Lost 25 Pounds Eating Foods She Likes: Denise's Story

Coach: Hey, everybody. Welcome to our second WarriorBabe interview with our veteran WarriorBabe, Denise. Denise has been a WarriorBabe for just about 13 months now, right?

Denise: No, not even. I think I'm just at the beginning. This is my first week of month nine.

Coach: Month nine. But okay, how about in comparison to the Revolution and the VIP programs?

Denise: Oh, adding Revolution? Okay, yeah, probably. About 13 months. A little over a year.

Coach: And in your journey with the VIP, you've dropped 25 pounds in the seven-to-nine-month range?

Denise: Yeah, eight months, because we're just starting nine.

Coach: Awesome. And to be honest, speaking for the whole VIP group right now, we didn't even recognize you about two weeks ago.

Denise: That's what they were saying. Well, the haircut's part of it.

Coach: And your face, everything. You've made incredible changes with your entire body. And from a coach's standpoint, I know that Madeline and I see it as a blessing working with you, because you literally just take the macro numbers and the workouts and you just do the work.

Denise: Do it. No questions asked. Nobody else can do it for me, right? I have to do it.

Coach: Exactly. Get there, get it done. So everybody, welcome Denise here. She's here to share some pointers for you, babe, so that you can adopt some of her strategies, some of her mindset strategies, some of her techniques into your own journey moving forward. So welcome, Denise. I'm excited to have you here.

Denise: Thanks. Likewise.

Coach: So let's kick it right off. Tell us your story and how you got to where you are right now.

Denise: Well, I brought a picture. This was a little over 10 years ago. Hopefully you can see it. You tell me.

Coach: Yes.

Denise: This was me. We were on a vacation out West. Can you guys see that? It was a little over 10 years ago, and that was my defining aha moment. I couldn't keep up with anybody. I was over 210 in that picture. When I saw that picture, I said, that's it, I'm done. I couldn't even walk up a flight of stairs without really taking deep breaths. I'm not going to become a victim to my family's genetics. That's it. I'm done.

So over these years, there's been some up and down. I started on my own, and it was really more in the summers, because for whatever reason I felt I didn't have time during the school year when I was working. And I did. It was just my excuse. So after a couple of years up and down, I hired a trainer. I said, I'm done. I was with my trainer for roughly six and a half years before he left the business.

There were a couple of injuries in there that slowed me down, with hip surgery. That slowed me down for a good year. As soon as I got going after that, I ruptured a ligament in my thumb, so that slowed down the upper body. But once he left, I didn't know where to go. I didn't want to be with the other trainers there because they weren't going to be hard enough for me. Then they closed up shop. So I went on my own. In those two years between leaving there and joining Revolution, the workouts were great. I wrote my own. My son, who's a trainer, would help me write workouts. But nutrition was gone. And I just put all that weight back on. I didn't get quite back to that, but I was getting real close. That's when I gave in and joined Revolution. Six months after that, I said, we're going deep, let's do VIP. And here I am. I can't be happier.

Coach: Your transformation is insane. It's incredible.

Denise: I've got more to go, too. Pretty soon I'm going to have arms like you.

Coach: Let's go. You are on your way. You can see the shoulders starting to really take shape.

Denise: Every once in a while, depending on where my arm is.

Coach: Awesome, babe. You're an inspiration not only to me, but to everybody inside the program. It's incredible what you've done, where you came from and where you are right now.

Now, diving into what we're all experiencing right now, especially you, since you're in New York and you're experiencing it heavily up there with the COVID situation. Before I get to the next question, I wanted you to share what your co-worker said to you when you had to go back to the school.

Denise: Yeah, about two weeks ago we went back to school. A group of us were there collecting books. The kids would drive up and hand us books, and so on. It was a 90-degree day and I was standing out front in just shorts and a tank top because it was hot. A co-worker walked by me and said, holy crap, you look amazing. And I said, great, thank you. And as she continued walking, she said to someone else, oh my god, I want to look like that. She didn't know I heard that, but it was awesome.

