I get asked often on Instagram and Facebook how I lost weight and kept it off? Do I EVER eat bad? How long have I been running? Who runs the world? You know those complex questions…
I kindly answer questions, but sometimes wish I had a FAQ page so I wouldn’t have to sound like a broken record. But, the one great thing about retelling my journey is I can reflect back on what I did. What worked, and what did not.
Pretty much EVERY aspect of life involves the uber famous 80/20 rule. I have yet to see this philosophy not work! No matter what phase of my weight loss I was in, I had accidently adopted the 80/20 rule. For those that may not know – Eating clean 80% of the time and relaxed eating 20% – very simple math that can make or break your eating plan. Done wisely, yes it works! And it still works.
The ultimate reward for eating healthy, whole foods is a more efficiently fueled and functioning body to sustain life, not rewarding yourself with that big mouf’ burger.. Never Forget That! That fact is what will pull you out of a many slumps you’ll face when you are staying on your plan, exercising and yet seeing no results. Which happens at times for many different reasons, and should NOT be blamed on that cookie, glass of wine, slice of pizza. Those things actually HELP your body to recognize that you will not eat nuts and berries for the rest of your life but will again indulge in a little sugar, fat, and carbohydrate. Your brain loves those things, so don’t try and outsmart it…just be smart!
With that said, even with those cheats – all things in moderation! As healthy as exercise is, you wouldn’t do it 365 days a year. Why? Your body needs rest. Being proactively healthy can be a bit stressful, especially first starting out. Give your brain a break! here is a VERY interesting article my hubby sent to me a few years back when I was absolutely obsessed with eating right…click to enlarge:
I remember when I first began losing weight. After a few months, I started to notice I could only go so long without something…naughty. Those became my cheat meals. I mean, I was eating oatmeal for breakfast, a 600 calorie meatless TV dinner for lunch (bad idea but that’s another post) with rice, broccoli, and chicken breast for dinner…maybe 1200 calories a day! Absolute metabolism murderer, but I knew very little about long term weight loss and I was just high on seeing results…#laterpost.
Every Saturday, I would buy one bag of Maui onion chips from Target and yes, inhale the entire bag! That was my only cheat meal of the week, and the thought of those chips made me turn away from anything off of my food plan all week! That was my 50 Shades of Grey in a loveless, boring marriage with bland, low calorie foods.
My, how things have changed! Healthy food is never boring now and that mega bag of greasy chips is now almond crackers, snack peas, rice chips, or any of the TONS of healthy snack options I have discovered over the years. Food is meant to be enjoyed, you just have to learn how to enjoy it and do your body good at the same time…its all about balance!
Now that we have that equation in the mental math books, we can exaggerate that thinking and apply the 80/20 eating to our 80/20 lifestyles! We will touch on this topic next week!
Question: Do you think eating 80/20 is practical? Would you try it?
Runs With Hips 
I am trying to do the 80/20 rule, or maybe even 90/10. I got into a habit of never having a cheat meal, and it made me go crazy! I’m slowly trying to work a few foods back into my diet (like cheese and salad dressing) but not go overboard on them. Great post!
Don’t go crazy!! There all kinds of ways to cheat! Try by slowing introducing those healthy “off limits” foods to start. Like you said cheese, and maybe olive oil, nuts, and and some whole grain options. When you see your body handling that little splurge, you’ll feel less guilt about having that yummy snack or meal. Thank you so much for reading and good luck with those ‘relaxed’ meals!
When I started losing weight I would panic if I had chips and Guac out to eat, or a cookie with my nieces and nephews. I would wake up the next morning to “run it off” in fear of the scale. It took a long time (and the “maintaining phase”) for me to be okay with going out to eat and not crying about it after. You have to find your healthy balance 🙂