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

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Replies

  • hottottie11
    hottottie11 Posts: 907 Member
    Yea...ya'll don't know what IIFYM really mean

    Its not a case of ignorance it more of people knowing themselves and what works for them versus what triggers a bad habit.

    I mean, after eating a healthy diet of lean meats, fruits and veggies a person is left with 150-250 calories to deal with is it possible to meet those remaining macros by eating 3/4 of a snickers bar or 2 1/3 oreos? Mathematically yes. However, for most people that's a slippery slope.

    We can chide them for a lack of will, shame them for not being strong enough to throw away that 1/4 of candy bar away. Or they can simply make it a non issue and not tempt themselves.

    Then that's self-control not IIFYM itself....

    If you can't control yourself with one serving of cookies, then don't eat it...but please don't rant about how unhealthy IIFYM and how it's an excuse to go crazy.

    Some can eat 100% clean...I tried and I was miserable.

    And it could be said that eating clean is about how strong of a person you are and how weak ones resolve is.

    I never said that IIFYM is bad or not "legit" but that there is a distinct reason that people tend to avoid it. For some, its more of a case of knowing themselves as opposed to pretending that they don't in the name of appearing to have an iron will.

    I think a person who sticks to one serving (1/2 cup) or ice cream or 3 small chip ahoy cookies a day is pretty strong.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    I've basically found that, if I don't eat sweet things except for on my treat day, after a while, sugar in large quantities starts to make me feel yucky. For example, I had a small dish of ice cream, and it made me feel gross, even though I used to be able to go for seconds. Or I got the small ice aroma (the local version of a frappuccino) instead of the regular, and it gave me a sugar high, whereas I used to be able to drink the regular one and feel nothing.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Yes I know athletes can indulge more often than Johnny trying to lose 40 lbs.. In fact a good marathon runner friend of mine eats donuts like they are going out of style but he uses them for energy.. I would love to be in that position..

    What I am saying is, I do not think it is feasible to lower nutrient food like say a big mac and fast food specifically as long as it fits in your macros and get the results you want out of weight loss..

    If you are in the process of losing weight and you eat a cheese burger for dinner and it fits in your metrics for the day can you do it ? Sure .. But ultimately it will slow your results down as opposed to eating lean chicken breast and some steamed broccoli for the same meal time...

    Not to mention as some one previously said the slope you will be walking on if you are trying to steer your life style on a more healthier life..

    That being said if you have reached your goals in size, physically, and in performance you want out of your body you can be more prone to eat fast food lower nutrient dense food etc etc.. and be fine.. Just don't make a habit of it.

    At the end of the day if your cals and macros were the exact same, but one diet you had a cheese burger for dinner and the other you had chicken and veggies for dinner, what difference would there be in weight loss?
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
    Haha. They weren't homemade. They were eggo. 190 calories for 2 waffles. 35 calories in a serving of the syrup. Pretty small, toaster-made stuff.
  • wewon
    wewon Posts: 838 Member


    At the end of the day if your cals and macros were the exact same, but one diet you had a cheese burger for dinner and the other you had chicken and veggies for dinner, what difference would there be in weight loss?

    Do you think that you would feel the same overall from eating diet of cheeseburgers as you would if you only had chicken and veggies? Calories being equal?
  • Ruthe8
    Ruthe8 Posts: 423 Member


    At the end of the day if your cals and macros were the exact same, but one diet you had a cheese burger for dinner and the other you had chicken and veggies for dinner, what difference would there be in weight loss?

    Do you think that you would feel the same overall from eating diet of cheeseburgers as you would if you only had chicken and veggies? Calories being equal?
    How do you not understand the difference between being healthy/feeling good, and weight loss?
  • wewon
    wewon Posts: 838 Member
    Yea...ya'll don't know what IIFYM really mean

    Its not a case of ignorance it more of people knowing themselves and what works for them versus what triggers a bad habit.

    I mean, after eating a healthy diet of lean meats, fruits and veggies a person is left with 150-250 calories to deal with is it possible to meet those remaining macros by eating 3/4 of a snickers bar or 2 1/3 oreos? Mathematically yes. However, for most people that's a slippery slope.

    We can chide them for a lack of will, shame them for not being strong enough to throw away that 1/4 of candy bar away. Or they can simply make it a non issue and not tempt themselves.

    Then that's self-control not IIFYM itself....

    If you can't control yourself with one serving of cookies, then don't eat it...but please don't rant about how unhealthy IIFYM and how it's an excuse to go crazy.

    Some can eat 100% clean...I tried and I was miserable.

    And it could be said that eating clean is about how strong of a person you are and how weak ones resolve is.

    I never said that IIFYM is bad or not "legit" but that there is a distinct reason that people tend to avoid it. For some, its more of a case of knowing themselves as opposed to pretending that they don't in the name of appearing to have an iron will.

    I think a person who sticks to one serving (1/2 cup) or ice cream or 3 small chip ahoy cookies a day is pretty strong.

