In this episode of The Unfiltered Fit Life, I speak with Sandraliz — a powerhouse woman who went from hiding in photos and baggy clothes to thriving with confidence, balance, and strength.
Sandraliz opens up about her journey from shame and skepticism to results she never thought possible and shares how Powerhouse Academy helped her finally break free of fad diets and unsustainable programs.
Here’s what you’ll hear:
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Sandraliz’s breaking point moment that made her realize enough was enough
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The hidden impact weight struggles had on her work, social life, and family
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Why fad diets and extreme programs failed her time and time again
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How Powerhouse Academy’s one-on-one coaching changed the game
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The surprising role mindset and emotional eating played in her progress
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Living and training with lupus and why sustainability mattered most
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The life changes beyond weight loss: photos, clothes, family connection, confidence
I lost so much weight in my heart and in my mind. That’s where the real transformation happened. – Sandraliz
Sandraliz’s story is proof that you don’t need more complicated rules or quick fixes — you need balance, support, and a safe space to show up as yourself.
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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 follows
Meet Sandraliz
Nathalia Melo [00:00:01]
I kick off the episode by introducing my guest, Sandraliz — a police dispatcher, wife, and mom of a senior in high school. She shares her background, from growing up in California to building a 27-year marriage, and why she was nervous but ready to open up about her fitness struggles.
Why Keto and Quick Fixes Didn’t Work
Sandraliz Rosco [00:02:26]
Sandraliz admits she tried it all — keto, carb cycling, fasting — and every “Instagram trainer” program she could buy. Instead of progress, it left her overwhelmed, ashamed, and convinced she was going to fail again. She explains why complicated diets and restrictive rules made her feel worse, not better.
The Breaking Point
Sandraliz Rosco [00:05:13]
Living in Florida, Sandraliz describes wearing heavy jackets in the heat to hide her body. She shares the painful moment she realized she was avoiding photos, skipping social events, and even hiding from her own son — afraid that if something happened to her, he’d barely have pictures to remember her by. That was her wake-up call: “This is not okay.”
How It Impacted Every Part of Life
Sandraliz Rosco [00:06:47]
Sandraliz opens up about how her lack of confidence bled into everything — her social life, family connections, and even how she showed up at work. She explains how hiding, self-consciousness, and constantly choosing “black clothes only” kept her from fully living.
Why Powerhouse Felt Different
Sandraliz Rosco [00:09:42]
Unlike cookie-cutter trainers, Sandraliz says Powerhouse Academy gave her a squad — coaches invested in her success. She describes how the one-on-one support, honest feedback, and consistent check-ins finally gave her a safe space to ask for help, work through fears, and learn tools that actually fit her life.
Unpacking Mindset and Emotional Eating
Nathalia Melo [00:12:46]
I highlight how too much “stuff” — fad workouts, restrictive food rules — makes women feel stuffed out. Sandraliz explains how simplifying her approach actually made her more consistent, and why addressing emotional eating and self-sabotage was the real game-changer.
The Fear of Failing Again
Sandraliz Rosco [00:15:43]
Sandraliz shares how her biggest fear wasn’t just the investment of time and money — it was being honest with herself. She worried this would be “just another thing” she’d fail at. Opening up to coaching meant facing hard truths she had avoided for years.
Honesty and Commitment
Sandraliz Rosco [00:18:47]
What made Sandraliz commit was honesty. She recalls how I laid out expectations clearly: no miracle promises, just a partnership that required her to show up and do the work. For her, that straightforward dialogue and investment in her as a person was the turning point.
Navigating Lupus and Lifestyle Change
Sandraliz Rosco [00:21:33]
Sandraliz opens up about living with lupus and how Powerhouse coaching addressed her unique needs. She explains how consistent nutrition, balanced workouts, and reduced stress lowered the frequency and severity of her flare-ups — from two to three each month to just two in the last six months.
Learning What “Healthy” Really Means
Sandraliz Rosco [00:26:57]
She admits that before, she thought she was “eating healthy,” but what she really lacked was balance. With the Academy’s guidance, she learned how to eat in a way that supported her body instead of stressing it, and that made all the difference.
Confidence Beyond the Scale
Sandraliz Rosco [00:28:12]
Beyond the 34 pounds and 15 inches lost, Sandraliz describes non-scale victories: taking photos again, wearing shorts on vacation, adding color and prints to her wardrobe, and showing up fully with her family. She explains how confidence changed not just her body, but her relationships and how she lives her life.
A More Present Wife and Mother
Sandraliz Rosco [00:30:39]
Sandraliz reflects on how her transformation impacted her marriage and family life. She no longer hides in the background — she’s camping, socializing, holding her husband’s hand, and being present with her son in ways she wasn’t before.
Coaching With Purpose
Nathalia Melo [00:31:46]
I share how hearing stories like Sandraliz’s gives our coaching team purpose. For us, it’s not about before-and-after pictures — it’s about life change, confidence, and helping women step fully into who they want to be.
The Power of a Safe Space
Sandraliz Rosco [00:32:42]
Sandraliz explains how Powerhouse gave her something she never had before: a safe space to be herself, even at what she thought was her “worst.” With honesty, accountability, and compassion, she finally felt supported in a way no other program had provided.
Her Advice to Women on the Fence
Sandraliz Rosco [00:35:46]
For women who feel stuck and skeptical, Sandraliz’s advice is simple: be open. She says you deserve to have a squad behind you, coaches who care, and a program that goes beyond workouts and diets. “You deserve to be 100% yourself — and have people accept you that way.”
