IIFYM + #nolimits

Hey all!

Some super exciting news for all of you, well ok. I think it’s exciting 🙂

I started IIFYM today! For those who don’t know, If It Fits Your Macros is the idea that your body composition can be changed (lose fat, gain muscle) just by eating your required macronutrients (carbs, proteins, fats) in the correct ratio. ie: flexible dieting. Seem too good to be true? Maybe. The idea that yes I can have a slice of cake when it is birthday day at work or I can have peanut butter and toast for supper without totally screwing my body fat % over is kind of intriguing 😉

So, some of you may wonder. How exactly do I figure out my macros? Well, I did about 3 different calculators over the last week or so and I found one that seemed to work for me, please keep in mind that these are MY MACROS for MY WEIGHT, MY HEIGHT, MY BODYFAT, MY ACTIVITY. Everyone’s macros will be different. I am currently figuring out my mom’s and hers are completely different from mine! This is just a general calculator that you can play around with and see if it works for you.

10*(Bodyweight in kg) + 6.25*(height in cm) – 5*(age in years) -161 = 1409*1.55 for moderate activity = 2184 TDEE

This is my total daily energy expenditure. In order to lose fat I must create a calorie deficit either through working out or reducing calorie consumption. Since I factored in my exercise with my TDEE, I must reduce calories or add extra exercise. I chose to calorie reduce, this calorie reduction should be between 5-20% in order to preserve muscle. 15% reduction:

2184*0.85 = 1856
Now that I have my calorie count down, time to figure out my macro ratio!

Protein should be 1g/lb of body weight, in order to preserve muscle and still be able to gain it! Therefore 133lb = 133g protein x 4 calories = 532 calories from protein

Fats should be 20-25% of daily calories or you risk running into hormonal problems. Don’t be afraid of fats! 1856*0.25 = 464 calories/9 calories = 52g fat

Carbs are super easy to figure out. Total daily calories – calories from fat – calories from protein = calories from carbs/4 calories = g of carbs. Sooooo.. 1856-532-464 = 860/4 = 215g carbs.

Tada! These are my macros for the next few weeks. I am tracking them on myfitnesspal. Hopefully I will see some more results following this and will keep you updated on my progress! Have an amazing week everybody!

Your fellow human,
April