    So is the person that can win an eye blinking contest and they both get the same reward.

    LOL!
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member


    At the end of the day if your cals and macros were the exact same, but one diet you had a cheese burger for dinner and the other you had chicken and veggies for dinner, what difference would there be in weight loss?

    Do you think that you would feel the same overall from eating diet of cheeseburgers as you would if you only had chicken and veggies? Calories being equal?

    Calories and macros? Am I eating only cheeseburgers and only chicken and veggies, or am I also eating other foods?
  • wewon
    wewon Posts: 838 Member


    At the end of the day if your cals and macros were the exact same, but one diet you had a cheese burger for dinner and the other you had chicken and veggies for dinner, what difference would there be in weight loss?

    Do you think that you would feel the same overall from eating diet of cheeseburgers as you would if you only had chicken and veggies? Calories being equal?
    How do you not understand the difference between being healthy/feeling good, and weight loss?

    Absolutely!

    Are you following this thread?

    The op feels gross after doing it the former way.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Yes I know athletes can indulge more often than Johnny trying to lose 40 lbs.. In fact a good marathon runner friend of mine eats donuts like they are going out of style but he uses them for energy.. I would love to be in that position..

    What I am saying is, I do not think it is feasible to eat lower nutrient food like say a big mac and fast food specifically as long as it fits in your macros and get the results you want out of weight loss..

    If you are in the process of losing weight and you eat a cheese burger for dinner and it fits in your metrics for the day can you do it ? Sure .. But ultimately it will slow your results down as opposed to eating lean chicken breast and some steamed broccoli for the same meal time...

    Not to mention as some one previously said the slope you will be walking on if you are trying to steer your life style on a more healthier path...

    That being said if you have reached your goals in size, physically, and in performance you want out of your body you can be more prone to eat fast food lower nutrient dense food etc etc.. and be fine.. Just don't make a habit of it.

    I love chicken and I love broccoli, but who the hell wants to eat the same thing every day?
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
    As far as losing weight, no it doesn't matter... . To get a certain body shape, I think what you eat is part of that. IF you want certain kinds of muscle definition, you will probably have to eat differently then if you goal is to just lose weight. As they say, abs are made in the kitchen.
  • wewon
    wewon Posts: 838 Member


    At the end of the day if your cals and macros were the exact same, but one diet you had a cheese burger for dinner and the other you had chicken and veggies for dinner, what difference would there be in weight loss?

    Do you think that you would feel the same overall from eating diet of cheeseburgers as you would if you only had chicken and veggies? Calories being equal?

    Calories and macros? Am I eating only cheeseburgers and only chicken and veggies, or am I also eating other foods?

    Your pick.
  • The_New_Christina
    The_New_Christina Posts: 818 Member
    If you take a look at my diary I eat Mexican every day! Just alot less than I used to. And I've lost 17lbs in two months doing this. Slow and steady wins the race :flowerforyou:
  • onewileydog
    onewileydog Posts: 2 Member
    If only I could survive on peanut butter, potato chips and chocolate chip cookies. What a great thing it would be. I am 6’ 2”, and started at 230 pounds 4 weeks ago. I am down to 221 today and did it by the simple adage: eat less, do more. Since my BP and cholesterol are excellent, I eat the same foods. I like them, because my body wants and needs them. I just eat less of them. People gorge themselves because of unfulfilled cravings. I avoid those cravings by not starving myself of the foods my body wants.
  • Ruthe8
    Ruthe8 Posts: 423 Member


    At the end of the day if your cals and macros were the exact same, but one diet you had a cheese burger for dinner and the other you had chicken and veggies for dinner, what difference would there be in weight loss?

    Do you think that you would feel the same overall from eating diet of cheeseburgers as you would if you only had chicken and veggies? Calories being equal?
    How do you not understand the difference between being healthy/feeling good, and weight loss?

    Absolutely!

    Are you following this thread?

    The op feels gross after doing it the former way.
    Who cares what OP said? Did I quote you responding to OP?
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    If you take a look at my diary I eat Mexican every day! Just alot less than I used to. And I've lost 17lbs in two months doing this. Slow and steady wins the race :flowerforyou:

    :flowerforyou:

    :heart: Mexican food
  • FungusTrooper
    FungusTrooper Posts: 227 Member
    Some people, yeah, some people, no. I can eat basically whatever I want and still lose weight, feel okay, etc, so long as it fits in my numbers.

    My wife, however, feels bad if she eats processed meats or anything with oil in it, etc, regardless of if it fits or not.

    So I think it's less about the numbers and more about your body's likes and dislikes.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    Yea...ya'll don't know what IIFYM really mean

    Its not a case of ignorance it more of people knowing themselves and what works for them versus what triggers a bad habit.

    I mean, after eating a healthy diet of lean meats, fruits and veggies a person is left with 150-250 calories to deal with is it possible to meet those remaining macros by eating 3/4 of a snickers bar or 2 1/3 oreos? Mathematically yes. However, for most people that's a slippery slope.

