Patrick's story: how a busy lawyer and dad got leaner and stronger at 41
Patrick, a Mavy Wellness client, went from about 160 to about 124 pounds and got visible abs at 41 while running a busy law firm with two young children. The key was not finding more time but building systems for sleep, food and travel with his Mavy Wellness coach.
Where he started: Patrick hadn't followed a structured training program in 20 years, relied on delivery apps, and drank sugary coffee drinks throughout the day.
What changed:
Sleep. In bed by 9:30 PM, blackout curtains, phone across the room, and no caffeine after 11 AM.
Structured training. Two upper body and two lower body sessions a week, with form feedback.
Portion awareness. Measured smoothies and prepped meals instead of takeout.
A travel system. Protein powder, a small blender, groceries delivered to the hotel, and a cooler bag of prepped food.
Eating before temptation. Arriving at events already well fed.
Life now: "I'm not on a diet. It's a lifestyle." His working squat set is now 30 pounds over his bodyweight. Patrick shared his story on the Forever Fit Podcast, episode 395.
What the research says. 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. [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]
"Who knew kale could build both muscles and momentum? Maxime did, and Forever Fit shows you how."
Chef AJ, Bestselling Author, YouTube Host, on Forever Fit
If your schedule feels too full to get healthy, book a call with our team at mavywellness.com.
Sources
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/
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.
