How Sleep, Stress, and Hormones Impact Your Fat Loss Journey

• How lack of sleep messes with your hunger hormones and fat loss
• Why stress isn’t just mental—it’s physical, and it’s holding you back
• The real deal on hormones (without the fear-mongering BS)
• How to take back control and see progress, even when life is chaos

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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

Nathalia [00:00:01]
Welcome to another episode of the Unfiltered Fit Life podcast. I’m Nathalia Melo, and today we’re talking about the Big Three: sleep, stress, and hormones—the biggest influencers of fat loss and fat gain.

Listener Fan Mail: A Note from Christina H.

Nathalia [00:01:01]
Shoutout to Christina H. for her amazing fan mail about episode 92!
(Fan mail link and pronunciation moment about “Saskatchewan” included)

Why I’m Talking About This Now

Nathalia [00:03:36]
After surveying women at a presentation for a top AM100 law firm, a common pattern emerged: sleep, stress, and hormones were major concerns. This episode is here to simplify those issues and help you regain control over your results.

Energy Balance 101

Nathalia [00:07:52]
Fat loss comes down to energy balance: calories in vs. calories out (CICO).

• Deficit = Fat Loss
  

• Surplus = Fat Gain
  

• Maintenance = Balance
  

Important Note: Stress, sleep, and hormones don’t break the laws of thermodynamics. They influence how we behave—our cravings, movement, hunger cues—not the math itself.

Part 1: Sleep—The Silent Saboteur

Nathalia [00:10:20]
Poor sleep impacts fat loss by:

• Disrupting hunger (ghrelin) and fullness (leptin) hormone
  

• Making you more lethargic (less movement = fewer calories out)
  

• Increasing emotional eating
  

• Reducing recovery and increasing inflammation/water retention
  

Action Steps:

• Build a bedtime routine
  

• Hit step goals
  

• Track sneaky bites (BLTs = bites, licks, tastes)
  

• Be extra intentional with food and movement during poor sleep phases
  
  

Part 2: Stress—The Undercover Saboteur

Nathalia  [00:17:05]
Stress can sabotage fat loss by:

• Leading to skipped meals → binge eating later
  

• Increasing cravings and emotional eating
  

• Raising cortisol levels → more fat stored in the belly
  

• Disrupting sleep
  

• Making workouts the first thing to fall off
  

Action Steps:

• Shift workouts to the morning (even short ones count!)
  

• Plan meals ahead to reduce decision fatigue
  

• Outsource where needed (meal delivery, house help)
  

• Reduce workout frequency if needed—consistency > perfection
  
  

Part 3: Hormones—The Blamed One

Nathalia  [00:26:43]
Hormonal shifts (especially around menopause) can cause:

• More cravings and hunger
  

• Poor sleep → more inflammation
  

• Mood swings, brain fog, and reduced motivation
  

• Lower physical activity
  

• More body fat, especially around the midsection
  

Action Steps:

• Keep training (even when unmotivated!)
  

• Prioritize strength training for symptom relief
  

• Track symptoms and bring them to your healthcare provider
  

• Stick to simple habits like walking, portion control, and food prep
  

Putting It All Together: Regain Your Agency

Nathalia [00:34:19]
You don’t have to be perfect, but you do need to be intentional.
Start by tracking and noticing patterns:

• Are cravings up?
  

• Are you skipping meals?
  

• Are you moving less than usual?
  

• Are you blaming hormones when habits are the issue?
  
  

Real-Life Example: Cindy’s Transformation

Nathalia  [00:40:16]
Cindy, a 61-year-old client, was training 7 days a week and eating too little. After reducing her workouts and increasing calories to support recovery, her body responded positively—more energy, better sleep, and weight loss.

Final Thoughts & Call to Action

Nathalia [00:41:52]
Thank you for listening! Pick one of the Big Three to focus on this week.
Send your questions through Instagram or fan mail—I’d love to hear from you.
See you next week! 💛