Laurie's story: a busy caregiver gets stronger and leaner at 63 on a plant based diet
Laurie, a Mavy Wellness client, retired teacher and full time caregiver, lost about eight pounds of fat at 63, reaching her goal and building visible muscle tone. Despite broken sleep and very little free time, structured home strength training and more plant protein changed her body composition.
Where she started: Laurie was a lifelong runner and triathlete who ate mostly plant based, but her meals were low in protein and her strength training had become inconsistent.
What changed:
Structured strength training. Planned workouts at home three days a week.
More protein. Tofu, tempeh and protein powder added to her meals.
Permission to rest. Enjoying vacations, then getting right back on plan.
A morning routine. Meditation and a gratitude journal.
Life now: Laurie climbed Mount Marathon in Alaska, feels her shoulder is stronger, and is training for a marathon in the California redwoods. "This is a lifestyle." She shared her story on the Forever Fit Podcast, episode 325.
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] In a classic 1990 JAMA study, nursing home residents with an average age of 90 nearly tripled their leg strength after eight weeks of strength training. [2]
"What's best about Maxime's approach is that he emphasizes the fundamentals first. This book lays a solid foundation, guiding readers through core principles of sustainable weight loss on a plant-based diet."
Dr. Matthew Nagra, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine, on Forever Fit
If you spend your days taking care of everyone else, 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/
Fiatarone MA et al. (1990). High-intensity strength training in nonagenarians: effects on skeletal muscle. JAMA 263(22):3029-3034. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2342214/
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.
