If It Fits Your Macros Approach (IIFYM)

[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.

[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.