If It Fits Your Macros Approach (IIFYM)

[MD2B]

Does anyone else do this? As far as body composition goes I've found the source of food really matters very little and the quantity and macronutrient breakdown is what matters. I used to cautiously abide by the glycemic index and eat very strict and clean 24/7 and find I have the same results if I just setup my macro goals and make sure I hit them every day regardless of what I eat. I really got forced into this approach due to only having half my large intestine intact. I can only digest a fraction of the amount of fiber persons with a normally functioning GI tract can so I resort to white sugar and white bread sources for carbs. For example: if I eat more than one piece of fruit in a day I am up at night in severe pain as the food passes undigested down my track. I can eat one potato in a day and be fine. However, I can eat rice all day long and be fine so that was always my "go to" clean carb. I've been able to drop 30+ pounds of fat over three months this summer using the IIFYM approach although and maintain abdominal definition doing this currently.

Granted, it's likely not the healthiest approach but in order to hit your macro goals you really are forced to eat lean protein just to get enough in without going over your daily caloric intake. As far as carbs and fats go though....haha, way different story. It can definitely get out of hand if you substitute unhealthy foods in too often which is easy to do but I've had success using this method.

I know my situation due to my medical history is quite unique but has anyone else had experience with this? Thoughts?

[jpowell]

Never tried, but I'm not a fan of it either.

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[evander87]

If you get results then yay. I know I don't have the dedication or want to spend the time to figure out macros for all sorts of foods. I have a very simple diet and know how to eat to get my goals.

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[cherrydrpepper]

Nice results congrats. How far under your TDEE were you eating when you lost all that weight? I have not played with different carb sources enough to answer your original question. Your best source may be people who compete and start cutting 12 or more weeks out if they would be willing to say what they eat (brown rice, sweet potato etc).

[jpowell]

Man I got so held up on the iifym question..

I successfully cut with brown rice, basmati rice, oats, and yams.

I did this during my transformation.
As long as you in a deficit thas what matters.

Deficit and slow digesting carbs limited...
Meaning under your macro numbers.

But then again iifym u can eat anything.

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[MD2B]

I would say I eat likely 90% traditional bodybuilding foods because in order to actually hit those macro targets you really have to use lean sources of protein and low fat carb choices in order to hit your caloric intake goal. For example if you just took down a bag of chips for your carbs you would ingest way way way too much fat in the process and throw off your macros. So in a way it's self regulating. However you could also use low fat vanilla ice cream as a low fat source of carbs but that isn't quite as nutrient dense as perhaps a couple sweet potatoes... Overall it's a great system that works for me and I enjoy keeping meticulous track of my macro nutrients every day. Some people aren't wired that way and it would drive them nuts. Neither way is right or wrong in my opinion but I think the downfall of IIFYM that I was concerned about and wondering if anyone else had experience with is the tendency to substitute nutrient dense foods with crap.

Cherry:

As far as my caloric intake on the fat loss phase; I've actually lost 60lbs of fat in six months time during my initial transformation a few years ago. Basically you have to manage and manipulate three things: calories, carbohydrates, and cardio. You begin with a modest deficit and no to low cardio and as many carbs as you can get away with eating and still drop body fat reasonably (1-2lbs of body fat a week for me, 3 at the most usually at the beginning). There is a basement you do not want to go past as far as decreasing calories, this is where cardio manipulation comes in, when you do drop calories lower you make sure they come from carbohydrates.

For example last summer I started at 2,150kcals per day and zero cardio with a limit of 150g carbs per day (I do not tolerate carbs well, most can eat more carbs than that and lose fat efficiently but I cannot) with a carb reload via low fat ice cream every two weeks. I added in 30min cardio per day steady state during this phase.

Once I got below 15% body fat my metabolism slowed and progress halted. I dropped to 1850kcals taken from carbs and upped cardio 10min and increased carb reloads to once per week, again low fat ice cream.

