If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM)

IIFYM is an approach you can take when it comes to losing or gaining weight. IIFYM might be a different approach than what you are used to hearing. Read more about macros here.

Most people associate dieting with clean eating and exercise. It has been proven many times that you do not have to exercise and eat healthy to lose weight. IIFYM gives you freedom to eat the food you love.

Say What?

You heard me right, wine, pizza, or ice cream = no problem. Here’s the caveat… you can eat whatever you want but you cannot overeat. Put yourself in a safe calorie deficit of 10-15% and make sure that you do not go over the amount of calories you are allowed to eat. So if your calorie deficit number is 1800 calories per day you can not go over this number.

Now I know what you are thinking, come on Erik, chicken, broccoli, and oatmeal should be the staple of anyone’s diet, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Not that this isn’t true, but for many people it is very difficult to sustain this type of eating regimen for the long run without having foods that they enjoy. And to be perfectly clear and honest, I would prefer people eat a fairly clean and balanced diet!

How IIFYM Works

So how does IIFYM work? If your goal is weight loss, you first need to figure out how many calories you have been eating each day. Track your calories for 3-4 days so you can see how many calories you average per day. Let’s say you average 2500 a day, take 10-15% off of 2500. This is the number you are going to subtract from 2500. 2250 or 2125 will be your new daily allowance in calories.

Now keep in mind this is the simplest form of cutting calories, there are many other factors that can be included in this:

workouts
activity level
basal metabolic rate

But if you are having issues losing weight, IIFYM is a great place to start without the hassle of changing what you eat. If you don’t believe me that you can lose weight with eating whatever you want, read about the Twinkie diet here.

Call me if you'd like help with your very own personalized nutrition plan 310.251.7420

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