Everything You Need To Know About the IIFYM Diet

One thing every dieter agrees on is the fact that sticking to a diet is difficult. Restricting yourself and not eating stuff you love and enjoy isn’t always easy, and most times, people pray for a more flexible diet. Well, IIFYM, which stands for If It Fits Your Macros, might just be the answer to all their prayers. This flexible diet plan helps people lose weight without having to starve themselves of treats and other food items. So, what is the IIFYM Diet, and does it actually work? Read on to know more about the diet, its benefits, and whether it will help you shed those last few pounds!

What is the IIFYM Diet?

If It Fits Your Macros is a flexible diet plan that focuses on macronutrients, rather than calories. Therefore, instead of tracking your calorie intake, it measures how much protein, fat, and carbs your body is consuming every day. This allows for a lot more flexibility as all food groups can become a part of your diet, as long as they fit into your macro plan. So, how does this plan work?

 

How Does the IIFYM Diet Work?

Originally created by fitness expert Anthony Collova, the IIFYM Diet helps people frustrated with the restrictions that come with following traditional diets. Essentially, it provides a new spin on old dieting methods by focusing more on macronutrients than calories. Macronutrients are a group of 4 major nutrients that the body breaks down to release energy. They consist of:

• Protein (4 calories/gram)
• Carbohydrates (4 calories/gram)
• Fat (9 calories/ gram)
• Alcohol (7 calories/gram)

However, alcohol is not considered a part of the IIFYM diet. IIFYM can be used by people who want to lose or gain weight as it works not by tracking calories or eliminating food groups, but by managing what you eat.

 

How to Follow the IIFYM Diet

1. Calculating how much macros your body requires daily to meet your weight goals. You can use a macro calculator to do this or meet with a dietician or nutrition expert.
2. After you know precisely how much macros you need daily, create a meal plan that meets that requirement, and not exceed it.
3. Continuously track what you eat, and make sure you adhere to the original macro limit.
4. Adjust accordingly if you exceed or don’t get enough macros every day.
5. Also, you have the freedom to eat whatever you want, as long as it falls within the range of your macro limit, making it a lot more flexible than the strict calorie counting diets that are popular.

Calculating Your Macros

• You could use a free calculator from the IIFYM website, meet with an expert, or calculate your requirements manually. To do so here’s what you have to; 
• Find out how many calories your body requires when at rest. The basal metabolic rate usually depends on your age, height, weight, and sex. 
• Next, adjust the basal metabolic rate according to the level of exercise you do every day. This is done by multiplying your BMR with a factor that corresponds to your activity level.
• Once you have done that, adjust your calorie intake to reach your weight goal. Usually, you will have to reduce your consumption by about 15–25%. 

• Next, determine the number of macros required. Proteins should make up around 0.7 grams/pound, whereas fat intake can be around 0.2 grams/pound and the remaining by carbs.
• If you want to lose weight, you should focus on cutting back your carb intake and substituting it with a high-protein diet.

 

Foods To Eat On an IIFYM Diet

For Protein

1. Meat : Beef/ chicken/ lamb/ pork/ turkey
2. Dairy: Cheese/ milk/ whey protein/ yogurt
3. Poultry: Eggs
4. Legumes: Beans/ lentils/ peanuts/ chickpeas/ soy
5. Nuts and Seeds
6. Grains: Quinoa
7. Seafood: Fish/ shellfish/ Lobster/ Shrimp

For Fats

• Avocado
• Egg yolk
• Fatty Fish: Salmon/ sardines/ anchovies
• Dairy: Cheese/ cream/ whole milk/ yogurt/ Mayonnaise
• Nuts/ nut butters/ Seeds/ Flax
• Oils: Olive oil/ Nut Oils

 

For Carbs

1. Breads/ cereals/ baked goods
2. Beans/ lentils/ peanuts/ soy
3. Oats/ wheat/ barley/ rye/ rice
4. Bananas/ mangoes/ apples/ Potatoes/ Corn
5. Amaranth/ buckwheat/ millet/ wild rice

Though you can have anything, it is always better that you try to reach your goal through a healthy diet, full of fruits and veggies. Also, make sure you include protein-rich foods so that you don’t lose a lot of muscle. Take in 80% of your macros from whole foods, and the rest through fresh servings of fruits and veggies. While exercise isn’t mandatory, do some daily so that you tone your muscles and stay in shape.

Benefits of the IIFYM Diet

1. Serves as an eye-opening experience as it makes you focus on what you eat, rather than how much.
2. Works as a great educational tool for those who do not know about macronutrients and their importance.
3. It makes it easier to achieve your weight goals and body composition. 
4. Diets richer in protein, such as the IIFYM, help boost your metabolism and lose weight faster. 
5. Encourages the art of food tracking, which helps you be aware of what you put into your body.
6. Also helps people who want to gain weight, through systematic planning and tracking
7. Not restrictive at all as nothing is forbidden as such.
8. Teaches balance and helps people with binge-eating problems
9. Extremely flexible making it easier to stick to, which leads to weight loss and better health

Drawbacks of the IIFYM Diet

• The IIFYM might be less restrictive, but it is still a diet. Therefore, it might not work in the long run, as several studies have noted that diets lose their effectiveness with time.
• There are few coaches and trainers who have an innate understanding of how the diet works.
• It places no emphasis on micronutrients, which are very essential for the functioning of the body.
• It also might not be appropriate for everyone, as it does not address those with health conditions that require specific diets.
• Might trigger the practice of disordered eating in some people.

 

As you can see, the IIFYM is a flexible diet that encourages people to track what they eat, rather than how much. However, it requires someone to help you decide your macro portions so that you can get to your weight goal. Therefore, relying on experts might help you get to your weight goal faster, and this is where Modern Fit enters the picture. While the IIFYM diet works like an anti-diet that gives you freedom, experts from Modern Fit will help you stay on track. 

Our experts will help you evaluate your goals, curate the right diet plan for you, and help you stay fit by putting together the right workouts for you. If that isn’t enough, the Modern Fit blog is full of great tips and tricks which will give you all the information you need about the IIFYM diet, including great recipes and workout plans. You can get on track for a healthier, more active life using their instructional workouts or even meet with and work with their personal trainers for a more personalized experience. Whatever your weight loss or gain goals are, Modern Fit will help you achieve them efficiently and effectively. In case you have any queries, reach out to us through the comment section below, and we will be happy to help you out.