If you’ve ever looked at your life and thought, “I should know what to do… so why isn’t this working?” this episode is going to feel like a mirror.
Today, Heather joins me for a raw and honest conversation about what happens when you’ve been an athlete your whole life, you’re disciplined, you’re active, yet you still feel stuck, bloated, confused, and frustrated with your results.
Heather spent years coaching athletes, pushing herself, and living an active lifestyle but six months before joining us, everything felt “off.” Her eating got confusing. Her body felt uncomfortable. Her digestion wasn’t right. And even though she was still working out, nothing was changing.
She explains:
• how a previous coach’s bulking approach left her feeling worse, not better
• why she was afraid this program wouldn’t work either
• how the support, personalization, and structure inside Powerhouse Academy helped her let go of micromanaging everything
• why trusting the process unlocked the progress she was trying to force
• how her digestion improved once she released the stress and pressure
and more!
“Once I kind of just let everything go and stopped trying to white-knuckle everything… everything changed." - Heather
If you’ve been stuck in the cycle of trying harder, doing more, overthinking everything, or feeling disappointed in your body despite your effort, this episode will remind you that clarity changes everything.
And sometimes the shift isn’t more discipline… it’s support, structure, and finally letting yourself trust the process.
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More about the Unfiltered Fit Life podcast
Ever wish you had a fit and straightforward BFF with over 15 years of experience to help you filter through all the information regarding fitness, nutrition, and life?
That’s exactly what you’ll get when you listen to the Unfiltered Fit Life Podcast.
Join Former Bikini Olympia Champion, mom of 2, and fitness coach Nathalia Melo each week as she shares fitness, nutrition, and life tips to help busy working moms simplify their fitness journey so they can learn easy and simple strategies on how to lose weight and feel sexy AF.
After helping over 5000 busy working moms, Nathalia has found the blueprint to fitness, nutrition, and life success, which she will be sharing in this podcast: actionable tips that will help busy working moms be more present at work and at home.
This show is for you if you realize that nothing good comes from your comfort zone and are ready to challenge yourself to achieve great things. Follow Unfiltered Fit Life wherever you are listening to join us each week for a splash of sass, humor, and a whole lotta truth.
The podcast transcript for this episode of the Unfiltered Fit Life podcast follow
From Confusion to Clarity: How Heather Rebuilt Confidence, Consistency, and Results
Introduction
Nathalia Melo:
Hello, hello there, fam. Welcome back to another episode of the Unfiltered Fitlife Podcast. I’m Nathalia Melo, your host, and today I’m really excited because I have one of our Powerhouse Academy members with me, Heather. When she joined, I literally told the team, “You guys have to meet her, she’s the nicest person on the planet,” and everyone kept saying the same thing.
Heather:
Heather shares that she’s happy to be on, that the last six weeks have flown by, and that it’s already been an amazing experience in the program.
Heather’s Background
Nathalia:
Nathalia asks Heather to share a bit of background so listeners can get context — her age, work, where she lives, and what life looks like right now.
Heather:
Heather explains she’s 38, has been a college golf coach for 15 years, lives in Fort Lauderdale with her husband and their two dogs, and previously played professional golf. She’s been active her entire life, starting with tennis at age six. But over the last six to twelve months, things started to feel “wobbly,” which led her to seek support.
When Things Started Feeling Off
Nathalia:
Nathalia talks about how many women with an athletic background feel like they “should” know what to do. She asks Heather what was happening before she reached out.
Heather:
Heather shares that she had been in great shape in 2024, but her eating started drifting. Her workouts stayed consistent, but the information she was consuming became confusing. She felt stuck, didn’t feel good in her body, and hated how uncomfortable she felt, physically and mentally.
A Previous Coaching Experience That Didn’t Work
Nathalia:
Nathalia asks if Heather had worked with a coach before and what that experience looked like.
