She gave up sugar at 55 and lost 27 pounds—but the most important changes went far beyond the scale.

After receiving alarming test results showing prediabetes, fatty liver disease and concerns about her kidney function, author and journalist Sibylla Nash knew something had to change. She made the life-changing decision to dramatically reduce her sugar intake—and the results surprised even her.

In this episode of Six Weeks to Fitness, Sibylla shares how reducing sugar helped her lose 27 pounds after age 55, control her cravings, improve her energy and take greater responsibility for her health.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• The health scare that became Sibylla’s wake-up call
• How prediabetes and fatty liver disease motivated her to change
• Why sugary drinks were sabotaging her weight-loss efforts
• What happened to her cravings after she reduced sugar
• How she lost 27 pounds after age 55
• The challenges of losing weight after menopause
• Why exercise alone wasn’t enough to improve her health
• Her current approach to sugar, portion control and healthy eating
• The next step she is taking to improve her healthspan
• Her advice for adults over 40 who want to make lasting changes

Sibylla’s story is a powerful reminder that healthy aging isn’t simply about living longer—it’s about preserving your energy, strength, independence and quality of life.

FREE 21-DAY SUGAR-FREE CHALLENGE

Beginning September 28, 2026, VINCE Magazine, Body Sculpt of New York and Six Weeks to Fitness are hosting a free 21-Day Sugar-Free Challenge led by Coach Keri Watkins-Webb.

Participants will receive education, practical strategies, daily accountability and support from others working toward the same goal.

Join the free Challenge:
https://www.skool.com/six-weeks-to-fitness-w-vince-6247/about

LEARN MORE ABOUT SIBYLLA NASH

Website: https://sibyllanash.com
Instagram: @sibylla_writes_stuff

GET MORE LIFE TO YOUR YEARS

Get the book More Life to Your Years:
https://payhip.com/b/3EdMl

Join the free Six Weeks to Fitness community:
https://www.skool.com/six-weeks-to-fitness-w-vince-6247/about

Hosted by Vincent Ferguson, U.S. Navy veteran, certified wellness coach, author and host of the Six Weeks to Fitness Podcast.

Add more life to your years—not just years to your life.

Full Episode Transcript

Vince Ferguson: Joining me today on my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast is none other than author, journalist Sibyllala Nash. And she has an incredible personal health journey that I think is going to resonate with a lot of adults over 40. Sibylla, welcome to Six Weeks to Fitness.

Sibylla Nash: Thank you so much for having me, Vince. I’m really excited to be here.

Vince Ferguson: Well, I’m excited to have you so you can share your story. But before we get into your health journey, Sibylla, tell us a little about yourself and your background as a writer and journalist.

Sibylla Nash: Sure. I’m an author and a journalist, and I’ve been writing professionally for most of my career. My work has appeared in publications including Essence, Vibe, uh, LitHub, the Chicago Tribune, and I’m also the author of several children’s books for, uh, Simon & Schuster and Sports Illustrated for Kids. I’ve always been interested in, uh, you know, people and the stories behind their lives, and that’s really been, like, the through line of my work. I have an MFA in writing from Otis College of Art and Design, and a journalism degree from USC. And when I received my own diagnoses, I put on my reporter’s hat and looked into my own life and health and next steps.

Vince Ferguson: Hmm. Wow, you have an extensive, uh, resume there. A lot of credibility. You’ve also been pretty busy. I can, I can tell when I hear it. So that-

Sibylla Nash: Well, trying. Yeah.

Vince Ferguson: Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: That’s true.

Vince Ferguson: But that must have made, made it even more, more kind of like a shock for you when you received your test results that kind of got your attention. Talk about that. What did your doctors find, and what went through your mind when you saw those results?

Sibylla Nash: Well, Vince, to be honest, it was a combination of things. Like, I’d been, and I still am, pre-diabetic for at least the last five years. You know, I developed gestational diabetes, and the doctors warned me, “Hey, this can become type 2 diabetes later

Sibylla Nash: on in life.” And later does catch up with you. And, uh, so in March, I had some blood work done and some scans. And, uh, one of the scans incidentally picked up fatty liver disease. Like, they weren’t looking for it, but they noticed, like, “You have fatty liver disease.” And then my blood work showed that I also had, uh, kidney disease. Like, where the numbers range, it was stage two. You know, like, still in a good part, but still stage two. And then you couple that with the pre-diabetes designation, and I’m like, “Man, I’ve got three health issues going on. This is kind of crazy, because I’ve always thought of myself as a healthy person.”

