Katie's story: more energy and a stronger body by running less and lifting more
Katie, a Mavy Wellness client and CEO of two companies, got leaner, stronger and more energetic by replacing most of her running with strength training. She had been running five miles, five days a week while under eating. With Mavy Wellness she switched to four strength sessions a week plus walking, ate regular whole food plant based meals, and built hamstring strength she never had before.
Where she started: Very low energy, sore knees, intermittent fasting until late in the day, and a lot of processed vegan food.
What changed:
Whole food plant based meals, eaten regularly. No more skipping food until afternoon.
Less running, more lifting. Four strength workouts, two incline walks and about 10,000 steps a day.
Progressive strength training. Single leg bench stands with weights, up from none.
Intentional choices. Less wine, chosen on purpose.
A clear plan. Less mental energy spent on food and exercise.
Life now: "There's some source of peace that comes from being strong. You know you can take care of yourself." Katie shared her story on the Forever Fit Podcast, episode 378.
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 2011 study of athletes doing strength training found that losing weight more slowly, about 0.7% of body weight a week, led to better gains in lean mass and strength than losing twice as fast. [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're doing more and more and getting less back, 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/
Garthe I et al. (2011). Effect of two different weight-loss rates on body composition and strength and power-related performance in elite athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 21(2):97-104.
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.
