We are human. So, that’s why diets don’t work. It sets people up for a psychological failure. Seriously, we shouldn’t go eat at a fabulous restaurant and just order a salad with no cheese. Even if you’re trying to lose weight you shouldn’t do that.
Again, psychological failure. It sets people up for over eating. (Over exercising does that too, but that’s a whole other conversation).
That’s why we shouldn’t try to eat perfectly clean 100% of the time.
Every Sunday night since my husband and I have been together we get a giant ice cream sundae. I even did that both times I was losing the baby weight (which I put too much on of course). Both times, thankfully I lost all the baby weight and I DID NOT diet. I just tried to eat sensibly 80% of the time.
Now, I didn’t sit down with a calculator and try to figure out how many times I could eat a rich meal or have a sweet treat. I just did my best to eat good clean healthy food throughout the week. Then, on weekends we would get takeout or go out to eat. Usually lunch and dinner. Still do that!
I cook and eat healthy throughout the week, then we have nice restaurant meals on the weekend.
This also doesn’t mean 20% of the time you eat a whole bag of potato chips. It is common sense people! But, we aren’t perfect and we can’t have perfect eating either, otherwise you’ll find yourself at the drive-thru donut place eating a dozen glazed donuts in your car on the way home. You’ll just give yourself a terrible stomach ache anyway.
Okay if you are someone who would like to do the math, which I guess is alright to start with… then let’s figure it out.
Doin’ the math
Let’s say you eat 6 times a day–which I recommend. 3 big meals plus 3 snacks. That would be 21 meals and 21 snacks that you eat during the week. I would say that would be about 4 non-clean meals or you can do 8 cheat snacks. Or mix that up. 2 meals plus 4 bad snacks. Up to you.
I don’t recommend calculating and counting what you can and can’t eat. That seems awfully close to what I’d call a diet. But, if you want to start off knowing a ballpark, that is fine in order to change your habits.
By the way, what they call the “80/20 rule” is new to me. This is actually the way I’ve been eating my whole adult life. But, there’s a name for it now. I don’t diet. I just eat what my body wants. If I were to be too strict then my body would be wanting high calorie bad food to make up for it. That’s why there needs to be balance.
Speaking of, this is all about good habits, not diets. If we’re on vacation, our 80/20 might look more like a 20/80. That’s fine! That’s what a good vacay is for! Just don’t make a habit of it.
Happy Eating!
xo-Megan
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