Living a healthy lifestyle is 80 percent diet and 20 percent exercise, health and fitness experts say. But what does that mean, and how can you get the right balance of nutrients through food choices?
What is the 80/20 Rule?
Nutritional specialists and fitness experts say that losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight is 80 percent eating habits and 20 percent exercise.
But why is that? The basis of the 80/20 rule is in math.
To lose a pound in a week, the body has to have a 3,500-calorie deficit. Burning 3,500 calories through exercise is difficult.
To achieve the loss of one pound a week through exercise only, you’d need to walk 10 miles a day, four days a week. If you’re a brisk walker, walking 10 miles will take about two and a half hours.
Most people don’t have that much time to stay on the walking trail or treadmill. Instead, they change their eating habits to consume 3,000 fewer calories during the week and burn 500 calories through exercise as part of a fit lifestyle.
That would result in the loss of a pound a week. That may not seem like much, but losing a pound a week over a year would mean a loss of more than 50 pounds.
Make Better Food Choices
Coming up with 3,000 calories to cut out of a diet can seem impossible, but you won’t become an expert in malnutrition management. Choosing less calorie-dense foods and higher nutrition as part of healthy eating guidelines will help you enjoy a fit lifestyle while not feeling deprived.
It’s also worth noting that trimming 3,000 calories over a week means finding 430 calories a day to cut. Cut out a venti mocha latte during your coffee break, or choose a grilled chicken salad instead of a bacon cheeseburger for lunch, and you’re there.
Here are some ways to make the 80 percent choices the right way for a fit lifestyle.
Hire a Dietitian
If you’re serious about changing your eating habits for the better, hire a nutritionist or a registered dietitian. These nutritional specialists can provide expert nutrition education, diet plans, and even recipe writing and lessons in healthy cooking.
Clinical nutrition goes beyond diet plans. Nutrition experts will help you find the best foods to fuel your body.
Take It Slow
Losing weight slowly at a rate of one to two pounds a week is more likely to result in long-term changes in eating habits, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Small Changes Bring Big Results
Making small changes throughout the day can reduce calories without reducing the amount of food you enjoy each day, CDC nutrition experts say.
Use nonstick cooking spray instead of butter when scrambling eggs for breakfast to save 34 calories, or substitute fat-free milk for whole milk with your cereal, and you’ve saved 63 calories.
Substituting a green salad with vinaigrette dressing for a medium order of fries at lunch can save 270. Have fresh fruit for dessert after dinner instead of cake or pie, and you can save as many as 300 calories.
Nutrition specialists can show you more ways to make simple changes that add to a healthier lifestyle.
Drink More Water
Most people should drink more water every day. To find the ounces of water you should drink, divide your current weight by two. A 200-pound person should drink 100 ounces of water each day.
Keep other beverages to low or no calories – unsweetened tea served hot or iced, stevia and skim milk in coffee and seltzer water with a squeeze of lemon or lime.
Move More
Just because your food choices are 80 percent of living a healthy and fit lifestyle, it might be tempting to ignore the 20 percent exercise.
The benefits of exercising regularly go far beyond burning calories. Walking, which is simple and low in cost, can improve your mood, lower your blood pressure and strengthen your heart.
Do Your 80% Right
You are what you eat. Nutritional specialists say the food choices you make influence your health and well-being. Instead of following trendy diet plans.
Hire a nutrition expert to provide you with eating guidelines to follow as you work toward health goals such as losing weight or lowering blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar.
You’ll feel better when including more fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and lean protein in your meals each day, and your health will improve.
A nutritionist can show you healthy recipes and simple substitutions you can make each day, resulting in lasting change and a healthier, fit lifestyle.