"It doesn't matter what you eat, IIFYM."
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Should we apply a bit of real life here and not all theory
My maintain is about 2750. I work out my calories carefully and precisely
If I eat well, chicken etc at those calories my weight stays the same but I look relatively toned and well
If I eat crap and buscuits I stay the same weight but I get a saggy gut and feel flabby.
A calorie is a calorie - but is you want to look good the macros have to be right
Ummm...what?
Maybe I'm not quite getting your point.
If you are saying you can eat whatever you want as long as the calories are right then bottom line is I don't agree with you
Cause you're misinformed about nutrition and dieting.
No because I know what does and doesn't work for me.
Do you have a medical condition?0 -
Acg67, you pose a very good question .. and honestly I am still in the process of wrapping my head around that ..
But I think its more than just numbers....
Lets take Johnny weight loss who still needs to drop 40 pounds.. However he decides to have a big mac for dinner and lets assume this big mac fits with in his metrics for the day all in cals, protein fat and carbs..
He eats it for lunch and goes back to work ..
Then you have sally who is also in the same position but ate the chicken and broccoli for lunch ..
At the end of the day Johnny and Sally both are going to work out after work today ..
Johnny who ate the big mac while in the nutritional information fits his daily metrics doesn't account for all the other crap that is in said burger and a whole bunch of names I can't pronounce leave him feeling sluggish and slow... he skips his work out.
While sally on the other hand has eaten lean protein low fat good carb rich food goes along in her day and has a good workout..
Further more Johnny has to eat a cracker for dinner because he would blow his metrics out other wise.. Sally enjoys more of the same for dinner ( yeah some satire there )
As I previously said yeah in the numbers they fit, but does that mean its good for your body over all ? Probably not.. could you presumably fit (generalizing here ) fast food in your diet weekly yes as long as it fits in the numbers... But I think what is being over looked in is a whole host of other factors that I am not smart enough toi really scratch the surface on but know enough to know they are present that play on the body and will effect you in the long run than some one who strictly ate clean .. But physically and mentally.
My advise is if you are where you want to be and have walked the path and are educated, you can make informed choices and eat ( again generalizing ) fast food and be able to move on with out to much issue.. However the majority of those on here that are trying to lose weight and are fighting that daily struggle I think is bad advice to give out..
^ Best Response IMO0 -
"If doesn't matter what you eat, as long as it fits your macros, is in your calorie limit, etc". (and assuming you are getting your nutrients somehow) -- You will still lose weight.
Do you think this is true?
Although I was within my caloric range and preset macros, I feel disgusting after three waffles last night. Is this a product of the syrup not digesting well, a lack of nutrients, or the subconscious notion that bad food makes you fat, no matter how little of it you eat?
Just wanted to know your opinions on this idea as I hear it a lot around the boards.
If you eat less calories than what you consume, yeah you will lose weight. But if the foods you ingested to get those calories are all junk, then you'll lose weight feeling like crap.
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If you ate meals that weren't prepped by you, then how do you know how much sodium was actually in them?
So in other words, less sodium. Which is a water retainer.
So you either ate less, or worked out more to lose actual tissue weight. Or your sodium was probably reduced, which is what I'm assuming since you ate your meals.In my experience, it definitely does matter. For my first 50 pounds lost, I ate the same every day, Weight Watchers meals, low cal noodles, etc. Then I suddenly stopped losing.. So this week I tried something different, fruit smoothies in the morning, homemade chicken and vegetable soup for lunch, chicken and a plate of veg for dinner, fruit smoothie in the evening, and plenty of water. I have lost over 5 pounds this week alone..
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
I don't ever work out. And I haven't been eating less, just cleaner
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
Nope, I've always watched my sodium, and never even come close to reaching my daily sodium limit
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
From the sodium content.0 -
For weight loss alone it is true that all that matters is keeping a calorie deficit. Macros do not matter.
For health, there is more to it than just calories and macros.0 -
However the majority of those on here that are trying to lose weight and are fighting that daily struggle I think is bad advice to give out..
