She Hadn't Worn Shorts in 25 Years - Here's What Changed at 60

00:00And I'd go to the gym and I'd eat what I thought was really well, but turns out that I was really under eating. And then the cycle just kept going over and over and I'd hurt myself. And I'd start out with a two pound weight or a body weight. And I was like, I'm so tired of this. Like, how long were you doing this over and over and over again before you found WarriorBabe? Well, let's see, I'm 60. So I'd say 40 years. What are some of the goals that you've accomplished so far with WarriorBabe? You know, like everyone else, I wanted to look good, right? And so one of the things I can say is that I haven't worn shorts for 25 years.

00:36And all summer, I've only worn shorts. And, you know, as we age, I mean, this is the way to age gracefully, to have more muscle. And when I first signed on for WarriorBabe and I'm like, one year, I'm never going to do more than one year. And what year are we on now? Oh, I have three more months out of my second year and I'm definitely signing on for my third year. Hey, everyone. What's going on? So today I've got another WarriorBabe here with us.

01:08And I got a little teaser from her before even hitting record that we're going to, I think we're going to have a really good conversation here today. So for most of her life, Yael believed that food was something to be afraid of, to fear. She had years of bi dysmorphia, trauma, under eating, which left her stuck in this same cycle. And I'm sure that so many of you ladies that are listening to this or watching this already can feel that resonate with you. You know, train hard, get injured, stop, start over, or losing and gaining the same weight over and over and over again.

01:41Whatever your story is, I'm sure that Yael is going to resonate with you guys today. She thought that she was joining WarriorBabe to build muscle and learn nutrition, but instead she also discovered something that she never expected. And we're going to dive into that today. So, Yael, welcome. Thank you. Thanks for having me. I'm glad to be here. So, I mean, like I said, you gave the teaser before even hitting record on here. So I'm excited to have this conversation with you. Let's go back before WarriorBabe. What were you struggling with physically, emotionally, mentally?

02:17Where were you at then? Yeah. I was in a giant Groundhog Day over and over for decades. I mean, well over 20 years. I started working out when I was in college. And so I thought, oh, okay, I know what I'm doing. And, you know, I'd go to the gym, but I'm also hyperflexible and have all these other things that happen. So I'd go to the gym and I'd start working out. I had pretty good form. I'd learn this and learn that.

02:47And then invariably after six to nine weeks, I would injure myself. Never, not in the gym, but just some other way. My back would end up just going out in some weird thing. You know, you take the wrong step and you're like, whoa. And so I'd have to stop. And on top of it, I'm hypoglycemic. So I had gotten what I thought was a pretty good rhythm of how to eat, how to eat regular intervals, three to five meals, et cetera, et cetera.

03:19But all of that was framed within an eating disorder, again, that I thought, okay, I've got this. I'm under control. I've done my 12-step programs and I've done my this and that. But I was completely under eating. I wasn't eating any carbs. I was eating mostly. I was eating protein. I was eating vegetables. I was eating a lot of fat. And I didn't know. This was way before I even knew about keto or anything like that. But I just said, okay, you know, bread is just like sugar. It's the enemy. It doesn't make me feel good, right?

03:51And carbohydrates or sugar. Like, I'm not going to eat any of that stuff. And so all of those things combined, I think the eating disorder framed it all. And then there was a big, big part of that was body dysmorphia. And, you know, I'm five foot three. I'd look in the mirror and I'd see somebody. I swear to God, I was 100 pounds more than I was. And I would be shocked, like genuinely shocked. And then shocked that I was shocked because I was like, how does this happen?

04:21How can you, how is this so weird? And so all of these things combined. And so then I'd just groundhog day and I'd get in shape. I'd be like, okay, I'm going back to the gym, which means I'm getting back on my eating plan. And I would binge also more often, a lot more often before Warrior Babe. And because I'd say, what the hell? Like, I can't work out now. So I might as well eat that pint of ice cream. Like, who cares? And so then I'd gain another, like the 10 pounds. And then I'd go back to the gym and I'd lose the 10 pounds.

04:52But I'd lose it by applying a very strong, stubborn form of perfectionism that said, you're going to do it this way. And you're going to do it. And I'd kind of beat my flagellate myself and I'd go to the gym and I'd eat what I thought was really well. But turns out that I was really under eating. And then the cycle just kept going over and over and I'd hurt myself. And I'd start out with a two pound weight or a body weight. And I was like, I'm so tired of this. Or then my back would go out and I couldn't, I couldn't move for, you know, a month or two at a time.

05:26And so it was a real problem. Yeah. I feel like you just listed off many different things that a lot of women have struggled with all in like a category. What was that time frame? Like, how long were you doing this over and over and over again before you found Warrior Babe? Well, let's see. I'm 60. So I'd say 40 years. Yeah. Holy moly. My entire life it's been this way. Yeah. Wow. Okay. So also really quick question that you had as you were talking there.

05:58Are you hypoglycemic, like, like diagnosed with being low blood sugar? Okay. Got you. So it wasn't. But so you were just like making it worse by not having any type of carbs or anything like that. Like you probably felt like you were just crash and burn all day long. Actually, well, I was diagnosed when I was 18 or 20. But I had nothing. No eating under control. Like nothing. I was just eating the same way. You know, I was, you know, eating macaroni and cheese and pizza. I was eating white, lots of white flour foods.

