"Unclean" IIFYM Success Stories and Pics please?

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Replies

  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    In to find later for ...inspiration. :wink:
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    Of course per the usual people come in here assuming that IIFYM/flexible dieting means total disregard for nutrient density and an entire lack of whole foods. Fortunately most people who actually practice it, understand it.

    The reality is that in practice, most flexible dieters who do it correctly, by limiting discretionary intake to a small portion of total calories, don't actually have a diet that differs much from a clean eater who happens to allow a few treats here and there.


    That.


    Also, when was your before, SS?

    I started lifting in October 2010. The picture that was taken was about 4 weeks after I started lifting. It's pretty close to accurate. I weighed about 198 in the before pic, when I started lifting I was about 202lbs.

    Well, you are rockstar, as you know ;)
  • Sarah4fitness
    Sarah4fitness Posts: 437 Member
    Threads like this make me feel like an *kitten* for being a "clean" eater... you know, whatever that means.

    Just eating "clean" does not an *kitten* make. Eating clean, bragging about it, and tell non-clean eaters they are unhealthy makes you an *kitten*.

    Also know that "clean" doesn't really have a definition. If you say "I try to eat mostly whole, unprocessed, nutrient dense food. That's just what I prefer, and you are are welcome to eat however you'd like" then no one would ever think you were an *kitten*.

    +1

    When I discovered clean eating, I made it my religion for a while. Then, only doing clean eating backfired and I fell off the wagon for months, regaining a lot of the fat I'd dropped. Now I'm a IIFYM gal, but I respect people who eat clean 100%. It's just not for me, or I feel deprived. I still tend to consume mostly whole unprocessed foods, (I learned how to make my own pasta, for example!) but I don't think sugar is evil, or whatever I was on about when I believed it was The Only Way. Pfft.
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    IIFYM, Weight lifting with little cardio, -1 pound per week for the first 50 pounds. 4 bulk/cut cycles since getting down to 160 over 1.5 years ago. Currently a little over 170 and cutting again.

    e4883359-3f21-46c7-ac32-027793f69734_zps413bc69e.jpg

    Wow. The difference from 180 to 170 is huge! Those pics are inspiring.

    Thank you. I think the reason for the drastic difference between 180 and 170 was I joined MFP when I was around 185lbs and started tracking macros. I also got rid of a lot of the nonsense meal timing I had been on and got on a better lifting program. All thanks to the tough love I got from the "mean people" on these message boards after regurgitating some nonsense gymlore I had "learned". :happy: After I got over the butthurt I started doing some research and tried to learn as much actual science based information as I could, I realized they were all correct.

    I think I may have finally experienced some of the newbie gains some people get or at least gained back the muscle I had lost without tracking cals and macros. I had also lost most of the fat already around my face and neck so all that was left to lose was around my gut.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    For various 'clean' people that have mention -
    Define processed.
    Define 'natural'.
    Define 'healthy' only using words that you can define and still be congruent with your intentions.
    why would I waste it by filling my body with foods it was not designed to eat? I still have a ways to go but the less processed I eat, the better I feel.
    Good for you.
    The more ice cream I eat, the better I feel. I just had a whole Viennetta. Fresh and I did minimal processing and didn't go for any additives. It made me happy! But I don't have any proof that it will make others feels better (bet it does, actually), so I don't go around suggesting it as a solution.
    Can you tell me what sorts of food you eat the human body was 'designed' for and why it is not for other sorts of foods?
    Cupcakes may be addictive, just like cocaine.
    Also, melon.
    Seriously; I've had to stop buying it, because I can't eat JUST ONE slice, I eat the whole melon. And generally it's a better deal to get 2 melons, so I can easily eat another whole melon the same day. Rare that there's any melon left from two large ones the day after I've bought them.
    So, I'm going to sue anyone that's ever sold melons because they made me fat.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    You guys are saying eating healthy is overrated and McDonalds is just fine? Flavored seaweed passed on as beef is just wonderful...
    There is only one guy on this thread with ripped abs, rest of you are just average.
    What u r saying is u loose weight if you just eat less of what you've been eating......medical awards all around lol

    Your definition of healthy eating is probably different than others. After all, mental health is important.

    Also, why on earth does someone need ripped abs to be a success.

