Tish's story: breaking a five month plateau and keeping the weight off four years later
Tish, a Mavy Wellness client and endurance athlete, went from about 165 to 170 pounds down to about 135 to 137 at 5'6", and has kept her weight under about 142 for four years. For roughly the first five months of her program, the scale barely moved despite consistent effort, then her weight dropped significantly in a single month.
Where she started: Tish was racing half Ironmans and marathons, overtraining, feeling lethargic, and didn't know how to cook whole food plant based meals.
What changed:
Less training. Moving workouts instead of cramming in extra sessions.
Consistency through a plateau. Sticking with the plan when the scale stalled.
Learning to cook. A binder of plant based recipes that became routine.
Self forgiveness. Accepting imperfect weeks during a very busy life.
Life now: Tish bikes her kids to school, does five strict pull ups, and keeps her results through travel and stress. "Your toolbox is so much more informed than it was a year ago." She shared her story on the Forever Fit Podcast.
What the research says. 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. [1] A 2016 study in the journal Obesity found that contestants who lost weight very fast on a TV weight loss show still burned fewer calories than expected six years later, and most regained much of the weight. [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 everything right and the scale won't move, book a call with our team at mavywellness.com.
Sources
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
Fothergill E et al. (2016). Persistent metabolic adaptation 6 years after "The Biggest Loser" competition. Obesity 24(8):1612-1619. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4989512/
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.
