Getting Toned During Menopause at 49: Valerie's Story

Nikkiey: If you're fighting through menopause trying to go harder, thinking you're working harder, you're just making the whole thing harder. If you work with it and adapt to it, and you're a prime example, it'll start getting back into the groove.

Nikkiey: Hey everyone, welcome to our WarriorBabe interview with our WarriorBabe Valerie. Valerie has been in WarriorBabe for 10 months now, starting back in the Blueprint in June of 2020. Valerie's primary focus over the last 10 months of being a part of WarriorBabe has been fat loss and getting more toned, showing more leanness, and we'll touch base on her amazing results within the interview today.

I'm so stoked to have Valerie here so that she can bring you insight and value today. She has done such a great job, both mentally and physically, because we all know it's not easy and we want to be where we want to be faster. I've watched you along your journey, and although you have made such amazing results, I know that you always want to be better. I'm really excited for you to share this insight here in this interview, and your results in the time you've been with WarriorBabe. So everybody, let's welcome Valerie here today. I am so excited to have you in.

Valerie: Hey Nikkiey, hey community, how's everybody doing? So happy to be here, and thank you for the opportunity, Nikkiey, to let me share my story.

Nikkiey: Yes, that's exactly it, your story, and I cannot wait for you to share it. So let's get a little background on you first. How old are you, occupation, what's your family lifestyle like, all that jazz?

Valerie: So I'm 49, I'm a banker, I have two adult kids, 24 and 27, and I've been married for 31 years. Fitness has always been a part of my life. I really started around 2005, and I've been incorporating that into wanting my kids to be healthy as well.

Nikkiey: Awesome. So let's start from the beginning of your WarriorBabe journey. You said you started near the beginning of 2020?

Valerie: 2005.

Nikkiey: 2005, sorry.

Valerie: 2005 my workout journey started, but WarriorBabe was 2020.

Nikkiey: Gotcha. So start from the beginning of the WarriorBabe journey. Where were you before you found WarriorBabe? What were you doing before WarriorBabe?

Valerie: Really, Nikkiey, I was following whatever my girlfriend was doing. She was a competitor, and she was dealing with her own nutritionist, and she kind of just gave me what she was doing. I was thinking, well, if it's working for her... couldn't be more wrong. I wasn't getting any results. She was cutting and I was gaining. She's losing five pounds, I'm gaining five pounds. It was just frustrating.

I had the workout mentality. I was fond of that, but my nutrition was just all over. I had talked to several people in the past about different diets. I'd see somebody doing something and I'd try to jump on their bandwagon because I thought I was going to get results too. I ran into a friend at the gym who was doing keto. She explained it to me and gave me some information. Worst thing I ever did to myself. All I did was lose a couple pounds and then end up gaining like double the weight back. I've always been a fluffy girl.

I tried Weight Watchers, I tried Jenny Craig, my husband and I tried V Shred, and that was horrible. There were just so many different programs out there that I tried, and I was getting quick results and then I would end up doing more damage. It wasn't really sustaining my lifestyle. I really wanted to get the knowledge of how to do this myself, so that I could do this for the rest of my life and not around other people's ins and outs. I'm going to teach myself how to do it.

Nikkiey: Yeah, I love that. What struggles were you trying to solve?

Valerie: I would say my struggles really were, I did my work, and I just wasn't getting results. I felt like I couldn't even walk past a mirror and look at myself and be happy with my results. I had a lot of self-image issues. My husband would say, oh, you're beautiful, but when I walked past the mirror I didn't want to look at that girl. And that hurt. It hurt.

Nikkiey: Yeah. You're not alone, babe. There are a lot of women out there with the self-sabotaging thought process around body image, looking in the mirror and not wanting to look, trying so many things that only wreck the inside of the body, that maybe get quick results but don't have the longevity.