06:30Right. I, I didn't know. I didn't. Yeah. And it wasn't until my, I'd say my late 20s, early 30s, I started reading about health and nutrition. And I started going, oh, all this like white stuff I'm eating. I need to actually eat colorful things. And I started teaching myself how to cook. And I started teaching myself. But I found that I felt energetically better if I didn't have a lot of carbs and I just ate protein and vegetables.

07:00But then what invariably would happen, and I didn't know why. I didn't know that I was doing this to myself. I think that's when I started binging. I'd start binging on carbs. It was like every like, I don't know, month and a half, two months. And I think it was like, it was more, it was like, it was like a groundhog day within the groundhog day. And then the eating would go out of control. And then you try to like force, then you force yourself to work out more. But then, then you're feeling like, well, I don't feel like working out more. It's just, you said it so well. I'm hearing a groundhog day within a groundhog day within a groundhog day in multiple different buckets.

07:35From nutrition to working out to like mentally to the body dysmorphia, which I love the way that you explained that, by the way. Because I think a lot of women resonate that you looked in the mirror and you'd see an extra hundred pounds. But like, you know, you're shocked within the shock. Because like, how, how is this, how are you here? And what, and what are you experiencing? Can you talk a little bit more about how these, these different things, like the struggles affected you on that mental realm of things? Yeah. I mean, I felt bad most of the time.

08:05I felt really bad about myself. I, I, I couldn't, I couldn't see the truth about myself. My self-esteem was pretty low. My self-confidence. I mean, it's interesting because I was a very, I've always been a high functioning, high level. I was a marketing executive. I was, you know, I, you know, I'm a, I'm actually a trauma and addictions therapist. Like I do, I, I operate at a very high level in the world. I'm a published author, blah, blah, blah. I could do all these things, right? Girl boss over here. I love it.

08:36And so, so many of us though, are like working at these high levels, but inside there's all these shitty voices that are saying, you know, you're not good enough. You're, you want too much. You are too much. You're not enough. You know, all the, the, the female stories that we are acculturated to and they get really, really loud. And so sometimes I could get, you know, kind of really down in the dumps and then, you know, just eventually you just pick yourself up again and then you do it again.

09:11And, and, but it's, it was kind of just always there as a background noise and without even knowing it, it was influencing me on a daily level. Yeah. Wow. You said that so well. Where with the, um, biomorphic images that, you know, as you were struggling through that, was there anything that happened that, you know, that led you down that road that you felt was being heightened even more when you were getting, when you were working on your body composition?

09:44That makes sense. Like, was there a certain experience that happened that you felt come up while we were working on your body that you like could pinpoint where it was and why it was, where it was coming from? Oh yeah. You're talking about when I started, you're, you're, you're talking about when I started Warrior Babe, right? Well, I'm, I'm also talking about, I know that you were bullied as a child, so I'm talking about like that. Oh, oh, oh, oh. Well, yeah. I mean, I, I grew up in a family of obese folks and I was very overweight myself and starting when I was about 10, I think I was at my, I was not five feet tall and I was about 130 pounds.

10:24And so, yeah, kids are cruel, right? And this is before all the big bullying that's happening in school. Now, I'm so grateful there wasn't any social media when I was a kid because that really would have made it so much worse. But I mean, the kids in the neighborhood basically would, I'd get off the bus and they'd gang up, they'd all form a line behind me and throw rocks at me and call me moose. And it was awful. And then I'd go home and, you know, bless my mother, but she was 300 pounds. And so what was she going to offer me?

10:55And so what would I do? But I would sit down and eat the whole box of ding-dongs. And because, you know, what sugar does, right? It numbs you. It numbs, it physiologically numbs you. And so what I did for most of my life by doing that was numb myself to it. And so I didn't have to feel it even though it was all there. And I, yeah, so that's what I did. I think that's very, thank you for sharing that. Because I think that goes to show that certain situations when we are younger continue to shape our, the way that we view ourselves.

11:30Even as we get older, I mean, that was some things that happened at a young age that continued to, like the body image, those things struggled for you, you know, as you continue on your journey. So I appreciate you sharing that because I'm sure a lot of women hold on to these experiences and they have that internal battle of things that are going on as they're trying to make a change for themselves, both externally and internally. Absolutely. 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 a review or share it with someone who could benefit from it.

12:09Your 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. This kind of leads into what led you to realize that something needed to change? Like what led you to realize, okay, like I got to get a grip of this. Well, you know, I've always been a seeker my whole life. And so I, starting when I was about 15 or 16, I started exercising, but I was constantly being thwarted by my body.

12:41And I'll tell you why. So when I was 10 years old around that time, and it's weird how kids change, right? All of a sudden, like by the end of the school year, they had decided that they, they totally didn't even remember doing it. And they just started inviting me to play kickball with them. And I was like, really? And then of course I wanted to belong so badly. I did. But I was also, again, I didn't, I wasn't athletic as a kid. And so I was, I was born with my feet kind of splaying out that way.

13:12And I didn't know it. And so I played, so the kids like brought me in, right? It's summertime. And I'm like, okay. And I kicked the ball and I run, but I don't realize that I'm kicking my heels. And then there was a hole at the end and my foot twisted and I broke the side of my foot. And I had a cast for, you know, a little bit when I was around 10. So now fast forward to, I'm 16 and I'm trying to like, and I have taught myself since then to walk with my feet straight. Right. Cause, but back then when I was 16, I still didn't know it.

