All about IIFYM

We were happy to have Carleton Journalism students come by our office last month to learn more about the “If it Fits your Macros” or IIFYM diet. They were covering the story of a female body builder and her training and diet methods in preparation for competition.

Our Family and Sports Nutritionist, Natasha Onley, shared some insight about the diet in the interview here:

Beauty & Beast – The Interview
Carleton Interview (2)

IIFYM is a diet plan popular in the body building community. It is based on the principle of “calories in, calories out” which means you won’t gain weight, regardless of food choice, as long as you don’t exceed your total caloric needs for the day and stick within your “macros”.

Although many body builders do have success in meeting their fitness goals while following this diet plan, IIFYM boasts that you can eat any kind of food you like, including icecream, donuts, and french fries, as long as they fit into your macronutrient requirements for the day.

The moral of the story is…although it’s true that altering and optimizing your calorie and macronutrient intake can have a huge effect on your health and body composition,  where those calories and macronutrients come from, makes a world of difference when it comes to health and performance.

Quality is just as important as quantity when it comes to optimal health.

Watch the interview above for the full story!