Vince Ferguson: Hmm. Yeah, so it te- to you, it kind of felt like it came out of nowhere?

Sibylla Nash: well, you know, I won’t say nowhere, because I, I did have that pre-diabetes designation for, you know, years. But I still felt healthy, so in that sense, yes, the kidney disease and the fatty liver disease did seem to come out of nowhere and, and shock me.

Vince Ferguson: Did they, did they want to put you on medication because of this?

Sibylla Nash: No. So, you know, that was, like, the first test. And so, you know, the doctor’s like, “You know, come back in three months and we’re gonna do more blood work and see what’s really going on, and do an ultrasound of your, your liver and your kidney, and really look at things.” So I had three months. I was like, okay. So, you know, I’m like, I’m gonna, I’m gonna make a difference. I’m gonna change it. Because I did some research and I saw that, yes, pre-diabetes can be reversed. Yes, fatty liver disease can be reversed. And kidney disease does not have to progress. You can stabilize it, you know, with diet and exercise for all three.

Vince Ferguson: Hmm.

Sibylla Nash: It’s very important to, get a handle on things very early in the diagnosis.

Vince Ferguson: Yes, most definitely. And you were determined, you somehow were determined not to let this be your, the deciding factor in your life. And you said you had a why, a why that was so strong that demanded that you change your, the, the trajectory of your life. What was that why?

Sibylla Nash: you know, my why for me was really fear motivated. I did not want to lose a foot.

Vince Ferguson: Hmm.

Sibylla Nash: I did not want to spend hours on end in dialysis. You know, I didn’t want my life to be dictated by doctor’s visits. So my why was like, I, I gotta do something. This is not gonna be… I don’t want this to be my future if I can help it.

Vince Ferguson: Hmm. Very good. And but what drove you to start giving up sugar? Because that to me was amazing. You decided yourself, and you went cold turkey when you gave up sugar. How did you do that?

Sibylla Nash: Well, you know, to be honest, the root of my problem was that I had developed a Starbucks issue, okay? I was getting ventis almost every other day with all types of add-ons, extra foam, extra syrup.

Vince Ferguson: Wow.

Sibylla Nash: You know, I was drinking, drinking an extra 500 calories with these, in addition to, you know, eating your regular meals throughout the day that also has sugar in it. So my sugar intake was excessive, and that was to me, like, the no-brainer. Hey, look, you wanna, you know, do something about your diabetes, your pre-diabetes rather. You wanna lose weight. Cut sugar out. You know, to me, that seemed like the thing that I had in control. Like, I could cut that out of my diet. So I cut that out. I cut out carbs, because, you know, they have glucose.

Vince Ferguson: Right.

Sibylla Nash: And I cut out red meat. I was eating salads. I was eating fruit. And, you know- Let’s be honest, sugar is in everything. So I mean, you can eliminate it to the best of your ability, but it’s in condiments, it’s in ketchup, mayonnaise. You know, it’s in all types of, foods.

Vince Ferguson: Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: But what I started with were the obvious culprits, which were the big sugary drinks. You know, so I didn’t drink anything except water. You know what I mean? I just cut it. No juice, no, dairy. I drank oat milk. I drank, some almond milk. I

Sibylla Nash: looked for the unsweetened versions. So I really became, uh, a little bit more conscientious about, like, the nutritional guidelines and things like that to make sure that, okay, I’m gonna try and do the best that I can to lower my sugar intake, if not just, like, eliminate it completely, you know?

Vince Ferguson: Well, did you have any support? You just did this on your own.

Sibylla Nash: Again, I did not want to lose any limbs, so.

