Image: veronicascornucopia
On s a result near daily basis I find myself linking to JC Deen’s article, “Clean Eating is a Scam and Why you Need to Abandon It“. I consider it a must read for those tempted by, but scared of eating that NY cheesecake in the Starbucks display. You can imagine by the provocative title how many feathers he ruffled when it was published two years ago.
Today I’m really happy to share this guest article by JC for you, clearing up the misconceptions of Clean Eating, Dangers of IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros), and guidance on how to use the IIFYM principles to still enjoy the foods you love while dieting.
Enter JC Deen…
Why ‘Clean Eating’ Can Be Confusing, And An Alternate View…
Nutrition. It’s one of the most important pieces of this body-transformation puzzle. While we know restful sleep, and training are as equally important, I’ve not found people getting hung up on those two variables as much as nutrition.
But what does solid nutrition actually mean?
It’s hard to define, right?
Just like an intelligently programmed training routine, and sound sleep and rest periods are hard to define. Without context, or a frame of reference, it’s nearly impossible.
And this is my gripe with the whole clean eating mantra that people cling to on the regular.
It’s not that I don’t believe in and preach a diet that is generally full of whole food to all my clients and readers. It’s a problem with the syntax, and perception, and preconceived ideas, and false, often self-righteous beliefs surrounding an idea such as clean eating.
Let’s dig in.
The Problem of How To Define Clean Eating
Fried Insects – Clean food? Image: lisadrew15
First of all, without reading any further, how would you define clean eating? It doesn’t matter how you define it, as this is not a trick question.
Just define it in 2-3 sentences.
Pause and do this.
Okay, so if you did the exercise, you have a mini-framework to base your feelings/beliefs on. If you don’t have a definition, that’s good, too.
Before I go into supposed ideas that represent the idea of clean eating, please understand that you may or may not agree with them due to how you’ve defined this for yourself. That’s perfectly okay, but try and realize there are no surefire ways to define such a term without context.
Okay, so here’s a list of what some people might throw into their definition of eating only to be deemed clean.- no artificial sweeteners
- artificial sweeteners allowed in moderation or in place of sugar
- no sugar
- no canned foods
- no gluten (despite no known intolerance)
- no dairy (despite no known intolerance)
- no cheat meals, ever
- a cheat meal once per week
- a cheat meal each day
- no fructose whatsoever (goodbye nutritious fruit)
- no liquid calories
- only allowing themselves to eat organic food
- no boxed foods
- mostly veggies in place of starchy carbohydrate
- no fatty meat
- no red meat
- veganism
- vegetarianism
Okay, I’ll stop. You get the point.
Above, I’ve listed some possible ideas that people will associate with their clean eating ideals. As you’ll see, some of the ideas clearly conflict with others. Therefore, the problem lies in creating a baseline of understanding, because well, clean eating can’t truly be defined.
What is deemed clean to someone else, might seem incredibly toxic to another person.
For instance, someone who has been led to believe the propaganda on fructose being poison, might throw out all varieties of fruit along with all the canned soda and cake mixes.
The problem? They’re limiting their options for nutrient-dense food when removing an entire class of sugar due to nutritional alarmism.
Another example is the current popularity with eliminating things such as gluten, or lactose (dairy products) for fear of issues they cause despite the evidence of real symptoms.
In reality, only a small percentage of the population is truly affected by celiac disease. Last time I checked, I believe it was around or less than 1 percent. As far as dairy goes, I realize the percentage is bigger, but as I always say “if you can eat it with no issue, then keep it in your diet.”
Why Fad Diets Are Not The Answer
South Beach, The Banana Diet, low fat, Paleo, and low carb are rarely ever an ideal solution for anyone.
Paleo – allow me to pick on it for a minute.
While I love the idea of eating nothing but whole foods, I dislike the idea behind Paleo, which is to eat like our ancestors ate because that is healthier for us.
It’s hard to define what paleo man ate. It depends on the region. There’ve been conclusions suggesting paleo man ate a lot of animal flesh, nuts, roots, tubers, some dairy, etc. I realize this is going to vary depending on which Paleo ideology you abide by, but here’s what it’s important to realize – people back in the day had it much worse than we do now in terms of food supply.
I always say this: “if paleo man found a Big Mac, I’m sure he’d eat it, because he hooongry.”
