I post frequently on my social media pages (Here for my Instagram) about balanced diets and have always been outwardly spoken against the "fad diets" that take over our Facebook feeds and social conversations.
The problem with fad diets are just that, they are fads. Short term, non-effective, over-restrictive and always seem to have a cult-like following. I talked before about them, and if you haven't read my blog about how to spot a fad diet, check it out HERE
You may be thinking, if all these diets are not going to work, what should I do? I want to have my cake and eat it too, but it seems like all these diets out there make it so complicated that I can't.
Well, let me introduce you to a crazy concept... Balanced, non-restrictive nutrition!
Yes, you can reach your goals while eating healthy and enjoying the foods we all love that may not be as healthy. Eating nutritious, nutrient-rich foods (think lean proteins, veggies, fruit, complex carbs) the majority of the time, let's say 80% of the time; and less nutritious, less nutrient-dense foods (think cake, booze, hot wings, etc) in moderation as treats, let's say 20% of the time.
You may have heard this referred to as the 80/20 rule. It just means that you CAN have your cake and eat it too..... just not every day. It is all about balance.
What's so "unique" about this is it is truly a lifestyle rather than a short-term diet. There are no gimmicks, restrictions, buy-ins, shakes, pills, wraps, etc. Simply no-brainer nutrition concepts we all know, but refuse to put into place.
If it is such a simple concept, why doesn't everyone do it? Why haven't we all figured this out by now? The answer is simple; because people want a quick fix. Eating properly and working out takes effort, time and patience. People do not want to have to do any of those things to achieve their goals.
In an instant world of Amazon Prime, commercial-free TV and Skip the Dishes, it is hard to imagine having to wait 9 months, a year or longer to reach your weight loss and fitness goals. Why eat healthily and exercise when I can crash diet my way to lose 10 lbs? The problem is with these short term fixes is that they all have an end date or are too restrictive that you can't possibly stick to them for longer than 6 months to a year.
Once you are done the diet, you go back to your old ways and gain back all the weight you just lost and our "short-term" diet achievements are washed down the drain. We all know deep down there are no shortcuts to these goals. There are no short-term plans that offer long-term results.
The best "diets" are the ones that you can realistically stick to and achieve your goals at the same time. You want a plan that focuses on nutritious foods that you can easily prepare. Obviously cooking and eating food at home is best, but you should allow yourself to enjoy the food at a restaurant, or (gasp) even fast food on a rare occasion! That is, of course, the whole point of balanced nutrition, you get balance!
The best part of focusing on proper nutrition is that you learn to let go of GUILT! One of the biggest issues that you may face when going on a "diet" is that if you stray off the diet, you feel guilty. If you happen to overeat or God forbid have a freaking piece of cake, the feelings of guilt start to take over and you'll end up overeating and fall even further off track.
It does take time, and a lot of mindset changes to learn to let go of the guilt associated with food. That is the best part of focusing on balance over restriction, there are no off-limit foods. Therefore you can learn to enjoy the fun foods as well as enjoy giving your body great nutrition.
What does balanced nutrition look like? Well, it looks similar to the picture below!
The problem with fad diets are just that, they are fads. Short term, non-effective, over-restrictive and always seem to have a cult-like following. I talked before about them, and if you haven't read my blog about how to spot a fad diet, check it out HERE
You may be thinking, if all these diets are not going to work, what should I do? I want to have my cake and eat it too, but it seems like all these diets out there make it so complicated that I can't.
Well, let me introduce you to a crazy concept... Balanced, non-restrictive nutrition!
Yes, you can reach your goals while eating healthy and enjoying the foods we all love that may not be as healthy. Eating nutritious, nutrient-rich foods (think lean proteins, veggies, fruit, complex carbs) the majority of the time, let's say 80% of the time; and less nutritious, less nutrient-dense foods (think cake, booze, hot wings, etc) in moderation as treats, let's say 20% of the time.
You may have heard this referred to as the 80/20 rule. It just means that you CAN have your cake and eat it too..... just not every day. It is all about balance.
What's so "unique" about this is it is truly a lifestyle rather than a short-term diet. There are no gimmicks, restrictions, buy-ins, shakes, pills, wraps, etc. Simply no-brainer nutrition concepts we all know, but refuse to put into place.
If it is such a simple concept, why doesn't everyone do it? Why haven't we all figured this out by now? The answer is simple; because people want a quick fix. Eating properly and working out takes effort, time and patience. People do not want to have to do any of those things to achieve their goals.
In an instant world of Amazon Prime, commercial-free TV and Skip the Dishes, it is hard to imagine having to wait 9 months, a year or longer to reach your weight loss and fitness goals. Why eat healthily and exercise when I can crash diet my way to lose 10 lbs? The problem is with these short term fixes is that they all have an end date or are too restrictive that you can't possibly stick to them for longer than 6 months to a year.
Once you are done the diet, you go back to your old ways and gain back all the weight you just lost and our "short-term" diet achievements are washed down the drain. We all know deep down there are no shortcuts to these goals. There are no short-term plans that offer long-term results.
The best "diets" are the ones that you can realistically stick to and achieve your goals at the same time. You want a plan that focuses on nutritious foods that you can easily prepare. Obviously cooking and eating food at home is best, but you should allow yourself to enjoy the food at a restaurant, or (gasp) even fast food on a rare occasion! That is, of course, the whole point of balanced nutrition, you get balance!
The best part of focusing on proper nutrition is that you learn to let go of GUILT! One of the biggest issues that you may face when going on a "diet" is that if you stray off the diet, you feel guilty. If you happen to overeat or God forbid have a freaking piece of cake, the feelings of guilt start to take over and you'll end up overeating and fall even further off track.
It does take time, and a lot of mindset changes to learn to let go of the guilt associated with food. That is the best part of focusing on balance over restriction, there are no off-limit foods. Therefore you can learn to enjoy the fun foods as well as enjoy giving your body great nutrition.
What does balanced nutrition look like? Well, it looks similar to the picture below!
It seems pretty simple, right? That's because it is! The only thing you have to remember is to be accountable! Be realistic with yourself on how much you are actually treating yourself. If you have a big treat every day, you're probably not sticking to the 80/20 rule. But a treat a couple times a week will be ok. 80/20 rule.
I encourage you to try and adopt this into your health goals. It will make your life so much easier and makes reaching these goals so much more tolerable!
If you think you may need some help with finding balance with nutrition and your fitness goals, click HERE and send me a message!
You've got this.
Until next time
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