Tuesday, May 28, 2013

IIFYM: My Thoughts

If you follow me on my instagram then you probably saw this post the other day:
Saw this post by @shreddedbyscience and it really opened my eyes tonight - I asked myself that [above question] and the answer was "no". The past few weeks I've been searching for the "perfect" foods to have in my diet to reach my goals - and in all honesty I'm tired. Tired of trying to find what works for everyone else and apply it to myself. Time to stop over thinking it. If you don't enjoy the changes, how the HECK you gonna stay in it for life, lose the fat, and keep the fat off? It has to be ENJOYABLE. This was a good slap in the face for me. No restrictions. Just go with the flow and let the chips fall where they may! Oh trust I'm still going to be healthy, but no low carb low fat low cal zero this blah blah that. NOPE.  FOOD IS THERE TO FUEL ME AND KEEP ME ALIVE, NOT there to make me obsess over every little thing, constantly on the mind, Food will NOT control me!



But seriously, IT'S SO TRUE!
How do you expect a maintainable lifestyle once you reach your "goal" if you can't see yourself eating the same way 5 years from now?

No wonder I fell off the "clean eating" train! I was restricting WAYY too much, and every little food off plan or that deviated from the "Safe" foods made me go crazy, and hence, the BINGES started.

I had let myself slip and slip ever since around October when I fell into the habit of binge eating/eat strict clean/binge eating again. It was horrible, I didn't know what to do, I had moments of STOP WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU'RE MAKING IT HARDER FOR YOURSELF TO GET BACK ON TRACK! And then moments of "eh you already ate that, might as well finish the damn box" uck Horriddddd I know!

Currently "trying" to gain this lifestyle back under control, one day at a time. Get to a healthier weight and body fat. But it IS harder after yo-yoing a bit - set point seems to be perfectly content at where it is now! But that DOES NOT MEAN I'm going to quit.

Watch this video by Layne Norton about IIFYM vs Clean eating - what he said about the connection of binges to clean eating really hit home for me, because that's exactly what happened. 

As of Saturday May 18, I started IIFYM

IF IT FITS YOUR MACROS

and can I say I actually ENJOY IT!

Basically if it fits my macros, I can eat it.

NOW I KNOW IM GONNA GET LOTS OF HATE, but HEAR ME OUT. This doesn't mean I'm eating CRAP ALL DAY EVERY DAY.

I choose majority healthy foods, I'm eating MORE carbs than I was before, and I KNOW that I can fit in treats, although I haven't had anything too majorly unhealthy yet! I'm still keeping it around 85% CLEAN clean (no processed), 10% healthy (so those low carb tortillas and Ezekiel breads), and if I WANT TO I can do 5% not particularly healthy. So please DON'T judge me because I'm advocating "STOP EATING CLEAN AND JUST FIT YOUR MACROS", that's NOT what I'm saying!!!

It's about knowing WHAT you're putting into your body nutrient wise:
The proteins, fats, carbs, fiber

I feel like I can LIVE THIS LIFESTYLE. I can be social, attend events and not FREAK when I deviate from "the plan". Ever since I started iifym,
I have NOT BINGED
And I've enjoyed my food! Even though its still the majority, healthy!!!

It's just the MINDSET of iifym that I've fallen in Love <3 with!


I know I say I don't like counting calories because I don't want numbers controlling my life, but honestly, I don't feel like they are! I feel like I have FREEDOM in the foods I choose now! I kinda like plugging in the numbers, seeing what I can fit in here and there! Like if I wanted a treat, I could fit those in my macros just fine! And not feel the NEED to binge on them because I've had my fill for the day!

And honestly, again, IIFYM is NOT all about being able to stuff your face with donuts, cookies, poptarts, icecream, etc.

And my food choices aren't even BAD, but I feel like I'm enjoying them more! Weird huh?

Like I've been able to incorporate white rice, delicious delicious rice, without any weight gain!
And turns out I wasn't eating ENOUGH carbs, YAY! So I've been adding more HAPPILY to my foods.
 
I feel this way is DEFINITELY a maintainable lifestyle route for me. I don't feel deprived, I'm not binging anymore, I'm not feeeling guilty - it's great!

And maybe one day I won't even need the app anymore, and just be able to eyeball everything using my own kinda tuned in calorie/macro counter in my head haha!

This way, I can go out with my family and friends, eat at Outback or some other restaurant, and not feel GUILTY over every little thing.

I can have some M&Ms and not feel - "ah I already screwed up, EAT THE WHOLE BAG PLUS 5 MORE!" - NO! Because I've already fit them in my macros and there's no more room left to add more! But I'm ok with it because I finally feel SATISFIED, physically and mentally. I don't know... I guess before I could have stopped at 5 m&ms... but for some reason my mind felt... DEPRIVED. When I was strictly clean eating... I felt like whenever I deviated.. got off track... slipped up.. I saw it as an opportunity to just KEEP EATING BAD. Shake my head, so bad. How it psychologically messed me up. But now knowing how they fit into my macros, I'm not sure, something in my mind just SWITCHED. Like, I can STOP because they've fit and I don't want to go over my macros! It's really hard to explain, as you can see haha. All in all, it's changed my mind.

