Dieting vs Flexable dieting

filbo132 wrote: »

LucasWilland wrote: »

People misunderstand what flexible dieting is. They think that is an excuse to fit as much junk food as you want because it fits into your macros. That's not the point at all. IIFYM highlights the importance of being in a calorie deficit for fat loss regardless of the foods that one chooses to achieve this deficit. People have lost weight on a 50% ice cream diet, on a junk food and twinkies only diet, Potato diet, Taco Bell diet, a Pizza diet, etc.. a bodybuilder even got into contest shape by doing an all McDonald's diet.

The point in being flexible is that a flexible diet should also include a flexible lifestyle. You shouldn't freak out over having some cake and ice cream with friends because it put you over your macros. You can simply adjust the next day by subtracting 300 calories out of your diet-- It means not assuming that you are destined to waste away into a skeleton because you failed to consume your protein right after training, while realizing that total daily protein intake is the most important.

That's what flexible dieting is to me: not some BS excuse to fit as many Snicker bars into your diet as you can just because it fits your macros.

You're wrong about the definition of IIFYM, even the creator of the IIFYM website says that IIFYM shouldn't be an excuse just to eat junk food. His point was to say that you can add treat here or there if you want, but he highly recommends to get micronutrients too.

You must have misunderstood me. I did illustrate the importance of micronutrients in a diet. I DO NOT believe that IIFYM is an excuse to fit as much junk in as possible, but that is what the average laymen or women thinks it is. Also, I think it is entirely possible for a flexible diet to become too inflexible. If flexible dieting is weighing every last thing you eat and tracking it for the rest of your life, you are doing it wrong. It's no longer flexible, see.

ITT I learned flexible doesn't mean flexible.

I think the problem here is the OP posted a really ambiguous question then bailed so we can't get any clarification on the meaning. It does sound like they were using IIFYM as synonymous with "flexible dieting" with the way the question was worded ("ratio" is often used as in "macro ratio"), but it's unclear what is meant by just "diet". I'm guessing CICO (as in "I'm using the CICO diet to lose weight") since people so often misunderstand the difference between calories in vs calories out and a way of eating (IIFYM or HCLF or Keto or a multitude of other approaches to achieve a CICO balance). Frustrating.

edited to close parens cause ima dork...

rollerjog wrote: »

i think some people are over thinking the question, i already know what regular dieting is and flexable dieting is , i just wanted to know what other people think about it, if one worked better than the other, and what one they like the best , ,also what ratio are they using, what i mean by that is with flexable dieting some people use 80% to 90% of the calories they take in a day from natural type foods, the other 10% to 20% of food is junk food or process food, thats all im asking , its kinda like the ford vs chevy thing

Welcome back

I don't worry about whether my food is "natural" or what? unatural? I eat a lot of processed food, some fresh, and focus mainly on protein at this point. I eat within my calorie allowance most of the time, eat back a few of my exercise calories, and have lost 30 lbs over the last year. This is what works for me - other strategies will work for other people.

rollerjog wrote: »

i think some people are over thinking the question, i already know what regular dieting is and flexable dieting is , i just wanted to know what other people think about it, if one worked better than the other, and what one they like the best , ,also what ratio are they using, what i mean by that is with flexable dieting some people use 80% to 90% of the calories they take in a day from natural type foods, the other 10% to 20% of food is junk food or process food, thats all im asking , its kinda like the ford vs chevy thing

Do you mean "eating clean" compared to "eat whatever you want"?

Because my idea of "dieting" is eating some special diet to lose weight, which you will stop eating once you hit goal, like jenny craig, or atkins, or getting light butter and no fat dairy.

And my idea of "flexible dieting" is not worrying so much about what you eat, just hitting your calorie goal.

But I don't think that's what you mean?

I pay no attention to whether my food fits some fancy definition, I guess you could say I eat about 50% whole food and 50% processed if I had to guess. I just eat what I like that fills me up for the right amount of calories. <shrug>

rollerjog wrote: »

i think some people are over thinking the question, i already know what regular dieting is and flexable dieting is

The problem is that WE don't have a clue what you meant by it or thinks they mean. I believe I know what flexible dieting is (and explained above), but regular dieting includes a huge variety of things, including flexible dieting, so how do I compare and contrast them. What do you think the two things are?

what ratio are they using, what i mean by that is with flexable dieting some people use 80% to 90% of the calories they take in a day from natural type foods, the other 10% to 20% of food is junk food or process food, thats all im asking , its kinda like the ford vs chevy thing

I think a lot of processed foods are quite nutrient dense, like plain greek yogurt, cottage cheese, smoked salmon, canned tomatoes, dried pasta, canned beans. I wouldn't call any of these things junk food.

I don't think a percentage (by what, calories or volume) makes sense for how much "extras" I'd eat in a day. Mostly I focus on mostly eating nutrient dense foods and getting in what I need/like to have: my protein goal, healthy sources of fat, lots of vegetables (at all meals), some legumes or whole grains, some fruit. With my calorie allowance I also add extras to meals just for taste (fattier cuts of meat, cheese, olive oil, maybe refined grains, or a restaurant meal (usually nutrient dense but higher cal than anything I'd make at home), and/or have a dessert (a little something besides a meal just for fun). A dessert in my mind is not only sweet and would include something like some after-dinner cheese.