Amber's story: breaking a plateau in her 40s by eating more and training less
Amber, a Mavy Wellness client, broke a long plateau in her 40s by eating more and training less. After years of plant based eating and five workouts a week, her body composition improved by about 14 pounds in eight months with Mavy Wellness, her bench press rose from 40 to 60 pounds, and she can carry both of her kids across the house at once.
Where she started: Amber was eating as little as 1,300 to 1,400 calories a day, about 50 grams of protein, and training five days a week, but her weight was creeping up and her strength had stalled.
What changed:
More food and protein. Up to about 85 grams of protein a day from plant foods and a protein shake.
Four structured workouts a week. Down from five, with a new block every four weeks.
Progressive overload. Trusting herself to add weight when she was ready.
Close enough is good enough. Aiming for a protein range instead of a perfect number.
Adapting through injuries. Modified workouts and food after a wrist injury and a foot injury.
Life now: "In doing something for me, I am doing something for everyone else." Her son named her as the most resilient person he knows. Amber shared her story on the Forever Fit Podcast, episode 427.
What the research says. 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. [1] A 2011 study of athletes doing strength training found that losing weight more slowly, about 0.7% of body weight a week, led to better gains in lean mass and strength than losing twice as fast. [2]
"After decades of working with thousands of clients, I can say with confidence that Maxime is the real deal."
Julieanna Hever Risse, MS, RD, The Healthspan Dietitian, Author, on Forever Fit
If you're doing everything right and still stuck, book a call with our team at mavywellness.com.
Sources
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/
Garthe I et al. (2011). Effect of two different weight-loss rates on body composition and strength and power-related performance in elite athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 21(2):97-104.
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.