Like, 
"hey girl, after these 5, you're good! You don't need anymore" and I'm all, "Ok body! Thank you!" 

So YES those are my thoughts on this whole IIFYM thing, or "flexible dieting".
2 thumbs up from Josie!
I figured out my macros from IIFYM.com calculator! Also here are some articles on IIFYM in detail:

http://doyoueven.com/2013/01/iifympart1/
http://www.cutandjacked.com/Getting-Shredding-through-IIFYM-If-It-Fits-Your-Macros
I've been maintaining well so far, so we'll see how well iifym works in leaning me out!

I believe IIFYM will work SPECTACULARLY with either bulking or maintaining...

However if I REALLYYYYYY want to lean out, I'm wondering if I have to choose cleaner macros....
But I will be a guinea pig and see if I can do it!

<3 <3
Love you all!

Josie

15 comments :

  1. Do you have a my personal fitness account? I'm curious to see what your macros are I'm interested in IIfYm now :)

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  2. JOSIE! I love this! I have been a big "clean eater" in the last year but could never stick with it 100%-- always ended up giving in the "unclean" foods. I had anorexia for a year at 14 then BED for about 5+ years after that. I've been watching Layne Norton's videos (that guy is amazing!) and am taking a new approach. I am trying to raise my caloric intake slowly, and doing iifym instead of strict clean eating. I am eating way more carbs and I can tell my energy levels have been going up! It's awesome! So glad I came across your blog!

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    1. ah im glad things are looking up for you! i wish you alll the best in your journey! YOU'RE GOING TO DO GREAT!

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  3. Hi!

    I loved your article! I've been complating switching from clean eating to iifym. I've been working out 5 days a week and eating clean (occasional binge) for 3-4 months and I haven't really noticed a difference. I feel my body getting stronger from the fitness but I dont think my diet has helped at all. I was wondering if you had any advice about switching to iifym or measuring your macros?

    Thanks!

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    1. try it out if only for a few weeks! can't hurt anything!
      check out iifym.com they have lots of info about iifym lifestyle!

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  4. Hi Josie :) first of all I would like to thank you for the huge amount of motivation that I get from you almost everyday through instagram! I have been following a low carb/no carb diet for a year and then that's when my binge started afterwards.. I used to think about food almost all of the time and when I start eating chocolates or any junk food, it becomes really hard to stop until feeling uncomfortably full! However, I started now having some control over myself and sticking to healthy food, sometimes I face some slips but I'm trying to control them.. I started a couple of days ago iifym and I think it's working well helping me limit my food intake, however I have a question, sometimes I finish the day not exceeding my macros and there r some calories left BUT the amount of carb intake is more than protein, so for example I may have 48g of protein left in my macros but carbs 9g only.. Would this affect and hinge weight loss or actually cause weight gain or what? Should protein always exceed carbs or as long as iifym then it's fine and I can lose weight??? Given that by this I have some calories left in my diet plan and I'm just not hungry so this makes my calorie intake even less than how it should be? Thanks in advance for you reply :)) appreciate your support!

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    1. aw yay i'm glad that youre noticing changes mentally! <3
      it depends on if you're hitting your macro numbers!! try to hit them as close as possible. just eat more protein!!!!

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  5. Hey! This and your journey really inspires me to change to IIFYM. Ive gone from different strict diets depriving my body from everything it's now screaming for everything and im bingeing all the time eating "the whole package" and three more. Going from skinny to high bodyfat when all i want is fit and strong. Feels like your story is mine except i haven't found a solution. But if i count my macros on their website and fill in workout like 5-6 times a week. Then in the app when i count in the calories and macros should i minus for cardio i do so i can eat more or is it already counted in the macros in the calculator? Or should i count my rest-BMR-macros and then add what i loose from cardio or should i put it in in the calculator that i do cardio like 5-6times a week from the start? Do you understand?
    Im planning on changing to more gym less cardio but the food need to work first.
    Did it work just to up your carb- and fat-intake right away or did you gain at first?
    You inspire me so much and i'm so happy for you that this is working!! / starver/binger from sweden / Jenny 25

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    1. Hey girl! yeah it definitely sucks.. but its a journey! take it slowly and one day at a time and you'll be fine :] I just went straight to the macros given to me because I had been eating in surplus for so long due to binging!
      and I usually don't input my workouts into my fitness pal!

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  6. Hey Josie! So you said you use myfitnesspal, but you just disregard the calories and macro count that the app gives you and use the ones that iifym.com gave you? Like on the app for example it will say "133 carbs" but do you just ignore the number it gives you and use your own?

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    1. i just make sure my total daily macros are on track! :]

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  7. hey josie i start doing the iifym and i have a doubt about it cause i hitt my daily protein and cabs but some of my fat numbs are not complete so, can i pass the numbers or i have to eat the exactly amount, i just dont know how to do it

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