Ep 525: Transformation Begins With Your Mind With Melissa Vogel

In this episode, we explore the profound connection between mindset and physical transformation. Melissa Vogel is the creator of Busy to Bomb Fit Mom and host of the Bomb Mom Podcast. With a social work background, she empowers women to transform their health and fitness by addressing mindset and motivation first. Her approach focuses on understanding the deeper “why” behind fitness goals and teaching women how to eat and train effectively at any stage of life. Melissa helps women uncover the deeper “why” behind their goals and equips them with tools to create lasting change, no matter the stage of life they’re in. If you’ve struggled with nutrition, fitness, or achieving a leaner physique, this episode will shine a light on the missing pieces in your fitness journey.

Resources from the Show:

• Email: itsmelissavogel@gmail.com
• Website: Melissa Vogel Fitness
• Instagram: @itsmelissavogel
• Bomb Mom Podcast: Listen Here

Tune in and discover how transforming your body begins with transforming your mind!

Our Partners

Podcast Transcript

5:02 – Melissa’s story

11:04 – How can you love working out?

14:38 – Melissa’s breaking moment

17:44 – Learning to love your body before any change

19:49 – What is the first thing you say to yourself in the morning – Self talk

20:34 – What is your “why” and what is your “vision”?

22:33 – Visualization

24:30 –  Nutrition and the “D” word

26:05 – Eating healthy Vs. eating to be lean

31:25 – How much protein?

33:33 – Fasting

34:58 – Adjusting food the week before your cycle

42:51 – Where to find Melissa Vogel online

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[Preview] You have to eat to be lean, not just to be healthy.

And people don’t realize that there’s a difference.

But there’s so much shame in like guilt and just like,

“Ugh, oh my God, you’re 47 and you’re putting on weight now.

Like gross, you’re getting old.”

Like, no, it’s just another shift in a change.

And you can come out more fabulous at 49 than you did at 21.

But we’re just so programmed to believe that like, no, you get older and you put on fat

and you just accept what the gods dealt you.

And it’s like, that’s not true.

You can crack the code at any age, but it just takes time and patience and just being

open to re-word.

[Intro] Welcome to the HealthFix podcast where health junkies get their weekly fix of tips, tools,

techniques to have limitless energy, sharp minds, and fit

physiques or life.

JANNINE: Hey, health checkies on this episode of the health

fixed podcast, I’m interviewing Melissa Vogel.

She’s the busy to bomb fit mom and the host of the bomb

mom podcast. Now she is a gem and keeping with the theme of

fitness this week, I really wanted to bring her on to talk

about how she’s using her social work background to help

folks get fit and stay fit and really get the transformations in their body that they desire.

Now the longer I’ve been a doc, the more it’s become apparent to me that transformation in your body

has to start with the mind, not with the diet, not with the particular right exercises. It’s got

to start up here. And Melissa’s all about that. And she’s developed quite a system that she tested

out on herself and really developed when she was struggling herself with her own fitness.

So this is a fun podcast.

Melissa and I geek out on fitness.

We talk all about yes, how really looking at your why is so important because yes, people

come to me all the time.

I want to lose 30 pounds.

I want to lose this amount of weight, but there’s a deeper why to that.

There’s such a deeper why to that and really connecting with that is so important.

And we’re going to talk about that amongst other things,

like how eating healthy is so much different

than eating for a lean body.

And what to do about that.

And we’re going to talk a little bit about the period cycle.

And even if you don’t still have a period,

how you can tap into the cyclical aspect of the moon

to help you with figuring out what to do with your diet,

but also what to do with your health in general.

Now I do have to say Melissa is not a fan of the D word, the diet word.

And neither am I because really at the end of the day,

it don’t work.

So let’s, let’s switch that out and say nutrition here and let’s face it as we get

older things may be working and then all of a sudden we hit a wall and we’ve gained

weight and it’s like, where did this come from?

And this definitely happened to me.

And I know it’s happened to a lot of my clients as well.

And sometimes we’re left at this.

What the heck do we do now?

Melissa is the gal to talk to when you get to the,

what the heck do you do now?

Listen, I had so much fun chatting

that I actually was on her podcast as well.

So definitely check out Bomb Fit Mom

because I’m going to be talking about Chinese medicine,

longevity and fitness on my end there.

So it’s a fun podcast.

So like I said, check out Bomb Fit Mom too

after you get done with this one.

All right, let’s introduce you to Melissa Vogel.

Melissa Vogel, welcome.

to The Health Fix Podcast.

MELISSA: Thank you for having me on, of course,

right when we hit record, I cough.

(laughs)

Of course that happens.

Thanks for having me.

JANNINE: As being podcasters, I think we have such fun,

like random things that happen to us.

And before we hit record,

we were talking about some of those things.

And it’s like, yeah, you’re good all day.

And then the cough comes out in the door.

Or I will perpetually spill stuff on myself

while I’m podcasting, drink is like,

down the front of my–

MELISSA: I just gotta laugh.

– It’s so true.

– We’re done with just this hot mess that no one can see,

but it’s okay ’cause we’re sitting here

in our pajamas or underwear anyways,

and no one knows it.

JANNINE: Right, I have no pants on right now.

I don’t work. – I don’t.

MELISSA: Just totally fanless on this podcast.

(laughs)

JANNINE: Hey, you know what?

You guys listening might be totally pantless,

or maybe, you know, I don’t know,

maybe you’re in your underwear.