13:43I'm like, why do I kick my ankles all the time? So I said, I'm going to start jogging. And so, and I'm, and so I started jogging and guess what happened? My foot twisted and went in a hole. Oh no. No. And so that started my S that started my lower back stuff. Cause my SI joint got wanked out. I started seeing chiropractors and blah, blah, blah. Then, so, so then when I got to college, I had sciatica. And then I was like, thank God there was this one credit exercise class.

14:16And they're like, if you strengthen your stomach, I'm like, oh, is that how this works? So I started doing lots of sit-ups and my sciatica went away and I started lifting weights. And I'm like, oh, I like this. And even though I was still in the groundhog's day of the overeating and the undereating, and I didn't even know anything about that when I was 19 or 20 years old and massively binging at that point. But it just, over the years, um, just kind of, I kept being physical. I kept going up and down, up and down, in and out, tennis, martial arts, you know, hiking,

14:51biking, loving being in my body. And then, and then all of a sudden something would happen. Like my knee would go out and then I'd have to take six months off because I couldn't walk. Like it was, and, and I found it only later. It's cause I'm hypermobile and I didn't know it. And so like yoga is the worst thing for me because they're like, look how bendy you are. And then I, I'd hurt myself without knowing it because I wasn't stretching the right things. Right. And so fast forward. And, and finally it was, it was not until, uh, let's see, how old was I?

15:23It wasn't until my forties. And I, um, had a boyfriend who was, who went into a 12 step program for smoking. And so he said, would you come with me to a meeting? I said, sure. And so I was listening to these people in the meeting, never been to a 12 step, never heard of it. And I thought, oh my God, if you just took out tobacco and put in sugar or food or eating, I was like, oh my God, that's me. And so I actually went into overeaters anonymous and learned that it's not about overeating.

15:57It's about all these other things. And it's also about, I went in and I would say, hi, I'm, I'm an over and under eater and a, and a compulsive thinker. That's what I said. And, and so I, that program was really the start of me. Cause I realized that that, cause I saw this chart of the pancreas when you eat too much sugar and how they go like that. And I said, oh, everybody in my family is diabetes. I'm on the road to hell right now. Like I've got to do something. And even then it hadn't stopped, but that was big part of my journey.

16:29And then it's just kind of, it's just gotten ever better from there. And then until I got to warrior babe, when I realized I was kind of fooling myself still not in the same ways, but that I was fooling myself that I was actually eating enough. Oh, interesting. So you were fooling yourself that you were eating enough when you were in that pro in the program, thinking that you were getting enough, but then let's see what you got to warrior babe. And you weren't eating enough.

17:00Oh no. Okay. So before we even get into that journey, what caught your attention with warrior babe? Like what? You on you on Tik TOK or whatever those videos are. That's awesome. Do you remember what it was I was saying that was like, ah, interesting. I want to learn more. I think, you know, it was one of those, you know, you're caught in your Tik TOK. Two hour web when it sucks you in. And I was just watching videos and videos and, you know, the big brother's always listening.

17:35So apparent, you know, I'm sure it was like, oh, exercise and eating and stuff like that. And so you appeared and, you know, you, I don't remember exactly what it was because it was several years now, but you appeared and I, I, I was, again, I was at this place of like, I can't keep working out, hurting myself. I'm doing this all alone. And I've had trainers on and off over the years, but nobody that could really like, they weren't a woman. They weren't, I was now in my fifties. And so I was like, and you showed up and I said, oh, this is a program made for me.

18:11And she's saying the things that were probably like, are you a woman who's in peri or post menopause? Now I happened to go through menopause very early in life, but I was still, you know, a post now a post menopausal woman. And I thought, oh, a program for me. That sounds great. And I'm like, oh, I really, I love containers, right? We all need containers. And so I was like, wow, people that could actually, maybe I, I don't have to get hurt all the time. Can I, can I get out of the groundhog's day?

18:43That's my, my huge yearning was to get out of the groundhog's day. Wow. Okay. So you felt like those answers were being like spoken to you for when you were seeing the videos. Did you have any fear about joining warrior babe? Were you had, did you have fears about getting hurt? Like, did you feel like, like what we had talked to me, like, what were your, what was on your mind there? It wasn't about working out. It was mostly about like, nobody's going to tell me what to eat. It's an eating disorder, right? Nobody's going to tell me how to eat, what to eat, what to measure.

19:16What am I, what am I, do I really want to do this? Do I really want somebody to tell me really, is that what I want? And so I realized that tape, it is very, you know, those, those voices are very clever. They just shift and morph and change to the same voice, but they kind of get a little softer, a little gentler, a little harsher. And so you don't really know you're being run by the same itty bitty shitty committee voices. That's a great way of putting it. And so, so, uh, it was, I was, I was not in an optimal place in my life.

19:51I was like in an unstable relationship with a, you know, with somebody. And I also was like, I was in the middle of a groundhog's day, but I was just like, I'm just going to sign up. I talked to the person and, and then I just signed up. And so I just, it's the 80, 20 rule, right? You just quieted. You will let, you shut them up in the moment, the quiet little itty bitty annoying committee, whatever you just called it, which I love. And you just, you, you bit the bullet and you went right for it. Cause you, was it more of like an internal, like gut feeling?

20:24Like you were like, I know this is right for me. And regardless of the voices I'm hearing, like, I feel like this is going to guide me on the right path. Yes. And I felt like the, um, the breath and diversity of the program, but also the, um, you know, it's hard to have a really big organization like this that's so out there in public media while still retaining authenticity as a human being.

