Pareto was an Italian economist who's observations on the business culture of his home country of Italy went on to inspire Joseph Juran to name a concept/Theory after him. This concept of thinking and looking at the world was widely adopted by business folk and most recently by Internet marketing wizards. However I believe there's something in Paretos principle that if applied to your health, fitness and nutrition, could be the missing key in our quest for health and fitness.
Back in 1906 Pareto observed that 80% of Italy's land was owned by 20% of the population, intrigued Pareto went on to observe that 80% of the peas in his garden at home came from 20% of his pea pods. Pareto did some more research and discovered that it was not just Italy who had an uneven wealth distribution, this was the same in every country he looked at. As the years passed and Pareto died more and more examples of the 80% - 20% rule came to light and it became a very power full tool to use in many walks of life especially business. Common variants of the 80-20 rule include:
-80% of your income will come through 20% of your clientele
-80% of complaints come from 20% of your clients
-80% of your profits will come from 20% of the time you spend on your business
-80% of new leads will come through 20% of your marketing
How can we apply this to our quest to lose weight and get in the best shape of our lives? Easy... 20% of the time you can eat and drink what you like, enjoy life, socialize and relax. 80% of the time eat foods that will enable you to rest, recover and repair and help you live a longer happier life.
At the beginning of a training program with a client an experienced personal trainer will lay out Paretos law as probably the most essential component of the training. Very few people can be dialed in and focused 100% of the time. Paretos principle allows clients to reach their goals and look great without overly denying themselves the food they crave. Clients often get sick and tired of a diet and end up bingeing on junk food resulting in reduced self esteem and an increase in sugar and calories.
Try out the 80/20 rule and watch the results for yourself. Just make sure you keep it 80/20 and don't start to veer towards 50/50!
Ben Winter is a Bristol Personal Trainer with a reputation for getting results time after time, from weight loss to nutrition. Personal Training in Bristol at a private studio, you can contact him at http://www.benwinterpt.com
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