    We can chide them for a lack of will, shame them for not being strong enough to throw away that 1/4 of candy bar away. Or they can simply make it a non issue and not tempt themselves.

    If the only way to lose weight was to never again even try things like candy bars or fast food I would never have started this. And it would never have worked.

    Luckily that isn't the case. People in fact CAN have a candy bar and not become food monsters who eat everything in sight and give up exercising. There's a word for it...

    Oh yeah! Moderation.

    And that's fabulous for them!! :) Eventhough I'm not sure where the hyperbole came from of 'the only way to lose weight'.

    I just wonder how many people lost weight and regained it a year later rationalizing their "moderation" every step of the way.

    I would expect that there is a pretty good success rate because they eat the same while they are losing weight as they do after losing weight.
  • chrishgt4
    chrishgt4 Posts: 1,222 Member
    IIFYM doesn't allow you to just go off eating all the junk you like - the whole point is that what you're eating has to fit your macros.....you couldn't eat just cheeseburgers all day because you would not hit your macros - you'd most likely be under on protein but over on carbs and fat.

    You still have to watch what you eat.

    Is it optimal? No. It is not. But that's not the point - it is meant to be easy to follow because you can adjust it as you go.

    Optimally you would be eating a perfect balance of healthy foods at the right times to give optimum energy for your workouts and recovery.

    Most people can't live like that so IIFYM is a great fallback for those who don't want to over-complicate things and want simple rules that will work to live by.

    It really is about what works for you - if those things are going to drag you back then you are no longer following IIFYM.

    Everything is IIFYM - it is an individual thing whether you can get away with eating crap within that or if you need to keep yourself on the straight and narrow.
  • wewon
    wewon Posts: 838 Member
    [
    Who cares what OP said? Did I quote you responding to OP?

    LMAO!!

    Your post make no sense.

    The OP is whats driving the thread.
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member


    At the end of the day if your cals and macros were the exact same, but one diet you had a cheese burger for dinner and the other you had chicken and veggies for dinner, what difference would there be in weight loss?

    Do you think that you would feel the same overall from eating diet of cheeseburgers as you would if you only had chicken and veggies? Calories being equal?

    Answer his question instead of going around it. It's not hard to read.
  • JenniBaby85
    JenniBaby85 Posts: 855 Member
    It TOTALLY matters what I eat, unfortunately :grumble: . I can cheat once in awhile, but if I were to eat junk food every day not only would I gain weight (partially from water retention because of sodium in chips) but my skin breaks out! UGH :mad:
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    Some people, yeah, some people, no. I can eat basically whatever I want and still lose weight, feel okay, etc, so long as it fits in my numbers.

    My wife, however, feels bad if she eats processed meats or anything with oil in it, etc, regardless of if it fits or not.

    So I think it's less about the numbers and more about your body's likes and dislikes.

    If a person is unable to tolerate a food, has an allergy or a metabolic disorder, obviously, not everything fits. IIFYM and you are not allergic, not intolerant. Is that better?
  • Miss_dannii
    Miss_dannii Posts: 1,351 Member
    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..
  • skinnymini_wannabe
    skinnymini_wannabe Posts: 7 Member
    I think that it matters what you eat. If you eat mcdonald's everyday and are still under your calorie limit, you're going to gain weight form all the fats and preservatives. "You can't outrun a bad diet."
  • wewon
    wewon Posts: 838 Member
    I think that it matters what you eat. If you eat mcdonald's everyday and are still under your calorie limit, you're going to gain weight form all the fats and preservatives. "You can't outrun a bad diet."


    BINGO!!!
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    I think that it matters what you eat. If you eat mcdonald's everyday and are still under your calorie limit, you're going to gain weight form all the fats and preservatives. "You can't outrun a bad diet."

    No you won't. You'll gain water weight but not fat. And you can gain water weight from any carb sources.

    Please do some research.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member


    At the end of the day if your cals and macros were the exact same, but one diet you had a cheese burger for dinner and the other you had chicken and veggies for dinner, what difference would there be in weight loss?

    Do you think that you would feel the same overall from eating diet of cheeseburgers as you would if you only had chicken and veggies? Calories being equal?

    Calories and macros? Am I eating only cheeseburgers and only chicken and veggies, or am I also eating other foods?

    Your pick.

    I feel pretty awesome killing a 3/4 to 1 lb burger, same as if I eat a box of pasta or 10 danishes. You prob picked the wrong person to ask that question to
  • hottottie11
    hottottie11 Posts: 907 Member
    I think that it matters what you eat. If you eat mcdonald's everyday and are still under your calorie limit, you're going to gain weight form all the fats and preservatives. "You can't outrun a bad diet."

    This is not IIFYM.

    Reading is essential: http://www.iifym.com/pages/iifym---fad-diet-or-real
  • MTBrob
    MTBrob Posts: 513 Member
    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..

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