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What is it? -

Flexible dieting, also known as "If It Fits Your Macros" (IIFYM), is based on macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat), rather than specific foods you can and can't eat.

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Calories in vs calories out -

It still follows the principle of caloric expenditure to lose or gain weight. Example: to lose weight, you need to be on a caloric deficit.

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How it works -

In flexible dieting, there are no good or bad foods. You can eat whatever fits the percentages of macronutrients for the day, rather than restricting yourself from specific foods.

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How it's calculated -

First and foremost, you need to calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). This will tell you how many calories your body needs to function properly.

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BMR -

You can easily calculate your BMR using online tools.

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How it's calculated - But your caloric expenditure is superior to your BMR, depending on your activity level. So the next step is to calculate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).

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TDEE -

Again, you can use an online tool to calculate your daily calorie intake based on activity level.

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Macros rule -

Now that you have a number to start with, you will have to determine what your objective is. Do you want to lose weight? Pack on some muscle mass? Maintain your bodyweight?

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Macros rule -

All these questions are important so you can calculate your macronutrient intake. The percentage of each macro will depend on the type of diet you want to follow.

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Macros caloric value -

Macronutrients have different caloric value. For instance, carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram, protein 4 calories per gram, and fat 9 calories per gram.

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Calculate macros -

You then have several options of how much of each macro you should consume, of course based on caloric expenditure. There are many calculators online that will do this for you.

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Calculations are just a starting point - It's always good to remind ourselves that our bodies are not machines and, more often than not, macros will have to be tweaked as you go.

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Guilty pleasures -

Eating nutritious foods is very important for our health, but going on a diet usually means eliminating all of the stuff you love eating completely.

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Anti-diet? -

The clue is in the name: flexible dieting. How much (of each macro and calories) you eat is more important than what you eat.

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Anti-diet? -

Yes, you can eat that burger, as long as at the end of the day, your caloric and macro balance is right.

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If It Fits Your Macros -

While this is not an excuse for living off a diet of candy and soda, there are, in fact, no forbidden foods, providing that they all fit your goal for the day.

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Keep it healthy - Still, your diet should, like any other healthy diet, be based on unprocessed foods. Though flexible dieting gives you the freedom of consuming not-so-healthy foods, these shouldn’t be the basis of your diet.

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Tracking macros -

This is really easy nowadays, as there are numerous apps with huge databases of foods where you can track what you eat.

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Benefits -

Let's look at the benefits of flexible dieting when compared to other diets.

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Benefits -

It gives you freedom in a number of situations, from restaurant choices, to social events. You won’t have to say “no cake for me, I’m on a diet” ever again.

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Benefits -

It’s more forgiving than restrictive diets. Dietary lapses are not the end of the world. You just adapt accordingly.

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Not so fast... -

While you can have your cake and eat it too, this diet might not be for everyone. Let’s take a look at the potential disadvantages.

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Disadvantages -

It might lack structure for some people. Certain individuals don’t have the self-control to follow a diet like this and fear they might just get carried away by binging on unhealthy foods.

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No emphasis on micronutrients -

This diet is based on macronutrients, but seems to neglect the importance of micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals.

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Tracking -

It requires you to track everything you eat. This might be tiresome for some people and put them off from following the diet.

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Tracking -

You might become obsessed with all the tracking and develop a negative relationship with food.

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Bottom line -

Flexible dieting allows for the foods you eat to adapt to your lifestyle instead of the opposite. If done correctly (i.e. not constantly indulging in unhealthy foods), it can be a simple and easy-to-follow diet.

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See also - Intermittent fasting: The controversial diet celebs love

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