The flexible dieting plan, or If it Fits Your Macros (IIFYM), is a great diet to choose if you are sick of being restricted by other eating plans. There are many benefits to the diet, aside from it just being a good way to lose weight, maintain weight, or build muscle mass.
Here are some of the top benefits of the flexible dieting way of eating:
You Have More Choices
Naturally, one of the biggest advantages to flexible diet is the flexibility. You have a lot more food options to choose from, even bread and pasta if it fits into your macros.
While you still want to go for the nutrient-dense food as much as you can, if you feel like treating yourself to dessert one night, it doesn’t cause you to gain 10 pounds overnight or knock you out of ketosis.
You just want to try and fit it into your macros the best you can, and continue flexible dieting for the other days. You can still enjoy most of the foods you love, which is great for mental health as well as physical health.
It is Easier to Enjoy Social Functions
If you have ever been on a restricted diet before, you know one of the hardest parts about it is that it is only easy to follow while at home. When you have to go out to dinner, have a brunch date, or attend a party, it is hard to figure out what to eat.
With flexible dieting, you can still eat off the menu or enjoy a barbecue, and just make smart choices that you know fit into your macros. If you indulge during brunch, track what you ate, then see what macros you have left for the rest of the day, and you should still be fine.
It is helpful to look up foods for chain restaurants beforehand to make it a little easier on eating out while also sticking with your macros.
You Learn About Healthy and Unhealthy Food
Through flexible dieting and logging your food, you become more educated on what you eat. You learn and remember calories, carbs, fat, and protein of your foods through tracking. You are going to track all of your food each day, and will often look at ingredients as well.
Just purely by accident, you learn how to eat more mindfully, know what is and isn’t good for you, and someday might be able to do flexible dieting without doing much tracking. It gives you a better idea of what foods you love that are also good for you.
You Fuel Your Workouts
Have you tried to do a low-carb or low-fat diet and do your normal workouts? If you have, you know how difficult it can be. These restricting diets take away some of the nutrients you need to fuel your workouts, especially carbs and calories. Some diets even restrict protein, which can be rough when you need energy for exercise on a regular basis.
With flexible dieting, your exercise level adjusts your macros, so it really is one of the best ways to fuel your workouts without depriving yourself, and still reaching your goals.
