80/20 Rule

Erik's Weekly Fitness Tip | You Don't Have To Be Perfect

 

I Speak From Experience

Being a perfectionist myself I find it a blessing and a curse.  I spend too much time making sure things are perfect because I care, so half-ass jobs on my part do not sit well with me.  The issue with things being perfect is that it slows down or completely stops momentum.  So, when it comes to your health and fitness, you need to care and make sure things are on point…most of the time.

Be Consistent With Food

Let’s first start with food.  Consistent good eating, i.e. healthy food, not overeating, but allowing yourself to indulge here and there is how you win.  Life can throw you a S*#t storm with work stress, family stress, travel, or you’re just on the go all time. 

How can one eat perfectly?  Well for most of us you can’t. A glass of wine to calm the nerves, a piece of chocolate to help you move on from the day at work, or in my case heading to Starbucks and getting Nature’s way to get amped and bring me some good old comfort are all ways we deal with the day-to-day grind.  These treats are all completely normal and all completely okay in the big scheme of things. 

The 80/20 Rule

As I posted in a video last month, it comes down to the 80-20 rule, 80% of the time be on target, 20% of the time allow yourself to have the stuff you love.  Remember that even if you are trying to maintain your current weight or even lose weight you can allow yourself some treats.  The secret…staying within the calorie range that allows to reach those goals.

The same logic applies to working out.  If you are 21 years old and you are in college, there is no reason why you shouldn’t crush every damn workout and I should know because I lived that life once.  But for regular people that work, that aren’t 21, who may have families, and are social, crushing every single workout isn’t a reality.  We must temper our expectations of ourselves and know there will be more ups and downs.  Lack of sleep, slower recovery time, and sick kids can swing the pendulum more there we care to admit. 

Adjust

Here again is where the 80-20 Rule can be applied successfully to your game plan.  If you are tired, beat up, or have zero to low motivation…adjust your workout.  In most cases, it’s better to do a little something like a light walk, stretch, or go on an easy bike ride, more times than not it will make you feel better anyways.  This is the 20%, yeah you didn’t get that planned strength training session in or go to that spin class but you still moved your body.  This again is a victory.  Consistency at work. 

Be Consistent

Good things happen when you practice consistent habits day in and day out.  As always remember that this is a marathon not a 100-meter sprint.  

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80/20 Rule With Eating | Ask Erik

Many of you are on a weight loss journey or are about to embark on one. Please know that you don't have to be perfect when it comes to eating.

Erik recommends:

1. Employ the 80/20 Rule
- 80% of what you eat should be clean
- 20% of what you eat can be fun things
2. Be consistent

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