20:54And you and the people that are working for warrior babe and representing warrior babe are able to hold both of those. So there's a strong, this huge level of competence. I felt like I was in competent hands, but I also felt like I was just with real people who weren't going to, um, and then the photos, right? There's people of women of every age and body type. Um, because being in shape is not actually really related to what our bodies actually

21:25look like all the time. Right. Right. And so just seeing that everybody was represented, I felt, I felt, um, I felt like I could be a part of that and say, okay, I can belong here. 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

21:57loss, warrior babe is here for you at warrior B. 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. Look, don't wait anymore. Take charge of your health and join our community of strong, empowered women. Visit warrior babe.com forward slash apply today to start your transformation.

22:30That's warrior babe.com forward slash apply. All right, let's get back to the show. Oh, well, thank you for that compliment. That really, that means that's why I show up. We show up every single day is to be real and authentic and keep the integrity of our program and, you know, help you guys feel that same way, uh, from the outside in. Um, and then, yeah, being a part of a community. I mean, that is the cool part. Like you're part of other women that are in this with you and you get to like have those

23:00conversations with the women that are struggling or they have, you've seen people succeeding and you get to be a part of that. So I think that's really cool. Um, what I love about knowing how you started your journey is something that you just, you mentioned that you were struggling with, with the perfectionist mentality. Yet when you started warrior babe, you came in just focusing on one thing. You want to talk about that? Um, well, I don't remember exactly that one thing you're talking about.

23:35I can take focus. You focus, you, you, you mentioned focusing, you're hitting, you were hitting your protein and you were completing three workouts. So maybe a couple, like you would, you didn't go. Yeah. You didn't like go all in, um, but you kept it simple at first. Thank you for giving me that extra information. Now I remember. Absolutely. I was super overwhelmed when I came into the program. I was like, there's a million videos, but they're all like, I was like, wait, there's a video on Tuesdays, but there's also all these backlog of videos and there's, wait, but there's

24:06new things on. And, and so, and then the, my fitness pal and all of those different things. And I was like, okay, I need to not like, think I need to be perfect at this or even good at this right now. It's, it's obviously going to take a little time. And so I said, well, what can I focus on? And that was, I know I wanted to hit my pro I, when I was first told by my coach, how much protein eat, I'm like, are you out of your mind? Like how does somebody eat that much protein? And that's like half of what I eat now, which is hilarious.

24:38And so, um, and so I said, okay, I'm just going to focus on the protein getting to the gym. And, um, I think it's in hindsight that I can say, it's probably just another aspect of the voice of the eating disorder. That was a little bit like resistant. I was resistant to, to doing it. I was resistant to trusting. I was resistant. And so I said, well, what can I do? You know, you did, you signed up, you did the program. What can you do? And so, yes, I focused on eating protein, which went really, really well.

25:12And then going to the gym. Well, but it wasn't until six or eight months later that I realized I was just doing my thing again, but under the guise of warrior babe saying, oh yeah, I'm doing warrior babe, but I wasn't, I was saying, I know better than you and I'm just still going to do it my way. And it turns out I wasn't eating. I wasn't eating enough. I would just did the same thing. I just was resistant without knowing it.

25:43Yeah. Oh, interesting. Wait, hold on a second. Let me unpack that with you. Okay. So you came into warrior babe. You were given, you were a little overwhelmed. A lot of women say that coming in, right? There's a lot of different avenues of which we want to get caught up to speed. You're meeting with your coach and you're going through everything. You're getting your program. You're getting your macros, all the things. First pause before we went derail and we went and did your own thing. Did you do a retraining? Like, did you, did you retrain your metabolism or did they come in and just set you up with macro numbers? So it was a little bit of a rough beginning for me.

26:14Um, like I said, in my own personal life, I was having so much instability happening that it was hard for me to ground into the program. Um, and so, and I was coming in to the program, just having come off of my lower back going out. So we were starting very tenderly with me in the gym, like, um, because we wanted to see what I could do, um, to make sure I didn't re re activate the back. I want to say it's really less of an injury than activation, right?

26:45Sure. This, this chronic kind of sacral SI joint kind of thing, the lower back. And, um, and then I was put on just a plan of macros and then I kind of struggled along for about four to six weeks, but it turned out, I was traveling a lot. And every time I went out of town, I, I lost my rhythm. Um, and then finally what happened was I, I, I had a trip planned for three months to New Zealand and I didn't realize I was so, I still wasn't hooked into the program enough so that when I got to New Zealand, I was like, I can't, I can't do this.

27:19And so I, for about, for about three weeks, I just went silent. And then I, um, and then I realized, oh, let me reach out and say, is there anything you can help me with? And your team was so gracious to me. And they said, I said, can I just stop the clock and start again in, in February when I get back? It was the best thing for me because then I knew like, so when that February last year hit, and then I got Mo as my coach, like, and I knew exactly what to do.

27:54I was like, I was like, bam, I'm doing it. And the, and Mo was, um, she was, so I went into a retraining and so you were talking, I'm going to circle back to body dysmorphia. I'm going to circle back to everything else. Cause I was like, you want me to eat carbohydrates? You want me to eat how many carbohydrates? Yeah. And then she said, she was really, you know, as you're, you know, I think this is a consistent quality amongst the coaches, which is there's a lot of love and there's a lot of tough love.

