IIFYM vs Clean Eating

If you lurk in any health/fitness forum or Instagram, you’ve surely seen pictures of incredibly fit people posting mouth-watering food pics of donuts & pizza with the hashtag #IIFYM and wondered, how the heck did they get that killer body eating THAT?

On these very same forums dwell another group of equally fit individuals who expound the words “Clean”, “Healthy”, “Wholesome” & “Organic”, turning their noses at any kind of processed and artificially enhanced foods.

Amusingly, these are the same people who spend hours bickering over whether avocado is good for you (some claim it has too much fat) or whether grains are a good source of carbs. 

So there you have it.

IIFYM vs Clean Eating.

Quality vs Quantity. 

Clean, wholesome foods vs detailed nutrient tracking.

Which eating plan is the best way to get you results, faster?

Are they mutually exclusive, or can you combine both approaches for a healthy and sustained way of life?

Let’s find out.

What is IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros), aka Flexible Dieting?

I would define it as the practice of tracking your daily intake of the holy trinity of macronutrients (Protein, Carbs & Fat), with the goal of hitting the prescribed targets. 

Every individual’s targets will vary according to his/her unique body composition and fitness goals.  

Now, here’s the part of IIFYM which makes it so appealing to so many people. 

According to its principles, as long as you hit these daily targets, you can eat whatever you like to get to your goals. 

So theoretically, you could eat nothing but Pizza & Coca Cola every day as long as you feed your body the macros it needs. Of course, the long term health benefits of such extreme eating can be disastrous.

So if you ate 3 slices of pizza for lunch, just deduct the Protein, Carb & Fat from your daily macronutrient presets. The rest of your meals for the day will likely come from cleaner sources like chicken breasts, vegetables – minus the sauce & condiments.

In short – you can eat whatever you please, as long if fits your macros.

Get it?

Benefits of IIFYM

In terms of dietary choices, anything goes.

IIFYM is not restrictive, giving you more flexibility than any other diet I know of.

Food cravings can be satisfied without worry.

Want to eat pizza? Love fast food? Can’t function without your daily Starbucks Mocha Venti? Program it into your macros and still get the body you’ve always dreamed of – as long as you fits your macro targets.

Who says you gotta eat dirty?

This isn’t a license to eat all the junk food in the world. If cupcakes and soda are not your thing (are you even human?), you can still track your macros and eat the very best in nutrient dense foods.

This is the best route to take for long term health and body composition.

Willpower is like a muscle. With IIFYM, you are less likely to succumb to cheat day binges, because you are not restricting your body from your favorite foods. 

Drawbacks of IIFYM

Precision all day, every day

With IIFYM, you will need to log every single thing you eat for maximum results, which can be a pain in the butt. To make life easier, many IIFYM devotees precook their meals for the week ahead. There are also apps out there to help you make the right choices. 

It can be detrimental to your social life

Many restaurants do not list macros on the menu, so it can be frustratingly difficult to track accordingly. Asian restaurants with their variety of cooking methods (kung pow chicken, anyone?), sauces and spices are the #1 enemy of a dedicated IIFYM-er.

The lack of variety

Ironically, sticking to a strict IIFYM diet can lead you to eat the same boring, easily-tracked foods all the time. Without adequate variety, you could deprive your body of a lot of vitamins, minerals and fiber that are essential for long term health. Make sure you eat lots of vegetables and fruits daily.

What Is Clean Eating?

Depends on who you ask.

Some health experts argue that goji berries, quinoa and kale can cause health complications. I’m sure you’ve heard the terrible things mentioned about gluten. It means something different to everyone, but here’s a general definition to keep things as simple as possible.

I would define clean eating as consuming healthy, fresh and nutrient dense foods for superior conditioning, optimized training and achieving that dream physique most people seek and desire.

Some examples of “can’t go wrong” foods include white meat like chicken, turkey breast & cod, egg whites, most vegetables, sweet potatoes, yams, oats, brown rice and certain nuts like almonds and walnuts. 

In general, clean eating enthusiasts shun processed foods (anything in a can ,box or package), sugar and artificially enhanced foods because of their insufficient nutrient value.

Benefits Of Clean Eating

In general, clean eating is good for your health. It’s also a diet that is widely accepted in medical circles so this is probably the safest and least controversial diet out there.

In most developed countries, it’s relatively easy to find clean foods / whole foods anywhere you go. Just steer clear of deep fried foods, foods you can’t identify and definitely avoid the French Fries.

Over the years, clean eating has gained a huge following and support from the mainstream media. It’s easily accessible, and you definitely don’t need a calculator or spreadsheet to keep track of your goals.

