The 80/20 principle also known as Pareto’s Law is based on the understanding that 80% of your effects come from 20% of the causes.
Or in other words we get 80% of the results from the first 20% of our efforts.
So how can we apply this principle to sustainable health?
My client said to me recently in an initial discussion, “Elika I’ve tried everything, I’m eating well, I’m exercising most days and still, I can’t shift the weight”.
I could feel the guilt she had weighing heavily on her shoulders. The lack of connection she had with what her body needed and therefore she was not being at ease with making her decision. “So, I’ve decided that I’m going back to fruit, cause I love fruit!” She even gave into her home-cooked carb-heavy dinner with her husband with wine & dessert and had connected with me feeling that all her efforts were simply not working.
I’m so fortunate to have supported many overworked, frustrated women like her, having had the same experience myself but equally knowing exactly the starting point to get them back to feeling in control of their health & then continuing to work with them giving them back their confidence to ultimately make better decisions.
One of the principles I work with is the understanding that in a modern-day world, women have so many societal pressures. To work & contribute financially, to raise a family, to keep up their appearance. Yes it’s true, some of these burdens are ones we create for ourselves by not knowing how to ask for help and by trying to be super women. However, like many other things, applying an 80/20 principle can create ease with our nutrition
How does it work?
80% of the food I eat is real, grown, or you could say, once made a noise in the case of meat or fish if you wish to eat so. Then 20% of the foods are those items that you know would be considered ‘off our diet’, processed or not providing any real nutritional value but you simply would just like to enjoy. Working with my client on examples of what that looked like, how to choose higher-quality versions of these and how to apply it to a meal, day, week based on her lifestyle, allowed her to remove the guilt and provide clarity to her decision making around nutrition.
If you are like most of us and have an emotional connection to your food, having to over-analyse every time you make a decision on what you can eat is not only overwhelming but also very energy draining and ultimately we want to retain that energy for better uses.
Share this article with anyone you think would benefit from my support in reaching their health goals.
