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Just starting out on IIFYM and need advice from someone with IIFYM experience!
wendy011597
Posts: 2 Member
I am just starting out on IIFYM after a couple of week's of reading about it from different bloggers and on websites. I was excited to start this program since it seems to be very doable and most have great success with it. However, I've entered my information on 3 different "IIFYM" calculators and have gotten 3 different sets of macros to meet. I expected some differences, but I am getting huge differences in the amounts. Can anyone tell me if the calculator on IIFYM.com should be the one I am using, or another website's?? I have a massive amount of weight to lose and would like to have the best information to begin with. Also, if you have any helpful tips for a newbie, please share. Thank you in advance for your help!
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wendy011597 wrote: »I am just starting out on IIFYM after a couple of week's of reading about it from different bloggers and on websites. I was excited to start this program since it seems to be very doable and most have great success with it. However, I've entered my information on 3 different "IIFYM" calculators and have gotten 3 different sets of macros to meet. I expected some differences, but I am getting huge differences in the amounts. Can anyone tell me if the calculator on IIFYM.com should be the one I am using, or another website's?? I have a massive amount of weight to lose and would like to have the best information to begin with. Also, if you have any helpful tips for a newbie, please share. Thank you in advance for your help!
I am not an expert by any means, but I have done some research and found what you have found. IIFYM.com gives me a huge amount of carbs that scares me shitless.I have also used
http://healthyeater.com/how-to-calculate-your-macros
I also suggest you take a look at the Eat More 2 Weigh Less group (EM2WL) here on MFP. I came across them about 3 weeks ago. They are similar with macro counting. The have a great website. I also have an ebook with a macro calculation if you would like to do the math on your own. GOOD LUCK!1 -
Thank you - I will check them out. Good Luck to you as well!0
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IIFYM.com and other websites aren't exact. Its just a starting point, but you'll have to figure out what works best for you. Don't be scared about the carb amount - caloric deficit will determine weight loss. Carbs don't stall weight loss. A good place to start is .86g of protein/lbs, .35g fat/lbs (maybe a little higher for women), then fill the rest in with carbs.
In all honesty though, focus on calories for weightloss, macros for body comp. If you have a lot of weight to lose, dialing in your macros isn't as important.0 -
on facebook there is a group iifym for women. There are a couple ladies who do your macros for you for a small fee ($25.00). They have a huge questionnaire and then create a macro set for you. Lots of women get great success from these ladies and you can find how to change your MFP settings to work with macros. I would look into that. iifym is awesome way to go! good luck!
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Heard about a book, "Thinner, Leaner Stronger" that explains every bit of this. He explains the "math" as being a starting point but also explains the difference in carbs, what carbs to eat before a workout, etc.,. What to do when you plateau, carb cycling, when to increase and decrease your macros. Still incredibly flexible but explains purpose. It's only $6.99 as a download from Amazon, but the focus and understanding it provides is incredible.2
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Thinner, Leaner, Stronger is spot on. It eliminates the mystery in setting macros. It also has a great resistance training guide. It's so good!0
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Also you can play around with your calories and macros to see what works for you. Try cutting (or adding!) 100 calories if after 3 or so weeks you don't see any changes. Also try adjusting your macros in 5-10% increments. I've used IIFYM and Scooby and tried to average between the two... But I usually just go with IIFYM.
My macros are set to 40% carbs, and 30% protein and fat. To someone coming from a low carb diet, the carbs may seem like a "high" amount but it should be filled with veggies, fruits, and whole wheat.0 -
Hi! I'm new here as well, but I didn't experience ahigh calculation of carbs with iifym calculator. In fact it was 105 grams, essentially only 25% of my daily. I was surprised how low actually.0
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My protein is 40%, and that's with rounding down. Coming from a vegetarian diet, this is a large amount of protein! I rarely hit it, but for weight loss, i know it doesn't matter, and weight loss is my main goal right now.
When the weight is gone, I'll have a more reasonable protein rec and it'll be easier to hit. It'll also matter more because my main focus will turn to strength.0 -
I used the IIFYM.com calculator, and I’ve lost eight pounds in two months, feel really full and can’t believe I’ve got results. It’s so, so much better than dieting.1
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If you want to understand why the huge variation in macros from various IIFYM calculators (I would...!), a good place to start is an email to customer service. They generally are responsive.0
This discussion has been closed.