So with being a part of WarriorBabe, let's talk about the results, because it's been so cool to watch your journey from the start of the Blueprint to now. It's had its ups and downs, and I would love for you to shed light on that. Let's just talk about your journey in the last 10 months. What results have you achieved?

Valerie: Oh my God. First and foremost, I would say my mind. My mind is on a whole new level, and I thank you and your program for that, because I was really hard on myself. I always let people get into my head and I'd follow them, and now I'm like, I'm the leader here and I'm going to lead my journey.

My husband would get up and say, I don't feel like going to the gym today. Well, if he didn't feel like going to the gym, I guess I didn't feel like going to the gym, because I wanted to be around him. Now when he says that, I'm like, I'll see you when I get back. So I don't let those things get to me. Or if he wants to go out and do something and it's just not where I am that day, then all right. I took some ownership of me.

I'm a mom. Their needs came first, family needs came first, and I just never really put my own needs ahead of everybody else's. Now, I'm not saying that I'm completely selfish, but I'm taking control over my results and what I want.

Nikkiey: Yeah, I love that. That's awesome. Deuces, I'm out, going to the gym, see you later, I've got my goals, I'll be back in a bit. That's awesome. What results have you seen in terms of weight?

Valerie: Oh yeah. So I started at about 164, and I'm weighing in at about 138 now. My pant sizes were like a 10-12, and I'm into like a 4. So I'm real happy with it. Of course, my mind is always going, what's my next thing? I still want to lose some more inches. I'm not really worried about the scale so much, I'm worried about those inches. I have a couple of problem areas that I want to target. Of course, we know we can't just target one area. But I know that if I keep on my journey and keep consistent and trust in this process, that is going to happen. I have no doubt.

Nikkiey: Yeah. Your before and afters, I'll have to get them in here and edit them in, because holy moly.

Valerie: Sometimes, you know, we had this talk one day on the call. I was down on myself because I was like, I'm not seeing any results, I'm not moving. And I realized I was looking at myself on a daily basis. When I sent you a picture, you were like, really, do you not see the difference? For me personally, I look at it from week to week, versus looking at what I have accomplished in these 10 months. That's where I'm like, okay, fire.

I just recently went back to the gym, and I got the best compliment the other day. Some of the people that were going to the gym prior to COVID were there together with me this past weekend, and they were like, what in the hell are you doing? And I was like, what do you mean? And they're like, man, your muscles are popping out. And I'm just like, hey, they're here. It was nice that they saw the difference. They're like, wow, you're doing an amazing job, we didn't want to say anything. I'm like, please, say something.

Nikkiey: Yeah. What you've accomplished, Valerie, in 10 months is what people try to accomplish or think they're going to accomplish. First of all, people always want fast results. But you've stayed consistent, steady. You've had a little up, down, up, down, but the majority of the time you're winning. You're on point, you're consistent, and that's what's gotten you to where you are now, 10 months later. Typically people go like this, and then in five years they may get where they want to be, but you accomplished it in 10 months, and there's still so much more to go. You're still on this journey, right?

Valerie: Yep. And it doesn't help that my good old doctor confirmed that I'm going through menopause. You keep reminding me that it's a good cycle to go through, and that maybe I need to train a little different. That has helped, to listen to those body signals that you told us to recognize, and rest, recover, and understand that you want your body to work for you, not against you. Follow me, do what I tell you to do, and it's working.

Nikkiey: Yes, let's talk about that, because this is only recent, right, with your doctor? We were seeing good results, and then you started coming to the calls. Again, big picture, there are big results, but week to week we went a couple of months where I was just like, huh, okay, what's going on? And then you were checking back in and you're like, yeah, I think I'm going through menopause right now.

Valerie: Yeah, it's definitely, I'm going to train different. I've been working out for a long time, and it took a little bit off my pride that I had to change something. And then by changing those things, the results started picking back up. It's just hard to adapt at first, but I have to realize that at this stage of my life it's important to make those changes.

