If it fits your macros

Yasminpatel7861

Hi

Has anyone tried the flexible diet? I have started today.. just wanted to know if they have been successful on this..

PAV8888

Depends on what you mean

I count calories and *mind* my macros which are not too dissimilar in terms of goals than what the iifym web site would give.

I like hitting my macros, and other nutrient goals. I do in fact reach or exceed the ones I care most of the time and that includes my veggies and my fruits far in excess of 5 a day.

But I recognize that calories (which consist of macros) are going to determine my weight trajectory.

So if your question boils down to: can I find success without a "named" plan?

My answer would not only be yes. But it would also be that iifym is already almost too restrictive of a named plan 🤣

sollyn23l2

Yasminpatel7861 wrote: »

Hi

Has anyone tried the flexible diet? I have started today.. just wanted to know if they have been successful on this..

Yes, it can be a highly effective tool if used appropriately and if you are willing to track. You also need to have enough cognitive reasoning to understand how calories and macros work. (ie calories in/calories out).

AnnPT77

Counting macros, with an attentive eye to calorie goal.
Counting calories, with an attentive eye to macro goals.

Same difference, pretty much.

I didn't get my macro goals from an IIFYM calculator. Now (in maintenance) they're 100g protein minimum, 50g fat minimum, don't care where carbs end up a long as calories balance, but I eat lots of them (225g+, usually). I make it a point to eat at least five 80g servings of varied, colorful veggies & fruits daily, but I shoot for 10 or more servings.

When I was losing weight, it was slightly lower gram numbers because there were fewer calories. Then, 1400-1600 + exercise calories most of the way. Now, 1850 + exercise. Exercise varies, but most often 250-300 calories times 6 days a week. That's for female, age 68, 5'5" (165cm), 134 pounds (61kg) this morning.

I believe in using gram goals, not percent goals, because there's no getting adequate nutrition on too-few calories (among other reasons).

I lost weight fine, around 50 pounds (23kg) in just under a year at age 59-60. If it matters, I'm severely hypothyroid, properly medicated, and in menopause the whole time. (I don't think it matters.)

Yeah, it works, if you work it. The biggest challenge to weight loss, nutrition or fitness, IMO: Finding a personally practical, relatively pleasant new set of habits, and sticking with it long term, ideally permanently.

Best wishes: The results are worth it!

kshama2001

I've noticed that when I get carbs from foods like rice & beans and whole fruit I feel very satisfied whereas if I have a normal sized portion of fruit juice or supermarket birthday cake I'll initially feel sick and then shortly thereafter am hungry again.

So while I could make two Twinkies and 1.5 scoops of protein powder fit carbs 50% protein 30% and fat 20%, I'd be hungrier far faster.





Yes. the fat and protein macros are reversed but there's only so much time I'm willing to put into this example. For sure, the rice and beans meal is far more filling for me and represents the MFP default macros.

https://www.iifym.com/

No foods are off-limits! As long as it fits your macro requirements, you can eat whatever you like.

tomcustombuilder

Fitting your macros=fitting your calorie target

PAV8888

The difference is subtle.

Flexibility is not the question, iifym is flexible. But it ties your brain to the wrong thing, imho.

Your macros matter. The type of food you eat matters. Your sleep, mental state, activity lots of things matter and may be part of your goals.

But your weight trajectory comes from the resulting energy balance.

If you embed that, then I don't see why the macros matter much more than anything else. I.e. they are a nice supporting sub goal which follows from the calories.

You're not going to hit your calorie goals without some attention to everything else and some experimentation as to what individually works for you.

Sure. For MANY people this that or the other works.

But for long term success there is both need and benefit to trial and personalization.

Just like any other named method of eating, @kshama2001 probably has the graph, iifym works... as long as it allows you to continue to hit your caloric goals long term and in a healthy way.

Which won't happen on autopilot.

kshama2001

Here's the chart Pav mentioned. If IIFYM helps you create a calorie deficit, go for it!

neanderthin

Sounds like a big hug, lets be flexible, yeah, wonderful.....I love it.