If
you are like me and so many others who have had some cruel experience with
dieting, you might also have gotten some dreads when it comes to same topic
because most diets are more like punishment than the self improvement they
should have being.
Obviously
these fears and dreads are coming from most dietitians and nutritionists that
will tell you:
"....the
combinations of foods you eat are either 'bad' or 'good'...."
"...If
you want to lose fat or gain some lean muscles, you have to let go of some
particular foods because they are 'bad'...."
....Red
meat; grains; anything gluten or sugary; carbs; dairy; caloric beverages..... They
say “throw them all away; they are bad”.
And
most of the time, these foods are ones favorites so letting go of them is like
a nail in the head.
Like
many people, I also endured such life for a couple of years before I finally
walked away because I found something better; I found Flexible dieting.
With
flexible diets, I could drastically transform my body to my desire while I also
enjoy my favorite foods.
Before
we move on with this article, I think it will be good to clarify this thought
you might probably be having right now:
You need to know
that flexible dieting is not a diet, but a nutritional concept you follow to
achieve a desired body structure.
What's Flexible Dieting?
Flexible
dieting, which is often referred to as IIFYM
(If It Fits Your Macros) is a nutritional concept where you count your daily
macronutrient consumption in order to achieve a set body goal.
It
simply means you have a target body goal you want to achieve; so you determine
the amount of daily macros needed to achieve it; and follow it regardless of
the type of food you eat; either it is 'good' or 'bad'; 'healthy' or
'unhealthy'. You just enjoy them all.
"Flexible
dieting agrees with the believe that there are no miracle weight loss or body
building food, just macro ratios"
What do you mean by 'Macros'?
'Macros'
is the short form of 'macronutrients'.
For
your body's growth and development, it needs two food categories; the
micronutrients and macronutrients.
Just
as the names imply, micronutrients are the nutritional components required in
small quantity by our body to grow. This group consists of the vitamins and minerals.
Whereas, the macronutrients on the other hand, are the ones that are relatively
needed in large amounts. The major members of the macronutrients are protein,
carbohydrate, and fat. Other members may also include some macro minerals as
calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and phosphorous.
However,
flexible dieting only pay attention to the three major macros; protein,
carbohydrate, and fat.
A
flexible diet is all about numbers. So stop thinking about if the food is
'clean' or 'dirty'. Instead, that thinking about the nutrient values of such
food.
How do I track my macros?
As
earlier said, numbers are more important to flexible dieters. When you already
know the amount of macros you need daily, then it's good you also know how to
count the macros in your foods.
In
1 gram of protein, there are 4 calories; 1 gram of carbohydrate also has 4
calories, while fat contains 9 calories in 1 gram.
·
1
gram protein = 4 calories
·
1
gram carbohydrate = 4 calories
·
1
gram fat = 9 calories
Therefore, rather than saying "I need to eat 1000 cals a day", as a flexible eater, you
should consider tracking the macros and say something like "I need 75g protein; 40g fat; and 85g of carbohydrate" which
will also make it 1000 cals for that day. This will more effectively influence
the body composition rather than just weight loss or gain.
A
typical example is the McGrilled chicken burger and Brown rice with Tuna which
both contain the same amount of calories (25g protein; 33g carbohydrate; and
15g fat).
So
it doesn't really matter if you take the burger (which some will term 'bad
food') or the rice as both will achieve the same result in your body.
When
these foods enter into your body, your body doesn’t discriminate by start
saying this one is ‘clean’ or ‘dirty’. It simply breaks them down to simple
macros for its use. Therefore, to change your body, you can eat whatever you
like as long as you hit your macro goals.
In
trying to count your food macros; food labels now carry nutritional information
to help you know what’s in there, however, you can get a scale to ensure you
accurately track what you eat.
So,
it’s time to stop running away from your favorite foods all in the name of
dieting.
No
more 'clean' or 'dirty' foods; 'healthy' or 'unhealthy' foods. Just eat them
all and don't forget to hit your target daily macros.
Flexible
dieting gives you superb body transformation while you still enjoy those
deserts of yours. I recommend you give it a try.