I think it's bad advice to tell people they can't fit the occasional treat into their diet. There are a lot of people that end up binge-eating because of craving things they think they can't have. It's better to teach people how they can still eat things they enjoy in a way that is healthy.0 -
If you ate meals that weren't prepped by you, then how do you know how much sodium was actually in them?
So in other words, less sodium. Which is a water retainer.
So you either ate less, or worked out more to lose actual tissue weight. Or your sodium was probably reduced, which is what I'm assuming since you ate your meals.In my experience, it definitely does matter. For my first 50 pounds lost, I ate the same every day, Weight Watchers meals, low cal noodles, etc. Then I suddenly stopped losing.. So this week I tried something different, fruit smoothies in the morning, homemade chicken and vegetable soup for lunch, chicken and a plate of veg for dinner, fruit smoothie in the evening, and plenty of water. I have lost over 5 pounds this week alone..
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
I don't ever work out. And I haven't been eating less, just cleaner
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
Nope, I've always watched my sodium, and never even come close to reaching my daily sodium limit
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
From the sodium content.
Although scientifically, it doesn't matter at all and what happened to you had nothing to do with eating clean and instead had everything to do with switching up what you were eating, it really doesn't matter.
If you believe it works, then it works. What works for you is what you should do.
However, you shouldn't post misleading advice to other dieters.0 -
For health, there is more to it than just calories and macros.
Yes you are right, it's more than just FOOD. ;-)0 -
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.You have to look at the big picture... There is so much more than the numbers that goes in to be successful at weight loss and I think those who are fit and are looked at as examples for those who are trying to get fit are being irresponsible for condoning this method.
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.
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
^^THIS THIS THIS0 -
I posted this article the other day, http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/08/27/the-hidden-truths-about-calories/?print=true, but only one person commented on it. It's worth the read and really explains how WHAT you eat, and how you prepare it, is far more important than how much you eat!0
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I am in agreement with most everyone else... I have been told by a couple of different nutritionists that as long as I stay below my caloric intake I will lose weight. I tried that and it absolutely did not work. My new nutritionist is of the mind set that I need to control my carb intake and eat consistently through out the day. I can honestly say this is working for me. I have been working at this for a little over a month and I am noticing that I am not as hungry as I was at first. In regards to the waffle thing... I had the same thing happen just a couple of weeks ago... I'm not sure if it was the waffle or the syrup, but it made me seriously sick to my stomach.0
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As long as you are running a calorie deficit, you will lose weight.
The problem with eating carbs is that they spike your blood sugar, and when that crashes, you feel hungry, which results in a willpower battle to stay in a calorie deficit.
A low-carb diet will help you not be so hungry, so that you might have a shot at sticking to your calorie deficit.
Sadly I've never had the willpower to sustain it either way, except for the one time I was on Redux which killed my appetite and made willpower totally a non-issue.
But dieting is easier if you avoid carbs, and it is definitely harder if you don't.0 -
In the context of weight loss, your body does not see the names of the foods you eat. It sees the quantity of macronutrients that composes said food.
Calories --> Weight Loss
Macronutrients ---> Body composition
Micronutrients ----> Health
And it is worth noting that going from obese to not-obese will probably have the biggest impact on health markers over anything else.
The misunderstanding of IIFYM is what leads people to diss IIFYM.
Done as it is meant, it works.
It HAS to.0 -
I think it's bad advice to tell people they can't fit the occasional treat into their diet. There are a lot of people that end up binge-eating because of craving things they think they can't have. It's better to teach people how they can still eat things they enjoy in a way that is healthy.
Love this ^0 -
However the majority of those on here that are trying to lose weight and are fighting that daily struggle I think is bad advice to give out..
I think it's bad advice to tell people they can't fit the occasional treat into their diet. There are a lot of people that end up binge-eating because of craving things they think they can't have. It's better to teach people how they can still eat things they enjoy in a way that is healthy.
