Myth: You have to eat 100% clean to reach your goals.

Fact: You must eat well to reach your goals…but that can also include Oreos, donuts, and wine!

I follow and teach an 80/20 nutrition lifestyle. I eat 80% clean and 20% fun. That goes for each and every meal.

This means I can eat a healthy salad chock-full of leafy greens and grilled chicken, then have a bite-sized Milky Way bar for dessert. Or, I can have an apple fritter for breakfast paired with scrambled egg whites with spinach. And it also means I can eat nachos. Every, single, week!

Here’s a sample day of eating using the 80/20 method.

Breakfast – CLEAN: Egg white omelet and oatmeal, FUN: Cheese on top of the omelet

Lunch – CLEAN: deli sandwich and salad, FUN: 2TB full-fat ranch dressing

Dinner – CLEAN: Grilled chicken and chopped veggie salad, FUN: 2 Oreo cookies

All of these things fit within my macro goals for the day, so, why not?

Following an 80/20 nutrition lifestyle is more sustainable in the long-term than any 100% anything. Allowing yourself the flexibility to choose healthy, whole foods while also enjoying the occasional sweet or salty morsel is a recipe for sustainable results.

And that’s what all of us want, isn’t it?

I got off the yo-yo diet train years ago and I help my clients do the same. Together we find that perfect balance of healthy and fun that is oh so essential if you want to get to your goals AND maintain your results.

My recommendations:

• Start with counting calories
• Pre-plan your meals and make your choices fit your calorie allotment
• Include the fun stuff too

You need fun stuff…and frankly, you deserve it too!

I lost 158 lbs and I don’t eat 100% clean. My clients have lost a collective thousands of pounds and they don’t eat 100% clean either. Trust me when I say, you don’t have to either.