Why Eating More Helped Me Lose Fat After 40

Nikkiey: What did your journey look like before WarriorBabe?

Leah: Just nothing worked. I started to get desperate. That was just total burnout, fatigue.

Nikkiey: Let's talk about some of the top wins that you've had with your progress so far.

Leah: I've never had this confidence about my body, that I'm actually proud to say, give me the tank tops, give me the shorts. I want to show off what I have done, and it's only been nine months.

Nikkiey: What's going on, everybody? Today I've got another amazing WarriorBabe. We were catching up and getting to know each other before we hit record, and she's super cool and super excited to dive into her story. I have Leah here with us. She is a physical therapist who spent her career helping others get strong. Behind the scenes, she was struggling to put herself first, to prioritize herself. And I know that so many of us women have been there, done that. She was burnt out. She was underfeeding herself. She was stuck in the cycle of inconsistency. And she finally decided that she needed to make a change, and that's where we insert WarriorBabe.

And now she's fueling her body. She's lifting heavier. She's feeling stronger mentally and physically more than ever. And now she's not just excited about getting older, she's thriving in her purpose. I'm excited for her to share her story. So Leah, welcome.

Leah: Oh, thank you so much, Nikkiey. Hearing it from you, I'm like, wow, that person sounds amazing. And to realize that's me, I'm like, this is awesome. This is great.

Nikkiey: I told you all we're in for a fun time. She's super cool. Yes, you are super cool. I know we were catching up a little bit before, but can you let the listeners know where you are from and what you do? I know I just said it, but what does your day-to-day look like with your clients?

Leah: So I am currently residing in the Seattle, Washington area. I am a clinic director and physical therapist. My day-to-day is a combination of treating patients for about 45 hours a week, and then working on the business with multiple staff PTs and other support staff, just trying to build up my clinic and working with the community. So ultimately my day-to-day is full-time PT, full-time practice director, just trying to reach as many people and heal as many people as possible.

Nikkiey: Wow. You just got even cooler. So ladies that are listening to this, okay. Leah, that's a very demanding schedule when you break down what you focus on day-to-day, yet you started to prioritize yourself and put your health first. So I'm excited to unpack that for a lot of women that are like, I'm just too busy to work out, too busy to eat. But Leah's about to say what's up about that.

All right. So let's talk about what your journey looked like before WarriorBabe. What were you struggling with physically and emotionally during that time?

Leah: Do you have the time? So in all honesty, I grew up active my entire life. Athlete from the age of four, collegiate athlete with a couple of years under my belt. Then unfortunately injuries and surgeries shortened my career. But I was always working out. I was always in the gym. I had the education to supposedly know what to do.

Then I said, okay, I have to get real about life. What am I going to go into? There was a part of me that wanted to become a strength and conditioning coach for collegiate athletes, and it turns out I don't really like collegiate athletes. So I pivoted and said, what influenced me in my life and my journey at that time? And I'm like, physical therapy. I had the opportunity to get some behind-the-scenes experience with that, and I was like, yes, this is what I'm passionate about. So not only did I take my active athletic career, I got to mix it with the medical side of things. I got my doctorate degree, and I've been practicing physical therapy for well over 10 years now.

But I thought I had it all. I thought I had the knowledge. I have a high level of knowledge on how the body is supposed to work. I have all of the experience in knowing how to lift, so it should come easy to me. And what I learned, day in and day out, year in, year out, is that I was giving so much of myself to everyone else that I didn't know how to prioritize myself. Or I found every reason to put something else first, or say, no, no, no, okay, next week. Well, it didn't happen this quarter, next quarter. That just became the limiting factor.

It was a lot of, yay, I'm in a groove, this is awesome, I'm totally going in the right direction, to, oh man, I am in a rut and I don't know how to get out of this. A lot of times they look the same, but they definitely treat the body differently, and it definitely makes the mental and emotional side a little bit harder to deal with. And as I've gotten older, I realized that's a lot harder to rebound from than it was before. So that's kind of where I was.

