If It Fits Your Macros (ITFYM) is a flexible diet that has gathered quite a fan-following among those keen on weight loss. Team Foreverfit explains the fundamentals.
Instead of counting calories or stopping carbohydrates, ITFYM turns the focus on the macro-nutrient component of our diets: protein, carbohydrates, fat and fibre. Following ITFYM requires you to ensure that your body receives adequate macro-nutrients, based on meet your daily energy requirements, while maintaining a calorie deficit.
No foods are ‘off-limits’. IIFYM promotes guilt-free eating with variety and moderate inclusion of foods, making it more adaptable to a contemporary lifestyle.
The Fundamentals
#1 Know how many calories your body uses up on an average daily. This is called the Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).
#2 Determine how many calories are obtained from fat, protein, and carbohydrates and split your calorie intake between these macros. IIFYM emphasizes the importance of each food group, and the collective role of all groups in bringing about weight loss
#3 Consume 15% to 20% less calories everyday than your TDEE value. Build your daily intake around fundamental macro sources that will allow you enough room to indulge. The key lies in portion control.
#4 Don’t miss out on your micronutrients. Swapping an apple with a cookie too often can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Get in your sources of whole grains, fruit, and fresh vegetables.
#5 Get enough of essential amino acids found in good-quality animal-based proteins that are ‘complete’. Save your protein count for low-fat, high-quality sources that satiate hunger and support recovery. In case of vegetarian diets, opt for quinoa and soy or pair up complimentary proteins such as rice and beans.
#6 Make the right carbohydrate choices. Choose foods that contain complex carbs (such as oats and whole-grain breads) rather than those which provide little pockets of instant energy, like a bar of chocolate.
#7 Go for essential fats and include foods that contain high-quality fats such as nuts, seeds, egg yolks, and olive oil.