20/80 rule or Pareto’s principle for food and fitness

Have you heard the Pareto’s principle for time organisation? It’s a rule of thumb that explains what output you get comparing to how much you put in. Basically, the 20% or your work will account for 80% of the results. It’s referring to the fact that 20% of work is the work that is more important and gives much more of results.

I’ve heard about a similar rule applied to food and workout: 20% of success comes from the workouts and 80% from food. I never doubted it and I’ve recently been working on both. Or at least trying to some point. I guess I’ve forgotten about one perspective. If 80% of success in losing weight comes from food efforts, then these efforts are 80% of all effort. During the last 3 months I’ve come to keep schedule with 3 workout weekly to the point where I go to the gym with almost no problem. I fire up on the walk there and I am focused while I do it. It is pleasure more than suffering.

But, it accounts for 20% of the success.

And my food choices, well…out of 80% of the time they are often not the most helpful.

I realised that if it accounts for 80% of the results, it will also take 80% of efforts. It calms me down and makes me accept my imperfect functioning more.

There is more to be done but I need more time, more healthy habits and I’m in it for longer-term anyways. So as long as the direction is correct, the good actions are going to add on positive effects and accumulate over time.

I just talked to a friend who was working with mentally disabled children where patience is really the rule, even slight improvements are great improvements. And every little step towards the right direction counts.