How to Use IIFYM to Calculate Macros Instead of Looping Calories
“I lost 20 pounds and ate whatever I wanted!” This siren signal attracts thousands of people to a nutritional approach known as “If it suits your macros” or IIFYM. What started out as a way for bodybuilders to lose weight before competition has become popular in the fitness community and beyond. If freedom of choice is important to you, this might be fine. But first, free yourself from the misconception that waffle fries are paved the way for abs. It is not so easy.
There are three macronutrients or macros: protein, fat, and carbohydrates. In the IIFYM approach, you count them, not calories. (Alcohol is the fourth macronutrient, but that is not included in the program. Unfortunately.) You are probably more familiar with what nutritionists call micro – nutrients, which are various vitamins and minerals. You need micronutrients in small amounts, while large amounts of macronutrients make up the bulk of our food. And we need all three – even fats.
Your body metabolizes each of the macros differently, hence the idea of calibrating the amount of each one to hopefully burn more fat and build more muscle. Your program – what one site calls your “Custom Macrocopter” – can be calculated based on your gender, age, height, weight, muscle mass, energy level, and goals. This determines how many grams of carbs, protein, and fat you need to eat each day to meet your goals.
Let’s say your daily macros are 90 grams of protein, 140 grams of carbs, and 60 grams of fat. You can choose which foods are there as long as they match your macros. (This is also known as the “flexible diet.”) For example, you can meet your protein needs with steak, urad dal, fried beans, hummus, cheese — just about any amino acid food you like. IIFYM can be a useful way to give people the autonomy they need to achieve their nutritional goals, says nutrition coach and coach Amanda Chiebe . “The lifting of food restrictions adds an element of lightness that we all appreciate as we juggle our hectic lifestyles. Being able to choose their preferred meals also helps people stick to a plan. ” So, you can be vegan, paleo, gluten free, or avocado obsessed; whatever you eat, there is a way to make it fit. Almost.
“This plan is often misunderstood when we see people filling their daily intake with unhealthy food,” says Chiebe. You may have heard that you can eat whatever you want! on IIFYM, but embedding Krispy Kremes in your macros is not the best strategy. “To be successful with this protocol, stick to whole, nutrient-rich foods most of the time, with little freedom from treats.”
“Filling macros with pizza and cookies is not a lifestyle goal,” says Sandra MacDonald, head coach at CrossFit Westchester. She leads clients through the IIFYM program and says freedom can be one of the biggest challenges people face.
“I like to give my clients a structure first so they have an idea of what foods they should eat in order to reach their targets,” says MacDonald. “I also give them a list of the best foods to fill their macros with so they don’t overlook micronutrients .” Keep in mind that IIFYM started out as a weight management tool. For optimal overall health, you also need a wide variety of micronutrients. So it’s helpful to work with a coach or dietitian to help you decide what to eat, McDonald said.
Another challenge is getting in the habit of keeping a close eye on your macros. “IIFYM requires an element of due diligence to understand what your exact macros are,” says Chiebe. “It will take weeks of weighing and measuring to figure out portions of food, which is not always possible with your eyes alone.” This precision is the key to getting the results you want, she says. “There is definitely a learning curve to figure out how much to eat to actually hit the target for the day,” McDonald agrees, although she says she tells customers to shoot with 85% accuracy.
However, MacDonald says that once you start participating in the program, you can live more or less normally. For example, you can still eat out. But she recommends checking the menu ahead of time, deciding what to order, and then planning the rest of the meal for that day.
Another thing to keep in mind is that many IIFYM plans prioritize protein over carbs, and consuming more protein can help many people feel more satisfied after a meal. But while a high protein diet will help athletes build muscle, a 2016 study shows that it won’t help inactive adults maintain (let alone build) muscle mass . So, if that’s your goal, plan some strength training as well.
It works? Well, we don’t yet have enough peer-reviewed replicated studies to prove that IIFYM helps people lose weight and maintain it. We have a ton of research showing that short-term diets do not lead to long-term results, no matter what the diet is. Have you noticed that McDonald treated IIFYM as a lifestyle rather than a diet? This is an important distinction. If you are looking for a meal plan that will help you eat healthy foods in the amount most suitable for you, this may be right for you. People tend to do well any time they pay more attention to what they eat.