A lot of things shifted when the pandemic hit. It really affected us out here in the Pacific Northwest, and that brought a lot to light. Wow, what am I trying to do? Can I do this on my own? What do I need? And through those five years from 2020 until now, I resorted to a lot of, can I find an online trainer? I outfitted my entire clinic with all the stuff I thought I needed to keep me motivated, to keep me on track. And just nothing worked. Nothing worked at all. So that's where I started to get desperate, I guess you could say, where I started to say, okay, what do I need here?

Nikkiey: So what led you to realize that something needed to change? What was that?

Leah: From a clinical standpoint, the patient population I was treating has kind of changed over the past five years. And I noticed, as I went into my forties a little bit more, women who I was treating had more and more complaints of not understanding their body and going through that. Is this perimenopause? Is this menopause? And I'm like, how do I treat these patients better?

Late last year, I had this idea. I was like, listen, I need a better community around here. I want to start offering the ability for a small group of women to get together, even if it's coming in on Saturdays. I want women between the ages of, and I said 45 to 60, I want that spectrum. Maybe I can get a small group of women who have been through physical therapy, but they can come together to collaborate, to just have a community amongst themselves.

As that idea developed, I was like, well, I've got to educate myself. If I'm going to try to lead these women in a certain way, I need to educate myself, because I need to know what to offer them. And then I started to learn what I don't know, and that was a lot. I started reaching out to physicians in the area to say, can you help me? Can we collaborate? Can we offer something to women around here? And it was amazing how ignorant or how oblivious they were to what women needed and wanted. Nobody could give me that support.

So then I was like, okay, there's got to be a better resource, a better outlet to get this information. So I started looking online, and I think it was on Instagram, I came across WarriorBabe. I was like, hang on, this is hitting the population of what I want. This is pretty awesome. Let me just explore what they are doing. And I was like, okay, now if I'm going to teach it, preach it, I've got to do it for myself.

I wasn't quite ready to do it. So in January, I gave myself a New Year's resolution that by my next birthday, which is in September, I want to be able to do a pull-up, because throughout all of my life, with all of my athletics, with everything, I've never had the strength to do a pull-up. So I was like, okay, January, I'm going to set a plan up, I'm going to try, I'm going to get this done.

And January was a failure. I couldn't stay consistent. It was probably the worst health experience I've ever had. I was listening to your episode about updating life, and I'm like, girl, I got you. That is so how I felt during that time, even to the point that I was rethinking my career. And I was like, if I can't do this on my own, I've got to take that leap and I've got to try.

So I submitted the application to WarriorBabe. And what was amazing, even compared to the previous four years of working with online trainers, was how responsive your team was. I'm like, hang on, they're going to respond in 24 hours? This is a legit thing. This is going to hold me accountable. So I went into it. I had that beginner interview, and then they're like, okay, just know that this is a year-long commitment. And my jaw dropped. I'm like, hang on, can I do this? And then I was like, nothing else has ever worked. If this isn't going to do it, nothing else is going to do it. And it was the best yes-let's-do-it, don't-even-think-about-it decision I could have ever made.

Nikkiey: Love that. I love that you feel that way about your journey so far. I definitely want to unpack what your initial experience was when you first came in, outside of us responding in 24 hours, what the first couple weeks looked like and you getting used to our program. But I want to backtrack a little bit to the goal that you set for yourself, doing a pull-up.

Leah: One pull-up.

Nikkiey: Sorry, yeah, one pull-up by your birthday in September. And really quick, did we get there? Did you get to do one in September?

Leah: I got two.

Nikkiey: Yay, let's go. You got two. I love that. Okay. But back in January, you're struggling to get it on your own. What did that reveal to you about where you were with your strength at that point? I've had a couple of women on that are physical therapists. You take care of patients on a daily basis, making them stronger. So was it kind of like a mirror, that what you see in your patients, you're experiencing for yourself? Like, I'm actually not as strong as I want to be? What did that reveal for you when you couldn't do a push-up or pull-up in January?

Leah: In all honesty, it kind of stems back to, we'll say, 20 or 25 years of life. Though I may present like this, I've never been one of those who's like, I need the scale to look like a certain thing. But I was raised under the circumstances of, hey, Leah, genetically, you're probably never going to look like some of your friends. You're never going to have this body or this physique. I always called myself a little teapot, short and stout. There was always some good strength, but there was never that physical presentation where I was proud to show off my body. It was, the more you could cover up, the better off you're going to be. You're always going to be cautious of what you eat. You're always going to be conscientious of what you put in your body, because unfortunately, your body is just not going to be the thing that you're going to be proud of.

