Fall is upon us and that means pumpkin spice lattes, Halloween candy and large family meals. It's also a time where many people throw in the towel on their health and wellness goals.
But, there is a better way!
Surely you are not going to get where you want to go by taking ¼ of the year off every single year. The good news is, there is a way to enjoy yourself and make progress at the same time.
The 80/20 Rule
The 80/20 rule can be applied to any area of your life - school, work, family life, and your health too. It involves making good choices 80% of the time and allowing yourself some grace for the remainder of the time. Nutrition is a particularly good area to apply this rule because it allows for treats and fun foods that are not typically nutrient-dense choices.
Homemade Chex mix is a tradition in my family. We have our own recipe and the mere smell of it reminds me of hanging out at my grandma’s house on Thanksgiving with all my aunts and uncles. The smell literally gives me the warm-and-nurtured feeling of being part of a large and close family.
But, you know what? It has lots of otherwise empty calories, refined grains, butter, vegetable oils, etc.
So, while I enjoy it, I don’t eat it all the time, even over the holidays. But, I do intentionally make a batch and enjoy it a few times from Thanksgiving to Christmas. This same concept of mindful eating goes for pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, stuffing and the occasional Take 5 around October 31st (if you have not tried this candy bar, you are missing out, my friend).
Besides making room for your favorite foods, there are two essential keys to this approach for it to work:
1. Eat enough food and not too much.
This is one of the most important foundational concepts of healthy eating and the end of the year is no different.
The bottom line here is, If you are eating 3000 calories but you only need 2000, it doesn’t matter that 80% is healthy food.
Everyone’s energy needs are different. Weight gain, maintenance and loss all require a different calorie budget that should be based on your physiologic make up and activity level. I strongly encourage using a tracking app over the holidays to establish a ballpark calorie range and to bring some awareness and accountability to your eating habits. Most use the same caloric algorithms that I would use in a clinical setting. My favorite is Lose It - despite the name, you can use it for weight gain, loss or maintenance. It’s user friendly and the basic version is free.
2. Make your 80% Strong
Embrace the flavors of the season and knock the remainder of your meals and snacks out of the park. Soups are a great way to boost nutrition within a hearty make-ahead meal. Here are a few of my favorite nutrition packed soups to get you started:
In addition to soups, I am a big fan of slightly sweet seasonal smoothies and energy bites to satisfy my sweet tooth. My top three in this category are:
Gingerbread Smoothie. Pro tip: I make this recipe without the molasses and add some chia seeds for omega 3s. The banana provides plenty of sweetness.
Go Easy on Yourself
These recipes are on repeat in my house when the weather turns colder but that doesn’t mean I don’t go off track on occasion. If you end up eating 3 cookies when you meant to eat 1 or you have a few too many Christmas Ales at your zoom holiday party, don’t sweat it. Start fresh, identify what you could have done differently and how you will handle it differently in the future and move on.
Do you have any tried and true ways to stay on track with your health and wellness goals through the holiday season? We’d love to hear, comment in the forum so we can share with our community.
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