IIFYM?

Tal9555

Can I still have a cheat meal once a week while on "iifym"?

And what are your thoughts on this diet/lifestyle? Do u think it works?

Blacktie.

If you're doing IIFYM there are no cheat meals once it fits your macros. It has its benefits but people really take the pi** with it and end up way over eating.

marialouise

Tal9555 wrote: »

Can I still have a cheat meal once a week while on "iifym"?

And what are your thoughts on this diet/lifestyle? Do u think it works?

If the cheat meal fits your macros :) 
But seriously: what works is what is maintainable in the long-term (ie a lifestyle). If you can consistently eat fuel your body with what it needs for your goal (gaining, maintaining or losing weight), without depriving yourself (diet/over-restricting) and eating foods you enjoy, you've hit the nail on the head. Doesn't matter if it's low-carb, IIFYM, paleo, whatever. If it works for you and helps you get what you want then it works. 
Be careful that a cheat meal doesn't interfere with a calorie deficit. No point in having a 3,500kcal deficit for the week and then going on a  3,000 kcal spree on a Saturday because you were good all week. 
In my own weight-loss experience I never needed a cheat meal because I never deprived myself of the foods I enjoy. I like everything I eat so I never crave certain foods anymore. I also don't believe in deserving/earning cheat meals or rewarding yourself with food. If you stick to your calorie deficit, reward yourself with something else. Mine was new clothes  
IIFYM is a handy way to keep track of what you're eating, and I have used it with great results myself, but not because it was IIFYM. It was just one way of keeping track of calories in/calories out, which is what it all comes down to. Maybe add in an extra weights session or a long walk or something to counteract the energy balance, but again I don't think cheating+trying to run it off is a long-term solution. If you are using MyFitnessPal to guide you with it, you can't really go wrong, but again - do you need a cheat meal? And if you do, just be careful it doesn't get in the way of your progress.

Tal9555

marialouise wrote: »

If the cheat meal fits your macros :) 
But seriously: what works is what is maintainable in the long-term (ie a lifestyle). If you can consistently eat fuel your body with what it needs for your goal (gaining, maintaining or losing weight), without depriving yourself (diet/over-restricting) and eating foods you enjoy, you've hit the nail on the head. Doesn't matter if it's low-carb, IIFYM, paleo, whatever. If it works for you and helps you get what you want then it works. 
Be careful that a cheat meal doesn't interfere with a calorie deficit. No point in having a 3,500kcal deficit for the week and then going on a  3,000 kcal spree on a Saturday because you were good all week. 
In my own weight-loss experience I never needed a cheat meal because I never deprived myself of the foods I enjoy. I like everything I eat so I never crave certain foods anymore. I also don't believe in deserving/earning cheat meals or rewarding yourself with food. If you stick to your calorie deficit, reward yourself with something else. Mine was new clothes  
IIFYM is a handy way to keep track of what you're eating, and I have used it with great results myself, but not because it was IIFYM. It was just one way of keeping track of calories in/calories out, which is what it all comes down to. Maybe add in an extra weights session or a long walk or something to counteract the energy balance, but again I don't think cheating+trying to run it off is a long-term solution. If you are using MyFitnessPal to guide you with it, you can't really go wrong, but again - do you need a cheat meal? And if you do, just be careful it doesn't get in the way of your progress.

So once I have a calorie deficit while trying to lose weight I should lose weight? Does it matter if the calories come from carbs or fats? What I mean is a calorie a calorie? Wherever it comes from?

Im finding it abit hard to get that right nutrition plan to suit me and not feel like Im depriving myself, and the more I read things online the more I confuse myself because I see alot of people saying low carb diet is the way to go and then some swear by carbs.

Alf Veedersane

Tal9555 wrote: »

So once I have a calorie deficit while trying to lose weight I should lose weight? Does it matter if the calories come from carbs or fats? What I mean is a calorie a calorie? Wherever it comes from?

Im finding it abit hard to get that right nutrition plan to suit me and not feel like Im depriving myself, and the more I read things online the more I confuse myself because I see alot of people saying low carb diet is the way to go and then some swear by carbs.

Calorie deficit is king for weight loss. The better the quality of the food, the easier it typically is to control calorie intake.

Low carb works by ultimately reducing calorie intake. Carbs are important for training especially if you're training with any intensity.

But there's no best way to manage it. Different ways work for different people bit it largely comes down to calories in vs calories out for weight loss

marialouise

Tal9555 wrote: »

So once I have a calorie deficit while trying to lose weight I should lose weight? Does it matter if the calories come from carbs or fats? What I mean is a calorie a calorie? Wherever it comes from?

Im finding it abit hard to get that right nutrition plan to suit me and not feel like Im depriving myself, and the more I read things online the more I confuse myself because I see alot of people saying low carb diet is the way to go and then some swear by carbs.

Yes a calorie deficit will achieve weight loss. IIFYM is just one approach to this, and if you are measuring your foods and tracking your calories, it doesn't *really* matter where they come from. 
I wrote about this in another thread but if you have a 2,000 calorie "budget" to spend in a day to maintain the same weight, eating above that will result in weight gain and eating below will result in weight loss. 2000 was just an easy example, you need to find out for yourself what that figure is using a TDEE calculator, or MyFitnessPal. 
So you can could blow your budget on one high-calorie meal, or you can choose lower-calorie options throughout the day so that you don't feel hungry. 
http://www.health.gov.fj/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/2000-calories.png
Eg instead of a pastry and latte for a quick breakfast, you could get eggs, turkey rashers and a load of vegetables for fewer calories, better nutrients, and a breakfast which will keep you full longer. This is an example of a change that I made, and I would definitely rather have eggs every day than a stupid pastry now! So, you choose where the calories come from, but certain choices are obviously going to have a better effect on your hunger, mindset and body composition. 
Tracking your calories should indeed get you good results, so get weighing your foods, track your macros if you wish (I go for 30% protein, 30% fats, 40% carbs but this changes daily, eg when I'm training a lot I'll increase the carbs, if I'm not doing any exercise I'll reduce carbs, everyone will do something differently but make sure you're getting enough protein anyway). 
I'd say start by tracking what you currently eat. Download MFP, type in your current weight, your goal, how you want to do it (0.5-1lb a week is quite reasonable and maintainable, too aggressive and you won't stick to it!) and then just start entering what you typically eat in a day. This will show you which foods or portions you're currently eating which could be changed. Start with small changes and enjoy the results

Mellor

IIFYM works, but I don't think it's the best approach.
Everyday, every meal you can eat whatever you want, so they are all cheat meals in that regard.
But if you mean a cheat meal where you just eat what you want without trying to stick to a calorie deficit. Yes you can still do that on IIFYM, results will be affected according. The more you go over diet by, the more you impede your results.

There are times when due to work or schedule, I'll a IIFYM day. Personally I think that's a much better use of the method.
I'll just grab what ever convenient crap is available when I'm very busy or travelling.