HGB Fitness: Nutrition- The 90/10 Rule

Hello my fitness loves! I hope you all are having a splendid week so far. For today’s fitness post I wanted to focus on the 90/10 rule. For those of you who do not know, the 90/10 rule simply states that weight loss is 90% nutrition and 10% exercise. When I learned this a few years ago I was in complete shock. I knew that I couldn’t “pig out” and expect to be in shape, but I would think that exercise would be only 10%. You can do all of the crunches, planks, and sit-ups in the world, but if you are not eating a balanced diet, then you won’t see results.

When it comes to nutrition you should consult with a health professional to find a plan that best suits your lifestyle. I don’t have a set nutrition plan but this is what works for me.

• Breakfast (Monday-Thursday) oatmeal and a boiled egg or a green smoothie
• Morning Snack- Greek Yogurt and/or piece of fruit
• Lunch (high in protein and lots of greens,multi-grain/fiber)
• Afternoon Snack- fruit and/or nuts (almonds, pistachios, peanuts, or trail mix)
• Dinner (high in Protein, greens, multi-grain/fiber)
• Snack- fruit and/or nuts or a protein shake (after my evening workout)

Some people have eliminated carbs out of their lives completely, but I love bread too much to do that. I just minimize the amount I eat. I only eat whole wheat pasta, unless I’m at a restaurant. I may have pasta 3-5 times per month. My carbs mainly come from fruit. I am now in love with quinoa, but I’m starting to like couscous. If I eat rice, it’s brown rice. I’m looking to try zucchini “pasta” and spaghetti squash. For my greens I either have kale, spinach, asparagus, brussel sprouts, broccoli, or string beans. I try to spice everything up a little bit whenever I cook so I don’t get bored. I also eat lots of salads with baby spinach, arugula, mesclun, or romaine lettuce. I rarely eat fried foods any more. Everything is either baked or grilled.

I give myself two cheat days per week, which are usually Friday and Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday. I try to have 3-5 times per week. It is very time consuming! I have eliminated soda from my life, well 95%. Since I started this jersey, I haven’t had the urge to drink soda. I did a few times when I was stressed lol (don’t judge me). If I drink juice it is 100% juice and must have less than 25 grams of sugar. I mainly drink iced green tea. It helps with stress and belly fat as well. I drink a lot more water than before, I’m about 16 oz shy of the required 64 oz. I also try not to eat a heavy meal after 7:30pm. I try not to eat anything heavy 2-3 hours before going to bed. I will have a light snack though.

This is what I’m doing so far and I have a lot more energy as well and I don’t feel heavy.

So what do you do to make sure you are eating right? I need more options!