What the heck is "IIFYM?!"

.#IIFYM

Have you seen it? It's kind of a big hashtag in the fitness and nutritional world, so you probably have seen it but aren't sure what is?

"IIFYM". stands for "If It Fits Your Macros."

"Ok, gee thanks Sara. Still doesn't help."

Alright, alright let me explain.

First of all, maybe defining what "macros" are in the first place would be a good start.

Macros, or macronutrients are the nutrients that your body needs in large amounts, which include fat, carbohydrates, and protein. You can learn more about what each of the macronutrient are and what they do for our body HERE.

Depending on your goals, (fat loss, body building competition, better sleep, more energy, more endurance, preparing for a competition, etc. your body will need a certain amount of calories. Instead of focusing however on just calories, we break that down even further into the AMOUNT of macronutrients you are getting out of that specific amount of calories. For instance, a 50 year old pre menopausal woman is going to need an entirely different percentage of macros and caloric intake than a 21 year old male athlete. A 35 year old female marathon runner is going to need an entirely different percentage of macros than a 45 year old male body builder.

For the majority of instances, a pre menopausal woman with high blood sugar, PCOS and a larger belly circumference is going to do better with a lower amount of healthy carbs, higher protein and more of a medium amount of healthy fats. This is "general", and not across the board. Notice, I also said LOWER amount of healthy carbs, not "no carbs" or even "low carb." Ketogenic and low carb diets can serve a purpose under circumstances and for shorter periods of time, but they need to be held and watched under a practitioner who understands the body and this type of diet very, very well. Lots of things need to be monitored in the body and from the patient when these extreme diets are being practiced.

When we say , "IIFYM", we are then saying that whatever we are eating for the day is going to "fit" in our allotted amount of macronutrients. So, say in a day, my macronutrient count was to get 150 grams of protein, 180 grams of carbs, and 65 grams of fat, I could eat whatever I wanted to as long as I hit those grams and didn't go over. Obviously, I would want the majority of those macronutrients to be from healthy, whole, nourishing foods. Or, as I often like to tell all of my clients, try to shoot for an "80/20" lifestyle. Meaning, 80% of your foods in a day, week, should come from as clean, fresh, whole and nourishing foods as possible. The other 20%? Fair game baby! Cheesecake lover? Eat it! Fish Fry and Old Fashions on a Friday night? Go to town! Living a healthy lifestyle isn't just eating the healthiest, purest foods every moment possible, while constantly denying yourself the things that bring you pleasure and memories of your childhood, moments with grandma, etc. Living a healthy lifestyle is living a HOLISTIC lifestyle, that engages all areas of your life that bring you joy. Striving for balance is the key, emphasizing the word, "striving." We will never maintain perfect balance. Ever. So stop thinking that right this instant if you are. :)

Personally, macro counting has been the best way for me to focus on nutrition. Not only does it keep me mindful of the getting the nutrition I need, I LOVE knowing nothing is off limits.

Freedom is a beautiful thing.

What about you? Do you track macros? Are you ready to give it a shot? Drop some comments below!!