155:‌ ‌Macros‌ ‌and‌ ‌Growing‌ ‌Older‌ ‌with‌ ‌Nadene‌ ‌Hinkins ‌[“I‌ ‌Did‌ ‌It”‌ ‌Series]‌

Introduction 

You're listening to Biceps after Babies radio episode number 155.

Hello and welcome to Biceps after Babies radio. A podcast for ladies who know that fitness is about so much more than pounds lost or PRs. It's about feeling confident in your skin and empowered in your life. I'm your host, Amber Brueseke, a registered nurse, personal trainer, wife, and mom of four.  Each week, my guests and I will excite and motivate you to take action in your own personal fitness as we talk about nutrition, exercise mindset, personal development, and executing life with conscious intention. If your goal is to look, feel, and be strong and experience transformation from the inside out, you, my friend are in the right place. Thank you for tuning in, now let’s jump into today’s episode.

 

Amber B  0:46  

Hey, hey, hey, welcome back to another episode of biceps after babies radio. I'm your host, Amber Brueseke. And I'm back with another Friday episode of real stories from real women who have gone through a transformation of some sort. And today's guest is Nadene Hickens and she is a Macros 101 alumni.  I wanted to bring Nadene on to this podcast because she had the experience that a lot of women have who are maybe getting older. And that is this question of like, is this going to work for me? Right? Maybe this works for someone in their 30s or their 40s but I'm up in my 50s or 60s or 70s, and is this something that's going to work for me? And that was the question that Nadene had before joining Macros 101. And she is 61 years old. I love the podcast, one of the things I'm going to take away from this podcast episode is this idea of she's not old, she's getting older. And I loved that reframe that, you know, she's like, I'm getting older. I'm not old, I'm just getting older. So she's 61 and she's had a hysterectomy. She's gone through, you know, some of the hormone changes that occur with that, in addition to menopause. And she came into Macros 101 a little bit curious as to if it would work for someone of her age. And if that's something that you've wondered about is macro counting for me as I'm getting older, I really want you to come and listen to Nadene's story because she talks a lot about her little bit of her doubt maybe coming into the process and what has actually happened through the process through going through her fitness journey. And what's changed over time as she's dived into macro counting as she's tied, dived into fueling her body better, as she's dived into consuming more protein and starting to lift, and what changes that's made for her at age 61. 

 

Amber B  2:39

I am so excited to have Nadene on the podcast. Hey, Nadene, how are you doing?

 

Nadene  2:44  

I'm doing great. Thank you for having me, Amber. I'm excited to be here.

 

Amber B  2:48  

I'm really excited to have you share your story. So we're gonna start out at the, you know, the, “beginning” maybe not like when you were a kid, but like the kind of the precipice for the transformation that you started to create right now. And so I want you to just kind of go a little bit back in time, kind of tell us, maybe what you've struggled with over the last couple of years, what's been really hard for you, where have you been at in your journey and what does that look like?

 

Nadene  3:15  

Okay, alright, so my journey is probably a little different than some of your listeners. I'm older. I'm never growing old, but I'm older, right? So I am my Grandma, I'm 61 years old, I have 17 grandchildren, and

 

Amber B  3:29  

Oh my gosh!  You have 17 grandkids? That's amazing!

 

Nadene  3:33  

It's the best. But as I've gotten older, I had a hysterectomy nine years ago. And even at that point, I noticed that I was noticing that things are changing a little bit, right? So I've always thought calories in calories out. And you know, if I start putting on a little more fat, then I need to run more. And then it wasn't really working that great, you know, as we grow older, you know, of course, we lose some of that muscle and you know, the way that whole thing works. And so I noticed especially after losing my hormones that that even changed things up more. And so I think I was kind of on this roller coaster ride of, you know, alright, eating less calories, running more and yet never feeling a great amount of progress in my journey. And then two, you know, you'd hear of new programs and it would be like, cut out sugar, cut out flour, cut out and emotionally that was tough on me. So luckily, I guess I'm not a great dieter. So I didn't stay long with any of those programs. Right? But anytime that I would think you know I really need to lose some of this fat then that would be my journey. It would be this panic inside, emotionally unsettled, and then not really making the progress that I wanted.

