You ever see those women who look great all the time and think, what are they doing I’m not? Is it something they’re eating?  How do they stay in such good shape?  Here’s the secret, they’ve built simple healthy habits that when done over time, add up to feeling great daily, having high energy, and maintaining a lean and toned body.

But what are those habits exactly?

I had the same questions about seven years ago and have been on a mission to figure it out ever since.  In this post I’ll give you 15 simple healthy habits all fit and healthy working women do.

Now, something to remember is that all of us are different.  Our bodies are all different. What works for you might not work for me (i.e. keto).  

However…

While what works for each person might be different, the behaviors are generally the same for these women.  They have all found a system or routine that works in their lifestyle.  

As a busy working woman, it can seem hard to find time to be healthy. 

But what if I told you there is a way to make being fit, lean, and toned easier! 

So what’s the trick?

Practicing simple healthy habits every day.  

These simple healthy habits, when done over time, add up to feeling great daily, as well as, maintaining a lean and toned body, consistently.  

Now here’s the catch.

You can’t do something once and expect it to work. You can’t expect progress without focus and dedication. Small, incremental increases are what you are going for here.  

So focus your attention on these simple healthy habits to transform your health, your body, and your life to feel your best every day.  

Simple healthy habit #1: Workout regularly

Busy working women still find the time to workout 4-6 times a week. Not only that, they truly enjoy their workouts by finding the best type of workout for them.  

Understand that working out doesn’t always mean in a gym.  It can be outdoors, indoors, a studio, or gym. The important thing is that you elevate your heart rate and get your body moving.  For an added bonus, find a buddy to go with you for accountability and motivation.  

Simple healthy habit #2: Plan meals in advanced

A little extra thought in what you’ll eat for the upcoming week will go a long way.  Having a pre-prepped meal for at least lunch during the day makes a huge difference in my stress levels as well.  I couldn’t live without this.  

If you don’t have the time or just simply don’t want to cook you can always outsource your meal prep. I use fierrosignature.com in San Diego but there are many meal prep services out there, just google ‘meal prep’ and ‘your city’ for best results.  

Simple healthy habit #3: Eat a healthy breakfast

Unless you’re on an intermittent fasting schedule, a bagel and smear won’t cut it here.  When you’re working out and using your brain all day at work, you need fuel. Eggs + egg whites + a complex carb and some greens will fuel your workouts while giving you sustained energy for your busy morning.  

Simple healthy habit #4: Have a clearly defined daily routine

If you get nothing else from this article, do this one thing.  Have you ever written out your day hour by hour or event by event?  If you haven’t, I encourage you to give this exercise a try. This will help you know exactly what you do with your time.  Get out a pen and paper or pull up a Google Sheet to do the exercise. 

Write out your day hour by hour and input what you are doing at each time.  

530am	Wake up
6am	Gym
715am	Get ready for work
745am	Make breakfast
830am	Work
5pm	Drive home from work
530pm	Take the dog outside to play
630pm	Make and eat dinner
730pm	Blog or family time
830pm	Read
9pm	Bed

Once you’ve completed the exercise, look at your day.  Where are you spending too much time? Where could you be more efficient? Could you be more productive during a certain hour?  Are you over exerting yourself during a particular time frame?

We are creatures of habit, a daily routine or schedule cannot be underestimated to help you get the most out of each day.  When I think “I don’t have enough time” I try to remember, we all have the same amount of time as Oprah.  

Simple healthy habit #5: Know when to indulge without guilt and when to skip the treats

If you’ve created a routine with food and know where each meal is coming from before you get to that meal time, your chances of success in skipping treats dramatically increases. Now, when you are aimlessly eating and have no clear plan for what your next meal looks like, if treats present themselves, which they will, especially in an office setting, saying no is rather difficult. 

There are specified times during the week I will allow myself an indulgence.  For instance, if I’ve been consistent with workouts and getting my 10k steps a day, I’ll choose a few nights a week to have ½ cup of ice cream.  But each week looks a little different. You’ve got to pay attention to when you’ve earned it and when you put yourself over a calorie surplus. The main principle of calories in vs. calories out applies.

The conversation with myself might look like this, “I want a donut, but I haven’t been walking as much this week and my step count is down.  Additionally, I’ve only been to the gym 3 times this week.” So I’ll make a plan to get my step count up (burn more calories) and go to the gym 5 times next week to earn that donut, guilt free.  

Simple healthy habit #6: Develop a morning routine

I wrote about this in detail on Thrive Global.