Vince Ferguson: Hmm. Yes, yes. Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: I was like, this is… That was motiva- I did not need support. I was like, this is not, this is not-

Vince Ferguson: Wow

Sibylla Nash: … how I’m gonna end up if I can help it. I’m going to do what I have to do. Because, you know, I had been… I, I’m not even gonna pretend. I had, you know, my goal weight for, like, years was 140 pounds because, you know, after I hit perimenopause and, you know, and middle age, it was just so much harder to lose weight. I mean, you’ve known me for, let’s just say-

Vince Ferguson: Yeah

Sibylla Nash: … like, years, right? So you’ve seen me-

Vince Ferguson: Many years

Sibylla Nash: … when I was younger.

Vince Ferguson: Yes, yes.

Sibylla Nash: And I never had a weight problem. And it’s just like when it gets on, it’s like it’s so silent that you don’t even realize that you’ve gained weight until your clothes stop fitting, right?

Vince Ferguson: Mm-hmm.

Sibylla Nash: You know, just one day you can’t fit into those jeans. Like, my, my big jeans became my, uh, leggings basically.

Vince Ferguson: Hmm.

Sibylla Nash: Before they were loose, and now like, oh, these are really tight. So, you know, I was like, something has to change, and I just made that decision and I just was focused on that. Because, and when you go to the doctor and they weigh you, like for me, I’m, I’m 5’3″ and a quarter, right? So 141 pounds they consider overweight. And when I’m reading, you know, after each visit you read the doctor’s notes, I was so tired of seeing that overweight in my chart. And I was like, what, “We’re, we’re gonna stop that.” You know what I mean? We’re not… No, we’re not gonna be overweight anymore. So I was just very motivated, you know, on some superficial level, but mostly on a health level. Like, I-

Vince Ferguson: Yeah

Sibylla Nash: … don’t want the issues and challenges that come with having these three different things I have to battle.

Vince Ferguson: Yes, yes. ‘Cause here at Six Weeks to Fitness, we talk so much about health span. You know, there are people who talk about lifespan, how long you live, but we talk about how well you live, you know? You want to live well.

Sibylla Nash: Mm-hmm. Very important.

Vince Ferguson: Very important. Very much so. And with all this, it seems like there was a combination of things that kind of crept up on you over time, you know? That it didn’t, it didn’t just happen overnight, but the, but it’s the little things that we do or that we don’t do that causes us to gain these, these extra, uh, extra pounds, and causes us to get heart disease, kidney disease, but it’s a combination of things. So we have to start taking care of our health now. But now you went from 159 pounds at 5’3″, okay, back in February, to 132 pounds today, Sibylla. That is amazing. But you were walking and exercising during that time. But looking back, what do you think was the part of your life that was not working? Because again, you were walking, y- so you did some exercise, but there’s something that was missing evidently for you lo- for you to lose the weight.

Sibylla Nash: I’m gonna be honest with you, Vince. It’s like, so I was 159 pounds in February, but you know, over the last five years, I

Sibylla Nash: reached up to, like, 169. And so my weight would fluctuate between, like, 155 to, like, 165. And you know, probably within, like, the last year, I, I kept it under 160. But again, that dealing with hormones and that weight gain, it’s, it’s very almost demoralizing ’cause it’s very tough to beat. And I was one of those people. I’m like, I’m walking every day. You know, I was doing-

Vince Ferguson: Yeah

Sibylla Nash: … you know, a couple miles every day. I, I got at least a half hour, 45 minutes every day. And so two things. One of the things was that I started walking with a friend. And so instead of walking-

Vince Ferguson: Yeah

Sibylla Nash: … a half an hour, we were walking an hour because we’re chit-chatting. You know what I mean?

Vince Ferguson: Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: We’re doing, you know, we’re, we would exercise. That made a difference, right? But it didn’t make as big of a difference because I’m like, let’s walk to Starbucks, you know?

Vince Ferguson: Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: Let’s walk to get some snacks, you know? So-

Vince Ferguson: Yeah, yeah

Sibylla Nash: … I come to understand that I was my own worst enemy. You know? It’s like I’m walking with a drink in hand. That’s not helpful.

Vince Ferguson: Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: But the thing that really changed was the elimination of sugar. I tell you, when I stopped eating sugar, within a matter of days I saw differences that I didn’t even know to expect. You know?

