What is the 80/20 Philosophy and Why Do I Care?

I know all of you have heard “balance is everything”, “everything in moderation” etc. but what does that ACTUALLY mean? I am going to tell you!

Yes, it is important to have a good balance when it comes to nutrition and your diet, but what is balance? Balance to me is the 80/20 philosophy, which means to eat clean 80% of the time and let yourself live a little 20% of the time. Restricting foods is good to a point, the point where you start to struggle mentally. Sometimes you just gotta eat that cupcake so you don’t end up binging later, the “cheat” foods should be built into your daily/weekly nutrition plan. This will prevent you from over doing it when you are presented with sweets after restricting yourself for weeks on end. That is “balance” to me, to you it might look a little different but I live by the 80/20 philosophy. Don’t restrict yourself to the point you are going to over-eat when presented with sweets (or any vice of yours).

Okay, we have covered balance but what about the phrase “everything in moderation”? This goes back to not over restricting yourself, I believe everything should be on the table. ALL THE FOOD EVER. BUT you shouldn’t go crazy on it, moderate how much bad/good stuff you eat. So yes, eat that cake but just have one slice and that’s it for desert. Yes, drink that beer but just have the one. Everything in moderation.

Thanks for reading my little blog today, if you’d like you can follow me on my fitness/health instagram page where I post free workouts and inspirational posts! the link is https://www.instagram.com/lookingglassfitness/

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5 Reasons Why You May Struggling to Lose Weight or Have Plateaued.

When it comes to fitness; any kind of goal whether it’s building muscle, losing weight, or everything in between they key is your mindset. Your mind is an incredible thing, so incredible in fact that it can hold you back, even if you’re working SO hard for something. So, I am going to give you 5 possible reasons as to why you may be struggling to lose weight, gain muscle etc. Now, keep in mind that every single person and body is different so what works for me may not work for you but it is a starting point. You’ll notice, every single one comes back to your mindset. So, lets start shall we?

1. There isn’t enough variety in your workouts! Don’t be afraid to try new things and challenge your mind and body!! We as humans tend to want to stay where it’s safe in our little comfort zones, but growth only happens when we break out of that box. Try something new in your workouts!! Challenge your body, I guarantee you’re stronger than you think you are it is a mental game!
2. You’re not eating the right foods and ratios in your nutritional habits! Some people thrive off of carbs galore, some thrive off of lots of protein and so forth. You have to find the right balance, but that takes effort and time and we all tend to want to skip steps and get right to the prize. Be patient, and mess around with your nutrition to find something that feels good for you! Don’t follow someone else’s nutritional patterns, everyone is unique!
3. You’re not drinking enough water! I know you have probably heard this one before, but it’s true. Water is a natural lubricant and detox for the body, everything works better when you are hydrated to the gills! I know water is boring, but again think outside the box and make that water irresistible! Add frozen fruit, lemon/lime juice, make it pink!! whatever will inspire you to drink more water!!!
4. You are stressed/not getting enough sleep! Being stressed constantly definitely takes a toll on the body, and trust me I get it, we all deal with it. This is why you must take time out of every day and do something for you that is relaxing or fun, for me I like to meditate and workout to flush my stress away. Find something you enjoy to help relieve that stress, you’ll notice your body feels better I promise! As for sleep; it’s difficult to do it right, personally my sleep schedule is a nightmare. If I get more than 5 hours it’s a miracle. Here is why sleep is so important for your body and minds overall health; sleep is when your body and mind recharge after that stressful day you’ve had, when you don’t get enough sleep your body gets clogged essentially. You may notice you are more bloated when you don’t sleep enough? Yeah, that’s because your body didn’t have enough down time to work properly. So, just be mentally aware of those things and try to make changes that work with your schedule. Sleep and stress relief should be at the top of your priorities list!
5. Lastly..you have a negative mindset!! Mindset really is everything, if you have a more positive outlook and believe things are going to work you’ll be way more successful in general. If you have a more negative mindset, it will take a toll on your body. As I said before, your mind is incredible. It can be your greatest tool, or your greatest downfall. You choose which one it is going to be. Staying positive about whatever journey you are on is so important, cut yourself some slack  and don’t compare yourself to other people’s journeys. “Comparison is the thief of joy”, remember every body is different so don’t waste your time worrying about where someone else is in their journey. Focus on yours, and ENJOY it, stay positive ok? I believe in you!!!!!                                                                                                                          -I appreciate it if you took the time to read this post, I truly am passionate about helping and inspiring others and only want the best for you and your journey! Keep killing it!!!!!!!                                                                                                                                  If you want you can go follow me on my fitness instagram! https://www.instagram.com/lookingglassfitness/ I post all kinds of inspiration along with workouts!! lots of free workouts for you to try out or get inspiration from!