IIFYM vs. Clean Eating-- The Nutritional Battle

You see it everywhere these days. Either you are an “IFYMer” or a “Clean Eater”. People will hashtag one or the other, never both. Either you count macros or you eat whole foods, mostly organic with no added preservatives or artificial sweeteners. The two cannot be synonymous, right? The two seem to be engaging in an all-out battle taking cheap shots at each other every chance they get.

To continue this conversation we should explain each of these approaches. IIFYM stands for “if it fits in your macros”. Basically, we only get calories from the three macronutrients- carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Carbohydrates and protein have 4 calories per gram while fats have 9 (alcohol has 7, but we will leave this discussion for another time).

With IIFYM, you can really have any foods as long as their macros fit in your daily allotment. Think of it as having a macronutrient budget. For example, you may be allotted 215 grams carbohydrates, 150 grams protein and 55 grams fat (these numbers vary greatly among individuals based on gender, body size, metabolic health, goals, etc.). You would track your food intake and get as close to these numbers as you can at the end of the day. One also needs to be mindful of their fiber and micronutrient intake. These needs also vary between individuals

Advocates of IIFYM preach “no food source limitations” and being able to work Oreos and Poptarts into their diet on a regular basis. They hashtag #myfooddoesn’tsuck and post downright delicious looking food creations. According to this theory, “a calorie is a calorie”.

Of course, you would have trouble hitting your protein, fiber and micronutrient numbers if you were only eating Oreos and Poptarts each day. Some vegetables and/or fruits, complete proteins and whole grains or complex carbohydrates would be necessary.

IIFYM promoters preach that this approach eliminates the “binge-restrict” cycle since you do not have a full blown “cheat meal” that could erase your whole weeks progress. You could work pizza, burgers, fries etc. into your numbers on a daily basis if you so choose. Now this theory- I do support.

Then there is the other side- the “Clean Eating” side. This was all the rage about 7 years ago when the theory first became mainstream. They advocate consuming “whole” (in their natural state) unprocessed foods with short ingredient lists and no artificial sweeteners or refined sugars. White flour is replaced by whole grain, foods are made from scratch, and sucralose or aspartame are replaced with stevia, honey or maple syrup.

With Clean Eating, you should fill your plate with fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, complex carbohydrates or whole grains, low-fat dairy and monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids. You should choose organic when possible and look for BPA free cans.

Here’s my question. We have come so far in the science of human metabolism and nutrition science, yet we are dumbing our approach to nutrition down to two theories? You must choose side A or side B? My thought is you need to fall somewhere toward the middle of the spectrum. The Personal Trainer/Physique Athlete in me pushes me more to the IIFYM side while the Dietitian and Masters of Science in Nutrition push me more to the Clean Eating side. Ultimately however, I am parched between the two.

How can that be?! You must be either-or, right? Wrong.

Why can you not track your macros, work in some “fun foods” (I don’t like Poptarts or Oreos- just personal preference) but mostly eat whole, nutrient dense foods?

I DO support the theory that a calorie is a calorie when it comes to weight loss or body composition changes (as long as you are hitting your macro targets as discussed above) but I do think for HEALTH purposes there are benefits to limiting your intake of certain foods (refined sugars, white flours, trans fats, etc.) Notice I said LIMIT not COMPLETELY AVOID (Paleo followers will now stop reading, which is fine, I could go on all day about that). I also believe you just FEEL BETTER and have MORE ENERGY consuming mostly whole, nutrient dense foods. I'm open to input but that is my personal experience and observation based on clients I have worked with.

So HOW do you go about being that “in the middle” individual. Here’s what I do:
I track my macros daily, but I do tend to eat very similar things—I just LIKE them (this is a choice, not a “diet prison”). On the weekends I will cook large batches of chicken breasts, ground turkey meatballs, flank steak, salmon, quinoa, yams and squash. I purchase, wash and prep vegetables and fruits that are in season and look delicious (in the summer months) or frozen (in the fall/winter). These plus staples like oats, eggs, egg whites, avocado, hummus, avocado/olive/coconut oil, sprouted grain breads, greek yogurt/cottage cheese and nuts and nut butters make up a majority of my meals.

With my busy lifestyle, I tend to plan and prep meals three days in advance, so yes, I track my macros based on what I feel like having over the next few days. This just makes my life easier and takes the stress out of cooking. And let’s be honest—when you are STARVING often times weighing and tracking your food just isn’t going to happen. Then after you’ve eaten you are left to estimate just what you consumed. Not too precise, is it?

And now you’re thinking “sounds like Clean Eating to me”, and to a certain extent it is. The difference here is that I do work in or leave room for foods I am craving, special events, work commitments (why do these all revolve around food?!), etc. That glass of wine, handful of chocolate chips, peanut butter and jelly sandwich or dinner out with friends certainly have their place in my macros. If I get home from work and that prepped meal in the fridge just isn't going to cut it, I swap it out for something that still fits in my macros but sounds a bit more "satisfying". There is where the flexibility in the approach lies.

In conclusion—my opinion is there are fallacies with both approaches. ONLY focusing on macros can leave you missing out on certain HEALTH benefits of nutrient dense foods (especially if you throw fiber and micronutrient targets out the window).

The other side of the token is the “Eating Disorder” mentality. Making someone who has a history of rigid eating or severe calorie counting/restriction count and track their macros can spell disaster. It is important that these individuals work with a Registered Dietitian before embarking on any sort of meal or macro plan.

With Clean Eating, thinking you can eat “as much as you want” of something without taking into account the caloric content as long as it is “clean” can leave you seeing little to no progress (or even gaining weight if you have a heavy hand when it comes to nuts, etc.!)

Clean Eating can also be linked to that “binge” mentality (again, the Eating Disorder mentality), especially if you are very restrictive with your food choices but then allow for one weekly “cheat meal”. Having a short list of foods you are allowed to consume increases your chance that if indeed you do go “off” you will end up eating more than you bargained for. Mentally you think—“I won’t get this for a while so I’m going to eat as much as possible now” or better yet “I’ve been so good I’ve earned this”. Well let me tell you, one large meal with no accounting for caloric/macro content can erase an entire weeks (and then some) deficit.

Secondly, what is a “Clean Food”? Is this opposed to a dirty food? This dichotomous thinking (black or white, on or off) leads to a poor relationship with food and difficulty finding balance and practicing moderation. Instead, think of foods as “sometimes” and “all the time”. Those you should eat every so often, and those that could be consumed daily.

My hope is that you don’t feel you need to choose sides, that you can be an “IIFYMer” whom also practices some of the “Clean Eating” approaches. Don’t put yourself in a box. Nutrition doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The approach that is best for one will not be best for another. Remember, fitness and nutrition are journeys in which you are constantly learning and finding what is best for your mind, body and lifestyle.

Need help finding that balance for yourself? Want to learn how to track macros, what ideal numbers are for you and your goals, or how you can implement some ideologies of Clean Eating into your lifestyle? Contact me at lindseymwoodkey@yahoo.com for more information.