I'm a former magazine editor who wakes up every day at 5:17 a.m. for good luck. Here's a day in my new flexible life as a mom of 3.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Liz Plosser, the former editor-in-chief of Women's Health.

Plosser lives in Brooklyn, New York, and spends her time writing her Substack, Best Case Scenario; recording episodes of "Lifting with Liz," and consulting for brands like Canyon Ranch and GORUCK.

This story has been edited for length and clarity.

I was an English major at Princeton, but I've always been interested in economics and finance. Investment banking was my ticket to New York City when I graduated and didn't really know what to do with myself.

I really enjoyed investment banking, but I quickly realized it wasn't my life's passion. It never occurred to me that your job could be something you loved, which, for me, was reading magazines.

It was through training for my first marathon, over long runs in Central Park with strangers, that I started articulating how much I love writing, talking to people, and learning about their stories. That helped me say out loud that I wanted to be a journalist.

At 24, I got my very first job in legacy media as an editorial assistant at SELF Magazine.

Throughout my career at Time Out Chicago, Canyon Ranch, Cosmopolitan, SoulCycle, and Well+Good, I worked with many amazing brands, mentors, and teammates.

What really stands out is my time as the editor-in-chief of Women's Health, a role I held from 2018 to 2024. I'm really proud of our team's work on strength training and reframing the conversation about exercise from a place of empowerment.

On January 1, 2025, I stepped down from Women's Health. I now consult for several wellness brands, like Canyon Ranch and GORUCK.

My passion project is Best Case Scenario, my Substack newsletter. I didn't expect how much joy I would get out of reporting and writing again. I'm also the host of a YouTube show I launched called "Lifting with Liz," which is my version of a podcast.

I live in Park Slope, Brooklyn, with my three kids, husband, and Bernese Mountain Dog, Willa. Here's a day in my life.

I wake up at 5:17 a.m., which keeps me from hitting snooze

I set my alarm for 5:17 a.m. I know; it's so specific. Seven is my lucky number — I was born on April 7, and sevens were always on my sports jerseys growing up.

I think setting your alarm to a lucky number starts your day on the right foot. I find I'm less likely to press the snooze button when it's set to a number rather than a zero or five.

Early mornings are for dog walks, supplements, and writing

I'm always the first person up in my household, except for Willa. She gets my attention right away for some pets and snuggles. I take her outside to use the potty, feed her, and freshen her water.

I have coffee that I ground and set up the night before. While I'm making it, I have a big glass of water. I only take a few supplements: essential amino acids and creatine.

I keep my laptop on the kitchen counter in the morning to write. I find that I'm sharpest and most creative, and that I get into the zone very quickly when I have that quiet time all to myself. I usually get about an hour done.

I work out after school drop-off

I have boy-girl twins, Charlie and Lucy, who are freshmen in high school. I like to be awake when they come into the kitchen, around 6:45 a.m. It's my time to focus on the kids, help them make breakfast, and talk with them about their day.

My husband, Matt, works in the city. He's in and out quickly. We hug goodbye and get everybody set up for their day before I walk George, my fifth grader, to school in the neighborhood.

I do deadlifts at my local YMCA — but first, I pick a song

The local YMCA is just around the corner from George's school.

I love to run — I used to be a big marathoner — but I mostly focus on strength training now. I love to swing kettlebells. Deadlifts are my all-time favorite move. Pull-ups are another thing I love to do. They just feel so badass and empowering.

I use music to set my energy for the day. I'm always sharing which song I'm listening to at the gym on social media. I like to dance a little bit in between sets and make fitness fun.

I take a few days off each week, but I'm still active. I'm always walking my dog or running around the neighborhood. I might even do a hot yoga class at a slower pace.

Protein-packed oats fuel me before Zoom meetings

I'm home by 10 a.m. Because I'm on Zoom a lot most days for client meetings or other projects, I try to refuel as soon as possible after finishing my workout.

I eat protein-forward; that's been a total game changer in my life. My go-tos are oats that I stir with protein powder, milk, unsweetened coconut flakes, and dried cherries. Or I might make a protein smoothie.

Then, I'm in my meetings, working on my laptop and projects in between.

I leave to film podcast episodes and volunteer at my son's school newspaper club

One to two days a week, I film "Lifting with Liz." I might be doing prep for that in my apartment and then hustling into Manhattan to film one of those episodes. I've always got new guests in the pipeline.

I love the flexibility of this new life, now that I don't go to an office every day. For example, on Fridays at noon, I go to George's elementary school to lead the newspaper club with 45 fourth- and fifth-graders. I was never on the PTA, so it just feels good to be there for my kids in this new way.

I still have my deliverables and client meetings to pencil in, so I end up working at odd hours. Sometimes, those 5:17 a.m. wake-ups are actually 4:17 a.m., or working on the weekends.

I have a mantra in my head for 2026: "Is there a softer, gentler way?" I try to keep that in mind before I say yes to anything, to take a pause before immediately responding, and really have a think about future Liz.

My go-to lunch is a tinned fish wrap

I love to make myself a protein wrap for lunch. I use a brand called Hero. They have seven grams of protein per tortilla. I'm a huge fan of tinned fish. Fishwife is chef's kiss.

I'll put tinned tuna, sardines, or salmon in the wrap; chop up some lettuce, pickles, and red onion, and add some non-fat Greek yogurt. I might even have a glass of milk with it. That gets me to at least 30 grams of protein.

After school pick-ups, I catch up on extra work around dinnertime

George walks home from school around 3 p.m.; Charlie and Lucy get back around 4:30 p.m., so there's a bit of catching up to do with them.

By 6:30, I'm making the kiddos dinner. Matt usually comes home around 7:30 p.m., and he loves to cook. I'm a very lucky woman. That's typically when I pull my laptop back out, working on client stuff or picking up my Substack again. Matt and I typically eat at about 8 p.m., which is a little later than I'd like, but that's life.

My favorite dinner is Friday night, when we all have pizza. I make the dough during the day with our bread maker; it's so easy, and the crust is so good when you make it at home. We have the kids assemble their own pizzas. I also put together a delicious salad with homemade dressing.

I take my 8:30 p.m. showers seriously

I deeply, fiercely believe in preserving sleep. I've got a pretty locked-up bedtime routine.

I like to take a quick hot shower before getting ready for bed, which I'll do at about 8:30 p.m. I think of it as washing the day away, literally and metaphorically. I like spraying eucalyptus into my shower stream.

I try to come into my bedroom as neutrally as possible at the end of the day — to let it all rinse off and start with a clean slate.

Winding down with bedtime stories and a high-tech mattress pad

I try to read a book in bed. I recently read "When the Going Was Good" by Graydon Carter. I really enjoy reading from other editors-in-chief who have moved on to new chapters.

I also recently got an Eight Sleep Pod. It's a mattress pad connected to an app that learns your biometrics and sleep patterns, and also monitors temperature. It's constantly calibrating throughout the night and has different settings on each side of the bed. I've been sleeping much more soundly with it.

George always comes into bed with us, and we read a book together. We're reading the fifth "Harry Potter." I encourage him to do voices with me and lean in like we're acting it out. It helps me feel calmer and happier.

Willa joins, and we all rub her belly and tell her how much we love her. If there's a go-to for taking my nervous system into a parasympathetic state, it's 100% just getting close to Willa.