Coach: So incredible. This quarantine has done you real well.

Denise: Quarantine has been good for me, actually.

Coach: So I want to dive into that. How are you handling it with your goals?

Denise: Well, as you say, I've continued to drop during quarantine. It's just kept me in a routine. My husband was only home for a couple of weeks, which made the routine a little weird because he was using my workout space as his workspace. I'm like, get the hell back to work. Once he got back to work, I really got into my routine. I get up, me and the cats, and I just do my thing. My foods are already in the refrigerator, so I don't even have the temptation to go after something else, because every afternoon I use that time, boom, boom, boom, and I've got all my meals made. They're in the fridge for the next day. It's just been keeping me on a routine. I can't go anywhere. I can't do anything.

Coach: You guys see, you're in control of what you've got at home, right? Your nutrition, your workouts, you're in control of that. With everything that's going on, you can't really control that stuff, but you can control the things that you want to do for yourself.

Denise: There are even 10 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in my house that I still have not touched.

Coach: You rock.

Denise: I put them in the freezer and I just left them there. Out of sight, out of mind. So they're there, but.

Coach: That's awesome. Love that discipline. I'm going to dive in a couple of minutes into how you have everything prepared. You said your food is in your fridge, it's already done, it's there. It's not even a thought. You just go and grab it. So we'll get into that in a second. But right now, how do you find the accountability to stay on track?

Denise: Well, after doing this for so many years, when I had my trainer, they kept me accountable for my food, even though they were kind of forcing me to eat foods. I don't want to say forcing me. They weren't there feeding me, but they were really trying to teach you to eat foods that are whole foods, healthy foods, clean foods, and that's great. But they really wanted me to eat foods I really don't like. So with this, just knowing that I can eat foods I like and still stay within those macros has kept me in a better mindset. I don't need to go and cheat, because I really was gagging food down before, to the point that I didn't want to eat it, so I wouldn't eat it at all. And obviously not eating at all is just as bad as eating all the crap food. So now, because I'm eating foods I like, I'm just keeping myself accountable. And I have you guys looking at it, so that helps. It's part of the reason I did this.

Coach: That's right. We see everything.

Denise: It's just been keeping me on track. I've been good. Just keeping true to myself.

Coach: That's awesome. And stemming off of what you said, you find it a lot easier when you're enjoying the foods you get to enjoy. Can you shed a little light on what you experienced working with other trainers? Did you feel restricted, or was it that you felt like you couldn't veer off?

Denise: It was kind of both. I felt some restriction because they'd say, don't be eating the burgers, you need to cut down on the carbs. Okay, I get it. Let's cut down on the dairy, too much sugar. They really were restricting things that I do like. And I'm not a vegetable person. Come on, you need that broccoli, you need the cauliflower. No matter how I doctored it up, I was gagging it down. So I just wasn't eating.

So when it came time for an assessment, once every four or six weeks, not every time, but there were times where I'd say, I know I ate bad, so I'm just going to fast for a day before the assessment. I was trying to play the system instead of just doing it the right way, because I was feeling restricted with the foods they wanted me to eat.

Coach: Wow. So share a little bit about that nutrition plan you were following. Was it macros, or was it just, eat this?

Denise: We played with different things with me. I love oatmeal, but oatmeal doesn't love me. So we tried a couple of different plans. I would say mostly I was eating more of a paleo-type plan. It wasn't macros the way you teach macros. They would say, let's have you eat 1,500 calories a day, but we didn't really break it down into macros. It was, let's just do this many calories, but eat paleo style. And it worked, but we also found my body adjusts fairly quickly to a lot of the changes I make. It'll work for a few weeks and then, boom, I would plateau and be like that for weeks. So with my body, it's always a lot of tweaking, but they were tweaking in that way as opposed to using macros.

