The Skinni Girl Guide to Losing Weight on a 9 to 5

Summary

Liv Schmidt shares strategies she says helped her lose weight while working a demanding office schedule. Her main themes are planning meals, getting regular movement, prioritizing sleep, and setting boundaries around workplace food and social pressure.

Workplace Food and Eating Habits

• Plan ahead: Pack portioned lunches for the workweek. Schmidt also describes having a protein shake or green tea on the way to work rather than relying on whatever food is available.
• Pause before taking free food: Ask whether you actually want it or are eating because it is nearby, free, or unusual. If unsure, she suggests taking a single portion home and deciding later.
• Limit grazing: Office snacks, catered meals, desserts, and celebrations can add up across the day. She recommends choosing intentionally rather than sampling each item.
• Set social boundaries: Bring lunch or decide in advance which days to eat with coworkers. Schmidt says colleagues are less likely to notice or judge someone who follows their own routine.
• Be mindful of portions: At catered meals, she suggests choosing a smaller serving and adapting the meal to personal preferences. She also notes that one meal does not determine the whole week.
• Avoid “I’ve ruined the day” thinking: If you eat an unplanned treat, return to your usual routine instead of treating it as a reason to abandon your goals.
• Handle snack meetings deliberately: Bring tea, water, or another drink as an alternative to mindlessly reaching for snacks.
• Don’t take leftovers out of guilt: Take them only if you want them and they fit your plans. You do not need to eat food simply to avoid waste.
• Try non-food ways to decompress: After a stressful day, consider tea, a walk, a shower, a short workout, or watching a favorite show.

Movement, Energy, and Routine

• Prioritize sleep: Schmidt says she shifted away from very early, intense workouts and toward sleeping longer and fitting in gentler activity.
• Build in walks: Her examples include a 20–30-minute morning walk, a 15–20-minute walk at lunch, and an optional after-work walk.
• Break up sitting: Get up periodically to walk around, stretch, or move during the workday—including during a commute or around a parking lot.
• Use short workouts: She describes doing 10–15-minute workouts after work or at another convenient time.
• Keep exercise timing flexible: Rather than identifying only as a “morning” or “evening” exerciser, work out whenever it fits that day.
• Set a step goal that suits you: Schmidt says she aimed for 8,000–10,000 steps, while emphasizing that walking could be slow or brisk depending on how she felt.

Schmidt presents these as personal approaches, not individualized medical guidance. Her emphasis on weight loss and restricting or modifying portions may not suit everyone. Health needs vary, and sustainable eating should still provide adequate nourishment.

Presenters and Sources

• Presenter: Liv Schmidt.
• Sources and anecdotes mentioned: Schmidt’s own experience; friends who work in offices, including a lawyer and a tech-sales worker; her older sister’s boyfriend and other male friends; and members of her Skinny Society community.