    Also, there are a load of people that are a damn site more ripped than you that practice IIFYM - you ain't that special yourself precious.

    Also...lololol.
  • PunkyDucky
    PunkyDucky Posts: 283 Member
    Awesome results you guys!
    I soo can't wait to make my goals and post on the boards. :)
    So much inspiration on this site, i love it.

    I had a question..would IIFYM still work for people who have diabetes, PCOS, Insulin resistance?
    Just curious..i love learning!
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    I had a question..would IIFYM still work for people who have diabetes, PCOS, Insulin resistance?
    Just curious..i love learning!

    Yes, but people with the above conditions may have additional carbohydrate restrictions.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    You guys are saying eating healthy is overrated and McDonalds is just fine? Flavored seaweed passed on as beef is just wonderful...
    There is only one guy on this thread with ripped abs, rest of you are just average.
    What u r saying is u loose weight if you just eat less of what you've been eating......medical awards all around lol

    I looked at your diary, then i lol'd.

    I just did, and also lol'd. Then I spotted the first page of his friends list and lol'd even more.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    In. Because Pizza and Ice Cream.
  • maillemaker
    maillemaker Posts: 1,253 Member
    Diet composition does not affect body weight. A calorie is a calorie.

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/55/2/350.full.pdf

    WoSVYvB.png

    Over 13 weeks, fed a controlled diet of 7322 kJ daily, virtually no weight variation despite changing the caloric intake from 10% fat to 70% fat.

    You do not need to eat "clean" to lose weight. And in fact people have lost weight eating Twinkies and the like.

    The reason I think carbs and sugar and processed foods have developed this mythical quality in dieting is simply because processed and high-carb foods tend to be both highly palatable and calorie dense. Which means a lot of people have a problem controlling their caloric intake while eating them.

    Of course it is equally possible to find highly palatable, low-carb foods that are also very calorie dense. A rack of baby-back ribs with no BBQ sauce is 1200 calories by itself.

    Also some people find that diets high in protein help with satiety, which helps stick to a diet

    .
  • rocknlotsofrolls
    rocknlotsofrolls Posts: 418 Member
    I realized that it was not my nutty buddy bars that was making me fat, but because I was eating 2 or 3 of them with a big glass of milk, along with eating a big bag of doritos, a big bottle of coke, a big bowl of frosted mini wheats, a whole pile of spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, a big glass of sweet tea, a pb&j sandwich with another glass of milk, and ALL on the same day. Is it any wonder why I gained weight? I learned that all I had to do was just eat less and get off my *kitten* every once in a while.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    my crappy before pic

    991269_3583.jpg

    one of my after photos (me on the left with QLD Bodybuilding champ)
    991269_4059.jpg

    991269_9811.jpg

    I'm a volume eater so the majority of foods I eat are "clean" I'd say but I still fit in plenty of treats when I want to.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Also, for those that have had success with IIFYM, do you find that most of your calories did come from cleaner eating or did you just stick to pizza, burgers, and stuff but eat less of them?

    I didn't really think in these terms...I thought in terms of having balance to my diet...hitting my requisite protein and fat goals and then rounding the rest out with carbs. I thought in terms of hitting my nutritional requirements and getting most of my nutrients from my diet rather than supplementation.

    If you're eating a balanced diet and trying to meet your nutritional requirements with your food, you're going to find that nutrient dense foods are an essential component of your diet. IIFYM simply takes away the good food/bad food stigma of certain foods. If I'm rocking my nutrition, what does it matter if I have a slice of pizza? It doesn't. If my nutritional requirements have been fulfilled for the day, I don't get extra credit for more broccoli...so why not have a little ice cream?

    The idea is really to stop with the foolish demonization of foods and the notion that in order to lose weight you have to suck on celery sticks and eat salads all of the time. Your macro ratios are going to be dependent on overall nutritional and fitness goals as well as any particular medical issues. IIFYM doesn't stand for eat anything you want, whenever you want...you still need to plan for a diet (noun) that is going to deliver the best performance and health results.
  • blahblah123314
    blahblah123314 Posts: 39 Member
    I was totally beating myself up for eating a cookie and pop tart in the same day...until I saw this thread. You guys rock!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Also, for those that have had success with IIFYM, do you find that most of your calories did come from cleaner eating or did you just stick to pizza, burgers, and stuff but eat less of them?