Hey, cool, I’m all for it.

I’m all for it. 

MELISSA: Whatever you’re,

whatever you’re comfortable learning in.

JANNINE: Yes, yes, yes, yes.

Get in your comfortable clothes and let’s talk about,

let’s talk about fitness and stats your background.

And I always wanted to have someone on

and talk about like the intricacies with women

and our like hang ups and fitness,

but also like why like motivation, things of that nature.

But before we get there, I gotta know fitness, acting,

modeling, how did it all come together for you?

MELISSA: Yeah, yeah, my fitness journey started

when I was really young.

I think I might have mentioned this yesterday on the podcast.

I don’t know.

My worlds are starting to blur together now because we podcasted yesterday together.

I was teaching fitness classes.

I think I started at 15.

I technically didn’t even have a license yet.

Yeah.

And I was in high school and I saw the sign on the hallway at my high school and I was

going to class and it said free gym membership in exchange for like cleaning the equipment.

You clean, you get a free membership.

And I’m like, oh my God, no one else is like jumping all over this.

Like this is amazing.

And my parents were always that my dad had a basement full of workout, you know,

stuff and weights and he was always into that.

And I grew up watching that.

And it was kind of just a part of what you do.

Oh, where’s daddy’s working out, you know?

And then I saw this and I’m like, this is amazing.

And I went in and no one else had applied.

And they’re like, you’re the only one.

I’m like, score.

And so I started being in it and they’re like,

“Hey, you can work out whenever you want.”

And so I started training myself.

And then the girl was like,

“Come up in new classes when you get a chance.”

I’m like, “Okay.”

And I did it.

And everything’s eight count beat.

Remember back in the day,

like, several robics and like,

JANNINE: Yes.

MELISSA: And I caught on really fast.

I’m like, “This was really fun.

I’ve never worked out and had it like fun like this before.”

She’s like, “Keep coming.”

And I just picked it up and she’s like,

“You’re really good.”

She’s like, “Have you ever thought of teaching?”

And I’m like, “No.”

And she’s like, “I’ll start teaching you.”

And this lady took me under her wing and she started teaching me.

And then she’d give me five minutes of her class, 15 minutes of her class.

And then before I knew it, I was taking over and people loved me.

And I’m like, they really think I’m.

And I was like, this is really cool.

And they’re like, you can have your own class Monday, once a night.

I’m like, score.

And I love motivating at an early age that many people at once.

I was like, people come in feeling like crap and they even work and they

I leave my class feeling amazing and I just taught them

like how to lift and how to squat

and how to like do really fun things.

And then they’re like, you need to get certified.

So they paid for me to get certified.

Like just don’t tell anyone how old you are.

If anyone asks, I’m like, oh, okay, sure.

What teenager doesn’t want to pretend that they’re older,

you know?

JANNINE: Right.

Right.

MELISSA: That really laid the foundation for me of like

motivating people and like, huh,

you could really change someone’s life

or at least their day, you know?

And that was really cool.

And then I went on to get my personal training.

I got certified in different kickboxing stuff.

I grew up doing martial arts.

I wasn’t the girl taking dance classes.

I was doing “Sation Kai” and like,

“Wing Chong” with my parents.

(laughs)

JANNINE: How cool, how cool.

MELISSA: Yeah.  

JANNINE: I was the kid wanted–

I was the kid that wanted to do that,

but my parents kept being like,

well, you know, your ice skating would go better

if you did ballet.

And I’m like, I just wanna like beat people up.

like– 

MELISSA:  it was so fun.

It was so, it was so fun.

Yeah, and I just, I just kept it going.

And I was like, you know, freshman on the varsity team

playing with my sister who was a senior for volleyball.

And by the time I was a sophomore or junior,

the team would practice and they’d be like,

everyone go to the gym.

Now Melissa’s gonna lead us in classes.

I’m like, oh, it’s okay.

I didn’t just have a two hour practice too.

It’s fine.

I’ll lead you guys all in another workout.

It’s good.

And then that became the way how I put myself through college.

I, you don’t teach, you don’t eat and I would teach, I’m not kidding.

You put 10 classes a week.

And that’s how I made my money.

And I put myself through college, just teaching all these classes.

I started a whole inner mural program at my college.

Um, I’m like, you guys don’t have any like classes or anything fun.

And I started forming this like kickboxing class and they let me start a

kickboxing class there for all the staff and the students.

And I filled a gym.

JANNINE: Nice. 

MELISSA: Like we need to keep this going.

So that just laid the path for me.

And then I just kept learning and growing

and continuing on with that.

And then the acting and modeling,

it came along with that because

when you are instructing people in that platform,

you know, in front of people,

you have to be someone else.

You know, you have to forget about all your problems

and you have to be the leader and teach them

and just flip the switch and be someone else.

And before I had kids, I had gone to a couple of auditions.

I got picked up by a manager and agent.

And this time I was in Michigan.

So, Detroit things, Toledo, Ohio, I moved Ohio.

And then eventually it was like,

you gotta make the big shift to California

if you’re gonna do anything real.

So that’s kind of the gist of the background

and how all that got started for me.

JANNINE: Oh my goodness.

It’s such a fun, I love listening to people’s journeys.

And I just love listening to stories too,

’cause it’s so much fun to hear like high school, right?

You got started and we had, of course,

our podcast yesterday, we had talked about me and it was 15.

We’re like at the same age learning like what we wanna do in life.

