is IIFYM accurate?

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Geekyfatgirl
Geekyfatgirl Posts: 164 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've seen a few threads that mention it so I decided to take a gander at what it is myself. They go by TDEE which is what I've heard many suggest doing for those who are active and want to eat enough calories to keep them going. I feel like my calorie intake was always really wonky, either I ate too much or too little. Anyway I put in my body fat % and it has me eating 1 of protein per lean muscle 120g and 180g of carbs. Is that right? Does that sound too much? I used their iifym system so I guess. Has this worked for anyone else? I set my goal to lose fat so I hope it's accurate. :p

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  • 365andstillalive
    365andstillalive Posts: 663 Member
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    I don't use the IIFYM method, but I do go by TDEE. I know from doing some basic research before I got started that to maintain the most lean muscle mass while losing fat most experts will recommend at least 0.8g of protein per lb of lean muscle mass, so really 1g is not far off.

    Protein is great for you, it's going to make you feel full longer etc. Totally worth it to try to eat a high protein diet, especially if your'e active. I'm trying to transition into one as of next week because I know I'm eating way too little protein.
  • Geekyfatgirl
    Geekyfatgirl Posts: 164 Member
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    I don't use the IIFYM method, but I do go by TDEE. I know from doing some basic research before I got started that to maintain the most lean muscle mass while losing fat most experts will recommend at least 0.8g of protein per lb of lean muscle mass, so really 1g is not far off.

    Protein is great for you, it's going to make you feel full longer etc. Totally worth it to try to eat a high protein diet, especially if your'e active. I'm trying to transition into one as of next week because I know I'm eating way too little protein.

    yes I've heard high protein is the way to go for lean muscle mass. It does make you full for long periods of time though! 6 Oz steak and bacon with a fried egg on top will keep me going good all night lol! I think I'll try these macros out then. I just wanted others opinions.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    Without knowing your age, height, weight, gender etc. we can only eyeball your numbers and say they don't seems too unusual.
  • Geekyfatgirl
    Geekyfatgirl Posts: 164 Member
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    Oh right, I guess I should have put in the numbers which would help lol.

    I put down I was a 27 year old female, 5' 7.5" weighing at 190 with 33% bf. I set my TDEE at -20% my goals are

    carbs-203g

    protein- 127g

    fat- 50g

    per day. I do know that the scale won't really budge for me, but what I want to do is lose inches. I want to be leaner than what I am. I have started weight training with circuit training, also doing some more lifts, though I am new at trying to figure out what program works best and how much to lift. I remember hearing your 1 rep max without exceeding 12 reps. So I try to go off by that. I guess I can only try and track down my progress.
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
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    Whether it's accurate or not really doesn't matter, because you need to be adjusting your intake over time based on your weight loss. A lot of people put way too much emphasis on calculators, but it's all but a waste of time to re-run your numbers once you've been tracking for a while. Use the estimated TDEE to calculate an initial deficit and then adjust based on your weight loss. If you don't lose weight for a significant period of time, drop calories by 10%. If you are losing more than 2 pounds a week (and you aren't morbidly obese) or your exercise performance is suffering, up calories by 10%. Otherwise, keep on keeping on.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    IIFYM is a website based calculator in this sense (as opposed to the "diet" style of eating IIFYM). All calculators are going to be estimates based on averages of the population. Give it a try for 4-6 weeks and see if it works for you. If you don't lose what you are expected to at the end of that time point, decrease your calories a little. If you lose more than expected, up your calories a little. Be sure to wait for at least a month though. Hormones can affect weight loss and make it inconsistent as well as water weight loss or water retention if you start a new exercise program.

    The c/p/f breakdown looks pretty standard for your size. It's a good starting point. If it doesn't keep you satiated, you could try removing carbs for more protein or fats. Or maybe you feel like you're lacking energy and need a few more carbs. It will just depend on what keeps you feeling satisfied.
  • matthawthorneisamyth
    matthawthorneisamyth Posts: 196 Member
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    IIFYM works, but you have to treat is as a guideline. The important parts are the amounts of fiber, macronutrients and micronutrients. You will not get fit eating only pop-tarts or bacon. Let me repeat that: YOU WILL NOT GET FIT EATING ONLY JUNK.

    Now, before the barricades come down and people deride me and start linking things like the Twinkie diet, I need to clarify. You can lose weight eating crap as long as calories in < calories out. But, getting fit and losing weight are two different endeavors. You can be super skinny but not be healthy or fit. For example, Bulemics, Anorexics, Runway models, Christian Bale in The Machinist, Matthew McConaghuey in Dallas Buyers club, etc. These people are skinny but hardly can be called fit. (Maybe McConaghuey, but that was ~10 years ago)

    The beauty of an IIFYM style program is that you can allot for junk food on a daily or weekly basis which fits your macronutrient ratios. So, you can have a small portion of crap, if you choose to do so, and not have to endure the emotional guilt of 'eating bad.'