Nikkiey: You just nailed it. That's going to help so many women, Valerie. Your body adapts, right? You've got to adapt with it, and you did, and that's where we noticed another shift. People try to fight through menopause, and it only ends up with eating 1,200 calories, and then six months later you're bashing into a wall. If you're fighting through menopause trying to go harder, thinking you're working harder, you're just making the whole thing harder. If you work with it and adapt to it, and you're a prime example, it'll start getting back into the groove.

Valerie: Yep. So true. Your body does adjust. I didn't think I was going to be able to eat carbs ever again. And then I got in, and it was like, what, she's going to give me more now? Keep it coming.

Nikkiey: Yeah. I'm glad you brought that up, because a lot of women struggle with the mentality of eating more. How did you deal with coming in from what you were doing, trying a lot of different things, to coming into WarriorBabe where I'm like, eat? How did you deal with that mental side of things, the psychology of eating more to build more muscle?

Valerie: I started doing a happy dance, I'm not going to lie. I didn't have a problem with it. Now my body gets mad at me sometimes and I'm like, oh, hold out just a bit longer, it's not time to eat yet. But in the past, mentally, I just kind of said I'm not allowed to have it, and I just dealt with it. Now I'm like, these are body signals, you need to listen to them, maybe you need to make some type of adjustment. I've always had an appetite.

It's nice that I don't have to seclude myself from functions or from enjoying the foods that I enjoy cooking, because I enjoy cooking and I love baking. I don't have a problem making a recipe and just sitting back and enjoying it now. Before, I'd be like, oh no, that's got flour in it, that's too much, I can't eat that many fruits. I remember one day you told me to eat a Pop-Tart, and I'm like, for real? For real? I went out and bought a big box.

Nikkiey: That's awesome. Good, I love that. So you had no problem eating the food. It was just understanding, maybe you can tell me, that you had no problem eating it, but what can I eat? How much can I eat?

Valerie: Yeah, exactly, and that's where understanding the macros came in. The part I really needed was knowing what I was allowed to eat or how much I was allowed to eat. Once I found that part out, I felt golden. I felt like there was no blockage now. I figured out, hey, if I want to eat this, I might have to give up something else to fit that in, but I'm willing to cut back on my rice a little bit just so I can eat that Pop-Tart. That's how I feel about it.

Nikkiey: Love it. I love you. Since there are going to be a lot of women listening to you, and this is so valuable, with so much insight in so many different areas for women, food, menopause, what advice would you give somebody who's just starting their fitness journey?

Valerie: I would say take your time and read everything. The first thing I did once I signed up for the program was listen to everything you said in probably three days, and I don't think I retained any of it. I was staying up later, I was listening to you on the way to work, after work, on my lunch break. I wanted to know everything right away. But what happened was I had to go back and listen to everything again just so I could actually retain it.

So I would say take your time, stay consistent, trust the process, trust yourself, don't be afraid, and enjoy the process, because it is a lot of fun. I struggled a little bit at the beginning with MyFitnessPal, just putting everything in. Do I scan it this way? Do I do it that way? But I can literally get it done in five minutes now, if that. I know I like to eat, and if I want to cook something, I change it up. I'm not afraid of all those things.

So again, enjoy the process, stay accountable, get on the Facebook group, talk to the other babes, let them be your pat on the back. I know my husband gets tired of hearing me talk about my journey sometimes, and it's really nice to have the babes in the community who are willing to listen, or who need the encouragement, whatever the case may be. I don't mind if somebody private messages me, and I message them too. Some of the babes are going through things, and I reach out to them just to check up on them, because I feel like we're a sisterhood. We are miles away, but I feel like that's what you brought to this. Not only fitness and nutrition, but you brought us all together from all types of parts of the world. So thank you.

Nikkiey: How we're all on the same journey together, all going after the same goal, but the core root of everybody is this strong go-getter mentality.

