‘I Work More Than 12 Hours A Day—But I Still Lost Weight By Making These Changes’

Before: 185

After: 154

As the vice president of communications for my city’s tourist bureau, I’m in charge of marketing, advertising, social media, press, and communications. It’s not unusual for me to work 12 to 15 hours a day, especially when I’m showing travel writers around my food-loving hometown of Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana or attending conferences. At work dinners, gumbo, crawfish etouffee (a.k.a. crawfish in butter), and alcohol are all a given.

All that stress and unhealthy eating added up—as did my weight. And while I tried to lose weight a couple of times in the past, it never really stuck because, well, I was too busy. Or at least that’s what I told myself.

Finally, two years ago, I reached my highest weight of 185 pounds. That’s when I realized that I was done with the excuses. I knew I needed to commit and decided to join Weight Watchers. In six months, I lost 30 pounds, and have successfully kept it off using these seven strategies. I’m positive they will help you, too—no matter how crazy work gets.