Speaker A [00:00:02]:
Welcome to the Paralysis Nutrition Podcast, where changing your eating habits is the key to losing weight, improving bowel health and feeling your best. I’m your host, Fatima Fakouri. I’m a registered dietitian who’s married to a quadriplegic and specializes in nutrition for paralysis. Get ready to be inspired, educated and motivated so you can take control of your health using the power of food. Let’s get started. This is the Paralysis Nutrition Podcast. Hi, everyone. So today I have a very special guest for the Paralysis Nutrition podcast.
Speaker A [00:00:36]:
We have Nikki Walsh, who is a past client of mine, a dear friend of mine, and a certified personal trainer. So Nikki started with me last year and she did a three month program. I think prior to that, you had done the six week program and she has seen amazing results. And so today I want to talk a little bit about her journey and how she has become kind of. I will tell you, Nikki, somebody who signed up for the program last week said, I want to look like Nikki, you know, so she has lost so many inches from her waist, she has improved her bowels, and she has learned to eat right for paralysis. So today I want everyone to hear and be inspired by Nikki and hear her knowledge because she is a certified personal trainer and paraplegic. So, Nikki, welcome to the Paralysis Nutrition Podcast.
Speaker B [00:01:36]:
Hey, everyone. So my name is Nikki. As Fatima pointed out, I am a certified personal trainer and I have been a paraplegic for almost three years now. I was a personal trainer prior to my injury as and then I started back up while I was injured. But I had the hardest time getting my diet back on track. And when I found Fatima’s page, I felt like it was a godsend. I was just getting completely opposite views of the spectrum. My dietitian at rehab and my doctor were telling me to try eating very low carb and to eat 1200 calories or less.
Speaker B [00:02:26]:
And then I had a trainer telling me I should be eating 1800-2000 calories and over 200 grams of carbs, and that is just a ton. I knew that was a lot too, for my body because after becoming paraplegic, your muscles below your injury level aren’t working, so your metabolism drops significantly. So, yeah, I was struggling a ton and I was trying to eat as best I could, but I wasn’t eating correctly. And yeah, Fatima’s program really got me on track and kind of it saved me.
Speaker A [00:03:07]:
Oh, Nikki, I’m blushing over here. So why don’t you tell us now? Everyone knows that at rehab they don’t give you Good advice. Because my theory is this, is that when you’re in rehab there is so much stuff that is going on with you. Right. And a lot of people, like I know my husband lost a ton of weight, so they were making him drink, you know, high calorie, like Ensure and letting him eat whatever he wanted. Also, you know, the food at rehab is not the best. Right. It’s hospital food.
Speaker A [00:03:40]:
So the dietitians and the doctors at rehab were telling you to actually the opposite of what I think I hear a lot of people say. So they were telling you to eat very little, like too little. And then the trainer, who I’m sure is an amazing trainer. Right.
Speaker B [00:03:56]:
Like you’re a person.
Speaker A [00:03:58]:
So. Yeah. So when, you know, when a personal trainer hires another personal trainer, you know that that’s a good person to work with. But I always say this, if you don’t have training in nutrition, you really shouldn’t be giving nutrition advice. And if you are.
Speaker B [00:04:13]:
Yes.
Speaker A [00:04:14]:
And if you are an able bodied trainer and your client is living with paralysis, you cannot give them the same advice. So can you share a little bit now what was happening? I remember when you joined the program that you were very frustrated because you were working out six or seven times a week and you were following the nutrition advice from the trainer and what was going on with your weight and your bowels?
Speaker B [00:04:40]:
At that time I was having, I was very constipated and I was gaining weight instead of losing weight. And I know my body was going into a mode where it didn’t like, like a starvation mode type where it didn’t know if it was going to be, I guess, you know, fed again. So it was holding on to everything that I was giving it.
Speaker A [00:05:09]:
So starvation mode is, I think usually when people under eat and you know, because you were in the program with other people. So many women under eat.
Speaker B [00:05:18]:
Yes.
