Ep.86 Train With Joan - Inspiring Us to Flex Our Age

According to AARP over 44% of Americans ages 40-59 are considered obese, and for adults over 60 that number is around 42%. Hormone changes can cause fat accumulation, especially in our midsections, and that collides with age-related muscle loss, which means our bodies don't burn calories or process sugar as efficiently.

Then, of course, comes the expected cascade of possible health complications associated with the extra weight. I don't want this to sound bleak, and the purpose in me sharing these statistics is to say that we CAN change the narrative. It is possible, and it is never too late.

When Joan MacDonald received some unwelcome health news from her doctor, she knew that she had to make some changes. With guidance from her fitness guru daughter, Michelle MacDonald, Joan began her own health and fitness journey, in her seventies, to go on to inspire many others to do the same through her Train With Joan platform. Not only are grateful women re-discovering themselves and getting their lives back, but they are becoming a part of a greater community of support and friendship.

Joan has become a major fitness influencer with almost 2 million followers on social media, and she has authored her memoir and self-help book, Flex Your Age: Defy Stereotypes and Reclaim Empowerment. Oh, and did I mention Joan Macdonald was on the cover of Women's Health magazine in 2023? Amazing!

I can't wait for you to meet this 77 year-old dynamo with her amazing can-do spirit!

You can find Joan's book Flex Your Age: Defy Stereotypes and Reclaim Empowerment on Amazon.

You can follow Joan on Facebook and Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/trainwithjoan/
https://www.facebook.com/trainwithjoan
The Train With Joan app is available on the Google Play Store and Apple.

You can find Michelle MacDonald at:
https://www.instagram.com/yourhealthyhedonista/
https://www.facebook.com/YourHealthyHedonista
https://thewonderwomen.com/

I'd love to work with you! Let me help you reach your health and fitness goals.
https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/?aid=MicheleFolan

Have questions about Faster Way? Feel free to reach out.
mfolanfasterway@gmail.com

Follow Asking for a Friend on Social media outlets:
https://www.instagram.com/askingforafriend_pod/
https://www.facebook.com/askforafriendpod/

Please provide a review and share. This helps us grow!
https://lovethepodcast.com/AFAF

This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advice. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.

Transcript

Michele Folan: 0:07

Health, wellness, fitness, relationships and everything in between. We're removing the taboo from what really matters in midlife. I'm your host, michelle Fohlen, and this is Asking for a Friend. According to AARP, over 44% of Americans aged 40 to 59 are considered obese. For adults over 60, it's about 42%. Hormone changes can cause fat accumulation, especially in our midsections, and that collides with age-related muscle loss, which means our bodies don't burn calories or process blood sugar as efficiently, and with the obesity there is the expected cascade of other health complications. I don't want this to sound bleak, but the purpose in me sharing these statistics is to say that we can change the narrative. It is possible and it is never too late.

Michele Folan: 1:13

Our guest today got some unwanted news from her doctor and, with the guidance of her fitness guru daughter, she started her own health journey in her 70s and she's gone on to inspire many other women to do the same. Joan McDonald became a major fitness influencer with more than 1.8 million Instagram followers, and she has authored her memoir and self-help book Flex your Age Defy Stereotypes and Reclaim Empowerment. Oh, and did I mention she was on the cover of Women's Health Magazine? I can't wait for you all to meet this 77-year-old dynamo with her amazing can-do spirit. Welcome to Asking for a Friend, Joan McDonald. Thank you for the invitation.

Joan MacDonald: 2:04

Michelle.

Michele Folan: 2:05

Well, I'm so honored to have you here. I really am. This is exciting for me. Good, joan, I know everyone has a story. Yours is incredibly inspiring and I would love for you to share with the listeners how this whole genesis of you getting yourself healthy in your 70s started.

Joan MacDonald: 2:28

Okay, my daughter and son-in-law were getting ready to move to Mexico permanently. They were visiting with us in like an early Christmas, so I had been to the doctors and my daughter had gone downstairs with me. I was in the laundry room. Then I started to come back upstairs and she couldn't believe how much I huffed and puffed and had to take one step at a time going up the stairs, and then she found out that I had been talking to my doctors and they wanted to increase my blood pressure medication, and she didn't even realize that I was on blood pressure medication.

Michele Folan: 3:11

You never told her.

Joan MacDonald: 3:12

Well, I thought I had but again, she's very busy so she doesn't always take in everything her mom might tell her. I didn't tell her very much. No, I didn't want to be worrying her so I could have not told her. Anyway, she was shocked and she offered to help me. I had been following her, supporting her when she was doing her shows as well, and I had watched as she had her program of transformations for women, and I figured if she can help me and she can do this with other people the strangers then maybe she can really do it with me. The only problem was I was in Canada, she was in Mexico and I wasn't quite sure how that was going to pan out. Anyway, I took the challenge that she threw down at me.