They ate what they had, or they didn’t survive. So as you might imagine, we evolved to eat a variety of foods, and as a result, people were able to survive on a little protein, and tons of whale blubber, or on nothing but fruit and insects.
Does that mean it was optimal, according to what we know about nutrition these days?
Before eliminating foods based on the idea that someone, somewhere in the world thousands of years ago didn’t eat it, consider if the reason was due to lack of tools to harvest, or geographical location.
Low Carb
It’s clear, through science, that the brain needs carbohydrate to function normally. So why do we have low carb zealots preaching carbs to be an unnecessary nutrient?
Technically they’re right, but only because of the body’s amazing ability to convert protein (lean body mass, and the food we eat) into sugar for essential functions, like, umm, fueling the brain among other needs.
And let’s not forget about the importance of carbohydrates and fueling intense exercise, yet we have a ton of folks super adamant about combining a low carb diet and Crossfit.
This is what always baffles me. Someone is going to suggest you skimp on your carb intake, even to the tune of suggesting less than 50-100g per day over an extended period, because of the supposed negatives they’ve been led to believe through various sources.
So remember,if a particular diet is suggesting you eliminate any food group in excess, your BS-o-meter should go up.
IIFYM – The Basics
Aside from the notion of clean eating, there’s another idea called IIFYM, which stands for If It Fits Your Macros.
The idea behind it is that as long as you hit your macro nutrient targets, it doesn’t matter what type of food it is when it comes to your aesthetic goals.
So, let’s say you want to eat ice cream, brownies, barbecue pork, and a loaf of wonder bread during the day. Great – just make sure your hit your macro targets with said food, and you’re good, according to the IIFYM fan boys.
Now, I’m totally okay with this method with one caveat:
You don’t take it to an extreme of eating nothing but heavily processed food when you have the options of eating whole, nutrient-dense food regularly.
Does this mean you shouldn’t have a day every now and then where you eat nothing but crap all day long? That’s for you to decide. Personally, I don’t see it as being that detrimental in the long run.
The Dangers of IIFYM
…or is there more to it? Image: sabotagetimes
However, it’s this type of mindset that can get people into trouble, both nutritionally and mentally.
On the nutritional side of it, we have to think about deficiencies that might be present if we opt for a diet of boxed food as opposed to the nutrition provided by a well-rounded diet of fruits, veggies, starch, dairy, various fat sources and lean protein.
The mental struggle that might occur is getting used to such foods as a convenience or staple. We all know it’s much easier to grab something and go, rather than to prepare an actual meal.
Things that come to mind here are chugging a protein shake, eating a spoonful of peanut butter, and a few rice cakes.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with this staple every once in a while, it should never be a long-term substitute for a REAL meal, in my opinion.
For those that have a hard time consuming large volumes of food, IIFYM is often a savior because it means they can hit their baseline of healthy foods for the day, and top it off with something that is more of a treat such as ice cream, cake, or whatever suits the individual to reach their calorie goals.
For some, this also means hitting their protein requirements with some extra protein powder when they’re too full from whole food protein sources.
Clean Eating – Just A Belief, Nothing More
There is nothing wrong with creating a framework that suits you. If that means avoiding certain foods that cause you to bloat, or feel bad, that’s fine. You can call it clean eating, happy eating, active eating… I don’t care. The name is not important.
My advice is to be more mindful of the idea that clean eating is just a belief (with many variations) held by those who want to label their dietary habits, for whatever reason that might be.
And because it’s just a belief, realize that no one has the answer, as the framework is based on individual ideas, and experiences.
You’re better off avoiding fad diets and developing a plan that allows you to be flexible with your dietary approach.
Practical Guidelines for Clean Eating and IIFYM
Understand both ideas can be carried to extremes.
The IIFYM approach can quickly turn into an excuse to stuff yourself full of as much junk as possible, which can be hard on your health, as well as possibly creating some very bad habits with your tastes and food selection.
The standard clean eating approach, if taken too far, has proven to become obsessive for some. Preoccupation with food, meal planning, and obsessing over the tiniest details just add more unnecessary stress to your life.
Here’s how I approach the IIFYM concept for myself and clients:
- I stick to a 90/10 rule of making up the majority of my diet with simple, whole foods, and the remaining 10 percent with whatever I want.
- This can mean a treat every single day, or one to two days per week of eating more liberally than normal.
