Sick of the endless cycle of yo-yo dieting and ready for real, sustainable strategies to feel strong and healthy for life?
In this episode, I’m diving into the often-overlooked but absolutely crucial topic of fat loss during life’s major transitions—especially perimenopause and menopause.
No gimmicks. No crash diets. Just straight-up, data-driven insights to help you ditch the quick-fix mindset and start making choices that actually support your long-term health. I’m breaking down why aggressive dieting is doing more harm than good, and why prioritizing muscle mass and bone density is the real key to aging well.
This episode is for you if you’ve been caught in the trap of restrictive diets and are noticing shifts in your body due to hormonal changes. If you're ready to trade temporary results for lasting health and strength, then this conversation is exactly what you need.
Here’s what we’re diving into:
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How yo-yo dieting wrecks your muscle mass and bone density (and what to do instead).
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The eye-opening stats on aging, health risks, and how to stay ahead of them.
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What sarcopenia actually is and how to combat it before it impacts your mobility and strength.
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Why sustainable fitness strategies always win over quick fixes—especially in menopause.
Look, navigating these changes can feel overwhelming, but I’m here to help you shift your focus from short-term results to lifelong strength and well-being. It’s not just about looking good today—it’s about staying independent, capable, and thriving for years to come.
The goal is not the twenty-one-day fix. The goal is not the 75 hard. The goal is the 365 good enough Because that is what's going to give you results long term.
So tell me—how are you investing in your future health? Let’s talk about it! DM me on Instagram and join the conversation.
Related Episodes
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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.
The podcast transcript for this episode of the Unfiltered Fit Life podcast follows
[Nathalia Melo]
Hello, hello, fam! Welcome to another episode of The Unfiltered Fit Life Podcast.
Today’s topic is going to be a little controversial, but it’s absolutely necessary to talk about. If you’ve been jumping from diet to diet, trying to lose 10 or 20 pounds as fast as possible—especially if you're perimenopausal or menopausal—this episode is for you.
I’m about to break down why these extreme weight loss tactics are not only failing you but actively harming your future self. I’ve spent the entire morning researching for this podcast, and what I found is mind-blowing.
Before we dive in, I want to take a moment to thank all of you who have been leaving reviews. We’re up to 30 ratings on Apple Podcasts—so if you haven’t left one yet, please do! It helps so much in getting this podcast to more people who need to hear this message.
Now, let’s get into it. This one is juicy.
A Wake-Up Call: The Story That Inspired This Episode
I originally had something else planned for today, but a conversation I had yesterday completely shifted my focus.
I was speaking with an amazing woman who wanted help with her fitness, and she shared a powerful story about her grandmother. Her grandmother fell while going to the bathroom, broke a bone, and her life was never the same afterward.
She told me:
“It was a completely preventable accident. I can see how she never took care of her body, and something as simple as this could have been avoided if she had.”
That got me thinking. I had heard about the data on falls and fractures in elderly people, but I went deeper into research—and what I found was shocking.
Here are the statistics:
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20–30% of elderly individuals who suffer a hip fracture die within one year.
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Those who survive often lose mobility and independence.
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Up to 50% of hip fracture patients who were once independent now require long-term assistance or nursing home care.
Now, I’m 41. And I know that when we hear things like “When you’re older, X, Y, Z will happen,” it feels so far away. But the reality is this:
🚨 The body you have today is a reflection of the decisions you made years ago. 🚨
That extra weight didn’t show up overnight.
The muscle loss didn’t happen in a week.
And the ability (or inability) to get up off the toilet at 80? That’s being determined right now by what you do in your 30s, 40s, and 50s.
You Will Pay for Your Health—One Way or Another
I had another conversation yesterday about money, and I made this point:
When it comes to health, the invoice always comes.
You either pay now—by investing in proper nutrition, strength training, and sustainable habits.
Or you pay later—in the form of medical bills, loss of mobility, and a reduced quality of life.
Think of it like a retirement plan. You can’t wake up at 65 and decide you’re going to start saving for retirement three days before you retire. That’s not how it works.
Your body is the same way. You can’t wake up one day at 70 and say, “Okay, now I’m going to start building muscle and bone density.”
What Being “Healthy” Actually Means
A lot of people tell me, “But I move my body! I go to bootcamp! I do cardio!”
Listen, movement is great—but movement alone does not mean you are doing the things necessary for longevity.
👉 If you keep gaining weight and losing muscle, you are not “healthy.”
👉 If your body fat percentage is increasing, you are not “healthy.”
👉 If you rely on extreme dieting to stay lean, you are not “healthy.”
Bootcamp classes and endless cardio sessions do not prevent the inevitable muscle loss and bone density loss that come with aging. Strength training and smart nutrition do.
The Truth About Muscle Loss and Aging
Here’s a fact you need to know: Sarcopenia—the progressive loss of muscle mass—accelerates during menopause due to a decline in estrogen.
📉 Women lose 3–8% of muscle mass per decade after age 30.
So when I hear women say, “I don’t understand! What used to work isn’t working anymore!”—this is why.
When they were younger, they could crash diet, cut calories, do endless cardio, and still look “toned” because they had more muscle to begin with. But now? That muscle is declining, and they’re losing even more of it with their extreme dieting.
🚨 When you aggressively diet, you can lose up to 25% of your weight loss from muscle.
Here’s what happens when you yo-yo diet:
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You crash diet and lose 10 pounds. ✅
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2.5 of those pounds were muscle, not fat.
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You regain the weight (as most people do after extreme dieting). ❌
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But now? You gain 10 pounds of pure fat—not the muscle you lost.
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Over time, your muscle declines, your metabolism slows, and fat gain becomes easier.
Repeat this cycle enough times, and suddenly you’re in your 50s or 60s, realizing that you’ve been robbing your body of the very thing that was going to keep you strong and independent: muscle.
The Impact of Bone Loss and Why It Matters
It’s not just muscle. Menopause accelerates bone loss, too.
🦴 Women lose 1% of bone per year in perimenopause.
🦴 After menopause, that jumps to 2–3% per year.
🦴 Some women lose up to 20% of their total bone mass within 5–7 years after menopause.
And remember what I said earlier?
🚨 Falls and fractures in older adults are devastating.
When you combine extreme dieting + muscle loss + bone loss, you’re setting yourself up for a disaster waiting to happen.
What Needs to Change
1️⃣ Stop yo-yo dieting.
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Your goal is not a 21-day fix.
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Your goal is not 75 Hard.
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Your goal is 365 Good Enough—because consistency is what matters.
2️⃣ Prioritize strength training.
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Bootcamps won’t save you.
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Hours of cardio won’t save you.
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Lifting weights will.
3️⃣ Eat enough protein.
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If you’re not consuming enough protein, you’re actively working against your body.
Your Future Self Is Counting on You
I know this isn’t the sexiest conversation.
I know it’s easier to believe in quick fixes.
But if you want to be strong, independent, and thriving as you age, you have to shift your focus from short-term fat loss to long-term health.
Ask yourself:
✨ Do you want to be the grandma who sits on the sidelines?
✨ Or do you want to be the one who’s strong, active, and living life fully?
You decide today who you’re going to be tomorrow.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode! Send me a message on Instagram (link in show notes) or drop a comment.
If you found this helpful, please share this episode—because more women need to hear this.
Thank you so much for listening. See you next week! Adios!
This episode is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.