Michele Folan: 4:09

Yeah.

Joan MacDonald: 4:10

Well, the both of them kind of talked me into why don't you come down to Mexico and like we have to show you what to do? Because I didn't even have. I had an iPad, but I didn't use it for anything but entertainment. Yeah yeah, it took a year before I got my iPhone, but the iPad I did use. I went down to Mexico. I spent two weeks there, beginning of January 2017. And they tried to permeate that into my brain of how to use it and it was a lot different than it is today as well. I got my exercises by her sending up PDFs and me downloading them and taking them to the gym and reading everything, and she gave me the exercises and for me to see what was going on, to use YouTube of the people that she thought were doing a good job of it. Anyway, the first three months, I couldn't eat what she wanted me to eat because I was full. I had been eating the wrong foods all along.

Michele Folan: 5:18

Right.

Joan MacDonald: 5:19

Or not all of them, but I was snacking, which that's what made me get as big as I was. I had actually reached at 1.205. And how tall are you, Joan? I'm only five foot three minus a quarter.

Michele Folan: 5:34

Okay, I was short. Your starting point was 198.8. Okay, and then I do want to back up just one hair, because your daughter, michelle McDonald, is a certified trainer and fitness coach, so she coaches women and maybe men too.

Joan MacDonald: 5:56

All women.

Michele Folan: 5:57

Yeah, all women, and she does a lot of fitness and she does a lot of fitness and she does a lot of fitness and fitness. So she has a lot of experience.

Joan MacDonald: 6:07

She was probably looking at you as a project lovingly a project right and she did a very good job, both her and her husband, with training me and coaching me and keeping me from quitting. At the beginning I had a lot of trouble. I wanted to throw in the towel. I thought there's no way I can do this. I'm trying to follow everything I'm already old, oh no.

Joan MacDonald: 6:34

And technology was not my forte at all. She saw potential. I hadn't a clue what she could see in me, but underneath all that fat there was muscle. Yeah, all I did was just keep at it through tears and through joy. Well, she did come up the first year a few times and we did do a lot of stuff in that first year, because the first year I even did a photo shoot and was on the front of a magazine up and coming magazine called Define, and then it went on from there. It just kept growing and growing. I was hoping I was going to lose 30 pounds. I ended up losing between 40 and 45 pounds that first six months, which I told her. I said I just want to go slowly. I don't want to lose a lot of weight fast because then I'll probably get it back plus some. She treated me well and we made it together.

Michele Folan: 7:39

Yeah.

Joan MacDonald: 7:40

I could not have done this. I don't think without help which I believe everyone should have a companion, a buddy, when they're working out, trying to transform, because you need each other to build on. You need that encouragement, you need that. You can do this, you know yeah.

Joan MacDonald: 7:59

What I believe people that are starting out should do is either join a group at the gym or have a friend that they can work out if they don't want to go to a gym or go to at home, but do it together, like do stuff together. You need that community.

Michele Folan: 8:17

Yeah.

Joan MacDonald: 8:18

And now that I've gone through those these years and got my own app, our community that has grown and they have all come into transforming with that mindset of let's help each other, always encourage each other, always give helpful hints, of if you've got a problem, you voice it to your community. It's not just me, I'm the one that does the exercises and shows you what to do, but you need that community to progress. So if you wanted to do something at that, you join an app and hopefully they have a robust community, like I have on my app. I've only had that app less than three years. But going back now to 2017, I lost a major amount of weight. I got onto a magazine. Michelle got me onto the WhatsApp and the Instagram on the end of 2017. She thought I needed to keep talking to people. She thought that just talk to them, let them know what you've gone through, set an example.

Michele Folan: 9:36

Yeah, and it helps with your accountability too. It kind of keeps you going.

Joan MacDonald: 9:40

Yes.

Michele Folan: 9:41

And Joan, I do have a question, because you did lose a significant amount of weight. What changes did you make in your diet? Because you said you were snacking previously and that's where some of the weight was coming from. What other changes did you make Sleep?

Joan MacDonald: 9:57

I go to bed normally between 8 and 8.30. I've set that up until it's a good habit and then I'm up early in the morning, like 5 o'clock. So that was one Making sure that I drink fluid, a lot of water, at least three liters a day, because without that I'll tell you some of the side effects you don't drink enough, you get tired, you lose your energy and you get headaches. So these things are little side effects that if you notice that any of these things are happening, hey up your water, because your body is made up mostly of fluid. To begin with, meditating, even if it's only 15 minutes a day, like just taking time out, and be thankful that you're alive, gratitude, and still can do moving around the food.