- You can skew the numbers any way you’d like. Some do 80/20, or 70/30. Personally, I’d not waiver past the 80/20, but that’s my preference. Make it work for you.
- The food choices you make are up to you.
My suggestion is to realize first and foremost that our diets should be focused on whole foods above all else, especially if the goal is a healthy body and sound mind. [Andy: Things your great-grandmother would recognise as food.]
Just realize that any food that is normally deemed good can be very bad in excess. Green veggie kale, for example, may have a high nutritional profile, but it’s also a goitrogen, which when consumed excessively can suppress the thyroid.
In lieu of that, also understand labeling your food as clean really holds no true meaning. Change your focus from clean to wholesome. Or just cut the name-calling altogether.
*********************************
I’ve followed JC Deen for a couple of years now after finding his site a breath of fresh air. I appreciate his No-BS Approach and mindful articles on fitness. JC is a trainer and also takes online clients, and you can find out about his coaching services over on his beautiful looking blog JCDFitness.com.
I’d like to thank JuiCy on behalf of the RippedBody.jp community for his time. He will be on hand to answer any questions you have in the comments and I’ll get stuck in too.
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80 Comments on “Is Clean Eating a Scam? – Clean Eating vs IIFYM”
Just found this great website – very informative! I’ve been very ‘health conscious’ for a couple years now, but I never seem to get my body to where I want it to be.
I’ve always heard about counting macros, but I’ve never actually done it. As a beginner to IIFYM, would you suggest I focus on protein intake and ensure that’s sufficient and then focus on fats and carbs? Also, is it imperative to weigh all foods for accurate calculations?
Right, use the simplest method you possibly can to get results first, then add in layers of complication later when it becomes necessary. Go with a protein and calorie target first. Thanks for the question, Mia.
Guide to counting here.
Hello gentlemen,
thanks for sharing so much information about this topic!
I have a question that bugs me. I have read many articles presented on Andy’s site, some of them repetitively as the amount of information is enormous :).
Let’s say I counted my calories as well as macros to fit my current situation. And there is a one inconsistency i can’t seem to connect dots about. I have a split for training/rest day in nutrition plan. As you surely know, there is a variance of high-carb/low-fat and vice versa.
Now, assuming I want to have a cheesecake and do it IIFYM style. A cheesecake (or any similar treat) is usually both high in carbs and fats as well, thus it will hardly fit my plan on either training or a rest day because it will either break the amount of fat or carbs for the days respectively. I, perhaps, I am going too much into detail (and stress about it), however I don’t see the pattern on how to follow IIFYM. The reason being is that the variety of foods that fit the numbers narrows down rapidly. For instance even oats, a high-carb source, has sufficient amount of fat, if you eat a portion like you need (~100g).
Thanks for your thoughts on this, I truly appreciate.
Vladimir
Hi Vladimir, thanks for taking the time to comment. Glad to hear you’ve found the site so helpful!
You’re right. The cheesecake won’t be able to fit into your macro targets, so you can take a step down in the hierarchy of nutritional importance for the day and simply make it fit your calorie budget.
Did you read this guide yet? I think you’ll find it exceptionally helpful.
• The Complete Guide To Setting Up Your Diet
Sure I did and it was very helpful as well! Especially the calculator listed :).
Uhm, so just to nag a bit ^_^, then IIFYM (in daily scope) is not so accurate term, is it? Assuming it will not be a justification for “eat a cake everyday”, but at times there is this persistent feel that you gotta treat yourself… Based on what I already read, it would make sense to fit it into weekly budget of Macros, thus subtracting surplus carbs from training day and surplus fat from rest day. It’s just thinking out loud.
How important is to focus on daily budget rather than weekly? Is a *week* a base amount of time?
Thanks again Andy.
Okay I have a theory. It could be rubbish however i wanted to ask to check on your stance. It says that the reason behind not eating all boxed food and processed food when doing IIFYM is due to the lack of nutrients in the foods. Okay that is understandable. So, not that I would advise it in any way, but could you technically take a multivitamin to cover all of your major nutrient requirements and then eat processed rubbish up to your IIFYM requirements because you have all bases covered?
I look forward to your response.
Hi Matthew, great question. Actually I covered exactly this in the article on micronutrition in the Pyramid of Importance diet set-up series:
A Multivitamin is Not a Substitute for Fruit and Veg
Unfortunately.
