Erika's story: 32 pounds lost at 64 on a plant based diet, even while traveling by RV
Erika, a Mavy Wellness client, lost 32 pounds at 64 after years of yo-yo dieting, going from being winded walking a single block to training for about an hour at a time. She never missed a workout during a month long RV trip, using resistance bands and light dumbbells.
Where she started: Erika hadn't exercised in years, got out of breath on stairs, and struggled to stay consistent with her eating.
What changed:
Manageable workouts. Short sessions that gradually built up to about an hour.
A meal plan. Clear guidance on what, when and how much to eat.
Portable training. Bands and five pound dumbbells for travel.
No more all or nothing. Treating slips as a glitch, not a reason to quit.
Life now: Erika walks much further, easily helps lift a heavy trailer hitch, and is wearing clothes she hadn't fit in for years. "One meal at a time, one day at a time." She shared her story on the Forever Fit Podcast.
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 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. [2]
"In Forever Fit, Maxime Sigouin brings together the science of plant-based nutrition with practical tools people need to build strength, resilience, and confidence. This isn't a fad; it's a clear, compassionate blueprint."
Dr. Alan Desmond, Gastroenterologist, Author of Plant-Based Diet Revolution, on Forever Fit
If you haven't exercised in years and don't know where to start, 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/
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
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.