 

Amber B  5:04  

Yeah, I like to call that reactive dieting, where it's like you, I don't know, see a picture of yourself or you like, let's scale goes above a point where you are not super comfortable and you like reactively, like cut out things, or reactively Oh, I'm going on a diet right now. And I love that you say that you're not very good at that. Because I actually find it harder for women, there are some women who are really good at that. It's like when they decide to buckle down, they can buckle down for a period of time, and then it doesn't last. But for a period of time, they're good and so they kind of tricked themselves into being like, Oh, I can do it again. Like, I'm just gonna do it again. I'm just gonna buckle down, I'm gonna lose the weight. So losing weight is not hard for them. It's keeping it off long term. So I love that you say I'm just not really good at it. I don't stick with it. I don't really want to do it. I don't stick with it. I'm all about that. So I'm curious. How did you find out about Macros 101? How did you find out about me and what was that transition of you making that decision of like, Okay, this sounds like something I want to try out?

 

Nadene  6:04  

Okay, so I joined Macros 101 in February of this year 2021. And prior to that, in the fall, last fall, I got introduced to macro tracking, by doing a fitness challenge. And so that was the first time that I really started tracking my macros. And of course, I mean, I've always felt like I, you know, I've been aware of let's eat a balanced diet, right. But I think that was probably the aha moment for me, like, calories in calories out didn't wasn't the same anymore. You know, it was like having the balance of those macronutrients was huge. And what I found for myself, which I didn't realize was that I needed to eat more protein. And so I've always loved my sweets. And so you know, this whole idea of Okay, cut out your sugar, cut out your ice cream, cut out, you know,…

 

Amber B  7:03  

No way Ma'am, no, no way.

 

Nadene  7:06  

And emotionally, you know, it just doesn't work. Because then 

 

Amber B  7:09  

that's, of course, what I wanted, you know, 

 

Nadene  7:11  

given my chocolate, my things chocolate, right. But what I found was once I kind of got those things that cause a macros imbalance, I wasn't craving the junk as much. And so anyway, so that's where it kind of started with the tracking. And that was very interesting to me to see how the balance worked. And then I heard about you on Facebook, so it was through, I can't remember for sure how it came up, Amber to tell you the truth. But anyway, if it was an ad, or if it was through one of the other gals that I follow, but I was really interested, because I saw your five day, your five day challenge and I thought, Okay, I'm gonna just try this, you know. And then, I had a hard time at first pulling the trigger to join. But I just want to say right here, if this is Okay? Thank you, thank you so much for creating Macros 101. And I think the thing that Amber doesn't share is how much is in the program. Because I had known ahead of time, like once I jumped in and got in the library and realized how much education was there. I was like, just so thrilled, because and to know that I have access to that information for life. It was like, okay, girls, just pull the trigger as soon as you think about it, because Amber over delivers. And that's what I love about all of your programs, Amber, so thank you for that. But once I got into the program, for me at that stage, because I was tracking a little bit, the reverse dieting was very interesting to me. And you were talking about that and the five day challenge a little bit. And so that was my main goal. It was okay, I'm kind of at where I would like to be weight wise and also to go along with that I love your build your own workout. As at my age, it was like, well at any age, but especially as I'm growing older and you know, I'm starting to lose some of that muscle. It's like, I need to do something different besides just walking every day. Right. So yeah, so your workout program is like, Okay, awesome, because then I can do what works for me. And so yeah, so getting into the program, learning more about reverse dieting, learning more about, you know what to do when we get to maintenance. I love it all. Thank you for creating the program.

