Why Mostly Good is Actually Great

I'm going to be bold here and say that there is no such thing as perfect nutrition. Anyone that tells you there is such a thing is probably full of it! And choosing to not try instead of fail at getting it perfect is the real reason most of us are suffering from nutrition related illness or less than ideal health.

All or Nothing

All or nothing thinking is like when someone doesn't save for retirement at all, since they can't save enough to retire at age 45. Or when you don't exercise at all because you're pretty sure you'll never be as fit as that guy over there. By seeing nutrition as either "perfect" or "not even going to try", you miss out on that huge area in the middle where your health can actually improve and you can actually feel great.

By getting mostly good with your nutrition, you will see a huge difference with how you look, feel, and perform. Going for mostly good also gives you enough room to have a drink with friends, a piece of cake at the birthday party, and pie at Thanksgiving. When we strive for perfect and inevitably come up short, we give up.

How to get Mostly Good at Nutrition

Aim for about 80% good and clean nutrition. That means that most days, most meals you eat healthy, unprocessed food. Still allowing some room to have an occasional treat or social event without healthy choices. Being too strict with your nutrition will always lead to either giving up or being a buzzkill. And because we're human and want the people we like to like us back, you're setting yourself up for failure either way.

• Hit your protein goal 80% of the time (that would be like missing the goal about one day per week)

• Eat clean natural foods 80% of the time (that would be like having 4 not-so-healthy meals per week)

• Track what you eat for at least a short period of time. You can't tell if you're hitting protein goals and staying within calorie ranges unless you actually record and measure what you're eating from time to time.

• When you do indulge in a treat, or have a not-so-healthy lunch with a friend- enjoy it! Don't beat yourself up. After all, you eat healthy most of the time.