Weight Loss 80 20 Diet
The word "diet" conjures up all sorts of images. We might think of a big group of people standing in a circle, weighing themselves, and then talking about all of the difficulties of trying to appeal to society's notions of what a healthy body should look like. Or we might think of someone diligently writing down every little morsel they ate in a food journal, counting calories, and feeling like a success because they stuck to a rigid eating plan that included yogurt for breakfast, salad for lunch, and nothing for dinner (except maybe an entire sleeve of Thin Mints in an improptu and deprivation-induced binge).
But what if your diet wasn't about restriction and shame? What if part of your eating plan included a few of the Thin Mints along with the salad? What if we focused less on "good" and "bad" foods and more on how foods made us feel, allowing for nourishing foods as well as the occasional treats for true balance in our eating choices?
That's the philosophy behind the 80/20 diet.
A moderate eating regime
So what is the 80/20 diet?
"It's an eating plan that is less of a 'diet' and more about finding a way to balance how and what we eat," says Cheryl S. Grant, a wellness expert with a master's degree in Nutrition. "A big issue that most people have with succeeding with traditional diets is that there is an automatic assumption that there will be deprivation and that it will be hard or they will feel hungry. With the 80/20 plan, there is more flexibility that can alleviate the pressure for some."
It turns out that losing that guilt when it comes to eating is something that can help you in the long run, no matter what diet or eating plan you choose.
It's precisely this mentality of deprivation that causes most people to fail at their diets, and given some diets come to an end, people can be tempted to binge on all the foods they couldn't eat while on the diet, which sets them up for a vicious cycle of yo-yo dieting.
In fact, research indicates that anywhere between 80 to 97 percent of people who lose weight eventually gain it back. This can be an extremely depressing statistic if you are one of the 2.2 billion people around the world who are overweight, but that doesn't mean you should give up on your healthy eating goals.
A more moderate approach, like the 80/20 diet, discourages deprivation and "I need to lose weight" mentality. In fact, weight loss is not often the focus for the 80/20 diet.
At its core, the 80/20 diet is very simple, says Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, and a registered dietician nutritionist. "You eat a healthy, balanced diet 80 percent of the time, and you eat foods that you might consider less healthy the remaining 20 percent of the time," she says.
"Think eating whole foods like veggies, fruit, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein for the 80 percent of the diet. So you can eat a vegan power bowl for lunch and still have a brownie for dessert."
At the end of the day, the fact that you can factor a brownie for dessert into your day may just help you actually stick to this diet in the long run, says Grant. "If you tell someone that they can't have something, it can make that item more desirable." She goes on: "But if you know that you can have it at some point, just not all the time, then you can plan when you will allow yourself some treats and move on with eating healthfully."
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Getting rid of guilt
"The main benefit of this diet is that it may help people lose the guilt that they might typically feel with eating a piece of cake or a handful of candy," says Gorin.
It turns out that losing that guilt when it comes to eating is something that can help you in the long run, no matter what diet or eating plan you choose. A study published in the journal Appetite in 2014 found that people who associated eating chocolate cake with "guilt" felt that they had less control over their eating and were less successful at maintaining their weight. Plus, those who associated chocolate cake with "guilt" were also less successful at losing weight (if that was their goal) than those who associated chocolate cake with "celebration." Basically, if you feel guilty after reaching for that Thin Mint at the end of the day, you're more likely to fail at your diet in the first place — not because you reached for that cookie but because of those guilty feelings.
Instead, the 80/20 diet is a prescription for getting rid of those guilty feelings since you can simply plan to have that cookie or chocolate cake as part of your 20 percent that day or week. Plus, there are physical benefits to indulging only at certain times. "If 80 percent of your diet consists of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and legumes, then your body will be better equipped to manage when you have a treat," says Grant. "Of course, calories still matter and exercise is important. I find that once you make healthier choices the priority, the cravings for processed foods also change."
The 20 percent that you are allowing yourself to have treats doesn't mean you can just go ahead and eat an entire box of donuts, Grant emphasizes, but the 80/20 diet does help with "a lot of decisions that we face" and helps strengthen our mental approach to eating.
Is the 80/20 diet for you?
The good thing about the 80/20 diet is that, because it is such a simple approach to a general thought process around your eating choices, it can actually be used by many, says Grant. However, she does recommend that anyone with diabetes or who is pregnant should speak to their doctor about any dietary changes.
Gorin also suggests that those with "a perfectionist mindset when it comes to healthy eating" can especially benefit from the 80/20 approach "because the diet gives you permission to eat the foods you might normally feel guilty about eating."
So if you've spend your entire life yo/yo dieting and need help with that "eating the chocolate cake makes me feel guilty" mentality, then this might be especially well-suited to you since it can help you begin to heal some of that relationship with food. Of course, if you have serious food issues (such as orthorexia, a condition that is often categorized by obsessive behavior in pursuit of a healthy diet) or an eating disorder, you will want to talk to your doctor, a nutritionist, and/or a therapist in order to get help. You can also reach out to the National Eating Disorders Association hotline at 1-800-931-2237 on Monday through Thursday from 11am to 9pm ET and Friday from 11am to 5pm ET.
Here's how you can get started
Adopting a new eating plan can be overwhelming at first, no matter how moderate it might be. With this kind of eating regime, it's helpful to know what the benefits are going to be up front.
"What many people don't realize about eating healthy is that it ultimately helps you feel better," says Gorin. "You might notice that by eating a mostly whole foods diet that you have more energy, are sleeping better, and have better digestion." So, if you are putting off healthy eating, Gorin says you should keep your mind focused on those immediate benefits, rather than weight loss, which might take a bit of time to see.
She also adds: "One note is that I'd encourage you to leave in the 20 percent of your diet into your week — say dessert one day, a cocktail with dinner another day — rather than going for full-on cheat days." This way, you avoid the not-so-great feeling from a full day of eating junk food (not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that) and can see the benefits of eating 80% more over time.
Grant says that you should also think about what your goal is with this or any other diet. "Are you trying to look good for a party or a wedding? Or are you hoping to have a plan that keeps you looking and feeling your best for life? If it is the latter, then knowing that the 80/20 diet allows you the flexibility can make sticking to healthier choices an easier task."
While it may take some work, letting go of that "I have to eat perfectly every day" perfectionism as you embark on this diet may just help get you there.
Irina Gonzalez is an editor and freelance writer based in Florida, covering parenting, Latinx culture, and all things lifestyle. You can find more of her on Twitter @msirinagonzalez.
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Source: https://www.shondaland.com/live/body/a31403976/how-to-do-the-8020-diet/
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