IIFYM-Flexible dieting

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Lukesta63

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Apr 10, 2005
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Anyone looked into this?
Ive done a bit of research and the basic premise is "calories in v calories out" .It pretty much poo-poo's protocols like IF,Paleo,Low Carb etc.
Personally ive been on IF since October and have had very good results with little effort,but if the only reason 'my' IF wrked is because I was in calorie deficit ...well then I didnt feel like i was dieting so I dont give a s**t.
In the end I still believe in the research done by guys like Berkhan,Pilon and Keifer
 

metcard99

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Sep 7, 2011
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Anyone looked into this?
Ive done a bit of research and the basic premise is "calories in v calories out" .It pretty much poo-poo's protocols like IF,Paleo,Low Carb etc.
Personally ive been on IF since October and have had very good results with little effort,but if the only reason 'my' IF wrked is because I was in calorie deficit ...well then I didnt feel like i was dieting so I dont give a s**t.
In the end I still believe in the research done by guys like Berkhan,Pilon and Keifer

The point about IF and being in calorie deficit is very important and so often missed. People on here rubbish the whole calorie in V calorie out approach to dieting and maintain that it is better to go with IF or consume HFLC, however if you're only eating 1-2 meals a day or excluding an entire food group (e.g. carbs) then it's more than likely that you'll be in calorie deficit.
At least for me, prior to summer when I combined having just an 8 hour eating window and going low carb, the total number of calories I consumed dropped by a fair amount. Losing about 3-4 kgs was the goal and I succeeded in doing that, however I don't think it would be right to state that it was mostly due to either of the three.
 

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Syphoncom

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Apr 6, 2010
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Anyone looked into this?
Ive done a bit of research and the basic premise is "calories in v calories out" .It pretty much poo-poo's protocols like IF,Paleo,Low Carb etc.
Personally ive been on IF since October and have had very good results with little effort,but if the only reason 'my' IF wrked is because I was in calorie deficit ...well then I didnt feel like i was dieting so I dont give a s**t.
In the end I still believe in the research done by guys like Berkhan,Pilon and Keifer

Wait, you don't feel like it was dieting only because you were in calorie deficit?

In regards to your last comment "In the end I still believe in the research done by guys like Berkhan,Pilon and Keifer", I'm not quite sure what this means.

Macronutrient breakdown will affect how your body responds. Not getting adequate protein in your diet (at a certain calorie intake) would reduce your muscle growth if it were all wasted calories (e.g. you ate 4000 calorie brioches and had nothing else all day).

But the main point of those 'diets' you're thinking about is just a gimmick of sorts to reduce your calorie intake.

IF is just a different way of reducing the amount you eat. Alternate day or Spartan IF does this. Yes there may be some other benefits (that are still medically debated), but there's no magic point of not eating here or there and getting shredded.

Same with low carb. Eating this way does two basic things.
1) You'll likely feel fuller eating less food. I can eat carbs all day long but if you handed me protein (meat, chicken, eggs etc) I'd have a harder time getting the same amount of calories in than if I had carbs.

2) You'll have less water retention. Which is probably irrelevant for most people over a longer period of time (you can lose that a number of ways or at the end of a dieting phase/change rather than make it a staple of your diet from the get-go).

I think it's a very reasonable to say for the vast majority of people, calorie counting and a basic understanding of protein requirements will net you the body composition you're after with enough work and sleep.
 
Oct 6, 2005
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on a journey through time and space
Anyone looked into this?
Ive done a bit of research and the basic premise is "calories in v calories out" .It pretty much poo-poo's protocols like IF,Paleo,Low Carb etc.
Personally ive been on IF since October and have had very good results with little effort,but if the only reason 'my' IF wrked is because I was in calorie deficit ...well then I didnt feel like i was dieting so I dont give a s**t.
In the end I still believe in the research done by guys like Berkhan,Pilon and Keifer
o_O Berkhan advocates a very IIFYM style of IF, not that I agree with everything he says but I don't see how IIFYM and leangains are mutually exclusive.
 

jacross

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Apr 29, 2006
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I use flexible dieting. People tend to interpret it in different ways but I think the best way to distill the premise is that there is no 'bad food' only 'bad diets'. In terms of the physiological effects of food, the nutritional breakdown of an individual item of consumed food isn't as important as the nutritional breakdown of the diet as a whole.

