You have tried the programs and even the medication, and the moment work gets crazy everything falls apart again, which leaves you wondering whether staying consistent is just not in you.
In this episode of the Unfiltered Fit Life Podcast, I sit down with Jen, a Powerhouse Academy member who was working about 80 hours a week, splitting her time between Boston and New Hampshire, and living on takeout when she first reached out to me. She had already tried about five programs and a GLP-1, and she was skeptical that anything would be different this time.
Jen is on a GLP-1, and she talks openly about expecting it to work like a wonder drug the way it did for her friends. Her doctor reminded her that results vary a lot from person to person, and Jen realized she had nothing else supporting the medication. I am very pro GLP-1, and this conversation shows why it works best when it sits on top of food, movement, and support.
Now almost four months in, Jen is meal prepping on Sundays, shopping on Fridays, working out during the busiest season of her year, and wearing clothes that have not fit in years. She also shares the wins you cannot see on the scale, from a decluttered house to a better mood at work to her mom telling her she looks like her little girl again.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Why a GLP-1 alone stopped working for her and what was missing
- Gaining the weight back after stopping a GLP-1 two years ago
- How she fits workouts and meal prep into an 80-hour work week
- Why she joined the program the same day she left for vacation
- What made this time different from the five programs before it
- Why direct access to coaches and a community kept her consistent
- Wins beyond the scale, from clothes fitting again to more patience at work
- Her advice for anyone who is skeptical and thinking about booking a call
If you see yourself in Jen's story, you do not have to figure it out alone or wait until life slows down. Book a free 15-minute call with me and we will talk about what support could look like for you.
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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.
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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.
Podcast Transcript
How to Stay Consistent on a GLP-1 When You Work 80 Hours a Week
WHERE JEN WAS BEFORE SHE REACHED OUT
Jen let her job take over her life, made excuses to skip workouts, and joked that she was the takeout queen because she was barely cooking. She kept buying bigger clothes to cover the weight she was gaining, and when she saw her friend's story on this podcast, she felt it was the push she needed. She followed me, we set up a call about a week later, and that is how she ended up joining us.
HOW THE WEIGHT AFFECTED HER EVERYDAY LIFE
Jen shares that she avoided turning sideways in photos, hid behind other people, and tried on outfit after outfit before going to plans she said yes to. She grew up skinny and athletic and played many sports, and the weight crept in once she started working. I point out how relatable this is, because so many women keep showing up while quietly convincing themselves that feeling tired and uncomfortable is just how life is supposed to feel.
HER WORK WEEK AND TWO HOMES
Jen is 43, married at 40, and has spent 15 years at a firm she loves, where she works closer to 80 hours a week once weekend texts are counted. She splits her time between a house in New Hampshire and an apartment in Boston, which means constant packing. Since joining, she has learned to delegate, hired a housekeeper, and started using the office gym that had been sitting there since 2019, and she now asks herself what is truly urgent so her workout still happens.
WHAT MADE THE POWERHOUSE ACADEMY DIFFERENT
After about five other programs, Jen says the biggest difference is direct access to the coaches, who answer her within two hours, along with a plan built around her life. The meal plans are simple and delicious, the workouts are quick and effective, and she now shops on the weekends and preps her meals on Sundays, which she had never done before.
GLP-1 AND THE MISSING PIECES
Jen was on a GLP-1 before she joined, saw some early results, and then the progress stalled. She admits she expected a wonder drug while doing nothing else to support it, and she gained all the weight back, and then some, when she stopped taking it two years ago. I explain that I am very pro GLP-1 and that it works best when food, movement, and support are in place, and Jen has since lowered her dose and says it gives her the boost she needs for now.
JOINING THE DAY BEFORE A VACATION
When I asked Jen on our intake call when she wanted to start, her answer was yesterday, even though she was leaving for a week at the beach the next morning. She filled out her forms on the way, did the workouts she could with what she had, and joined the group chat and office hours that week. She tells me she is glad she did not wait, because easing in while she was relaxed made the return to work much easier.
HER SKEPTICISM AND WHAT KEPT HER FROM QUITTING
Jen worried she would start again and quit, so after her first month she signed up for another year as a commitment to herself. Work is in its busiest season with a big event coming, and in the past that would have pushed her health to the back burner. This time she told the people around her what she is doing so saying no to plans feels easier, and she credits the community for keeping her going.
THE COMMUNITY AND THE SIMPLICITY
Jen has not met a single member in person, yet she describes the group as her gal pals, from cheering when her favorite spandex shorts got too big to making her laugh on a bad day. The coaches respond quickly to her check ins and help her fix meal plan issues, which takes the guesswork out. She also compares this with the complicated plans she tried before, where she bought ingredients she did not recognize and threw away meals that tasted bad.
HER BIGGEST WINS
Clothes that have not fit in years fit again, and friends, family, and strangers keep complimenting her. Her mom now tells her almost every day that she looks like her little girl again. Jen also points to wins that do not show on the scale, like decluttering her house, being more patient with people at work, and feeling a little less exhausted each week.
ADVICE FOR SOMEONE ON THE FENCE
Jen tells anyone who is curious to book a call with me, and she says my direct style pushed her to name the number she really wanted to see on the scale instead of giving a vague answer. She is honest that the hard part is the mental side and that it keeps getting easier. We also talk about the first month, when social invitations tested her, and I remind her that nobody told her to skip the wine, only to choose what lines up with her goals.
THE INVESTMENT AND ONE-STOP SUPPORT
I address the cost head on, because this is a real investment. Jen explains that before joining she paid three separate providers and had to repeat her story to each one, while our team works together and already knows her history and goals. Having everything in one app for check ins and daily habits, like sitting outside for fifteen minutes, fits her chaotic schedule.
FINAL THOUGHTS AND THE FREE TRAININGS
Jen encourages skeptics to put in their headphones and listen to my free trainings, and she says the weekly office hours feel like I am speaking directly to her. I share that I host them because so many women are being told they are broken when they are not, and that the podcast exists for the people who cannot join the program. Jen closes by saying she is proud of herself and that anyone with doubts should do a little research and book a call.
