The Pareto Principle suggests that 20 percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results. Though widely used in business cases, this concept is applicable even in a healthy transformation. We could probably say, if you are eating healthy 80% of the time, you can deviate to some extent to indulge, to have some reward meals or simply eat to satisfy your emotional or soul cravings. With this 80/20 rule, you can easily maintain a healthy and a sustainable weight loss.

We mostly believe that we need to take extreme steps, sophisticate or have to follow fad diets or short cuts, but these can never be sustainable and we may end up failing tremendously. The key is to understand what the body is trying to communicate, listen to the body and take baby steps towards getting healthier and happier. We must majorly focus on small and steady healthy shifts, while a few, short term deviations may be perfectly fine.

Be mindful of what you eat 80 % of the time. Include fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, protein rich foods and low carb-high fiber food items regularly and in moderation. Do not forget to stay hydrated and bring in some exercise regularly. Include healthy spices and herbs and always focus on adding more nutrients into your body. If you are able to do this continuously, a 15-20% deviation once in a while, can balance your efforts and can help you sustain your weight loss efforts.

Be more conscious of what you 20% of the time. Let this meal be a reward for the mindful eating done majorly. This is an allowance to give yourself the foods that you have been craving for, or to explore different cuisines. This may also be the deviation when you cant miss that exotic pastry, flavourful pasta or the spicy biryani. This is also an allowance to enjoy certain foods that are nostalgic like the authentic filter coffee, grandma’s recipe or a food from your culture etc. These can be extremely soul-nourishing and can satisfy our emotional hunger. Remember, you don’t want this 20% deviation to be cheap, fake, processed or loaded with chemicals.

If you think the 80/20 routine is a bit harsh, start with 70/30 and slowly graduate to 75/25 and 80/20. All that matters is mindful eating for long term and making it a sustainable lifestyle change, and in no time, you will be following a 95/5 routine with utmost ease!!!

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