Speaker A [00:05:19]:
And they don’t understand why they’re not losing weight. Right. Is because your body’s in starvation mode. So when you were eating, I’ll say this, I think you were the opposite of starvation. I think that you were in a surplus. Right. So it’s like if your body needs, I don’t know, let’s make up a number. 1500.
Speaker A [00:05:40]:
Right. But you’re eating 1800-2000, which is by the way more calories than I give. Even, you know, six foot two tall men in my program. Which you are not.
Speaker B [00:05:51]:
Yes.
Speaker A [00:05:52]:
You know, wait, I’m not. So it’s an energy surplus. Right. So if you’re eating hundreds more calories than your body is using every single day you will gain weight. And I think what’s so, so ableist and just kind of twisted is that people really don’t understand that you can lose weight without exercise. Now you are a personal trainer, you love to work out, so you’re going to do that. But working out six or seven days a week was not resulting in weight loss. How did that feel?
Speaker B [00:06:27]:
It was very frustrating. I felt like I was, you know, at the end of the rope and like, what am I supposed to do now? Where am I supposed to go? I feel like I’m doing all of the right things. I’m eating healthily. Like, I’m eating, you know, grilled chicken, salads, whole grains. I just didn’t realize that I was eating too much of it, you know?
Speaker A [00:06:52]:
Right.
Speaker B [00:06:53]:
Obviously anything you eat healthy or not, if you’re eating too much of it, you’re going to gain weight.
Speaker A [00:07:00]:
That is such a great point. That is such a great point. And I know, you know, I always argue with my husband about the number of avocados that are appropriate to put in a salad. Because even a healthy food, like, you know, I’m all about avocados. Healthy fat, fiber, nutrients, amazing. But they’re like, you know, I don’t know off the top of my head, like what, 300 something calories? Like, you have to count that even if it’s a healthy food. Right. So how interesting that you were following the advice, but it wasn’t the right advice for you.
Speaker A [00:07:33]:
And I think that when you joined the program and we were talking about, you know, readjusting your calories and macros, I remember you saying, like, I’m so full, like, I cannot eat that much. And I’ll tell you the scariest thing, like, okay, fine, you were eating too many calories and you were losing weight. I’m sorry, you were gaining weight. Yeah, okay. But weight can always be lost. What really made me upset and concerned was that you were trying to eat so much protein. Do you remember what was the protein goal? It was high.
Speaker B [00:08:08]:
Yeah. It was 160, I think. That is so 160 grams.
Speaker A [00:08:13]:
Okay, so let me tell you, here’s the reason why that scares me the most, is because if you damage your kidneys. Right, the kidneys, we cannot fix our kidneys. We can do our best to keep them healthy. But if you’re eating 160 grams of protein, but you only require, like, I don’t remember your numbers, but it’s something like 60 or 80, that’s double, right? 80. Dr. Yeah. So it’s like, it’s just damaging to the kidneys. And it’s also a reason why keto makes people constipated because so much protein, it’s hard to break that down.
Speaker A [00:08:56]:
And it’s even harder to break that down if you have neurogenic bowel. Right. If you have slower gut motility. So all of this is to say it was too much for you and it, it felt too much.
Speaker B [00:09:11]:
Yes, I was uncomfortable. I’m like, why I have this much to eat still? Like, where is this going?
Speaker A [00:09:19]:
Where is this going? And I think it’s important to, we should listen to our doctors, we should listen to our professionals in our life. But if they’re going out of their scope, right? So like I’m real big on scope. I’m a dietitian. I’m not going to talk to you about your medication. Right. Because that’s what your doctor does or what kind of nothing medical. Right. And I also don’t give exercise advice because one, I’m not a certified personal trainer and two, I’m not a person who, you know, I don’t want the focus of my program to be like, you have to exercise because the truth is I have a lot of quadriplegics now.
Speaker A [00:10:02]:
You’re a para. I have a lot of quadriplegics who there’s very little that they can do to exercise. Right. So I always say like nutrition first and the exercise helps you feel good, it’s good for your range of motion, it’s good for your mental health. And yes, it can help sculpt your body, which we will talk about that. Right. But that will never happen if you’re not eating the right amount of calories.
Speaker B [00:10:29]:
So true.
