Food, undoubtedly, is one of the essential parts of life. When it comes to weight loss, however, food can sometimes feel like more of a foe than a friend. But here’s the thing: when you choose the right foods, they don’t have to be your enemy! In fact, with smart food choices and eating habits, you can rev up your metabolism and make it easier for your body to drop those unwanted pounds.
And what if we tell you there’s a way to help you lose weight without giving up on your favorite meals? It’s true! You can get closer to your goals with mindful decisions and careful meal planning.
You are what you eat, and if you want to take your health and physique to the next level, consider an IIFYM diet. Also known as ‘If It Fits Your Macros,’ this nutrition plan tracks your daily food intake according to predetermined macronutrient goals.
With this diet, you can eat anything you have access to without thinking about anything. The only condition is it should fit your macros. In this article, you will get a detailed insight into the IIFYM diet and how it will benefit you.
The Magic of Flexible/IIFYM Diet
Flexible dieting may seem like a complex approach to health goals, but the concept is quite simple. By knowing exactly how much protein, fats, and carbohydrates your body needs per day to reach your desired results, you are free to take control of your nutrition and eating habits!
The IIFYM dieting approach has been in action for a long time but has gained popularity recently. IIFYM has the edge over all other fad diets, restricting you from enjoying your favorite meals. Unlike other diets, IIFYM is quite flexible, and you can plan your meals based on your macros requirement.
Whether it’s losing weight or gaining muscle mass, a flexible dieting lifestyle allows us to meet our goals while enjoying the food we consume. This balanced approach also ensures that our bodies get the right macros each day without going overboard. Flexible dieting has become an increasingly popular option when it comes to building a sustainable healthy lifestyle.
IIFYM is a popular diet for those who want to maintain an active lifestyle and still enjoy food. It provides flexibility and freedom while allowing users to track their macronutrient goals more efficiently to reach their fitness goals. Whether it’s weight loss, muscle gain, or general health maintenance, the IIFYM diet helps you meet your nutritional needs without compromising on taste or variety!
IIFYM’s primary focus is to track your macronutrient intake – specifically your protein, carbs, fats, fiber, and calories. It’s a dieting method that allows you to eat whatever foods you want as long as they fit your macro goals for the day. This level of freedom makes IIFYM appealing – it doesn’t limit food choices or require strict meal timing but still provides structure and guidance to help you reach your fitness and dietary goals.
For weight loss, combining IIFYM with strength training is ideal.
Related article: To Diet or Not to Diet
Getting Started With IIFYM
If you’re ready to take the plunge and try out the IIFYM diet, here are some tips to help get you started:
Calculate Your Caloric Needs
It’s essential to understand how many calories you need each day to succeed on the IIFYM diet. Start by calculating your basal metabolic rate (BMR), and then use an online calculator to determine the total number of calories needed for weight maintenance.
Track Your Macros
Once you know how many calories you need, it’s time to start tracking your macronutrients: protein, carbs, and fat, so you can hit those daily goals. Use a nutrition tracking app to make it easy, or purchase an inexpensive food scale to help you measure portions accurately.
Eat Quality Foods
Just because IIFYM allows for “flexible dieting” doesn’t mean that all calories should come from junk food. To get the best results on a diet, try to eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods and choose nutrient-dense options when possible.
Find Balance
While IIFYM is excellent for people with specific goals—such as weight loss or muscle gain—it’s essential also to find time for other aspects of healthy living, such as rest, sleep, and regular exercise.
Give Yourself Flexibility
Remember that IIFYM allows flexibility, so if you’re craving something or want to indulge in a special treat occasionally, go for it! Just make sure that it fits into your macro goals for the day.
Finding Your Macros Target
Finding your macros target can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. All you need is basic information about yourself and a few simple calculations. Here’s how to go about it.
First, calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This is the number of calories you would burn if you stayed in bed all day, taking into account your age, weight, height, and sex. You can use an online calculator to calculate your BMR.
To calculate your BMR, use the Harris-Benedict equation:
BMR formula for men = 66 + [13.75 x weight (kg)] + [5 x height (cm)] – (6.7 x age)
BMR formula for women = 655 + [9.65 x weight (kg)] + [1.8 x height (cm)] – (4.7 x age)
Once you’ve found your BMR, multiply it by an activity factor that best reflects your lifestyle.
- If you are sedentary or only do light exercise, use 1.2.
- If you have a moderately active lifestyle (exercising for 3-4 days), use 1.375.
- If you are very active (exercising for more than three days), use 1.55.
Next, calculate your Macronutrient Ratio (MR). This is the ratio of protein to carbs to the fat that’s best for you based on your activity level and goals. A good starting point is 40/40/20 (40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fat). You can adjust this according to your individual needs and preferences.
