80/20 rule: Your diet or meal plan guide

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.

Healthy diet: Ditch the fad diets for flexible eating

What is a healthy diet

Figuring out what a healthy diet looks like can be confusing since there are loads of dietary options trending with each one promising you the results you desire. Many people are left undecided when choosing. There’s the Atkin’s diet, the Keto diet, the Paleo diet, Whole 30 and of course a slew of juice cleanses on the market all of which are restrictive in some form. 

You’re less likely to stick to a diet long-term when it is restrictive and you may also be causing damage to your health by eliminating certain crucial macro and micro nutrients from your diet. So how do you diet if you love food and want to avoid putting your health on the line? The answer is a flexible diet also known as a healthy macronutrients diet.

Macro tracking is a form of flexible eating that promotes a healthy diet. It doesn’t force you to eliminate anything and encourages you to get a more balanced diet. Many people discover when they start tracking their macros that their carbohydrate intake far exceeds the amount of necessary protein they need in their diet. This practice of mindful eating makes you more aware of what’s in the foods you eat. It teaches you how to pick and choose foods that satisfy the recommended intake for each of your macro nutrients.

What are macronutrients

First it is important to understand what macronutrients comprise a healthy diet. The three main ones are carbs, fats and proteins. Examples of these macronutrients are below.

Carbohydrates include sugars, starches and fiber and each gram is equal to 4 calories. Carbs are used for immediate energy or are stored as glucose in your liver and muscles. 

Fats are found in animal products such as meats, dairy and eggs. You can also find them in oils, avocado and nuts. Each gram is equal to 9 calories. Your body uses fats for energy, hormone production, nutrient absorption and body temperature maintenance. 

Proteins are found in animal products such as meat, eggs and dairy. Other examples include beans, legumes, and fish. Each gram is equal to 4 calories. Proteins are vital for the repair and building of all the cells, tissues, hormones and enzymes of the body.

Tracking Macros

When it comes to tracking your macros you need to purchase a food scale inexpensively on Amazon so you can measure your food intake in grams. One of the most common questions we get asked by our clients is ‘how to keep track of what I eat?’ We usually recommend you write down everything you consume for one week first to see where your average caloric intake falls. You can easily store this information in the My Fitness Pal App for free so you can see what you eat over time. You should weigh yourself each day during this week so you can also get a weekly weight average. This enables you to figure out if you are in a caloric surplus or deficiency. 

From here you can calculate your personalized macros for weight lose or to gain weight or even just to improve your body mass composition. A good rule of thumb is:

  • carbs should consist of approximately 40% of your diet, 
  • proteins should consist of approximately 30% of your diet, and 
  • fats should consist of approximately 30% of your diet.

Stick to this carb, protein and fat ratio for weight loss and muscle gain to see the results you desire. I recommend you start with calculating your protein intake, which should be .7-1 gram per lb of body weight. If you weigh 130 lbs you need to have at minimum 91 grams of protein per day.

Also you should never let your daily calorie intake drop below 1200. On our Additional Services page you can learn more about how to calculate your macros for a healthy diet.

The importance of a healthy diet

Without the incorporation of a healthy diet the results you will gain from a solid workout program are limited because you can not outperform a bad diet. Proper nutrition gives you the energy you need to perform your workouts at your best. It also helps aid in your body’s recovery post workout, which includes muscle repair so that you can get stronger. Diet and exercise go hand in hand. You can not thrive without the other.

Macro tracking is our go-to approach to a healthy diet with our clients and the results speak for themselves. Whatever your fitness goals, you are able to change your body composition to contain more lean body mass and the best part is you still get to enjoy the foods you love. This makes this approach effective long-term.