    I didn't really think in these terms...I thought in terms of having balance to my diet...hitting my requisite protein and fat goals and then rounding the rest out with carbs. I thought in terms of hitting my nutritional requirements and getting most of my nutrients from my diet rather than supplementation.

    If you're eating a balanced diet and trying to meet your nutritional requirements with your food, you're going to find that nutrient dense foods are an essential component of your diet. IIFYM simply takes away the good food/bad food stigma of certain foods. If I'm rocking my nutrition, what does it matter if I have a slice of pizza? It doesn't. If my nutritional requirements have been fulfilled for the day, I don't get extra credit for more broccoli...so why not have a little ice cream?

    The idea is really to stop with the foolish demonization of foods and the notion that in order to lose weight you have to suck on celery sticks and eat salads all of the time. Your macro ratios are going to be dependent on overall nutritional and fitness goals as well as any particular medical issues. IIFYM doesn't stand for eat anything you want, whenever you want...you still need to plan for a diet (noun) that is going to deliver the best performance and health results.

    ^^well said
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    IIFYM = If It Fits Your Macros. Basically set up a calorie goal and proper macro goals (X grams of protein a day, X grams of fat a day, X grams of carbs a day) and eat basically whatever you want to meet those macros. It's also referred to as flexible dieting. It's an alternative to "Clean Eating" which cuts out tons of foods due to the claim that they are "unclean". IIFYM helps by setting up a plan that's easy to follow and doesn't cut out foods that taste good and that you enjoy which is why people are less likely to give up on their weight loss or go on binges on IIFYM as opposed to "Eating Clean"

    ^ + 1 trillion. You rock AJ.

    Suz,,,you said mouth(M in IIFYM) before....what are MACROS?!? What is C and F and P? (this is sarcasm)Hehe...nice post above, read it, live it, love it.
  • archaichoney
    archaichoney Posts: 132 Member
    Threads like this make me feel like an *kitten* for being a "clean" eater... you know, whatever that means.

    Just eating "clean" does not an *kitten* make. Eating clean, bragging about it, and tell non-clean eaters they are unhealthy makes you an *kitten*.

    Also know that "clean" doesn't really have a definition. If you say "I try to eat mostly whole, unprocessed, nutrient dense food. That's just what I prefer, and you are are welcome to eat however you'd like" then no one would ever think you were an *kitten*.

    +1

    When I discovered clean eating, I made it my religion for a while. Then, only doing clean eating backfired and I fell off the wagon for months, regaining a lot of the fat I'd dropped. Now I'm a IIFYM gal, but I respect people who eat clean 100%. It's just not for me, or I feel deprived. I still tend to consume mostly whole unprocessed foods, (I learned how to make my own pasta, for example!) but I don't think sugar is evil, or whatever I was on about when I believed it was The Only Way. Pfft.

    I was mostly being sarcastic :P That's why I said "clean" because clean eating is very much defined by the individual. But I feel you guys. I have a serious sugar addiction and as soon as I have a hit (donut, cookies, ice cream, candy, etc) I have the hardest time getting back on track and it's often a downward spiral of binging from there. I don't totally deprive myself, I will eat out about once a month and enjoy a good meal. It's them sugary sweets that get me. For me personally, I find I do best when I keep to whole foods and no junky treats. Treats for me are making protein desserts and whatnot. As Dr. Sarah Solomon says, "cheat clean, stay lean" and that works for me. I do admit to srs jelly for those who can iifym regularly and with success.
  • maillemaker
    maillemaker Posts: 1,253 Member
    How do you guys keep track of all the different dietary parameters? I find it hard enough to pick foods just watching caloric intake. I can't imagine trying to figure out different foods to hit all the other parameters, too. I don't even know how I would go about choosing foods to hit macros. It sounds like playing food Tetris. How far out in advance do you plan your menus?
  • WheezyFbb
    WheezyFbb Posts: 41 Member
    How do you guys keep track of all the different dietary parameters? I find it hard enough to pick foods just watching caloric intake. I can't imagine trying to figure out different foods to hit all the other parameters, too. I don't even know how I would go about choosing foods to hit macros. It sounds like playing food Tetris. How far out in advance do you plan your menus?

