36 minWhat Are Macros and Why Do They Matter for Fat Loss?
With Olivia Eve
Guest on the show
Olivia Eve
Olivia is the host of the For You From Eve podcast, where she interviewed Nikkiey for this replayed episode.
Episodes with Olivia Eve
36 min
46 minHow to Practice Self-Love and Self-Growth at Any Age
With Olivia Eve
What Olivia talks about
Ep. 156: What Are Macros and Why Do They Matter for Fat Loss?
In this replay from the For You From Eve podcast, host Olivia Eve Shabo sits down with Nikkiey Stott to talk about how WarriorBabe started. Nikkiey walks through nine years in the medical field, her 2015 decision to get back to herself after a broken engagement, and three years of competitive bodybuilding. She won her shows, but the lifestyle sent her to the hospital: training three times a day, about 900 calories and almost no fat.
That experience is what pushed her into macros. She explains protein, carbs and fats in plain terms, why calories alone won't change your body composition, and why carbs are not the enemy. She also explains why under-eating while overtraining can backfire. Today she eats around 2,200 calories, trains four days a week, and says her results and recovery are better than when she competed.
The conversation also covers building discipline instead of waiting on motivation, finding a deeper why, and getting past gym anxiety. Her tips there are simple: wear a hat, study form before you go, and remember everyone in there is focused on themselves.
- Rely on self-discipline rather than motivation, because motivation ebbs and flows and will always run out.
- Dig past surface goals like wearing a bikini to a deeper why, such as being a role model for your kids, so you keep going on the days you don't want to.
- Start by tracking how you normally eat for seven days in MyFitnessPal, which often reveals you are only getting 900 to 1,200 calories.
- Look at what makes up your calories, not just the total; Nikkiey offers a broad starting ratio of 30% protein, 30% fat and 40% carbs while stressing that macros are individual.
- Nikkiey recommends aiming for about one gram of protein per pound of body weight, getting most of it from whole foods rather than leaning on protein powders and bars.
Ep. 136: How to Practice Self-Love and Self-Growth at Any Age
Self-love and self-growth don't start or stop at any age. In this conversation, Nikkiey Stott sits down with Olivia Eve, the 23-year-old host of the For You From Eve podcast, to talk about the mindset work that sits underneath every fitness and nutrition goal. Olivia shares one of her most useful habits: picturing the younger version of yourself who still lives inside you, and speaking to yourself the way you would speak to her. Nikkiey ties that back to the narratives women over 40 carry, like the idea of a menopause belly, and why those stories need to change.
They also get practical about the people around you. Olivia explains how she quietly distanced herself from long friendships that didn't support her, why you don't need a dramatic confrontation to do it, and how to read the energy and intention behind what people say. Nikkiey connects this to starting a health journey while your circle is still drinking and eating the way that wasn't serving you.
The second half is about consistency and having a deeper why. Olivia walks through how she built her podcast to the top of the charts by showing up for three years, even when the early months showed no results. Nikkiey draws the parallel to fitness: wanting to look better or lose a few pounds is a goal with no end, so dig deeper. Olivia closes with her favorite self-development books, the role her faith plays, and a reminder that whatever your age, you have today.
- Picture the younger version of yourself who still lives inside you, and speak to yourself the way you would speak to her.
- It's fine to identify as a mother, wife or sister, but keep fulfilling yourself as an individual, because you can't fill those roles well if you don't.
- Focus on what you feel like rather than what you look like; you don't remember the woman at the pool with extra belly fat, and nobody is thinking that about you either.
- Pay attention to who goes quiet when your successes are mentioned and who leans in when you're talked about negatively, and distance yourself from people who drain your energy.
- You don't have to send a breakup text to end an unsupportive friendship; you can simply stop reaching out and let it fade.
In Olivia's words
Questions Olivia helps answer
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Strength Training for Women
How do I get over gym anxiety?
Start by remembering that almost nobody is watching you. Nikkiey says most of the judgment lives in your own head. Then make it easier on yourself: learn the exercises on YouTube before you go, wear a hat as blinders, start small in a quiet corner, and walk into the weight room anyway, even scared.
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Protein for Women
Are protein shakes as good as real food?
Not quite. Nikkiey's view is that protein shakes and bars are a useful tool, not a replacement for whole foods. They're processed and lack the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients you get from chicken, eggs, fish or tofu. She suggests about 80% of your protein from whole foods and roughly 20% from shakes and bars.
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Macros & Macro Tracking
What are macros?
Macros, short for macronutrients, are the three nutrients that make up everything you eat: protein, carbohydrates and fat. Calories are just the unit of energy they provide. Nikkiey explains that tracking macros shows what your calories are actually made of, so you get the balance your body needs instead of mostly carbs and fat.
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Diets, Fasting & Diet Culture
Do carbs make you gain weight?
No. Nikkiey explains that carbs on their own don't make you gain fat. Eating more calories than your body burns does, whether those calories come from carbs, fat or protein. Carbs are stored as glycogen, which holds about three grams of water per gram, so the scale can rise temporarily without any fat gain.
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Consistency & Mindset
How do I find my why for getting fit?
Keep asking yourself why until you get past the surface goal. Nikkiey says losing weight, toning up or looking good in a bikini are fine goals but superficial. Ask why you want them, again and again, until you reach an emotional reason, like being a role model for your kids or keeping up with your grandkids.
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Common questions
What are macros?
Macros are protein, fats and carbs. Nikkiey adds that alcohol isn't counted as one of them but still has calories, so you need to think about where the calories in a drink are coming from.
How much protein should I eat in a day?
Nikkiey says her protein sits around her body weight, and she recommends aiming for about one gram of protein per pound of body weight per day.
Are protein powders as good as chicken or eggs?
Nikkiey prefers getting most of your protein from whole foods like chicken, ground beef, ground turkey, eggs, egg whites, tofu and seafood. She says powders and bars are processed and shouldn't be your crutch.
Why am I not losing weight when I work out a lot and eat very little?
Nikkiey explains that you can't outwork under-eating. She says overtraining on too little food likely raises cortisol, and when your body doesn't know when food is coming it holds onto everything and your metabolism slows.
Do carbs make you gain fat?
Nikkiey says carbs are your best friend. They give you energy for exercise, work and daily life, and what shows up on the scale after eating them is often water weight rather than fat.
How do I get over gym anxiety?
Nikkiey wore a hat so it acted like a blinder, studied exercise form on YouTube the night before, and reminded herself why she needed to be in the weight room. She also points out that everyone at the gym is focused on themselves, not on you.