Speaker A [00:10:30]:
It’s so true. Right. And so you were constipated and at the time, did your personal trainer tell you anything about like fiber?
Speaker B [00:10:39]:
No.
Speaker A [00:10:40]:
No, because it’s so all of this like able bodied, you know, nutrition advice when it comes to weight loss, it’s really just talking about calories and maybe some macros. Maybe some macros, sure. But it has nothing to do with your gut health. And I’ll tell you, when I started paralysis nutrition, I really thought it was just going to be like a weight loss focus, but it’s really 50, 50. Like some people join the program and they don’t really have a lot of weight to lose. They’re just bloated and they can poop, you know. So what do you think helped? Because at that time I don’t think it was during the six week program because we all know that that’s too short and that’s why I don’t do that anymore. I think it was during the three month program where one day you randomly told me that you went without a suppository.
Speaker B [00:11:32]:
Yes, I was on stool softeners and I was using suppositories. And I remember one of the weeks I was asking you if I should go off of suppository because I was having accidents in the afternoon. So my bowel was too loose at that point. And it was because I was finally getting on track with my fiber intake and I was getting formed bowels and my bowels were moving. I didn’t need that extra stool softener. And then the next morning when I woke up, I didn’t need a suppository at all. I didn’t have any accidents. And it was just the most amazing feeling.
Speaker A [00:12:17]:
I love that because, you know, most people in the program when they start, and most people with paralysis do take whatever they tell you to take at rehab. And then they. But they don’t really talk to you about diet. So what I noticed is that when your fiber and your fluid balance is good, the only reason you will start having accidents is if you still take your laxatives. You also took Senna.
Speaker B [00:12:44]:
Yes, I did.
Speaker A [00:12:45]:
You took Senna. So it’s like you don’t need laxatives and Senna necessarily.
Speaker B [00:12:51]:
No.
Speaker A [00:12:52]:
And so I remember that you said, like, oh my God, I’m having accidents. And everyone thinks that fiber causes accidents. Okay? No, it doesn’t. Fiber does not give you diarrhea. Laxatives give you diarrhea. You know, it’s like some people are like, I don’t know. You know, sometimes I read these, I try, but I can’t help it. I read some of those SCI public Facebook pages and it’s like, I have no idea why I’m having accidents.
Speaker A [00:13:16]:
I only take, you know, four Senna and two laxatives and a softener and Miralax. I have no idea why I’m having accidents. And it’s like, well, because all of those things are designed to push poop out of your body and you might be overdoing it and the body changes. So when you’re in rehab, you know, the food that they give you is not that good. Right. It’s like too heavy.
Speaker B [00:13:38]:
Usually there’s no fiber.
Speaker A [00:13:41]:
No. I mean, you have to really go out of your way to order healthy in a hospital. Right. And also, I will say this. Do you really want to eat, like, steamed broccoli in the hospital? No, you probably. I mean, it’s a sad situation over there, you know, you just don’t have a lot of things to do that are fun. So you can eat, right? You can eat. And I’m sure family and friends bring you the good stuff.
Speaker A [00:14:08]:
I know a lot of people say, yes, yes, yes. And so it’s like your body is going to change, right? So at the time that you got your fiber and fluid kind of on track, we took away the laxatives and we took away the softener or the senna, you know, and then you were able to go without a suppository. So people don’t believe me. People always want to argue with me, and they’re just so incredulous and confused as to how when I share on social media, you know, so. And so my client, you know, doesn’t use a suppository anymore. Tell the people. How did you stop using a suppository?
Speaker B [00:14:46]:
I do not use suppository when I follow the program. You know, the foods that you eat, you are eating a very balanced diet. You’re getting the fiber that you need. You’re eating different things every day. So you’re, you know, giving your body a nice mix of nutrients.
Speaker A [00:15:04]:
And the gut loves a variety. The gut bacterias love a variety. You also started doing some fermented foods, right? Like, started doing kefir and things like that, right?
