When we use a principle based on experience rather than theory, we call it a ‘Rule of Thumb’. It’s not scientific or factual but it does help us understand some of the conundrums in life. At 4 the Luv of Food, we use a rule of thumb that explains why a diet that works for one person will fail miserably for another.
Our rule of thumb is called the 80:10:10 Rule. (See Q&A) The 80:10:10 Rule works for everything from antibiotics to academics to diets. One of the best examples of the 80:10:10 Rule concerns penicillin. Simply put, 80% of the population tolerate penicillin as a means for fighting an infection, 10% will get immediate positive results, while 10% will find it toxic and need to discontinue its use. Likewise, a public school curriculum will suffice for 80% of its pupils, while 10% will thrive beyond the norm and 10% will fall short of success.
The same holds true for diets; 10% of the population will be wildly successful with the Keto Diet, the Vegan Diet, the Mediterranean Diet, or whatever diet is in favour at that moment. Eighty percent will tolerate it meaning that it causes no harm nor foul but requires strong consideration as to whether there will be a commitment to sustaining it. The remaining 10% will find that the diet is not only intolerable but causes ill-effects rather than benefits.
Don’t wear yourself out or beat yourself up over your latest diet failure. It’s a long shot when you attempt to eat a diet that works for someone who is entirely different from you. Be that 10% who thrive on a certain way of eating because it is absolutely specific to your needs and wants. Check out Q&A – “So, I’m not a freak because I eat this way?” and download the Balanced Café App from the Apple App store. It’s the first step to eating a diet* that is entirely yours and beneficial to you alone!
*Note that 4 the Luv of Food defines ‘diet’ as what a person eats rather than a deprivation of calories.
