Also referred to
as IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros), flexible dieting is a nutrition plan originally followed by bodybuilders and fitness competitors that allows you to eat whatever you want and not have it effect your body composition or performance, as long as it fits into your daily calorie and macro needs.
I can find hundreds of people who look awful in gyms on meal plans as well
as IIFYM.
People say, «it doesn't matter as long
as IIFYM,» but there are a lot of other variables in eating well and they are important,» she says.
In this article I'll talk about flexible dieting, also known
as IIFYM.
Not exact matches
Some people who follow macro diets have embraced the «If It Fits Your Macros» (
IIFYM) concept, which suggests that you can eat virtually anything you want
as long
as it works with your macro calculation.
As we said, some people think that
IIFYM is about eating junk food to reach their macro goals.
The beauty of
IIFYM, she notes, is that you can manipulate the macro numbers
as your body and goals change.
Hopefully this article has given you the information you need to make an informed decision
as to whether or not flexible dieting (
IIFYM) is right for your lifestyle.
If It Fits Your Macros, or
IIFYM as the «cool crowd» calls it, is relatively new
as a meme, but the dietary principles have actually been around for quite some time in the bodybuilding world, just under another name (flexible dieting).
For those that don't know, the basic premise behind
IIFYM is that you're given a macronutrient (proteins, carbs, fats) target to hit every day, and
as long
as you hit it, it doesn't really matter what foods you eat.
Rather than restricting yourself to just broccoli, sweet potatoes and chicken while trying to eat healthy, the
IIFYM approach allows you to eat whatever you want
as long
as it fits into your allotted macros for the day.
As we can tell from the first paragraph, rigid dieting and
IIFYM are not exclusive concepts.
This article is going to upset of a lot of people,
as there is no clear definition for a meal plan or
IIFYM as far
as contest prep goes.
The macros,
as mentioned before, are protein, carbs and fat, though
IIFYM lists fibers
as an extra macro.
While it doesn't roll off the tongue quite
as well, IIFYMMAF (If It Fits Your Macros, Micros and Fiber) is a better diet label than
IIFYM.
The above reasons all play a role into why
IIFYM style isn't quite
as effective
as a «cleaner» eating approach while dieting.
Let's take a look at an example of an
IIFYM meal plan that breaks down to the exact same macros
as the above diet:
Of course, in the bodybuilding and fitness world, the idea of no foods being off limits has sent many «clean» eaters into a frenzy, scolding
IIFYM as being an inferior and illogical way of dieting.