The 80-20 rule is the secret to balance
From former model to nutrition consultant, Michelle den Hollander she flew around the world from shoot to show, but also experienced the struggles of having the ‘right’ sizes. This brought her to where she is now and on Amayzine she gives tips.
Balance is important in every aspect of your life, but certainly when it comes to your lifestyle. Not exercising enough is not good, but exercising too much can also cause (health) issues. Being lazy is not optimal, but having too much stress is even worse. And an unhealthy or too large amount of food is not good for your body, but never eating anything you really crave won't make anyone happy either. In short: balance is important.
That's why I often use the 80-20 rule: for 80 percent of the time you live a healthy life. You stay active, exercise, eat healthy, and relax, and in that 20 percent there is room to unapologetically plop down on the couch with a bag of chips to watch your favorite Netflix series.
Sounds nice, right? But maybe that's easier said than done. In practice, I see that many people choose all or nothing. They hop from being extremely healthy and denying themselves everything to completely letting go and abandoning all restraint. The well-known yo-yo effect. But what are the do's for a healthy lifestyle?
1) Grab your calendar and make a plan. This way you can see on which days you eat out or when you have friends or family over. These are often the tempting moments when you can easily indulge in that 20 percent. After that, you just need to make sure you distribute that 80 percent well. Determine what you eat throughout the day, plan your workout sessions, and don't forget to write down when it's time to relax. If you don't do this, your week will quickly be taken over by work or friends and you'll be playing catch-up.
2) Written down what you're going to eat? Time to grab your shopping list. Besides your regular groceries, immediately write down everything for the healthy recipes and snacks. This saves you trips to the supermarket and thus a lot of temptation.
3) Make sure to stock up on healthy items, as unhealthy things often come from outside: a friend showing up with cake, a treat at work, or a spontaneous gathering with chips and nuts. You can easily hit that 20 percent without having bought anything yourself.
4) Inspire your surroundings with healthy alternatives. Make plans to walk and not just hang out on the couch. Bring some healthy alternatives for the gathering when the weather is bad. With Seedlip, you can make the tastiest non-alcoholic GTs.
5) Make choices. What truly makes you happy and what do you really enjoy? Especially leave out the things you mindlessly put in your mouth. Eating consciously makes a difference.
Pull out the agenda, get your weekly planner (Hema has a nice desk planner) and write out that week. Great for overview and it gives peace of mind when you're well-prepared. Completely in balance.
Every two weeks, Michelle shares tips on Amayzine about healthy living, know-how about healthy eating, and her own story. Already curious? Read up on Michelle’s Good Food.