Joan MacDonald: 10:52

I have five meals a day, three major ones like, and two the snacks are like in between. So it's only three hours. You have something to eat and out of that food content the macros are protein, good carbs and good fat, yep, so you don't overdo the fat part. You try to stay down on that when you're making out your meal plan. Keep it simple, especially when you're starting out. Don't go trying to make all these desserts and meal plans that are just elaborate. I stuck to four vegetables, my protein and out of that the fats come with the protein and the carbs.

Michele Folan: 11:36

The carbs. Okay, yeah, you didn't cut carbs out. Carbs are important, right.

Joan MacDonald: 11:40

They try to keep the carbs down. See, everybody's made differently, so some people can tolerate a lot of carbs. A lot of people like myself should stick to lower carbs and higher protein.

Michele Folan: 11:54

I think I'm the same way actually and you think that oh, I can't eat all that protein.

Joan MacDonald: 12:00

But if you measure it out, you definitely can, because there is protein in some of the carbs. So what you do is you plan your meal, you work out your carbs first for how many you need per meal. I wouldn't do my fats, because I do my carbs first and then I do my protein and then you can see how much fats that you can add. Whether it's butter or oils or peanuts or some nuts have a lot of fat in them. So you got to watch all that. But if you get the program, my macros or something that has a scale that shows you what the proteins, what they're made of, like, what's in them, like 100 grams of chicken is not all that much it's usually the size like, like the palm of your hand kind of size yes, and the palm of your hand don't ever go over that amount.

Joan MacDonald: 12:57

That's just a basic thing to look at if you don't have your scales but I use my scales, I use my scales to reinforce that memory that, okay, that's a little too much, that's not enough. Like you've got, shrimp is very high in protein, very low in carbs. So, hey, you can have a lot of shrimp, a lot of different fishes that you can have, not fishes, fish anyway. There's so many things.

Joan MacDonald: 13:28

If you, if you study the food, you'll know which are high in certain things right and if you're making out a meal plan, that's you should really be watching that, putting together at least four things in a meal. If you went back on all my pictures of my food, it's basically the same food. I just change up maybe the vegetables a little bit and the meats. It's just a study, it's something you plan out and research put your meals together proper way. If you had a good coach or trainer, someone who is briefed in, certified, you want someone that's certified and you should be able to ask all the questions you want to ask and they shouldn't resent it. And if they resent any of the questions, don't get them and I tell people that all the time, even with doctors.

Michele Folan: 14:25

Yeah, oh, and this is another question I would have for you you made all these changes on the outside and with that came lots of changes on the inside in regard to your overall health. What has been your doctor's reaction to your improved health?

Joan MacDonald: 14:43

well, I haven't had a doctor officially now for three or four years. Mine retired but she helped me in getting off the medications because I said, look it, I don't want to get hot. That's what they were saying. You've got to be on higher medications, you're not controlling your blood pressure, you've had kidney failure and you need to be watching that completely all the time because you don't know that you have kidney problems. It's a silent killer. That's what they told me. And anyway my doctor was willing to help and she actually lowered my blood pressure medication. She had to because I was now going the opposite way having lower too low. It's going too low.

Joan MacDonald: 15:30

Yeah, anyway, by the end of that first year I was off my medications. I had acid reflux, really bad. It's always felt like I was being choked. They were giving me medication for high cholesterol, but when I saw the results of that I go, it doesn't look high to me. Well, it's maintenance dosage and I'm going. Why do I have to have medication if it's not a problem, if the diet can help, why do I need that? So eventually I got off all three medications and I'm so thankful for that were you looking at diabetes too?

Joan MacDonald: 16:08

I didn't have any blood sugar issues no, there was nothing like that in my results. They weren't afraid of my diabetes. But if I had kept on the road that I was on, definitely I would have been have a problem with the diabetes. My dad before he died that he was what are you called? Top one and then he was in the second level oh okay, type two diabetes type two.

Joan MacDonald: 16:35

He had had gout most of his life and then he had the kidney. He was on dialysis for three or four years before he passed, and that affected his heart as well, and he'd managed to lose weight, but the damage was already done, past the point of no return. And if you have problems with your health, for god's sake do something about it, and it's usually diet and exercise. Weightlifting is amazing the results, and I'm not the only one. I've got people that followed me and have passed me because they were younger. They've taken a hold of their life, they're living. They're living proof that you can change, and most of my people really are anywhere from 35 and up.

