Food & Festivities
It’s that time of the year when many of us eat and drink more than we normally would in every day life.
If we’re lucky to be around friends and family, we often have more catch ups at this time of year, where food is often the focus when we’re connecting.
Many of my clients often ask what they can do when it comes to managing their food intake during the festivities.
The advice I always give is to follow the 80/20 rule.
The 80/20 rule, means you eat a “clean” diet 80% of the time and allow yourself to enjoy a few indulgences 20% of the time.
Maybe for the festive season I move it to either the 70/30 rule, but you get the picture ! 😉
Wondering how the 80/20 Rule began?
The Pareto Principle is an economic rule stating that 80% of consequences (or outputs) come from 20% of causes (or inputs). Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto came up with the rule in 1896.
It’s been applied to everything from business management to sports training to closets (you wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time—so get rid of the 80% you’re not wearing). With the 80/20 diet, the principle is applied to diet.
How does the 80/20 Rule work?
The 80/20 rule is a healthy, less-restrictive eating option that doesn’t feel like a diet.
Eating 80/20 is more “real-life” and easier to follow than other diet plans because it allows you to enjoy your favorite foods in moderation while eating healthy at the same time.
The best thing about the 80/20 rule is that you’re never saying, “I can’t eat that.” Instead, you’re saying, “I can eat this today and have that tomorrow.”
The plan allows you to enjoy indulgences on a regular basis without making you feel like you are “cheating” on your diet. This can be a balanced approach to a healthy diet and lifestyle for many people.
To succeed with the 80/20 rule, you’re aiming for 80 percent of your diet to come from fresh and unprocessed whole foods, with up to 20 percent of your favorite treats.
It is a more positive way to eat a balanced diet.
If we know we can have our favourite treats and food, we are less likely to feel guilty or to beat ourselves up when we eat them.
If we do beat ourselves up, it usually creates stress, and negative feelings. That can often send us in a spiral and we feel worse and we can sometimes either emotional eat, and over eat.
It is important to still eat in moderation when we use the 80/20 rule, so we are keeping our intake of favourite foods in balance.
Let me know in the comments below if you’ve tried this way of eating before?
Let me know if you try it over the festive season?
Love Em xxx
Skip the diet, just eat healthy!
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