January is marketed as a reset. For many women, it becomes the moment everything collapses.
In this episode of Unfiltered Fit Life, Coach Jen and I talk about why women burn out so quickly in January and why New Year’s resolutions fail year after year.
The problem is not food.
It is not workouts.
It is not hormones.
It is pressure, unrealistic expectations, and trying to force change without accepting the reality of your life.
We talk about how women come into January already mentally exhausted, why extreme plans create failure, and why trying to do what worked in college or your 20s is a setup for frustration.
In this episode, we break down:
• why January creates a false sense of urgency
• how all-or-nothing thinking sabotages consistency
• the difference between being competent and feeling confident
• why simplicity matters more than intensity
• how to keep moving forward without burning out
If January has made you feel like you should be doing more, pushing harder, or fixing yourself, this episode will challenge that mindset.
This is not about becoming superwoman in January. It is about doing what actually works in this season of your life.
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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
Why January Breaks Women (And Why “Trying Harder” Makes It Worse)
Introduction
Nathalia Melo & Coach Jen: I open this episode by sharing a real, unplanned behind-the-scenes moment that sets the tone for the conversation. Coach Jen and I explain how aligned we are on what women are struggling with right now and why this episode needed to happen. I introduce a powerful statistic about how quickly New Year’s resolutions fail and explain why January, especially after the holidays, becomes a breaking point for so many women rather than a fresh start.
Why January Creates Immediate Burnout
Nathalia Melo: I talk about how the holiday season is not restful for most women, especially mothers, and why January adds another layer of pressure instead of relief. I explain how women enter the new year already exhausted but feel obligated to suddenly overhaul their lives, schedules, and bodies. I connect this to the massive resolution drop-off that happens within the first few weeks of January.
How Pressure Compounds for Women
Coach Jen: Coach Jen explains how women carry multiple roles—mother, partner, professional—and how the pressure intensifies during the holidays. She talks about how January adds a new expectation to “fix everything” physically, which overwhelms the nervous system. She explains why going all in instead of easing back creates a cycle of burnout and quitting.
Why Extreme January Plans Backfire
Nathalia Melo: I explain why women often respond to January pressure by jumping into extreme behaviors like excessive cardio, rigid diets, and unrealistic gym schedules. I challenge the belief that intensity equals progress and explain why this approach creates mental and physical breakdowns rather than results.
The Real Issue Is Not Tweaks or Details
Nathalia Melo: I use an analogy to explain how women focus on small details—like carbs, cardio, or workout styles—without addressing whether their lifestyle can actually support those choices. I explain that tweaks only work when momentum already exists and that trying to micromanage details while stuck at a standstill leads nowhere.
Why Old Strategies No Longer Fit Your Life
Coach Jen & Nathalia Melo: We discuss why trying to replicate what worked in college or earlier seasons of life is unrealistic and harmful. I explain how responsibilities, energy levels, and priorities change, and why refusing to accept that reality keeps women stuck in frustration. Coach Jen reinforces that radical acceptance of your current season is required for progress.
The Illusion of a “Fresh Start”
Nathalia Melo: I explain why January creates a false sense of renewal and how women assume their schedule, energy, and capacity magically change because the calendar does. I challenge listeners to ask why January should be any different than October or March if nothing else in their life has changed.
Every Yes Is a No to Something Else
Nathalia Melo: I talk about how women try to add fitness goals on top of an already full lifestyle without removing anything. I explain why refusing to make trade-offs leads to disappointment and why change requires honest prioritization instead of wishful thinking.
Confidence vs Competence
Nathalia Melo: I introduce the difference between competence and confidence and explain why high-achieving women often confuse the two. I explain how women can be excellent at their jobs but still feel deeply uncomfortable in their bodies, and how that discomfort affects how they show up at work, at home, and socially—even when they believe it doesn’t.
How Body Dissatisfaction Leaks Into Life
Nathalia Melo: I explain how feeling uncomfortable in your body impacts relationships, social interactions, parenting, and confidence. I share examples of how women avoid photos, events, and experiences because of how they feel, even if they never say it out loud.
Outsourcing Blame Removes Power
Nathalia Melo & Coach Jen: We discuss how women often blame hormones, gut health, toxins, or external factors while continuing the same behaviors. I explain why outsourcing responsibility removes agency and keeps women stuck. Coach Jen reinforces that while biology changes, ownership and adaptation are still required.
Why Simplicity Creates Freedom
Nathalia Melo: I explain how simplifying routines, food, clothing, and decisions reduces mental load and creates consistency. I share personal examples of how removing unnecessary decisions allows energy to be spent on what actually matters instead of constant overthinking.
The Obsession With Novelty
Nathalia Melo: I talk about how constantly chasing new workouts, plans, or strategies prevents tracking progress and building consistency. I explain how novelty can be incorporated in small ways without reinventing the entire system.
What Actually Creates Change
Coach Jen: Coach Jen explains that change does not require stopping or quitting, but adjusting intensity and expectations. She emphasizes the importance of momentum, consistency, and dialing things back instead of burning out.
Final Thoughts
Nathalia Melo: I close the episode by reminding listeners that January is not special—it is no different than any other month. I explain why progress takes time, repetition, and patience, not urgency or perfection. I encourage listeners to stop trying to become superhuman in January and instead focus on sustainable change that fits their real life.