Up until my mid-twenties I considered them a pain in the arse to cook and expensive to buy. My tastes in food have changed and I quite enjoy vegetables now but back then I believed there was an option of taking a pill instead. As for why not, this deserves a direct quote from Alan Aragon:
“It can’t be over-emphasized that a poor diet with a multi is still a poor diet. There are a multitude of biologically active and beneficial compounds within the matrix of foods that are not in – and may never make their way into – a multivitamin/mineral supplement.
It’s important to think of micronutrition not just in terms of essential vitamins & minerals, but also in terms of phytonutrients & zoonutrients; compounds that are not classified as vitamins or minerals but can optimize health and prevent disease. This is why attaining a variety of foods both within and across the food groups is important for covering all the micronutrient bases.”
That sounds fair enough to me!
I have only very recently come across the philosophy of Intermittent fasting and I have to say I love it. I’m very thankful for the information guys like you provide us with on the subject all being from experience. I am only 20 and will be taking all of this experience on board as though it was my own.
I am looking forwards to the odd guilt free McDonalds in the safe knowledge that it all goes towards the end goal rather than setting me further away from it.
Apologies for the double post here, however I did think of one more question on this topic. Although my original thought of all micro-nutrients coming from a multivitamin was rubbish (as I expected) what is your opinion on multivitamins as a whole? I ask this because I religiously take a multivitamin every single morning as part of my supplementation routine (along with a vitamin D tablet) and have found that the few times in the past couple of years that I have stopped taking said multivitamin, I have fallen ill with a cold or another sort of unfortunate illness. Is this just coincidence, or will the multivitamin be playing a part in my general health and well being?
Thanks again
Probably just a coincidence, but it will play a part in general health and well being. Previous comment not withstanding.
“2. It’s often just simply due to a lack of activity and muscle loss from youth. The vast majority of inactive people are 15% or higher.”
So the lack of activity is creating the calorie surplus, then? From everything that I’ve read here, there’s an energy balance and you’re either over or under. Regardless of the reason for the calorie surplus, you either have one or you don’t, right?
Cheers,
No, the decrease in activity is causing the muscle loss. Use it or lose it. People tend to get less and less active as they get older. Muscle wastes away, fat accumulates, even if bodyweight is the same. The extreme form of this is Sarcopenic obesity – people at normal body weight but very high fat levels due to a very low amount of muscle mass.
Great article. Had some questions for you Andy. Apologies if these are answered elsewhere, but I’ve never really gotten straight no BS answers on these from anyone:
– So using IIFYM, you can basically eat any foods in any quantity providing you hit your macro numbers at the end of the day? So so-called “bad foods” are created equal, as long as you hit your macro totals?
– If someone’s carrying excess body fat (say 15%), does this mean they must have been eating in a calorie surplus?
Thanks!
Hi Matt.
1. No, because then you’d be ignoring important micronutrient considerations.
2. It’s often just simply due to a lack of activity and muscle loss from youth. The vast majority of inactive people are 15% or higher.
Regarding low-carb: as an ethnic (polynesian) woman who is highly predisposed to T2 diabetes, it is really difficult to be constantly told that I need to consume a high-carb diet in order to be healthy. The only way I was able to manage my high blood-glucose levels was to reduce the carbs (refined or complex) in my diet. Exercise does help lower blood-glucose post meal but its not always convenient. Many of my family are diagnosed with type 2 before 40 despite the fact that most of us lead very active lives (touch, rugby, netball and league are favourite pastimes). Many of my family members never make it past 55 (also because of T2 diabetes) and this is common amongst Maori. Prior to colonisation, the average Maori diet was typically high in protein and fat consisting mostly of seafood and poultry. We didn’t have a lot of starchy carbs, and no wheat nor rice in our diet. Obesity, heart disease and diabetes are now a huge issue for Maori and I believe this is largely due the Eurocentric dietary guidelines we are provided by Drs and nutritionists. Respectfully, I think that you might do well to consider the role genetics and inherent disease (or predisposition) play in one’s decisions regarding “clean” eating and diet. Personally, I do not think there is one diet that fits all, there are just too many variables to consider. In saying that, nothing could convince me that sugar is healthy.
Hi Andy,
I’m a huge pan of peanut butter (Skippy All Natural) and use it as as a source of fat intake. Can you explain why you would not suggest consuming it daily?
