The simple 80/20 rule for success

Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule?

It can apply to just about everything in your life … including your health and fitness.

It’s an idea that works for a LOT of people. Not only does it get them out of the “all-or-nothing” mindset with food and health – but it’s also really simple.

It works like this:

● 80% of the time, eat nutritious whole foods: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins

Can’t get much simpler than that.

On a practical level, it can work like this (I’ve done the math for you!):

There are 21 meals a week (3 meals a day x 7 days), and 80% of 21 is 17.

This means you focus on healthy eating for 17 meals a week.

Or, if you’d prefer to break it down by your overall calorie intake, you’d devote 80% to nutrient-dense food choices.

● At 1,500 calories a day, that’s 1,200 calories of healthier options.
● At 2,000 calories a day, it equals 1,600 calories

With this approach, no food is ever off-limits. No restrictions.

Many people find it helps them create a healthier relationship with food.

Demonizing or restricting certain food is one of the leading causes of developing eating disorders.

Plus, this flexible approach produces similar results to rigid diets (when Calories and Protein are equal) and makes it easier to stick to a long-term diet successfully.

The one key part of this plan is to make sure your 20% of “relaxed” eating is actually 20% – it can be easy for those portions to creep up in size. This is pretty straightforward if you are tracking Macros.

It doesn’t have to be precisely 80/20; some do it 85/15, and some do it 90/10.

It’s all about what works best for you and your goals!