How to lose weight without having to quit your job

Ten years ago, I believed a working mom couldn't be fit. It's embarrassing to admit, but if I saw a fit corporate mom, I would question if she even spent time with her kids. I imagined she must have a personal chef, personal trainer, live-in au pair, and full-time house manager. I truly believed anyone with a job as demanding as I had, didn't have time or space to do what it took to lose weight. So I didn't even try. Well, I delayed it for several years until my back and knee started screaming at me every day in pain. And my discomfort in all my dress pants finally got me taking messy action.

Now, after losing 75 lbs and keeping it off for over eight years, I work with other high-achieving women to do the same while juggling all the demands they face every day, climbing the corporate ladder, and being a kick-ass mom! Because the good news is, you don't have to quit your job to do it. My most busy clients have some of the best results. So, how?? How do they do this? What's the secret sauce to making this happen?

Here's exactly how:

Manage Stress Effectively

There's a reason I put stress first. Stress is the most significant major barrier to weight loss, and let's face it—work can be a massive source of stress. When stressed, our bodies release cortisol, a hormone that can increase appetite and lead to weight gain, particularly around the belly. Stress also leads to making decisions and taking actions that don't support weight loss, like staying up late, scrolling your phone while snacking on the couch, or feeling hitting snooze 10x and no longer having time to get that morning workout in before work.

Finding healthy ways to manage stress is crucial for weight loss, even when you're thinking, "I don't even have a minute to breathe!" This is precisely when you need to take a minute to do just that! Taking a few minutes to practice some mindfulness in small ways throughout your day will make it a heck of a lot easier to show up for yourself. I'm not suggesting that you fit in lengthy and intricate practices like red light therapy, cold plunges, and hour-long meditation sessions, although that's cool if those work for you. Even just taking one minute for some deep breaths, body awareness exercises, or a few minutes to get outside, get some sunlight on your eyes, relax, and clear your mind will improve your life and allow you to make decisions that support weight loss. Trust me, knowing how to relieve stress in ways that don't involve eating a sleeve of Oreos or a glass of wine is a game-changer for busy working women.

Create a New Identity

Wait what?? Now, I need to be a totally different person to lose weight? Kind of, and not exactly. Losing and maintaining weight loss will require you to do things differently for the rest of your life. The reason yo-yo dieters can't get off that cycle is exactly this: they don't create permanent habit changes. And they probably don't identify as the person who consistently does those habits daily. Maintaining weight loss requires being active, which can feel impossible when you're stuck sitting in back-to-back Zoom meetings all day! So if you start taking walks each morning, but still think of yourself as lazy or sedentary, you'll slip back into being just that.

When you begin to visualize yourself as an active person and even tell yourself you are active, you're creating the conditions that make it easier to get up each morning and get that walk in without it feeling like a total drag. You're building that new identity to support your success where that morning walk happens now on autopilot.

Plan Like a Pro

One of the biggest challenges for busy women when it comes to weight loss is finding the time. You have no time to begin with and hate feeling like you're wasting your time. Learning to use your time as effectively as possible and carve out a quick 10-minute weekly planning meeting to block out time on your calendar to map out your meals and decide when to fit in your workouts makes it easier to execute that plan. Part of your planning will require comfort using boundaries, learning to say no at times, and delegating and trusting others to take things on that aren't the best use of your time.

Just like you prioritize strategic planning at work or quarterly planning calls, having a planning routine for your wellness will make it easier to stay consistent.

Be Kind to Yourself

You're probably hard on yourself if you're anything like me. You rethink your comment in that meeting and wonder if it was okay. You find yourself apologizing unnecessarily at times. On your weight loss journey, you'll need to remember to be kind to yourself. Losing weight is a journey, and it's normal to experience ups and downs along the way. Stay calm if you slip up or if progress feels slow. What matters is that you keep going.

Celebrate small victories, learn from setbacks, and stay focused on your long-term goals. With patience and persistence, you can lose weight without sacrificing your career.

Seek Support

Losing weight while managing a career is tough, but you don't have to do it alone. You bring in experts and hire outside help all the time at work when you or your team don't have the skills to execute the job alone. Seek support from someone who shares similar goals and knows how to help you, providing you with the guidance, accountability, and community you need to succeed.

A support system can make all the difference, helping you stay motivated and on track, even when work gets hectic.

Final Thoughts

Do you find it funny that I didn't mention what foods to eat, how much to eat, or strategies to support a calorie deficit? The truth is, that's all part of losing weight, but that part will flow once you address the points above.

Managing stress, building the identity that supports your goals, planning, being kind to yourself, and having support will allow you to take the steps in your nutrition and workouts to support the weight loss to happen!

Remember, you don't have to quit your job to feel confident and healthy—I can help you start making changes in The Weight Loss Blueprint to see the difference it can make in both your personal and professional life.