The final step would be to determine how many calories you should eat per day to reach your health and fitness goals. Start with the total number of calories from your BMR multiplied by the activity factor. Then, break this number down into protein, carbs, and fat according to your MR. For example, if your BMR is 2000 and you are moderately active, your total daily calories should be 2200 (2000 x 1.375). If you’re aiming for a 40/40/20 split on macros, that would mean 880 calories from protein (2200 x 0.4), 880 calories from carbs (2200 x 0.4), and 440 calories from fat (2200 x 0.2).
In IIFYM dietary lifestyle, all macros are equal. If you are eating 30 grams of pasta and two slices of bread, the calories in each food will be the same. You are eating carbohydrates, and both of these foods are interchangeable.
Related article: Portion Control Diet Aids Weight Loss
Making The Switch to IIFYM
IIFYM may sound intimidating with all this talk of macronutrients, but it’s a lot simpler than it sounds! It’s simply about understanding the individual proportions of macros in your food and figuring out what works best for you. People often get confused and assume restricting certain food groups will be better for them, but that isn’t true. In reality, all food groups have an essential balance of all three macronutrient types, so there’s no benefit to limiting one or two.
Here, you will get find some convenient tips to switch to IIFYM:
Count Your Calories
Utilizing a calorie calculator can quickly assess your total caloric needs. With this number in hand, it’s time to create a flexible diet plan that aids you in reaching these goals. However, be conscious of what and how much food you are consuming – exceeding the desired amount may complicate attaining those objectives! In addition to the overall calorie count determined by the calculator, understanding your macronutrient intake is also essential when devising an ideal dietary program.
Depending on your weight goals, you can adjust your calorie intake. For instance, if you want to lose weight, you can subtract 300 calories from your final BMR. Likewise, for gaining weight, add some additional calories to your BMR.
How Many Meals In A Day?
Meal frequency is essential to the IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) diet. While many diets advocate strict rules on how often you should eat, IIFYM takes a much more flexible approach. With this diet, it’s about hitting your macros – that is, ensuring you get adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fats in each meal. As long as you hit those macronutrient targets, when and how often you eat is up to you!
The beauty of IIFYM is that it allows for plenty of flexibility regarding meal frequency. You can eat three meals a day or 6; you can skip breakfast if that works best for your lifestyle, or you can graze all day. But it’s important to note that whatever you choose, you should make sure you’re hitting your macros in each meal.
Design Your Meals
Regarding IIFYM, you have complete freedom over the types of foods you choose. However, as with all diets, certain foods will help you reach your goals more efficiently and effectively. Your diet should include a variety of unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and dairy. This will give your body the essential vitamins and minerals to stay healthy and energized.
By incorporating a variety of macro-friendly foods into your diet – including fruits like bananas, vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, and carbohydrates – following an IIFYM diet can be simple, effective, and delicious at the same time. Take a look at the following chart to get an idea about foods you can add to your diet:
| Protein | Fats | Carbs | Fruits | Vegetables | Dairy |
| Lean meats like chicken, turkey, beef, and fish | Avocados, nuts, seeds | Oatmeal | Apples, Kiwi | Leafy green vegetables | Cottage Cheese |
| Vegetarian proteins like lentils, tempeh, tofu, and eggs. | Butter | Quinoa, wholewheat pasta | Oranges | Cucumber, carrots, peas | Greek Yogurt |
| Salmon, mackerel, tuna | Olive oil and coconut oil | Sweet potatoes, and brown rice. | Bananas | Onions, tomatoes, beetroot | Low-fat milk, soy milk, almond milk, yogurt |
Track Your Meals
The great thing about tracking your meals is that it doesn’t have to be tedious. There are lots of apps and websites out there that make it easy to record what you’ve devoured throughout the day. And if you want more detailed information, you can use specialized tools. Tracking simple metrics will give powerful insights into how diets, exercise routines, and lifestyle habits affect your body.
It also helps you in managing your meals throughout the day. For instance, if you have eaten 1800 calories out of 2000 before your dinner, you will know how to manage your dinner in your remaining calories. This eventually helps you to stay disciplined and focused.
Related article: Counting Calories? Think Macros Instead
Stay Mindful – Always
IIFYM is a flexible dieting approach, allowing you to eat anything you want unless it’s in your daily macros target. But depending on your goal, you know what to do for your health. Even though there are no food limitations in IIFYM, you still have to cut down on certain foods like processed foods, trans and saturated fats, excessive sweet dishes, and carbonated drinks.
That is why it is helpful to stay mindful all the time. It is not wrong to enjoy your favorite snack or food craving once in a while, but don’t overdo it. Always stay within your calories and make mindful meal choices.
IIFYM – A Detailed Insight
Here, we will discuss some common concepts about IIFYM:
Phases in IIFYM
The beauty of the IIFYM Diet is that it can be tailored to fit any lifestyle. You can eat anything, including your specific macro targets for the day. This makes it easier for those just starting their weight loss journey because they don’t have to change their diet overnight completely.
The IIFYM Diet is broken down into two main phases: the cutting phase and the bulking phase. During the cutting phase, you will eat fewer calories than your body needs to lose weight. This means that you must track your macros and ensure you’re consuming enough protein, carbohydrates, and fats daily to maintain muscle mass while losing fat.
