Tag: advanced iifym

Do I have to count macros forever?

On By Bikini Competitor TracyHIn fat loss, flex, Flexible Dieting, Health and fitness information, HOW TO, IIFYM, macro counting, macros

Well.. that’s a giant bucket of OMG!  How do you count that???  I count it as  DGAF.

The question I received today was

“UGH.. do I have to count macros forever?”

The answer is “Yes and sort of yes and no-ish.”

Let me explain: 
Your body counts macros whether you count them or not. If you are fluffy,  it is because you are eating in a surplus. If you are drinking that giant margarita you know you are going to feel accountable for that in some manner. That is surplus for sure!!

IIFYM/Macro counting is not a diet. It is  simply a way to  eat well and achieve your physique goals while enjoying the foods YOU like.. So if you want to achieve your physique goals, yes.. for sure you will have to count them.  However..

The progression of macro counting is fantastic.  The longer you do it, the more comfortable you may feel with “Intuitive dieting”

Intuitive dieting is basically eating your macros and doing math in your head.  Simply understanding that you have a certain amount of Protein, Carbs and Fat and fiber to hit and are able to do that fairly easily.

Example:  I had a Quest bar.. that was  25g protein, 27C and 8g F.   Iced coffee with it that’s an extra 10g protein… etc.  I’m doing math in my head.  It starts to actually become a natural thing the longer you do it.  This works great when you are traveling.  I have found it very easy to eat in airports with intuitive dieting.

This is a good day! High carb days is awesome.

When I get a check in from a  client that said “I didn’t track yesterday but I aimed for my protein and hit my calorie goals  pretty close”  this is awesome.  This is someone who understands her goals but can be “flexible” in her food!!

BREAKS ARE GOOD.. SOMETIMES.
I had a client check in and tell me. “I didn’t track at all for the holiday. I was on a float and ate some things, but kept my portions small. I enjoyed the day”

This is a time when you don’t need to track.   This is a flexible dieting win!  My client was aware, she enjoyed her day and she didn’t stay glued to a tracker.   She is back on her normal food right away.

I was very excited to hear her experience over the holiday simply because a dieting break is good for the soul. It’s ok.  On that break, she didn’t binge, she didn’t freak out or beat herself up.  She woke up and went back to her plan.  This is amazing.

Ok.. so I’m just not going to track and guess..
This is could be a struggle with clients who are used to starting and stopping diets.
I’m not advocating this at all. Consistency wins over perfection in the IIFYM game.  Working intuitively for long periods of time is for the advanced macro counter.

Honestly, I can’t even fathom not counting for a long period of time. If you reach that level greatness.. Cheers!!

If you are not solid on your macros. If you cannot hit them consistently. If you are prone to binges and see not tracking as an opportunity to eat in a surplus.. you are probably not ready for intuitive dieting.  That’s ok. Stick to your journey and use the tools you have to be successful.  Never give up but know that the longer you do it, the easier it will become!!

Advanced IIFYM: Food Scores

On By Bikini Competitor TracyHIn Competitor secrets, donuts, flex, Flexible Dieting, Health and fitness information, IIFYM, macro counting2 Comments

HA!
The mister and I are doing this prep together. I did his macros and he’s killing it. He’s lost a full pants size and
looking lean and mean. We stumbled upon something really cool in MyNetDiary that took our  planning to another level.

Food Scores!
For an anal retentive, OCD girl.. OMG I love this!!  I’m an advocate of high quality food.
This is the way to find out if the food you are eating is awesome or not-so much!
This for example is PB2, which you can see is an A rating.
a1
This on the other hand is a basic girl, pumpkin donut from Entemanns. Oh boy..D!
I donut choose this one.

My goal on prep is to eat all my food as “high scores”. 

If we have a score lower than B, we will switch it out for something else.

How is the Food Score Calculated?

Food Score is calculated using an equation derived from food ratings of nutrition experts using information found on the Nutrition Facts panel. That is, Food Score mimics how a nutrition expert would score the healthfulness of a food based upon its nutrition label. The equation uses the content of twelve nutrients listed on the Nutrition Facts panel: total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carb, fiber, sugar, protein, Vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron. The methodology was published in the June 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, in the article “Modeling Expert Opinions on Food Healthfulness: A Nutrition Metric” by Jolie M. Martin, MBA, PhD; John Beshears, AM; Katherine L. Milkman; Max H. Bazerman, PhD; Lisa A. Sutherland, PhD, and used by MyNetDiary with permission.

Some nutrients have a stronger affect on Food Score than others. For instance, fiber will affect Food Score more strongly and positively than any other nutrient. That means foods higher in fiber will score higher than foods that are lower in fiber. The reverse is true for saturated fat – foods higher in that type of fat will have a lower Food Score.

.. from MyNet Diary

Nutshell: The better the food is macro/micronutrient wise, you will see a higher score.

How do I see the food score?
finger
When you select your food, you will see a tiny I in the corner. Touch that to get the macros and score.

Also: if you are in the grocery store, you can scan items and it will pull up the macros/score for you.

How can you benefit from this?
If you look at your day as a whole and see that you are hitting your macros and making healthy choices 80-90 percent of the time, you can certainly enjoy some fun foods here and there.
If you go back and look at your past days, you can see where you can make better choices! We all can eat better!

Bottom line. I’m very passionate about eating well. I believe quality of food matters. You have a great tool to make your macro counting game stronger!!

Here is a picture of Bumpy.

Bumpy. She is simple.Knows no macros.
Bumpy. She is simple.Knows no macros.