Why So Many Women Entrepreneurs Feel Like They’re “Failing” at Healthy Living
Jun 04, 2026
The Problem Isn’t That You’re Undisciplined
I had such a refreshing conversation recently with registered dietitian Hillary Ervin about nutrition, motherhood, body image, and the pressure so many women feel to constantly “do better” with food and fitness.
And honestly? I think this is a conversation a lot more women need to hear.
Because I know so many women who quietly carry around this belief that they are somehow failing at nutrition.
They think:
- they aren’t disciplined enough
- they just need to “get back on track”
- they need to try harder
- they should be able to stick to the same routines they had 10 years ago
Meanwhile, they’re raising children, building businesses, managing households, navigating changing hormones, and trying to function inside lives that look completely different than they once did.
Of course things feel different now.
And I think one of the most important things Hillary said in this conversation was this:
Trying to recreate a past version of yourself in a completely different season of life is often what creates the frustration in the first place.
We Learned Some Really Harmful Things About Food
Hillary and I reflected a lot in this episode about our early experiences in the online fitness industry.
And honestly, some of the things women were taught during that era were incredibly harmful.
Restriction was praised.
Obsessive tracking was normalized.
Extreme discipline was celebrated.
Being as small as possible was often treated as the ultimate goal.
And while many women looked “healthy” on the outside, the reality underneath was often exhaustion, food obsession, digestive issues, burnout, and constant pressure to maintain unrealistic standards.
I think many women are still carrying remnants of that mindset today — even if they no longer actively participate in those behaviours.
That voice still shows up:
- “I should be more disciplined.”
- “I used to be able to do this.”
- “Why can’t I get back there?”
- “I just need more willpower.”
But maybe the problem isn’t your willpower.
Maybe the expectations themselves no longer fit your life.
Why Nutrition Feels So Hard For Moms
One of the things we talked about that really resonated with me was how different nutrition feels in motherhood compared to other forms of wellness.
Movement is one thing.
Food is constant.
You have to make decisions around food every single day:
- breakfast
- lunch
- dinner
- snacks
- groceries
- school lunches
- picky eaters
- schedules
- evening activities
And if you’re also running a business or juggling a demanding career, that mental load becomes even heavier.
A lot of women start the day with good intentions.
But by evening?
They’re exhausted.
Mentally depleted.
Running on fumes.
And suddenly the idea of making another “perfect” food decision feels impossible.
Not because they’re lazy.
Because they’re human.
Convenience Does Not Mean Failure
This part of the conversation felt incredibly freeing.
Hillary talked a lot about convenience foods and how they can absolutely be part of a healthy lifestyle.
Frozen vegetables.
Pre-made meals.
Microwavable rice.
Quick protein options.
These things are not “cheating.”
They are tools that help support consistency in real life.
And honestly, I think more women need permission to stop treating every meal like it needs to look Pinterest-worthy in order to count as healthy.
Your meals do not need to be aesthetic to nourish you.
You do not need to cook everything from scratch.
You do not need to earn your food through perfection.
The Real Goal Is Sustainability
One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation was that doing less often works better long-term.
Not because effort doesn’t matter.
But because extreme approaches are rarely sustainable.
Hillary talked about lowering expectations enough that you can actually succeed consistently.
Not:
- eating perfectly seven days a week
- meal prepping like a fitness influencer
- weighing every ingredient
- tracking every macro forever
But creating habits that realistically fit your current season of life.
That might mean:
- eating lunch three days this week instead of none
- keeping frozen meals on hand
- adding more protein where you can
- buying the pre-cut vegetables
- using the salad chopper because it makes eating vegetables easier
And honestly? That still counts.
You Don’t Need To “Get Back” To Anything
I think this is the piece I hope women really hear:
You are not supposed to be the same person you were 10 years ago.
Your body has changed.
Your life has changed.
Your responsibilities have changed.
And that does not mean you failed.
It means you are living a different season of life now.
The goal is not to go backwards.
The goal is to support the version of yourself that exists today with compassion, flexibility, nourishment, and realistic expectations.
And sometimes that starts with letting go of the idea that wellness only “counts” when it’s extreme.
