Sina's story: losing her love handles while eating more food than she imagined
Sina, a Mavy Wellness client, visibly reshaped her body and lost the love handles she'd been told were genetic, while the scale moved only about 4 to 6 pounds. Already plant based and running half marathons, she added structured strength training and enough food with Mavy Wellness and dropped a clothing size in about seven months.
Where she started: Sina was active and healthy but curious what a plan built for her could do. She mostly did running and HIIT.
What changed:
Structured strength training. A plan built for her instead of online videos.
Eating enough. More food volume and protein than she expected.
An afternoon protein smoothie. It ended her afternoon snacking.
Honest communication. Her coach adjusted her workouts for a knee issue so she could keep training.
Less focus on the scale. Muscle gain meant the number barely moved while her shape changed.
Life now: "I'm happy the way I am. I did this to my body over the last six months." Sina shared her story on the Forever Fit Podcast.
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] A 2018 review of 49 studies in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that protein helps resistance training build muscle, with the benefit leveling off around 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight a day. [2]
"Forever Fit is my go-to book that explains the real risk of being under-muscled. Maxime lives and breathes his exact protocol and has helped hundreds change their body composition."
Cyrus Khambatta, PhD, NYT Bestselling Coauthor of Mastering Diabetes, on Forever Fit
If the scale isn't moving but you want your body to change, 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/
Morton RW et al. (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. British Journal of Sports Medicine 52(6):376-384. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28698222/
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.
