Flexible dieting/IIFYM myths

Acg67
Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
edited November 7 in Food and Nutrition
MYTH: Flexible dieters eat a bunch of crap all day long.

MYTH: Flexible dieting is unhealthy and worse for you than “clean eating.” Conversely, clean eating is akin to healthy eating.

MYTH: Flexible dieters believe that eating a cheeseburger is the same as eating a lean cut of steak.

Flexible dieters DO:

eat what they truly want, albeit in controlled quantities
understand that the food will always be there
have other hobbies outside of living in the kitchen
have complete freedom over their food choices
practice the same eating behaviors on the weekends as they do during the weekdays
honor their personal food preferences
Flexible dieters DON’T:

experience any kind of anxiety about going to a social event that will be serving food
miss out on family outings or vacations out of fear of eating “off plan”
obsess over food (in fact, they hardly think about food at all)
actively resist a craving
harbor some kind of moral compass surrounding food choices
conform to guru eating rules simply because that’s what everyone else is doing

Read the whole thing

http://www.soheefit.com/flexible-dieting-myths/
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Replies

  • _TastySnoBalls_
    _TastySnoBalls_ Posts: 1,298 Member
    :drinker:
  • PurpleDragon87
    PurpleDragon87 Posts: 17 Member
    This is awesome! Thanks! :smile:
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    True except the thinking about food part. I still think about food all the time... always have.
  • jessthep1rate
    jessthep1rate Posts: 47 Member
    True except the thinking about food part. I still think about food all the time... always have.

    Same! I agree so much with this post, but food and cooking is a huge interest of mine, so yeah, food's on my mind a lot... not to mention, I DO have many hobbies outside of the kitchen, but a lot of my favorite ones (cooking, baking, recipe planning) happen in there!
  • RhineDHP
    RhineDHP Posts: 1,025 Member
    Flexible Dieter. I like that term so much more than someone who "eats dirty."
  • redambition
    redambition Posts: 39 Member
    Bump :)
  • UmmSqueaky
    UmmSqueaky Posts: 715 Member
    Ditto to the thinking about food. I obsess about food. A lot a lot. Past, present and future.
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
    This is pretty awesome!

    If say that flexible dieters also don't worry too much about going over their calories every one in a while, they just adjust for it the next day.
  • marleyskye05
    marleyskye05 Posts: 138
    I feel like if I did this I would just eat all day long... :(
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 Member
    This whole thing just explains why I am a flexible eater.
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
    :bigsmile:
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    4450019+_f6a17670e7ae40524ca815180b95c0ee.gif

    Awesome Post
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 Member
    I feel like if I did this I would just eat all day long... :(

    This is why you still need to set yourself a calorie limit for the day.

    About 80% of the food I eat is what is considered "clean" food.

    It is just that I don't feel guilty for the fact that I just ate a piece of bread with my lunch. :P
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    I feel like if I did this I would just eat all day long... :(

    That would suggest you'd be doing it wrong.
  • bajoyba
    bajoyba Posts: 1,153 Member
    In to give my thumbs up! :drinker:

    Also, I do think about food pretty often. I consider eating both a skill and a hobby. :smile:
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
    I almost 100% agree.
    I still freak out a little bit over gatherings with food because I don't eat pork and recently started eating red meat again (so the stress is lower now) but I'd worry that there wasnt a chicken/fish option lol
  • Hauntinglyfit
    Hauntinglyfit Posts: 5,537 Member
    *Snip*

    have other hobbies outside of living in the kitchen
    *snip*

    I've seen some of the things you cook. You'd never get out of the kitchen at my house.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    True except the thinking about food part. I still think about food all the time... always have.

    Same! I agree so much with this post, but food and cooking is a huge interest of mine, so yeah, food's on my mind a lot... not to mention, I DO have many hobbies outside of the kitchen, but a lot of my favorite ones (cooking, baking, recipe planning) happen in there!

    Same.
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
    I almost 100% agree.
    I still freak out a little bit over gatherings with food because I don't eat pork and recently started eating red meat again (so the stress is lower now) but I'd worry that there wasnt a chicken/fish option lol

    But you wouldn't start a thread about it, all freaking out and such. That would be the difference.
  • durangocal
    durangocal Posts: 90 Member
    Well said. Reminds me of Moderation!
  • LishieFruit89
    LishieFruit89 Posts: 1,956 Member
    I almost 100% agree.
    I still freak out a little bit over gatherings with food because I don't eat pork and recently started eating red meat again (so the stress is lower now) but I'd worry that there wasnt a chicken/fish option lol

    But you wouldn't start a thread about it, all freaking out and such. That would be the difference.


    Not at all haha
    I'm an adult.
    Plus my family knows I won't eat pork so there's also an option for me to eat
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
    ♡♡♡♡
  • emmabakercooke
    emmabakercooke Posts: 37
    It's good to know there is a name for it! I never really understood thinking of any food as "bad"
    Food fits in to two catagories for me - food I like, and food I don't!
    I refuse to feel guilty for eating a small amount of something I really enjoy!
    If it fits in your calories and you want it, eat it! :)
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
    It's great to live in a world where you're not controlled by food.
  • UmmSqueaky
    UmmSqueaky Posts: 715 Member
    I'm currently obsessing about the McDonalds I had for lunch and the cookies that are cooling on the counter for a potluck tomorrow.
  • Crateria_
    Crateria_ Posts: 253 Member
    Cheers <3
  • LMRoses
    LMRoses Posts: 148 Member
    Sounds like a very healthy (physically and mentally) approach to food and eating!
  • KBmoments
    KBmoments Posts: 193 Member
    yea...but... you still have to track your macros, which seems even more labor and time intensive than calories OR just eating clean, most of the time!!
  • jensonabraham
    jensonabraham Posts: 2 Member
    edited January 2015
    KBmoments wrote: »
    yea...but... you still have to track your macros, which seems even more labor and time intensive than calories OR just eating clean, most of the time!!

    Eating clean does not equate to losing weight. You can eat 3000 calories from nuts, grilled chicken, fruits and veggies, and STILL not get results. You can stall fat loss or can even gain weight (depending on your body's metabolism) from eating clean foods without even tracking how much you are really taking in.

    Flexible dieting is just that: if you choose to "eat clean" and if you enjoy eating broccoli and grilled chicken for every meal,, you can incorporate that into IIFYM.

    I used to be a religious clean eater and I would justify eating cups of nuts and natural pb at one sitting and telling myself that I can't possibly gain weight because it's "clean". And better yet, who determines the cleanliness of the foods we eat?

    I now follow flexible dieting and MFP makes it pretty simple to keep up, it takes about 5 minutes a day to log and see what I am working with. 5 in of planning a day is something I would easily take so that I can have a better relationship with food, eat whatever I want to eat, and enjoy life.
  • sarahlifts
    sarahlifts Posts: 610 Member
    I'vwe been IIFYM for a solid year now. I think about food a lot bc I love it and stuff. I'm glad I can have the things I like.
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