 

Amber B  7:16  

So things are good. That makes me so happy. And you know, one thing I really want to highlight cuz one thing I do want to talk with you and Nadene about is, you know, what is different at age 61, then maybe at age 21, right, we could there's probably a lot of things. So I you know, I want to broach that question. But, you know, as we lead into that question, one thing I do want to highlight that you said was this, sometimes we think oh, when we're in our 20s you know it's easier to build muscle we need to eat more protein and that's actually flip flopped. Yes, it's easier to build muscle in your 20s and you actually need to consume more protein, the older that you get. And the reason is, is because our bodies don't process protein as well as efficiently in our 60s, as we do in our 20s. And so one of the things and I think this is probably why you saw that Nadene was like, when you started to eat that protein, your body started responding, because you actually needed that higher consumption of protein than maybe you had been, had been doing previously. And I love that you've paired that with weight training. Because yes, as we age, we lose muscle. But it doesn't have to be that way. Like you don't have to lose as much, you know, a ton of muscle, we can do a lot to slow that muscle loss down by consuming enough protein, and by weight training, which are like two things that you've done beautifully in your journey. So what are some other things especially for someone who's listening who maybe is in their 60s? Right? They're not in their 20s anymore. What are some of the things that you would say are different now than maybe 10 years ago, 20 years ago, now that you are going through this process in your 60s?

 

Nadene  11:10  

Okay, so the body just works differently? Yeah, no, I mean, and for me, I've already had hysterectomy so the loss of hormones as well, right, but naturally, we're gonna lose those. So mine was just amped up a little bit a little earlier than planned. But also, I think the reason that I love your Build Your Own Workout program is because we don't like that my back doesn't handle things like it did when I was 20. Right. Okay, so there are things like that, that we noticed that the strength that you know, the difference and how the even the bones, the density of the bones, you know, that's changing, all of that is changing as we grow older, but the one thing that I can say is, it can still work at 60 girls. And I'm 61 now. I just turned 61. But when I started into this, you know, I was 60. But yeah, it can still work. And one thing that I love Amber that you have said time and time again is what are your non negotiables. And so for me, it was like, what? She's telling me, I can still have chocolate and this I'm in. But the thing I have noticed is because of that change in the mindset, it's like, sometimes there can be chocolate sitting there, and I don't feel like oh, I have to eat it. And I have to eat it today because tomorrow I'm going on that diet, you know, changing the mindset has been huge. But anyway, I think that was the thing for me. Because even going into the when I first started tracking, I'm like, I'm not sure this is gonna work at my age. Like things work differently at my age, and things look differently, you know. And so, you know, I mean, I just trust the process. And it has worked, and I'm so happy about that. I'm like, Okay, I'm not going back. Like, you know, and I think that's the other thing I have loved about your program is like it's a lifetime thing, right? It's not like we're gonna do this for four weeks. And then I hate to say, we're going to be okay for a little while, and then it's going to start over. Well, it's just like a lifetime process and we don't have to be in the hurry. And I don't have all that crazy emotion in that feeling in my gut of Oh, is this gonna work? And I can't do it. And you know, all that stuff.

 

Amber B  13:40  

Yeah. Because you've become the scientist, right? You've put on that scientist hat, like we talked about so much and moved away from that emotion. I love that you mentioned being able to have, you know, chocolates sitting around the house or candy sitting around the house and not necessarily feel that pull, like you have to eat it. I have a lot of people who come into coaching who that's not the case, right? Is that they feel like the candies there, oh my gosh, I'm gonna eat it. Like I have to get it out of the house. I can't even handle it. How did you get to that place? Or what do you think were some of the shifts that occurred that allowed you to have candy on the table and maybe not even eat it or not even want to eat it? What helps you to be able to get there? Because I know there's people who are listening or like, I could never do that. I could never have that experience. So kind of can you walk us through what that looked like for you? And maybe what some of those shifts were that allowed you to be at that place?

 

Nadene  14:33  

Yeah, absolutely. So I feel like the biggest thing was getting my macronutrients in balance. Okay, so the education that I've gained from you, Amber has helped so much because, once well, for me like I say, the protein, the increase of protein, yeah, that was more balanced. I didn't have those cravings. And it's weird that you hear that sometimes in a lot of programs. Well, listen, you don't have to create But you know, in two weeks you should do it again. Now, because I can go, Oh, I'm kind of having those cravings. You know what? I haven't eaten very much protein today. So just having the knowledge and the education, so much education in your program. I love it. I appreciate it. I keep saying that. But yeah, when I got into my library, I'm like, holy cow. At first, to be honest, I felt so overwhelmed, because 

 

Amber B  15:25  

I think that's what it usually is.

