It is a challenge to stick to your diet plan for achieving your weight loss goals. The more the diet restricts you, the more you feel the urge to have all those unhealthy foods you have given up. Before you know it, you are back to where you started – probably worse because you have gained weight faster because of all the binge eating.
But, what if there existed a diet that allowed you to have not-so-healthy foods along with the healthy ones? That’s right! 80/20 is a diet that allows you to stick to healthy foods most of the time while, occasionally, having a donut or a burger you craved for the previous week.
Let’s examine what the 80/20 diet is all about and how effective it is for reaching your weight loss goals.
What Is The 80/20 Diet?
The 80/20 diet is a diet plan that requires you to have a balanced diet to help you lose body fat. The numbers 80 and 20 indicate a very different approach to healthy eating. This diet requires you to eat healthy 80 percent of the time while giving in to your temptations and cravings 20 percent of the time. This means you must to choose your fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins 80 percent of the time and have a cheesecake or your favorite chocolate bar on one day, making up for the 20 percent.
It may sound easy, but like any other diet plant, this also requires determination and effort. You cannot switch from 80/20 to 60/40 – eating healthy 60 percent of the time and otherwise, for the other 40 percent. If you want to commit yourself to this diet and observe a significant weight loss, you have to stick to the 80/20 ratio strictly.
The three important factors that govern this diet are as follows:
- Food: What goes into your mouth affects your appearance and your overall health. Therefore, eating healthy, nutritious foods is important.
- Exercise: Involving your body in some physical activity will improve metabolism and strengthen your immune system.
- Rest: While it is important to get your body moving it is equally important to give your body its rest. Adequate sleep at night and enough rest after a workout session are essential.
The Pros And Cons Of The 80/20 Diet
The greatest advantage of this diet is that you feel less restricted. While having healthy foods, you can also have a slice of pizza or your favorite dessert, provided you have only one slice and once a week. If you eat more calories than you burn, then you are likely to gain weight if the body has not used up the energy converting it to body fat. Therefore, it is important to stick to the numbers – 80 percent healthy eating and 20 percent not-so-healthy eating – if you want this diet to have an effect on your weight.
Secondly, this diet may help you stick to your healthy eating habits for a longer duration than other diets that you may not stick to because of the strict rules. Following this diet can help you get into healthy eating habits and make it seem less difficult.
The major drawback of the 80/20 diet is that it is very important to stick to the number. You cannot expect any significant reduction in your weight if you start with 80/20 and don’t follow it consistently. Some experts also say that 90/10 – eating healthy 90 percent of the time and enjoying a little indulgence 20 percent – may be more effective than the existing one.
We all know that patience is a virtue; however, if you wait too long, you may be disappointed. So, another disadvantage of this diet may be the time it takes to show significant results. It may take much longer than other diets to show some difference. This may cause you to give up half way and go back to square one.
How Effective Is The 80/20 Diet In Losing Weight?
The efficiency of this diet solely depends on the individual. If you stick to healthy eating and regular exercises and occasionally give in to your temptations, making sure not to go overboard with it, you can achieve some significant results toward weight loss. However, if you don’t follow the diet right, it is not going to be an effective plan.
Some experts say that even in case this diet does not give you desired results when it comes to weight loss, it will definitely help you choose your food sensibly. You can develop the habit of healthy eating which can keep your body healthy.
So, if you have tried and wasted your time on diets but has not given you the desired results, you may want to try this diet, too. It involves healthy eating and because of the techniques used, you may stick to healthy habits for life.
