Ah, here it is again — that 80/20 thing.
By now, you know that you should mainly eat minimally-processed foods a majority of the time.
Now let’s talk about how to actually apply that in the real world. Here are some suggestions…
Know when you’ll have your favorite foods/treats ahead of time
Have a work outing coming up this weekend? A friend’s birthday party, perhaps? Or maybe just your weekly Sunday night dinner with your significant other?
If you know when you’ll indulge in your 20% ahead of time, you can plan for it. Let’s say you have a friend’s birthday party coming up this Friday and you’re pretty sure it will involve some late night pizza — because really, late night pizza is awesome. Knowing this, you’ll make sure to minimize the calories throughout the day by mostly eating minimally-processed foods.
Have your treats when you’re really craving them
While it’s good to know that no foods are off-limits, you still want
to make sure that you’re in control of your diet.
Just because you can doesn’t mean you (always) should.
Have your Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and your Pringles, and your hot dogs. But don’t make a habit of eating them every day just because you can.
Let’s say your manager at work brings in doughnuts. Before reaching for one, ask your stomach first if it really wants the
doughnut (9 times out of 10 it probably doesn’t care). Don’t eat it just for the sake of eating it.
On the other hand, if you do decide to have the doughnut, no problem. But just know that by having it, you might have to say “no” to something else later.
Everything in moderation — including moderation.
Enjoy your foods guilt-free
All of it.
Whether it’s the whole, minimally-processed foods or the not-so- healthy 20%, always make sure that you’re enjoying what you eat. You should never have to feel guilty about the foods you put in your mouth.
If you do feel guilty about the foods you eat, then it might be time to do some re-evaluation of your diet as a whole.