Vince Ferguson: Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: Like, not just, you know, I… The weight started coming off because, you know, sugar has the bloating and stuff like that. So I did start noticing the pounds coming off. But there are so many other, things that, you know, came with that. And I was like, wow, I didn’t even know that sugar was a part of that s- or was affecting that system.

Vince Ferguson: Yeah. Well, speak on that. What things did you start noticing happening?

Sibylla Nash: I think the first thing within three days, my sense of taste came back. Like, for a while I had been complaining like, “Oh, you know, I can’t smell as well. Like, is it COVID? You know, what’s going on?” And after I stopped eating sugar, I learned that it can desensitize your taste buds. Like, three days I’m eating, like, oatmeal and blueberries, and it’s just, like, the best thing ever. I was like, wow, these blueberries are ama- you know, the, it just tasted great.

Vince Ferguson: Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: So you know, my sense of taste. And then, when I was walking, you know, we weren’t running marathons, but I would come back home and I would just be, like, drenched in sweat. And it’s like, and I’ve never been that person that sweated a lot. I guess I never did, like, really hard exercise activities. But I’d come back home and my clothes would just be s- just damp just from sweating. And- Now that I’ve cut sugar out, I’m like a normal person again. You know what I mean? It’s like I’m not-

Vince Ferguson: Uh-huh

Sibylla Nash: … sloshing. My face is not like… I don’t look like I just, you know, like, did a rope climb or something.

Vince Ferguson: Right.

Sibylla Nash: So it’s like sweating the, uh, taste buds. And then, my Apple Watch, uh, was showing-

Vince Ferguson: Yeah

Sibylla Nash: … that my VO2 max was improving. Like, I was starting out at like 23 when I had started, when I stopped eating sugar. And, you know, a high point for me was getting up to 29. You know?

Vince Ferguson: Wow.

Sibylla Nash: And over the summer I like relaxed a little bit on the sugar, so I’m like at a 27.9, 28. But it’s like that improved. My, you know, cardio numbers, you know, the heart rate improved. And I just didn’t realize that sugar had been suppressing that, you know, the whole time. And the biggest thing, which is how I kind of wound up on this journey, is like I would get migraines. It’s like my whole life I got migraines, and it’s like it wasn’t unusual to have like migraines like throughout the month.

Vince Ferguson: Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: And for the longest time I thought, “Oh, this is PMS. You know, I’m getting migraines because of that.” But when I hit perimenopause and post-menopause, I’m like, “Uh, why am I still getting headaches?” Right? And, you know, at some point they become rebound headaches because now I’m trying to like medicate the headaches. And then once the medication, it has caffeine in it, when the caffeine-

Vince Ferguson: Mm

Sibylla Nash: … wears off, now I get the caffeine headaches. So it was like this awful cycle which contributed to the kidney disease, because now I’m taking like… I’m popping Excedrin like it’s candy, right? So-

Vince Ferguson: Wow

Sibylla Nash: … that’s like affecting my, you know, kidney function. And so, you know, sugar, I have not had like a migraine, migraine… Like, I-

Vince Ferguson: Sweet-

Sibylla Nash: … will get headaches every once in a while, but now it’s like I don’t get the migraine. I was getting them like every week I was dealing with a migraine or a headache.

Vince Ferguson: Right.

Sibylla Nash: It was just something-

Vince Ferguson: Right

Sibylla Nash: … it’s just a part of my life. And now I don’t. So that was like, that’s the biggest thing is like my headaches have like reduced to almost nonexistent, which is like a big deal for me.

Vince Ferguson: That is amazing. It truly is amazing. You know, I always believe the body’s always sending you signals, you know? And the migraines was a signal, but you thought it was basically because of, you know, your, your age. You’re getting older now and this, this is what happens. We make excuses up for the reasons why we feel the way we do, not realizing it could have a lot more to do with our diet, our environment, you know? So you took, uh, the initiative and started cutting down on sugar. Now, it wasn’t, it wasn’t easy, but you were determined to do it. You had your why. That’s the most important thing. Now, what about now, Sibylla? Now, ’cause I, I know you mentioned something about when I spoke to you that over the summer you started eating out more and allowing some sugar back into your diet. How are you approaching sugar now and so that you don’t go back to where you were before?

Sibylla Nash: you know, for me it’s more about portion control. so, you know, smaller portions, and again, being mindful what items am I eating, what type, what’s the sugar amount in it, right?

