The Best Result Had Nothing to Do with the Scale
Around day 10 of my first experience with the Burn Fat Like a Girl program, I realized something that had me asking “Did I just ruin this whole thing?”
For over a year, my morning routine has been non-negotiable. First thing every single day, I take my natural oral peptides the exact same way. They have been a staple for my overall wellness. So, when I started this program, I didn’t alter my routine. But then as I started learning more and more, the science clicked. Peptides are literally just short chains of amino acids. So, by swallowing my morning supplements, I was accidentally sabotaging the exact health benefits I was fasting for!
Before I go any further, let me explain why I decided to do this program. I’m not fasting for esthetic purposes. If I shed a few lbs. and tighten up my menopause belly in the process, I won’t be mad about it!
I’m doing it for the health benefits, such as gaining energy, clearing brain fog, reducing inflammation, slowing down the signs of aging, to name a few.
I chose the beginner plan, which meant six days of intermittent fasting (IF), where I wouldn’t eat for 13-15 hours each day, plus one 24-hour fast per week. I had chosen 15 hours simply because I had already completed longer fasts and knew it was realistic for me. I wanted my first attempt to be successful - and I also wanted to make sure this was a program a brand-new client could confidently follow, since I’ll be guiding women through my signature fat-burning program soon!
So, back to my realization…I was almost to the finish line and I was thinking “Well…did I just ruin the whole thing?”
Not too long ago, I would have thrown in the towel. I would have convinced myself I’d already messed up, so why keep going? I probably would have dove into the giant jar of gummy worms that I had been successfully avoiding since winning them at a baby shower the weekend before.
But this time was different.
I finished all 14 days without cheating with sugar or processed foods - not once, and honestly, I’m proud of that. Just because I’m a trainer and a health coach and I work out almost every day, doesn’t mean that I’m not human. I have my weaknesses too.
I didn’t finish it because I wanted a lower number on the scale, or because I wanted to prove that I had perfect willpower. It’s because my goal is bigger now. Ever since coming back from Utah and thinking about my future self, my motivation has changed. I’m investing in the quality of my future.
In the coming years, we’ll be building our forever home in the beautiful Tennessee mountains. I want to be strong and healthy enough to enjoy every part of that season of my life. I never thought I’d have that kind of life. I am blessed and will not take that for granted. I want the energy to work alongside my husband, hike the property with Journie, and enjoy the life we’re building together - not worried about if my body can keep up.
The biggest victory from those 14 days wasn’t whether my fast was perfect. It was realizing that one imperfect decision - even one repeated over several days - doesn’t mean the journey is over.
Progress isn’t built by being perfect. It’s built by continuing.
If you’ve ever quit because you thought you had already blown it, I hope my story encourages you. You don’t have to be perfect to make progress. You just have to keep going.
Ready to Become a Better Fat Burner?
I’m starting my signature Strong on Purpose fat burning program later this summer! If you’re curious about learning how fasting can fit into a healthy lifestyle - and want to focus on progress instead of perfection - I’d love for you to be one of the first to hear when enrollment opens.
Why I Became a Fasting Coach…
If you had asked me 5 years ago where my career would lead, becoming a “fasting coach” wasn’t even on my radar.
My passion had always been helping women become stronger.
As a personal trainer and group fitness instructor, I had the privilege of encouraging women to get stronger, move more, and believe in themselves. Watching women gain confidence—both physically and mentally—was one of the most rewarding parts of my career.
As my interest in nutrition grew, I became a certified sugar detox coach. I saw firsthand how reducing sugar could positively impact energy, cravings, and overall health. Many women experienced great results.
But I also noticed something.
For many women, following a very structured, very strict, nutrition plan felt difficult to sustain once the program ended. It was always the same - there was hope and then there wasn’t. As a coach, that was hard to witness. Although detoxing from sugar is a smart health decision, I learned that it’s not really about the sugar. It’s about lifestyle choices.
A few years later, as I was entering menopause and experiencing changes in my own body, I became so frustrated! Why were the things that had always worked before not working anymore? Instead of accepting that as “just part of getting older,” I became curious. I wanted to understand what was happening beneath the surface. Why did weight loss become harder?
About that time, a friend told me about natural bioactive precision peptides and the more I learned, the more it started to make sense. There was a better way to support my body instead of trying to fight it. As I explored how the body communicates and adapts, it opened the door to another fascinating discovery—fasting as a lifestyle.
As I learned more about fasting, I realized it wasn’t what I had always assumed.
Like many people, I thought fasting meant starving myself or losing my hard-earned muscle muss. Then I discovered there isn’t just one way to fast. There are different approaches, different goals, and different ways to tailor fasting where you are in life.
