My Experience with IIFYM/Flexible Dieting

I have been exercising/into fitness for 7 years now and food has always been the one thing I have struggled with. I would always 'eat clean' followed by binging. And I'm not talking about eating a block of chocolate and then being satisfied. I'm talking about binging on everything in sight - I would eat a whole 500g block of chocolate in one sitting - yikes!. Even when you are full you don't stop. You can see my post about binge eating back here.

When it came to exercise I would be on track for roughly 8 weeks and as soon as I reached my goal weight I would think okay, now I can eat whatever I want and not exercise. Fast forward 4 weeks later and I would be back to where I started. Then I would start the process all over again. Yes I did this for 7 years. My goal was ALWAYS a number on the scale and it wasn't until I changed that and my relationship with food that I was able to really make it a lifestyle change.

 I have been following IIFYM for 4 months now and I have been consistent the whole time. Why? 1. Because I know exactly what my goals are and this time it is not a number on the scale. 2. I have found a way of eating that allows me to eat anything I want (as long as it fits my macros) and not feel the restriction that comes with eating clean. Don't get me wrong, I still eat clean 80% of the time, but I still enjoy 'bad foods' daily. I finally feel like I truly have balance in my life with food and exercise. And you know what else is great? I haven't had a binge in 4 months. That to me is progress in itself.

Current Macros

My current macros for fat loss are: 1760 calories 175C/130P/58F I have one refeed day per week where my macros are 1950 calories 270C/105P/50F

Goals/Plan

My current plan is to cut fat (which I am currently doing), then once I reach my fat loss goal I will reverse diet into a lean bulk to gain some muscle and then cut back down again.

What I Eat

Here are some of the foods I eat daily while doing IIFYM:

Progress

Here is my progress over 10 weeks (please note that there is only roughly a 2-4lb/1-2kg difference between these photos).
 

My Workouts

Here are some of the workouts that I do (my workouts are weight based and I currently do around 60 minutes of cardio a week).
 

What can you do to find balance with exercise and nutrition?

1. Find exercise that you enjoy. I swear there is something out there for everyone, you just have to find it. Your exercise interests will almost always change over time. I went from walking on the treadmill to Beachbody workouts to swimming to running to weight training. Do what you enjoy at the time and work on improving yourself each day.

2. Find a way of eating that works for YOU. IIFYM works well for me, but it may not work for you. Find something that you can stick to long term whether that is calorie counting, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig or Paleo. If you are someone who struggles with the clean eating/binge cycle then I do suggest trying IIFYM!

3. Don't focus on the scale. I know this is so so so hard to do. I used to be someone who was obsessed with the scale and would weigh myself every morning without fail. Pick a goal that is not scale related. The scale does not tell the whole story.

4. Be patient and consistent. These are probably the two hardest things to master when it comes to weight/fat loss. I know we hear it over and over again but it really is KEY to seeing results. Stick with it no matter what and you will get there!  

All pictures were taken from my Instagram @TaraFulloon

Have questions about IIFYM? Post them below or contact me.