Drawbacks of Clean Eating

The major downside to clean eating is that its rules can be too strict for many people. As mentioned, willpower is a muscle, and any diet that significantly restricts certain foods is a disaster waiting to happen.

If you have a sweet tooth, it can be pure torture to stay on track for a sustained period of time. Of course, there’s the reason why cheat days were invented. Just make sure you don’t overindulge.

Another potentially big problem is the lack of a clear definition of clean eating. Because clean eaters themselves can’t agree on what is, and what is not clean food, there is no quantifiable data to determine how well it works, and how to make adjustments. 

FAQs

What is the origin of IIFYM?

Popularized by fitness enthusiast Anthony Collova in the mid-2000s, “If It Fits Your Macros” has become a widely accepted philosophy among health-conscious individuals. This concept entails that as long as your calorie intake and macronutrient breakdown are met, you can indulge in any food items – even those traditionally viewed as unhealthy or junk foods.

Should I track Calories or Macros?

You should decide if you want to track calories or macros based on your goals. Both are important parts of nutrition and weight management, but they are different.

If your goal is to lose weight, then you may find tracking how many calories you eat beneficial. You need to create a calorie deficit, which means that you burn more calories than you eat.

Tracking your calorie intake can help make sure that you are eating the right amount of calories for your goals.

On the other hand, if your goal is to improve body composition or athletic performance, then tracking macros may be more important.

Different macronutrient ratios can have different effects on the body, and tracking your macro intake can help you ensure that you’re consuming the appropriate balance of nutrients to support your goals.

For example, if you’re trying to build muscle, you may need to consume more protein than someone who is primarily focused on weight loss.

Ultimately, the best approach is to track both calories and macros to get a complete picture of your nutrition. By tracking both, you can ensure that you’re consuming the right balance of nutrients to support your goals while also monitoring your overall calorie intake.

How Do I track Macros vs Calories?

Macronutrients and calories are both critical elements of a healthy diet, yet their roles vary. While macros help you understand the types of foods you should be consuming to meet your nutritional requirements, counting calories gives insight into how much food is ideal for maintaining or achieving your weight goals.

Calories are a unit of energy that are used to measure the energy content of food.

Macronutrients, on the other hand, are the main components of food that provide energy and essential nutrients. The three macronutrients are protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

Each macronutrient provides a different amount of calories per gram:

• Protein: 4 calories per gram
• Carbohydrates: 4 calories per gram
• Fat: 9 calories per gram

By tracking your macronutrient intake, you can ensure that you’re consuming the right balance of nutrients to support your goals.

For example, a high-protein diet may be beneficial for building muscle, while a high-carbohydrate diet may be beneficial for endurance athletes.

Additionally, tracking your macronutrient intake can help you make informed food choices and ensure that you’re consuming a balanced diet.

Counting Macros is a must if you are:

• On a Low carb diet for your weight loss program
• Looking to gain muscle and lose fat at a steady and predictable rate
• On a Ketogenic Diet (keto diet) so you accidentally get out of ketosis

How many grams of Protein do I need to build muscle?

The exact amount grams of protein your body needs to build muscle is based on multiple variables, such as weight, composition, workout intensity and desired results.

Studies have indicated that a protein intake of 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram (or 0.73-1 gram per pound) of bodyweight each day may to be beneficial for muscle growth and repair processes.

For example, if your current body weight is 70 kilograms (154 pounds), you might aim to consume between 112 and 154 grams of protein per day. (this is to maintain your body weight. It will increase or decrease slightly if you are on a weight gain or weight loss program.

So what’s the final word?

IIFYM and clean eating have produced many success stories for both schools of thought. I can understand why both diet approach strongly defend their beliefs because of the great results they have enjoyed with their chosen methods.

For me personally, I find that both are not mutually exclusive, and combining the best of both worlds will get you the best results. For me, the answer is Clean IIFYM.

I find that when I ditch the calculator and just eat by instinct, I tend to overestimate my macros, resulting in a huge surplus of fat and calories. Things almost always happens when I’m super hungry after a killer workout.

Following my macro presets while eating clean foods works a lot better for me in terms of muscle recovery, aesthetics and overall energy to tackle the day ahead.

This flexible approach also allows me to enjoy my favorite foods. All I need to do is enter them into my trusty spreadsheet and plan my day around the post workout cheat meal and still fall within my targets.

At the same time, I don’t obsess over silly details like whether I should eat grains or incorporate kale and quinoa into my diet, as long as I practice moderation and eat sensibly.

The main takeaway here is to be flexible with your diet. Have fun on your fitness journey and understand that one bag of chips or ANY food for that matter will not damage your health or derail your path to a shredded physique.

Be open to other ideas and methods that could take your fitness and performance to the next level, whether it is IIFYM, clean eating, both or something completely different.