So I always worked out because I knew I had to, because the alternative, from genetics, was that I would be overweight, obese for that matter. So being able to do a pull-up was never on my spectrum of things, because I was always told that most likely it's not going to happen. Training-wise, it was never to have that goal to accomplish this. It was, you should work out, because if you don't, you're going to look like this half of your family. So it wasn't necessarily a reflection of, I'm not as strong as I want to be. I was always just settling to maintain or keep this up because I have to, not always because I wanted to, but because I didn't want to face what the alternative could hypothetically be.

Nikkiey: That makes total sense. I hear you.

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

So, you mentioned a couple of minutes ago that you were in a dark place before WarriorBabe. You were considering a major life change, considering whether this job was even meant for you. What did that period feel like for you at that time?

Leah: Oh man, that was just total burnout to a T. I mean, you were a nurse, you've worked in healthcare, and over the past five years it's only gotten worse as far as the demand. It was give everything, take nothing. It was constant. I kind of say it's like being a chameleon. You're adapting to everything around you. You're putting on different faces for everyone and everything. And it was becoming very repetitive, very draining. And getting older, there's been minimal time to actually take care of myself internally, even going to my own doctor's appointments, doing those things.

It was like, well, hang on, I've been doing this for so long, it should be a routine. But why am I going home saying I have nothing more but tears to give? Things that weren't common to my personality, like becoming more of a recluse, not wanting to socialize quite as much, just working for the weekend. I've never worked for the weekend. I love what I do, but I'm like, the weekend cannot get here fast enough. But then when the weekend comes, I do not want to leave my house, because I do not want to have to people anymore.

At that time, I went through a period of trying to get back into mental health therapy, and being the people pleaser, the giver, I felt like I was therapizing my therapist, because I was constantly trying to engage with her. And I'm like, no, this is for me. I could not turn off that side of things. It was constantly making sure everybody else was okay, and I didn't know how to change it.

Nikkiey: Interesting. So was there a moment when you were like, dude, I need this for me? I need to do this?

Leah: Yes, 1000%. Because again, what I do for a job, this is me. I would do it if I didn't get paid anything. I will do it, hopefully, until I'm 73. I want to do this forever. But the second I was starting to feel like this isn't it, I'm like, hang on, I've got to flip the script. And I've said, I'm doing WarriorBabe because I want to be selfish. And everyone that I've talked to is like, that's not a selfish move. Why do you think you're being selfish? And I'm like, well, because I'm doing it for me. And they're like, but that's not being selfish. But yeah, there absolutely was. If I don't make a change for me, if I don't start prioritizing me, then I don't know where I'm going to be in six months or a year from now.

Nikkiey: We're going to put a pin in that and circle back to it. But now I want to lead into, okay, so you saw us on Instagram or Facebook or one of them?

Leah: Instagram.

Nikkiey: Was there anything that I was saying in particular that was really catching your eye, or what was resonating with you the most?

Leah: The craziness to it, it was actually being women-specific, and then 45 and up. And I'm like, I know I'm under that, but this is who I want to work with as far as patient clientele. So I was like, let's just see. And if they accept me, great. But honestly, it was as simple as that. That's all, initially. That is all that I needed to say, this is different than every other trainer or coach I've ever worked with.

Nikkiey: Ladies, are you feeling frustrated with body changes you're experiencing during menopause? It's time to take control. If you're between 45 and 65 years old and tired of struggling with body fat and muscle loss, WarriorBabe is here for you. At WarriorBabe, we've helped over 18,000 women just like you lose body fat, build toned muscle and understand their bodies better with personalized plans based on hormone and thyroid testing, and more. Imagine knowing exactly what your body needs to see real results, and results that last. Don't wait anymore. Take charge of your health and join our community of strong, empowered women. Visit warriorbabe.com/apply today to start your transformation. That's warriorbabe.com/apply.

All right, let's get back to the show. Love that. And I also love the difference in your signup experience that gave you confidence. What you mentioned earlier was that we were responsive, compared to other programs you tried. We were responsive within 24 hours.

