Darlyne's story: lean and strong at 57 after keto, bodybuilding diets and two other coaches
Darlyne, a Mavy Wellness client, got leaner and stronger at 57 after years of keto, a bodybuilding diet and two other coaching services. With Mavy Wellness she lost about 7 to 9 pounds with a visible change in her midsection, settled around 26% body fat, and kept a social life with restaurants and camping weekends.
Where she started: Darlyne was already strong from lifting and had eaten plant based since 2023, but she didn't know how to plan plant based meals week after week, and the weight kept returning.
What changed:
Practical meal templates. Clear plans for how much to cook for herself and her husband.
A three day training split. Easier to keep during summer camping weekends.
No judgment after a night out. Her coach helped her move forward instead of starting over.
Mindful treats. Choosing dessert on purpose and enjoying it, and swapping some cocktails for sparkling water or kombucha.
Her own finish line. Deciding that 26% body fat with a life she enjoys was the right trade.
Life now: "I am finally in the skin that I want to be in." Her goal is to be 80 and still traveling and hiking on her own. Darlyne shared her story on the Forever Fit Podcast, episode 436.
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 2018 meta-analysis found that soy protein supported gains in strength and lean mass during resistance training just as well as the other proteins it was compared with. [2]
"Forever Fit is my go-to book that explains the real risk of being under-muscled. Maxime lives and breathes his exact protocol and has helped hundreds change their body composition."
Cyrus Khambatta, PhD, NYT Bestselling Coauthor of Mastering Diabetes, on Forever Fit
If you've tried everything and still can't make it stick, 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/
Messina M, Lynch H, Dickinson JM, Reed KE (2018). No difference between the effects of supplementing with soy protein versus animal protein on gains in muscle mass and strength in response to resistance exercise. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 28(6):674-685. https://repository.essex.ac.uk/22103/
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.
