This is the 3rd piece to a 5 part series on my favorite and most successful tips for staying trim and fit. If you missed the previous Stay Trim Tips, make sure to visit the Storm Fitness blog on the patch to catch up.
Our 3rd tip in the Stay Trim series is to Follow the 80/20 Rule With Your Food
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When people hang out with me they often are surprised that as a personal trainer (insert GASP) I actually eat sugar and sweets! That’s right, I am not a perfectly clean eater! To be honest anyone that is, I question if they are truly enjoying life. You see, I eat healthy most of the time and I enjoy doing so. I enjoy the way my body feels when I eat good nutritious foods. It revs me up and I feel more energetic and certainly much happier.
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I know that what we put in our body directly impacts our energy and mood level, but that still does not mean I eat perfectly all of the time.
There are occasions where I want to celebrate with those around me and enjoy foods that I know might not make me feel that great afterwards. From a social aspect I enjoy sharing in the moment of eating them and sometimes I just flat out want them. Food should be used as a celebration with those we love. Although I strive to make it as healthy as possible there are times when indulgences are in order and I don’t make myself feel bad about it.
Sure if I ate clean 100% of the time I could probably be even more toned, but would I have a good quality of life and would I be truly happy? Or would I just be obsessed with trying to maintain a “perfect” diet? Sounds too stressful for me and like too much food “chatter” in the head – no thanks! I will opt for the 80/20 rule every time!
The 80/20 rule is all about finding balance! It’s my secret little rule so that I can still enjoy life and all the tasty and sometimes not so good for you indulgences that it has to offer. I try to eat healthy and nutritious foods 80% of the time while the other 20% I give into temptations and enjoy special occasions and treats with friends and family. It helps me to look at it from a weekly perspective. For me personally, I tend to save most of my indulgences for the weekend since I know I will be out either at restaurants or celebrations.
Finding your own balance with food is really what’s most important, but I have found this rule to be a critical part of our client’s success at Storm Fitness. As long as you are eating healthy 80% of the time you are going to stay fit and strong and not feel deprived. Trying to be perfect with your nutrition never works. It leaves us feeling like we aren’t good enough because perfect never lasts forever. Not only that, but it leads to overeating later on down the road and can leave us feeling sad and empty inside.
So don’t think you need to go on the newest diet craze. Educate yourself with books, research or wellness coaching. Investigate and find out what foods your body responds to best by experimenting with food eliminations such as corn, dairy or soy. Above all else, listen to your intuition. Then go and enjoy that slice of cake and be more than okay with it!
Stay tuned for stay trim tip #4 next week. If you enjoy reading these articles I would love to hear from you. Let me know if you have any health and fitness questions or if there are any fitness topics you would enjoy reading more about.
At Storm Fitness our passion is helping people succeed in reaching all of their health and fitness goals no matter how big or small. That is why I built a wellness company focused on delivering lasting results! If you have questions please feel free to contact me.
In Health and Wellness,
Jessica Storm
Owner of Storm Fitness Personal Training & Nutrition
Storm Fitness is a unique personal training and nutrition company. They specialize in In-Home Personal Training and have a unique approach to whole body wellness that delivers lasting results. Their studio is located in Reston, VA.
To hear about the results that Storm Fitness clients have experienced, you can watch a video on their website StormFitness.com or call 703-869-8376 for more information.