28:27And so there's, which I, it's what we're here for. Right. And so at one point she just looked me in zoom, like right in the eye. And she's like, are you going to trust me or not? Are you going to trust the program or not? And I was like, gulp. And she was like, she was like a warrior woman. Right. And I was like, gulp. And I was like, and so it was like, you know, or get off the pot. And so it was in that moment, like around February or so of 2025, when I said, I surrender,

29:01I surrender to this. And I'm not going to listen to this. I'm going to listen. I'm going to trust this. And I, I gained weight. And cause I, cause she was like, when I looked at really what I was eating, I don't know if I was eating 1100 calories a day. And so, and I've been doing that for at least a decade. Cause I was like, look, my hypoglycemia is so under control. It's cause I'm eating like a chicken each day and that's what I'm doing, you know?

29:32And so I was like, look, aren't, and my eating disorders. And so look at, I'm in so much good recovery. This is now getting into you being like, look, I'm doing it right. I'm doing it my way. Oh, this isn't, this is this. I'm enjoying, I'm enjoying hearing this story. It really had a, I, I had to like, I really, it, it drove deep inside of me and I was like, oh, wow, I have been fooling myself for so many years.

30:03And then, and that was just all part of the groundhog's day. Right. And so that be able to have somebody on my side who understood. Cause she, she named it before I, she's like, you're doing this, this, and this. And I was like, no. Oh. Hmm. It's hard to look truth in the face. Right. And change what the truth is. Yes. And so, but once I did that, once I really, and it was in that moment, it was like that. And I was like, oh, I have been lying to myself for a long time.

30:38And I'm going to, I'm going to do the, I'm going to trust the program. And it was the best decision ever. Wow. I have goosebumps right now. Yeah. One, because I love the honesty that you, not a lot of people can pinpoint where they were tripping up on, cause you were, you were caught in your own trip. You were caught in your own groundhog day. You were allowing the same cycle to keep happening, keep happening. Even with inserting a new pattern, you're bringing in the old patterns into the new pattern.

31:11Even though the new pattern was meant to change you. Right. But you were resistant, like your word, you were the, your word was resisting. You were resisting the new pattern with old patterns beating up against it until it took Mo, which I would love to hear like how, what you feel, you mentioned it in your corner and how, what it feels like for you to have a coach. But yeah, like they're the way we speak on coaches meetings is they have the authority to lean into you guys because we've seen this.

31:42So we've seen, we worked with so many women that's in some way or another, it's, it's similar things that were, they're up against. Right. But you, we, that is a big thing. They lean in with that tough love because we, we see the other side of it. Whereas you guys are kind of in it right now because you're in your own experience, but like we've seen patterns and behaviors and habits break and mold into the new, which we're trying to get you over here. Right. But sometimes we just got to be here on the zoom call and call it for what it is. Right. That's what Mo did with you.

32:13That's right. Yeah. And so before I asked about coach Mo, how much are you eating now from where you were eating when you first started? Improbably. I mean, I am up to 1950 calories a day and I'm the smallest I've ever been in my life and the strongest I've ever been in my life. I know. Isn't that crazy? And I lost a pound and I was, Oh, here's even crazier. I lost a pound or two. And I was like, and now my coach, Mo went on to bigger things.

32:45And then I'm with another phenomenal coach, coach, coach Kesa. And, um, and she was like, like going from my whole life story to being like, Oh, I think I might've lost a little weight. And both of us going, Oh, that's not good. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. She would've ever. I would like, and, and yeah. And I'm like, wow, I eat bread. I eat, I eat. I'm like, and it's not, none of it is, Oh gosh, all the stigma.

33:15I'm going to wait for you to ask me those questions, but there's so many things I can tell you about what's happening now. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm definitely going to get there. And I, one of them is your relationship with food. Um, knowing your story with, you know, having the eating disorder, I'm just still sitting in the results. I, that is one of my favorite remarks that I get and hear from warrior babes is I'm eating what you're eating 1100 calories. Now you're up to 19 some and you've lost weight along the way. And you've gained, you've gained muscle, right?

33:46Oh, totally. When you started eating carbs, what did that feel like? Oh, that was like early on. And that I, oh my gosh, I love that. I get to talk to my coach every single day when I was, so it's starting back out and I was with Moe, it was last February or March and almost like every three days. I'm like, I don't mean to be like, um, that I'm contradicting you, but are, are, are you, are you sure this is okay?

34:16Like it's not feeling okay. And then she'd be like, you're fine. Keep going. And I'm like, okay. And then like three days later, I'd be like, um, so like, is this okay? Can I eat carbs? I can't really, I can eat carbs. Really? I'm not gonna, she's like, you're okay. Keep going. Okay. Yeah. That's amazing. Um, you're every worry babe has, I'm so great. I'm very grateful to have this conversation with YouTube and I'm thinking about all the

34:47other worry babes are probably going to listen to this. And that is exactly how majority of them are. I mean, we hear it from the coaches. Like there's babes every day. They're like, I, you know, one, they're trying to think that they know everything and they're telling the coach, you know, are you like, you know, everything that you're saying here. And it's just like, you finally met that road where it was like, okay, where we say, trust us now, believe us later. You've got, you've trusted the program. Um, and then even though along the way, I mean, like that's so common. Babes are like, are you sure?

