IIFYM eating.......really???

I'm down 90 lbs on IIFYM, and have lost an additional 4" off my waist in the last month and a half by combining Insanity and IIFYM eating. The trick is to make sure you actually hit all of your macros each day. IIFYM doesn't mean eat whatever you want and keep it under the calories, it means that if you want something, have it, but adjust your day to account for it. I eat a base of 2000 calories a day, and usually add another 800 or so for exercise on top of that, and it's working for me.

IIFYM gave me a calorie count of almost 2000 calories based on my current activity and I'm only 5'3. I've followed that and down almost 6lbs in 4.5 weeks. Halfway to my goal. So yes it works!!! Just be sure to stay within your macros. I keep it pretty healthy most of the week and have my indulgences here and there.

Can those of you who do this tell me the kind of success you have had following that eating plan. I typed in my info on the TDEE calculator and the # it gave me of calories to eat seems astronomical.
Does it really work for you?

IIFYM is not a specific calorie amount, it is a philosophy about food selection.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym

One can apply IIFYM at 1400 calories and at 3500 calories and it is still IIFYM.

Just making mention of this for clarity sake.

It works, but as with any method you need to make sure your total intake is set appropriately.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

This....... and I am down 312 lbs. so far..... Best of Luck. ....

slacker.

there is an axiom in engineering that says "keep it simple stupid" (KISS). this means that the simpler the solution to a problem, the better it will be and the more likely it will work.

IIFYM beats all other "schemes" in this regard because there are no rules about what you can and cannot eat. you simply count your calories and macros and strive to meet those goals every day, and the food you eat to do so is irrelevant... and what i mean by that is that your food choices will tend to end up being mostly the same ones that the more complicated schemes explicitly list out as "ok" simply because these foods do a good job getting you close to your daily goals, but with the added benefit of allowing you to also indulge in favorite foods if/when you desire.

dietary programs that give you long lists of rules to follow and foods that are forbidden, are much more complicated to follow over the long run.

this is another reason why people who "get it" advocate that everyone just follow IIFYM. once you "get it", you see how easy it is and how easy it will be to follow for the rest of your life.

okay just to clarify I read the whole IIFYM page and the theory etc. I read all the FAQ I get it. I understand the idea. But if they are correct then the number of calories I should be hitting is like 2500. I am a mom of 4 so I am busy and on my feet most of the day. I don't do much exercising other then walking 3 miles a day at a brisk pace. So doesn't that TDEE seem really really high?

it depends on how you have calculated everything.

take your BMR and multiply by your normal daily activity level. then on the days you do extra cardio, you add those calories. that gives you your TDEE for that day. you subtract a fixed deficit from that TDEE to give you your intake for that day.

e.g.,

BMR = 1560
sedentary activity level (you work a desk job) = 1.2x for the Harris-Benedict equation
350 calories burned walking at night

TDEE = 1560 x 1.2 + 350 = 2222

on that day, your TDEE is 2222. if your daily deficit is 500, then your goal for the day is 1722. in those 1722 calories, you want to meet your fat and protein requirements. that's the IIFYM part.

fat = 0.35g/lb of body weight
protein = 0.85g/lb LBM

1g fat = 9 calories
1g protein = 4 calories

<---- iifym. Lost 30 pounds and am now putting muscle back on.

So I typed everything in again with the Katch-Mccardle and it gave me a more realistic number. However it is still higher calories then MFP suggests. So is there a way I can type in the calories and other macros I want here at MFP?

It's higher because the TDEE number you are getting is including a nightly 3 mile walk and is increasing your required calories accordingly. MFP is not. MFP expects you to log that exercise each time you do it and then eat additional calories to make up for the exercise deficit.

I don't even track macros...just calories. And I've lost almost 40 lbs. So, yeah, it works.

You're making this too complicated. it's going to be enough work as it is. Pick something and run it! Watch the scale and see what happens. You can't expect to hit it perfectly. You could have a intake need around 3000. It happens. And especially on an active day.

IIFYM is nothing really. Protein intake is the priority, then fat, then remainder in carbs. Your body doesn't know the difference between "clean" and "dirty" foods. It's just that dirty foods tend to me high in sodium, processed chemicals and are more devoid of nutrition and can be higher in calories than stated. Eventually this leads to a less optimal intake and some other potential issues.

That is why general practice is to consume 80-90% of your daily intake with "clean" foods.

Lastly, keep in mind that you're not eating at TDEE, you're supposed to be eating under TDEE. 80% of TDEE is a good starting point for weight loss. (10xBW is a reasonable starting place for weight loss too, as an example).

Keep in mind, these are general estimations and starting points from which you adjust.

While I can see it is surrounded by disclaimers, I don't think 10xBW is at all reasonable if you have little to lose and are fairly active. 10xBW at my pre-pregnancy weight would give me 1250 kcal, which is less than half my actual TDEE! This calculation may work well if you are heavier, but I would be wary of giving it out as blanket advice.

Can those of you who do this tell me the kind of success you have had following that eating plan. I typed in my info on the TDEE calculator and the # it gave me of calories to eat seems astronomical.
Does it really work for you?

IIFYM is not a specific calorie amount, it is a philosophy about food selection.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym

One can apply IIFYM at 1400 calories and at 3500 calories and it is still IIFYM.

Just making mention of this for clarity sake.

It works, but as with any method you need to make sure your total intake is set appropriately.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

This....... and I am down 312 lbs. so far..... Best of Luck. ....

^ Another for this.

Can those of you who do this tell me the kind of success you have had following that eating plan. I typed in my info on the TDEE calculator and the # it gave me of calories to eat seems astronomical.
Does it really work for you?

IIFYM is not a specific calorie amount, it is a philosophy about food selection.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/817188-iifym

One can apply IIFYM at 1400 calories and at 3500 calories and it is still IIFYM.

Just making mention of this for clarity sake.

It works, but as with any method you need to make sure your total intake is set appropriately.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

This....... and I am down 312 lbs. so far..... Best of Luck. ....

^ Another for this.

Sidesteel might be the smartest guy on MFP so I will also recommend this post. I will also add that I have lost 43 pounds in 7 months doing this. For me, I just started out trying to just hit my calories and get a little exercise. AS TIME WENT ON, I learned more and I have been working towards better control of my macros. DOWN THE ROAD WHEN YOU GET TO THIS POINT, you will see the relationship between foods/calories/macros and understand it better. For now, calories and some exercise. You will learn and get better.