Putting in the effort but still not seeing the results you want? Feeling stuck in the constant battle between feelings and facts—leaving you frustrated and going in circles? It’s time for a serious reality check.
In this episode of the Unfiltered Fit Life Podcast, I’m breaking down a hard truth: ignoring the problem won’t make it go away. If you’re not seeing progress, there’s a reason—and we’re about to figure it out. Learn how to stop relying on emotions alone and start using real data to assess where you are, where you’re going, and what needs to change.
This episode is for you if you’re tired of spinning your wheels with the same strategies and getting nowhere. If you’re ready to break free from the mental roadblocks holding you back, buckle up—this one’s for you.
Here’s what we’re getting into:
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How to recognize when your fitness strategy just isn’t working
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Why letting emotions run the show will keep you stuck
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The magic of combining gut feelings with hard data for real progress
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How self-awareness and strategic changes lead to long-term success
Let’s be real: waiting for change while ignoring the problem isn’t the move. It’s time to acknowledge where you are, reassess your approach, and start making real progress.
We are losing trust in ourselves and in our bodies. Yet, we are letting the way our body feels, which we are emphatically disconnected from due to the overuse of useless data, dictate whether or not we need to change something. - Nathalia
So tell me—have you been feeding yourself a story that doesn’t match your goals? What changes are you making to actually get where you want to be? Let’s talk about it on Instagram!
Mentioned Links
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Thanks for joining us on the Unfiltered Fit Life podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review on Apple and Spotify to help us reach even more women ready to simplify their fitness journey so they can lose weight, regain their confidence, and feel sexy AF!
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.
This episode is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.
The podcast transcript for this episode of the Unfiltered Fit Life podcast follows
Hello, and welcome to another episode of The Unfiltered Fit Life Podcast.
I’m Nathalia Mello, your host, and I want to start today’s episode with a question:
How would it feel to have a body that makes people ask if you are training for something? A body that visibly shows your effort and dedication?
Because I talk to so many women who are putting in the work—tracking protein, showing up to workouts, and being mindful of their food—but their results do not reflect the effort they are putting in. And today, we are going to talk about why that happens and what needs to change.
Before we get into it, I want to share a personal story. Stay with me—there is a point to it.
Ignoring a Problem Does Not Make It Go Away
I have ADHD, but I was not diagnosed until I was 38 years old.
Back when I first moved to the U.S. from Brazil, I was living alone for the first time. I had a bad habit of ignoring my bills. I would see them in the mail, leave them on the counter, and tell myself I would deal with them later.
More than once, my electricity was cut off—not because I could not afford to pay the bill, but because I refused to open my mail.
This created a much bigger problem. My food would spoil, I would have to replace it, and it took more effort to fix the situation than if I had simply opened my bills and paid them on time.
I was reminded of this story recently when I saw a post on social media that made me angry. It said:
"If your clothes do not fit, do not stress about it. Just buy a bigger size. You need to feel good."
I am all for self-love and not letting a number define you, but this mentality of ignoring the reality of weight gain and simply buying bigger clothes is the same as ignoring my electric bill. The problem does not go away—it gets worse.
Why “Just Buy Bigger Clothes” is a Dangerous Mentality
Your self-worth is not defined by your weight, and your happiness is not dictated by a clothing size.
However, if your solution to your clothes feeling tighter is to buy a bigger size without addressing why your body is changing, you are avoiding reality.
It is like refusing to check your bank account while continuing to spend money. At some point, there will be a problem you can no longer ignore.
I am not talking about trying to fit into clothes from high school. Bodies change with age, and that is normal.
I am talking about dismissing real signs that your body is changing in a way you do not want and convincing yourself that everything is fine just because facing the problem feels uncomfortable.
The “I Feel Good” Trap – Are You Being Honest with Yourself?
One of the biggest lies we tell ourselves is:
"But I feel good, so I do not need to change anything."
Feeling good is important, but it should not come at the cost of ignoring reality.
We rely on external data for everything.
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We check our phones to tell us if we slept well.
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We look at our watches to tell us if we worked out hard enough.
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We track calories, steps, and workouts because we know our brains are not always reliable.
Yet, when it comes to weight, health, and fitness, we suddenly decide that we should rely only on how we feel.
The same body that tells us to binge eat when we are stressed.
The same body that tells us to skip workouts because we are tired.
This is where people get stuck.
A Real Conversation That Proves My Point
I recently spoke to a woman who reached out because she wanted to lose weight. I asked her what she was doing, and she said,
"I am already doing all the right things. I feel great."
So I asked, "How much do you weigh right now?"
She told me she was 250 pounds.
I had spoken to her ten months earlier, and I keep notes from my coaching calls. When I checked my notes, I saw that ten months ago, she was 235 pounds.
She had gained 15 pounds, yet she was still saying, "I feel good" and "I am on the right path."
If your goal is fat loss but you have gained 15 pounds, how is what you are doing working?
She paused and said, "Well, but I feel good."
This is the trap.
She convinced herself that she was making progress because admitting she was not would have been uncomfortable.
If her goal was something else—such as improving energy levels or strength—then that would be different. But she said her goal was fat loss.
This is where people need to be brutally honest with themselves.
Are You Lying to Yourself?
Ask yourself these questions:
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You say you "feel good," but are you actually frustrated?
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You say you are happy with your progress, but are you secretly wondering why your body is not changing?
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You say what you are doing is "working," but are your results proving otherwise?
We need to stop hiding behind emotions and start using objective data to guide our progress.
The best way to have the body that makes people ask, "Are you prepping for something?" is to stop making excuses and start tracking what actually matters.
If your goal is fat loss, measure it.
If your goal is muscle gain, track your progress.
If your goal is strength, write down your lifts.
If what you are doing is not working, be honest with yourself and change it.
The Body You Want is Possible, but You Have to Be Honest
If you have been doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, it is time to stop, assess, and make a real change.
You can feel good and still make progress.
You can love your body and still want to improve it.
You can enjoy your life and still work toward your goals.
But none of that happens if you keep ignoring reality.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
I want to hear from you.
Send me a message on Instagram (link in show notes) and let me know:
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Are you stuck in the “I feel good” trap?
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Do you need help finding the right strategy to see real results?
If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review and share it with a friend who needs to hear this.
This is how we spread the message and help more women step into their strongest, healthiest, and most confident selves.
Thank you for listening, and I will see you next week.
Adios.