35:18Oh my gosh. I'm so scared to increase my food intake. I'm gaining weight. This is all not working. And then all of a sudden was it, what was like the ha ha, the aha moment? Like after the fact of when you started, when Mo was like leaning in and be like, just trust me. Was there a moment that it, I mean, when you started seeing the results, like, is that when it started to like, just like click that it was like, okay, wow. I'm so, I surrendered this and now, now it's working. Like, was there like, what was that aha moment? Well, I had, I had been curious about the different phases.

35:52Like there's the retrain, there's a maintain, there's this cut thing, there's this build thing. And, um, and everybody in my cohort was in various stages of things. And of course, what does every woman want to do when she comes in? Wants to do a cut, right? So she was like, you don't eat enough calories to go into a cut. Like you have to at least have like 14 or 1500 calories a day. And then I was like, again, I was like horrified. I'm like, what? And so I, I went into that trust place.

36:25I did gain some weight. I mean, I didn't gain like 30 pounds, but I gained enough weight that my jeans were tight on me. And I was like, I'm just going to buy a bigger pair of jeans. It's like, I'm not going to, I'm not going to care about this. And after about February, March, April, May, June, somewhere around June, I said, I don't know. What do you think? And she's like, okay, we're going to do a cut, but only like six weeks. Like that's it. Cause you don't actually, you know, have weight to lose. And what, first of all, when Mo said, oh, you have a thin athletic body type.

36:58When we first started, I was like, are you looking at the same person? There's a bias morphia coming into play again. I was like, what? I didn't get it at all. And then same thing. She's like six weeks. And so I was like, all right. And it was during the cut that, and I don't want, I don't want people to misunderstand that it's about the cut because I know everybody wants to do the cut. And I don't think the cuts for everybody. And I don't think it's like, it's not necessary to achieve your goals even to have the cut.

37:28And so I want to be really clear about that. And I've learned that. Um, but what happened for me during the cut was that I had to meal prep and meal plan like to the letter or I was, it wasn't going to work. And so I love, like I said, containers and I love time containers. And I'm like six weeks, I can do anything for six weeks. So I'm just going to do exactly what I'm told. Wow. That's a shocker.

37:58I'm going to do exactly what I'm told for six weeks and I'm going to add to it. Then I'm not going to have any sugar, not even honey. I want to see what happens. And, and so I went on AI and I said, here's all the foods I like to eat. Here's the protein powder. I like, here's the macros I need. Here's the calories I need. I want five meals with go. And, um, and so, and then it gave me a shopping list and I actually became a better cook. And then on Sundays I would like, well, it was like a mad scientist experiment in my kitchen

38:29and there was things being cooked here and there. And, um, and I knew exactly what I was going to eat every meal every day. And that, and so after the, the, I think one of the biggest things I thought would be horrible about that is that I would get bored. Like, oh God, I'm eating that again or that again. That didn't happen for me. And in fact, it was about, um, I don't know, maybe about three quarters of the way through

39:03that I had some epiphanies. It was, and this is really the cornerstone of what warrior babe has done for me, the consistency and the predictability of my meals. My, I started feeling, I have a very strong, I, a very strong trauma background. So feeling safe in my body is, you know, all tied into all of this for most of us, right? And for the first time I felt safe in my body and I realized my whole life I'd been fighting

39:38her. I'd been fighting hunger cues. I've been fighting, you know, this is what I'm going to do. I want to look like that person in that magazine, you know, all the acculturated stuff, all my familial stuff, all of that kind of stuff. And I realized that by having consistent, so the, what, what started in February was Mo saying, here's, I want you to eat these calories. So it started back then. I just didn't know it that feeding my body consistently and enough calories, my body started

40:11trusting me. She's the one that said, your body doesn't trust you. And I, that turned my whole, it's like, what do you mean my body doesn't trust me? And I realized the truth of that. And then when I went on the cut, it got even more pronounced and I felt so liberated in a way that I've never felt. And a sense of, um, freedom that I never, around food. And especially during the cut, when I went a little bit, I didn't go that much lower,

40:42but, and having that, um, consistency and predictability really made me feel safe. And for the first time I saw myself in a photo and I said, I'm a, I'm kind of a tiny person. And I was like, whoa. And I saw myself for the first time. And even when I went off the cut, that just continued. And so it's not like sometimes, look, it's not like a hundred percent ever, but I'd say

41:17it's 90% that that body dysmorphia just, it went away. And then the other thing that went away is I don't, I didn't have any sugar cravings after those six weeks and I didn't want any sugar. I just wanted, you know, I wanted, you know, a really well cooked sweet potato that tastes like candy, you know, or, you know, things like that. And so, and so after I came out of the cut and then, um, and by the way, constantly still

41:47being injured, like on the first day of my cut, when you want to do extra cardio and everything else, this huge Nalgene bottle of water that was on my cabinet, which never is usually there fell right on the top of my foot, nearly broke my foot, couldn't walk. So another thing that I wanted at a warrior babe in the past, I would have just said, okay, I'm done. I'm going to go back into my groundhog cycle. But instead we just pivoted, pivoted, pivoted, pivoted. Well, what can you do? What can you do? So I rode my bike with a sandal, which didn't have, the straps were not around the heart.

42:22So, cause I could keep putting pressure on my foot. But, or, so I went for a bike ride or I went cycling instead, or I take my shoe off while I was cycling on the extra cycle. And, you know, and then, and then, um, you know, so this has progressed, but then like I, I invariably hurt myself in some way or another. And it, but the thing is my back knocking wood. I've also been seeing a chiropractor consistently since last year. My back is stronger than ever.

