Why “all or nothing” thinking is keeping you from losing weight
(and how to finally break free from it)
Your Daily Habit Challenge: Follow The 80/20 Rule
If you’ve ever said to yourself, “I just need to get back on track,”
then you already know what the all-or-nothing cycle feels like.
You start strong.
You eat perfectly.
You feel proud about what you’ve done.
Then life happens (a long workday, a last-minute dinner, or a stressful week) and one meal doesn’t go as planned.
So you immediately start thinking, “I blew it.”
And you throw in the towel, eat whatever you want for a few days, and promise yourself you’ll start fresh next week.
Sound familiar?
That’s the all-or-nothing trap and it’s one of the biggest reasons most women aren’t able to lose weight and actually keep it of for good.
Why it doesn’t work
All-or-nothing thinking is built on the idea that success only counts when it’s perfect.
But perfect isn’t possible (not with kids, work, stress, hormones, and everything else you juggle.)
When you aim for perfection, you build a plan that only works when life is easy.
But when life gets hard… The plan breaks.
Here’s what that might look like:
All-or Nothing Mindset: “I messed up, I’ll start Monday.”
80/20 Mindset: “I had one off meal — I’ll get back on track next time.”
All-or-Nothing Mindset: Guilt after eating certain foods
80/20 Mindset: Freedom to enjoy food and move on
All-or-Nothing Mindset: Restriction → Cravings → Bingeing
80/20 Mindset: Awareness → Balance → Progress
All-or-Nothing Mindset: Short bursts of progress
80/20 Mindset: Long-term consistency
The truth is, perfection isn’t the goal — consistency is.
I remember stepping on the scale one Monday morning after a weekend bender.
The number was up, and my first thought was, “I ruined everything.”
So I started cutting carbs, working out longer, and tightening up my food.
But every time I did that, I ended up right back where I started (tired, frustrated, and burned out.)
When I started practicing the 80/20 Rule, that guilt i had around food finally disappeared.
I stopped “starting over” because there was nothing to fix.
One meal or one weekend didn’t undo my progress (it was just part of the bigger picture.)
That’s when everything changed.
Your mindset shift for today
Repeat this to yourself whenever you feel like you’ve “messed up”:
“I don’t need to start over. I just need to keep going.”
That one thought can save you from years of frustration.
Because you don’t need to be perfect… you just need to stay consistent most of the time.
And that’s exactly what the 80/20 Rule helps you do.
Much love,
Coach Anthony
📌 Ps. Wanna keep reading?
In this post, I show you how to apply that balance in your real life with a step-by-step system that makes eating well simple, even on your busiest days.
Read more here👇🏻
