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eazy · #2 (**permalink**) 04-18-2013, 05:58 AM

So whether you’re a 24/7 clean eating “bro” or an IIFYM’er, you’ll still be following a pretty similar diet.The only real difference between the two is that proponents of IIFYM usually allow a small percentage of their total daily calories (typically 10-20%) to come from “junk foods” by fitting them into their daily totals. Whether they realize it or not, this is the only real disagreement between the “bros” and the IIFYM followers.For example, if your daily calorie intake was 3500, then 350-700 of those calories could be derived from any foods you want as long as they fit into your macronutrient totals. (This is really where the term “If It Fits Your Macros” is derived from)To give a specific example, if your daily carbohydrate intake was set at 325 grams, and 260 of those (80% of the total amount) is being derived from minimally refined, high fibers sources like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, blueberries and broccoli, the remaining 65 grams can be derived from any carb source you’d like.Whether it’s cookies, corn pops or frozen yogurt, the remaining 65 grams is totally up to you.When you really examine the issue closely, it’s pretty hard to argue that this would be counterproductive to your results in any noticeable way.A few reasons…Reason #1As I stated earlier, the body does not view your nutrient intake within the context of individual food items. There is no such thing as a food that is inherently “good” or “bad”; there is only a complete, overall diet that is “good” or “bad”.*Reason #210-20% only represents a small chunk of your overall diet. Having 80% of your food intake derived from high quality proteins, minimally refined carbs and healthy fats is easily enough to meet your fiber and micronutrient needs for the day.*Reason #3So-called “junk foods” still contain perfectly usable protein, carbohydrates, fats and even vitamins/minerals. It’s not that eating “junk foods” is bad; it’s that eating too many of them is usually bad.For example, you cannot possibly say that “cheeseburgers make you fat”. You can only say that “too many cheeseburgers makes you fat”. It's not the cheeseburger itself that is bad; it's the excessive quantity.Within the context of your entire diet, you could argue that the term “junk food” doesn’t even have any practical application when we’re dealing with a small number like 10-20%.*Reason #4Most traditional bodybuilders allow for a cheat day once a week anyway, and this has always been considered a perfectly acceptable practice. The only difference is that those following IIFYM typically consume a small amount of cheat foods every day as opposed to a large amount of cheat foods once a week.In actuality, having a full on cheat day once a week could be viewed as being potentially more harmful.* That’s because many people simply binge out without counting anything, while those who follow IIFYM track everything to make sure that they don’t exceed their daily calorie totals.*So when it all comes down to it, not only is IIFYM (or “flexible dieting” as it is referred to by some) NOT going to have any noticeable negative effects on your results, but it provides huge benefits.While everyone else revolves their day around tuna and broccoli, you can allot 10-20% of your calories to anything you want and still achieve the same results.It gives you a chance to actually enjoy your diet rather than slaving away to the same boring foods 24 hours a day while still achieving the same results.Actually, you’ll probably get even better results since this type of nutritional approach is a lot easier to stick with over the long haul.Sounds good right? It is, but let me make this clear:If you want to utilize this approach with success, you have to actually track your macros!This isn’t a free pass to start aimlessly shoving twinkies and donuts down your throat. The entire point of IIFYM is that you can consume these foods*if it fits your macros. If you aren’t tracking your diet then you’re missing the whole point.Some people point the finger at IIFYM’ers by saying that they’re lazy and lack discipline. If anything, IIFYM requires MORE work and discipline than a standard bodybuilding diet since you actually have to track the specific foods, calories and macronutrients that you’re consuming.But as long as you know what your daily needs are, what is in the foods you’re eating, and how they fit into your daily goals, IIFYM or “if it fits your macros” is a perfectly legit concept that you can employ to get into killer shape while enjoying your diet at the same time.