"It doesn't matter what you eat, IIFYM."

HeinzPrincess

Irresponsible? Dude, I DO this for a living. I used to condone the "eat clean" only philosophy when I started. Did people lose weight? Yep. But guess what, 3 months later weight returned. So here I go again training them to do the same method over.............and over...............and over again.
So why did they regain? Because the "diet" they were one left them feeling deprived of foods they liked. Now if I was a money grubbing personal trainer, then I would keep this philosophy because I would always be inundated with the same clientele.

My philosophy now (IIFYM) with clients "gets rid of them". Meaning they don't come back once they reach goal. Why? Because they DON'T regain and actual LEARNED how to eat what they want with control and moderation. Clients got what they paid for, live a better life and are HAPPIER with themselves for it. And they pass that on a successful to others they know. Please tell me how that's irresponsible?

The big picture is HEALTH is more than just about food.

The difference is that you actually UNDERSTAND what you're talking about rather than relying on broscience and half-baked myths. So many of these posts exhibit the "all or nothing" thinking, which has nothing to do with IIFYM.

IIFYM is not having pancakes, syrup and chocolate for breakfast, two Jumbo Jacks and a candy bar for lunch, and pizza and ice cream for dinner, with a bag of potato chips and a handful of oreos as a late night snack in front of the TV. IIFYM is eating to hit your macros and calorie goal, with reasonable moderation involved...not existing on junk food.

[ETA:] Obviously, there are some people who, for whatever reason, can't deal with moderation...if they eat one cookie, they scarf the whole box and head for the cabinets looking for more. IIFYM is probably not a good choice for them. I'd also hope that anybody with a medical/metabolic condition would have enough common sense to realize that a food they're intolerant/allergic to doesn't fit in IIFYM.

Just wanted to add to that bottom statement that I lost weight on 800-1000 cals a day and then started binge eating constantly. Now that I eat around 2000 a day and exercise, I am losing weight and not binging. I know what it's like to have one cookie and then want to eat the whole box, but for me it was triggered by "I might as well eat this whole box right now because tomorrow I will be dieting and will not eat a cookie ever again." Now I can tell myself, sure, have the cookie today and tomorrow and the next day... But that's just me, just a suggestion, and also...IIFYM FTW :drinker:

EccentricDad

What? Syrup? Nutrients? You ate non-complex carbs x 3. Of course you'll feel gross, sluggish, brain-foggy. It's the waffle, not the syrup, I can almost guarantee.

Waffles ARE complex carbs. I'd like to know what your definition is if waffles aren't it.

WendyTerry420

Obviously no one here stated to eat nothing but junk food all day long....

Actually, several posts alluded to exactly that when expressing their opinion of why IIFYM is a "bad" thing to do.

^^^ Truth

BiscuitsNDavy

THIS IS ALL YOU HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT IIFYM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZC_Em6GtjY

^caps added for emphasis.

betrayalunknown

Truth. I was burning at the very least 800-900 calories per day (two to three workouts a day, intense cardio)

I love raw foods (ate raw vegan for a bit)... didn't eat a lot of nuts, but noshed on tons of fruit everyday.

The carbs went to my belly... gained a few pounds.

Yes, from fruit.

Why and how, you ask?

I ate back all of my exercise calories and then some. I logged meticulously but didn't care that I was going over my 2,400 calorie limit by 400-500, and my carbs were up in the high four-five hundreds as well....

Eating anything past what your body needs results in weight gain. Staying within your calories with healthy food is easier, because it keeps your feeling fuller, longer. It gives you a mental sense of vitality and clarity. Healthy foods tend to not weigh you down and make you feel sluggish. Alternatively, you could eat 8 twinkies a day, two per meal and snacks if you wanted to and still lose weight... as long as it is under your cals... but it will make you feel quite sluggish and under-energized.

Stay under calorie limits with better for you foods tends to produce the best results for most.
But everybody/ every body is different. What didn't work for me could very well work for you, and vice versa

joejccva71

Obviously no one here stated to eat nothing but junk food all day long....

Actually, several posts alluded to exactly that when expressing their opinion of why IIFYM is a "bad" thing to do.

You mean the people that are bashing IIFYM because they clearly don't understand what the F it is?

LorinaLynn

You mean the people that are bashing IIFYM because they clearly don't understand what the F it is?

They don't understand what the F it is, or what the M is. :laugh: Maybe not the I's or the Y, either.

hottottie11

You mean the people that are bashing IIFYM because they clearly don't understand what the F it is?

They don't understand what the F it is, or what the M is. :laugh: Maybe not the I's or the Y, either.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I've been saying the entire post..but I think people read "It doesn't matter what you eat..." and go crazy...clearly neither they or the OP knew what IIFYM really means...and 10 pages later STILL don't know

AnvilHead

You mean the people that are bashing IIFYM because they clearly don't understand what the F it is?

Yes - which was exactly my point. Not sure how you read the intention of my original post, but I agree 100% with IIFYM.

half_moon

You mean the people that are bashing IIFYM because they clearly don't understand what the F it is?