Oh man, fitness has been something that has been

just part of my life since day one.

Neither one of my parents were fit.

My dad just, he was an excavator, so he did work fitness.

My mom, you know, just walked.

So, you know, fitness wasn’t like they weren’t gym rats,

but I became a gym rat really early too.

And realized like, oh my gosh,

this has to be part of my life.

So for me, it’s hard not to understand,

to understand why someone wouldn’t want to work out.

And this is where I want to dive into the mindset things

and all of the things around it,

because for me, that’s what I do.

It’s my identity.

I work out.  

MELISSA: Exactly.

JANNINE: Right?

So for those that don’t identify as being someone

that’s fit or someone that, that’s what they do,

they work out, that’s part of their life,

how do we dive into this mindset, like switch

and kind of help folks to be like,

let’s take like it’s hard work,

let’s take it’s a grind out of it.

And how do we move it to like fun?

MELISSA: Yeah, yeah, that’s a great question

because people don’t see it as fun, especially at first.

And I get asked the question all the time too,

like, how do you love working out?

I don’t think I could ever love working out.

And I’m like, what makes you think I love it?

I don’t necessarily love something that creates pain

in my body every single time I do it.

Like every time I go to the gym,

I’m literally working to failure

and I’m putting myself in massive pain.

I don’t think I love that.

I have learned to love the after effect of it.

You know?

And I love that when I’m doing it, it’s okay.

I have something to look forward to and how I’m going to feel after and the results it’s

going to give me for my body physically, mentally, emotionally.

And when you look at it like that and take away the focus on the actual work and you’re

like, ah, but this is going to lead me to this, that right there is a big opener of

how to make it more fun and kind of like take pressure off.

Like it’s okay if you don’t love that.

And I think a lot of people get hung up on that and they’re like, I just don’t like

it.

I just don’t like lifting.

like, wait, I just don’t like cardio, of cardio as your thing. And I’m like, you don’t have to like it.

You don’t have to like it. That’s okay. And then they’re like, oh, and you take away that excuse too.

I’m like, oh, I just don’t like it. So I just don’t do it. Well, let’s take that away,

and replace it with something else. But I didn’t know really, and in all my certifications that I

have, that mindset had to go with fitness. 

JANNINE: Oh my God. Yeah, I think [inaudible]. 

MELISSA: No one told me.

JANNINE: : Well, yeah, it’s like the biggest secret out there.

Like where where was this when we were 15 getting into this?

Cause like, yeah, I literally a couple of years ago, the light

off went off in my head like,

MELISSA: same.

JANNINE: Maybe there’s something to this.

MELISSA: Same.

Yeah.

No, where in any of my certifications and my degrees in social work.

Um, so I hold a BSW and thank God because that has been the biggest

like backbone for me.

I use that sucker more than I do.

any certification, honestly, nowadays. And it taught me that communication and that mindset,

you know, and really thinking through things. And when I was training, that was like, you know,

I’ve been in this for over 20 years. And when I would train individual clients,

I kept running into what do I do when they leave here? And what’s really,

how are they changing their life? Because they come see me 30, 45, 60 minutes. I kick their butt.

That’s my job as a trainer and that’s it

But then my clients would go home and they would have a massive fight with their husband or they would binge or the weekend would hit

and I’m like

God, I’m I’m truly not making a difference. Yes, they’re losing weight while they’re seeing me

But what happens when we don’t train anymore?

What happens when our sessions are done or they’re just they move or I move her, you know, and

I would see people then come back to me or and they were just stuck on this

This roller coaster.

And I’m like, what the, I am missing something.

I’m missing something.

And then I had my third baby.

And I tried doing all of the same stuff I did before

after baby one, after baby two, when I was 20,

and it didn’t work.

It didn’t work anymore physically and mentally.

And I just, I kept forcing it.

I was trying to force like this circle peg

into a square hole.

And I’m just like, why isn’t this working?

And I had this breaking moment.

And I was on my basement floor and I was doing P90X.

You remember that P90X?

JANNINE: Oh my God, yes.

Yes, Tony Horton, the best.

MELISSA: Yes, not what you do after you have a baby.

Now she was probably like seven, eight months old

at this point, she wasn’t a newborn,

but still, but not what you do.

And we were doing mountain climbers.

You know, those were your on your hands

and you’re kind of a plank

and you’re running your knees into your chest.

JANNINE: Yes.

MELISSA: I felt this like tapping feeling and noise.

I’m like, what is that?

And I realized it was my stomach hitting my thighs.

And I had gained so much weight in my stomach

after kids and stuff.

It was like literally kind of like tapping it

and I lost it.

And I just bald and like breast milk is flowing

and I’m just this hot mess.

And I was like, I’m never gonna get back

to where I was.

What is gonna happen to me?

And I’m this trainer.

How am I ever gonna go back to the gym

as the fat trainer now?

Like, like, like, I can’t do that.

And I had so much pressure on me

that no one else was putting on by myself.

And I had this choice.

I’m like, you are either going to stay down

and just accept this as life

or you are going to get up

and you’re gonna figure out how to crack the code.

What are you missing?

Go back to the drawing board.

And thank God I picked crack the code.

Go back to the drawing board.

And that’s when I started journaling, meditating.

I got myself into therapy.

I started realizing, how was I talking to myself every day?

Like I would wake up and look in the mirror

and be like, God, you’re disgusting.

What did you do to yourself?

Like you’re just this mom blob.