Speaker B [00:15:15]:
I started adding. Yeah, I started adding in kefir, chia seeds, flax meal, all fiber foods that I was not adding into my diet previously. And that really helped me start to go to the bathroom regularly. I started eating, you know, more broccoli, spinach, you know, vegetables that are high in fiber and help, you know, push through. And my bloating went down. The only times I ever had to use a suppository was when I was taking medication for my UTIs, because they just made me very constipated. So I had to do with what my body needed.
Speaker A [00:16:00]:
Absolutely. And I remember that, too. It was like, not just once. It was like a couple of times that you were. You had a really nasty one and it kept coming back. And so when you are on an antibiotic, right, we had the science is good, but it still kills all the gut bacteria. It doesn’t just kill the bad bacteria. It kills some of the good bacteria, too.
Speaker A [00:16:21]:
Which means that some people get constipated and some people go the other way, you know, where they’re having loose stools. Mostly, I think it makes people constipated. And I think, you know, I’m not anti suppository. I’m not anti laxative. I’m not anti any of these things. I’m just anti ignoring your diet and relying on those things. And furthermore, I’m anti people not thinking. Not thinking.
Speaker A [00:16:47]:
Like, hey, you take all this stuff, you know, I call them poopy pills. But you still don’t poop regularly normally. Something is wrong, you know, And I actually just signed up a new client. I’m excited because I know now I know exactly what to do. You know, it’s like you were with me a year ago, so I have had so many people since then. And I know what works. Like he’s pooping once a week. Once a week, you know, and it’s like, but Nerolax three times and Senna and all these things.
Speaker A [00:17:15]:
And it’s like sometimes we have to just take a step back and say, wow, what I’m doing is not working. Maybe I should try something else.
Speaker B [00:17:24]:
Yeah, I was just going to say you kind of have to take a step back and say, I’m doing all of these things that are supposed to make me go to the bathroom and it’s not. So what’s really the issue? And it all comes back to diet. Like, I even tell my clients, they come in for weight loss and I.
Speaker A [00:17:43]:
Say, your personal training clients?
Speaker B [00:17:46]:
Yeah, my personal training clients. And I say to them, I can help you with working towards your weight loss goals, but if you don’t change your diet, you’re not going to achieve them. I can help you get stronger and I can help you, like I said, work towards that weight loss. But you have to change your diet in order to lose weight. I learned from you. For paralysis, it’s 90, 10, 90% diet, 10% exercise. We don’t have as many.
Speaker A [00:18:17]:
This is coming from a certified personal trainer. I am not here to tell people not to exercise. I think it’s beautiful, but some people are still relying on it. So do you find, Nikki, that your personal training clients think that they’re going to burn a ton of energy working out?
Speaker B [00:18:37]:
Yes.
Speaker A [00:18:38]:
How do you break even that?
Speaker B [00:18:40]:
Even my Able Body clients too, and it’s both spectrums, we, we both think that the less you eat, the more you’ll lose. But if you’re not eating the correct amount of fuel for your body, then you’re not going to lose weight.
Speaker A [00:19:00]:
Right, Exactly. I have so many clients that I think, you know, I hate to say this, but it’s usually women And I’m not stereotyping. I’m just saying in my experience in my program, so many women undereat because they’re afraid to lose. They’re afraid to gain weight. And so there’s no clarity, you know, for them on what they’re supposed to be eating. And it’s super frustrating. Like, you didn’t gain the weight by undereating. You gained the weight because you were eating too many and you put on the weight and now the weight’s not going away because your body doesn’t want to let it go.
Speaker A [00:19:40]:
So I think when it comes to getting your body in great shape, absolutely, you should be working out. Right. But you will not be able to lose weight if you are eating either too little and if you are eating too much. Right.
Speaker B [00:19:58]:
So I can help you with your strength goals all day long.
Speaker A [00:20:01]:
Right.
Speaker B [00:20:02]:
But if you are working for weight loss and actually even strength too, you still need to fuel your body correctly. But yeah, you really need to focus on your diet to lose the weight. I mean, my workouts have definitely assisted in that toning. Help strengthen my toning. Yes, exactly. But my weight loss and my bowels staying on track is definitely from staying and keeping with working on your program.