They don't understand what the F it is, or what the M is. :laugh: Maybe not the I's or the Y, either.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I've been saying the entire post..but I think people read "It doesn't matter what you eat..." and go crazy...clearly neither they or the OP knew what IIFYM really means...and 10 pages later STILL don't know

From what I understand, it DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU EAT AS LONG AS YOU STAY WITHIN YOUR MACROS <-- What I, the OP, *said*.

Meaning, eat what you want, but make sure you get the appropriate fat%, protein%, carb%, sugar%, etc.

Pretty much sure I get what IIFYM means.

bcattoes

Obviously no one here stated to eat nothing but junk food all day long....

Actually, several posts alluded to exactly that when expressing their opinion of why IIFYM is a "bad" thing to do.

You mean the people that are bashing IIFYM because they clearly don't understand what the F it is?

But if all they get is derision and no explanation, how will they ever learn? How is telling someone to eat within their macros, then making comments as if they are stupid for not understanding some underlying meaning helpful?

And when someone posts that they feel guilty because they just ate <insert micronutrient lacking junk food here> and get a response like "if it fit your macros, don't worry bout it" what is one to think IIFYM means?

Just because you may understand and practice the intent behind that acronym, doesn't mean everyone on MFP who touts it does.

hottottie11

You mean the people that are bashing IIFYM because they clearly don't understand what the F it is?

They don't understand what the F it is, or what the M is. :laugh: Maybe not the I's or the Y, either.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I've been saying the entire post..but I think people read "It doesn't matter what you eat..." and go crazy...clearly neither they or the OP knew what IIFYM really means...and 10 pages later STILL don't know

From what I understand, it DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU EAT AS LONG AS YOU STAY WITHIN YOUR MACROS <-- What I, the OP, *said*.

Meaning, eat what you want, but make sure you get the appropriate fat%, protein%, carb%, sugar%, etc.

Pretty much sure I get what IIFYM means.

I'm sorry, my bad..you understand, but obviously, from you read what others who do not know what IIFYM mean, they see "It doesn't matter what you eat..." in the title and think it's a debate about the "twinkie diet" and eating anything you want.

SideSteel

From what I understand, it DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU EAT AS LONG AS YOU STAY WITHIN YOUR MACROS <-- What I, the OP, *said*.

Meaning, eat what you want, but make sure you get the appropriate fat%, protein%, carb%, sugar%, etc.

Pretty much sure I get what IIFYM means.

^ You should insert "From a body composition standpoint, it doesn't matter" . . . .

NenadStevic

I have tried every known diet to me, calorie counting, then bb 6 meals/day, carb rotation, keto, etc. Although every of them worked to a different extent, none of them was sustainable long enough, meaning they are hard to fulfill on the long term. Hard to control appetite, technically hard (preparing exact certain meals and splitting them into meals with exact amount of p/c/f every day, restraining completely from favorite foods etc...). Beside of that and even more important is that after every fat loss, there was a big and fast rebound in whole body mass, so I was in permanent magical circle of gaining/loosing fat.

Now, I am on modified IIFYM for about two months. Modified means that I keep my proteins rather high (minimum 1,2-1,5g/kg body mass and above 2 on some days, I don't have strict values), while other two nutrients, fats and carbs are filing calories to a given value on an arbitrary basis, meaning that I don't count grams of them, just calories.

Food sources are those of known caloric value, and those which I like, although I have to restrict amounts of those foods to fit my daily calories. It's better to eat peace of chocolate every day from not eating it for months and eat several kilos in a week. I keep it simple, eat when hungry, not waiting to get too hungry, not eating when not hungry, having 3 main meals+2 snacks, not having big meals.

And after all those diets I have lowest %bf in my life, I fill I can keep this mode of eating for a life time, I eat foods I like and not starving while loosing fat. :happy:

135Target

I heard about this professor a couple of years ago and thought it was interesting:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

hottottie11

I heard about this professor a couple of years ago and thought it was interesting:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

We aren't talking about the same thing

http://www.iifym.com/pages/iifym---fad-diet-or-real

Marll

No, it totally matters what you eat over how much.

ladyraven68

When I am tracking properly, I try my best to hit my macros. Especially the protein.

I use the Iphone app, which gives you the pie chart showing the percentages of fat/protein/carbst, and try to plan my day the day before so that I can adjust it ti add in things I'm deficient in. i.e if I am short on protein I eat greek yogurt of cottage cheese, short on fats I'll have some nuts, short on carbs, yes I can have some chocolate, as long as it doesn't take me over the fats,

If you aren't bothered about hitting your macros why do people even bother tracking them?

The idea is to actually try to achieve your macros amounts and percentages, if you can achieve your macro targets, your calories will look after themselves, as it is impossible to hit all your macros and be over on calories.

ninerbuff

I want pancakes so bad right now.

I might need to plug in some numbers and see what it would take to make bacon, eggs and pancakes fit my macros for dinner tonight.

Just make smaller pancakes. :laugh: You got this girl.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ZoeLifts

Yea...ya'll don't know what IIFYM really mean

^^ this