Hi Matt. You can, as long as it hits your macros, and as long as it’s not in such a quantity that it throws off important micronutrient considerations for the day. This is an issue when cutting. More here:
• #3 Micronutrient Considerations & Water
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Reminded me of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd8tZiHexPc
Best watched in private to avoid laughing out loud repeatedly in public 🙂
Nice.
Hey Andy, i’ve been doing leangains for awhile now, had some great results….But i’m finding the high fat days hard to pick foods that don’t make me feel like im going to end up having a heart attack one day. I find myself eating bacon, eggs, and pork frequently on these days which ends up being 4 days out of the week…Do you have any suggestions for the high fat day. Thanks for any help you can give
Toby
Hi Toby, dairy, butter, avocado. I think this is more of a problem of mindset rather then reality due to years of having it beaten into us that saturated fat was bad. More on this in the FAQ, I think the first answer regarding top 10 myths.
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What is your best advice for someone who suspects that they have been training up to 6 days a week (heavy weights up to an hour and a half all of those days and cardio at least 4 to 5 times a week, has been able to maintain lean body mass (Female about 13%) and maintain bulky looking muscle in a deficit for at least several months and realise they really need to increase calories to the calculated target (which would be at least a 500 calorie jump and massive jump in carbs on the intermittent fasting regime). Would that person have to gradually increase those calories by a couple of hundred calories a day or every other day to get the body used to that as in the case of a normal 6 meal a day dieting approach usually advises (reverse dieting) or can they bring the calories (expecially the carbs, if they have been low carb dieters) up by larger amounts without any significant fat gain?
Covered in this article Paula.
Hey Andy,
I really love the site and am immensely grateful for the leangains guide. I’ve been doing IF for a couple months now and just decided to follow the leangains method. I’ve calculated the calories and macros I need to be eating for a cut, but the only way I could figure it out has me eating two slices of pizza 3x a week for my workout days and a cheeseburger the other four days. I’m a student living on campus at university so my options are a little limited and I’ve done my best to figure out my meals based on affordability and availability.
Basically my question is: is it ok to be eating pizza 3x a week and a cheeseburger 4x? (I’m not as worried about the cheeseburger since the meat is grass fed, at least that’s what the school claims)
Thanks
Short term, just a few issues. Long term there will be health consequences.
It can’t be over-emphasized that a poor diet with a multi is still a poor diet. There are a multitude of biologically active and beneficial compounds within the matrix of foods that are not in – and may never make their way into – a multivitamin/mineral supplement.
“It’s important to think of micronutrition not just in terms of essential vitamins & minerals, but also in terms of phytonutrients & zoonutrients; compounds that are not classified as vitamins or minerals but can optimize health and prevent disease. This is why attaining a variety of foods both within and across the food groups is important for covering all the micronutrient bases.” – Alan Aragon
Put more variety in your diet. More on that here, The Nutritional Hierarchy of Importance – #3 Micronutrients & Water.
I’ll make sure to do so, thanks!
Nutritional alarmism – Brilliant!
Cant find that LCHF has beeb refrenced on the site but here low carb is mentioned. The LCHF,low carb high fat, shows great results. I know bunch of top soccer teams use it, numerous athletes as well. More and more studies show good results. Curious how this fits in with the low carb statements. Personally im doing LCHF with IF. Feel great and bloodwork, bp is all great.
Hi Andreas. It’s highly individualistic as to how someone will perform on a HFLC diet. If you are enjoying it and feel good then by all means stick with it. For the majority of athletes though this definitely isn’t optimal, and if a coach has put their whole team on such a diet based on some cherry-picked information, they are in for a bad season.
Hey Andy , you stated that glycemic index is irrelevant in the context of a mixed food meal . So , can I replace white rice , pasta , potato and bread with browns ? let`s say forever !!! cause I`m really sick of eating such tasteless food like browns , or do these white ones fall under the refined food and the 10 or 20 percent rule ? is there any difference between the two in terms of gaining or storing more fat , affecting your results or whether they are bad for you ? I always wanted an answer to this !!
White/brown, doesn’t matter Tariq. Enjoy!
😀 thanks Andy
Good common sense advice here. I find myself always confused what to believe. Sometimes I am all out eat the most nutritious foods. Other times I will do things like eat a box of coco pops in protein milk post workout…
Clean eating would be hitting your macros without eating food or quantities that negatively effects your health
Diabetes does not happen over night , you take it to the limit time and time again and sooner or later ….. your body will say no more
Can you honestly say massive carb binges will not effect you ?
