A pact with myself 

I’m not keen on ‘must’ and ‘mustn’t’ rules, but I do like the idea of making a pact with ourselves about what we do and don’t want in life.

For example, I’d like to floss every day, but I don’t want to do an Ironman. I’d like to exercise about twice a week so my body feels good, but I don’t want to exercise five times a week. I’d like to remember to drink green tea every day. And I’d like to drink a maximum of two cups of coffee in the morning, but not later in the day, when I know it affects my vital night’s sleep.

In that way, there are lots of good ‘agreements’ you can make with yourself about what you do and don’t want to do.

I think it’s important to balance some of the choices we make in life, so that we can watch from the sidelines with a clear conscience as the Ironman competitors whizz past.

What is the 80/20 rule?

One of the agreements I’ve made with myself is to live by the 80/20 rule.

80 per cent of what I eat, drink and do is with respect for my body in mind. 

The remaining 20 per cent or so of my lifestyle is free from health considerations. In other words, it’s a space free from guilt and from thoughts that scold and grumble about too much champagne, salted liquorice or late nights.

I firmly believe that the most important thing in life is the joy of living – that’s why that 20 per cent is so important to me.

Fortunately, I also love healthy food, so that 80 per cent isn’t really a compromise as such. I’d much rather have an avocado sandwich with sesame seeds, basil and lemon oil than a salami sandwich, so thankfully it doesn’t feel like a compromise when I make that choice.

80/20 isn’t a strict calculation, more of a feeling

I’ve often been asked during talks , “How do you keep track of it?”

I don’t. The 80/20 rule is a gut feeling. Let me give you an example in relation to diet: if I’ve been to a big party on Saturday evening, I don’t continue to overindulge by having a huge burger and chips on Sunday. Sunday is the time for plenty of water, healthy soup, a nap and lots of vegetables.

And if I’ve had plenty of sweets at a friend’s house, I don’t rush home and top it off with cake; instead, I choose a carrot.

Perhaps my most important 80% ‘BOOST’ is my breakfast. Our skinfood smoothies – also known as Metz smoothies.

This is the healthiest, skin- and body-friendly meal of the day for me. My skin food from within.

How to get started with the 80/20 rule

Make a large pot of tea on a cosy, rainy afternoon, sit down with a notepad and a pen, and have a meeting – just with yourself.

What are your priorities in life? What do you want? What don’t you want? What do you want your lifestyle choices to be?

How many hours do you want to sleep each night? How much water do you want to drink every day? Who do you want to prioritise spending time with? How much time do you want to spend on social media each day? Is there a hobby you’ve been dreaming of taking up?

Keep your plans simple and straightforward – as a rule, we don’t really need to do much more than simply enjoy life.

Food is a rich source of joy

I worked as a fashion model for 10 years, and although I was slim before I started, it’s confusing when everyone’s always talking about food, jobs they didn’t get because they were too fat, new diets and weight loss...

When I left the industry after 10 years, I thought: “I’ll never have a normal relationship with food again”. But fortunately, I did, thanks to the 80/20 rule – especially when it comes to food. The most important element – and the hardest thing to ‘get rid of’ – was the guilt of not constantly being on a 100 per cent all-or-nothing diet.

Life is too short to live with a guilty conscience every day. It’s one of the most important things to come to terms with, so that we can enjoy the choices we make. Food is such an enriching joy in everyday life, and the 80/20 rule is perfect for me in making many of life’s choices easier.

All the best
Mette

You can find inspiration for skinfood smoothies here