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

Master Your Health Podcast

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/