You’re just a mom blob now.

And I started evaluating all of that.

I changed, I stopped cardio.

I honestly like stopped cardio.

And I changed everything about how I was training

and everything that was going on in my mind.

And I documented it all and I journaled.

I mean, I have like binders.

And then that’s literally how I created Bomb Mom.

And I was like, I’m not training people

the same way anymore.

And I started taking my one-on-one clients

and applying the mental health side

and the self-talk and the aftermations

and really getting them to shift

to how they looked at themselves.

And I got more results that way

than I ever had with my clients before.

JANNINE: Man, isn’t that funny how when we start to realize like,

oh, I could take some of what I’m experiencing

and totally apply this to my thoughts?

It’s almost like we are,

I don’t know, you have to go through something,

it seems like you have to have some moment.

MELISSA: Something.  

JANNINE: Something, something.

And I know a lot of people can relate

to doing mountain climbers

and having the belly in the way or something of that nature.

It is, I’ve heard that before.

Oh, it’s so hard.

MELISSA: Well, I had on just like shorts and a t-shirt.

I didn’t have leggings on because nothing fit me.

Nothing fit me then.

And so nothing was like cinched in and being held together,

you know, but, and if you look at me now,

I have never had plastic surgery.

I’ve never had anything nipped or talked or anything.

And I’m proof that you can change it.

If you stay dedicated, if you are consistent,

and you learn to love your body before it changes,

it will change.

And that was like one of the biggest things,

is like I had to learn to love me right now

in the present before any fact came off of me.

And that helped my body shift and change

and take down walls.

It was literally one brick at a time,

but that was the missing piece.

JANNINE: I think we hear this a lot, right?

Like we’re like, oh, we have to learn to love ourselves.

But I think for a lot of people, they’re like,

where do I even begin?

And also like, I have had many clients come to me

and be like, well, I can never look like you

’cause you’ve always been fit.

Like you’ve always worked out.

And it’s like, yes, but things happen, right?

And so, Perrimenopause,

Menopause is kind of what has hit me lately

and kind of put a wrench in my situation.

And I think a lot of people, you know,

have seen the weight kind of start to come on a little

and then me kind of struggling to get it back off.

And a lot of it, yeah, is back to that mindset.

So how do you start working with folks

when you’ve got your groups of the Bomb Fit Moms

and they’re sitting there and they’re like,

I don’t know, Melissa, I don’t know what to think.

I don’t know how to start loving myself.

What do we do?

Like what’s step one?

Like what can we do?

MELISSA: Step one is awareness.

And people don’t realize this, that just start to become aware of like that inner chatter that’s going on.

What is the first thing that you say to yourself in the morning?

You know, when you wake up and look in the morning, are you like, “Hello, beautiful.”

Or you’re like, “Oh my God.” And we stand to the side and we like suck it in and hold it.

If only I looked like this, you know, your body’s listening.

And you have to become aware of what’s coming out of your mouth, what thoughts are going on in

your head. What are you saying yourself? What are you saying to others? Are you telling people,

like, God, I just got to get this weight off. I just got to figure it out. I just have to start

going to the gym more. Because that’s telling yourself, I don’t do enough. Become aware. And

even start writing it down. Put pen to paper and just start writing down. I called myself

fat twice today, just in my head.

Didn’t come out of my mouth, but I said that.

And this is what I said, my first thoughts in the morning.

And I just caught myself saying this to my husband, you know, about me.

Become aware.

That’s huge.

The second thing is when, when people start with me, they don’t just jump into my

program.

I literally take them like a whole month week.

We caught the onboarding month and they build their car before they enter the race.

Oh, people always think that they start and they’re like, okay, let’s go.

Balls to the wall.

Here we go.

And I’m like, no, no, no, no, you don’t even have a car yet.

Like, you don’t have a car yet.

You’re getting into a race for the rest of your life.

It’s a marathon.

Let’s build your car.

And the first thing we focus on is your why,

your why in your vision.

They go hand in hand.

And you have to identify why do you want to change.

And that can be physical stuff.

Well, I feel like crap.

You know, I’m depressed, I’m anxious.

I don’t like the way I look, things like that.

But then what’s the real reasons why?

What are you really looking for to change?

And it’s crazy because some people will say,

Oh, I want to lose, I want to lose 30 pounds.

That’s my why.

I want to be healthier.

I want to feel better.

Okay, great.

And then when you take them like seven layers deep.

Okay.

Well, why this then?

Oh, well, because I want to fit in the jeans.

Well, why is fitting into jeans and for new?

That’s too.

You know, oh, well, because when I fit in these jeans,

I know I feel good and I used to wear these before I had kids.

Oh, okay, great.

Why is that important?

You feel like you did before you had

kids. Oh, well, and when you start uncovering it, it turns into like, um, my marriage is

falling apart. And if I don’t do something, I feel like I’m going to lose him or lose

myself and lose this world that we’ve built. And that started off with why I just need

to lose 30 pounds. So I’m always like, what’s the why? What’s your motivating factor? Because

when things aren’t easy and things aren’t going smooth, you need to turn back to that

why and that’s going to be your fuel and it starts shifting your head. It’s again, it starts

taking that pressure off of 30 pounds. I just need to get this weight off and it turns more to,

I’m doing this to save myself or to save my marriage or, you know, to be the role model for

my kids, like whatever that why turns into. And then we move into visualization and I have people

really look at, who do you want to become? Do you even know? And some women, they haven’t been in

a bathing suit in 20 years, you know, or whatever. And they don’t even know who that person is.

