People ask me this question a lot! Should I be focussing more on nutrition or exercise? In the gym, they say that your health is 80/20. That is 80% nutrition and 20% in the gym. I believe that this can be deceiving because it doesn’t give any guidance on nutrition or exercise. This rule is nearly impossible to uphold or understand if coupled with a diet because you will spend a lot of time following rules and crunching calorie deficits and surpluses.
On the other hand, if you are starting on a health journey, this can be an effective rule to help you balance your nutrition and exercise. In all, I like to think of this as spending 80% of your free time taking care of yourself by cooking your food, eating, and resting/digesting and 20% of your time getting in above normal movement. Of course, this may look different depending on who you are, what you can do, and what makes you feel good; this is something I call bio-individuality.
To make sense of this here are some tips on a diet less 80/20 Rule
IN THE KITCHEN
- Eat whole foods by choosing foods that aren’t prepackaged or minimally packaged foods. These foods are meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and grains.
- Have fun in the kitchen by learning to cook new things. Cook with your spouse and make it a fun new ritual (My boyfriend and I like to cook every Sunday), or Cook for a friend to share with.
- Learn all the cooking techniques. Sauté, grill, broil, braise, stew, roast, pressure cook, pickle, can and freeze. Learning how to cook is fun, challenging, rewarding, and will elevate how you cook every day. Try these techniques with vegetables, meats, and grains too!
- For busy days aka everyone’s weekdays, have a plan and set yourself up to cook y0ur meals according to the amount of time you have. I recommend having a few quick and simple recipes on hand to keep you from getting overwhelmed and choosing fast food over a healthier home-cooked meal.
AT THE TABLE
- Eat until you are satisfied, not full.
- Fill your plate with more vegetables than carbohydrates, especially if served pasta, grains, or legumes. I like to mix in my carbs with a good-sized portion of my vegetables.
- Eat slowly and chew your food to help your digestion.
IN THE GYM
- Do what you can, but don’t go overboard. If you get too sore, you won’t be able to continue working out all week, so get in some strength and cardio, but don’t kill yourself.
- Instead of going to the gym, go outside and walk (or run) while enjoying music, nature, or company. Thirty minutes a day of walking is enough to keep your weight down and energy up, plus it can destress you from your day-to-day stressors.
- After the gym and every night, sleep seven to eight hours. Getting enough rest is vital to recovery from the gym and keeping your immune system strong.
Understanding the 80/20 rule is not the easiest thing because it requires life changes, knowledge, and time but it’s fun and a great way to start finding your path to a healthy lifestyle that won’t require diets and quick fixes. To make this even easier, working with me is a blast! I teach you how to cook, hold you accountable, and it’s a lot of fun & enjoyable. Sign up for a FREE 15-minute discovery call HERE!!!
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