Joan MacDonald, a 75-year-old fitness influencer, has more than 1 million Instagram followers.
When Joan’s daughter, Michelle, urged her to make a positive change in her life, she lost nearly 60 pounds.
Joan MacDonald, who is in her 70s, went from being unable to walk upstairs to being a fitness influencer on Instagram with over 1 million followers.
Her transformation journey began five years ago when she admitted to being always tired, suffering from terrible arthritis, and finding it difficult to be active, even if it meant walking up a flight of stairs.
Joan MacDonald’s breaking point came when she was told by a doctor that her blood pressure was rising and that she would have to increase her medication once more.
Her daughter, Michelle MacDonald, a fitness instructor, was visiting her at the time and urged her to make adjustments to her diet and exercise to enhance her quality of life.
“I believed it was now or never when Michelle gave me that ultimatum to do something about my life,” Joan MacDonald said. “I was weary of being sick and tired of being sick and tired of being sick and tired of being sick and tired of being sick and tired of It didn’t live, it just existed.”
Joan MacDonald traveled from her home in Canada to Tulum, Mexico, where Michelle MacDonald and her husband own a gym, only weeks before her 71st birthday.
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She began to follow a diet plan devised by her daughter, which emphasized getting enough macronutrients (fats, carbs, and proteins) in five meals per day rather than occasional snacking as she had previously done.
Joan MacDonald also started working out in the gym with Michelle MacDonald, the founder of The Wonder Woman, a strength and bodybuilding coaching program.
“It was difficult at first,” Michelle MacDonald said. “People don’t realize [my mother] was in the trenches, trying to figure it out and becoming upset.”
Joan MacDonald’s incentive to keep going stemmed from how much better she felt after only a few days.
She said she shed about 10 pounds in the first month of training and was able to cut her prescriptions in half in only a few months.
Joan MacDonald continued her wellness journey once she returned to Canada, tracking her food with a macronutrient-focused app and maintaining her workouts.
“I go to the gym five days a week,” she stated, noting that two of those days are dedicated to aerobic exercises. “I enjoy that habit because it offers me something to anticipate.”
She claims to have lost 65 pounds and stopped taking drugs for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and acid reflux in the last four years.
Joan MacDonald said her daughter pushed her to open an Instagram account to track her accomplishments and interact with others as she improved her health.
Her Instagram account, Train With Joan, now has 1.5 million followers. Michelle MacDonald, who specializes in counseling women of all ages, oversees her website and app, which offers workout and nutrition programs.
Joan MacDonald hopes that those who follow her path learn that it’s never too late to make a positive change, regardless of age or circumstance.
“Nothing in this world is magical. It’s work, but it’s work you’ll enjoy doing “she stated “At the end of the day, all that matters is that you’re stronger and healthier.”
Michelle MacDonald suggests taking a photo of yourself on the day you begin your journey and recording your progress.
“Start with a photo… and snap photos once a week,” she said. “You may not notice changes, but you will.”