The only time we really got macros was every once in a while when they'd offer something like, all right, you're already a client, but we're going to offer you a new program, let's do this eight-week thing with a group of ten of you. That's when it got more restrictive with specific macros. Other than that, it was more of the paleo plan for me.

Coach: Gotcha. And would you say that, compared to what you were following before WarriorBabe, you're eating more food now than you were with other programs?

Denise: Yeah. Calorie-wise, I'm eating about the same amount of calories, but the other way, I was being very restrictive. And again, I was trying to eat foods I didn't like, so I would stop eating. My numbers were supposed to be the same in terms of calories, not macros, but I wasn't really eating it because I didn't like it. So I definitely eat more now. I'm doing five meals a day instead of six, just because the way my numbers are, it's easier to fit them into five. I definitely eat more now, and much more regular foods that I like.

Coach: How do you deal with the psychology of eating more food in order to get to the kind of goals you're reaching right now?

Denise: It's surprising. You wouldn't think you'd want to eat all that food. I love it. It surprises me that I can eat that much and still be hungry. Not that I'm always hungry, but the past couple of days I've actually been hungry, and I'm eating the same things I have been. So I have up and down days with that. Some days I just don't even want to eat, but I'll make myself eat it because I know I need to. It's surprising. You wouldn't think that you can eat this much food and continue to lose.

Coach: It's crazy, isn't it? Especially you guys, you've grown up thinking eating less is the way to lose the weight. And then you come into WarriorBabe and we're like, no, you've got to eat 1,500, 1,600, 1,700, 1,800 calories. And then you start dropping the weight and your whole belief system gets thrown out the door.

Denise: When we're actually in school, I have a little refrigerator under my desk, and I bring my food in every day and shove it in there. People will come in and out of my classroom and they're like, are you still eating? And I'm like, yeah.

Coach: That's awesome. So you're a teacher. Can you share a little insight, because there are other women, like me being a nurse, we were in the emergency room, who have a very focused job where it's hard to step away to eat a meal. How do you go about your workday eating your meals?

Denise: Well, I have to admit, it's probably a little easier for me because I have my little refrigerator in my room. A lot of teachers don't have that. They bring their food and keep it in the teachers' lounges. We have a bunch of different ones because all the different departments have their own little areas. So some of the teachers don't have the ability to run in there and get their food, whereas I have my refrigerator and I'll just grab it. The kids will be working. I don't care, I'm just going to sit there in front of them. Kids eat in front of us. So that's what I do. For other teachers, I can understand it's a little harder, but if they were to plan it out and say, I know I'm going to be in class, let me bring this with me, it can be done.

Coach: Simple as that. It can be done. You've got to make it work.

So a lot of babes struggle with hitting their macros or planning ahead. Touching on what you said about your routine during this time we're all facing, and how you plan ahead and bring all your stuff to your workspace, what are some pointers you can give those babes who struggle with hitting their macros or planning ahead?

Denise: Wow. I prep constantly. I don't want to say it's just every weekend, because I just made my potatoes for next week. I just finished doing that. So I'll use a couple of days a week. I actually plan a week at a time. Everyone's different, you've got to find what works for you, but one night a week, I'm chilling out watching TV and I'm on MyFitnessPal.

I have three meals that are pretty much staples that I don't change: my pre-workout, my post-workout, and another meal that's kind of my comfort meal. It's yogurt and berries and almond butter. Now I have it at night. During school, I used to have it in the morning. Those three always stay the same. I always plug them into MyFitnessPal first and then work around them to make my numbers work. I find whatever lean protein and other carbs I need to fit. Everyone's different. It's kind of hard. You've got to find something that works for you. I also keep things very simple and eat a lot of the same foods. When I was trying to be creative and eat lots of different things, it just didn't work. You've got to keep it simple.

Coach: You do. Especially when you're learning the macro side of things, it can be a little overwhelming at first. You're like, oh my gosh, how do I fit in protein, fats and carbs and get within plus or minus five? But if you just sit there for a couple of hours and play around while you're watching TV, like you're saying, that's what you did.