They don’t even know what they would look like with that weight off anymore. They don’t even know

how they would act and feel. And I’m like, so you’re just working towards a goal and you don’t even

know what that end goal looks like and they’re like, I don’t. You’re right. So we start visualizing

and this is just very basic stuff too to get that mindset into the right place and to get excited

of who you’re going to become. So we create, we’re cheesy. We do vision boards, we do dream boards,

but we’re very careful with them. It’s not just like money on there and women and bikinis on there.

You know, it’s very much self-focused and like, let’s start opening your mind to the possibility.

Let’s just be open to looking different and feeling different.

That’s how you truly start laying the groundwork for like, this is where I start.

This is how I can start moving forward with this.

JANNINE: It’s incredible to think that we have this vision as what we see right now,

and that we actually can visualize what we want and how we want it to look and how we how it transforms.

And I think for a lot of people and I think you and I are probably included, we weren’t taught

this right? So it’s really hard to wrap your mind around how am I going to think myself into the

transformation right? Like how is that really going to work? So you’ve got you know you’ve got the setup.

Now once you get the car kind of built and you and people know where they’re going.

Now you start to add in the fitness.

Now you start to add in the food.

And I’ve heard, and you probably heard this too,

it’s the age old statistic of, you know,

fitness is only 20% of your success or 10%,

depending on who’s gonna say it, right?

So food, big hang up for women.

How do we tie the food into the transformation?

A lot of people are gonna wanna know,

what are you guys up to?

It’s huge hang up for people.

That’s the number one thing that they say,

I get stuck on the food.

I get stuck on my nutrition.

And the first thing that I can tell you to eliminate

and just take away is that you’re on a diet.

Just take the deword out of your vocabulary.

You have to learn how to eat for your body at this age,

at this stage, your kids are this age,

this is the level of stress in your life.

You have to learn how to eat at these different stages

and levels and then to be able to sustain that too.

And the biggest thing is people are like,

I need to cut calories.

I need to only eat this certain way,

but it’s okay, it’s only for six weeks.

It destroys your mindset.

It kills your metabolism.

And you’re missing out on life.

Like, I’m sorry, I don’t want to live a life

without chocolate or ice cream.

Like, that’s just not the route I want to go.

And people always think too, is I need to eat healthy.

Right?

I need to eat healthier.

And I’m going to tell you right now, I just did a training on this two weeks ago, um,

because I run a boot camp and I kind of give them just like guidelines and stuff. And we dove in

a nutrition and people just, everyone was like, calm me in the bottom. They’re like, I never thought

that before. I’ve never been told that you have to eat to be lean, not just to be healthy. And

people don’t realize that there’s a difference. They’re cool. Most people are clueless. And once

I started realizing like, Melissa, you’re just you’re eating super healthy.

You’re not eating to be lean and really get the fat off you and increase the muscle.

When I learned that it was like night and day.

And I would eat I’ve always ate very clean, very healthy.

You know, my bread was organic and my food was non GMO and organic and my meat was nitrate

free and like everything was the best that I possibly could at that time.

And that would be my lunch.

would be like a big healthy sandwich, some nice organic chips and apple on the side,

super healthy, right? But that wasn’t going to help me get the body fat off. That wasn’t

what I needed at that time. And when I learned how to be smart with my calories and I learned

how to pretend like my calories were like cash in the bank, right? How do I end the

day with the most cash in my bank? But I’m not starving and I’m not broke and I’m not

depriving myself. And this code is different for everyone. My body could probably get away

with eating like 25 under galleries a day. And I’m fine, but that’s because of how tall I am and

how much muscle I have on me now where someone else like, no, they might need to be closer to 1500.

But you don’t know until you start messing with it and when you learned. And I started realizing too,

like, I love carbs. And I used to say I could never eat a life without pasta or bread. Like,

like that’s just stupid.

That’s just like, oh my God, I could never do that.

I don’t need any pasta and bread now.

I eat my carbs in a whole different way.

Like when we have spaghetti night with the family,

I don’t make two different meals for everyone.

My kids need the pasta like, hey, go for it.

Load up your, you are in sports, you are growing,

do it all.

I steam broccoli and they need that anyways too.

Broccoli is my bed of pasta.

And then the marinara and the meat and I put feta on it

see salt and it’s amazing. And I can load up on that. I can get really full of a ton of broccoli,

plus it’s very nutrient dense. I left a lot of calories, honestly, in the bank, you know,

by the end of the day, and I feel full and satisfied. And that’s that’s a big difference

right there of how to eat healthy versus eating to be lean. And when I started switching these

things with my nutrition and I let go that I’m on a diet, this is how I’m going to eat for the

the rest of my life, I need to really pay attention to my caloric intake, but there’s

no starving.

No starving is allowed.

And accept that this is how you do it for life.

Oh my God.

It was huge.

And nutrition too.

That’s, that’s a tricky one.

Cause when people come in, they’re like, just tell me what to eat.

Just give me the meal plan.

Give me the meal plan.

Just, just, you know, tell me.

And I’m like, honestly, you need to tell me what you’re eating.

Like I need to know what you’re eating every day to be able to tweak things.

I’m not going to tell you, you need to tell me and we need to adjust because it’s so individualized.

And then we start learning and growing.

But nutrition, again, like I kind of said earlier, that changes throughout life.

