Episode 42: The 80/20 Diet: A Balanced Approach to Nutrition

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Show Notes

 What you eat can be broken down in many ways, however it’s important to not obsess too much over your “diet” and maintain a flexible approach when it comes to your nutrition. That’s why we love the 80/20 guideline vs the restrictive diet approach. In this episode, we break down some of the research behind the 80/20 mindset, why it’s effective, and tips to help you achieve possible success with shifting your mindset from an all-or-nothing restrictive style of eating to a more flexible lifestyle. 

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In this episode you’ll learn: 

• Why we don’t love to use the term “diet” in terms of weight loss 
• About the term “clean eating” and that healthy eating looks different for everyone 
• Why we encourage you to always take an individualized approach to find what works best for you, your body, and your lifestyle 
• Some benefits of approaching your diet with the 80/20 mindset 
• About the concept of “fun foods” and how to identify them 
• How eating a whole foods diet may even help you hit your fitness goals
• Why it’s important to get enough protein and fat and to not spike your insulin during the day 
• Why thirst is so often confused for hunger  
• What the 80% of 80/20 should typically consist of (fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, & lots of water)
• That taking an approach that’s overly restrictive has been shown to be unsustainable
• It’s almost impossible to be eating 100% “clean” 100% of the time 
• That the 80/20 guideline a general mindset trick and not an exact calculation 
• It can be flexible and you can adjust based on what you have going on 
• You can average it out in terms of the entire week and not just in terms of the day 
• How your body metabolizes alcohol compared to food 
• How poor sleep can affect insulin 
• Things that can throw off your metabolism (poor sleep, alcohol, stress, etc.)
• Why it can be beneficial to eat the the bulk of your carbs after your workout
• Some examples of how to set up an 80/20 diet 
• Examples of foods that could fit into the 80% category as well as indulgence foods 
• That 25% of the population is a hyper responder to dietary cholesterol 
• Why high quality cheese can be a good choice for some people but not everyone 
• That making too many foods “off limits” can hinder your adherence to your nutrition plan 
• Why it can be helpful to include some of your favorites in moderation rather than cutting them out completely 
• That food shouldn’t be viewed in a dichotomy of “good” or “bad”; its more of a spectrum  
• About flexible control and how it has been shown to affect binge eating and weight loss over time 
• Some studies that explore how taking a break from calorie deficit can affect weight loss 
• How cycling calorie deficits can affect muscle loss and fat loss 
• That being overly restrictive with your eating can lead to an unhealthy mindset 
• About Orthorexia
• Why tracking calorie and macros, especially at the beginning, can be so helpful 
• That meal prepping can be a wonderful resource

Resources:

Reverse Dieting: https://masteryourhealth.net/episode-31-reverse-dieting-is-it-right-for-you/