So the next thing I want to talk about is the nutrition aspect, because you said that it was very humbling, almost embarrassing, to realize that you were eating around 1,400 calories. That's how you came in, right? So in the first initial weeks of joining WarriorBabe, what did that process look like for you?

Leah: That goes back to that intro interview. I forget who I was talking to, but it was an awesome conversation, and she makes this joke, like, yeah, a lot of women, when they start, think that they can survive off of 1,200, 1,400 calories. And I chuckled. I was like, why would any grown individual think that they can do that? So they're like, okay, the first thing you're going to do is get on MyFitnessPal. You're going to track for a week. Don't change anything.

And day in and day out, I was like, oh no, I'm at 1,400. Oh no, I only got 1,300. Every day I was like, I've got to get more. Without changing anything. I was like, holy cow. And no hunger cues, nothing. My day is, I treat between 14 and 16 patients a day. It is go, go, go, grab something on the run. And when you start to track, I was like, oh my gosh, no wonder I'm feeling so tired. So that was very humbling, to be like, yep, check, I'm one of those. I'm part of that statistic.

To break it down, I started working with my coach, Adrienne, who is amazing. She's like, okay, we've got to bump that up, and it's going to be a slow process, but we've got to start getting that going. So I was like, okay. In all honesty, we tried to get up to 1,800 first, and it was a struggle. I always joked, this is a part-time job, literally a part-time job, of saying, okay, where do we go here? How do we balance this? How do we get the proper macro set to balance this out? It was a lot of hard work. Put me in the gym all day, I can knock that out. I love being told what to do there. But the fuel consumption, as I call it, that was something that had to completely change how my brain worked and what my habits were in those regards.

Nikkiey: So how long did you do a reverse? Did you get to 1,800?

Leah: Got to 1,800, ultimately.

Nikkiey: How long did that carry on?

Leah: Well, here's the thing. I started eating more, all of a sudden the hunger cues started coming, and I was still losing weight. All of a sudden you wake the metabolism up, and I'm like, buddy. So I got up to 1,900, 1,950, 2,000. I think when we found maintenance, I was at 2,050.

Nikkiey: And you were losing weight.

Leah: Body weight was still going down, and that was not a goal. Body fat was continuing to go down. And I'm starting to see, even as a physical therapist, I'm looking at my arms like, I didn't know you're supposed to have a muscle there. That's pretty awesome. Just these small definitions, where I'm like, this is what it could look like on me. It was an amazing thing. So my maintenance calories sat around 2,050.

Nikkiey: I love that. So would you say those were some early wins? Or were there any additional aha moments that helped shift your focus, your momentum, when you first joined, besides the eating more?

Leah: Yes. It was, actually, Leah, you have to do less.

Nikkiey: What does that mean?

Leah: Throughout life, it was collegiate sports. We were training six days a week and playing two to three times a week, whatever the case may be, doing two-a-days. Even working with other trainers, they were programming five to six days of resistance and cardio work a week, and I'm supposed to do that on top of working 10 to 11 hours a day. And it was a lot of Zone 2 cardio, and we see how beneficial that is as we get older.

But I remember early on I'm like, Adrienne, I need to do more. I don't feel like I'm doing enough. And she's like, no, no, slow it down. You need your rest days. Put the reins on a little. I don't need you to do more. Or if you want to do more, we're going to transition into incorporating some sprint interval training, so you're not doing these prolonged workouts. Do not think lifting five days a week is going to be necessary.

And that's where I really had to come to terms with three to four days of resistance training actually being what was going to give me the results I wanted. And that was really, really, really hard to come to terms with, because it's always been, more is better. You've got to keep that balance, energy in, energy out. And it was like, no, you've got to give your body the fuel to recover.

And that's another thing, really understanding that the breakdown occurs in the gym, and the build-up occurs during the recovery time. It's kind of like, oh, wow. Even as a physical therapist, that's all I tell my patients. But that needs to be emphasized more. So that was definitely mind-blowing, eye-opening. Oh yeah, the recovery is just as important.

Nikkiey: I love that. Yes, less is more. And I love that that was an aha moment early on, and you were able to switch gears pretty quickly and make that work for you in the program. Can you share a little bit about how Coach Adrienne helped guide you and what her support has meant to you? What has it been like for you to work with a coach?

