“I’ve always used my crazy work schedule as an excuse…”
A previous client of mine thought their demanding job made weight loss impossible.
“I’d think things like,
As a physician, I don’t have time to eat healthy or exercise, since my schedule is crazy and I’m working some 60+ hour work weeks!
And, I have no energy or motivation to workout. There’s no way I could stick with a program because my schedule is constantly changing from day to day and week to week!
Boy was I wrong…”
When you’re working full-time, your time, energy, and focus are stretched thin. Add in family obligations, social commitments, and the daily grind, and finding time or motivation to prioritize your health can seem like an impossible task.
The truth is that people often make weight loss harder than it needs to be. When you break it down and approach it with the right strategies, it can fit seamlessly into your busy life. It’s all about creating habits that don’t require extra time or mental energy, so you can stay consistent without burning out.
Let’s dive into practical, real-world strategies that make losing weight while working full-time not only possible but sustainable. Then, I’ll tell you the rest of the physician’s story…
- Focus on Calories and Protein—Not Every Macro
Tracking every macro and micro nutrient is a full-time job in itself. Thankfully, for weight loss, you don’t need to track everything. Instead, focus on just calories and protein.- Calories Do Matter: Fat loss can only occur when you’re in a caloric deficit. Start by determining how many calories you need per day to maintain your weight. Then, aim to eat less than that. Cut too little, and you won’t see progress. Cut too many, and you’ll slow your metabolism and fail to sustain any weight loss. In my free guide, I’ll help you find the perfect number for your weight loss goals.
- You (Probably) Need More Protein: Protein is crucial for preserving muscle mass while losing fat. Aim for at least 0.75-1g of protein per pound of your goal weight. For example, if your goal is to weigh 150 pounds, you should eat between 112 and 150 grams of protein per day. Sound like a lot? Here’s your cheat sheet of high-protein foods you can eat to reach this goal.
Narrow your focus to just calories and protein. Tracking what you eat will become much more manageable in the midst of a busy schedule.
- Meal Automation: Healthy Meals on Autopilot
Meal prepping doesn’t have to require hours on Sunday in the kitchen. You can prep some food and still have your weekends off. The key is to automate your meals so that, even on the busiest days, you still hit your nutrition goals.- Batch Prep Your Protein: Dedicate a few minutes each week to prepping one or two protein sources that you can easily throw into several meals. For example, you can toss six chicken breasts in the slow cooker with a jar of salsa. Or you can bake a batch of salmon for the week. Prep enough protein for 3-4 meals to cut your weeknight cooking time down drastically.
- Shop for No-Cook, High-Protein Foods: Keep some go-to options on hand for busy work days when cooking overwhelms your schedule. Canned tuna, rotisserie chicken, and protein shakes can come to your rescue. Here are my favorite no-cook protein foods I keep in my kitchen.
Meal prep doesn’t have to be perfect, but even a few minutes of prep takes the guesswork out of your daily nutrition.
- Find Your Core Four
One of my simplest, most effective strategies for meal planning is to find your “Core Four” meals. This is a game-changer that will save time in the kitchen. Instead of overcomplicating your meal plan, focus on just a handful of go-to recipes you love. Here’s how it works:- Pick 4-8 Meals: Choose at least four meals (but up to eight) that you adn your family love, are easy to prepare, and fit within your calorie and protein goals. These are your “Core Four.”
- Stick to What Works: These meals should be repeatable and flexible. Find ones that can be made in bulk, adapted to different ingredients, and fit into your schedule. Here’s another of my favorite Core Four recipes I like to batch-make for lunches.
- Find Your Food Flow: Find meals that work for you and your family. This hack will simplify your week while still making meals that fit your health goals and everyone enjoys. For example, our family loves pasta! Once a week, we have pasta night—I often cook a high-protein, high-fiber pasta with my favorite veggie-loaded meat sauce.
Find a week flow that works for you. You might choose to have tray bakes on Mondays, tacos on Tuesday, Asia-inspired dishes on Wednesdays, soups on Thursdays, and pasta on Fridays.
Once you know your Core Four (or eight) and have a flow to your week, meal planning takes minutes instead of hours. You’ll be able to streamline your grocery shopping, prep ahead, and spend less time in the kitchen and tracking your nutrition. - Leverage Strength Training for Maximum Fat Loss
Strength training is your best friend when you’re trying to lose body fat and working full time. Here’s why:- The After Burn: You’ll burn calories during your strength training workout. And, thanks to the after-burn affect (a.k.a. Excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or EPOC), you’ll continue burning calories for up to 35 hours afterward!
- Build Muscle, Burn Fat: Strength training helps you build lean muscle, which not only looks great but also increases your metabolism. More muscle meas you’ll burn more calories at rest.
- Cut Down on Gym Time: Strength training is more time-efficient than long, steady-state cardio sessions. Plus, you can do it in as little as 30 minutes, making it perfect for a busy work schedule.
Strength training should be the meat and potatoes of your workout routine. If your job is maxing out your schedule, choose compound movements (lke squats, deadlifts, and pushups) that work multiple muscle groups at once.
- Start Your Day with a Workout—Morning Gymers Win
Starting your day with your workout will make all the difference when you’re a full-time worker. It helps you reach your weight loss goals in three ways.- Consistency: We all know from experience that the to-do list never get’s completely checked off. When our workout is the last task in our day, we’ll likely skip it. Working out first thing in the morning removes the risk of skipping your workout later in the day due to work stress or fatigue.
- Energy Boost: After a full night’s sleep, you have more mental and physical energy to crush your workout. Then, after your workout is complete, you’ll feel more energized and mentally prepared for a productive work day! It’s a win, win.
- Better Mood: Exercise increases the release of endorphins—those feel good hormones that leave you in a better mood for the rest of the day.
If you’re not a morning person, start small. Commit to just 10-15 minutes in the morning and build from there. After experiencing how good you feel, a morning workout will become a habit you can’t skip.
So What Happened to the Physician?
Sustainable weight loss while working full-time is not about perfection. It’s about making smarter choices and building habits that support your goals. And trust me, once you see how simple it can be, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner.
That’s exactly what happened to my physician friend.
I used to have the “all or nothing” mindset. I would do good for a week and then fail, so I just gave up.”
But, thank goodness, they gave weight loss one more try, because…
In 14 weeks, I’ve lost almost 19 pounds and 11.5 inches! The best part of all is I feel amazing! I want to shout it from the rooftops, Go Try LEAN!
I love my new mindset of “progress not perfection!” I have more energy. I sleep better. I’m stronger. The best part, I feel confident! I’m so happy I made this decision. I love how LEAN’s strategies have become a lifestyle for me and not just a “diet.”
Lose weight and work hard. Join LEAN and turn your weight loss goals into a success story.