    (Disclaimer: I don't believe there are good or bad foods, I believe there are nutrient dense and non-nutrient dense foods, but that is just my personal diet philosophy based on my own personal experience)


    For those who have trouble with portion control, binge-eaters, those who don't measure their food, people with poor self-discipline and for those who throw around the word 'trigger' when it comes to food, IIFYM may not be the best approach. My only advice is to try it out and see if it's sustainable long term and if it suits your goals.

    Keep in mind, It's a slippery slope to go from having one or two servings of junk food to three or more per day. Especially if the food you're trying to avoid is sitting in the cabinet or the pantry just waiting for you to start craving it.
  • Geekyfatgirl
    Geekyfatgirl Posts: 164 Member
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    Alright so basically what I can take away from this is to keep it as a guideline and try it out. I think I'll try it for the 4-5 weeks and see how that goes. I don't eat much junkfood, that is, chips icecream, cake and really processed foods. I do go out to eat but I'm usually getting steak and a sweet potato and bread lol. However I have a weakness for Chinese food which can be considered junk food because I eat the sweet and sour breaded chicken, rice noodles and white rice a lot! I just think I should try to cut down on it all, but Panko is delicious and I love tenpura style!! I will try to see how this goes... I was in the 170s a while back...jumped to 190 and now I can't seem to get down. I'm thinking it was my diet, but we'll see. I'm going to try and lift more and eat at this deficit with enough protein.
  • matthawthorneisamyth
    matthawthorneisamyth Posts: 196 Member
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    I think I know the answer to this question, but are you weighing and measuring your food every day?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,871 Member
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    One thing important about IIFYM philosophy is the "Y"...as in YOUR macros. There is no universal optimal macro ratio. IIFYM website is just capitalizing on the concept...they didn't invent it and like I said...there is no universal macro ratio. Macro ratios are largely important for performance...so YOUR macros are going to be geared towards your physical performance in sport, etc as well as providing for a more well balanced diet.

    For example, optimal macro ratios are going to be substantially different for a marathon runner vs a body builder. The "Y" is very important.

    I would also add that the only difference between the TDEE method and MFP method is where you account for your exercise...if you're having issues, it's not the method that is causing them.
  • Geekyfatgirl
    Geekyfatgirl Posts: 164 Member
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    I think I know the answer to this question, but are you weighing and measuring your food every day?

    yes. I have a scale in which I weigh my meats and veggies on as well as a measuring cup and table spoons. The only time I have to guess is when I eat at relatives. They don't measure, they just cook and serve so I eat in smaller portions. Some things are hard to measure out like olive oil if you use it to fry your food. During those points I'm not sure what to put since I don't devour every last drop of it. But for the most part as of a few weeks ago I got a scale to measure out portions.
  • Geekyfatgirl
    Geekyfatgirl Posts: 164 Member
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    One thing important about IIFYM philosophy is the "Y"...as in YOUR macros. There is no universal optimal macro ratio. IIFYM website is just capitalizing on the concept...they didn't invent it and like I said...there is no universal macro ratio. Macro ratios are largely important for performance...so YOUR macros are going to be geared towards your physical performance in sport, etc as well as providing for a more well balanced diet.

    For example, optimal macro ratios are going to be substantially different for a marathon runner vs a body builder. The "Y" is very important.

    I would also add that the only difference between the TDEE method and MFP method is where you account for your exercise...if you're having issues, it's not the method that is causing them.

    True. I guess when it comes to me I just don't know what will work best for me personally. I'm eating too much or too little or not enough protein too many carbs. This is where I think I just fail at understanding.

    true TDEE I tend to not eat back calories and the map method wants you to. I'm just n
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    I think I know the answer to this question, but are you weighing and measuring your food every day?

    yes. I have a scale in which I weigh my meats and veggies on as well as a measuring cup and table spoons. The only time I have to guess is when I eat at relatives. They don't measure, they just cook and serve so I eat in smaller portions. Some things are hard to measure out like olive oil if you use it to fry your food. During those points I'm not sure what to put since I don't devour every last drop of it. But for the most part as of a few weeks ago I got a scale to measure out portions.
    Easiest way I found for weighing oil is to weigh the bottle before and after use...
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    The information presented on www.IIFYM.com is NOT the only way to "do" IIFYM. IIFYM is basically just "flexible" dieting. You set your macro and calorie goals then eat what you want in order to hit those. There are many ways to set those goals. I find www.IIFYM.com to be pretty high on their protein recommendations.

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