For any diet to improve your health, compliance is vital. But it’s hard to stick with a diet that feels too restrictive. Enter the 85/15 rule. We at The Paleo Diet® believe that people can still achieve excellent results if they stick with their diet just 85% of the time.
Why does 85% work? Because, for most of us, we still reap the rewards of a healthier diet simply by replacing many unhealthy foods with Paleo foods. This increases the nutrient density of your diet and helps to keep you feeling full and satisfied. Conversely, trying to be strict 100% of the time often leads to failure, self-doubt, and ultimately abandonment of the diet. Thus, we felt that 85% mark can work as a better long-term strategy.
But for many of you starting out, even 85/15 may feel too hard. This is where we remind you that any improvement is just that—an improvement. If someone is eating only 25% Paleo and they can double that to 50% without too much difficulty, they will still reap benefits.
While some people enjoy the challenge of jumping into the deep end and going right to 85/15, for many of us starting in the shallow end and working our way down is easier and can be more successful in the long run. Remember, all improvements are good improvements. So, let’s discuss how to dip the toes in and get there more manageably.
Continue reading Doc Smith’s article on thepaleodiet.com. This article excerpt used with permission of The Paleo Diet, LLC.