Michele Folan: 17:30

You like to say, hey, if I can do it, you can do it.

Joan MacDonald: 17:34

Most definitely, Most definitely. It just takes you to be consistent in your exercises and your meal planning, your hydration, your sleep and your mindset. The mind is the powerful part. It really is.

Michele Folan: 17:51

I hope everybody listening hears what you're saying, because we talk about this on the podcast all the time and here you say this and have had such wonderful success in your 70s. I think it's so inspiring. I do want to ask you this you have put yourself out there in the social media so that you are able to inspire others. How did you decide, and when did you decide, that you wanted to put yourself out there so that you could maybe be an example of what it looks like to take care of yourself?

Joan MacDonald: 18:27

Do you know what? I didn't think I was putting myself out there. When my daughter put me on Instagram and on WhatsApp, I just thought, okay, if I talk to some people and if I can get them to change their lifestyle along with me, that would be good. I wasn't thinking of media, I didn't understand that social aspect of it, and then when I started getting feedback, I just felt like I could not stop, because people were relying on me to give them a boost, and I don't know how many people we've had that have fallen back and gone to their old habits. And then I'm seeing them come back again now and I'm going. That's good. They've learned something along the way.

Joan MacDonald: 19:15

They thought they could do it on their own. They thought that, okay, this is not really working for me. It's not instantaneous. It's a lot of hard work, but it's only for a short period of time. Every day or every other day, even if you did it only three days a week, you're doing something to keep yourself motivated and keep yourself growing stronger. That's what you need to do. That's how you have to think of it. Don't think of it in weeks or even months. Think about it. This is my life. This is how I'm going to live from now on.

Michele Folan: 19:51

It's a lifestyle. It's not a quick fix.

Joan MacDonald: 19:54

No, it's not a quick fix. It's definitely not a quick fix. It's not easy, but it is worthwhile, so worthwhile. I suffer from a lot of arthritis. I just keep going. I'll go and go until I can not go any longer. It's just, I want to be able to do things with other people and not be. I can't do that. No, I'm not going to think of that. It's not can't. I want to try. Right, and that's what I would like other people to do. Think you are the owner the choice is yours of your life. Go for it. You can do it, because I did it and I'm still doing it, and that's seven years later.

Michele Folan: 20:40

Yeah, so the group that you and your daughter Michelle, is it the Wonder Women? That's Michelle's group.

Joan MacDonald: 20:48

Yes, the Wonder Women. I'm apparently a woman. I'm apparently on that. Yes, you are. She keeps saying that I'm the most success, but it's just the success of this age group, because we didn't have any followers more than you know 60 years old before, and now it's that part of it is growing and growing and growing because people are finding I can do it, I can, and I've had people like yourself who've got parents that have they've shown and then they go oh, wow, if she can do it, maybe I can. So as long as you're looking after your life, like making that choice of being the best person you can be for the rest of your life, go for it. You don't have to bend to anybody else's idea of what age is. It's just a number. Anyway. I keep forgetting that I'm as old as I am and I do things that I shouldn't do and I shouldn't be doing. So some people say but if I can do it, why not?

Michele Folan: 21:57

Amen, I love it. You said you do get arthritis and you may get achy and sore, but you say you work through it and you keep going. Those are all some of those expected things. I know it does hold some people back from maybe doing everything that they can. But Joan, one of my big things for 2024 is my mom, who was also named Joan. When she was 86 years old almost 86, she fell in her kitchen. She didn't hurt herself, but she couldn't get back up off the floor. So when I tell people I'm doing all these things for my health, not to fit into my favorite jeans at 59, I'm doing it for 86. Beautiful, so I can get up off the floor right.

Joan MacDonald: 22:53

Yeah, If you knew how many times I have fallen off my bicycle because I wasn't looking where up it's going, you'd be amazed, because I never stay down. I get up, I keep going. It's out of embarrassment more than anything else, Like what's this old lady doing laying on the ground? I'm okay, I'm okay, I just keep going. Yeah, I think it's embarrassment on my part, but I mean, each person is going to react differently. But you can do many things that you think you can't do. You just have to try and put an honest effort into it. You will amaze yourself. I mean, there's so many women. They've let the men take over their lives to the extent. No, no, no, not me. I've always been independent in spirit. Like don't tell me, I can't do something. That's just aiding and abetting me. Like okay.

Michele Folan: 23:51

Right, you were recently on the cover of Women's Health Magazine. Okay, mind blown, amazing. What was that like? And did you ever, in a million years, let's say? Let's go back seven years?