David, thanks for the question. Not sure if this is confusion over what I recommend, something for JC, or just a general question. i’ll do my best…
I don’t recommend that anyone has massive carb binges. Structured refeeds (extra carb intake) can be a good idea every training day, or every cycle of 4, 7, 10 days depending on how one structures the diet and training commitments. The most extreme in terms of refeeds would likely be with Lyle’s CKD or his UD2.0, so you may see pictures of people posting these huge meals on forums.
Do carbs cause diabetes? Carbs specifically or sugar in particular? Carbs in a calorie surplus only? Then there is the adipose tissue causation hypothesis that comes at this from the other way around.
The average healthy, lean, active individual has nothing to worry about. If you have a specific concern then speak to a physician as I’m not qualified to answer such questions, nor really debate them
Andy,
Hi from India!
The thing about here is most of hour lip-smacking food is high in fat like Biryani, butter-chicken etc.
In every week there come a couple of days where you just got to have them be it a family dinner or eating out.
Now my question is:
Say for the above two days you end up consuming 100gm of fat instead of the stipulated (say) 40gm.
Extra fat is 60 gm ~= 600 Cals (worth of ~= 120gm of Carbs)
So can I reduce my Carb(generally whole wheat flat bread/boiled rice) intake by 120gm for that day and be OK with it?
Don’t consider this as a cheat-day question, I am ‘specifically’ asking that can I do it regularly for 2 days a week for that kind of numbers?
If not why are FAT calories so worse than Carb calories if the total num of calories is within the stipulated limits.
PS: I am 5’7″, 60Kg, okay-ish lean(love handles won’t go away completely),play casual football 4 days a week.
Hi Durden, this is going to be covered in the upcoming series of articles on the Nutritional Hierarchy of Importance. If you look at the pyramid diagram you can guess the answer.
Thank you for the quick response. Eagerly waiting for this upcoming article then.
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Andy,
1. Don’t we have low-carb days, though, as our days we burn the most fat (if you’re cutting)?
2. Also, what is the point of having high-carb days on a cut (since we don’t really gain too much muscle on a cut (for those of us who have been lifting for a long time).
Thanks! Much appreciated!
Hi Dean, if you’re interested in theory have a read of this article. Should help.
If you just want to get it done, use the step by step guide I’ve or the macros guide.
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ive tried just about every type of diet out there over the last 20 years and ketogenic is by far the best diet for ME. carbs no matter the type make me fat and tired. i am very active and lean and hit the gym 5-6 days a week ive gone so far as to have blood tests to see how a particular diet affects me. i splurge once a week and eat everything my heart desires then next day back to keto. fasting does help but as long as i keep it keto. everyone just needs to find exactly what works for them and what they can stick to.
Agreed.
I agree with the idea that we should find what works for us, but I do not believe keto is the answer, like ever.
“ever” … what about people with cancer or who are at a high risk? Ketongenic Diets seem to be the answer. “Ever” is a strong word, and even if we take out the cancer factor … diet and how our bodies respond best, is a big learning process. And ever changing.
I did Paleo for 4 years+, lost 40lbs and have great health (Dr is amazed), but felt I’ve hit a wall as far as my physique goes and so over the past months have turned to “IF” (love it but still learning) and now fine tuning it by following Andy’s advice. But 4+ years ago, mentally there was no way I could have done “IF”, so at the time Paleo worked for me, but if I ever said “IF is not the answer, like ever.” Than I would now be missing out on all the good IF has to offer.
Thanks
PS: awesome site!
Andy, i just wanted to drop in and say hello! Your site is still one i visit almost everyday! Can believe it has been almost two years since you took me on as a client and i am still killing it! i am eating everything i love and i am able to use the tools you taught me to stay lean and you inspired me in other ways too but that’s between us!
Your a good coach and a good trainer man, keep it up and if anyone is one the fence about hiring you, well let that be their loss!
Cheers bud! Good luck with the new ventures!
Has anyone done real research on the effects of this (i.e. pros and cons) or is it as it appears: one guys opinions and guesses?
Research regarding the effects of what?
Umm, effects of what?