    The only parameters I make sure I hit are calorie intake (deficit, surplus or maintenance) and protein intake at 0.8g/lb. I don't really count anything else. Chances are if you're eating 100+ grams of protein a day, you will get all the fat and carbs you need with it.

    Just don't do something silly like drinking 4 protein shakes a day to get the protein.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    How do you guys keep track of all the different dietary parameters? I find it hard enough to pick foods just watching caloric intake. I can't imagine trying to figure out different foods to hit all the other parameters, too. I don't even know how I would go about choosing foods to hit macros. It sounds like playing food Tetris. How far out in advance do you plan your menus?

    MFP tracks my macros for me. I'll open up my diary for a little bit, if you're interested in looking, but generally you just kinda get good at knowing what you can and can't fit in.I know I'm eating between 1700 and 1900 calories. I know I was around 110-115g of protein, and I know I like to get at least 55g of fat (I like fat). With that in mind everything else just...fits.

    I never plan any further any in advance than the morning of and half of the time I just wing it. I might tweak things (less rice here, more chicken there, toss in a protein shake because I decide to eat a crap ton of pizza that day) but generally everything fits without much work
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    I want to play! I don't have my most recent pics, but here's the old one. I didn't have much to lose, but the before pics are 1200/day, 'clean' eating, After is 2200/day plus weights

    941775_10101517181777385_536020771_n.jpg

    More than my body, I can point to the athletic things I've accomplished. Races won and placed in, PRs smashed. Sorry not sorry for not being 'average'. :laugh:
  • nmncare
    nmncare Posts: 168 Member
    Bump
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    How do you guys keep track of all the different dietary parameters? I find it hard enough to pick foods just watching caloric intake. I can't imagine trying to figure out different foods to hit all the other parameters, too. I don't even know how I would go about choosing foods to hit macros. It sounds like playing food Tetris. How far out in advance do you plan your menus?

    The morning of usually. Depends really... it's not hard.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    How do you guys keep track of all the different dietary parameters? I find it hard enough to pick foods just watching caloric intake. I can't imagine trying to figure out different foods to hit all the other parameters, too. I don't even know how I would go about choosing foods to hit macros. It sounds like playing food Tetris. How far out in advance do you plan your menus?

    Make sure each meal has some protein in it.

    At the end of the day, I whip up a dessert to hit macros. Normally contains stuff like yoghurt, cottage cheese, protein powder, fruit, cereal etc. In all honesty, I enjoy this more than most typical desserts. (I don't like that much sweet stuff) Although, sometimes I'll add some pop tarts or something if I need the carbs.

    Not even afraid of the insulin fairy :laugh:
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    I needed this thread today. Hopefully one day I'll have pics of my own to add.
  • bumpadeebumpbump...need to find out more about this macro mallarky!
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    How do you guys keep track of all the different dietary parameters? I find it hard enough to pick foods just watching caloric intake. I can't imagine trying to figure out different foods to hit all the other parameters, too. I don't even know how I would go about choosing foods to hit macros. It sounds like playing food Tetris. How far out in advance do you plan your menus?

    The only parameters I make sure I hit are calorie intake (deficit, surplus or maintenance) and protein intake at 0.8g/lb. I don't really count anything else. Chances are if you're eating 100+ grams of protein a day, you will get all the fat and carbs you need with it.
    .

    Pretty much. All I track I pay attention to is protein. If I eat one good serving of meat a day (a chicken breast) I usually hit it without trying.
  • bjg2993
    bjg2993 Posts: 107
    I don't eat clean at all, I have a really poor diet because of money, how busy I am and the fact I hate the majority of fruit and vegetables and all fish doesn't help this but I have been losing weight. I do try to balance myself but it is very hard for me, so I take vitamins and omega 3 oil to try and give my body what it is missing.

    I haven't been able to weigh myself for over a month (I might be able to tomorrow as I am seeing a nurse, how exciting!) but I have dropped an inch off my hips and almost three off my waist so I can't be doing too badly :)
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    IIFYM here........ and a type 2 diabetic....... 3 years of weight loss and 15 months in Maintenance..........

    B4andafter.jpg

    YPic_zpsf5055c53.jpg

    DSCF094555_zps3c0e9942.jpg
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