Denise: I definitely find that for any newbies really trying to get used to it, do your pre- and post-workout meals first, because you really want to make sure those numbers are where they should be. Then leave them and play with everything else afterwards. I think that's a really good starting point.

Coach: Do you find it fun playing around with those numbers in MyFitnessPal?

Denise: I'm always like, I know this can come down in quantity, and this. My husband's like, seriously, that one little extra ounce? And I'm like, yeah, it makes a difference.

Coach: It does make a difference.

Denise: I do have fun with it. It's funny. I get a little creative. I'll find the tiniest little things that will fit.

Coach: Yes, exactly. That was me last night trying to fit in my last six carbs. I'm like, how am I going to maneuver this one?

Denise: And the comments. My husband looks at my food sometimes and he's like, seriously, you're having that? And I'm like, hey, it all fits in. I don't care what the combo is.

Coach: Side note, do you eat more than your husband?

Denise: Oh, definitely. And I'm not a big eater, but I definitely eat more. He's tried a couple of times where he'll go and buy a plan from somebody. He was really good for about a month, but it was exactly the same food, so he said, I can't do this. I've been trying to help him. I make extra food and throw it in the freezer for him, and he's like, yeah, but then I've got to heat it up when I get home. Whatever.

Coach: That's awesome. So those pointers are great, because planning ahead eliminates the mental process of, what am I going to eat? It's so much easier eating the same exact things, and like you said, having your staple meals and being able to fit in some other things you're craving.

Denise: And every afternoon I put them all together, throw them in the fridge, and then I just grab. It's not like I have all the pieces in the fridge and have to put them together. I literally put each meal together. I just grab it.

Coach: So that's your routine now, especially being at home. You plan everything the day before, and then it's there in the fridge and you can just walk over and grab it.

Denise: Yeah. And even when school was in, I would still do that same thing and put everything together. The next morning I'd get up, grab my cooler, boom, boom, boom, pop in everything I need for the work hours. It just keeps you on track. It keeps you accountable. Instead of, well, maybe I want to mix this up. Nah. As long as it's together, I'm not going to change it.

Coach: Awesome. And do you feel like when you're at school, you don't really have the temptation to veer off track, since you've got your meals in place?

Denise: It's huge, especially when they have all those bake sales and all those things that aren't going to happen anymore. Oh yeah, it kept me from temptation.

Coach: Awesome. So what's some advice you could give somebody who's just starting their fitness journey?

Denise: You definitely need to ask questions. Start coming out of your shell. I'm the quiet one of the group.

Coach: You are.

Denise: That's just how I am, but I take it all in. You've got to be willing to ask questions. Even if you're quiet like me and don't want to speak up in a group, message your coach. They will get back to you. Ask the questions. Don't sit there going, oh, I wish I'd asked this, I wish I'd asked that, because you're not going to get the answers unless you ask. Somebody else may or may not ask it. And join the Zoom meetings. It took me a couple of weeks to really get going, but there's so much information and we're all there for each other. You don't feel like you're alone, because you're not. Even if you don't have the outside support at home, you've at least got the support of the group, and it's huge.

Coach: 100%. And that goes for VIP, Blueprint and the Revolution. You have access to the Q&As and all of the groups. And I always say never assume that you know the answer, because then you get lost in, well, it could be this, it could be this, it could be this. Or you're dredging up old belief systems that end up answering your question for you, when you could just ask it and get clarity from me or the coaches or anybody in WarriorBabe.

Denise: Anyone else. Some of us might just jump in and answer a question. It doesn't necessarily have to be you guys.

Coach: Absolutely.

Denise: I know some of them even talk to each other outside of the Zoom meetings. We're all here for each other. And it's huge. You need it.

Coach: Absolutely. And plus, when I get questions, I think, they're in it, they want to do it. When somebody's asking a bunch of questions, like, what about this, and what about this, and why this, that means they're focused and they want to do it the right way. Whereas with people who don't ask questions, I don't feel like they're as in it as they would be if they were asking tons of questions. So I love questions, and that's a great starting point for anybody listening: just ask questions.

