Allison's story: a body transformation through four weddings, a month abroad and a cross-country move
Allison, a Mavy Wellness client, changed her body composition by about 13 pounds in roughly eight months while moving across the country, attending four weddings and spending a month in Europe. She had been stuck in a lose and regain cycle on a very low protein, aggressive calorie deficit.
Where she started: Allison ate whole food plant based but with less than 50 grams of protein a day, and her weight rose and fell with her husband's military deployments.
What changed:
A moderate deficit with more protein. Fewer cravings, and her lifelong afternoon naps stopped.
No perfection required. Doing her best on hard days instead of quitting.
A travel food kit. Apples with powdered peanut butter, dry roasted edamame, veggie sushi and tofu.
Photos and measurements. Tracking progress beyond the scale.
Mindful treats. Small tastes on vacation instead of all or nothing.
Life now: Allison walks past the office treats without a second thought, and skirts from her old "skinny" days are now too big. She shared her story on the Forever Fit Podcast.
What the research says. A 2016 study in the journal Obesity found that contestants who lost weight very fast on a TV weight loss show still burned fewer calories than expected six years later, and most regained much of the weight. [1] A 2018 review of 49 studies in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that protein helps resistance training build muscle, with the benefit leveling off around 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight a day. [2]
"Maxime has created a body composition program that has worked for thousands of people, and it can work for you too."
Kiki Nelson, National Bestselling Author of Plantifully Lean, on Forever Fit
If you're waiting for a calmer time to start, book a call with our team at mavywellness.com.
Sources
Fothergill E et al. (2016). Persistent metabolic adaptation 6 years after "The Biggest Loser" competition. Obesity 24(8):1612-1619. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4989512/
Morton RW et al. (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine 52(6):376-384. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28698222/
About the author. Maxime Sigouin is the founder of Mavy Wellness (formerly FitVegan Coaching) and the author of Forever Fit, a book endorsed by physicians including Neal D. Barnard, MD, Laurie Marbas, MD, and James F. Loomis, MD. He has coached for more than six and a half years and, with his team, has coached nearly 1,300 adults over 50 on a whole food plant based diet. He hosts the Forever Fit Podcast, with more than 450 episodes.
Last updated: October 26, 2026. Results vary from person to person. This page is for general education and is not medical advice. Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise or nutrition program.
