What's your 20? page 2

[dragonmamma]

80/20. Big bowl of popcorn once a week, and when people share what they think are goodies out of the goodness of their heart (homemade cookies, part of their birthday cake, etc) I accept it gratefully without bitching.

[LindaW]

I have been eating mostly whole unprocessed foods for a long time before I went Primal, but always liked popcorn, ate it at least 3-4 times a week. In the last few months I decided to ditch the popcorn for a while and see how it goes, and at first I really missed it. Now if I try to eat it, I end up with indigestion for the whole night, so now no more popcorn. Proves to me that you just don't realize how much grains are affecting you until you get off of them for a while.

Also the popcorn seemed to keep me mindlessly snacking, since breaking myself of the habit, I can sit and watch TV or a movie without continually munching on something.

[katemary]

I think Peril's point is that the 80/20 is not about how closely you adhere to the diet or the % of your diet comprised by cheats. The 20% applies to all the laws of primal - sleep, move slow, play, lift heavy things. Primal isn't about following 80% of an eating plan. (Not saying I am 100%, I just think that is his point).

[JoanieL]

Right, and I put that option in the poll.

But from reading the forums, there is a lot of emphasis on what we eat. I just was hoping to see what the community as a whole was thinking.

Paleobird, that mirrors my experience. A snack of a carb rich food doesn't even call my name if I adhere to what I think are fairly simple food guidelines. I don't feel deprived at all.

[Baloo]

Yeah, what peril said. I have no 20. I'm not a fanatic. Eat what you want, just don't bitch about not making progress or feeling shitty. You brought it on yourself.

That's the way I look at it, I've re-introduced potatoes and have the odd beer.

[Tercio]

You do know that 'What's your 20?' means 'where are you?', kind of confusing at first. Regarding primal life, 80/20 to me means don't sweat the little lapses that have to come with living in a non-primal world. I just do the best I can. I don't see the 20 as a license to eat non-primally nor do i want to. But I don't stress over it either. Life is too short.

Tercio

[merryish]

I'm 100/0 on grains and seed oils, because I've read so much about them at this point, they kind of wig me out. I try really hard on everything else, but don't always succeed -- and when I don't, I don't guilt about it.

[BarbeyGirl]

I'm about 98/2. The 2 is for stuff out of my control that is not worth stressing about like the canola oil in the salad dressing at a friend's dinner party, never for deliberate "cheats".

Does that make me a fanatic? I don't think so because I enjoy this way of eating and don't feel deprived one bit.

Ditto that.

[LJH]

Other

Fanatic if you count dairy. I eat copious amounts of dairy in the form of homemade yogurt, custard and whipped cream. Do not touch grains, legumes or added sugars.

[labmonkey]

I picked other. About once a month I'll have fries at a restaurant or a cheesecake with graham crust. That's about it. Does that make me a fanatic?