Vince Ferguson: Mm-hmm.

Sibylla Nash: So I can eat sugar, but I’m not eating a lot of it because, one, I don’t crave it like I used to. So it has not been like, “Oh my gosh, you know, I need to get this drink,” and, you know, ration it and ha- You know, I’m good because sugar, if I’m eating something like… The first time I went back to, uh, trying sugar, I had pancakes, and maybe I was a little bit heavy-handed on the syrup, but I tell you-

Vince Ferguson: Mm-hmm

Sibylla Nash: … when I got home, I didn’t feel well. You know what I mean? And so I noticed that now if I have something that has sugar or too much sugar in it, I get a headache. So I mean, I’m not inclined to eat sugar because I don’t feel well after eating it.

Vince Ferguson: Mm.

Sibylla Nash: So for me, I just try and eat like, you know, make sure I’m getting some vegetables, some fruits. I try not to, you know, overdo it on the pasta. Like, I’m looking at my week, you know? Like, what am I eating for the week? I don’t want to have pasta every day, you know? I want to watch the carbs, you know? And if I do have pasta, I spoke to a dietician, they’re like, “Then you need to pair it with fiber,” you know, because it can slow down the digestion. You know? So it’s like I’m watching my portion control, I’m watching what has sugar, and I’m not going back to like the sugary drinks. Like, I have not been back. I haven’t had my favorite, which was like, you know, a venti matcha with extra caramel-

Vince Ferguson: A clab

Sibylla Nash: … cream. You know what I mean?

Vince Ferguson: Oh, boy.

Sibylla Nash: It’s like, that was it.

Vince Ferguson: Oh, boy. Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: So I, I’m not in there anymore, you know, and I’m really paying attention to that because, you know, it’s 36 grams of sugar in one drink.

Vince Ferguson: Oof. 36.

Sibylla Nash: That’s like you’re supposed to have… 36.

Vince Ferguson: Mm.

Sibylla Nash: That’s like your whole allocation for the day, and that’s in one drink.

Vince Ferguson: Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: And you’re still eating stuff. I still may have ice cream. I still may have pasta. So, you know, I was packing on, you know-

Vince Ferguson: Yes

Sibylla Nash: … grams of sugar. Crazy.

Vince Ferguson: Mm. Yes. And again, if, if you don’t feel it today, you’re going to feel it tomorrow down the road. So now-

Sibylla Nash: Exactly

Vince Ferguson: … yeah. So this is, this is great. And how’s your sleeping been? Has it affected your sleep at all?

Sibylla Nash: You know, I have to say that I was sleeping better. Like, you know what I mean? It’s like, as with anything, you, once you do it for a while then you start getting used to it and you take it for granted. But yeah, initially I was like, “This is great. I’m sleeping better,” because, you know, before you’d like get up and want to use the bathroom, and now it’s just like, you know, I’m sleeping sounder. You know? I, I was-

Vince Ferguson: Yeah

Sibylla Nash: … having,.. I don’t know how to describe them, but I would have these dreams where I’d wind up like talking in my sleep and wake myself up. And I don’t know that connection, but I don’t have those dreams anymore. You know?

Vince Ferguson: Wow.

Sibylla Nash: I’m not waking myself up talking in my sleep.

Vince Ferguson: Mm.

Sibylla Nash: And I know there is a sugar connection, I just don’t know how that affects like, you know, your sleep and the brain and everything. But yeah, sleeping has been, you know, improved. I, it’s just, it’s crazy when I look at, at how much just from dropping one item from, you know, my diet.

Vince Ferguson: Yeah. But for that item, that item is a very powerful item. As a matter of fact, there was a study done where they had, mice in a cage, and they put some cocaine in one area of the cage, and they put sugar in the other. And do you know that the mice didn’t touch the cocaine? They all went for the sugar. And that tells you how-

Sibylla Nash: Sugar

Vince Ferguson: … powerful sugar is. Yes.

Sibylla Nash: It is. It is.

Vince Ferguson: And that’s… Yeah. As, as you can see, the, the, the, the problems that it’s causing with our cognitive, the cognitive decline is increasing because of sugar. Dementia. Okay? So we need to get a handle on that.