Valerie: And you can see the ones that have the excuses pop into the community. Oh man, they're not going to last.

Nikkiey: Not everybody will, right?

Valerie: But you would hope. Everybody has to do it on their own time, and you can't force somebody to do something. That's where the commitment takes place, and the determination. Once you have that, you're writing your own pages. This is your journey, and you have to walk it, you have to live it, and that's what makes the difference.

Nikkiey: Exactly. Amen. Where did you first hear about WarriorBabe?

Valerie: So I told you I tried all these programs, right? I was on Facebook and your ad popped up. I had told myself I wasn't doing anything else. I'm not doing any more programs, I'm not trying anything else.

Nikkiey: Every woman's thought process.

Valerie: But then you popped up. I swiped you up, I was like, I ain't watching this. And this thing came back on my page again. It fell into my algorithm. So I was like, all right, let me watch it. And that's where I started losing my sleep, because I ended up watching the whole thing. You told me I was getting something at the end. I probably watched three different ads. Next thing I know, I couldn't sleep. I was just like, oh man, this is exactly what I'm looking for. She's going to teach me all this stuff, she's going to give me some coaching. Oh my God, this is everything I'm looking for. I started getting really excited, my heart rate just started going.

The next morning I got up and I just said, I'm signing up. I didn't need anybody to talk to me or anything. I already had my mind made up. I didn't talk to my husband, I just signed up. About a month later I was in the program, and my husband's like, what are you doing? Why are you going downstairs to get on some Zoom call? Where are you going? And I was like, oh yeah, by the way, I'm a WarriorBabe. And he was like, what? And I said, I'm a WarriorBabe, I'm involved in this community where there's a woman just like me and we're on this journey. I felt like I started becoming you in the commercial, telling him everything. And he's like, okay, show me what you're doing.

I showed him the program, and his first response was, well, do they have a WarriorDude? And I said, no, I'm sorry, WarriorBabe is just for babes. So I invited him to do my workout with me, and he was like, what did you do to me? I feel so sore. This hurts. I have muscles I didn't know I had.

Nikkiey: Oh, that's hilarious.

Valerie: So he didn't have a clue what I was doing until about a month later.

Nikkiey: That's hilarious. That's so funny, because so many women are like, I have to talk to my husband, I have to see. And then you're just like, I want it, let's go. And they reap the rewards months later, right? That's so funny. What piqued your interest the most? Because you couldn't sleep, and the next morning you're like, I'm in.

Valerie: It was just the knowledge that you were dropping, and the things that you were saying. I was like, okay, she's going to teach me about macros. I had heard that I could learn about macros, and that it was going to make some difference in my diet and everything. Before you, I was on Google searching for different macro tests for my body type, whatever, and I tell you what, I took the test seven times in ten minutes and got different answers. I didn't know what to do. It was frustrating. I was just like, well, what do I follow?

Then you said, oh, I'm going to teach you this. And I'm like, you're going to teach me? Okay, you're going to teach me. So I'm having a conversation with you and you don't even know it.

Nikkiey: That's true.

Valerie: It's honest to God, this is how it went down in my head. And you're like, yeah, I'm going to teach you. All right, I'm going to give you a chance, but if you don't teach me, I'm out of here.

Nikkiey: So funny. Did I meet your expectations?

Valerie: You did, over and beyond. I'm telling my girlfriends. I'm still trying to get my girlfriend to do it, and she's just like, I'm not counting my macros, this is not for me. I said, well, the people that track macros get more results than the people that don't. She's like, I'm not doing that, I already know what I'm eating. I said, well, your program worked for you, but it didn't work for me. I need something that's going to work for me. And this is proven. During COVID you've got me in the best shape I've been in since 2000 and I can't tell you when.

Nikkiey: All during COVID you've had the best results you've had.

