Building Muscle With Flexible Dieting

There’s a new trend gaining popularity among those wanting to cut fat & gain lean muscle & it’s called flexible dieting or IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) Basically it teaches you how to count macros in a way that will accomplish your goals. The best thing about flexible dieting is a person’s ability to eat whatever they want as long as it fits their prescribed set of macro amounts for the day.

l Carbs are fine.

l Fat is fine.

l Sugar is allowed.

l Even fast food can be eaten.

Here’s how the whole thing works. Flexible Dieting / IIFYM Guidelines. We all have heard the saying that if you want to lose weight you have to eat fewer calories than your body requires & if you want to gain weight, you have to eat more calories & carbs than your body requires. Some prescribe a set daily calorie goal others say to simply cut out carbs & others say to eliminate fat from your diet. While all these methods can help you reduce calories they neglect to account for individual differences and establish how much energy the individual actually needs during 24 hours.
 
However flexible dieting starts by using a much more scientific approach. (Here’s a great resource for understanding the philosophy behind flexible dieting. Before any eating plan is established the person’s (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is established. This is simply the combination of one’s (Resting Energy Expenditure or BMR) & a person’s movement. A person’s movement can range from sedentary (normal daily activities) to extremely active & everywhere in between. You then calculate what kind of calorie deficit you need to be to accomplish.

You then calculate what kind of calorie deficit or surplus you need to be to accomplish your fat loss or lean muscle-building goals. This ranges from -20% to +20% of your maintenance total daily energy expenditure. 

Once the Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is determined, macronutrients (macros) are then calculated in a way that helps a person best reach his/her desired goal. There are three main macronutrients in all the foods you eat & they supply varying amounts of energy.

l Protein: 4 calories per gram

l Carbohydrates: 4 calories per gram

l Fats: 9 calories per gram.

Alcohol also supplies calories at 7 per gram. Once you have your TDEE and macros calculated, you then begin tracking what you eat.

Counting Macros in the Food You Eat:

If there’s a downside to flexible dieting, it’s the necessity of tracking all the food you eat. Since this is a very scientific approach, keeping track of the exact macros you are eating throughout the day is crucial. These are both good options & soon the whole process is pretty fast once your common foods & meals are in your food log. You just eat foods as you normally would and keep eating until you hit each of your macro goals. Sometimes you may have hit your fat & Protein goal but still have carbs left. When this happens you eat food that is almost purely carbs like fruit.

Does IIFYM Mean I Can Eat Junk Food?

Yes, you can eat junk food or anything as long as it fits your macros but your goal should also be better health. The majority of your macros should be met with nutritious whole foods but allow yourself some treats each day. Completely cutting out treats & food you love usually leads to feelings of deprivation & eventually binge eating. Satisfying your cravings for foods like French fries, pizza, and potato chips from time to time can prevent you from overeating these foods after a long period of restricting them from your diet.

Does Flexible Dieting Work?

This is the most important thing, right? Flexible dieting is just as effective as any diet plan but is a lot more sustainable long-term because there aren’t food restrictions, extremely low-calorie requirements, or the need for special/expensive supplements.