Sibylla Nash: Another thing-

Vince Ferguson: It’s astounding

Sibylla Nash: … you just reminded me. I had brain fog. You know, and that is a symptom of menopause. I had brain fog, and not eating sugar, I feel like a genius. You know, I can remember so, like, wow. And again, it’s just like, I think-

Vince Ferguson: Oh

Sibylla Nash: … for women who are perimenopause, menopause, post-menopause, sugar can heighten a lot of the symptoms, and you don’t realize it. Because before, like, when I was in perimenopause and the brain fog was starting, and I thought, honestly, I’m googling, like, early onset of Alzheimer’s, like, “What’s going on with me?” And then you realize, oh, no, that’s just, you know, hormonal-

Vince Ferguson: Mm-hmm

Sibylla Nash: … it’s part of menopause. But after I stopped eating sugar and eliminated it from my diet, my memory has improved so much more.

Vince Ferguson: Oh, beautiful.

Sibylla Nash: And again, it’s just like, these are just, like, small thing… well, big things, but, you know, how much of it is like, oh, I won’t say, like, it’s totally, totally sugar or maybe it’s just like, you know, finally it’s like everything’s evening out with menopause, but they are connected, and I know that, you know, sugar is just… it has its hands on so many different systems in your body.

Vince Ferguson: Yes. Oh, yes. My goodness. And again, a lot of us will be quick to say, “Oh, it’s because I’m get- I’m getting older and I’m not remembering stuff. I have, uh, brain fog because I’m getting older.” No, because your, your brain is being abused by the f- your diet. Your brain consumes 20% of your calories. If you’re feeding it sugar-

Sibylla Nash: Yeah

Vince Ferguson: … then it’s not getting the, the food that it needs, you know? So-

Sibylla Nash: That’s for sure

Vince Ferguson: … yeah, it’s, that’s amazing. But Sibylla, for someone over 40 who, who knows they’re consuming too much added sugar and, but they can’t imagine giving it up, what would you tell them based on what you’ve learned from your own personal experiences?

Sibylla Nash: I would tell them to stop eating sugar, period.

Vince Ferguson: Stop.

Sibylla Nash: It costs nothing. In fact, you save money. You know, you’re paying, or I was paying seven, $8 for a cup of matcha. It adds up

Sibylla Nash: on a weekly basis, you know, if you’re having it-

Vince Ferguson: Yeah

Sibylla Nash: … every other day.

Vince Ferguson: Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: So, you know, keep some money in your pocket. And the other thing I would do, you know, and I would do them in tandem, I know you said just one thing, but talk to a medical professional to understand what your diagnosis, if you have one, what it means and what you can do and how it will affect you if you start making changes now, you know? And while you’re investigating, stop doing more damage to your body. I mean, if you’re like me and consuming, like, excessive amounts of sugar, there’s compound damage to that, right? So there is no magic bullet, but there is compound damage, and you wanna-

Vince Ferguson: Hmm

Sibylla Nash: … mitigate the damage you’re doing to your body as much as possible. Because I think what you don’t do is just as important as what you do do. You know what I’m saying?

Vince Ferguson: Yes, I do. I know exactly what you’re saying. And most of your, the calories that you were consuming were liquid, liquid, uh, calories.

Sibylla Nash: Exactly. So, I mean, the body, it’s like, it just goes straight to spiking up your-

Vince Ferguson: Mm-hmm

Sibylla Nash: … blood sugar ’cause you’re-

Vince Ferguson: Mm

Sibylla Nash: … you don’t have to digest anything. You’re just slurping it down, so, you know, you’re getting those spikes in the sugar, you know, high, high, high, and then down, the crash. So-

Vince Ferguson: Spike, yeah

Sibylla Nash: … it’s just like, I know it’s hard and people can think like, “Oh, I don’t wanna give up sugar,” but the benefits outweigh whatever you think-

Vince Ferguson: Right

Sibylla Nash: … the worst thing is.

Vince Ferguson: And especially if you’re trying to lose weight.