Valerie: Oh my gosh, in my entire fitness journey since I started in 2005. That's when I really started working out and watching what I was doing. Prior to that, I would go for walks and things like that. I had lost weight, but I wasn't working out. My husband scared me when we first got married. We were really young, I was 18 years old, and he asked me to go to the gym with him. He took me, we did a leg workout, and the next day I couldn't walk. I was scared as hell. I was like, if this is how it's going to feel, I never want to feel this again. And then 15 years later I said, all right, I'm ready to start working out. No lie.

Nikkiey: And now you're doing strength training five days a week.

Valerie: I'm a whole other woman now.

Nikkiey: That's amazing. So describe what it means to be a WarriorBabe.

Valerie: Oh my God. I would say, my younger son said to me, you must be the most focused I've ever known you to be right now. So the focus of being a WarriorBabe has brought me to another level, my energy level, my spirit, just as a person. That's what WarriorBabe has done for me. It made me a better person.

Nikkiey: Yeah, that's awesome. That's so cool to hear. Where do you feel like you got the most value from WarriorBabe? What about the program gave you the most value?

Valerie: Definitely the mindset. It's hard to say, it's the whole package, but definitely the mindset. The macros, just giving myself the power to be able to enjoy things in life, and the freedom. The coaching, just you being there to support us. I'm so happy that I'm not on this journey by myself without someone to check in with. To me that's such a valuable piece, and I hope it never goes away. I like that you're there to help us be accountable. You've given us the community, everything, Nikkiey. I can't say one thing over the other.

I sleep more now because of you. I'm going to bed, because you're like, oh, we need to get more sleep. I'm like, I need to watch this show on TV, but no, put it back. Everything that you have preached to us, I take every bit of it. So everything about this program, and the friendships that I've made outside of my own life here at home in Maryland, the friendships that I've made through WarriorBabe. I feel like with some of these ladies, I know more about them than I do my friends here.

Nikkiey: That's so cool. Yeah, that's awesome.

Valerie: I can't pinpoint one thing over the other. The whole process.

Nikkiey: The whole process, that's awesome. With the women that are listening right now, if you had to look them in the eye and say you need to become a WarriorBabe, why should somebody listening right now take action?

Valerie: If you're tired of being where you are and you're ready to make that journey into a new you, I would say just stop looking back, move forward, put one foot in front of the other, and let the journey begin. Let the new you come out. Let the new you start your life.

Nikkiey: Powerful. Mic drop. That is awesome, babe. Such a great interview, your value, insight, everything you brought to the table. So good. So to close it off, everybody always loves to see meal or macro options. What's your favorite snack macro combo?

Valerie: This last month it's been two Eggo waffles with walnut butter. There's this walnut butter called oatmeal cookie dough, and I just put that on my warm waffles and let it melt. It's like heaven. That's my late-night snack.

Nikkiey: That is amazing. Oh my God, you'll have to share with the community what this is. And what's your favorite muscle group to work out?

Valerie: I would say shoulders and biceps.

Nikkiey: Nice. And what's not your favorite one right now?

Valerie: I'm working on legs a little bit more, but I don't think anybody, I think there's one WarriorBabe who said legs were her favorite workout. Now that the gym is open, maybe it will transition, but working legs is not my favorite.

Nikkiey: That's awesome. Well, thank you, babe. This was an awesome interview. I'm hoping that tons of babes will get tons of value and insight from it. For those of you who want to learn more about the programs and about WarriorBabe, what it offers you and how to get started, you can go to warriorbabe.com and become, like Valerie said, a part of thousands of strong women, a community of women. Even though there are thousands of them, you make friends. Everybody knows what everybody's doing, because they hear the wins on the Q&As. You can become a part of thousands of women who are getting toned and becoming stronger, more confident versions of themselves. Valerie, babe, thank you so much for being here today, sharing your journey and your story, and giving value and providing insight. It was awesome.

Valerie: Thanks, Nikkiey. Thank you for the opportunity.

Nikkiey: All right, guys. See you.