Speaker A [00:20:29]:
I will say too, though, Nikki, I think that some of the exercises can help with bowels because the more that we kind of get in the standing frame, you know, I’m a huge fan. Get in the standing frame, use the power of gravity to kind of move things down. You know what I mean? And I think also just when you focus on things that make your mind feel good. Right. That reduces stress.
Speaker B [00:21:00]:
Exactly.
Speaker A [00:21:01]:
Know that stress has a profound effect on our bowels. And, you know, our stress levels also affect if we’re going to lose weight.
Speaker B [00:21:09]:
Right, exactly.
Speaker A [00:21:10]:
I was just telling, I have a client who’s pre diabetic. And I said, you know, what’s your stress level? And he was like, oh, it’s a 10 out of 10. I said, I understand. Because when I was pregnant, I was, you know, I had that gestational diabetes. And when I checked my blood sugar on days that I was super stressed, no matter what I ate, the blood sugar was high. And so it’s like, yeah, I mean, some days it was just like, wow, wow. This is directly affected by my stress level. And so you got off the suppository and tell the people, because I have an outdated post that says that you lost 8 inches off of your waist.
Speaker A [00:21:50]:
Tell people how many inches you have lost off of your waist now probably like 16 oh, my God. I thought you were going to say 10.
Speaker B [00:22:01]:
No, I mean, I went from being. Yeah. I went from wearing an extra large dress to a medium dress.
Speaker A [00:22:09]:
In how long? Be honest.
Speaker B [00:22:12]:
A year and a half.
Speaker A [00:22:14]:
Okay. See, that’s how long it takes.
Speaker B [00:22:17]:
That’s how it’s consistency. And I mean, obviously I have had months where I’m not very consistent, but then I jump right back on it. And that’s just life.
Speaker A [00:22:29]:
That’s just life. And I appreciate you saying that because. So Nikki had a surgery about surgery, and so that really kind of screwed up your bowels. Right. Like that’s going to happen. Do you mind sharing a little bit about that?
Speaker B [00:22:43]:
Sure. So I had a surgery. It’s called Mitra fan off. And they took part of my bowel to enlarge my bladder, and then they took my appendix and made a catheter channel. That way I can go to the bathroom through my belly button, which is actually very cool.
Speaker A [00:23:05]:
So much easier, right?
Speaker B [00:23:07]:
For the ladies, yes, it’s so much easier. It’s been an amazing change in my lifestyle, but my bowels are still messed up and trying to get on track. And my diet is. I’m following the diet. I’m still losing weight, but I did have to start using the suppository again. My urologist said that it’s going to take some. A few months or a little while for my bowels to get back on track, but I’m still following, you know, the paralysis nutrition diet. I’m still eating the correct amount of fiber.
Speaker B [00:23:43]:
Even with using this suppository, my bowels are still formed and, like, they’re really. Well, yeah. So I’m really only using the suppository because my neurogenic bowel doesn’t want to move.
Speaker A [00:23:54]:
Bowels were cut up and rerouted. And, you know, I always tell people, like, when it comes to these big decisions, you know, like, should I get a suprapubic catheter? Should I get my trofen off? Should I get a bladder augmentation? We have to weigh the risks and the benefits. Right. So for the ladies, it is very, very hard when you are a wheelchair user, to Cathy yourself. So the fact that you can do it through your belly button gives you so much independence. Right. To be honest, I would say it’s worth it. Right.
Speaker A [00:24:33]:
Like, would you agree it’s worth it. Like, her bowels are still. You still go regularly. You do need the suppository, but that’s because you had a big traumatic. I mean, traumatic meaning, like A huge change to your bowels. And I think, like you said, like, this is life, right? Sometimes you have a UTI and your gut bacteria is wiped out. Sometimes you have a surgery. You might, you know, your surgery was a bowel surgery, so that’s obviously going to be a big deal.
Speaker A [00:25:02]:
But sometimes, you know, people even just get, like, something that’s not related to the bowels, like any sort of procedure, and they’re on painkillers. Okay? Yep.
Speaker B [00:25:12]:
And that makes you constipated as well.
