IIFYMWR – If It Fits Your Macros WITHIN REASON
The IIFYM program has exploded in popularity over the past few years. It’s a wonderful theory, and many people have success with it.
Below are some plus’s and minus’s of the IIFYM program
POSITIVES:
You can eat whatever the heck you want so long as the protein/carbs/fat add up correctly
It’s WAY more fun than eating clean
You CAN lose weight/gain muscle using this program
NEGATIVES:
The program does not discriminate between healthy, nutritious foods and micro-nutrient void foods
Protein quality varies widely from animal sources to non-animal sources. Many plant proteins are incomplete, and not conducive to muscle building.
Glycemic index variations among carb sources can drastically effect insulin and hormone release, as well as impact leptin levels and psychological cravings.
Many fat and carb sources quell inflammation, while many others are highly inflammation inducing. Eating inflammatory foods don’t digest as well and delay recovery, dampen muscle building and prevent weight loss.
Unchecked IIFYM program that literally includes anything that fits your macros may yield progress, but you won’t ever be the best possible. As an alternative, this compiled comprehensive list of food choices and prep instructions gives you dozens of food choices, however limits itself to those foods which are micro-nutrient rich and limit inflammation and poor digestibility. This is the exact list I provide all my clients, with the only caveat being that they let me know which selections they choose. The primary reason for this is to prevent over-redundancy. For instance, lean beef is 100% ok to eat, but eating lean beef 6 times per day may have adverse effects due to lack of variety.
