Defining a healthy diet for weight loss
80/20 diet vs exercise rule
When it comes to weight loss 80 percent of your success comes from what you eat and the other 20 percent comes from exercise. You may have heard the coined phrase, “You can’t out-perform a bad diet.” Essentially this means that it doesn’t matter how hard you work out if your diet is poor you will struggle to find success on your fitness journey.
The easiest way to put this into perspective is to consider the fact that one pound of fat equals 3500 calories. In order to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, you need to burn 500 to 1000 more calories per day than you consume. Now think about how long it takes you to burn just 500 calories in a workout. For most, I would say it takes at least one hour of vigorous exercise to burn that. That would mean to burn 3500 calories you would need to workout intensely for at least 7 hours. In comparison, it’s pretty easy to consume 3500 calories.
If you’re eating fast food like McDonald’s you could easily do that in one meal! Now you can see why it’s much easier to pack on the pounds than it is to lose them.
Why the 80/20 diet for weight loss
Eating healthy 80 percent of the time is recommended for weight loss because eliminating unhealthy foods from your diet completely is not sustainable long-term. Eventually, you’re likely to cave when the cravings and temptations become too strong. When you’re eating healthy 80 percent of the time you can afford to indulge the other 20 percent of the time and not face any major dietary set-backs.
We apply this same principle with our clients. We help them track their macros to maximize their gym progress, but every so often we give them what we call a “macro break.” This just means we allow them to indulge for a short period of time without having to worry about hitting their protein, carb and fat goals.
This balance between having what their body needs and what they crave helps them remain consistent with reaching their weight goals. When you’re too restrictive with yourself, you’re more likely to fail long-term.
Tips for the 80/20 rule diet meal plan
A good rule of thumb to follow when striving to follow the 80/20 meal plan is to first fill up your plate with lean protein, fruit and veggies and leave 20 percent of your plate for indulgences. This helps you practice portion control. Indulgences can be simple processed carbs or anything you enjoy that may be considered unhealthy. This includes sweets, alcohol, processed foods or snacks. This way you can ensure you’re getting plenty of the macro and micro nutrients found in fruits and vegetables that your body needs to be healthy and fit before fulfilling any unhealthy cravings. Vegetables are high in tons of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Fruits are high in dietary fiber, potassium and vitamin C.
Pros and cons of the 80/20 rule
This 80/20 diet plan is easier to follow than most restrictive diet plans because it doesn’t require perfection. It also promotes a balanced lifestyle where you get to indulge without feeling guilty and still make sure you’re getting the wholesome foods your body needs.
However, this plan doesn’t come without drawbacks. Unless you’re tracking your macros it can be hard to calculate the 80/20 split accurately. The foods you’re taking in to count towards your 20 percent indulgence may be small in portion size, but high in calories. Similarly, if you’re indulging everyday that 20 percent can quickly become inflated.
Weighing the pros and cons you can decide for yourself if this dietary approach works for you. As a measure of diet vs exercise this 80/20 rule is a good rule of thumb to follow. A poor diet is always more likely to tip the scale than skipping a workout.
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