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

"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?

I don't think it to be true, I KNOW it to be true. Its just a fact that human body will lose weight if they are in a calorie deficit (most of the time), you don't even have to have the right macros.

Yes, it is a sensible way to structure your eating and keep you in deficit. It allows you a bit of flexibility to have some "non diet" food in your intake.

However, it is a bit misunderstood. If you are balancing your macros you can't simply have a diet full of junk food and think you are doing IIFYM. The idea is to hit all or near to your macro goals and your calorie goals. If you have a goal of say 2000 calories and 180g of protein and you eat donuts all day you will end up going over your carb and fat goals but leaving only say 300 calories to get say 160g of protein.

Not going to happen is it...

300 calories is more like 75grams of protein. Even worse.

What food contains 75 grams of protein and only has 300 calories?

Bison...maybe.

So many idiots in this thread. Of course IIFYM works. If you are eating so called 'clean foods' and hitting your daily goals of fats, proteins, carbs, then you are following a IIFYM principle and it will have the same affect on body fat composition as someone who is hitting their macros with so called 'junk' food.

These threads are so frustrating.

Why do people think that IIFYM means ONLY "junk" food?
Why does it have to be all or nothing?

I go by IIFYM and eat decent, but have my treats and junk. Flexible dieting is easier, makes me happier, easy to stick with, and easy to maintain my weight with.

Not enough people using MFP even look at their macros...they think as long as they are within their calorie goal all is fine. It KILLS me. KILLS me ;-(

What food contains 75 grams of protein and only has 300 calories?

egg whites, protein powder

Protein powder isn't food,and egg whites are only half a food, so they don't count in my book.

The vast majority of people who are using flexible dieting correctly, are consuming a very nutrient rich diet.

The nutrient argument doesn't apply because people who eat a diet full of junk food are not practicing IIFYM, they are practicing stupidity. There's a difference, but for some unknown reason people can't seem to grasp that there's a middle ground that lies between clean eating dogma and "McDonalds all day every day".

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=149278603 <---- post #7 for some good vids.

no don't think so.

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.

Sure, other than the fact that waffles are complex carbs... It always amuses me when people use terms without having a clue what they actually mean.

I am so glad you said that... I thought I knew what a simple and complex carb was until I started using this site and then I got all confused.

Just to clarify... a complex carb is one that has been combined with other ingredients, right? And the simple carb is the singular ingredient like rice and potatoes, right?

What food contains 75 grams of protein and only has 300 calories?

egg whites, protein powder

agree!

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002469.htm

Carbohydrates are classified as simple or complex. The classification depends on the chemical structure of the food, and how quickly the sugar is digested and absorbed. Simple carbohydrates have one (single) or two (double) sugars. Complex carbohydrates have three or more sugars.

Examples of single sugars from foods include:

Fructose (found in fruits)
Galactose (found in milk products)

Double sugars include:

Lactose (found in dairy)
Maltose (found in certain vegetables and in beer)
Sucrose (table sugar)

Honey is also a double sugar. But unlike table sugar, it contains a small amount of vitamins and minerals. (Note: Honey should not be given to children younger than 1 year old.)

Complex carbohydrates, often referred to as "starchy" foods, include:

Legumes
Starchy vegetables
Whole-grain breads and cereals

Simple carbohydrates that contain vitamins and minerals occur naturally in:

Fruits
Milk and milk products
Vegetables

Simple carbohydrates are also found in processed and refined sugars such as:

Candy
Regular (nondiet) carbonated beverages, such as soda
Syrups
Table sugar

Refined sugars provide calories, but lack vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Such simple sugars are often called "empty calories" and can lead to weight gain.

Also, many refined foods, such as white flour, sugar, and white rice, lack B vitamins and other important nutrients unless they are marked "enriched." It is healthiest to get carbohydrates, vitamins, and other nutrients in as natural a form as possible -- for example, from fruit instead of table sugar.

The vast majority of people who are using flexible dieting correctly, are consuming a very nutrient rich diet.

The nutrient argument doesn't apply because people who eat a diet full of junk food are not practicing IIFYM, they are practicing stupidity. There's a difference, but for some unknown reason people can't seem to grasp that there's a middle ground that lies between clean eating dogma and "McDonalds all day every day".

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=149278603 <---- post #7 for some good vids.

Considering myself lucky to be one of the people in the "middle" - I know that I can eat healthy & eat junk - at the same time. It's not one or the other. Like someone else already said - I don't think you realize what IIFYM really means.

And yes, I used to be pretty fat. And I'm still sort of fat. And I eat pizza, ice cream, pasta, etc. I have 2 mini cupcakes sitting on my desk right now - just waiting for me to enjoy them. But I also had a egg & veggie breakfast burrito, will be having bean and veggie stew for lunch, I'm eating strawberries and a banana as my other snacks today, and I will be having steak fajitas (with lots of peppers!) for dinner. So how is my diet not balanced?

Maybe it's because you ate three of them instead of one or two. That might have less to do with the food quality and more to do with your taste buds. Lots o' sugar.

When you try to make everything fit in your macros, your diet is going to be pretty balanced. And honestly, I think that as long as it fits into your calorie limit, regardless of macros, you'll lose weight. You'll certainly feel better if you don't eat 1500 calories of chips instead of a balanced diet, though.

The vast majority of people who are using flexible dieting correctly, are consuming a very nutrient rich diet.

The nutrient argument doesn't apply because people who eat a diet full of junk food are not practicing IIFYM, they are practicing stupidity. There's a difference, but for some unknown reason people can't seem to grasp that there's a middle ground that lies between clean eating dogma and "McDonalds all day every day".

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=149278603 <---- post #7 for some good vids.

What??? You mean my only 2 choices aren't junk food or to eat "clean"???? Why that..............that just..............




makes sense acutally.

Extreme comparisons are ridiculous. If that is how you view it and you don't apply a little common sense it is nothing but stupidity.

Maybe the waffles she ate were.....blue?

This comment goes very well with your picture... (looks like you took it after you just finished typing it)