A morning routine is a fantastic way to start your day.  Some people like to meditate, workout, take long walks by the beach, practice gratitude and self-affirmations, or journal.  It doesn’t matter what you choose, just do it with intention. You can see my morning routine above (hint, I workout every morning).

Simple healthy habit #7: Drink a ton of water

Do you have a dedicated water bottle yet?  I carry my nalgene with me everywhere I go.  It feels like my third arm at this point. Get a water bottle, I like these:

Simple healthy habit #8: Drink alcohol in moderation

To make sure this is clear, alcohol doesn’t support a lean, fit lifestyle, but we are human, and alcohol has other benefits – being a social lubricant, tasting good, and helping you relax.  

If you are going to drink, to stay in line with your simple healthy habits, you’ll want to be conscious of the drinks you choose.  Opt for lower calorie options like vodka/soda with a lime versus beer or sugary drinks. I personally love wine, so that’s what I choose. As long as you aren’t over drinking, which leads to other undesirable behaviors (late night pizza ??), some alcohol won’t derail you.  

You can read more about how I stopped over drinking here. 

Simple healthy habit #9: Eat whole, real foods

Skip the processed junk, even if it says “healthy” on the box or package, anything in a package has some form of preservative.  Eating fresh veggies is easier than you think. Here are a couple helpful resources to have you enjoying whole, real foods in no time:

• Here’s how to make your veggies taste good
• This is an amazing way to cook sweet potatoes (my fave smart carb)
• Here’s how to eat a whole food breakfast
• Finally, the best power salad lunch and dinner options

Simple healthy habit #10: Have clearly defined fitness goals

Did this one stump you?  It commonly does that. What do you mean health goals?  I just want to workout and get my sweat on. Well, that may work for some but if you really want to consistently be lean, toned, and fit, you need a clear target. 

Here are some examples:  Run a 5k without stopping, 5 pull-ups, 25 push-ups unbroken, hold a handstand, hike a particular mountain, climb a particular rock wall in a specified time, walk 15k steps every day for 30 days.  

See, as humans, our joy comes from striving to achieve.  Having a goal isn’t about getting to the destination, it’s about the journey.  What are you working towards?

Simple healthy habit #11: Practice self-care

Self-care is very individual.  I like the following: Chiropractic, massage, cupping, acupuncture, hot epsom salt bath, journalling, stretching, foam rolling, meditating, long walks, or slow breathing. 

Simple healthy habit #12: Prioritize sleep

Do you get to sleep at the same time every night?  This is a big one, here’s why.  

You can’t live a healthy lifestyle without adequate sleep.  When you workout your body repairs itself while you are sleeping.  Also, your sleep helps regulate your hormones responsible for the feeling of hunger and being full.  So if your sleep is out of whack, you could be derailing your entire next day, snacking more often and not performing your best in your workouts.  

So, did you create your daily routine yet?  If not, scroll back up and ensure you’ve penciled in sleep in order to get 7-8 hours a night.  

Simple healthy habit #13: Don’t worry about the scale

The only time I step on the scale is when the doctors make me.  Focus on how you feel, your performance in your chosen fitness activity, or how your clothes are fitting.  

Simple healthy habit #14: Find a way to be active when you can’t get to your normally scheduled workout

Our busy days get away from us at times and that’s ok.  You can be active in a variety of ways but committing to that is a lifestyle.  

Walking is highly underestimated!  When all else fails, go for a walk.  For example, when having a dinner party and you want to spend time with family and friends, suggest an after dinner walk.  You’ll all go together and get a chance to connect and mingle while being active, win-win. I did this over my last few holidays and surprisingly enough, many of the members of my family wanted to join in!

Simple healthy habit #15: Aren’t too rigid with “being healthy”

Instead, live a healthy lifestyle consistently and build healthy habits that fit into your normal routine.  Create your morning routine and daily schedule, plan your meals, and focus on the goals you want to achieve.  

Final thoughts on weight loss habits for busy working women.

Finding the time and the willpower to build a consistent routine can be slow at the start. Maintaining a lean body and fit physique isn’t something that’s done once in a while or even for a period of time.  It’s maintained through building healthy habits that fit into your lifestyle. 

I encourage you to bookmark this page, pin it to Pinterest, and come back periodically when you need to.

Better yet, get on my email list for weekly tips on healthy living, workout motivation, and weight loss tips. Grab a free copy of the fitness planner below to get on.

-Shay