Like how I eat now was not how I was eating just three years ago.

You know, I was heavy in jujitsu.

I was rolling two, three times a week.

I was doing Taekwondo.

And now my main workouts are just lifting, just weight training.

I don’t do that anymore.

So my nutrition has to shift and I tell people in my clients, new people, old people, the

nutrition never stops.

And we always think like, Oh, I got it.

I nailed it.

I mastered it.

This is how it never stops.

It’s like a slow drip.

You turn on the faucet and it just drips and drips and slowly your cup fills and fills

and fills and fills.

And you get to a point two where that cup is so filled.

I don’t count calories anymore.

I don’t pay attention to that anymore.

I’ve learned.

I’ve taken in so many drips into my cup, I’ve learned,

I can look at a meal and get spot on within 25 calories,

how many calories it is, how many grams of protein it is.

And notice how I’m not saying macros.

I’m not paying attention to the details right now.

And that’s a beautiful thing, but you gotta fill your cup,

you gotta put in your time.

And then it just, your body learns and it adapts.

And you’re working on your mindset too at the same time.

So I was like, I can do this.

I love myself.

can feel myself different.

JANNINE: Yeah.

Well, and I think that’s really important to feel yourself

different because I think a lot of people aren’t connected to

what foods feel good and what foods don’t feel good.

Right.

I think that’s a big component.

Like, yes, in the beginning, I think we do have to understand

macros and understand the amounts and what it looks like

and reteach ourselves.

But yes, you get to a point where you just know what’s on the

plate.

You’re like, yeah, I pretty much have the idea.

But two things.

One, like what you said about how things change over time.

I absolutely have seen that with myself.

I can’t eat the same as I did 10 years ago

and I can’t even do the same as like right now

I’m in a phase of like last year,

things really hit the fan.

So I have to switch again, right?

And so I think for a lot of people they’re like

hearing all the food noise about protein, protein, protein,

protein, don’t worry about anything else fast.

You know, and I’ve said this all too.

But I think the biggest thing is like,

how do we figure out how much protein?

How do we figure out how much fast?

What is kind of your method of really teaching folks

what they need and helping them to discover it?

MELISSA: When women come into the group

and I know what they’re doing for exercise,

let’s say you’re an active person five days a week or whatever,

I tell them for protein, keep it simple,

aim for 100 grams a day, aim for it.

If you fall short, you’re still doing really good.

Like you hit 80 grams a day,

you’re doing really, really good.

aim for 100. Now, if you’re someone who isn’t working out, you’re going to be aiming for

that 80, that 75. And that’s easy. That’s an easy breakdown. That’s 25 grams per meal,

breakfast, lunch, dinner, aim for 25 grams. That’s basic. And that’s going to keep you

full too. But 100 grams of an active busy body that’s lifting and working out, that’s

a great goal to have. Some of my clients have to go beyond that. They have more muscle.

bodies demand more, but 100 is a great platform to start at.

But you also have to know what you’re taking in now in order to hit that.

Because if you’re someone who’s like, I don’t know, I eat like 40 grams a day, like, I don’t

know.

And then you’re like, I listened to this podcast and this woman said, eat 100 grams

in a you start shoving that in.

You’re not going to feel so hot.

You have to gradually increase that.

You’re going to have all of the protein gas and the bloat feeling.

have to slowly increase that. But when you are full on the right protein too, and you’re

like, man, I’m really trying to hit the school, there’s not a whole lot of room for the sugar

and the carbs. Like not that carbs are bad. I say carbs as in like the snaky carbs, you

know, the bread and the chips and the crackers and stuff like that. There’s not, there’s

not a whole lot of room for that. And that’s, that’s a beautiful light bulb to see go off

for people because they’re like,

I just don’t crave the same.

And I just, I didn’t even want it.

I’m like, yeah, ’cause you’re so full

but the actual chicken breast you had for your lunch

or the ground turkey or the hamburger that you had,

like that’s a beautiful thing.

But the fasting too, there’s a great book.

It’s called Fast Like a Girl who heard Dr. Mindy.

She is just phenomenal and she really lays it out for us

on how to do it right for women.

and we can’t just fast.

Men, fast whenever you want, every day, 16 hours,

hit 24 hours, women, we have to time it with our cycles.

And I was so thrilled when she came out with this book

because I’m like, I’ve been on this,

I don’t know how to write a book on it,

but I’ve known this and I’ve been able to feel it,

but I just don’t have the background and the chemistry

and everything with the biology, and she just nailed it.

And it lays it out for you,

but you have to follow your cycle.

And even if you’re in post-menopause,

let’s say no more, I’m going through it right now

and I don’t have a cycle or whatever,

you still have to turn the switch on,

free top of G and turn it off.

You’re not a man.

Then you’re not a dude and like,

oh, I don’t have a period,

I can just fast for number one.

You still want to be on a pattern.

So you are fasting and not fasting,

turning it on and your body’s really going

for it. You’re doing really good burns and fast long time and

you’re to have the cell turnover and everything. And then you

turn it off and you’re fueling your body again, you’re waking up

and eating within an hour. So that I highly recommend that book

fast like a girl. It’s amazing. But when you know your cycle and

you are paying attention to when you are fasting and not

fasting. Oh my God, you can have the most beautiful periods too.

You can you feel that hormone balance. I used to never give

myself grace at any time it would like go hard, you know,

lift, train, whatever.

