Meet Trailblazer Nathalia Ferreira

During pregnancy, I stopped my activities like dancing, exercising and began a very unhealthy diet of medium pizzas every week and many spoonfuls of Nutella a day. While even today, I am a firm believer that you need to listen to your body, at the time, I would give the excuse that I needed to eat what the baby needed and well, once the baby was born, the medium pizzas and Nutella were evidently more for me than the baby. As the months passed, I was faced with the consequences of unhealthy pregnancy habits and it was the toughest moment as a woman, for me, as I had to face myself in the mirror and see what I did to myself.

Over the course of three months, I lost about 10-13lbs and then plateaued. It was then that I became the most insecure and self-conscious I have ever been. It was no longer about the weight, it was about how I felt about myself. It took a toll on my confidence, my marriage and consequently my life. It was about five months after my son was born that I decided I no longer wanted to live like that, I had to do something.

I signed up for a gym membership for the first time in my life and began a monotonous routine of treadmills and ellipticals that I forced myself into every day. Nothing seemed to help until I began taking Zumba classes and enjoying myself through dance and movement again.

In a matter of three months, I was back to a healthy weight and it was at that point that my life became my own motivation. I went on to become a fitness instructor, personal trainer, fitness studio owner and even a master trainer for Zumba Fitness.

Today, I cannot imagine my life without fitness, but more than that, wellness. It’s no longer a routine, but a lifestyle. It’s what I do and want to do every day and in every which way.

You see, I was opposed to fitness and wellness because of my relationship with it, my perspective and my emotional state toward it. To me, it was an obligation, something society expected me to do so I can look a certain way and that kept me away from it. Once I changed my perspective and my feelings about it, it consequently changed my life and so that became my mission. I want to help people understand that it’s not about how many sets and reps you do at the gym, what the scale says about you, but how you enjoy yourself and the journey along the way. Once you change how you look at wellness, you’ll change your relationship with yourself and that by investing in your body, you will also be investing in your mind and soul.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The path along my journey has not been an easy one, but nonetheless, enjoyable. I am a firm believer that our past failures are what make us who we are today, so while it wasn’t easy, it has made me into who I am and has guided me towards what I want. During the months and now years that I have spent working hard on myself, there were times that my own body didn’t seem to help. I have battled through food intolerances that later developed in IBS and nearly took away my ability to be a fitness trainer and to continue to work so hard on my fitness. Due to many life events along the years, I also developed chronic anxiety that was debilitating and led me to quit many of the things that kept me sane. I think this was the most difficult “pebble” along the road and the one I had to work the hardest in getting past. It took me several months, nearly a year, to fully understand and know how to deal with it and it took strength I never even knew I had.

There was a point where I remember not wanting to get out of bed for over a week, not answering phone calls from work, family or friends because I felt no purpose due to the constant pain and tightness in my chest and to me, everything would only make it worse. My husband and son became collateral damage and it was at that point that I said enough!

One day, I simply decided no more! No matter what, no matter how, I needed to get out of that state. I fought through every single ounce of despair, fear and self-doubt I had and started moving. Every day, that meant something different, from getting out of bed to sit on the couch, to cleaning the house, to riding my bike, to then finally getting back to a workout routine. Once I got back into working out and felt the endorphins kicking in again, I was reminded that I had the healing tool all along… myself! My drive, my body, my positive thinking, my belief in myself and my willingness were all I needed to get me out of that state. When I allowed myself to tap into those things and my support system again, I became unstoppable. I began talking about it, even through my social media, and I was shocked to see how many people had or were going through the same thing and that gave me both hope and determination.

Since then, it’s been two years of guiding myself to always remain this version of me, confident that I am capable to move mountains, especially the ones within me.

To anyone out there, going through anything that stands in their way or those who are looking for a reason to start a journey, whatever it may be, YOU already have the tools to conquer it and overcome any obstacle in your path, all you have to do is decide. Once you decide, no matter what happens, what or who comes and goes, as long as you remain committed to it, you can achieve almost anything!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about #livewellgirl – what should we know?
I hate calling what I do work, I prefer the term mission and that is to help people find this passion that I found. No, it’s not fitness, it’s not working out… it’s myself! My passion is to invest in what makes me happy, what brings my best self forward and what leads me to explore new ways of living. I do this through a community I have built via social media and personal connections. I coach people into finding within them the drive they need to change the relationship they have with their body, their journey and consequently their life. It’s not about what’s surrounding you or your current circumstances that make your life happen, but it’s you, your decisions and your emotions that get you there.

My brand is about a few things that ultimately lead to my mission. Through social media I like to show people alternatives to moving, whether that is an aqua cycling class or a beach workout, a rock wall climbing adventure or a well-spent time at the pool, the purpose is to get people moving in a way that allows them to build a lifestyle with it. I also like to share products that help me on a daily basis feel like a total babe, who doesn’t want to feel like that? This ranges from a jade roller that helps me wake up in the morning while investing in my skin to whatever protein shake I am taking that seals up a workout routine in the yummiest way possible.

My favorite part of my brand is a human connection and I do this through a private community I have built that supports each other, is there for one another and I am able to help through personal experiences, self-discovery, and movement.

I think in life we each stand on our own as it is and so we all stand apart. The difference between one person or brand from the next is in their mission and execution. I am not driven by money, fame or competition, I’m driven by people. Helping them is where I find my high. I want to help people find their passion like I did mine, their breakthrough and ultimately their purpose. To tell you the truth, most people have no idea of some of these aspects because I don’t look for people, we seem to cross path naturally and that is how they become part of my “inner circle.”

Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
I love reading, but let me make something clear… I LOVE reading physical books where I can highlight, make notes on the pages, flip through pages. Lol!

So books that have thoroughly helped me were “The four agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz, “Awaken the Giant Within” by Tony Robbins is partially my bible, “Grace Revolution” by Joseph Prince to name a few.

Podcasts are a huge part of my life!  After school drop off I come home, make myself some coffee and pop in my earphones and listen to them as I organize the house or simply sit by the pool to start my morning. My favorites are Tony Robbins (do you see a pattern here), Gary Vee, Jess Lively and sometimes, I explore the “If you liked this, you’ll also like this” section. This has been such a crucial part of my wellness journey that I am so happy to soon be adding this to what I do as well, so with out 2019, a Live{well} podcast is coming your way!