Speaker A [00:25:14]:
Painkillers make you crazy constipated. I just had somebody DM me saying, like, oh, I love your tips. But like, oh, my God, I am on. I don’t know what it was, but some sort of painkiller. And he’s just like, it has stopped everything up, but there’s still things that you can do to make it better. It’s when we ignore our diet and say, oh, well, this has happened, so screw it. That’s the problem, Right. That’s getting into, like, a cycle of negativity and not really being proactive.
Speaker A [00:25:46]:
Right. So I love that. And can you share a little bit, too about your experience? You were certified personal trainer. You were injured, and now you are still a certified personal trainer. So tell, tell us about your clients. Tell us about what you’re offering.
Speaker B [00:26:05]:
Yeah, so I was a trainer beforehand, and I decided after a year or so to say, you know what? I can still train. I work out myself in my wheelchair. Why can’t I do what I was doing before?
Speaker A [00:26:25]:
Right.
Speaker B [00:26:25]:
Oh, wait, I can. So there’s this huge population like me that needs and wants to work out. So I have just, you know, try to adapt all of my workouts. I look at my old workouts and try and change them, how I can do them in my chair or if I can get onto the ground and do them on the ground. And yeah, it’s been really great and fun. It’s really, you know, racked my brain and inspired a lot of creativity. But I have a couple wheelchair user clients, and they’re great. A lot of them are working on their strength goals because they want to improve their transfers.
Speaker A [00:27:13]:
Love that.
Speaker B [00:27:13]:
And, yeah, so I tell them off the bat, like I said before, I can help you lose weight, but you really need to work on your diet. If you’re eating out so much, try and bring that back. I give them suggestions because that’s what I, in my scope of practice, can do. But I refer all of my clients to you, Fatima. I’m like, paralysis. Nutrition saved me so you know, well.
Speaker A [00:27:40]:
All she will guide you, I should mention. So Nikki is pursuing a nutrition certification, so she will be a little bit in scope, you know, to be doing that kind of stuff. But I think that, you know, I love what you said about getting strong so that you can improve transfers. Okay, So a lot of what I notice is that when people don’t have their bowels on track, when people don’t. When people. People gain a lot of weight, what does it do to their independence?
Speaker B [00:28:09]:
Yeah, they lose a lot of it.
Speaker A [00:28:11]:
They lose a lot of it. And they need a lot of help with things that perhaps years ago, when they weren’t as heavy, they could do. Right. And so I’ll share this example. I told my husband, not recently, a couple years ago, I was like, you know, you know, we have two small kids, and I’m always running after them. And he’s very, very independent. And I get a little anxious almost, and that’s that, you know, quad wife anxiety that it’s like, you know, you can transfer yourself. You can get in and out of bed, you can shower by yourself.
Speaker A [00:28:44]:
You can do literally everything by yourself. And I don’t get involved. And if you gain weight, it’s going to make it harder for you, right, to be independent. And so it’s not, you know, it’s not just about, ooh, I want to look buffalo. It’s like, literally to help yourself stay independent. And also, you know, we are a family unit, so it’s like, I would not feel happy to help my husband with things. Of course I would do it if I had to, but it’s like, that wouldn’t be really fair, you know, to the family that, like, oh, your food choices have led you to a place where now you need help doing your activities of daily living that you previously did not need help with. Right.
Speaker A [00:29:29]:
I have a client right now who says, you know, my shoulders are just shot because I’m, you know, I don’t know how much he weighs, because that’s the big joke, right? Is that, like, no one ever knows how much they weigh?
Speaker B [00:29:42]:
I know, right? It’s like, I don’t know how much I weigh exactly.
Speaker A [00:29:46]:
That’s why I say take measurements. So Nikki has now lost 16. I think that might be a record. I think that might be a record 16 inches off of her waist. And it’s not just from wishing and praying, Right. It’s from being consistent with your diet. And so I don’t want people to think that Nikki is out there meal planning seven days a week and Only eating broccoli and chicken. So tell the people.
Speaker A [00:30:12]:
How are you? You have a boyfriend, you have a family. I remember when you were in the program, you were like, oh, it’s my dad’s birthday. Here’s the menu. Fatima, what should I order?
Speaker B [00:30:21]:
I know.
