Throughout our lifetime we’ve seen diet trends come and go. We survived the diet pill craze, our mothers were slamming back slim fast shakes like nobody’s business. Keto diet came through and had us stressed, the world went (and is still going) vegan but most people don’t know how to live vegan. I’ve never been crazy about diets. I try to eat organic, stay away from processed foods. Thats hard enough, because everything is processed. I also try to educate myself and my family about what it really means to eat right and how to live an overall healthy life. After all, it’s not all about going hard in the gym. The food definitely matters!.

I’m not a ‘this or that’ type of girl. I like to have both, if I can. So the 80/20 methodology is a perfect guideline for me. The problem is, eating “good” is subjective. Most people are uneducated about what they should or shouldn’t put in their bodies. Understandably, because no-one is going out of their way to teach us. So how are we supposed to know if our 80/20 rule is even working for us?

This is how I see it, 80% of the time, you’re eating well enough to keep the guilt away. That means no processed sugars, no soda, no cookies, no weird sugary marinades, no sweet deliciousness. VERY LITTLE natural sugars, that includes fruit. No yeast. No bread, no pasta, no nada! I won’t completely cut out rice, but I limit that to maybe once a week. But for you it may be on the ‘no’ list completely. Obviously, no fast food, keep everything organic, as much as possible.

Diets should be tailor made. Some of us need more carbs than others, some need a little. But we all need carbs! Too much of anything can be bad for you, so balance is the key.

If you don’t know much about how our food in the states is heavily processed, you’ll go to your local Applebees and get a grilled chicken and think that you’re doing the right thing. You’ll assume that because your KFC is grilled instead of fried then you’re on the right track. And that is simply not the case. Cooking it at home is ideal (coming from Queen of Postmates), and it will definitely save you some coins! If my 80% is Monday thru Friday, then my 20% starts Saturday.

Weekends are for Cheating.

On Saturday, indulge a little bit, but Sunday is the worlds cheat day. You shouldn’t eat the WORST thing you can find, but if there is cake, eat the cake. You may not eat McDonalds, but that doesn’t mean you won’t order truffle fries at brunch. Just because it’s a cheat day, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to pay attention to the quality of food you’re eating. Farm to table, grass fed, organic, hand cut, fresh yada yada yada. You get it. Treat yo self! Make sure it’s delicious. But use discretion, and tighten that shxt up on Monday. 

This particular diet was made to encourage balance, and keep us from over indulgence. It keeps me from feeling like I completely fell off the wagon. So I’m allowed to still have the foods I want within reason. But I still feel good about the way I’m eating and my health because I’m disciplined about my 80%

Who knows, maybe one day I’ll go cold turkey, grow my food in my back yard, and never touch a chocolate chip cookie or a soda ever again. It is highly unlikely, so for now I’m sticking to the 80/20.