Sibylla Nash: Exactly. I mean-

Vince Ferguson: Right

Sibylla Nash: … honestly, for, for me, I lost the weight. That’s like, you know, you think like, “Oh, I’m gonna quit sugar.” That’s a no- brainer. You think you’re gonna lose weight. But emotionally, being able to lose that weight and hit a goal I had for myself-

Vince Ferguson: Wow. Yeah

Sibylla Nash: … was just as important. You know, that-

Vince Ferguson: Yeah

Sibylla Nash: … feeling of accomplishment. Yeah, and I had this on my calendar every year. New Year’s would come, it’s like, get down to 140 pounds. And it’s like, yeah. And I never did anything to, to reach that goal.

Vince Ferguson: Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: And then once I got to 140, I’m like, why not go lower? And I’m like, yeah, go lower. And then I got to 135. I’m like, get to

Sibylla Nash: 130. I’m not there yet, but I’m two pounds away. You know what I mean?

Vince Ferguson: Oh, you’ll get there.

Sibylla Nash: I’m two-

Vince Ferguson: You’ll get there.

Sibylla Nash: Like, within a year. I’ve had that goal for, like, years. So just being able to set a goal and to achieve it makes me believe I can do anything, so. And, you know, I, I’m, you know, helping my health. I’m storing up points hopefully that somewhere down the line I’ll be able to keep doing what I’m doing because I’m taking care of myself now.

Vince Ferguson: Oh, yes. Your health is… Your health is, your health is your wealth. It really truly is. ‘Cause it’s hard to try to accumulate wealth if you’re not healthy to enjoy it, you know?

Sibylla Nash: Exactly.

Vince Ferguson: So you’re doing the right thing. You really are. And I’m very, very happy for you. But let me ask you this, though, because I know you, you’re still doing, you’re still doing your walks. I remember one, one a- one afternoon you reached out to me, you said, “I’m doing four miles of walking,” which is great. But what about strength training? Ex- you know, because that helps build muscle, give you strength, burn more calories. What about strength training, Sibylla?

Sibylla Nash: You know, it is definitely on my things to do because, you know, we’ve spoken about it, I’m reading it. They’re like, “Strength training really is…” I won’t say that magic bullet, but it really is important in terms of, like, women of a certain age, like, you know, building up that muscle, you know, so that when we get older, we’re not breaking a hip, you know? So it is on my list. I have, like, you know, hand weights, and I do feel like, oh, I’m carrying the bags up the stairs. So I am… I do know it’s something that I need to start doing, and I think that probably now that I have gotten to a point weight-wise, that is something that I can probably just start now. You know, before-

Vince Ferguson: Yeah

Sibylla Nash: … I was, like, focused on losing the weight. Now that I’ve lost the weight, now I wanna maintain, like, you know, muscle mass.

Vince Ferguson: M- most definitely because it… again, osteopor- osteoporosis is real. You wanna strengthen your bones.

Sibylla Nash: Oh, yes.

Vince Ferguson: You know? But I’m telling you-

Sibylla Nash: It’s not too late.

Vince Ferguson: Yeah, yeah, and if you, if you worked out with the weights twice a week, you know, you d- 30 minutes a day, you know, you can make the time because… and you won’t regret it. You’ll wonder why you haven’t done, started it sooner, you know? But for those people-

Sibylla Nash: I have a kettlebell

Vince Ferguson: … I’m sorry, say it again.

Sibylla Nash: Oh, I said I have a kettlebell.

Vince Ferguson: Oh, good. Go on.

Sibylla Nash: So I’m ready. I have the stuff I need. I just need to do it.

Vince Ferguson: You’re done. Exactly. And for those of you who are listening or watching, and let’s say you don’t know if you can give up sugar. Well, we’re actually going to give you an opportunity to find out if you can do it. Starting on September 28th, VINCE Magazine, Body Sculpt of New York, and Six Weeks of Fitness, we are conducting or representing a 21-day, a free 21-day sugar-free challenge led by Coach Keri Watkins-Webb through our Six Weeks of Fitness Skool platform. And Sibylla, based on everything you’ve experienced over these past several months, what would you say to someone who’s thinking about d- doing the challenge, but how would you encourage them to just go in and try it out for themselves?

