it up: if you break 100 up over four meals a day, that's 25 grams each. So 125 would be 25 grams in each of five meals. Think of it like: meal one, you're going to have 150 grams of egg whites. I think that's around 20 grams of protein. If the next meal is chicken breast, the usual rule of thumb is three ounces is about 22 to 25 grams of protein. Then you can throw in a protein bar, sub that in, because that's easy. And then a snack later, can you have Greek yogurt, like Fage yogurt?

Jessica: Yeah.

Nikkiey: So usually 170 grams of that gets you a good solid 20 grams of protein. And then whatever you and your husband want to have for dinner, meat-wise, like ground turkey, has a very similar rule of thumb to chicken: usually three ounces is around 25 grams of protein. So right there, there's about 125 grams of protein in your day. And I didn't even mention a protein shake.

Jessica: Good. Well, that's what I need to focus on. I've just heard so many different things about calories too, like trying to get the protein in but then eating 1,780 calories, or being in a calorie deficit, eat only 10 times whatever your weight is so you're in a calorie deficit. And I know I've seen all your posts about calorie deficits not being good.

Nikkiey: It depends on the human. I don't think every single woman needs to go into a calorie deficit right away, especially if you're trying to strength train and build more muscle. Your body needs food in order for that process to happen. When you fuel your body with enough food, usually when I like to put women in maintenance, maintenance is where the magic happens. Combine those two together and your body results will be incredible. So you don't always have to put yourself into a cut, especially since you look relatively athletic and fit from what I can see. Maybe it's just the belly fat you were saying comes from the hormones and the birth control, and that needs to go by eating right, by making that shift and giving your body what it needs, and doubling that with strength training. Bam diggity.

Jessica: All right. Bam diggity. I do have wine occasionally. I don't drink wine that much anymore after kids. But I do like sweets, like licorice and little things like that. I try to make sure I fit it into my macros, within my carbs, and I'm never going over. But that's part of my belly fat. That doesn't help.

Nikkiey: Well, are you doing that every day, all day long? Because it ain't that. It's more about fueling your body enough. You can have those things, but let's get the rest of the day down pat. Let's get the protein down, the carbs, the whole foods, the quality, all of that stuff, and then you can have the licorice and the sweets, man. I have Dove chocolate every single freaking night. I can't give up the sweets. I'm addicted to sweets. If you listen to my podcast, before starting my journey, the sweets controlled me; I didn't control them. Now I control them. I can have a glass of wine whenever, drinks with friends, ice cream. It's just about structuring your day with more quality first and then allowing this stuff. You could totally have it. It's just about focusing on the other stuff first.

Jessica: First. Yes. And not replacing it.

Nikkiey: Exactly. Not replacing it with the sweets.

Jessica: So for 121 pounds, and I work out, I ride horses, I need to be better about rest days and I need to be better about sleep, but with two kiddos that makes it hard, so I try to do my best. Would you recommend staying at about 1,500 calories?

Nikkiey: Remind me of your stats again. I didn't write them down. How old are you?

Jessica: I'm 35.

Nikkiey: 35, and you weigh 121. How tall are you?

Jessica: 5'4".

Nikkiey: 5'4". 1,500 calories with strength training, and you're a busy person. Are you sedentary or active? What's your job like?

Jessica: My son is always active.

Nikkiey: Yeah. No. Fuck the 1,500 calories, girl. You need more than that. That's probably also why you're holding on to more body fat in your stomach area. It's a variable. You're probably just not feeding your body enough to see the results you want. Your body's probably adapted to a lower caloric intake, so it doesn't really have anywhere to go in terms of fat loss. You need to fuel it a little bit more. I guarantee when you come into the program, you're going to be put through what we uniquely like to call a retrain, where we gradually bring you up in calories rather than throwing you at maintenance. We gradually bring you up and allow your body to adapt to a higher caloric intake. And typically when that happens, you start to drop body fat, because your body's like, thank you for giving me the food I have been waiting for. Burn.

Jessica: Okay. I have noticed my energy level being a little better when I eat more. Usually it's like, I need the Diet Coke or I need the tea to wake up, but I haven't been as reliant on it when I've tried to eat a little bit more, really just because I'm eating more protein.

Nikkiey: Yeah. Watch what your body does if you're at 1,800 calories. Is that where you're around right now?

Jessica: 1,500, give or take. I've tried, one week I'll try 1,250 to 1,400, then the next two weeks I've done 1,700, and I just don't know what to do, because I've heard so many different schools of thought.

Nikkiey: Oh my God. You need to be in WarriorBabe ASAP. Give me your husband's number right now.

Jessica: Well, it's my birthday next weekend, so I'm hoping that my mom lets me do it. I've told her this is what I want for my birthday.

Nikkiey: Okay, good. Yes, you need to be inside here. Let us help you. We need you a little bit higher on those numbers for sure, and we'll bring you up there gradually. Then you'll just know what to do instead of all the, what do I do, I don't know what to do, it's all confusing. Once you're inside, just follow it and follow it consistently. Okay? Here's a little coaching ahead of time: consistently. Don't come to one of the calls and be like, Nikkiey, I'm only at 25% nutrition compliance, and wonder why you're not seeing the results you want. Don't give it 25% effort.

Jessica: All right. Yes. Can I ask one more quick question? There have been a couple of emails where you've said women do their macros and calculate their protein, but there's one other component and you have to go to WarriorBabe to find out what that is. Is there some other component, like a secret part of it? Or is it just doing the workouts, doing the nutrition and following macros?

Nikkiey: And mindset.

Jessica: Okay.

Nikkiey: Mindset is so freaking important. It's one of the pillars we have inside our course, whether you're working one-on-one with a coach or you're inside the Blueprint program. Inside the modules, you have a whole mindset masterclass. You've got to get that right. You've got to get that on board, and you've got to eliminate the stories, the beliefs, the excuses, like I don't have time, I have two kiddos and it makes it hard. That's the secret sauce for sure, on top of nutrition, on top of consistency, on top of working out, on top of pushing yourself with strength training. I firmly believe in strength training. Do I believe in cardio? Yes, but it should be a secondary tool to aid in fat loss. It shouldn't be the primary tool. Strength training is going to do that. Building more muscle, having more muscle on your body, is going to help you decrease body fat.

Jessica: Okay. All right. Cool. Hopefully I'll be part of it soon. Thank you so much.

Nikkiey: You're going to be. I just can't wait to see you inside. Let's go.

Jessica: I will get there.

Nikkiey: Awesome, Jessica. It was a pleasure speaking with you today. Did all those questions get answered?

Jessica: Yes, that was great. I really appreciate it. One thing, though: what protein powder do you use?

Nikkiey: I go between either First Form or Promix protein. Promix is a little bit easier on my digestion, but First Form was also really good.

Jessica: Okay.

Nikkiey: All right, girl. I'll see you in WarriorBabe. Have a good rest of your day. I hope your daughter feels better.

Jessica: Thanks so much. Bye.

Nikkiey: All right, fam. That is a wrap, guys. Wow, that was so much fun. I could do that all day long. I could hang out with you guys and answer all of the questions. We will definitely do another round of this, so stay tuned for when we post about a live Q&A on said day at said time, and make sure you follow through with submitting your question so we can review the submissions. Then we'll email you to let you know you were selected to be on the live Q&A.

That was fun, you guys. I hope you got insane value. There was a lot of diversity in those questions, from being in a build, to why macros for a beginner, to tips for coming out of a build, to freaking triathlons or ultras, all of the things. I hope you found value in that. I appreciate you being here. Thank you for tuning in, and I will see you next time. Peace out.

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 the guesswork, and 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.