She was working out five days a week, eating well, lifting heavy, doing everything she had always done. And nothing was working anymore.
Heather is a 52-year-old police captain - the first female captain at her department - and a Powerhouse Academy member. After gaining 15 pounds in perimenopause concentrated in her midsection, she felt stuck, uncomfortable in her uniform, and was slowly starting to accept that this was just what she was going to look like now.
She found us on Instagram, was skeptical, booked a call, and within the first two months had already hit her goal. This is her story.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Why everything she had always done stopped working overnight
- How perimenopause weight gain was quietly affecting her confidence at work
- What made her finally reach out after a year of trying on her own
- Why she was skeptical and what changed her mind
- How she lost the weight and maintained through 10 days of travel
- The mindset shift that stopped her from spiraling when the scale went up
- What her husband said at her son's baseball game that stopped everyone
- Why she just signed up for another six months
This is not a dramatic transformation story. It is a story about a woman who was already doing a lot right, hit a wall she could not explain, and finally found the support that made the difference. If you are over 50 and feel like your body has stopped responding the way it used to, this episode is for you.
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.
Podcast Transcript
Perimenopause Weight Gain, Confidence, and What Finally Worked at 52
INTRODUCTION
I introduce Heather, a 52-year-old police captain and the first female captain at her department - married for 20 years, mom of a son playing college baseball and a daughter heading to Oklahoma University in the fall. I note that Heather sounds warm and sweet and that her career makes that combination particularly striking.
WHAT WAS HAPPENING WHEN SHE REACHED OUT
Heather shares that over the past year she had gained about 15 pounds in perimenopause, mostly concentrated in her midsection and lower belly. She was working out five days a week, lifting heavy, eating home cooked meals with minimal processed food - doing everything she had always done. Nothing was changing. She felt uncomfortable in her uniform, her clothes, and out of clothes entirely. She describes lifting heavy weights and being unable to see any muscle and feeling completely frustrated.
THE TURNING POINT
There was no single dramatic moment. Heather describes a slow accumulation of frustration until she reached a point of starting to accept this was just what she was going to look like now. She found herself trying to make peace with body positivity messaging on social media but it was not actually solving anything. She saw one of my posts about a free session, figured she had nothing to lose, and booked it.
HOW IT WAS IMPACTING HER LIFE
Looking back now Heather can see what she could not see in the moment. She was becoming more introverted, avoiding the backyard parties her husband loved, isolating slightly, and showing up at work with less confidence. Even sitting at a desk in a leadership role, she describes walking into meetings differently - quieter, less engaged - not because her competence had changed but because her confidence had. She was convinced everyone could see the weight. I connect this to the bad bitch vibe and she confirms it completely.
OTHER PROGRAMS SHE HAD TRIED
Heather had done other programs in the past that worked at the time - apps, video programs, food tracking by category. But at this point in her life they had stopped working and the cookie cutter approach had no room for her actual life. There was no personal interaction, no flexibility, and no one to talk to when something was not working. She describes it as paying for a program and just logging in and following instructions with no one on the other side.
WHAT MAKES POWERHOUSE ACADEMY DIFFERENT
Heather highlights personalization as the defining difference. Having access to a registered dietitian who would look at a restaurant menu before a lunch meeting, swap out exercises within minutes when something hurt her knee, and reorganize her whole meal plan around a ten day trip. She shares that she was most skeptical the program would just be another cookie cutter approach underneath the promises - and what changed her mind was realizing the team actually shows up every single time.
THE RESULTS
In the first couple of months Heather averaged about a pound and a half of loss per week and hit her initial 12 pound goal quickly. The goal was moved to 15 to give her a comfort zone for real life. She has maintained for six months including a ten day trip where she came back up only one pound. She describes the moment she gained two pounds in a week after doing everything right, starting to spiral, talking to Jen, getting perspective, and coming back down by the following check-in.
THE MINDSET SHIFT
In the past a two pound gain would have sent Heather into emotional eating and she would have given up entirely. Instead she stayed on track and trusted the process. She also worked with Jen on deeper mindset work - the doubts and insecurities she had been suppressing as a woman in a male dominated profession, how to process them, and how to show up differently at work as a result. She describes these sessions as unexpected and genuinely powerful.
THE CONFIDENCE COMEBACK
Heather describes walking into her gym now like she owns it. No more shrinking, no more trying to make herself smaller. At her son's baseball game a friend spotted her walking across the field and said to her husband, damn look at her legs, look how confident she is. He said that's right, she's mine. Her husband also took a candid photo of her in a bikini in Arizona without her knowing and when she saw it she shared it with the group. She feels more confident now than she did even before the weight gain.
ADVICE FOR WOMEN ON THE FENCE
Heather's advice is direct: you are worth investing in. Women will spend money without hesitation on their kids or spouse but put themselves last every time. She also does the math - a nutritionist, a personal trainer, and a therapist separately would cost more than the program. And she just signed up for another six months.
CLOSING
I thank Heather for sharing her story and note that the stories of members who came before her are what inspired her to join - and her story today will do the same for someone else listening right now.
