Celine's story: almost 40 pounds lost before her 40th birthday on a plant based diet
Celine, a Mavy Wellness client, lost about 35 to 40 pounds in roughly 10 months before her 40th birthday by switching to whole food plant based eating, after years of diets and regaining. She was new to plant based eating and afraid of carbs, but found the fiber kept her full and the meal plans made it simple as a busy mom.
Where she started: Three years postpartum, tired, and frustrated by programs where "I would lose the weight and then I would gain it back."
What changed:
Whole food plant based meals. High fiber, filling food like lentils, tofu and vegetables.
Meal plans. Less guesswork for a working mom, and no more expensive than her old groceries.
Win the next meal. No guilt after an off meal, just the next good choice.
Family flexibility. Her husband ate the same meals and added his own protein when he wanted.
Coming back for support. When perimenopause and a health challenge made things harder, she returned for coaching.
Life now: Celine teaches her daughters that legs are "strong, like mama's legs." "My daughters don't care if I have cellulite. They care that I'm in the pool with them having fun." She shared her story on the Forever Fit Podcast, episode 407.
What the research says. A 2019 NIH study found that people ate about 500 more calories a day on an ultra-processed diet than on an unprocessed one, without trying to. [1] 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. [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 tired of diets that don't last, book a call with our team at mavywellness.com.
Sources
Hall KD et al. (2019). Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain: an inpatient randomized controlled trial of ad libitum food intake. Cell Metabolism 30(1):67-77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008
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/
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.