Joan MacDonald: 24:07

No.

Michele Folan: 24:07

I mean come on.

Joan MacDonald: 24:09

I guess because I don't get all excited about these kind of things. I just I'm curious, why did they want me? Because there's other older women out there? But I guess it's because of the following I have I don't know I've still yet to figure everything out of why. I've made an impact with the world, with people. I made really, really good friends with people from different parts of the world that I didn't even know existed, and when they wanted to do me like I said, I was curious, but when I went there I was treated royally. All the girls were there was one from almost every age group, like 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, and 20, the late 20s.

Joan MacDonald: 24:57

They did it from one right up from 20s up to 70s. They treated us all royally. There was nothing pre-cantious about them. They were just wonderful people. It just goes to show you cannot judge anyone no book by its cover, because you think that they're way beyond you and meanwhile they're just the most wonderful people. I've had the best experience with all the podcast people, with all the magazine people, with all the postings of everything. I have been the most lucky person. I can't say anything bad about them because they've all been great.

Michele Folan: 25:41

Yeah, you know, I know Susan Guidi. She's been on my podcast and she says so many wonderful things about you. I took the opportunity, joan, to reach out to some of the other women that have worked with you, and Michelle, and I asked them. I said what kind of impact has Joan had on you? Here are some of the quotes that I got, and they were all very willing to tell me what they thought of you. So I'd one say I adore Joan endlessly and am forever grateful to her. She will always be my inspiration.

Michele Folan: 26:17

My biggest goal is to share my journey with others as a way to give back to Joan. Her courage allowed me to realize I could take my life back. I realized just how deeply I had abandoned myself and we all need examples of what is possible for us and, joan, is that for me a true gift to my life? I could go on because there were more amazing quotes, but your impact on these women has been heartwarming and incredibly inspiring. Are you looking for a tissue? Wow, I mean, it's life changing what you're doing and I don't want to minimize some women do feel hopeless or they just feel their life has lost direction and they've lost themselves somewhere along the way.

Joan MacDonald: 27:16

They've totally given up, and I hate seeing that, because I know that there is hope for pretty much all of us. The only time is when disease has taken over and takes your life away that way. But other than that, if it's just hopelessness, there's no such thing, because you can be the power that changes your life. You've got to believe in yourself. You've got to love yourself. You've got to love what you've tried to do, how you've brought up your family. If you don't have family, you have an impact on anyone you meet. Some of it's good, some of it may be bad, but it's an impact. So just work on the good stuff, the positive stuff that you can relate to others.

Michele Folan: 28:12

I think that's really well said. I think a lot of women that you work with see you as family and that broader community that you and your daughter have built. That is what is so amazing. It's just really a neat organization overall.

Joan MacDonald: 28:31

Yeah, she's really worked hard to change the narrative about aging, and there are so many of you out there. They're on the same page and what you're doing is amazing, just like what Michelle's doing is amazing. It's what we need. Women are so much stronger than they could ever believe they are. They are the backbone of society, not taking away from men, but men and women think differently much differently. Their emphasis is on different things altogether. Health is one thing that's common between us men and women, but I do have some men followers as well.

Joan MacDonald: 29:16

I bet you do, which I can't hardly believe. They sort of hide in the background, and then every once in a while I see something about what they say but yeah, it's really about taking control and doing it before there is a health crisis. And there is a health crisis today.

Michele Folan: 29:34

Right, there, definitely is, but we've got you as our inspiration. I do have one last question really to ask you. I ask all my guests this what is one of your main pillars of self-care? What is something you do every day for yourself?

Joan MacDonald: 30:01

It's gratitude, yes, that I can do what I can do and when I'm in Mexico, like my mode of transportation because it's crazy driving down here is my bicycle, and I've got a lot of people would be scared of how I do it. My closest friends that I've made through this journey have just said you are crazy, isn't it helps it helps.

Michele Folan: 30:26

You have to be a little crazy.

Joan MacDonald: 30:28

Oh yeah, I've got more courage than I thought I had, but it gets me going. It keeps me going, just having that impulse to get somewhere, do something, make something better.

Michele Folan: 30:42

Yes, I love that. Thank you, Joan. I really appreciate you being here. I will put your contact information and the show notes so people know where to find you. I hope that we get to connect again.

Joan MacDonald: 30:58

Well, thank you very much and I'm glad Susan spoke up. She is one of my best supporters, as I am of her. She's great. She's just a wonderful person.

Michele Folan: 31:10

She's a dear friend, lover. So much, Thank you, Michelle. Thank you Joan.