If you follow Liz Plosser on Instagram, you know that she is inspiring. Whether she’s sharing her intense workouts (and playlists), protein-filled breakfasts or high-energy soccer matches with her kids, she’s getting it done—and seems to be having fun doing it, too.
Besides being a mom to 14-year-old boy/girl twins and a 10-year-old son, she’s the founder of the Best Case Scenario wellness-focused Substack, a new YouTube series and author of Own Your Morning: Reset Your A.M to Unlock Your Potential. But she’s best known to her followers for her over 20-year career in women’s magazines—most recently a seven-year stint as Editor-in-Chief of Women’s Health (she also held senior roles at SELF and Cosmopolitan).
In this week’s Meet a Mom interview, this fit mom of three shares about her decision to step down from a dream job, parenting teenagers, finding sobriety, and more.
Why was the time right to leave your role at Women’s Health?
After seven incredible years leading Women’s Health, I felt pulled to build something on my own. I loved working in media/magazines for more than 20 years, but I wanted to grow, experiment, and to create content by following my curiosity and what lights me up.
I also felt that I’d made the impact I could make at WH, and it was time to take my skills and experiences and use them in new ways. Plus, I wanted to learn new things. And between consulting for wellness brands and launching my own content…wow, have I ever. Best Case Scenario, my Substack and broader wellness platform, grew out of that impulse—to make health and strength feel personal, actionable, to cut through the noise on my terms, and of course, science-backed.
What has the been the biggest difference in terms of your schedule?
There’s more chaos—and more freedom. I have recently realized that I’m a full-on founder, and that means my “work” clock is never off. My days used to begin by walking through the doors of a big office building then back-to-back meetings; now I can take my youngest son (he’s 10) to school, lift weights mid-morning, and I’m working on writing or a brand project or with my clients in between it all. I work just as hard if not more so, but the work is mine.
What are you working on now?
A lot! I’m growing Best Case Scenario—my weekly wellness newsletter and community—and just launched a new YouTube series called Lifting With Liz, where I interview wellness luminaries (like Dr. Gabrielle Lyon) while we strength train together. It’s my version of a podcast! I also consult with brands like GORUCK, Canyon Ranch, and Kion. Each project is different, but the common thread is helping brands create impact around midlife, performance, women’s health, joy, and longevity.
Your twins are starting high school! How’s it been having teenagers?
There’s so much magic. Yes, there are hormones and attitude, but there’s also this incredible emerging where you see who your kids are becoming. And my gosh, aren’t they layered, hilarious, kind, inspiring humans? They are! My conversations with my boy/girl twins, Charlie and Lucy, are just growing deeper, the jokes funnier, and I love that my husband Matt and I can share awesome experiences with them—travel, sports, late-night kitchen chats. I’ve also learned that parenting teens is less about control and more about connection. For some reason they are most cracked open late at night, and in the middle of a car ride, which is why I love the in-between moments that you can’t force.
You wrote a book about owning your morning — can you give us the short version of starting your day?
I’m obsessed with mornings because they set the tone for how you live your day. You can’t control the whole day, but you can control how you start it.
My top recs:
- Get some fresh air and sunlight. It’s nature’s version of coffee.
- Move your body. Walk, stretch, or lift; any kind of movement clears mental fog and creates an awesome, positive cascade of chemistry in your body.
- Connect. It doesn’t have to be a huge thing to count. Send a heart emoji to a friend, kiss your kiddos head. The tiny moments matter.
- Delay scrolling first thing. Protect that brain space as long as possible!
Most of all, the “perfect” morning is going to look different for each of us…and that is a beautiful thing! The key is to figure out what lights you up, then create simple, small, sustainable nods to those things.
You recently shared about sobriety on your Substack. Can you tell us a little about that?
Yes, I’m sober—and I’m really proud of that. I stopped drinking before the pandemic after realizing alcohol just didn’t serve me anymore. It dulled my energy, my creativity, my connection to my family. I wanted to feel everything fully—good and hard. The benefits have been huge: better sleep, clearer mornings, leveled-up workouts, less anxiety, and best of all, a calmer, steadier sense of self.
There’s so much noise on social in the fitness space – if someone wants to cut through the bull, what are the most important things every mom should be doing?
The problem isn’t that women don’t know what to do—it’s that there’s such an overwhelming amount of information. The basics still work. Lift heavy things. Eat enough protein and fiber. Sleep. Hydrate. Walk. Get fresh air. Soak up the sun. Manage stress and anxiety with therapy and connecting with your people. None of that is sexy or biohacker-y, but it’s responsible for 98% of my well-being.
What’s your mom mantra for busy times?
I see fitness/sport metaphors everywhere I look—and vice versa. It informs my parenting a great deal! I love to say #ApplyToLife during tough moments at the gym. The idea is that doing hard things—moving our bodies even when we don’t want to, finishing the final set, picking up the heavier weight, getting out of our comfort zones, surprising ourselves with our strength and resilience—makes us stronger in real life. I think a big biceps flex is pretty awesome, but I’m most proud of how I take those fitness lessons into every other facet of my life. So when I’m overwhelmed, I remind myself to breathe, that I can do hard things, and that this too shall pass…just like 10 burpees in a banger of a finisher at the gym.
Love that! What’s next for you?
In addition to speaking opportunities and working with awesome wellness-focused brands that light me up, I will continue growing Best Case Scenario on Substack and Lifting With Liz on YouTube. I hope to connect with your readers there! You can also find me on Instagram @lizplosser for honest, science-backed wellness inspiration.
Related Stories from The North County Moms:
Meet a Mom — Mental Health Advocate Angel Carter Conrad
Meet a Mom—HGTV Star Chelsea DeBoer on her Journey from Reality TV to Mom of Four
