What are Macros?

IIFYM. Flexible Dieting. Tracking Macros. You’ve undoubtedly heard these terms. But what do they mean?!

In short, they each fall into the same dietary philosophy: “If it Fits Your Macros”.

If it Fits Your Macros (or IIFYM for short) is a unique nutritional approach that blends flexibility with mathematics to deliver great results.

In today’s article, we’re covering the details behind IIFYM, what IIFYM seeks to accomplish, why IIFYM works, and how to get started. Let’s dive in.

**What Is IIFYM, And What Are Macros?**

As mentioned briefly in the introduction, IIFYM is an acronym which stands for “if it fits your macros”.

Macros (i.e. macronutrients) are the three components which make up the foods we eat. We have Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats, each with unique functions within the body (1, 2, 3). Alcohol is also a source of calories, but that’s a topic for another day.

But setting alcohol aside (for now)... All of our calories come from a combination of those three macronutrients.

As such, when a person says they’re “tracking macros”... what they’re essentially saying is they’ll be tracking their food consumption and setting daily targets for Protein intake, Carbohydrate intake, and Dietary Fat intake.

For example: A person’s “macros” might be 150g of Protein, 80g of Fats, and 200g of Carbohydrates (for a total of 2,120 calories). In this case, a person will *structure their day in a way that gets as close to these numbers as possible.

*Spoiler: There’s no way you’re hitting these numbers while eating Pizza & Pop Tarts 24/7. Despite the glitz and glamor on social media, IIFYM forces all participants to clean up their nutrition to a considerable degree.

*To be clear, this is not what IIFYM means.*

What IIFYM Seeks to Accomplish

The goal of IIFYM is to achieve a blend between achieving results & still having a life.

Whether your desired results are weight loss, fat loss, muscle growth, bulking, or simply to maintain the physique you’ve worked so hard to create… IIFYM can help you achieve it.

You simply create targets for each macronutrient based on your desired outcome, and then you execute those targets on a daily basis.

But unlike other nutritional approaches which require the elimination of carbohydrates, or which don’t allow for the occasional cheat meal, or which don’t allow you to enjoy yourself at a Friend’s Wedding… IIFYM seeks to achieve those results while allowing some wiggle room, and without feeling guilty when you have the occasional cheat meal.

The way this dichotomy of results + wiggle room is accomplished is by setting *numeric targets for Protein intake, Carbohydrates intake, and Fats intake. Then on any given day, you’re able to eat whatever you’d like (without feelings of guilt), so long as you hit your targets.

*We recommend 0.7-0.9g/lb of bodyweight in Daily Protein intake and 0.4g/lb of bodyweight or more in Dietary Fats intake, with the remainder of your calories coming from Carbohydrates.

What Makes IIFYM So Effective?

Three factors are necessary for any diet to work:

1). It must be sustainable for you.

2). It must ensure the proper Caloric Intake for you. (4, 5)

3). It must ensure the proper Protein Intake for you.

Are these the only nutritional aspects that matter in the entire world? No.

But no diet will achieve your physical goals if it misses the aforementioned necessities. Consider them to be pre-requisites.

With IIFYM in particular, properly setting your targets will allow for items #2 and #3 to be accomplished. Giving yourself wiggle room to have the occasional cheat meal will accomplish item #1.

What we tell our clients is this:

On a daily basis, we want the majority of our calories to stem from nutrient-dense, whole foods. If you like numbers, then let’s call it 80-90% of calories stemming from high quality food items. Then have fun with the remaining 10-20%.

Because if you’re hitting your macros, getting the majority of your calories from nutrient-dense foods, and enjoying life… then you’re going to win.

*Our client Dom fits Date Nights into his IIFYM Diet with ease. How’s that for sustainability?*

**How to Get Started With If It Fits Your Macros Today**

The first step to starting IIFYM is downloading a free food-tracking app: MyFitnessPal. The app allows you to track foods with ease:

You can scan the barcode of your foods at home
You can search & select the nutrition facts of your foods at restaurants
You can search common food items (ex. Banana, Strawberry, etc. at home)

MyFitnessPal then measures your calories and macronutrients, displaying everything on its home screen. The entire process takes less time than scrolling Social Media.

The second step is getting a food scale. We recommend weighing your food items for at least the initial two weeks. Why? Because humans are notoriously bad at eyeballing our food amounts and serving sizes. You’d be surprised what a single serving of pasta or rice actually looks like. Measuring foods for even two weeks can go a long way in calibrating your eyes and improving your ability to estimate.

The third step is to simply eat your normal foods for a week, but track everything. This allows you to identify your true starting point. Are you getting enough Protein? Are you eating too many Calories? Are there certain meals which are pushing your Carbohydrates over the edge? Are there days of the week in which your caloric intake skyrockets? We won’t know until you’ve tracked your foods for at least one week.

The fourth step is to make adjustments and continue executing. If you find noticeable gaps in your nutrition during Step #3, then this is the time to make adjustments. Or if you’d prefer to have a professional set your macronutrient targets for you, then just click this link and ask. First time is on the house (i.e. free of charge).

*Another happy client: Adam shows us that IIFYM is just as effective for Bulking as it is for Fat Loss.*

Conclusion

In summary, IIFYM is a nutritional approach centered around flexibility, sustainability, and having clear targets in place for your Protein, Carbs, and Fats.

If you’d like us to set your initial macronutrient targets for you, then all you have to do is ask. In the meantime, GO EXECUTE!