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A Happy Thanksgiving and the 80/20 Rule

I enjoyed delicious macaroni & cheese, mashed potatoes even some pie on Thanksgiving this year. Probably not what you'd expect to hear from me. But I ate what I wanted today. Why? Because my pursuit is for progression, not for perfection. To continuously get better and life a healthy lifestyle in general.

The 80/20 Rule

What is the 80/20 Rule? In general, it is the concept that you get 80% of your results from 20% of you work. In regards to a diet, the 80/20 Rule means you eat clean 80% of the time & you can deviate from that the other 20% of the time. Eating clean means eating whole, natural, unrefined, unprocessed foods. For some people (like myself) it's more like a 90/10 Rule - eat well 90% of the time & deviate 10% of the time. That is because I put on weight so easily (and because I genuinely love vegetables. True story!)

One point to note - I don't apply the 80/20 (or 90/10) rule to each day - meaning I'm not eating poor foods every day. I try to eat clean all day most of the time. My version of the 80/20 Rule is that every once in a while (whether once/week, twice/week or just on Holidays - whatever works for you) you can deviate from your normal diet.

The Sliding Scale

Ultimately, it's not about having to stick to a hard set number like 80/20, 90/10, etc. It's about having general balance and buckling down if & when you need to. Say you've been eating poorly or you have a special occasion you want to look great for -then perhaps you may decide to eat exclusively clean foods for a couple weeks. Or if you're on vacation & want to try the delicacies of the land - hey why not go for it.
Cheat Every Holiday??

Absolutely not. Like I mentioned it's a sliding scale. It's about balance. And about what you have going on in life at that time. If you've just started a fitness program, & a holiday happens to roll around - why not stick to your plan! (It's a great mental exercise, by the way). When you have a PLAN & a GOAL - stick with it until you get the results you want to see. There will be more Thanksgivings & opportunities to eat mac & cheese or sweet potato pie.

So be balanced. Eat clean a majority of the time. And don't beat yourself up when you enjoy yourself.
For more health and fitness tips visit: http://alicedymally.com
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