Speaker A [00:30:22]:
And it was like, I remember you and a couple of other people at the time last summer were getting your new, you know, your first, like, adaptive, like, car, and you were able to drive for the first time, and that was, like, so exciting. So you were celebrating a lot of things. So when you go out to eat and you still want to kind of stay on track but have fun, what’s your approach?
Speaker B [00:30:47]:
I try and look for, you know, a balanced meal. So there’s a starch, there’s a protein, and there’s a vegetable. And I also, for instance, I actually went out to dinner last night. So this is a great example. I was looking over the menu. It was at Maggiano, so it was an Italian restaurant. So my sister and I split a chopped salad. We had the dressing on the side, and we added some shrimp to it.
Speaker B [00:31:16]:
We did the side salad. And then we also split a shrimp pasta dish with a spicy, like, marinara sauce. And then I also ordered a side of grilled asparagus. So I had my love green with my asparagus. I had, you know, a little bit of the salad with the healthy avocado and the healthy balsamic. And then I had a little bit of the pasta, you know, the half a cup portion. And I knew there was going to be some fat in it with the olive oil and whatnot, but I can’t help that I’m out there.
Speaker A [00:31:48]:
That’s healthy fat, too. Yeah, that’s healthy, right? Keeps you full. It’s got antioxidants. We want that. And then I had my shrimp for protein, and I love that because people always seem to think you have to cut out your favorite foods. Like, I don’t eat bread, I don’t eat pasta, I don’t eat desserts. It’s like, really? That actually sounds depressing. Yeah, I don’t like that.
Speaker A [00:32:12]:
I want you to be able to go out and enjoy, you know, your meals. And it’s funny because last year, due to Covid, nobody was really going out or anything. And so we didn’t talk a lot about restaurants or anything. And this year, all my clients are like, I’m going out to this celebration. I’m going on vacation. I’m going on a road trip. And so the conversation is kind of expanding. Into how in the world can you eat healthy when you go to a restaurant? And what I tell people is that when you go to a restaurant, almost everything is going to taste good.
Speaker A [00:32:46]:
Right? The cheeseburger is going to taste good. The grilled chicken sandwich is going to taste good. Some of those salads, you know, I’m not a big salad girl, but when you go to a good restaurant, those salads are amazing. They have like a million ingredients, you know, and you can always make healthy choices.
Speaker B [00:33:01]:
Now sometimes I grilled asparagus last night, though. It was delicious.
Speaker A [00:33:07]:
See? Yeah. So you don’t feel like you’re missing out. Right. And I think that’s the whole. That’s my whole approach. Right. Is that we’re not going on a diet. Dieting is miserable.
Speaker A [00:33:22]:
You know, dieting only focuses kind of on restriction. And what I really want people to do is focus on nourishing their body. So if there’s something you love, we need to be able to fit it in.
Speaker B [00:33:34]:
Exactly.
Speaker A [00:33:35]:
But at the same time, we don’t want to say yes to every single thing. Right. So pick your favorites and leave the rest. The other day we have some leftover birthday cake from my son’s birthday. And I had made spaghetti that night. So it was like spaghetti and zucchini and chicken. And I really wanted spaghetti, so I had it. My husband wanted cake, so he did not have the spaghetti, but he had cake.
Speaker A [00:33:59]:
Right. So we choose what we want. I really was not in the mood. I did. I really didn’t want cake. I just was like, whatever, you know, I really just don’t have a sweet tooth. I really like to eat.
Speaker B [00:34:10]:
Me too.
Speaker A [00:34:11]:
Yeah, I really like to eat food now. Sometimes I like dessert, but my husband loves dessert. He doesn’t care about, like, rice and bread. Well, he loves bread, but he at least now knows, like, not to pick everything. Right. Or if you have a cocktail, maybe order something lower carb. So I think it’s all. And how long does it take you to learn this kind of stuff?
Speaker B [00:34:34]:
It took a while. Honestly, like, your three month program was great. But I still, like, refer back to it honestly, because on some days, for inspiration and just like to get me back on track, like, oh, I should eat another snack or oh, this is a great lunch idea. Like, I need some more variety. Because I did. I was getting stuck for a minute and like eating almost the same thing every day.
