Most people will admit that they’ve tried a diet at least once in their life. There are tons of different diets out there, each with the same basic goal: to help you lose weight by making healthier food choices. Yet, each diet is different in how they get people to achieve this aim.
Flexible dieting has the same goal as other diets but instead establishes a more positive relationship with food. What you can and can’t eat is based on a micronutrient count. This means that you won’t have to abandon all of your favorite foods! Find out how this diet works below.
What Is Flexible Dieting?
Flexible dieting is a type of weight loss program. It has become increasingly popular over the last few years, with more and more people interested in experimenting with flexible dieting.
The way that flexible dieting is a little different from other programs. Most diets work by labeling some foods as bad and others as good.
As you can imagine, sugary and fatty foods, such as chocolate or cake, are considered bad. Meanwhile, fruits and vegetables are among the foods that are classified as healthy.
Instead of taking this approach, flexible dieting calculates what you can and can’t eat on the macronutrient count. If you are unfamiliar with the term, macronutrients, also known as macros, are elements that need to be prominent in a diet.
Because of this, flexible dieting is also referred to as “If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM).” This system results in foods not being good or bad. As a consequence, you can still eat foods that are traditionally considered unhealthy. Few diets give you this opportunity! The dieter is given increased control over their diet and lifestyle.
How Do You Follow Flexible Dieting?
If you are eager to follow this diet program, there are a few steps that you need to complete.
TDEE
You must first work out their individual total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). There are plenty of macro calculators online that can be utilized to determine this.
This calculation will inform you of how many calories you burn every day. The figure is based on personal information, such as your age, height, weight, and level of exercise. Once you have completed this calculation, you will be given a TDEE number that you can work toward.
Macro Calculation
After this, you must complete another calculation. This time, you will need to calculate how many macronutrients you need. Again, online calculators and apps simplify this job. You will need to provide similar information for this calculation as the TDEE calculation.
This will inform you of how many macronutrients, such as protein and carbohydrates, your body daily requires. You will be provided with a breakdown of each macronutrient.
Micronutrient Tracking
Finally, you will need to keep a record of how many macronutrients you are consuming. This is often easier said than done.
Once you have tracked this information, you can compare it to the aforementioned calculations. You should aim to meet the limits of these figures if you wish to have a healthier diet, enabling you to lose weight.
Perhaps the easiest way of tracking your macronutrient consumption is to use a mobile app. Manually tracking these macronutrients can require tons of effort, so you may want to get a device to do all the hard work for you.
Among the most widely-used macronutrient tracking apps are MyFitnessPal, MyPlate, and MyMacros. These apps are designed to have large records of macronutrient information for different foods, allowing you to determine how many macronutrients are in a portion.
What Are The Advantages Of Flexible Dieting?
There are lots of different benefits to this program, hence why it has become so well-liked. This includes:
Flexibility
As suggested by the name, this is a dieting program that gives the dieter plenty of flexibility. It’s rare for diets to be this open regarding what foods you can eat. Instead, you can pick a wide range of foods, making it much easier to eat out.
Long-Term Weight Loss
Though this diet yields limited short-term results, many people have found that they have gradually lost weight.
The reason for this is that many people stick to this diet for a long time. With other diets, many people give up after a short period due to their strictness. Flexible dieting is one of the most sustainable dieting programs out there.
Easy Calculations
Though it may be hard to work out your macronutrient intake manually, there are lots of apps that make this process smooch easier. As a result, it’s straightforward to work out whether or not you are maintaining your diet.
You Can Eat Fun Foods
We all like a naughty food treat from time to time. Whether that be millionaire’s shortbread, a fatty steak, or rich chocolate, everybody likes to treat themselves from time to time.
Unfortunately, many of these foods are unhealthy. It can be hard to resist them when dieting. Luckily, this diet means that you can still occasionally eat these foods, establishing a more positive relationship with your food.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Flexible Dieting?
As great as flexible dieting is, there are also some potential disadvantages that you must bear in mind. Among these downsides are:
Constant Tracking
You will need to track every meal that you have to determine whether or not you are meeting your macronutrient needs, which is time-consuming. Plus, it’s super easy to forget to track a meal, which will throw off your results.
Knowledge Of Dieting Is Required
Unless you are a dietitian or food scientist, this is not the easiest diet to understand. Increased knowledge of dieting is needed.
Closing Remarks
You may assume that flexible dieting is just the latest fad in the world of weight loss. But the truth is that flexible dieting is an appealing option for people wishing to lose weight.
After all, it gives dieters an increased level of control over their diet that few other programs provide. If you want to enjoy the finer things in life, flexible dieting may be your weight-loss answer!