Leah: I mean, it's a blessing. You guys match people up really well with those coaches. With all of that intake, I don't know what your process is, but you definitely hit the nail on the head. As far as having Adrienne be mine, we are of a similar age and have had a similar journey in life. I mentioned that I did a little bit of mental health therapy early on, and the reality is I think this is better therapy for me.

Coach Adrienne has really acted as a physical coach, programming and doing what I need to push me, but holding me accountable. She has been there to be a mentor, both from a work standpoint and a life standpoint. And she has been there as an ear for me to say, I don't know if I can do this, or I'm screwing this up. And she's like, Leah, stop being a type A personality. You are doing fine. It is not going to be perfect every week. Get over that. This is a long-term thing.

So the relationship built really well, really quick. The way she approached me, it was some tough love sometimes, but then she was a cheerleader that I didn't know I needed in so many realms. That truly allowed the week-to-week motivation. And then those monthly check-ins, whenever I was feeling like, okay, I feel like I'm getting back into one of those ruts, where's the groove? She just knows exactly where to pivot or how to support me, for me to be like, oh yeah, I got this. I can do this.

Nikkiey: Oh, I love that. I love the perfect blend of tough love and cheerleader.

Leah: Exactly.

Nikkiey: That's awesome. So let's talk about you since joining WarriorBabe. Where are you now? Let's talk about some of the top wins that you've had with your progress so far.

Leah: Okay. So I'm a total numbers person, but I'm not going to go objective here. It truly is more subjective. We mentioned I found maintenance calories, and I'm like, cool, I understand what that is. Far from 1,400. I actually started a build phase.

Nikkiey: Oh, no way.

Leah: So I'm six weeks into a build phase, and this is set up for the next year, ultimately, because obviously I signed on for another two years of this, because why wouldn't I?

Nikkiey: Let's go.

Leah: So right now I'm in a build phase, and I would say the wins ultimately are, one, just learning how my body works. I now want to push it to the limits to understand what more it can do, especially while I'm still at the age where I have a little bit more availability to make those changes. Hormones can still be managed right now where I am. So I want to do this where I am now, because again, I've always been told you're just not going to ever look that way. And I'm like, do you see what I did in three months and six months? Now going into nine months, I want to go through this build. And I think it's an amazing program that Coach Adrienne has set up. I'm thrilled about this.

I do have to eat more, so that's a thing. Legit, I would say the harder thing is I'm just over 2,300 calories that I have to eat. The hard part is, because of my schedule, I get more hungry throughout the day, and I'm like, I need to go, I need my snack. I'm messaging my team, I'm messaging my staff, like, I'm hungry, I need somebody to help me so I can take in some food real quick. This was never how it was in the past.

Nikkiey: You're actually being told to double your intake. That's crazy. And that's why, let's talk objectively really quick. Because you lost seven pounds from starting, you dropped 3% body fat, and then you've doubled your intake.

Leah: And then I've doubled my intake. And even now, Coach Adrienne's like, Leah, you need to gain some weight, because that ensures you're actually taking in enough calories to fuel the muscles you are trying to put on. And I'm like, okay, I've gained one pound. And she's like, you're going to fall back to maintenance. You've got to be aggressive with this.

But it's more so the subjective component. I have never actually filled out my pants through the backside, the butt area, as well as I have now. But the waist, I'm like, I don't have enough belts. I'm putting holes in my belts to try to keep the waist cinched. This has never been how it is. I've never had shoulders that fill out the shoulder region, where I'm like, oh, I love that, I can feel my shirt being a little tighter. I've always worn my clothes a little baggier, and now I'm like, I want to go a size smaller, because I want to show off what I've actually built. Right now it's like 50 degrees in Washington, so it's not the most conducive time. But I've never had this confidence about my body that I'm actually proud to say, give me the tank tops, give me the shorts. I want to show off what I have done. And it's only been nine months.

Nikkiey: Wow. That's incredible. You're a rock star, Leah.

Leah: It's you guys. What your program is capable of doing is just outrageous, and every woman should take the chance, take the opportunity. It's huge. It is so amazing what WarriorBabe promotes, not what it preaches, but what it teaches and then what it supports. It's astounding what we are truly capable of doing when we have the right guidance.