And that week before my period, no, that’s the time I need the

sweet potatoes and more carbs.

And I’m eating the olives and increasing my fat in like not

maxing out at the gym.

And that’s hard.

That’s hard for me to do because I’m such a like, let’s go.

And I have to be like, no, more yoga this week.

And it took the pressure off of me too.

I would get so mad at myself like, God, why, why can’t I just go heavier?

Like I feel broken.

Like last week I was doing this and this week I’m, I’m only doing 10 pound dumbbells

and I would get so mad at myself.

And now I realize and I see and now I have the knowledge of like, Oh,

you’re going to start your period in seven days.

You’re not as strong.

Let that go and do what you can now.

And you’re not going to gain massive weight and you’re not going to be like,

but, but, but I’m trying to lose weight or keep muscle.

No, relax.

And then you have your power phases

and then you know like, okay, but after your period,

you’re gonna kick into the gear

and you’re gonna feel like you’re the strongest woman

in the world.

So you learn to flow with all of this,

but fasting’s a beautiful thing.

And getting full off of protein is a beautiful thing as well.

There are two golden nuggets

that if you can learn how to do it right,

oh my God, transformation at any age, any age.

Doesn’t matter how old you are.

JANNINE: Yeah, yeah, I mean, I truly believe that to be true.

And I see a lot of women, it’s better lean, right?

Who are in their 60s, 70s, even there’s some on social

who are in their 80s and you’re like, wow, you know,

that’s not what we envision when we see like someone

in that age.

And obviously there’s some serious like dedication

eating to be lean in that case, but it can be done.

And I think for a lot of women, they’ve been maybe beat down

by their own brain and their mindset, you know,

Society a little bit too thinking like this is never gonna happen for me

So it’s good to hear that with with some work. It can be done and I think you know, I think it’s just having a guide

is really what what’s

the secret. 

MELISSA: It is, yeah and and and

Training your brain it is possible and it’s okay to I think this is a really big thing that we have to remember like

And I’ll tell you this too, just because you’re my best friend now

Like it’s okay that weight has gone on and you needed to adjust with your age like that happens

When you’re freaking 15 turning 16 and hormone shift and change

But there’s so much shame and like guilt and just like oh my god

You’re 47 and you’re putting on weight now like gross. You’re getting old like

No, it’s just another shift in a change and you can come out more fabulous at 49 than you did at 21

But we’re just so programmed to believe that like no you get older and you put on fat

And you just accept what the gods dealt you and it’s like that’s not true

you can crack the code at any age but it just takes time and

patience and just being open to relearn and

And, you know, it’s okay to spend time on you

and paying attention to what you’re eating,

how much you’re lifting.

You know, we count calories and stuff,

but there’s a lot of people that like

don’t have a training notebook

and they’re not paying attention to like,

I lifted this much this week.

Okay, I did this many reps, okay.

And then the following week,

they’re going back and looking,

like collecting data on that, that’s missed too.

People aren’t doing that.

They don’t have a training notebook.

And I’m like, why doesn’t every human in the world

have a training notebook?

And I’m like, Melissa, people don’t do that.

And I’m like, what?

Why?

How do you know how to work your bodies?

How do you know this?

JANNINE: It’s mind-blowing, it’s mind-blowing.

I mean, I remember back in the day learning,

having the notebook before the apps.

Now the app kind of saves me from the notebook,

but I did back in the day.

I mean, gosh, it’s what you did.

It’s what you did.

I have both, I do both.

JANNINE: Nice, nice.

Yeah, I think I need to go back to the old school

where I was doing it before.

It was just, I don’t know, there’s something

about turning the pages and looking back.

It just, it helps, whereas the digital–

MELISSA: You write like little notes to yourself.

I literally, like today, when I open my notebook

for my training day, I will write notes on how I feel today

from yesterday’s workout and I’ll put smiley faces.

I’ll write that I’m sore.

Oh, so we’ll give it a, we’re right on one to five, you know?

So I’m always leaving those bread crumbs

and that’s hard to do in an app, you know?

And like, what page do one of my, am I on?

Or is this like in a note section?

Is it in a comment?

Yeah, comment, you know, like,

and in my notebook, it’s just my paper and my pen and,

oh, okay, I did that last week.

Okay, that hurt.

Okay, I’m gonna do it again this week.

Yeah, go back.

Old shcool.

So it’s better.

JANNINE: I love it.

Cause like the apps are showing me nuts

and if they don’t work or like they’re stuck on like

circle of death, I’m like, oh my god, I don’t have time for this.

But at the same time, you know, as period shift, as women are headed into

menopause in their period stop, I think this I do believe we still cycle.

I seriously believe we still cycle without having the period and having this

info is like, I think it’s crucial if you’re dedicated to to getting a lean

lifestyle, I think, you know, and getting lean, I think you have to dedicate

this, I said that all backwards to your lifestyle to really understand what’s

going on.

MELISSA: I followed you.

JANNINE: Good. 

MELISSA: But you do. You do. You really do. It’s true. 100%.

JANNINE: Because all of these women who have lean bodies and, you know, are

ripped and lifting a bunch of weight into their 80s, they didn’t just

magically show up like that. Like, no, that’s not magic.

That this is some work. And it’s something I’ve really wanted

folks to to gather from our podcast today is that fitness takes

work. It takes dedication. It’s not easy. PZ. There is no shortcut.

So– 

MELISSA: But it’s so worth it.