Once I got to 10% body fat I was using 50min cardio daily at 1850kcals still and plateaued again. I then dropped to 1650kcals and an hour of cardio per day and this was on top of lifting five times a week and got to 8% body fat with a carb reload once a week still.

I then dropped all cardio and kept calories at 1650kcals during week one, week two I upped to 1850 no cardio, week three 2150 no cardio, week four 2350, and week five 2550 which is my maintenance and no cardio.

By this time I had successfully achieved 8% body fat and had slowly re-established my initial metabolism.

[jpowell]

I would say I eat likely 90% traditional bodybuilding foods because in order to actually hit those macro targets you really have to use lean sources of protein and low fat carb choices in order to hit your caloric intake goal. For example if you just took down a bag of chips for your carbs you would ingest way way way too much fat in the process and throw off your macros. So in a way it's self regulating. However you could also use low fat vanilla ice cream as a low fat source of carbs but that isn't quite as nutrient dense as perhaps a couple sweet potatoes... Overall it's a great system that works for me and I enjoy keeping meticulous track of my macro nutrients every day. Some people aren't wired that way and it would drive them nuts. Neither way is right or wrong in my opinion but I think the downfall of IIFYM that I was concerned about and wondering if anyone else had experience with is the tendency to substitute nutrient dense foods with crap..

this soley what i focused on in the beg when i ansed. you i know some guys who lived this diet to a t---eating things like snack cakes, honey buns, pop tarts, candy---pretty much everything that we wodnt eat to get lean.
but as long as they stayed under their macro numbers it all worked out for them.

me, im more traditional. i need to have my diet mapped out and numbers need to be met, meeting this on a consistent basis. consistent foods, its just easier i.m.o.

[digsy1983]

would insulin sensitivity and also BF% not play a roll in this to an extent?

ive found sticking to complex carbs and lean protein sources easier to follow then if i add simple sugars and fatty sources of protein, after the cravings go for sugary foods and fatty protein go i find the complex carbs taste a whole lot better and the sugary stuff tastes too sweet.

OP, i know you metioned your medical condition, you just spiked my interest with the general IIFYM point.

[MD2B]

I can tell you when I did carb cycling and didn't keep track of total calories but just high, moderate, and low carb days with a list of acceptable foods I likely ate much healthier in general. I guess like all things it's just a matter of being self aware and disciplined enough to make healthy choices.

this soley what i focused on in the beg when i ansed. you i know some guys who lived this diet to a t---eating things like snack cakes, honey buns, pop tarts, candy---pretty much everything that we wodnt eat to get lean.
but as long as they stayed under their macro numbers it all worked out for them.

me, im more traditional. i need to have my diet mapped out and numbers need to be met, meeting this on a consistent basis. consistent foods, its just easier i.m.o.

[MD2B]

I think insulin sensitivity and body fat percentage definitely play a role but more in terms of the quantity of carbohydrates and less in terms of the source unless you're simply eating the carb all by itself with a glass of water or something. Whenever you pair it with fats or protein the absorption rate changes dramatically which changes the impact on the secretion of insulin.

You make a great point though, eating foods more rich in nutrients and fiber create much more satiety and thus sanity and diet sustainability. Not many can drink sodas and eat ice cream for all their carbs and then feel full and satisfied...especially on a low carb diet, you'd be incredibly hungry all the time. Sticking to the higher nutrient dense foods and higher fiber foods is optimal imo but luckily for me I found when I switched to mostly white breads and high sugary foods in order to at least get over 100g of carbs a day it made no impact on my body composition. Luckily I discovered rice and bananas however, especially rice, it would appear is broken down more easily which works for me. A guy just gets tired of eating rice 5-6 times a day every day for life.

would insulin sensitivity and also BF% not play a roll in this to an extent?

ive found sticking to complex carbs and lean protein sources easier to follow then if i add simple sugars and fatty sources of protein, after the cravings go for sugary foods and fatty protein go i find the complex carbs taste a whole lot better and the sugary stuff tastes too sweet.

OP, i know you metioned your medical condition, you just spiked my interest with the general IIFYM point.