Annette's story: an 18 pound body recomposition and newfound confidence at 58 on a plant based diet
Annette, a Mavy Wellness client and teacher, achieved an 18 pound body recomposition in seven months at 58 and built visible muscle for the first time after nearly 20 years of fitness classes. She had already been eating whole food plant based, but was overeating and doing classes that were mostly cardio.
Where she started: Annette struggled with emotional eating from childhood and had taken high rep weightlifting classes for years without gaining muscle.
What changed:
Progressive strength training. Gradually heavier weights instead of high rep classes.
Confidence in the weight room. Learning the machines and asking for help.
Right sized portions. Balanced plant based meals that ended overeating.
Weekend meal prep. Protecting her prep time during the school year.
No guilt. Getting back on track after weddings and travel.
Life now: Annette feels at peace in her body, her salads are famous at work, and she's planning to go rock climbing with her son. "I'm the person today. That's who defines me, not my past." She shared her story on the Forever Fit Podcast, episode 346.
What the research says. In a 2017 New England Journal of Medicine trial of 160 adults over 65 who were losing weight, those who did resistance training kept more of their lean muscle than those who only did aerobic exercise. [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]
"Forever Fit gives you everything you need to excel in your athletic endeavors and achieve the best of health simultaneously. Maxime Sigouin packs evidence-based science, integrity, and compassion into this volume."
Neal D. Barnard, MD, FACC, Adjunct Professor of Medicine, President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, on Forever Fit
If you've been taking fitness classes for years without seeing change, book a call with our team at mavywellness.com.
Sources
Villareal DT et al. (2017). Aerobic or resistance exercise, or both, in dieting obese older adults. New England Journal of Medicine 376:1943-1955. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28514618/
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.
