Perfection Isn’t Necessary – Use the 80-20 Rule for Clean Eating
Eating clean is an idea that has grown increasingly popular in the last few years. While it has certainly received a lot of rave reviews, in truth there have also been critics. In reality, many people find eating nothing but clean foods and never cheating a little bit excessive. Taking a more moderate approach is certainly a much better option than giving up the idea of healthy eating all together. Instead of setting impossible goals, make an effort to do as well as you can most of the time.
If you make an effort to eat right 80% of the time, you can afford an indulgence every now and then. Go ahead and splurge if you have a special event coming up. Many times when we feel bad about “cheating” we give up on eating healthy all together. It is much better to plan to indulge every now and then. You are setting yourself up for failure when you try for perfection. If you splurge and have a sausage pizza for lunch you decide that since you have already blown your diet for the day you might as well go ahead and have that Fettuccine Alfredo for dinner. And while you are at it, why not some Ben and Jerry’s? It is much wiser to permit yourself the small indulgence and then focus on clean whole foods for the remainder of the day. If you need a snack later in the day, just make sure it is healthy. For example, try making hummus recipes at home and having them handy during the day. Planning a healthy dinner is also important. It is far better to allow yourself a small daily treat than to deprive yourself and ending up binging on a carton of ice cream in one sitting.
In truth, for most people getting too intense with fitness goals can backfire. Anything in extremes should generally be avoided. As with dieting goals, it is important that your exercise goals are reasonable and allow room for those times when you may slip up. Pilates has increasingly become, not only a very effective form of exercise, but extremely popular as well. The pilates reformer can literally transform a body in a matter of weeks. The fast and unbelievable results have made Pilates one of the fastest growing exercise programs in the world.
Another growing exercise phenomenon is yoga, it is proving to be beneficial for more than just the mind. Studies are showing that yoga can actually help you lose belly fat, drop pounds and keep the weight off. And, for those who prefer to exercise in the privacy of their own home, it is easy to find a yoga DVD for any level and goal. Yoga is a relaxing way to shed excess weight.
