The 90% Rule of Fueling our Bodies

Love_Conquers_All
Love_Conquers_All Posts: 211
edited September 19 in Food and Nutrition
The 90% Rule
By Dr. John M. Berardi, PhD, CSCS

Follow the rules 90% of the time. The other 10%? Eat anything you want.

I actively encourage people to eat any food they like, because the reality is that good food can be one of the great joys of life.

But being overweight, unhealthy and lethargic are not. And certain foods eaten too frequently or in too large an amount will quickly make you all three of those things.

Eat any food you like, in up to 10% of your meals; in the other 90% of your meals, eat the foods that will fuel your body to success.

That ratio will give you the body you want AND allow to enjoy the food you love.

But make sure you do the math.
But here’s the catch: make sure you do the math and determine what 10% of the time really means.

For example, if you’re eating 6 meals per day for 7 days of the week – that’s 42 meals. 10% of 42 meals is about 4 meals. Therefore you’re allowed to “break the rules” on 4 meals each week. If you skip a meal or eat something not on the plan, that counts as breaking the rules!

Make sure your 10% doesn’t become 20% or 30%. If you’re eating 42 meals a week (6 meals per day x 7 days a week), you’re allowed to eat 4 meals or snacks per week that aren’t part of the program (10%) and that’s all.

Don’t binge — schedule!
A caveat: your 10% meals shouldn’t include downing an entire pizza, followed by a full box of Krispy Kreme donuts. Binge eating can rapidly destroy your progress and make you feel like crap, let’s be clear on that. A day long binge is not the equivalent of “one cheat meal.”

Rather, your 10% meals should include some foods, in reasonable quantities, that might not normally fit into your plan.

This might include a couple slices of pizza on a Saturday evening, a piece of cheesecake after dinner on Sunday, a beer or glass of wine after work on Wednesday, or some chocolate on Monday morning.

And the best way to make sure you don’t go overboard is to schedule your 10% meals. Pick a day and a meal and schedule it just like you’ll be scheduling your exercise days. This will keep you committed to your eating plan as well as have you looking forward to something different. Of course, if you simply must have one of your 10% meals outside of its regularly scheduled time, go for it. Just to make sure you don’t double up, cross it off your schedule.

Even better: learn how to incorporate the food you love into your 90% meals.
With a little expertise and ingenuity in the kitchen, you can often turn your favorite meals into healthy options that meet the criteria for a 90% meal.

It’s often as simple as learning a few tricks. Many are so satisfied by the plan that they deviate even less than 10% of the time.

Summary
You can eat anything you like — but only 10% of the time. The rest of the time, eat to fuel a healthy body. But don’t forget that with a little cooking experience, that fuel can taste better than anything you’re eating right now.

Replies

  • The 90% Rule
    By Dr. John M. Berardi, PhD, CSCS

    Follow the rules 90% of the time. The other 10%? Eat anything you want.

    I actively encourage people to eat any food they like, because the reality is that good food can be one of the great joys of life.

    But being overweight, unhealthy and lethargic are not. And certain foods eaten too frequently or in too large an amount will quickly make you all three of those things.

    Eat any food you like, in up to 10% of your meals; in the other 90% of your meals, eat the foods that will fuel your body to success.

    That ratio will give you the body you want AND allow to enjoy the food you love.

    But make sure you do the math.
    But here’s the catch: make sure you do the math and determine what 10% of the time really means.

    For example, if you’re eating 6 meals per day for 7 days of the week – that’s 42 meals. 10% of 42 meals is about 4 meals. Therefore you’re allowed to “break the rules” on 4 meals each week. If you skip a meal or eat something not on the plan, that counts as breaking the rules!

    Make sure your 10% doesn’t become 20% or 30%. If you’re eating 42 meals a week (6 meals per day x 7 days a week), you’re allowed to eat 4 meals or snacks per week that aren’t part of the program (10%) and that’s all.

    Don’t binge — schedule!
    A caveat: your 10% meals shouldn’t include downing an entire pizza, followed by a full box of Krispy Kreme donuts. Binge eating can rapidly destroy your progress and make you feel like crap, let’s be clear on that. A day long binge is not the equivalent of “one cheat meal.”

    Rather, your 10% meals should include some foods, in reasonable quantities, that might not normally fit into your plan.

    This might include a couple slices of pizza on a Saturday evening, a piece of cheesecake after dinner on Sunday, a beer or glass of wine after work on Wednesday, or some chocolate on Monday morning.

    And the best way to make sure you don’t go overboard is to schedule your 10% meals. Pick a day and a meal and schedule it just like you’ll be scheduling your exercise days. This will keep you committed to your eating plan as well as have you looking forward to something different. Of course, if you simply must have one of your 10% meals outside of its regularly scheduled time, go for it. Just to make sure you don’t double up, cross it off your schedule.

    Even better: learn how to incorporate the food you love into your 90% meals.
    With a little expertise and ingenuity in the kitchen, you can often turn your favorite meals into healthy options that meet the criteria for a 90% meal.

    It’s often as simple as learning a few tricks. Many are so satisfied by the plan that they deviate even less than 10% of the time.

    Summary
    You can eat anything you like — but only 10% of the time. The rest of the time, eat to fuel a healthy body. But don’t forget that with a little cooking experience, that fuel can taste better than anything you’re eating right now.
  • chrissyh
    chrissyh Posts: 8,235 Member
    So glad to see you posting - thanks!!
  • So glad to see you posting - thanks!!
    :wink: :heart: :flowerforyou:
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    does ahh, 6 beers count. DOH! Course they WERE Miller Highlife lite 64 calorie beers.:ohwell:
  • does ahh, 6 beers count. DOH! Course they WERE Miller Highlife lite 64 calorie beers.:ohwell:
    for you...anything!:wink::laugh:
  • firetuck
    firetuck Posts: 87 Member
    Thanks for both your posts - they were really interesting and just the kind of thing that helps to keep me motivated to eat healthy and stay on track with what I'm doing.
  • Tamrahan
    Tamrahan Posts: 29
    Would it work to figure up how many calories per day or week you could cheat? For example say I'm allowed 1640 calories per day. 10% would be 164 calories I could use toward something naughty for the day or save up 2 days worth and eat a candy bar or save for the entire week 164 X 7 = 1148. you would then know exactly what you could expend on pizza or a dessert etc? Some days I only eat 3 times others 5 I just go by if i feel hungry I eat. So for me I think it would work better to figure up a specific number that I can cheat if this makes sense.
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    You know, after eating good food for a while, the 10% stuff isn't all that appealing!
  • You know, after eating good food for a while, the 10% stuff isn't all that appealing!
    I hear ya on that!:drinker: :laugh: :wink:
  • Thanks for both your posts - they were really interesting and just the kind of thing that helps to keep me motivated to eat healthy and stay on track with what I'm doing.
    :happy:
  • ivykivy
    ivykivy Posts: 2,970 Member
    For so long we have been told eat very little and nothing we enjoy to lose weight. I know restricting myself makes me an Evil Ivy. :devil: I have my Five Favorite Foods, I enjoy them and STILL lose weight.

    Thanks for the article.
  • bump
  • jessmomof3
    jessmomof3 Posts: 4,590 Member
    I love John Berardi! His Precision Nutrition is awesome! :bigsmile:
  • Thanks for the post Love_Conquers_All!!!:smile:
  • I enjoyed reading this article very much. Thank you for posting it...
  • y'welcome:heart:
  • I love John Berardi! His Precision Nutrition is awesome! :bigsmile:
    Yea I love his ideas!
This discussion has been closed.