What does my nose job have to do with your fitness journey?
At first glance, nothing.
But when you really look at it—everything.
In this episode of Unfiltered Fit Life, I talk about invisible struggles and the cost they quietly take on women’s lives. The kind of struggles that don’t look urgent from the outside but slowly impact your energy, confidence, relationships, work, and ability to be present.
I share how living with a deviated septum affected far more than my breathing. It impacted my sleep, my energy, my confidence on camera, my willingness to do things with my kids, and my overall quality of life—long before anyone else could see it.
And this is exactly how fitness struggles show up for women.
You function.
You look “fine.”
But it costs you more.
We talk openly about:
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why discomfort in your body is not a small thing
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how women normalize feeling uncomfortable for years
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why agency matters in health and fitness decisions
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the difference between needing approval and taking responsibility
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why quality of life is not a luxury—it’s a necessity
This episode isn’t about cosmetic surgery. It’s about agency.
If you’re already losing moments of your life avoiding photos, dates, vacations, confidence, or energy because of how you feel in your body, it is a problem. No matter the number on the scale.
And the decision to change belongs to the person living it.
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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
What My Nose Job & Your Fitness Journey Have in Common
Introduction
Nathalia Melo: I open the episode by explaining why today’s topic might sound unexpected at first. I introduce the idea of using my nose job as an analogy—not to talk about cosmetic surgery, but to highlight invisible struggles and how they quietly impact quality of life. I share the message from a woman who postponed a call because her husband didn’t realize how much she needed support, and why that moment sparked this conversation.
The Two Types of Problems Women Experience
Nathalia Melo: I explain the difference between problems people can see and problems only the person living in the body can feel. I talk about how women often delay addressing invisible struggles because no one else thinks they’re urgent, and how that lack of urgency causes women to question whether their discomfort even matters.
How Struggle Becomes Normalized
Nathalia Melo: I break down how confidence, energy, and comfort don’t disappear overnight. These struggles build gradually, and because they happen slowly, women adapt. I explain how exhaustion, discomfort, and avoidance become the new normal—and how both the woman and the people around her begin to accept it as “just how it is.”
Why I Used My Nose Job as the Example
Nathalia Melo: I explain that my husband knew I had a deviated septum, but he didn’t understand the full impact it had on my life. I share how waking up multiple times a night, avoiding outdoor time with my kids, not posting videos, overthinking photo angles, and dealing with chronic sinus infections became normal to me—even though they were slowly eroding my quality of life.
The Trickle-Down Effect No One Else Sees
Nathalia Melo: I explain that my husband could see the struggle on the surface, but he wasn’t living the downstream consequences. I connect this directly to fitness struggles, explaining how partners often know women are uncomfortable—but don’t see how that discomfort affects intimacy, confidence, work, social life, and presence with their kids.
People Who Don’t Live the Cost Don’t Live the Urgency
Nathalia Melo: I explain why urgency feels different when you’re the one living inside the body. I talk about how women can function and look “fine” on the outside, while paying a much higher internal cost emotionally, mentally, and physically.
Agency Is Not Disrespect
Nathalia Melo: I explain why I didn’t ask permission to get my nose done. I talk about agency within a partnership, and why deciding to address something that negatively impacts your quality of life is not disrespectful—it’s necessary. I explain why treating well-being like it needs a committee vote creates bigger issues long-term.
Why This Wasn’t a Money Conversation
Nathalia Melo: I address finances and explain why this decision never became a debate about money. I compare how families don’t hesitate to invest in travel, kids’ sports, or medical care—yet often hesitate when it comes to a woman’s quality of life. I explain why I refused to apply different rules to my own health.
Fitness, Weight, and What Women Are Really Losing
Nathalia Melo: I explain why the number on the scale doesn’t matter. Whether it’s 5 pounds or 50, the real issue is what women are already losing—energy, confidence, photos, memories, and moments. I emphasize that this isn’t about appearance, but about how women feel and what that feeling costs them.
Comfort in Your Body Is Not a Luxury
Nathalia Melo: I challenge the idea that comfort, energy, and confidence are optional. I explain how ridiculous it would sound to ask permission to sleep better or feel comfortable in photos, yet women routinely treat body comfort as something indulgent instead of foundational to daily life.
Quality of Life vs Momentary Spending
Nathalia Melo: I compare investing in quality of life versus spending money on things that provide temporary excitement. I explain why being able to play with your kids, show up with energy, and participate fully in life is not selfish—it benefits everyone around you.
Why Women Hand Over Decision-Making Power
Nathalia Melo: I talk about how some women rely on their partners’ opinions because they’re afraid to make the decision themselves. I explain how this creates resentment, “what if” thinking, and unfair dynamics when women avoid owning their choices.
One Life, One Body, One Decision
Nathalia Melo: I reflect on the reality that we only get one life. I explain why improving something that clearly enhances your quality of life doesn’t require outside approval, even if the decision feels scary or imperfect.
The Question I Leave You With
Nathalia Melo: I close the episode by asking listeners to reflect on whether something impacting their health, confidence, energy, and presence is truly a luxury—or a necessity. I invite listeners to share their thoughts via fan mail or Instagram and encourage more honest conversations about agency, health, and women making decisions without needing permission.