You're assuming over complicating what I said .. I never said that.. Nothing wrong with a treat now and then but treats are double edge swords..
Either strictly clean or IIFYM its all mind over matter, and you need to be informed and know the difference between good and bad decisions..0 -
I think quality over quantity. There are macros that are better for you than others. Whole wheat is better than white bread, avocados are made of healthy fats, fried chicken, no so much. Not saying the unhealthy needs to be eliminated entirely from one's diet, but I think eating well, regardless of the calories or macros makes a very big difference.0
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If you ate meals that weren't prepped by you, then how do you know how much sodium was actually in them?
So in other words, less sodium. Which is a water retainer.
So you either ate less, or worked out more to lose actual tissue weight. Or your sodium was probably reduced, which is what I'm assuming since you ate your meals.In my experience, it definitely does matter. For my first 50 pounds lost, I ate the same every day, Weight Watchers meals, low cal noodles, etc. Then I suddenly stopped losing.. So this week I tried something different, fruit smoothies in the morning, homemade chicken and vegetable soup for lunch, chicken and a plate of veg for dinner, fruit smoothie in the evening, and plenty of water. I have lost over 5 pounds this week alone..
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
I don't ever work out. And I haven't been eating less, just cleaner
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
Nope, I've always watched my sodium, and never even come close to reaching my daily sodium limit
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
From the sodium content.
Although scientifically, it doesn't matter at all and what happened to you had nothing to do with eating clean and instead had everything to do with switching up what you were eating, it really doesn't matter.
If you believe it works, then it works. What works for you is what you should do.
However, you shouldn't post misleading advice to other dieters.
I didn't post misleading advice to anyone, I posted what worked for me. I didn't say "everyone should try this because it works"0 -
So you witnessed them putting it in? Or are you just going off the label? Understand there's a difference of an actual measurement you do personally and one that's generalized on a package.
If you ate meals that weren't prepped by you, then how do you know how much sodium was actually in them?
So in other words, less sodium. Which is a water retainer.
So you either ate less, or worked out more to lose actual tissue weight. Or your sodium was probably reduced, which is what I'm assuming since you ate your meals.In my experience, it definitely does matter. For my first 50 pounds lost, I ate the same every day, Weight Watchers meals, low cal noodles, etc. Then I suddenly stopped losing.. So this week I tried something different, fruit smoothies in the morning, homemade chicken and vegetable soup for lunch, chicken and a plate of veg for dinner, fruit smoothie in the evening, and plenty of water. I have lost over 5 pounds this week alone..
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
I don't ever work out. And I haven't been eating less, just cleaner
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
Nope, I've always watched my sodium, and never even come close to reaching my daily sodium limit
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
From the sodium content.
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 nutrition0 -
I haven't read every post, so this might have already been said, but "IIFYM" isn't the same as "It doesn't matter what you eat."
If you're hitting your macros, especially if they're not the default MFP macros, you're eating pretty darn good. You're getting the right balance of macronutrients. It's in the name.
You're not going to hit your macros eating nothing but Twinkies.
The macros on the half a pizza I love so much is about 60% carbs, 25% fat and 15% protein (which is MFP's defaults). That's doesn't fit my overall goals of 50-25-25, so I have to watch what else I eat that day or week to balance it out.
When I get more protein and less carbs in my other meals of the day, the pizza does fit my macros.
If I had a bagel for breakfast and PB&J for lunch, pizza wouldn't fit my macros.0 -
The practical reality of following IIFYM is that in order to reach your calorie & macro goals that you will be eating nutrient dense, whole foods most of the time.
It does leave wiggle room for items that are considered "junk" but not as much as people would imagine - perhaps 10 - 20% of your calorie intake I would calculate.
Anyone who thinks that a flexible dieting strategy where the majority of your food intake is through nutrient dense whole foods with some allowance for a little junk is bad advice really needs to do more research.
For the record: I don't do it but I have no doubt it is actually a reasonable approach.0
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