The 80/20 rule for fat loss
If you’ve heard about the 80/20 rule (or the Pareto principle), you know how important it is.
And there’s no difference when it comes to fat loss.
Why?
Because if you do the 20% that matter, you’ll get 80% of the results.
But, what’s this 20% when it comes to fat loss?
- Is it the diet we choose? (keto, Intermittent fasting, flexible dieting, carnivore, or anything in between)?
- Maybe it’s how we train in addition to the diet?
- or maybe how aggressive we go with the approach we choose? (AKA. cutting calories to a point it’s not sustainable at all)…
Well, here’s the truth.
If you focus on what I call the building block of all diets, then you’d be focusing on that 20%.
When you do it, then you can start thinking of what diet you choose (which is also very important).
This means that you first want to know you’re actually setting up your diet in a way that makes you lose fat, and then you start paying attention to the approach you take — based on what works for you and what you can sustain from now on.
Let me give you a quick example.
Back when I started helping other people with coaching, I used to think that the diet they choose was the first step.
That was until I almost screw things up with a client.
He was eager to try keto (you know, because it produces ketones… and all the other physiological effects there’s no need to get into here).
I didn’t have an issue with that.
So when we started working together, he was seeing some great results (and the initial drop of weight due to water loss was a great motivation to keep going).
But when it came to the 3rd week of the diet, things weren’t as planned.
He was getting lean and was able to see some abs, but he was craving food all day long… especially carbohydrates.
Not being able to eat from something like a simple potato was driving him crazy (quite literally).
And doing a CKD (Cyclical Ketogenic Diet) wasn’t an option as his lifestyle didn’t allow him to stick to it.
So short story long…
He was at a point where he craved what he couldn’t have (in this case, carbs).
I would be lying if I tell you how exactly I addressed his situation to get back on track, but what I remember from this experience is this.
Choosing the diet is secondary.
There’s a first (and very important step) when it comes to fat loss.
That step is using the building block of all diets (based on the science of fat loss).
And in case you’re wondering… while I don’t recall how we handle things, he was able to keep his weight off and not gain it back (but it wasn’t by doing keto the rest of his life.)
My point with all of this is simple.
Don’t choose a diet you think it’s superior in some way because there’s some evidence that makes it sound sexy…
If you don’t have the 20% (which is the building block of all diets) in place, you won’t get any results at all.
Keep that in mind whenever you’re doing a fat loss diet.
Ivan @ Fitnessthetic
Want to know about the building block of all diets and how to use it for fat loss… making your next diet the last one you’ll need? Then you’re gonna want to check my “Fat Loss On Demand” ebook
