SET REALISTIC EATING GOALS

I’ve always struggled with my weight—I’ve always been on the

heavier
side. My weight is always on my mind. I almost wish I could stick
my finger down my throat after I eat, but I love food too much. I
joined Weight Watchers two weeks ago. I don’t know if I’ll get to the
point where I stop obsessing about it, but I’d like to be healthy and be
a good role model for my daughters. I don’t want them to see me
being miserable and having my self-esteem go up and down with my
weight. Last week my husband was away on the night of my Weight
Watchers meeting. I could have brought my daughters along, but I
just don’t want my effort to lose weight to become a part of their
consciousness.
So I called a babysitter. I feel hopeful, though—just last
night my daughter and I were at my neighbor’s house visiting my
daughter’s friend, and my neighbor gave them each three cookies. I
was thrilled; my daughter ate only one of her cookies and left the
other two. I would have eaten all three. It’s a good start.

It would be great if you could always eat well. But it’s also impossible.
If you
feel angry at yourself for anything less than 100 percent compliance
to a
healthy diet, it’s time to change the way you think about food and
follow
the 80/20 eating plan. With this plan, if you eat nutritiously for 80
percent
of your diet, you can be less careful about the other 20 percent. The
key to
the 80/20 plan is that it is based on the realistic expectation that
although
you can’t eat nutritiously all the time, you can do it most of the time.
Some women eat really well on weekdays and indulge themselves
with some treats on the weekends. Others save their 20 percent for
afternoons,
when they crave snacks. The beauty of the 80/20 plan is that it
fosters a healthy diet while allowing you some occasional
extravagances.
It doesn’t come naturally to all-or-nothing perfectionists, but with
some
practice, you can make yourself comfortable with it.
How rigid are you with your diet? Are you already on the 80/20
plan, or do you sway between 100 percent nutritious and 100 percent
junk? Take the quiz below to find out.

Quiz: How 80/20 Are You?

The following exercise will help you determine how 80/20 your eating
habits are. To complete it, check the food from each pair that you eat
more often. Be careful not to check the food that you know you should
eat more often, or the food that you would like to eat more often, but
the
food that you do eat more often.

Which Do You Eat More Often?

Check one from each pair:
_____ sliced chicken/turkey _____ bologna/salami/ham
_____ fresh fruit _____ canned fruit in syrup
_____ baked potato _____ French fries
_____ low-fat cottage cheese _____ cream cheese
_____ whole-grain bread _____ white bread
_____ coffee with low-fat milk _____ latte with whole milk
_____ grilled fish _____ breaded chicken
_____ granola bar _____ chocolate bar
_____ grilled chicken sandwich _____ cheeseburger
_____ fresh vegetables _____ canned vegetables
_____ Romaine lettuce or red leaf lettuce _____ Iceberg lettuce
_____ salad _____ roast beef sub
_____ vegetable soup _____ cream-based chowder
_____ seltzer or diet soda _____ full-sugar cola
_____ baked tortilla chips _____ full-fat potato chips
_____ skim milk _____ whole milk
_____ pasta with vegetables _____ pasta with meatballs
_____ home-cooked dinner _____ frozen dinner
_____ air-popped popcorn _____ buttered popcorn

_____ whole-grain unsweetened cereals _____ presweetened cereals

_____ TOTAL (80%) _____ TOTAL (20%)
To score, count the number of checks in the right-hand column.
0–3: You may be trying too hard to eat a perfect diet. Let go a
little and enjoy an occasional treat.
4–5: You’re right on target with the 80/20 plan.
6–10: You’re indulging too often—try to replace a few of your
20 percent foods with 80 percent foods.
11–20: Your diet needs an overhaul.