Nikkiey: My favorite part about this is your words right there, saying that you are learning exactly how your body operates. You're learning cues. You're hearing hunger cues. You're learning what your body needs. As you're going through the build, you're aware that, hey, I need to eat more periodically throughout the day so that I can get my 2,300 calories in, so that I can really aggressively go into this build and take it on head-on. I love it. And what you said, that we're not preaching something, we're teaching you this, to know and listen to your body and understand what it's wanting to tell you. But it's also so unique to you. You are learning all of this by eating double the intake, experiencing the results you're experiencing, both objectively and subjectively, but on your own course. This has been nine months for you, and you're taking in everything that you're learning, which is so cool. We're not preaching something. We're teaching you this methodology for you individually by working with your team.

So back to that question I wanted to ask you. I put a pin in it, but I want to circle back. If you had never made this change, where do you think you would be right now?

Leah: Honestly, it's kind of scary to think, and I know you can relate. What's pretty awesome about the beginning experience is going through and getting the hormone panel done. And girl, I got you, I understand everything that you shared. When I had that done, with the things that were exposed, I was like, they must have screwed this up. That can't be me, because I didn't have the outward physical side of things. I'm like, I don't have that, I don't have that. But it was the estrogen, testosterone, DHEA. My cortisol would start low and end up high at the end of the day, and they're like, it's got to be the opposite direction. Everything was out of whack.

And it was that epiphany about everything I'd felt. Even in that moment of getting that understanding from an internal standpoint, to say, it's not me, but it's me, and we can work around that. That component, leading to the coaching, the support, the accountability, has made me feel like I have a purpose because I have a presence.

I have always been very confident in my job, and I know how to do my job really, really well. And to compare and contrast, in your journey, you've always battled with masculine versus feminine energy, and you have found things that I feel have made you feel more whole, that you're fine in your entirety. And that's amazing. Listening to your journey, I think about what this has been. WarriorBabe has brought a wholeness to me. I knew I was missing something, but I didn't know what I was missing. And it fulfilled the confidence. For years, I didn't feel like I was taking up space, and I didn't know why. I knew I could do a good job with certain things, but being such a people pleaser, I stayed passive.

And now, being stronger, being proud of what this external physique looks like, it takes that internal mentality to say, no, you don't have to be passive and sit on the sidelines and let the world walk all over you. I have this purpose. Look at me. I know what I'm capable of. Don't get in my way.

And it's even present now when I go to the gym to work out. I have my program, and when I go to the gym, it is like a nine-to-one ratio, men to women. I'll be on whatever machines, and I am so confident sitting and giving myself my three-minute rest time in between sets. I don't care if somebody else is looking at me saying, what are you doing? I have purpose to be there, because I'm doing this for my body. Sure, you're on your journey doing your workout, but I have purpose. Don't try to bully me out of doing something that I need to do. I'm not going to rush life because it's going to make it more convenient for you, and I'm not going to bend over backwards because it's going to make it more convenient for someone else.

So when you ask where would I be, that's a very broad question, and the answer is going to be very broad. But I know where I am now, and I'm thrilled with where I am now and so excited about the future.

Nikkiey: That's so powerful. That's such a powerful response. It's like you take up the space.

Leah: Take up the space.

Nikkiey: We're not meant to shrink or be small. We're meant to take up space. And you're doing it with purpose. You're doing it with intention. You have a reason to be in the room. You have a reason to show up for yourself. And that is super, super powerful. I love that.

Oh man, that's super cool. How has it impacted your work life? You being a PT, a clinical director, you mentioned that you're pivoting from more of the practice aspect to helping more peri- to post-menopausal women. That's what you said at the beginning, that you wanted to do that. How is it fitting into your world now, having this knowledge and these tools and these resources, and maybe pouring into others? You said you needed to be the one who experienced it before you could actually teach it. Is it coming full circle for you?

Leah: Not entirely, only because I always want to be really good and really knowledgeable about something that I'm going to pass on. It has definitely given me more confidence to speak about my experience, to say, this is why I want you to do it. Look at what I have done. These are things that you can have the opportunity to do also.

