I’m beginning a little fall health and fitness series to give some inspiration + motivation to those who need it.
(raise your hand if that’s you?…)

This is part one in a series!  Find the rest here…
Part II: Two Workout Mindsets that Guarantee Success
Part III: How to Eat Less without going on a diet
Part IV: Imagine it and Live it
Part V: Eating Mindfully When You’re on the Go
Part VI: Talking to Yourself

**Also, since this series, I put all of this and more into my book: The Secret of Your Naturally Skinny Friends.  This book has changed lives and I am so proud of it.  (it’s also such a short read, you can finish in one sitting! ❤️)

By now, most of you know that I believe that our thought life is the biggest tool we have when it come to our weight, and overall health.

And you also know that I don’t believe in “diet plans” or any quick fixes for losing weight or getting fit.

Because, here’s how I look at it:  When you think of “fit and lean” people that you know—Are any of them on diets?  Do they stress or obsess over a specific fitness plan?

I say with confidence, No—Most of the time they aren’t, and they don’t.

Most of the people we most commonly label as “healthy and fit”  do not live by diet plans, (no one could do that forever!)  but instead, they very naturally (often subconsciously) follow a number of LIFESTYLE “rules” or “guidelines.”

I call these:  The Life Hacks of the Lean and Fit.
And over the next few weeks, I want to share some of the best and most successful hacks here!

I’ll be sharing from my own experience, as well as observations I’ve made, and interviews I’ve done with people who have lifestyles with “FIT AND LEAN” written all over them.  I’ve put years of thought and study into this.

So trust me–when it comes to achieving a beautiful and healthy body and life, these are the people and the hacks that you want to follow!

Before I go on though, for those of you who don’t know my story, I want you to know:  From my teens through my twenties, I struggled endlessly with my weight and (even more,) with my mental relationship with food and exercise.  I was obsessed and miserable.  (You will be able to read my full story in my up-coming ebook.)  What I want you to know though, is that I do understand, very-well, the challenges of dieting and the hopeless feeling of being dissatisfied with your body.

Of course the good news of my story is that over twelve years ago, I determined to overcome my food and body image struggles, and I began a brand new relationship with food and exercise.  It changed my life on many levels.   I cannot even express the gratitude I now have for the freedom I get to enjoy every day.

It is because of this that I want so very much to encourage and inspire others in this area.   I believe the same change is available to everyone who wants it.

So if you are someone ready for real change:  First, become very aware of what you are thinking about yourself and food (make sure to read last week’s post if you haven’t,)  and then determine to move ahead into a new season!

You can start today with the FIRST  “Life Hack” of my series:

RULE #1)  The 80% rule.

MODERATION, NOT DEPRIVATION.
(In your diet, and workouts.)

DIET:

People who maintain an ideal body weight typically follow The 80% Rule.  (To apply this for serious weight loss, you might crank it up to 85-90%)

The point behind this rule is that if 80% of the time you are eating light and nutritiously,  then you can afford a 20% rule for little treats.

Lean and fit people eat when they are hungry (not out of habit, or when they’re bored, lonely, or because the clock says it’s time.) Lean and fit people choose what to eat to eat based on both how hungry they are, and what would be the best choice at that time.  They typically eat small portions, aware that their body does not “need” a whole lot of food to be healthy and strong. (exceptions for teenagers and extreme athletes.) (and we need less food the older we get. {insert sad emoji here.} )

I won’t go into details of what are “ok foods” and what are not, because if we’re honest, I think we all know this stuff.  Key ideas being:  Plant based foods, natural foods, lots of veggies and fruits and very few saturated fats or preservatives…Lean meats and healthy oils and nuts… All of this information is readily available.   I think the bigger issue is people have is CHOOSING to embrace these foods, and learning to like these foods, and then keep on doing it…for a lifetime.  That is what “lean and fit” people do.

When in a hurry, lean and fit people choose something  quick, yet nutritious.  When famished, they choose something dense in nutrition, and filling.  When there is a special lunch or dinner later that day, they go light on the other meals.  These are all common sense ideas and I will go deeper into them in separate posts, I promise.  The point here is to choose 80-90% of your foods based on what your body needs, not simply what “sounds good.”  By choosing a salad over a burger a few days in a row, you might be surprised that your body will begin to crave the salad on day four or five. (or fourteen-but be patient. :))

Then for the other 20-30%, lean and fit people usually have something that they reserve the right to enjoy.  For some it is a sweet treat in the afternoon.   A bit of chocolate after dinner.  Some of my lean friends would never give up butter, others love candy.  (I don’t eat a lot of dairy, but don’t even think of taking the half-and-half from my coffee!)  Because they enjoy being lean and fit, and want to stay that way, these people can more easily choose small portions of their little indulgences.  You won’t find a lean and fit person binging on ice cream, but having a small scoop after dinner?–absolutely!

NOTE:  I refer to the other 20% as “treats,” not a “cheats!”  Cheating is such a negative word.   I’m also anti-“Cheat days” like I’ve heard so many dieters refer to.  Sorry, but in ONE DAY you can do a whole lot of damage.  People tend to go crazy when they wait all week for one day to splurge.  Much wiser to splurge a little bit, every day.

Also NOTE: There are plenty of ways to make even “treats” healthier:  A greek yogurt over a scoop of ice cream.  The options are endless-from healthier crackers and chips, to nutritiously dense dips and desserts.  Be open and you might find a few new favorite treats.  If you’re thinking of how great your body will be looking after consistently following this plan, it will be easier and easier to make good choices.

I think if you really try it, the 80-90% rule is very reasonable, and can be maintained over the long haul.  But please, for the love of all things sweet, buttery, or chocolate, do not completely deprive yourself of the things you love.  It will only come back to bite you!

I’m sure you’ll agree:  The minute you tell someone that they CANNOT have a specific food, they will immediately want that one thing more than ever before.

Tell that person that they can have some of that, but in moderation, and they will likely chill out and carry on.

It’s all in our heads, guys.

So, here’s how it looks:  Eat light, healthy, mostly plant-based, whole foods 80-90% of the time.  Eat small portions, or like I mentioned last week, eat like that thin person that you know is inside of you.  Then leave some room for your favorite indulgences.

FITNESS:

You can apply the 80% rule to your exercise routine as well:  Workout regularly, but be sure to PLAN days that are for rest.  Rest days let your body recover, and make you actually look forward to your next workout.

I’ve seen too many people commit to hard-core fitness plans only to burnout on week three.  But aiming to do three or four reasonable workouts a week for the next six months…Now THAT is do-able.  In fact, three to four workouts a week is a great plan because if you miss a day, you can make up for it on next  “rest day.”  No more saying “I’ll start again next week,” because lo-and-behold, you get a fresh start the very next day!

Even if you are sick or traveling, or just get really busy and you miss a whole week of workouts, the 80% rule will still work for you.  Heck, 20% of the time gives you some freedom to take a week off and still HOP BACK ON the very next week.  Not next summer, but next week.

There is plenty more to say on all of this, but to get us started, I want to hear how you like the 80-90% rule.  Have you ever tried it?  Do you think it is reasonable?  Do you think you can trust me?  Questions?

See how you do this week, and then come back next week for one Lean and Fit Life Hack! 🙂

Share this and Pin it so we’re all in this together!  Thank you thank you!

aloha

Monica