If it fits your macros (IIFYM) flexible diet calculates the number of macronutrients such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and fiber that a person can eat per day.
It is similar to the points' diet, except that instead of calculating the calories that can be eaten, the macronutrients and fiber are taken into account.
To make this calculation, the followers of the method use websites where they add data such as weight, height, and number of exercises practiced.
Then the number of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and fiber that must be eaten in one day is automatically calculated.
Why Does It
Help to Lose Weight?
This diet helps weight loss because the macronutrients are sources of calories, and the method aims at determining the number of macronutrients that its followers can eat.
Remembering that each gram of carbohydrate has four calories, a gram of protein also has four calories, and a gram of fat has nine calories.
Once you reduce the intake of macronutrients, calorie consumption also decreases, and with fewer calories, the body will take in less energy than it expends.
In this way, the body must use the energy it has stored, mainly in the form of fat. Thus, weight loss occurs.
How the
Flexible Diet (IIFYM) Works?
The flexible diet works as follows: first, the supporter must go to websites with the IIFYM calculators and add his/her data, such as weight, height, age, number of physical activities he/she does, among others.
Then, the system calculates how many carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and fiber the person can ingest according to his or her goals.
The person can choose between three main goals: weight loss, maintenance, and muscle mass gain.
The person can say whether he wants to achieve this result in a usual, aggressive, or reckless way in the weight loss goal.
While in the purpose of muscle mass gain, the supporter must say whether he wants to do this in a cautious, didactic, or aggressive way.
For each secondary goal, one is guided to consume a certain amount of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.
Advantages of
The Flexible Diet
One advantage of this diet is that it helps people plan their meals better and not just follow a menu. This way, the person can have an easier time when thinking about dietary re-education.
Besides, although it does not take micronutrients into account, this method already takes an essential step by reminding that the calories that must be taken into account are not only taken into account but the macronutrients as well.
Disadvantages of
The Flexible Diet
The flexible diet (IIFYM) is not practical; after all, it only tells you how much of each macronutrient you should eat.
The follower of the method will have to constantly look at how much of each macronutrient is present in each food that he/she eats and then calculate if it is following his/her diet.
Risks of The
Flexible Diet
Micronutrient deficiency: The IIFYM flexible diet does not consider the nutritional quality of the source of carbohydrate, protein, and fat ingested, i.e., micronutrients are not considered.
By not taking micronutrients into account, this diet can cause vitamin deficiencies, affecting immunity, vision, and more.
Another problem that can occur is a deficiency of minerals, such as a decrease in iron rates that causes fatigue. A lack of calcium can also occur, which could favor osteoporosis.
Lack or excess of macronutrients: It is not a health professional who will determine the number of macronutrients that each person can ingest according to their particular needs, but rather a machine that uses a formula to determine how much the person should drink.
This increases the risk that the person will eat some of the macronutrients excessively or consume less than directed.
Excess carbohydrates can lead to fat accumulation and increased blood sugar (depending on the type).
A lack of carbohydrates can lead to calorie malnutrition, deficient protein synthesis, loss of muscle mass, and decreased metabolism.
Too much protein, on the other hand, can cause kidney overload, fat accumulation, blood acidification, loss of muscle mass, and deficiency of minerals and vitamins.
A lack of protein can cause protein malnutrition, protein synthesis deficiency, and loss of muscle mass.
Ingesting large amounts of fats is conducive to weight gain, increased blood sugar, increased cholesterol, liver steatosis, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular disease.
Of course, most of these problems tend to occur when there is increased consumption of saturated and unsaturated fats.
On the other hand, fat deficiency can cause fat-soluble vitamin deficiency, hormonal issues, amenorrhea, and changes in inflammatory processes, among others.
As for fiber consumption, if it is performed in smaller amounts than recommended, there is the risk of the person having problems in intestinal transit.
The excess of fiber can lead to a decrease in the absorption of minerals, in some cases impairing the action of digestive enzymes and causing abdominal distention, gases, and worsening of constipation.
It does not consider the days with and without exercises: The IIFYM diet does not recommend a different intake of macronutrients for days with and without training.
This is a problem, because on days when a person trains he/she needs a larger amount of food than on other days. There is a risk of getting more or fewer micronutrients than they need on the day by not offering this.
Recommendation
Since it does not supply all the nutritional needs of its followers, the IIFYM diet is not recommended by health professionals.
Note that it is essential to consult a
nutritionist or neurologist to find out the ideal diet for you to lose weight
healthily.