{"id":29257,"date":"2021-06-27T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-26T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rachaelattard.com\/?p=29257"},"modified":"2024-02-29T00:22:08","modified_gmt":"2024-02-28T14:22:08","slug":"why-i-follow-the-80-20-rule-healthy-eating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rachaelattard.com\/why-i-follow-the-80-20-rule-healthy-eating\/","title":{"rendered":"Why I follow the 80-20 Rule"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you’ve been around my site for a while, you might have heard me talk about the 80-20 rule. It’s a nutrition guideline that I like to follow because of the flexibility and balance that it offers. Lots of celebrities and models also like to follow this guideline. In general, Victoria’s Secret models<\/a> follow it, as do some actresses like Nicole Kidman<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, I’ll be explaining more about what the 80:20 rule is in-depth, some pros and cons of it, how you can incorporate it into your life, and my thoughts about it. :) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is the 80-20 Rule?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A lot of us want to eat healthy most of the time, but we also want opportunities to eat some of the less-healthy meals, drinks, and desserts. The 80-20 rule<\/a> helps people follow through with these intentions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This rule is pretty straightforward. You eat healthy, nutritious foods about 80 percent of the time, and you eat treats or less-healthy options the rest of the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Apply the 80-20 Rule to Your Diet<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This rule is pretty flexible, and people are able to adapt it to fit their lifestyle and fitness needs. I’ve been eating this way for a long time, and these are some of my suggestions for people who want to try it out: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider Weekly vs Daily<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Different people follow the diet in different ways. Some people like to focus on this rule on a daily basis, but others like to follow a weekly schedule. You can do what works best for you, but people seem to gravitate toward the weekly plan more often. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do this weekly<\/a>, that means that 17 of your 21 meals per week (if you eat three meals a day) should be healthy meals, and 4 are what’s considered less healthy meals or treats. Many people like the flexibility this offers them to eat out with friends, bake at home, or enjoy other treats throughout their week. Some people like to save their treats for the weekend, but others like to spread them out throughout the week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who follow this plan on a daily basis focus on picking healthy choices 80% of the time every day, and they can eat treats the remaining time. However, you do need to be careful about this if you want to lose weight. Remember, the 80-20 rule<\/a> applies to the ratio of the types of food you’re eating, but it should also apply to the calorie content of the foods you’re eating, especially if you’re doing this on a day-to-day basis. :) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you choose the daily approach, your 20 percent treat could be something like chocolate in the afternoon, dessert after lunch, bag of chips after dinner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

RELATED POST: Top 7 Healthy and Easy Snacks<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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Prepare Your Meals in Advance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When I talk to people about making healthy food choices, one of the biggest hurdles they tell me they face is eating healthy while having a busy schedule. I get it! When you’re rushed and hungry, it is much easier to grab a processed snack or fast food than having a nutritious meal with whole ingredients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s why I recommend meal-prepping as much as possible. I love planning out my meals and keeping healthy snacks at home and in my bag. I can eat these if I’m feeling extra hungry one day, without stopping for a candy bar or chips! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning out and preparing your meals in advance will help you stay on track with the 80-20 rule. :) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t Forget Exercise<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The 80:20 rule is really good for people who exercise regularly and who are burning extra calories through their workouts. Working out helps burn off the extra calories consumed from the 20 percent portion of the diet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who follow this rule but don’t exercise might not experience as much weight loss if that is your goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modify If You Need<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don’t be afraid to modify this plan as you need! I eat like this but my goal isn’t to lose weight, I want to maintain it. So this rule can be followed by anyone, whether you want to lose or maintain weight. :)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When modifying the 80-20 rule, consider trying to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n