Jade's story: a busy physician and mom of two gets stronger, leaner and faster at 39
Jade, a Mavy Wellness client, is a physician and mother of two who got stronger, leaner and faster while working long hospital shifts, running a half marathon in about 1:57 at 39, her personal best. She has rejoined Mavy Wellness coaching several times to realign after major life events.
Where she started: Jade had gained about 50 pounds with her first pregnancy and wanted to lose it without the restrictive dieting and over exercising she had relied on in the past.
What changed:
Workouts whenever possible. Late evening lifting sessions and runs straight after hospital shifts.
Simple, repeated meals. The same breakfast and lunch on busy weeks, plus a meal delivery service when needed.
Something beats nothing. Interrupted workouts get finished later.
Structured heavy lifting. Fewer reps and longer rests, even when she'd prefer super sets.
Boundaries. Saying no to extra commitments to protect time for health and family.
Life now: "I feel better now than I ever have in my adulthood." Her kids now work out alongside her. Jade shared her story on the Forever Fit Podcast, episode 317.
What the research says. A 2011 meta-analysis of 49 studies of adults over 50 found that resistance training increased lean body mass, with bigger gains from higher training volume. [1] In a 2010 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, people dieting on 5.5 hours of sleep lost less fat and more muscle than when they slept 8.5 hours. [2]
"As a physician, I deeply appreciate the strategic, nuanced approach of his 5-Phase Blueprint. The emphasis on reverse dieting is brilliant."
Angie Sadeghi, MD, Gastroenterologist and Plant-Based Health Expert, on Forever Fit
If your schedule feels impossible, book a call with our team at mavywellness.com.
Sources
Peterson MD, Sen A, Gordon PM (2011). Influence of resistance exercise on lean body mass in aging adults: a meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 43(2):249-258. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20543750/
Nedeltcheva AV et al. (2010). Insufficient sleep undermines dietary efforts to reduce adiposity. Annals of Internal Medicine 153(7):435-441. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20921542/
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.
