Understanding IIFYM/Flexible Dieting

Many of you have asked me, "How do I find the right nutrition plan for me?" or "What do you do?"

If you have read my story, you know I have been both underweight and overweight. I have fallen into the traps of diet myths. In fact, I have tried many different ways of dieting. But there is one method that allows you to meet your goals and still live your life.

IIFYM or If it Fits Your Macros, is a flexible diet plan that is followed by countless athletes around the world. If you read my last post, I shared with you my fitness inspirations. Out of the ten I shared with you, nine of them follow this plan. Would you believe me if I told you they all eat frozen yogurt multiple times a week yet are still on track? Yup, you heard me.

So what is IIFYM?

IIFYM can also be referred to as macro counting. Macros, or macronutrients, consist of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. To simplify it, you are given a set amount of calories, out of those you will allocate a percentage of fats, a percentage of carbs and a percentage of proteins. It may sound like a lot of math but with apps like My Fitness Pal, tracking Macros is a cake walk.

Health is not only physical but includes a huge mental aspect to it. Yes, following a diet/nutrition plan temporarily can help you meet your goals but if you do not plan to make this a lifestyle you might want to reconsider why you are pursuing this in the first place.

(Image from a simple search: screen shot of My Fitness Pal.)

So to show you how it works, I am going to give you an example. These are NOT my macros and I am NOT saying these are what yours should be. Its just so you can see how this works.

Example: Lets, say you have 2,000 calories for the day. Of those calories you will have 50% protein, 30% carbs and 20% fats. Well, 1 gram of protein = 4 calories, 1 grams of carbs =4 calories, and 1 gram fat= 9 calories. So here is how you would calculate how many grams of each macro you would need.

2,000 calories * .50= 1,000 calories of protein or, 1,000/4= 250 grams of protein.

2,000 calories * .30= 600 calories of carbs or, 600/4= 150 grams of carbs.

2,000 calories* .20= 400 calories of fats or, 400/9= about 44 grams of fat.

But Brittney, that's a lot of math. Guest what? My Fitness Pal will do it all for you! Oh my heck. But that still leads us to the question of, how do I know what my macros should be? Well, it depends on your fitness goals. The macros of a power lifter are going to be different than those of a bikini competitor. In fact, most people's macros will change frequently depending on what they are trying to accomplish. I would highly recommend meeting with a personal trainer, dietitian, or sitting down with a coach to help you determine what your macros should be. Everyone's macros WILL be different because everyone has a different body, difference goals, as well as a BMR.

However, I understand that not everyone has access to meeting with someone personally. If this is the case, I would recommend tracking what you eat on a daily basis for a week. Be honest. It is important you include everything, even if that means the doughnut you have every morning that way we can see what your body is used to consuming and make adjustments to meet your goals.

Another way you can figure out your macros is first by determining how much protein you need. Usually, we like to recommend 1 gram of protein for every pound of body mass. So if you are 150 pounds you should shoot for 150 grams of protein a day, or 600 calories from protein (150 grams*4 calories per gram=600 calories). However if you are a well-seasoned and trained athlete this number can jump to 1.1-1.3 grams of protein per pound of body mass.

Fats can range from 0.35-0.45 grams per pound of body mass. Many will recommend starting on the higher end, like 0.4 grams so you can lower it as needed and see what works best for you. So is you are 150lbs * 0.4 grams= 60 grams of fat or 540 calories.

So we can agree that total calories from protein and fat equal

1,140 calories. So what about carbs? For most people, carbs are what are manipulated the most to meet their goals. Let's say that when you were tracking what you normally ate for a week your average calorie intake was 1600 calories. So,

1600-1140=460 calories of carbs or (460 calories/ 4 calories per gram = 115 grams) 115 grams of carbs.

Your macro break down would be: 115C / 60F / 150 P/ 1600 calories

What about fiber? Excellent question! Yes! You need to eat your fiber. It is crucial to being success in your health and fitness journey. But how much fiber? A good rule of thumb is 15 grams per 1,000 calories you consume. So, for 1,600 calories you should consume 24 grams of fiber a day.

Another good rule to follow is trying to stay within 5 grams of hitting each macro. Yes, you are going to have days where you might go over a little bit. Don't panic just breathe. You're human. Going over a little bit is not going to destroy all of your hard work, I promise.

Why is IIFYM a great way of flexible dieting?

Because it works! But also because it allows you to live your life. Remember health is both physical and mental. If you are craving Oreos like crazy I would rather you fit a couple into your macros for the day then be on a super strict diet and binge eat later. Or if a friend calls you and asks you if you want to get fro yo you don't have to say no because you can make simple adjustments in your other meals to make frozen yogurt fit into your macros for the day.

But this does NOT mean that you should eat any junk food you want for every meal as long as it fits your macros. No, no, no!

Good wholesome foods are so important for your body especially when you are training daily in the gym. But micronutrients are just as important as your macronutrients so you SHOULD eat fruits and veggies!

But Brittney, fruits are carbs!

Yes, they are but your body NEEDS carbs to function. Carbs are NOT bad!!! Its all about eating the right carbs like berries, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, and brown rice not processed ones like candy, pastries, chips etc. The most simple way to insure you are eating a well-balanced diet rich in micro nutrients is too eat a rainbow variety of fruits and vegetables.

IIFYM insures that you are eating a well-balance diet and are getting both the macronutrients and micronutrients that you need to meet your fitness goals! It may sound complicated but I promise you its not!

If you would like more information about counting macros Amanda Bucci has a great comprehensive E-book. Below is her explaining more about her book.

Stay strong and beautiful my sweet friends!

-xxoo Britt