Sibylla Nash: I’d say s- you know, if you wanna start small, look at what you’re eating every day. Like, start there. What are you eating every day? Where can you trim sugar out of your diet? Like, it might be like, you know what? This peanut butter I’m getting is higher in sugar than this peanut butter over here. Start comparing labels. I think the best thing is to, like, to know how much sugar you’re putting into your body each day, and take it from there. And, you know, the big culprits are sugary drinks.

Vince Ferguson: Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: Maybe you don’t have-

Vince Ferguson: Absolutely

Sibylla Nash: … three sodas every day, right?

Vince Ferguson: Yeah, yeah.

Sibylla Nash: Maybe you just, like, cut it down to one Coke.

Vince Ferguson: Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: But just start trying to, like, eliminate it as much as you can, uh, if you’re afraid of just, like, going cold turkey. But trust me when I tell you, when you do cut it out of your life, you don’t have the cravings.

Vince Ferguson: Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: Like, I’m not snacking like I used to. Before, it was like, “I gotta have some cookies. I need to have, you know, something sweet.” Stopping sweets make you not want more sweets. I mean, it’s kinda weird-

Vince Ferguson: Yeah

Sibylla Nash: … but it’s like I’m not snacking-

Vince Ferguson: Yeah

Sibylla Nash: … as much in between meals. I drink more water throughout the day, so I feel fuller. So if you want to change your life in term of health-wise, bite the bullet. Take the challenge. I mean, try it. What’s, what’s 21 days, right? It’s-

Vince Ferguson: 21 days

Sibylla Nash: … you can try it and see if it’s for you. So I’d say do it. Do it now.

Vince Ferguson: Yes. Do it now. Do it now. Plus, you’ll have support. You won’t have to do it by yourself.

Sibylla Nash: Exactly.

Vince Ferguson: You have a community of people supporting you.

Sibylla Nash: People who are in the same position that you’re in, and lean on them. So yes, community makes a difference.

Vince Ferguson: Ah, yes it does. So this has been a wonderful conversation, Sibylla. I truly appreciate you. But before you go, do you have any upcoming projects you can share with my audience, and where can people find out more about you, your books, and the work you’re doing?

Sibylla Nash: well, you can always find out what I’m up to by visiting my website, which is sibillanash.com. And if you wanna see my cats or whatever else is going on-

Vince Ferguson: The cats.

Sibylla Nash: … at the moment, you can visit me on Instagram at sibylla_writes_stuff. And as far as projects, I’m just working on another book. I had a book come out, uh, this past April called Juneteenth. That’s part of the-

Vince Ferguson: Yeah

Sibylla Nash: … Robin Hill School Series on, uh, Simon & Schuster. So check it out. But yeah, just writing more books and, uh, trying to

Sibylla Nash: live my best life sugar-free.

Vince Ferguson: Whoa, living my best life sugar-free. Wow.

Sibylla Nash: Yeah.

Vince Ferguson: Awesome. You know, I always try to end my HealthSpan interviews, Sibylla, with this one question, and if you could leave one message for adults over 40 who want to add more life to their years, based on your experience, what would that be?

Sibylla Nash: well, you know, I say that it’s all fun and games until you get into your 80s, if you’re lucky enough to get there.

Vince Ferguson: Yeah.

Sibylla Nash: So, you know, do everything you can now to ensure the next phase of your life is just as mobile as the previous phases. What did Newton say? A body in motion stays in motion. So keep moving.

Vince Ferguson: Keep moving. Ha. I think that’s a great way to end our conversation. On behalf of my organization, Body Sculpt of New York and Six Weeks of Fitness, I wanna thank you, Sibylla, for coming on the show and sharing your experience on giving up sugar.

Sibylla Nash: Oh, thank you for having me. I’m so excited to be able to share with people because to me, it’s really… it makes such big changes, and it, it costs you nothing to give up sugar. So I go for it. Experience your own health journey, revelation. It’s worth it.

Vince Ferguson: It’s so worth it. And to everyone watching or listening, thank you for joining us on Six Weeks of Fitness. If you have enjoyed this conversation, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who could benefit. And remember, if you prefer to listen on the go, the Six Weeks of Fitness podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. So until next time, I’m Vince Ferguson, that’s Sibyllala Nash. Stay healthy, stay strong, and keep adding more life to your years. God bless.