42:53I have not, I mean, I, I did RDLs a little too heavy and I was like, oops, tweak that a little bit, but it didn't set me back for months. It just was like, okay, we're not going to do the RDLs. We'll do this other thing. And it's just, it's just constantly being, because we live these dynamic lives, these dynamic bodies, everything's changing. And then I injured my hand in January. And so that couldn't hold a dumbbell or, or ropes. So I couldn't, I couldn't dig in and do heavy weights, you know, or anything like that.

43:27So I was forced at every turn to not be perfectionistic, to let go of any goals and to go slow. And for me going slow was not something I did a lot of. You know what another word is that you can add to the consistency and predictability? What's that? Adaptability. You adapted every single one of those times you got injured to still staying, to still figuring out, like you said, like, well, okay, what can I do?

43:58What can I do? And you adapted. I really love that you brought up that consistency and predictability because when that is a very legitimate source of solution for somebody that, for someone's body that doesn't trust them for the yo-yo or the, you know, the, the bi dysmorphia talk in your mind to the, to the eating disorder, to not eating carbs, like to everything that you were talking about at the beginning of your journey, what you struggled with for four years, you finally gave your

44:30body that consistency and predictability outside of the emotions that you were feeling like, oh my, going to get bored. I'm eating the same thing. Like, that's a lot of objections that we hear with women. I don't want to eat the same thing, or I don't want to weigh my food or, you know, like the emotions that get tied to like the outcome that you're striving for, which is that part, the making your body feel safe again, because so many women have gone through, you know, your, your journey may be in a different way, but similar, um, when you give your body that

45:02consistency and you give it what it's like, what it knows it's going to get on a daily basis instead of what a lot of women, you know, the, the inconsistency of like, when am I going to eat again? Or when is my body going to get food again? Which is a lot of what women struggle with now before they, right, before they get the answers that they need, when you give your body that predictability, you are teaching it like, oh, I can try. I'm giving myself, it's giving me, the human is giving me food. And at the same time, your body is always telling you first, um, is always alarming you

45:34first. So I love the fact that you found ways to listen to your hunger cues and learn what that meant. And you found ways to, yeah, to trust it again. Um, and I think that's really cool that you adapted along the way with everything. Yeah. Yeah. People have asked me, you know, why are you in this program and what do you do? And I, and one of, I was telling somebody about the, the program and I said, oh yeah, I, I pretty much talked to my coach mostly every day. And they're like, what do you talk about?

46:05I said, oh, you have no idea. Which I love that. And I want to highlight that because so many people, some of them feel like they're being a burden to their coach or they're being like, they're, they're asking too many questions or they don't bring up the conversation tech part of it, but it's a two way street. So I love that you talk to your coach every day and you tell her what's up or you guys have conversations because that's the way that you're, that's why you've gotten so successful on your journey. Yeah. And I had to ask her too.

46:36I needed reassurance. Are you sure? Are you sure? Yeah. Yeah. You reassured me. And so I said, okay. And so, yeah. Yeah. Cause it's not just about getting your macro numbers and like eat more protein and let's talk about eating carbs and let's talk about you getting, eating more food. It's like, there's a true emotional component that comes with it. Oh yeah. Okay. I know. I want to ask you like all the things of what you're like experiencing now and like all the changes that you've like outside of what you just said. I mean, that's a huge thing to be so proud of for what you've accomplished in that sense. Um, but let's talk about like also like physically, like what, what are some of the goals that

47:09you you've accomplished so far with warrior babe? You know, like everyone else, I wanted to look good. Right. And so one of the things I can say is that I haven't worn shorts that exposed my legs for 25 years. And all summer I've only worn shorts and that's felt really comfortable for me. Yeah. There's a strength of fun to be stronger. And, uh, I was at an event, uh, where we were doing some picnicking and I was carrying

47:41up the stairs, the cooler with ice and stuff. And then this other heavy bag with plates and stuff in it. And I was just kind of like carrying it up the stairs and it was heavy, you know, and I was carrying, carrying it and I was nearing the top of the stairs. And this, this man said, Oh, would you like some help? And I said, no, thank you. I lift weights. And he said, I can tell. And I was like, that's fun. And so, um, you know, so just having the strength and, you know, as we age, I mean, this is the

48:12way to age gracefully and to have more muscle. And, you know, if I am walking and there's a wire and I trip and I land in a squat because, and, you know, and I've been working out most of my life, but this difference now that my hand is healed, I mean, having to be adaptable. So it's been slow, slow and steady. And there's, there's been plenty of times when I've been like, well, I don't look like that woman or I don't look like that woman. And I'm not getting the definition that I want here or this and that, but it's been

48:45a very, it's been good for me against a little bit of my will, but it's been the best thing for me to go slow and steady. And when I first signed on for warrior babe, and I'm like one year, I'm never going to do more than one year. What year are we on now? I'm at the end. I have three more months out of my second year and I'm definitely signing on for my third year. Yeah. And I know if you had asked me that even last year, I was like, oh my God, no, look, I can

49:16go away and travel now. I, I know what four ounces of rice looks like. And I know, you know, and that's cool. And I still weigh my food periodically. I still weigh my food at home. Just because I like to know. But the other thing is that like, I'm starting to like really get like, I'm in the gym and I'm like, oh wow. Like I can see definition in my arm and, uh, and that it's just fun. Don't get attached to the, to it, right? Like you'd like it, but don't get attached to it in a way that's dysfunctional, but it just

49:48feels good at 60 to be like, wow, you're 60. Yep. I am. And that feels good. Thank you. I appreciate that. And, and so the zoom does wonders for the wrinkle. If we can just talk on zoom, if I just held the camera up, no, but, um, and so, yeah, I'd say, um, I, I jumped on my bike yesterday and normally this one uphill, I'd be struggling with it. I stood up and pedaled up the entire hill.