Denise: Absolutely. And everyone's going to find their own thing and what works for them, too. I even keep a little journal where I have my workouts written out. They're not just in the app. I know they're in the app, but what if the app crashes? I've got them written down in a little journal, so I know exactly what I did each week. And I can write notes to myself about things I might not be able to put in the app. Because I'm at home, I have bands, and I can't put green band in the app, so I write notes to myself. That's something else that works for me. I don't know how many other people do that. You've got to find what really works for you.

But asking questions and just joining in, it's huge. And don't be afraid to make a mistake. I've made mistakes. I could have my meals planned, but then all of a sudden we're at a friend's house and I don't have my food with me. All right, I'm going to screw up for the day. You just jump back on the next day. You can't let it get to you. You can't dwell on it. Boom, new day. It's over and done. Just keep looking forward.

Coach: So many people need to hear that, Denise. A lot of people mess up and then allow it to fall into the next day, and they're like, okay, Monday I'm going to start fresh. You have the ability to start the next day fresh.

Denise: Absolutely.

Coach: Awesome, babe. So what does being a WarriorBabe mean to you?

Denise: Being a WarriorBabe to me is that I've come full circle. I know where I want to be, and I know what I have to do to get there. WarriorBabe allows you to use your weaknesses to make you stronger. It really teaches you not to give a crap what other people are thinking. If you're at the gym, don't worry about other people watching. Maybe they're trying to learn from you, because I know I've had that happen to me. So I don't care what other people think. It's taught me more about myself and given me insight into who I truly am. It's just amazing.

I want to be that strong, healthy person, and it's nice to have that group and that community out there to help me get through it, because we're all going through it. We're all here to help each other and push each other, and to learn from our weaknesses and learn from our mistakes. It's defining me at this point. Working out is part of who I am. And I don't let other people say, I don't understand why you're doing this, you're not eating right. I'm like, no, this is me. This is who I am, and I'm proud to be part of it.

Coach: That's amazing. You just gave me the chills.

Denise: It's been over 10 years, and I've never had this kind of progress so quickly. I'm just thrilled to death. I'm happy to be here and I'm just going to keep going. It's been over 25 years since I've been at this weight.

Coach: That's incredible. Well, you definitely are a WarriorBabe through and through, 100%. You put in the work. You have discipline. You have a no-BS, I'm just going to do it, no excuses, it can get done attitude. That is a WarriorBabe. You are a WarriorBabe.

Denise: I love it. Waiting for that swag.

Coach: It's coming. Awesome, babe. So to close off this interview, I'm sure people could use this in their macro plan: what's your favorite macro combo or favorite snack?

Denise: My favorite snack is my yogurt with berries and almond butter. I have to say, I've tried the All-American butters in it. I've tried cookie butter in it. Just plain old almond butter, for me. Almond butter with some berries and yogurt. That's it. It's a comfort food. It's not too filling. It's refreshing. That's my favorite combo right now.

Coach: Love it. And what's your favorite muscle group to train?

Denise: Well, before my hip injury, I would have said legs. I loved working legs. I love squatting, but I can hardly squat any weight anymore. I'd say arms and shoulders at this point. It's the best I can do without injuring myself. Yesterday's arm workout was awesome. I was actually ready to type in there, you guys are slowing me down. I was staying ahead of you.

Coach: I love it. That's great. All right, Denise, it's been a pleasure hanging out with you. And for all of you who want to learn more about the programs WarriorBabe offers and how to get started, go to warriorbabe.com and become part of thousands of women in the community, as you're hearing from Denise.

Denise: Yeah, it's amazing.

Coach: We're all focused on getting toned and becoming stronger, more confident versions of ourselves.

Denise: You won't regret it. Do it.

Coach: Thank you, babe. Thank you for your time. I appreciate you.

Denise: Thanks for having me.

Coach: Thank you.