Speaker A [00:35:00]:
Yeah.
Speaker B [00:35:00]:
It happened for lunch and I was like, okay, Nikki, we need to switch this up. Okay.
Speaker A [00:35:05]:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We don’t want you to get bored. Because when we get bored, then I feel like it’s not. That’s not sustainable either, because then you’re going to be like, this is boring. You know, what I eat is not fun. So I think finding the fun and also just appreciating that sometimes healthy food is delicious.
Speaker B [00:35:24]:
Yeah.
Speaker A [00:35:25]:
You know what I mean? Like, you loved your asparagus, and, you know, sometimes the bread is not that great. Sometimes it’s a masterpiece and you have to eat it, but other times it’s just like, you know what? I know what these things look like in terms of nutrition, and I’m going to pick the thing that I love. Right?
Speaker B [00:35:44]:
Yeah.
Speaker A [00:35:44]:
Yeah. So, Nikki, thank you so much for sharing your story with us and your progress. I cannot believe this woman has lost 16 inches off of her waist. And you are down.
Speaker B [00:35:56]:
I can’t believe it.
Speaker A [00:35:57]:
Yeah, I cannot believe that. I really thought. Because last. The last post I did on you said 8 inches, and I thought you were going to say 10. No, I really did not expect you to say 16.
Speaker B [00:36:08]:
Yeah, I’ve lost a lot since I started this challenge, too. I just.
Speaker A [00:36:14]:
Oh, yeah. So Nikki was, for the summer, she was doing this challenge where she was working out and kind of just like reflecting and doing kind of some mindful work, mindfulness work and all that kind of stuff. And I’m big on that stuff, too. And so mind, body, you know, all nutrition, all of this stuff is so, so connected. So, Nikki, where can the people find you? Tell us.
Speaker B [00:36:37]:
You can find me at Waikiki, Nikki. It is W A I K I. Lots of K’s and I’s in there, guys. But you will find me.
Speaker A [00:36:54]:
Yes. On Instagram. She’s at Ykknicky on Instagram. Yes. And Nikki is also, if I haven’t mentioned it, taking private clients so she can help you do your adaptive workouts in real time via Zoom. And then she will customize, customize the workout for you. And I think that accountability is a huge reason why my program helps people, because, you know, you can buy the cookbook and you can, you know, do it and all that, and you’ll see results. Most people need more support and accountability.
Speaker A [00:37:30]:
So, like, making an appointment for a workout and say, like, I have a professional who’s going to help me, and if they see my form is wrong, they’re going to kind of let me know. All of that is just. It’s an elevated experience rather than just being like, oh, I’m going to work out today. Right. Like, that’s probably not going to happen, you’re probably going to do something else, anything else that work out. But if you have an appointment, you know, I think you’re more likely to show up. So thank you so much, Nikki. It is always a pleasure.
Speaker A [00:38:01]:
Love, love, love hearing your progress and.
Speaker B [00:38:04]:
Thank you so much.
Speaker A [00:38:05]:
Wait. Can’t wait. Can’t wait to see what you come up with next with your personal training business.
Speaker B [00:38:12]:
Thank you. Yeah, we work a lot on functional training like Fatima said for transferring. I’ve been working a lot with my clients on their core balance, you know, because as they’re losing weight, they’re, you know, moving around a lot more. So you really want to keep that core balance intact, you know, so you feel good moving in your chair and just moving about your life. So, yeah, look me up and I can help you out.
Speaker A [00:38:37]:
Waikiki Nikki. That’s on Instagram. All right, thank you guys so much. That’s our episode for today. Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoyed it and that you learned something new. Remember, if you want to lose weight with paralysis, improve your bowel health and feel your best you can. It’s possible.
Speaker A [00:38:53]:
You just have to change your eating habits. If you need inspiration on how to get started, check out the paralysis Nutrition Cookbook. 101 recipes to help you lose weight and improve bowel health. The cookbook comes with a bonus 30 day meal plan and is the perfect way to start eating healthier. You can find it online@paralysisnutrition.com cookbook. I’ll talk to you again soon.
