You’ve probably heard many diet slogans to date: The Paleo, The Atkins, Slimfast…There’s a new kid on the block slowly taking over the fitness & food culture with the cheekiest of acronyms, IIFYM.
What is IIFYM?
A flexible diet catering for an individual’s macronutrient needs and fulfilling the rest of the day’s calorie goals with whatever tickles your fancy, as long as it fits your macros of course. IIFYM throws out all the conventional rules of popular diets that promote strict eating and failing to adhere to the rules will result in failure. Instead of following a stringent scheduled eating regimen, this program sets a few guidelines which centres on the consumption of macronutrients which is needed by the body in various quantities depending on your goals, fitness program, age, sex, metabolism & many other factors. Macronutrients are your proteins, carbohydrates, fibre and good fats which are all aligned to help you achieve a nutrient-dense eating plan.
How does it work?
IIFYM calculates your fat loss or gain by accessing age, height, weight and sex to determine your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). The addition of your daily activity levels will then calculate your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), which you can either subtract (to lose weight) 300-500 calories to burn fat or add 300-500 calories to build muscle. It is fairly simple: Calories in vs Calories out. A good macro calculator can be found here and will even work out the protein-carb-fat-fibre ratios for you. With the help of a food diary like My Fitness Pal will help you keep track of your daily food and water consumption as well as give you an idea of all the nutritional information of each item. The site also has some well known South African brands that you can search for to add to your journal. In the beginning it may seem a tedious task to document everything that goes into your mouth, but over time you will become well acquainted with the quantities and ratios you will need to consume in order to fulfil your daily macro intake. IIFYM encourages playing around with various food options in order to customise your own meals .
This does not mean eating junk 24/7 will help you get in shape
The quick assumption is to think that fast foods and cake will help you get to your body shape goals, think again. The principles of lean body building still exist which requires lean proteins, fresh fruit & vegetables, fibre, healthy fats and then topping the rest of your calories with good old fashioned carbs! If there’s enough room for your colleague’s baby shower cake, then this flexible diet will not judge you. Filling all your calories with junk food will result in your body feeling heavy & weighed down which will affect your fitness levels significantly.
What are the benefits?
Psychologically, it gives the individual the freedom of choice and the wretched moment you’re told you’re not allowed to have something; you instantly want it more. Feeling deprived can cause binges and some ill-fated FOMO. No one wants to be that ‘guy’ at the birthday party table looking like a glossy-eyed puppy drooling over the treats displayed out in front of them. A good IIFYM plan can help you achieve your fat loss goals and still be able to enjoy the little treats in life.
My experience
Having lost most of my weight with only about 2kg to go until goal. Let me tell you this, it is not easy getting to that magic number while still building muscle, essentially because muscle weighs more than fat and when you purely focus on a diet-based weight loss program, you mainly lose muscle mass. Therefore I did not intend on losing actual kilograms but rather focused on trimming the excess fat and toning. I ate clean for weeks focusing solely on good nutritious foods while cutting my carbs to around 10% (because even vegetables have a carbohydrate ratio) and I couldn’t see much improvement until I noticed my friend’s Instagram posts. She looked absolutely amazing with a six pack to match. She mentioned IIFYM to me and I was inundated with the amount of information and testimonials available on the net. By the sounds of things, this was the most suitable diet for me as it allowed me to feel unrestrained by my love for ice cream and sweet treats. Also this is something I can adopt long term, right into future years to come.
I got all the superfoods I needed and started the above programme and tried my best to get my macro ratios correct (1 month in, and I am yet to get it spot on). Within TWO weeks I saw an incredible improvement! I could see my tummy flattening, including the dreaded kangaroo pouch I have been trying to fight off for most of the year! Not only did I lose an amazing 6cm off my waistline but also noticed the development of my much yearned for abdominal and oblique muscles. I was truly amazed. This diet coupled with a stringent exercise regime helped me achieve the results I was looking for especially I am such an impatient person and want to see results as quickly as yesterday.
My body transformation changed perceptions around me and amongst my friend circle. I have about 3 friends currently following IIFYM and their results are beyond amazing. I will draw up a separate article highlighting their progress over the upcoming weeks just to showcase the tremendous impact this diet can have if you set your mind to it.
If you have any experience with IIFYM please share your story and it can be featured in the next update.