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Andy, surprisingly enough after I finished my own version of “IIFYM” I came across this article, as you know I faced many challenges during my stint under your coaching, and the results were great, so after reading this article I feel I should share my new routine as I’m sure I’m not the only one whose life style does’t fit the typical 7day/week model.
I work in a remote oil field, 2 weeks in and 2 weeks at home, with a 4000km travel at each rotation, this provided many challenges sticking to a weekly macro plan for cutting.
so after doing my best to complete Andy’s plan for me, I reached my goal, it wasn’t a straight linear path and I often got frustrated: at work it is a very regimented daily routine where I was able to conform 100% to my/Andy’s plan.
travelling was a write off, and home was a challenge as my family is big into traditional meals and eating out a lot while traveling with children for various sports.
that being said, here’s the IIFYM part,
my next phase, is still a cut, at work I’ll continue with Andy’s plan and it’ll be followed 100% as per norm.
travel days will always be a disaster, airports generally don’t support lean gains very well……no big deal, it’s only 18-24hrs every 2 weeks,
now at home to compromise with family life and social events, I’ve became more relaxed, still sticking to a 16/8 window, but instead of training day vs rest day macros, i’ve set more general macros that can be maintained until i return to work, the more relaxed macros, are still…..lower in fat, protein as recommended, and carbs are averaged from my previous rest day/ training day plan, this way, I’m still in a total caloric weekly deficit, but able to eat more like the rest of my family.
so to sum it up:
2 weeks at work camp- 100% regimented to IF/ leangains
1 travel day…write off, but who cares.
2 weeks home- still follow 16/8, macros ( specifically carbs) are moderated to allow less strict eating but still maintain a deficit over the 14 days.
best part…..I’m not stressed at having a nice family meal with dessert or an occasional chocolate bar and other “junk food” while out with the family,
results will probably be a bit slower, but like Andy has told me many times…..it’s not a race.
hope this helps anybody else who faces a similar situation.
Lyle, thanks for sharing this bud. Appreciated, and hope others find it useful. Will probably link to this in the future.
Loved this article. It’s so important that people are able to understand this type of approach.
Enough with the labeling. Enough with the eliminating. Enough with the bashing of others’ food choices.
REASONABLE “diets” are what get followed. The more you freak yourself out about nutritional advice, the harder you’re going to make the task of eating well (ex. “High fructose corn syrup is 1 million times worse than sugar! AHHHHH anything that has it will instantly have a negative affect on my health and well being!!!!!!! GET THAT GATORADE AWAY FROM ME!”).
Just eat some freakin’ quality food and stop trying to be perfect. It’s not that difficult to cook some meat and veggies.
Hi guys,
Interesting article, thank you. My experience with a Radio Allergo Sorbent Test (RAST) is that you will be able to avoid food that triggers unwanted effects. It is easier to use science instead of going for the trial-and-error route.
Best regards from Costa Rica!
Gluten was discussed in the film ‘This is the End’ 2013 🙂 🙂
“You have no idea what gluten is.”
“I do know what gluten is.”
“Gluten’s a vague term.”
“It’s something that’s used to categorize things that are bad, you know?”
“Calories, that’s a gluten. Fat, that’s a gluten.”
“Somebody just told you, you probably shouldn’t eat gluten,”
“you’re like, ‘Oh, I guess I shouldn’t eat gluten’.”
That film got pretty good reviews, recommend it?
I would recommend it just for this quote about nutrition! 🙂
Good film, plenty of laughs.
Seen that one, hilarious!
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Nice post and a new blogger to follow which is great! Moderation seems to be the key to all of this. I am a 80 / 20 kind of guy on Primal eating and it works very well. On my leg day which falls once a week the whole day is IIFYM which sure beats “clean eating”…..
Sure it does, especially when it allows you to go above and beyond your needs for growth without causing a ton of discomfort, or worse, not eating enough at all.
My two favorite fitness bloggers in one place! Awesome.
I find that we are all hypocrites when it comes to eating better. I’ve had friends warn me that eating egg whites will get me sick, while I see their pack of smokes in their hands.
My question is:
What are your favorite post-workout meals?
Tomato sauce pasta, thick with lots of veggies I’ll have cut up and prepared a couple of days worth in advance, with pork loin or chicken. Then depending on mood I’ll spice it up. Often my lazy self reaches for the tabasco and throws a lot of mixed salt in there too.