Heather:
Heather explains she had hired a coach previously, but the approach was wrong for her. The coach pushed a heavy “bulking” plan that left her bloated, uncomfortable, and eating far more food than her body wanted. She felt worse every week and knew she needed something completely different.
What Felt Different About Powerhouse Academy
Nathalia:
Nathalia asks what’s felt different about Powerhouse compared to previous coaching experiences.
Heather:
Heather describes Powerhouse as supportive, personalized, and structured in a way that finally clicked. She loved having her cruise menus reviewed, the tailored nutrition guidance, and the mindset workshops every other Thursday. She said the phrase “consistency through simplicity” stuck with her and allowed her to finally breathe.
Navigating a Cruise Without Spiraling
Nathalia:
Nathalia brings up Heather’s recent cruise and how many women panic about travel.
Heather:
Heather says the cruise went incredibly well. She focused on protein and vegetables, walked on the ship’s track, worked out, and never felt out of control with food. Her digestion stayed calm, she felt steady, and she didn’t deal with the usual bloating that normally derailed her.
How It Would Have Gone Without Support
Nathalia:
Nathalia asks how things might have gone without a plan.
Heather:
Heather admits she would have eaten everything in sight, overdone alcohol, and lost all sense of balance. Staying active would have been fine, but nutritionally she would have gone “nuts.”
Fears Before Joining
Nathalia:
Nathalia asks about the fears many women have before joining — especially after past experiences that didn’t work.
Heather:
Heather shares she was scared it wouldn’t work for her. The first two weeks were difficult because she tried doing everything on her own. Around week three, she chose to trust the process instead of controlling everything — and everything shifted. Her digestion improved, her mindset lightened, and her body responded.
The Power of Community and Culture
Nathalia:
Nathalia asks whether anything beyond discipline has helped Heather stay consistent.
Heather:
Heather says the community has been everything. Women checking in early, celebrating wins, sharing progress — all of it keeps her motivated. She loves watching everyone work toward the same goals, even at different stages.
How Her Life Has Changed So Far
Nathalia:
Nathalia asks how Heather’s life has changed after six to seven weeks in the program.
Heather:
Heather shares she used to avoid photos and walked with her head down. Now she feels happier, more confident, and more present. She wants to take pictures again and feels like she’s showing up differently at home and in life.
Confidence, Eye Contact, and How She Shows Up
Nathalia:
Nathalia talks about how not feeling great in your body affects how you show up socially.
Heather:
Heather explains she now makes eye contact, smiles, and says hi to people again — and even when they don’t respond, she still feels good. She no longer feels like she’s hiding.
Impact at Work and at Home
Nathalia:
Nathalia asks if these internal shifts have affected her work and home life.
Heather:
Heather says absolutely. She is more confident and present at work, and at home she’s happier, more positive, and her husband has noticed the change too.
“I Should Know What To Do” — and Why That Keeps Women Stuck
Nathalia:
Nathalia brings up the common belief that “I should know what to do because I’ve been in fitness,” and asks what Heather would say to women who think that way.
Heather:
Heather says plainly: if you knew what to do, you wouldn’t be so stressed, depressed, or constantly questioning yourself. “You don’t know what you don’t know.” She encourages women to trust experts and give themselves permission to get help.
Letting Go of the Scale and Fixing Digestion
Nathalia:
Nathalia asks how Heather’s digestion has changed.
Heather:
Heather explains she used to wake up feeling swollen and uncomfortable. Once she stopped white-knuckling everything and let go of trying to control every detail, her digestion dramatically improved. She focused on strength, consistency, her meal plan — and everything fell into place.
Nathalia:
Nathalia points out that the scale finally started moving when Heather stopped obsessing over it.
Final Reflections and Takeaways
Nathalia:
Nathalia thanks Heather for sharing so openly and talks about how powerful her transformation has already been.
Heather:
Heather expresses her gratitude for the program, the support, and how much has changed in such a short time.
Nathalia:
Nathalia wraps up the episode and shares how excited she is to continue the journey with Heather.
