I have friends who eat healthier than anybody, but it takes them all day. And if they don't have their sprouted bread, they go into a seizure. I can eat a Big Mac. I'm not going to love it, but it won't put me into toxic shock. It's like if a car is too high-performance, then it's sensitive to any kind of fuel. I like being more like a truck. If a little diesel gets in there, maybe a little water, it'll cough and burp a bit, but it's gonna get through it and keep running.
~ Laird Hamilton. Source.
The whole article list is good, but this particular point really stood out to me. I may lose weight faster on a cleaner diet but when/if I do cheat the repercussions are bad. When I eat mostly clean and then cheat, I still feel it later but it isn't halting me in my tracks.
I believe cutting out the junk and eating clean to restart your system, curb your cravings and reprogram your psychological need for certain foods is a great thing. In the long term I think 80/20 is best for me. If I need to tweak it then I can go up to 90/10.