It’s pretty hot in Osaka at the moment still, so half a chilled cantaloupe afterwards is heaven. Has to be eaten like a savage though, with seeds and juice flying everywhere.
https://jama.jamanetwork.com/Mobile/article.aspx?articleid=1730520
Maybe we should focus more simply on adherence rather than macros? Just a thought…
Darren, thanks for the comment. Before I (or JC) answer, adherence to what specifically do you mean?
Adherence to any kind of plan for eating really. There is a lot of data suggesting that the ‘type’ or ‘kind’ of diet isn’t the important factor, its the adherence to said diet that is the important factor. Thus how someone identifies or ‘labels’ their diet isn’t as important as finding a strategy that works for them and sticking with it. Maybe the belief that ‘Paleo’ or ‘low-carb’ is working for them and they can adhere to the diet as a result is not necessarily a bad thing?
Absolutely agreed. Allow me a paragraph explaining my thoughts more fully:
For a lot of people there is great value in simplifying the approach to dieting. Consider this one simple rule:
“Only eat what your great-grandmother would recognise as food.”
Now compare this with the more detailed approach I introduce on this site (guide).
For the types that eat junk and sip coke in front of the TV most evenings the grandma rule will be the most effective, the latter overwhelm.
For those already active, training and caring about their diets the former is irrelevant, they need the detail to continue progressing. (This is the vast majority of the readers of this and JC’s blog.) You can add the paleo rule set at this point, which will restrict carbs, but the same thing applies and people will stall. In the end you just have to count to get the best out of your training efforts.
I try and find a balance on this site between the detail necessary for results, and ease of execution for these people.
It’s very easy for people to start worrying about the minutiae when it comes to diet and training, and endless people and companies willing to take advantage of that. I don’t see the point in working 50% harder on diet timing, preparation and training in order to extract a hypothetical 5% better result (for the non-competitor).
***************
Making counting macros easy:
Counting is something that people can stress about initially so here are my tips:
The first week, give yourself a target of cooking up four meals that fit your macros*. Rotate them throughout the week.
Post the ingredients on a little list on the kitchen wall.
Next week, add another four. Rotate them throughout the week.
Third week onwards choose from that list of 8. You’re already used to cooking them so it now requires very little thought or counting, and you have a variety of your favourite meals.
*Either use an online calculator or use my simplified counting rules.
While I agree with you, yes, it should be more about adherence, this article is not addressing this particular problem.
This is about people labeling their food, and trying to create a system around their food that isn’t quite serving them.
For the record I 100% agree with this article I just wanted to add another element to the conversation and hopefully see something written by you on this in the future to get your thoughts on it.
cool – appreciated. mind sharing some of the links/data?
This is a great bit of work. My construct of reality is that everyone’s belief systems (insert topic here) has some degree of variation and this becomes the focus on our responses. This article (if you can see past your beliefs) is a pretty sensible baseline to set your eating.
PS: With respect to Paleo – does anyone know what life expectancy was (if you didn’t get eaten by anything). Thought it would be worth comparing to our processed food life expectancy.
haha, I’d really like to know what the life expectancy was. I can’t imagine it to be much over 30, but what do I know??
Unfortunately, I think that’s the problem with comparing today’s life expectancy to an era where you were very likely to die at birth, from war, starving, disease, etc. Kinda defeats the purpose and I don’t think by IIFYM that anyone is suggesting you eat the typical western diet.
Either way, thanks for the great article!
I tend to eat mostly Paleo, but not obsessed about it. I definitely follow more of a flexible dieting or IIFYM approach these days. It’s just easier and I get better results. I can easily overeat on any diet, so keeping track helps and I can work in snacks and comfort food a lot easier. The cheat day approach never worked for me and made progress very slow.
Keep up the great work! both JC & Andy.
Agreed.
I would like to think that Paleo diet means we eat AS primitive people did — whole foods, no processed foods, etc. — not necessarily WHAT they ate, as that is difficult to determine. I personally have found Paleo quite helpful, but I do add some dairy
Same here. Unfortunately the author follows the same mistake as many by repeating age-old arguments against paleo that have already been refuted or that the paleo community accepts.
Concisely, paleo just suggests we use pre-agricultural foods as a baseline to guide our food choices, adding things incrementally to see how they affect us. Is that really such a bad thing that needs ‘debunking’ or criticizing?
Many people do zero research and simply think paleo just means copying a caveman.