I mean, if you look at anyone that has earned that body and it’s an earned thing, right?

Not given.

It’s totally earned, especially later on in life.

That’s not genetics.

Genetics, your genetics left you back that when you were like 30 and 40, you know, and

when you’re like older 40, 50, 60s, like that, that shit’s earned.

You will talk to any of them and they will not be like, “Yeah, this is really hard.

I don’t know how I do it every day, you know,

but I keep showing up.

No, you talk to them and they’ll be like,

“No, this is what I do.

“I love it.

“I look forward to this.”

Like, I don’t always wanna get up and do this,

but like, here I am, I’m doing it.

And they’re happy and they’re healthy

and they have a great sex life

and they’re just doing all the things.

And no one says like, yeah, this really sucks.

I’m showing up again today.

(laughs)

Like, yeah, let’s go.

Do you wanna train with me?

(laughs)

JANNINE: Right, right.

They’re the biggest cheerleaders in the gym ever.

And some of my fabulous brands,

it’s something I wanna think about,

’cause it is, let’s face it,

the way we want the quick fix,

but honestly in the end,

when something’s rewarding,

this is where we get a lifestyle

and we get a transformation,

and the transformation is starting to love fitness

or really starting to love the result,

like you said in the beginning.

So we got to talk about busy to Bomb Fit Mom.

We got to talk about your podcast, Bomb Mom Podcast.

Let’s tell folks like where they can find you,

all the details because I’m sure at this point people are like,

all right, well, this has got some interesting things to say.

I think maybe I might want to work with her.

MELISSA: Yeah.

My website, it’s Melissa Vocal Fitness dot com has everything.

So you can find more information and read more and actually learn more about

Bob Mom. I do fit mine coaching as well now, where it’s one on one. So if

you’re like, I don’t want to work with a group, I don’t want to work with other

people, even though I love a group environment, but I get it that some

people just don’t want to. It’s like the next level. Anyone who’s like here, no

matter where that here is, and they want to go up a level, that’s where fit

mind is because I’m diving into everything, like mindset, nutrition, training,

I, you get the workouts, everything.

So, that is all the information is there for that.

But I always try to have different platforms for people

to meet them where they’re at.

So like I have like a six week at home workout

that you can do that I designed to just be able to do at home.

You don’t want to leave,

but you really want to make changes.

I have that downloadable program.

You can work with a group and environment.

You can work with me one on one

because everyone is just somewhere different.

So I have links you book a discovery call with me

and we just chat like 15 minutes

and not everyone’s a fit.

I’m not that person that’s like,

“Oh my God, well, just do this then, just do that.”

Or like sometimes we end up and I’d be like,

“No, I wish you well, just wasn’t a fit.”

But go read this book or go see this person

or I had them on my podcast.

I think they’re gonna be a better fit for you.

So I’m always wanting to direct people

and what seems to be the best at that time for them.

And then yeah, the podcast is Bomb Mom,  Bomb Mom Podcast.

I loved having you on.

I think that episode is going to be just amazing,

but it’s another tool,

and I’m sure this is why you have your podcast as well.

Like it’s another tool to help people, right?

It’s not gonna give you all of the answers,

but I love thinking that we have this toolbox of life.

And the Bob Mom podcast and yours,

it’s just one more to put in there to be like,

“Okay, how do I help myself and listen?

“How do I take in information and stay on the right path?”

Because you have to protect that.

You have to protect what you listen to,

what you see, who you follow,

’cause you can get guided in the wrong direction real quick.

So I take very, a lot of pride in my podcast

’cause I know that we’re spitting out the right information,

we have the right people on there

and I’m not gonna guide people in the wrong way,

like a social media influencer might hurt.

(laughs)

JANNINE: Isn’t that funny?

I mean, the quick fix stuff kills me.

I know it’s our mentality, I know it’s our society,

but we do have to be cognizant of if it sounds too freaking good to be true.

Ladies.

It is.

MELISSA: 100%.

JANNINE: Oh my goodness.

Well, I am so glad that Dr.

Anna Marie hooked us off and got us connected.

MELISSA: I know.

JANNINE: It’s, it’s just been a pleasure chatting with you.

And I hope you guys are enjoying listening to our banter on fitness.

And I honestly, all I really hope for so many people is just to,

just to entertain the love that we have for fitness and just

just feel what it feels like to have something that feels good, helps your circulation,

moves your body. 

MELISSA: Everything. The benefits are endless. They’re endless. And I would not be

telling people to go and do something that is going to cause you pain. You’re going to be sore.

You’re going to feel all the muscles ripped. But I wouldn’t be telling you to go and do that if it

wasn’t a thousand percent worth it and helps you lift your best life ever. 

JANNINE: I mean, absolutely well

said. And I mean, if we look at any of the data too, it backs it up. It always comes back. It

and fit and fit. It always does.

MELISSA: Every single time.

How do we, how do we stop cancer from coming back?

Oh, we have all these studies on walks.

Like it helps people stay in remission for years.

Like just a walk.

But do you really walk?

Yeah, you’re, you’re so right.

JANNINE: We got this.

Melissa, thank you for helping me in the mission to help folks love fitness

and really incorporate in part of their life.

I love what you’re doing and I can’t wait to introduce everybody to the,

the busy to bomb fit mom.

Thank you so much for coming on.

MELISSA: You nailed it.

Thanks for having me on.

[Outro] Hey, fellow health junkie.

Thanks for listening to The Health Fix Podcast.

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