The rise of IIFYM and Pop-Tarts—kiss those micronutrients goodbye

This is one of the more fun topics I like to discuss with individuals because people seem to hold steadfast to their opinion no matter how much evidence opposes their stance (and I love heated debates). If you’re not familiar with what the heck IIFYM is, it’s a way of dieting based on the idea that macronutrients and calorie intake are the primary concerns, not the actual ingredient content of foods or other factors.

Much to the chagrin of believers in “clean eating”, the IIFYM mantra has, for whatever reason, led to many gym-goers eating more Pop-Tarts (and I’m sure Kelloggs is loving this).* I’ve done my fair share of writing on the dichotomy of*“clean” and “dirty” foods, and from a practical point of view it is safe to say that the vast majority of foods/ingredients are fine to eat in some capacity (this is to say that few foods/ingredients are unanimously unhealthy or “dirty”).

A major oversight of many people who jump on the IIFYM bandwagon is the lack of micronutrient-dense foods and fiber in their diet. As was noted in habit #2 above, foods are much more than just their calorie and macronutrient content and to overlook the necessity of dietary fiber and micronutrients in one’s diet is not likely to be a healthy way of eating. Another oversight is people who rely heavily on simple sugar and take in large amounts of trans-fatty acids and still think they’re “hitting their macros”.

Moreover, don’t forget the fact that as people age their metabolic rate slows (and they often live a more sedentary life) thereby decreasing the room in their diet for calorie-dense foods like Pop-Tarts. Things you can “get away with” diet-wise, so to speak, when you’re a teenager will likely take a toll on you in your later years. I had a lot of friends in our adolescent years who would chug pop, eat pizza and ice cream and all that good stuff but yet they remained lean; a few of those people have maintained those dieting habits over the years and now they’re rather chubby (and only in their mid 20s).

Now, I should be clear here that IIFYM is actually about as sane of a way of eating as there is, because it’s based on simplicity, it’s rational and it’s highly practical. My main concerns with IIFYM are threefold: people forgetting the importance of micronutrients, people not eating sufficient dietary fiber, and lastly people lacking self control to enjoy just a moderate amounts of foods they enjoy and instead end up binging.

The bottom line

IIFYM is not an excuse to disregard the importance of micronutrients and fiber as well as avoiding exorbitant amounts of sugars and trans-fatty acids. If you’re a health-oriented bro looking to get those chiseled abs for the beach babes, then it’s highly unlikely that you will be meeting your macronutrient and micronutrient quotas by subsisting on Pop-Tarts and protein shakes.

That being said, macronutrients and calories are indeed the major determinants of how your body will hold weight and how you will perform, so IIFYM makes plenty of sense in that regard. Just don’t forget the importance of eating nutrient-dense foods and having some variety in your diet. There is no reason you can’t achieve your physique and performance goals while also enjoying the foods you like, just exercise moderation; a slice of pie won’t break you, but a whole pie probably will

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