Thus the notion that one can eat poptarts as part of a healthy diet as long as it fits their overall desired nutritional goals. In order to do this with accuracy, one needs to track their food intake. It's suggested that people track their macros and aim to consume a reasonable amount of food that is micronutrient dense for health purposes.

One could combine flexible dieting with IF or low carb if they so desired. The principles behind paleo are probably incompatible with flexible dieting.

It's not just calories in v calories out because one sets macronutrient goals rather than simply calorie goals.
 

saj_21

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Aug 30, 2007
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I use flexible dieting. People tend to interpret it in different ways but I think the best way to distill the premise is that there is no 'bad food' only 'bad diets'. In terms of the physiological effects of food, the nutritional breakdown of an individual item of consumed food isn't as important as the nutritional breakdown of the diet as a whole.

Thus the notion that one can eat poptarts as part of a healthy diet as long as it fits their overall desired nutritional goals. In order to do this with accuracy, one needs to track their food intake. It's suggested that people track their macros and aim to consume a reasonable amount of food that is micronutrient dense for health purposes.

One could combine flexible dieting with IF or low carb if they so desired. The principles behind paleo are probably incompatible with flexible dieting.

It's not just calories in v calories out because one sets macronutrient goals rather than simply calorie goals.

I am glad you bumped this thread. If you are interested in flexible dieting, google layne norton's podcasts. He is a big advocate for it, and lies in the middle of IIFYM and clean eating.

Currently i am in a cutting phase and trying to lose body fat, during the week i will eat "clean" i say "clean" because it is really open to interpretation, how clean is clean? For me its low carb mon-thurs (carb up friday and saturday leading into footy), sticking to sweet potato as my only carb source during the week, green veggies and protein such as chicken, beef, kangaroo and maybe some fish. Also peanut butter and almonds (they really help with feeling full) Plenty will argue peanut butter is not a clean food, which i don't claim it to be but i eat it during my "clean" week.

Saturdays i will eat Oats, yoghurt and berries, once again many will argue oats aren't a clean food. Saturday nights will be a cheat meal, although lately i have been pretty strict and taking a felxibe dieting/IIFYM approach and eating some sushi, subway or the Sunrice ready made meals. Not clean at all, making sure i hit my macros and calorie intake, but its different food. May even include a donut, small amount of chocolate or ice cream.

Perfect example, sunday im going to the fooy. In the morning i will eat some egg whites with some meat and vegg. At the footy i will take 2 sushi rolls and a protein bar, eat a pie there, maybe a hot jam donut or two as well. I hit my macros and calorie intake. I stay sane for another week o_O
 

JuddsABlue

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Sep 17, 2009
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I dont really understand how IIFYM "allows people to eat whatever they want"

Unless they just use it as an excuse to ignore complex/processed carbs and fibre etc

Everybody in reality has been eating IIFYM forever havent they? X protein, X carbs and X fats, eat the foots that get you those macros, the same thing body builders have been doing since forever?
 

saj_21

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I dont really understand how IIFYM "allows people to eat whatever they want"

Unless they just use it as an excuse to ignore complex/processed carbs and fibre etc

Everybody in reality has been eating IIFYM forever havent they? X protein, X carbs and X fats, eat the foots that get you those macros, the same thing body builders have been doing since forever?

The difference between IIFYM and eating what you want is, people who follow IIFYM still hit there macros but from what ever food sources. For example hitting 200g of protein, 200g of carbs 100g of fats, but not fussed what food they eat, whilst people who eat whatever they want wont worry about anything at all. Others who follow flexible dieting may just have a day or a meal that follows IIFYM, and consume the rest of their macros for the week or day in particular from regular food sources such as fresh protein, veggies and carbs.

For me personally, i prefer to have a 'cheat' meal that's in line with IIFYM, maybe a footlong from subway, big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs etc the rest of the time i will eat protein, such as chicken breast, kangaroo etc with sweet potato/brown rice with broccoli and other veggies.
 

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