 

Nadene  15:27  

You know, but to know that I can always refer back to that has been life changing. 

 

Amber B  15:34  

Yeah, and it's funny that you say that because that is, there's a lot of information in Macros 101 it and that is sometimes the first like, Oh my gosh, there's so much in here. It's like, so overwhelming. And I really reinforced early on in the program that it's like a library, right? Like, and you have lifetime access to it. So it's, there's no rush, you don't have to go through everything super fast. But you have it all there. And I love that you're, you're like me and you. You just want to learn, right? I want to have that knowledge, I want to have it there, I want to be able to understand the why behind everything. For somebody who is maybe sitting here listening, and maybe they're, you know, their grandma as well. And maybe they are kind of thinking, what you were thinking previously, like, is this gonna work for someone who's older? is this? Is this gonna work for me? What would you say to that woman? 

 

Nadene  16:25  

I would say pull the trigger. 

 

Amber B  16:27  

Just do it.

 

Nadene  16:29  

Just do it. Yes, because it has worked. And I mean, you know, it's hard. I think sometimes when you are contemplating doing these kinds of programs, there's so many out there. One thing that I love about you Amber is you have the education to help us, right. So your background of being a nurse and your husband being taught, you're all of that I felt like hey, this girl knows her stuff. So that was a big plus for me. And, and then all the information that you've given us, like, you know, cuz you're going with the age thing again, like my husband, and I always say we're not growing old, we're just growing older, we're never gonna get old. But change up like, you know how you remember. So for me to be able to go, I can go back to this library any time and review. If you know, there are things that I'm like, Okay, what did she say about this? You know, and so, yes, yeah, it's so worth every bit of the money. And like I said, you have over delivered in every one of your programs. So the thing that I have.

 

Amber B  17:33  

That is always our goal is always to under promise and over deliver. So I'm happy that you had that experience. That's amazing Nadene. And I'm just so proud of you. I'm so excited for what's to come as you grow older, I love that I'm growing older, I'm not getting old. Is that what it is? I'm going to use that. So thank you so much for coming on the podcast and sharing your story with us. 

 

Nadene  17:56  

Thank you, Amber.

 

Amber B  17:58  

If you are tired of your only tool for transformation being restriction and deprivation and you want to be able to look in the mirror and see results. But you're not willing to have to choose between ice cream and seeing progress, then my upcoming free five day challenge is for you. In this five day challenge, you're gonna learn how easy and fun it can be to crush your goals. And do it without cutting out sugar ,without doing hours and hours and hours of cardio or starting a restrictive diet. In the five days, you'll have the formula for results without having to overhaul your lifestyle, which means that you're going to get to eat what you like, and be able to see the changes in the mirror. Because the truth is, and you know this on some level, that misery does not get you better results. And when you cut out your favorite foods, well, that just usually backfires. Which is why in the five days to a fitter you challenge, it's going to be all about making your reaching your goals as enjoyable and effective as possible. Here's things I'm not gonna ask you to do. I am not going to ask you to go through your cabinets and throw anything with sugar in the ingredients. I am not going to force you to knock on you know, dried chicken breast and broccoli five days a week. There are going to be no rules about what time of day that you have to eat or how you have to space out your meals. Instead, you'll get access to tried and tested mini challenges every single day that will make your fitness journey easy, and maybe even fun. I'm not even gonna say maybe, it will be so much more fun than the old way you've probably been doing it. I'm going to take you through many of the same exercises and education during these five days that I give my paying Macros 101 clients, including a unique goal setting exercise on day two. That is typically one of the highlights of the week. In fact, if you've been at all curious about what it's like to work with me inside of Macros 101, think about this five day challenge as a free sneak peak week. If you are someone who wants to crush your fitness goals and you want to do it without deprivation without restriction and without cookie cutter dieting, then this challenge is for you. Go to bicepsafterbabies.com/challenge to register for the free five days to a fitter you challenge starting August 23. If you like the podcast, you are going to love our five day challenge. So go to bicepsafterbabies.com/challenge and see how fun it can be to reach your goals.

 

Outro

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