50:18I'm like, well, dang, I guess my lower body stuff's doing pretty good. Wow. Yeah. So for me, it's, it's always been, how do I be fit for life? How do I make sure that if I, if, first of all, if I do fall, my bones are stronger because I have more muscle and, and most of the time just, you, you know, you're, you're limber, you're, you know, you're in your body and, you know, I'm a dancer as well. Like I just want to, I just want to be able to be active until the very end. And I'm in that last stage and, you know, the last stage could be 30 more years.

50:52So it's not that last, but, um, I just want to keep doing that. And strength training from the time I was 25 years old and I first started, I was like, bingo, this is the key to growing old gracefully. And so, but now that my hand is healed and, um, and I, and I told, um, Kiza my secret, my secret goal. And I said, I've never been able to do a pull-up. I want to do 10. I want to do this one, but I'd love to do 10. She's like, okay, then we're doing it.

51:23And so I'm, uh, we're actively working towards that as a goal. And, um, I really love having that, that as a goal. Yeah. I love that. That's all. Yeah. That I can't wait. Can you do one yet? Are we at, are we at one yet or no? Okay. Amazing. That's a great goal though. Yeah. That's a great goal to work towards. Yeah. The machine I'm now at like on the assisted at 45 and I could go to 40, but they don't have it. So we're just going to keep working on it. And yeah, but I started cracking up cause I did it on 30 and I hung there and I tried

51:54to move and I started laughing. Oh, I love that you find humor in it too. That's great. But I love that. Slow and steady is good for you. Like you said, and I love that you said it's against your own will, but sometimes that's how it's meant to be. Right. Totally. Totally. Yeah. Yep. Well, what else have you experienced since you've joined it? Are we missing anything? The other thing is that I guess I would tell, if I could tell people things, it's to not

52:28get too attached to what your macros look at the end of the day in terms of if it's at zero, like use it as like an anti-perfectionistic practice and know that there's much more here than just eating a certain way or working out. It's actually, and it takes a lot longer than you think. I mean, it's when you talk about retraining, it's not been my body so much has been my mind. And so I'd say the first year has been all about like my mind and then being adaptable because

53:01you're always going to hurt something or another and doesn't mean you have to stop and you can, and I've made huge gains even despite that. And now she's like, okay, let's go. And I'm doing like heavy weights, six to eight reps, heavier. I'm like, did I just put 50 pounds over my head and do that? Like, that's insane. I never would have thought that. I'm just getting stronger and stronger. And yeah, so it's the real deal, this program. And I, and I would not have even known what was in store for me.

53:34So thank you for getting me out of Groundhog's Day because I'm actually in new territory now for the first time after decades. Like I'm in a completely new place. There's been multiple times along this interview that I've held back tears, but I'm, I'm not, I'm proud of you for going all in, but also proud of you for being so open to recognizing your patterns and being able to shift out of them. Because yes, you're in part of the program, but you're also the one that's doing the work

54:05and you're the one that's recognizing your patterns and recognizing that, you know, they've served you for a long time. So it's understandable why patterns would stick. Um, but you've also been open-minded and open-hearted to be willing to accept new ways and actually, you know, using yourself into it. And now you're on that other side and it's because of you doing the work as well. So you should be proud of yourself for that.

54:35Thank you. With any way that's listening to this, I know you, you just said a little bit about there, but any way that's listening to this, that may have been in your, is in your position right now where you were before you found Warrior Babe, right? The Groundhog Day and going and yo-yoing for 40 years and back and forth. What would you want that woman to hear now? Trust that you joined this program for a reason, that there was a wise voice in you that said, do this. And then know that you're going to come, there's going to be the old voices that are going to

55:05come up against that. And that you can, you 100, not can, 100% need to involve your coach in that process. So that together you're, you're, you're, you're not alone anymore doing this. And that your coach is going to help you move through some of those obstacles and trust your voice and then trust the program because it doesn't, it's not an overnight fix and it shouldn't be because that's not how long-term change comes, but there is another

55:37side and you will get to it. That's beautiful. Yeah. That's beautiful. And if anybody that's listening to this and maybe have heard your, your self, your own self in Yael's story, I would say, take this away from this conversation is that the greatest transformations aren't just measured by the scale or by the mirror. Yael has had such a deeper transformative experience from finding like peace with food, finding trust in herself and her body again, and feeling safe in her own body.

56:08And so if you've been chasing change, but you still like, don't feel free and maybe you can hear your story in Yael's, let her story that she just shared with you be a reminder that healing and strength, they can grow together. And you can find that inside of, you know, inside of this program, if you've been on the fence about being, about joining it. So you can always go to worrywave.com, check out everything, our coaches that we have application to apply. Um, but overall, I hope that you found some, some release of peace in, in this story that

56:41you heard today. And yeah, thank you for, for being here and sharing your story with others. My privilege. Thank you. Hey, really quick before you go, I've one small favorite 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 of the difference, helping more women discover the tools they need to transform the 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.

57:13I appreciate you so much.

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