During the bulking phase, you will eat more calories than your body needs to build muscle and gain strength. The goal is to slowly increase your calorie intake over time so that you can eventually achieve a caloric surplus and start healthily gaining weight. Again, tracking macros is also crucial here since it will help you get enough of each macro to build muscle effectively.
Who Can Follow IIFYM?
IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) is a diet system that’s great for anyone looking to make sustainable changes to their lifestyle. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or maintain your current level of health, IIFYM can help you reach your goals. With its flexible approach and emphasis on counting macros instead of calories, IIFYM is an ideal choice for those who want to take control of their nutrition.
The beauty of IIFYM is that it works for everyone, from weight-loss beginners to seasoned athletes. If you have a basic understanding of macronutrients and how they work in the body, you can incorporate IIFYM into your lifestyle with no problem. You must figure out your macronutrient needs and create meals that fit within those limits. You also can choose whatever foods you want—ensure it fits your macros for the day.
With IIFYM, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, you can adjust your macros based on how active you are, what your goals are, and more. With some planning and dedication, IIFYM can quickly help anyone reach their nutritional goals! So if you’re looking for a sustainable way to eat that fits your lifestyle, give IIFYM a try today!
Exercising While IIFYM
Exercise is essential to living a healthy lifestyle, and following IIFYM doesn’t have to get in the way. It can help you ensure you’re getting the right amount of nutrients so your body can thrive while exercising.
Whether you want light cardio or intense lifting sessions, your macros can provide the energy and nutrition needed for optimal exercise performance. Eating according to your calories and macros will also keep you feeling full longer so that you don’t crash during a workout session.
In addition, focusing on hitting your macro goals can help you stay motivated when it comes to exercise because achieving numbers that make sense will give you confidence and show that hard work pays off. Getting creative with your meals can also help you stay motivated regarding exercise. Not only will you be hitting your macro goals, but you’ll also be able to enjoy the foods that fuel your workouts and make them more enjoyable.
Related article: Easy Weight Loss Exercises To Help Get Rid Of Your Blubber Fat
Digging Benefits From IIFYM
Here are just a few of the benefits of following an IIFYM diet:
Optimizes Your Health: IIFYM helps you ensure that you are hitting your daily macro goals while also ensuring that all of the micronutrients, essential vitamins and minerals needed to stay healthy are still being consumed.
No Compromise On Foods: With IIFYM, there’s no need to entirely give up those delicious treats or comfort foods. You can still enjoy them in moderation and ensure they fit into your macros.
Customize Your Plan Yourself: Everyone’s body is different, and IIFYM considers that by allowing you to customize your macronutrient ratios according to what works best for you.
Helps You Reach Your Fitness Goals: IIFYM focuses on eating the right foods in the right amounts to reach your fitness goals quickly without feeling deprived or restricted.
No Calorie Count Needed: With most diets, counting calories is essential to reaching your goals. With IIFYM, however, all you need to do is keep track of your macronutrients instead, which makes it much simpler to reach your goals.
Easy To Follow: Flexibility and sustainability are vital in following an IIFYM diet. With this approach, you can ensure that you’re eating healthy while enjoying some of your favorite indulgences in moderation. With the correct macronutrient ratios, you’ll be well on achieving your fitness goals without feeling deprived or restricted.
Improved Digestion: Because of the emphasis on nutrient-rich foods and macronutrient ratios, IIFYM can help improve your digestion and gut health over time.
Increased Energy Levels: When you’re consuming more nutritious food, your body will be better equipped to boost energy throughout the day!
Reduced Cravings: Having structure and accountability will help keep those pesky cravings at bay, so you won’t find yourself reaching for unhealthy snacks when you’re feeling snacky.
Improved Physical Performance: Following an IIFYM plan can help improve your physical performance. You’ll give your body the nutrients it needs to boost energy levels and optimize muscle recovery.
Weight Loss: The flexible approach of IIFYM helps you meet your goals while still being able to enjoy the foods you love. This makes it easier to stick with your plan and sustainably lose weight!
Related article: 7 Weight Loss Tips For Your Body Type
Final Words
If you’re looking for a way to achieve your fitness goals without sacrificing time and energy, IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) may be the perfect solution. flexible dieting lifestyle focuses on tracking macronutrients like protein, fat, and carbohydrates instead of calories. Doing this allows you to create a personalized meal plan that fits your dietary needs without feeling deprived.
IIFYM is also an excellent approach for those looking to build muscle, as it helps you achieve a calorie surplus. By increasing your calorie intake and tracking your macros, you can ensure you get all the nutrients your body needs to build muscle.
Overall, IIFYM is a great way to achieve your fitness goals while still enjoying the foods that make you happy. The flexibility of this approach makes it easier to stick with and follow without feeling restricted or deprived. Whether you’re trying to lose weight or build muscle, this eating style is worth a try!