What grabbed my attention the most wasn’t simply the possibility of weight loss. It was learning how fasting could support the body’s natural processes when used intentionally - just like with peptides. It was all starting to come together!
For me, it wasn’t about another diet. It was about understanding my body instead of fighting against it.
The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn. I found myself studying, reading, listening to experts like Dr. Mindy Pelz, and seeing how fasting could fit into a healthy lifestyle rather than becoming another restrictive plan to follow.
That’s when I knew I wanted to become a certified fasting coach.
Not because I believe fasting is for everyone. It’s not.
But because I know what it feels like to search for answers when your body has changed, and I want to help other women navigate that journey with education, encouragement, and a personalized approach.
Today, I’m still learning. The research and science behind fasting are always evolving, so I will always be learning and growing with it. And I’m excited to begin coaching women who want to explore their health - especially during the seasons of life when the old approaches don’t seem to work anymore.
If you’ve been feeling frustrated, discouraged, or like your body has changed and no one can explain why, I hope you’ll follow along. This is a new chapter for me, and I’d love for you to be a part of the journey.
Ready to Become a Better Fat Burner?
I’m opening my first Strong on Purpose Fat Burner Program later this August! If you’re curious about learning how fasting can fit into a healthy lifestyle, I’d love for you to be one of the first to hear when enrollment opens.
Connection Is Part of Wellness Too…
For years, I welcomed women through the doors of gyms - sometimes my own, sometimes someone else’s - but the goal was always the same: to help them become stronger.
Today, that mission hasn’t changed. I’ve simply expanded what “strong” means.
A few weeks ago, I invited a group of women to my backyard and kitchen for an evening I called Stretch, Sip, Reset.
On the surface, it looked like stretching, good food and drinks, and good conversation. But what I was really creating was something many of us need even more as we get older: Community. This is exactly what so many women need right now.
As we move through perimenopause and menopause, our estrogen naturally declines. Dr. Mindy Peltz often talks about how estrogen doesn’t just affect our reproductive health—it also interacts with important brain chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and oxytocin.
Those chemicals help influence motivation, joy, calm, connection, and our ability to handle stress. So if you’ve ever found yourself feeling…
Less motivated.
More anxious.
More overwhelmed.
Or simply more isolated than you used to…
You’re not imagining it. Your body is changing.
And while we can’t completely stop those changes, we can support ourselves in healthy ways. One of the most powerful ways is surrounding ourselves with other women. Being around women who encourage you, laugh with you, listen without judgment, celebrate your wins, and remind you that you’re not doing this alone.
We often think wellness means finding the perfect workout or eating the perfect diet. Those things matter, but so does having people in your corner.
That’s what I want Stretch, Sip & Reset to become. Not another fitness class, not another obligation. A place where women can breathe, connect, learn, laugh, and leave feeling just a little lighter than when they arrived.
If this sounds like something you’ve been craving, I’d love to have you join us at our next Stretch, Sip, Reset. Space is intentionally limited so every woman feels seen, welcomed, and connected.
Because sometimes healing doesn’t begin with another workout and meal plan, sometimes it begins in a backyard or around the kitchen island.
I still believe strength changes lives. But these days, I believe one of the greatest sources of strength isn’t found in a gym. It’s found in community.
What Utah Taught Me About Thinking Bigger
Have you ever gone somewhere expecting to learn about work…and came home realizing you needed to change the way you think about your life?
That’s exactly what happened to me in Utah.
On the surface, I was there for a leadership even with MAKE Wellness. There were presentations, business strategy sessions, and time with people from all over the country who are building something they’re passionate about.
But what impacted me the most wasn’t a product or business lesson.
It was mindset.
For years, my life revolved around the gym. Every day had a schedule. Each hour had a purpose. My identity was tied to being “the trainer.”
When the gym closed, I knew I wasn’t walking away from helping people. I just wasn’t exactly sure what the new next chapter would look like. I knew I wanted to head down the path of retirement, but I definitely not ready to sit back and let my life just play out.
Utah gave me the space to think bigger.
Not bigger in the sense of making more money or building a larger business.
Bigger in the sense of asking, what kind of life do I actually want to create?
That question opened my eyes to really sit and think about my future life. Five, ten years down the road and I came to realize that I’ve planned for vacations and events more than I have for my own future!
I don’t want to fill my calendar for the simple sake of doing so.
I want to build a business that gives me the freedom to spend time with time with family, travel with Kevin, host women in my backyard, write, continue learning, and help women improve their health in ways that go far beyond the gym.
I want my work to fit my life - not my life to fit my work.
One of the biggest lessons I brought home is that the future isn’t something that just happens to us. It’s something we create.
Every decision we make today is either moving us toward the life we want or pulling us away from it.
