Weight Loss Wisdom: Strategies for Busy Women in Healthcare

You’re bothered by your weight and you feel like as a woman in healthcare you know what’s “healthy” and what’s not, so why is weight loss a struggle?

Numerous challenges can get in the way like stress causing you to eat sweets or just overeat. Feeling like you don’t have enough time, because your schedule is so jam-packed.

You’d love if someone could just wave a magic wand and make weight loss easier for you. Well, you’re in the right place, because that’s exactly what I’ll do.

I’m giving you easy-to-implement strategies for weight loss for busy women in healthcare that you can implement no matter the stress level, patient load, or how busy your work or homelife schedule is.

Before I dive in, I made a free video class just for you. It’ll help you lose weight simply, in a way that doesn’t require any extra time or energy.

Plus, you’ll receive some bonuses with it that help with mindset and dinner planning. Get the free class here, so you can start losing weight right away. (In the healthiest way!)

First Things First, Your Mindset

It’s REALLY easy to want to get right into the action tips, but your mindset will pave the way for success with those action tips.

So you must start with shifting your perspective on self-care from being a luxury to being a necessity, especially in the demanding field of healthcare.

Recognize that prioritizing your health and well-being is not selfish. It’s essential for your ability to provide quality care to others, so it’s selfish to NOT prioritize your health and well-being.

I can attest to this. I started taking better care of patients when I started taking better care of myself. My physical and emotional health improved, giving me the energy and focus I needed and wanted to invest in the care of my patients.

(Which is one of the reasons why I changed careers to coach on eating habits and weight loss for women in healthcare.)

I encourage you to view self-care practices such as establishing healthier eating habits, sleep, hydration, movement and stress management as integral parts of your professional toolkit. (Also, if you’re feeling burnout as a busy Physician Assistant, check out Tracy Bingaman’s podcast, “The PA Is In”.)

By investing in your own health, you’re better equipped to serve your patients with compassion since you’ll be feeling so much better.

• LISTEN OR READ: Healthy Mindset, Healthy Weight Loss
• LISTEN OR READ: 5 Mindset Shifts for Healthier Eating Habits

Prevent Impulsive Snacking or Takeout by Planning Ahead

Planning your meals and snacks ahead of time can save you valuable minutes during busy days AND prevent impulsive eats.

Many of my clients told me during their free consult that they hate meal planning. I assured them that we do something different during my coaching program and it’s easy. They do indeed find it easy and incredibly helpful, so I’m sharing the gist of it with you.

Write down at least the day before what you intend to eat for meals and snacks the next day. If you can be specific, great. If not, then simply writing something like “Dinner: Protein and Vegetable” is fine too.

When you write it down 24 hours in advance, studies show you’re more likely to follow-through and less likely to eat impulsively. My clients also find that it helps save a lot of mental energy the next day in the midst of the “busy-ness.”

This really only takes about 2 minutes to do each day, so you definitely have time for this.

TIP: Grab a notebook dedicated to just this, a pen, and put them in a spot you’ll see easily. Then, set a reminder on your phone.

• LISTEN OR READ: Easy Meal Planning for Busy Career Women
• LISTEN OR READ: Emotional Eating at Work

Eat When You’re Hungry

It seems so simple, right? But you’re likely eating when you’re NOT hungry. For all different reasons. And then when you ARE hungry, you’re sometimes ignoring the hunger signals, because it’s not lunchtime yet. Or because you’re busy taking care of patients.

To lose weight simply and for life, you MUST learn how to eat when you’re hungry, and NOT eat when you’re NOT hungry. Essentially, you must get back into the normal eating cycle.

Now certainly, many things prevent people from doing this, but these are all things that have solutions. Which is exactly what I help my clients with through my coaching program.

So to start getting on the right track, before reaching for a snack or meal, take a moment to check in with your body. See if you’re truly hungry or eating out of habit or emotion, or for another reason.

And if you are really hungry while going about your busy day, but feel like you can’t take a break, take that quick break! You just need about 2 minutes to eat a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts, a yogurt, etc.

By the way, make sure you have some “healthy-ish” snacks available to you, so you don’t get overly hungry and so that you don’t go to the candy or snack machine.

• LISTEN OR READ: Mindful Munching: The Art of Intentional Eating
• LISTEN OR READ: How to Stop Overeating

Make Best Friends With Your Water Bottle

I know you know that proper hydration is essential for maintaining optimal health and performance, but it’s also crucial for healthy weight loss.

Keep a brightly colored or visually-appealing (to catch your eye) water bottle within reach and aim to sip (or gulp) water consistently throughout the day. If you struggle to drink enough water, try infusing it with fresh fruits or herbs for added flavor.

Additionally, consider setting reminders on your phone or computer to prompt you to take hydration breaks regularly. Staying hydrated can help prevent fatigue, improve cognitive function, and support overall well-being.

And for weight loss, it just helps with a whole slew of body functions related to metabolism, digestion, etc. Plus, being dehydrated can cause feelings of hunger, which are then misinterpreted as hunger.

• LISTEN OR READ: 5 Crucial Weight Loss Habits

Final Thoughts

I’ve made very simple as far as the actions steps, because it really is that simple. One thing that can get in the way though, is your thoughts.

In fact, your stress is from your thoughts, so if you’re feeling stressed often, addressing the stress by addressing the thoughts causing the stress, is key.

That’s one of the things I help my clients with when I help them with eating habits and weight loss. Because it’s not just about the actions, but also the thoughts and emotions behind the actions.

So, if you want help with this and don’t think you can do it alone, I can help you break “bad” eating habits and lose weight.

Part of that is thought work (mindset work), which is the best part, because that branches off into so many other areas and is where the true transformation occurs.

Ready to kickstart your journey to a healthier relationship with food, your body, and yourself? Book your free consultation below.

I’ll listen, tailor a personalized plan, and if it resonates, we can discuss working together to achieve your goals.