As far as full circle, this is still the early side of the marathon that I'm running. That's the biggest thing. I know this is laying the foundation for great things to come, but it takes time for those great things to occur. So how I really look at this is, okay, in three years, five years, 10 years, this is how I want to reshape or pivot how I practice and what I do. In nine months alone, nope, this is still for me. This is for me, but I speak with more confidence.

But as for what it's going to do for the way my professional career goes, this is laying the most solid foundation of anything I'm going to do in the future. It's getting more personal experience. It's allowing me to physically get through a certain phase, which is leading to me studying and researching other elements, which is then going to lead to me getting other certifications, so that I truly have all the backing I need to provide my patients with the best experience, with as much research knowledge as possible. As opposed to, well, I think you can, or you might be able to, I want it to be, these are the things that have been shown to work. This is how we're going to do it.

Nikkiey: That's incredible. I love that. And what I think is so cool about your journey is that for you personally, you're setting yourself up to go through menopause in the strongest way possible.

Leah: Yes.

Nikkiey: Feeling the symptoms and actually experiencing it is going to be so much easier than for someone who isn't moving their body, isn't working out, isn't strength training, isn't eating right, is under-eating. You're doing all of the right things.

Leah: And that's even where, God, it's the thing about WarriorBabe. It is so beneficial to women as they get older to realize that what they have isn't what they're stuck with. But I wish women, even as they're approaching 40, in their late thirties, would start looking into things like this more. Because why not set yourself up for success, or at least tolerance, for what we're all about to go through, compared to just being like, okay, well, this is what we're doomed with, because we don't educate people enough about it.

And that's where I am. I'm talking to more and more of my patients that are of a similar age to say, don't wait. It's inevitable. It's going to happen, but don't wait. Start the changes. Start to educate yourself now, because this is when it's going to be easier to brace for, and it's going to make the next 20 to 30 years so much better.

Nikkiey: So much better. Oh, I love that. Okay, so I have one question as we wrap up this interview together. What is one piece of advice you would give someone who feels stuck, maybe in the same way that you were stuck, in the inconsistency, or fearing food, or unsure how to take that first step?

Leah: I would ultimately say, one, be selfish. But I would ultimately say, especially considering the clientele that you guys appeal to, you have strong women within your program, and that's amazing. I think we, as women, need to be willing to be more vulnerable and ask for help. That was something, especially in my profession, that was humbling, to say, I can't do it on my own. I'm like, am I going to pay for somebody else to do this? But have a support system. Seek out the help, because there are people out there to help you.

Every woman is giving herself to everyone else, and rarely do they ask for what they need. And in starting something like this, it's acknowledging that it's not that you're weak. You are being wise to ask for what you need. And this is the perfect platform to do it. This is going to help you mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. That's how you're going to find your wholeness. It's just, which one is lacking at this time? So it would be, don't be afraid to ask for help. This may be a different form of help than you've sought out before, but it can be so impactful.

Nikkiey: Oh, I love that. That's such a wise response. I think you're so spot on. So many women have a hard time asking for help, and yet we're silently struggling. It's so simple to say, I need help. It's easier said than done, but it's really that easy to say, I need help, and then see the reaction, and people will want to give help. I love that response. It's so heartfelt.

And to any woman that's listening right now, let Leah's story be a reminder that knowledge isn't necessarily the missing piece. She had all the tools. She had all the knowledge. She knew all the things. But what I learned from you in this interview is that ownership is really the missing piece. It's taking ownership for you, putting yourself first, being selfish, and really taking the action and asking for the help. And it's not too late to reclaim your strength, your purpose, your confidence. So whether you're a health professional like Leah, or a mom, or someone who's always putting others first, this journey is yours to take, and yours to finally put yourself first.

Leah, thank you for being here, and thank you for sharing your story. I know it's really going to resonate with a lot of women.

Leah: This is awesome. And thank you for everything that you do. It has been very impactful.

Nikkiey: Thank you for trusting in us. Did we deliver on our promise?

Leah: A hundred percent. And like I said, I've already signed up for two more years, and I'm just waiting for you to roll that out. I'll do another two years.

Nikkiey: Coach Adrienne's going to be with you. You're going to be here forever.

Leah: I threatened her with that already.

Nikkiey: I love that. All right, Leah, thank you.

Leah: Absolutely.

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