90% vs 100% When it Comes to Nutrition
Written by Fritz Nugent
Similar thoughts here as cheat meals. Sustainability is possible to eat well 90% of the time. 100 percent is only possible if motivation is HUGE for something short-term and fleeting, and afterwards, we slip back to old habits.
So target eating on the “better > best” end of the spectrum 90% of the time, and 10% of the time, making foods fit (or sometimes not even making foods fit with calories and macros).
Once you adopt an attitude that 90% is good enough, then it’s much easier to not get bent out of shape if you have something that doesn’t align well with your goals. You can literally pick back up on better/best at the next meal.
If we set our sights on 100% and don’t hit it, guilt slips in, and now we might let that day go to shit, and the next day, maybe the whole week.
So know that you can eat sub-optimally sometimes and get back on track immediately, and you’ll be fine. Your gains will continue. And most importantly, you are ok with yourself and your choices, and still motivated to keep going with the plan that was working. Moral of the story: don’t let a glass of tequila or a churro send you off your rocker.