(Weight Loss Success): It’s 80 Percent Diet and 20 Percent Exercise!
Sick of weight loss advice that doesn’t work?
If that’s you, then keep reading. Because today, we’ll explain to you the “correct principle” of sustainable weight loss.
That is – we’ll teach you how to lose weight, and then keep it off!
And it all comes down to a simple principle – that is…
It’s 80 % Diet – 20% Exercise.
You might have heard before of the “80 percent diet 20 percent exercise” principle…
It’s actually true.
Vigorous exercise isn’t the key to weight loss. Instead, it’s about re-programming your body to burn the right resources.
For a Good Example…
Look at how bears’ bodies work.
Bears are animals that hibernate. And during that period of time, they sleep for an entire season, relying on fat stores for energy.
Now – when hibernating, bears don’t move around. They don’t try to “raise their metabolic levels” by working out.
All they do is sleep, while purely relying on fat deposits.
And that’s how nature intended fats to be. Fats aren’t “ugly excesses” that makes us look bad…
They’re a form of energy that is used in dormancy. And we have to teach our bodies to use them.
The 80 – 20 Principle: The Key to Proper Weight Loss.
All you need are a “set of rules” to put that principle into action. And below, we’ll present them to you.
We’ll list rules for the “80% diet portion”. We’ll then list others for the “20% exercise portion”!
The 80% Diet Portion: Controlling Your Macros.
The first (and only) rule is – your body should do most of the work for you.
Losing weight is all about re-programming your body’s metabolism. You have to reprogram your body to burn the correct energy macros.
Basically…
Most of us rely on “simple carbohydrates” as a primary energy source. But to lose weight, we need to reprogram out bodies to primarily burn fat.
Unfortunately, moving away from carbohydrates is difficult.
It’s an easy source of energy, and our bodies don’t require much effort to metabolize it into glucose.
The Problem In-Depth.
Simple carbohydrates are easy to consume, and quick to metabolize.
And this creates rapid spikes in our energy levels. It leads to cycles of elation and exhaustion known as sugar crashes.
And how do most people push through their day with blood sugar fluctuations? They do so through frequent meals.
And those meals aren’t healthy. They’re made up of even more simple carbohydrates that get our bodies and brains addicted.
Brain Energy Preference.
Our brains depend on glucose as its primary source of energy.
In fact, the brain alone takes 20% of the body’s glucose for itself (source). And this leads to addiction.
The brain’s need for glucose can stimulate signals for more carb intake – which is the closest derivative to glucose.
Speaking of addiction – there’s research that compares carb to “drug addiction.” And the results are striking (source)…
Carbohydrates activate the same “neural pathways” in the brain that are seen in self-administered drugs…
That is – the human brain considers carbohydrates like a drug addiction.
Applying the Rule.
All you have to do is break your carbohydrate addiction – and you’ll achieve a slimmer and healthier body.
So shift your diet away from carbohydrate reliance – and more towards other macronutrients. Eat higher protein and fat percentages.
For a hard rule, try to keep carbohydrates at 25% of your intake – maximum. The lower you can tolerate, the better.
What About Food Quantity?
Quantity doesn’t matter. Instead, you should focus on the following…
- Total calories in your meal.
- The macro-nutrient ratios (the % of fat, carbs, and protein of your meal).
Also, as a rule, we don’t think you should “eat small.” You shouldn’t deprive yourself completely, as this can make commitment to weight loss difficult.
And speaking of commitment, we might as well talk about exercising…
The 20% Exercising Rules.
Exercising is important. But if anything, it’s a complement to a good diet.
Why?
Because intense exercising has negligible effects on our total fat loss. Plus, it has “negative psychological side-effects” if done frequently…
The Rules to Follow.
Keep your workouts light. And don’t work out with the intention of burning calories – because that doesn’t work.
An Example.
Let’s say you decide to go running.
At a pace of 6 MPH (which is moderate), a 32 minute run burns 480 calories.
And that’s a negligible amount. After all, 1 pound of fat equals 3500 calories of energy.
In other words, you’d have to run for almost 4 hours at that pace, just to burn off 1 pound!
Plus, most can’t run that much per day, or even a week.
You’d need “marathon-level” athletics and stamina, and that’s not a fitness level that most dieters have.
Basically…
The effort is not worth the reward.
Superhuman amounts of stamina are required to run that long for minimal gains. And those who do are bound to overestimate their efforts.
That is – expect people who run that long to eat a calorie heavy meal that nullifies the work done!
And we’ve all been guilty of that before. Who hasn’t gone for a “cheat meal” after a 30 minute fast jog?
The Point.
Exercising to maintain an already healthy body? That’s something we highly recommend.
But exercising to lose weight? This only adds to the difficulty of staying “disciplined” on a weight loss journey.
After all, do remember that weight loss takes months. It’s not a goal that is achieved in a few weeks.
And to get there, maintaining our mental commitment is necessary – and this is done by keeping exercises simple!
Summary.
The 80-20 rule principle is simple.
It’s all about adjusting your dietary intake, and taking measures that keep you psychologically committed.
It’s an approach that focuses on sustainability. Consider it is the best way to stay slim for the long-run!