That realization has changed the way I plan my days, set my goals, and even think about my purpose.
Instead of asking, “What do I need to do today?” I’m learning to ask, “Will today’s choices help create the woman I want to become?”
It’s a simple question, but it changes everything.
Utah reminded me that growth rarely happens when we stay comfortable. Sometimes we have to leave what’s familiar, surround ourselves with people who challenge us, and give ourselves permission to dream a little bigger.
I’m still figuring this new chapter out. But I can promise you, midlife is not the end of the story. We’re just turning the page.
It’s exciting to think that I’m not trying to recreate my old life because I’m intentionally building a new one. Progress creates momentum.
Until next time…keep becoming the women your future self will thank you for.
~ Melissa
The Question that Changed My Life
If you had told me 20 years ago that I’d become a personal trainer, own a gym, teach boxing, and help thousands of people improve their health, I would have laughed in your face!
During my teenage years, my mom had a small bakery and catering business. My dad, sisters and I helped out many times. At 15 years old I learned what customer service was all about. What I didn’t realize then was how much those afternoons of selling cookies and cakes and helping with catering events would benefit me later in life.
Before becoming a personal trainer, I had so many different jobs. Bartender, waitress, hospitality manager, food and beverage director, sales manager for a golf resort, insurance sales, administrative assistant, and the list goes on and on. The only jobs that I enjoyed and felt confident in doing were bartending and waiting tables. Somehow it all related back to when I was 15. Good food makes people happy. Happy people are fun to be around. It was an easy job that paid well. I say “easy” as in it’s not hard to treat people well and give them a great experience. It was not easy on the body as I got older, so I knew that was not what I’d be doing long term.
At the time I decided to start pursuing my fitness career, I was working for an insurance company. I took the tests more than once, but I did eventually obtain my health & life license and my P&C license. And even after finally passing, I realized I was completely miserable. One day my boss asked me a question “If you could do anything, what would you do?” Without hesitation I answered: “I would be a personal trainer”.
I spoke it into existence.
Then got to work making it happen.
I started out teaching bootcamps in 2013. First, it was friends coming to my bootcamps, then I taught teachers on their summer breaks and then went around to different schools and held bootcamps after work. I spent a lot of time driving around from park to park and school to school, so my business name, On the Geaux Fitness, fit perfectly! All those years ago when I learned to treat people well and give them a great experience - it was the same thing here, except it was exercise that was bringing the joy, not food.
It’s been non-stop ever since. I became a kickboxing instructor, a certified boxing coach, certified Tabata instructor, was the first person in Louisiana to open a non-contact boxing program for people with Parkinson’s disease, raised thousands of dollars for Parkinson’s disease with push up contests and cake auctions. Had my own gym for a short time and then finished out the last 6 years with a local gym where I have developed some of the best friendships.
When that chapter ended in March, there was a mix of sadness, gratitude, and excitement. I wasn’t ready to stop helping people - I just wanted to do it differently.
Looking back, I realize that fitness is so much more than the workouts. It’s about confidence. It’s about helping people believe in themselves. It’s about creating community. And while the gym chapter has ended, that mission hasn’t changed.
So, what do my days look like now? I’m still working on my business every day. Creating strength programs, designing a website, creating a newsletter, getting certified as a fasting coach, and informing people about natural peptides. I’ve probably been working harder these past 3 months that I have in years!
It’s funny to say, but it feels like I’m just getting started!
My New Chapter…Life After the Gym
For years, my life revolved around early morning alarms, coaching classes, being accountable to clients, and helping people move their bodies.
3am alarms. Gym life. Coaching. Repeat.
After more than 6 years of coaching at the gym, that chapter came to an end this spring. There was the potential to stay under new owners, but something in me knew it was time for a new chapter. Scary? A little. Exciting? Also, yes - especially with plans to travel more, camp more, and start building our retirement home in Tennessee.
In the last couple of years, I started realizing how much midlife changes things. And what women need in this season of life looks different than it did 10 or 20 years ago.
It’s not just about workouts anymore. Don’t get me wrong - strength matters (probably more now than ever). But also energy, healthy habits, feeling good in our skin, and figuring out how to feel like ourselves again.
I never thought it would happen, but that shift changed me too.
These days I’m still passionate about helping women get stronger, mentally and physically, which has led me to creating new ways to support you - from strength programs and nutrition coaching to wellness education and practical support for women navigating midlife. Some things are already here, some are evolving, and some are still being built, but I’m excited for this next chapter
Because as we age, we need support. We need education. We need realistic, sustainable ways to feel good again.
And honestly, we deserve to feel healthy, confident and beautiful as we age - not invisible.
So, if you’re navigating this season too…welcome. I’m really glad you’re here!