IIFYM stands for If It Fits Your Macros.

It is NOT a diet.

It is a STYLE of dieting.

A method, if you will. 

Technically, you could follow any diet and still follow IIFYM principles. 

How is this possible?

Well, "Macros" is just short for Macronutrients.

What are Macros?

Macronutrients are the building blocks of any food that you see.

There are 4 Macronutrients:

1. Protein
2. Carbs
3. Fat
4. Alcohol

When we're talking about food, calories come from the macronutrient make-up of food.

Let's check out this nutrition label:

You can see 3 main macronutrients on it, along with calories and other ingredients.

How did they come up with the calories of 230? 

Well, there is a long process that food manufacturers have to determine this, but if we look at the macros, then we can figure it out ourselves.

Here's how.

There are:

• 4 calories PER GRAM of Protein
• 4 calories PER GRAM of Carbohydrate
• 9 calories PER GRAM of Fat

^This will be very important for you to remember in the upcoming lessons^

If we take the nutrition label above and "do the math" we get:

• 3g of protein x 4 = 12 cal
• 37g of carbs x 4 = 148 cal
• 8g of fat x 9 = 72 

12 cal + 148 cal + 72 cal = 232 calories

The nutrition label says 230 calories. 

The FDA allows companies to round...

Either way, you can see how the nutrition label is made up. 

Why does this matter to us?

Well, this is essentially how you are going to track macros with your daily meals, just WITHOUT the math and headache.

Calories and Weight Loss

If you didn't know, weight loss follows universal laws that you should know about.

This is going to get a bit "science-y" so bare with me for a second.

The Laws of Thermodynamics:

• The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed.
• This is often referred to as the Law of Energy Balance.

(Change in Internal Energy) = (Heat) - (Work)

This, although it doesn't look like it, is the formula for weight loss or gain.

A calorie = a unit of heat energy.

When that ugly formula above is applied to health and fitness, you can change it to:

(Change in Body Weight) = (Energy Consumed) - (Energy Expended)

This is the formula that changed my life and can change yours.

I know two things for certain: 

1. Numbers Don't Lie & 
2. This Universal Law Cannot Be Ignored.

You will only lose weight if you are in a calorie deficit.

There is no argument to be made.

It is fact.

If it's a fact, then why isn't it called IIFYC: If It Fits Your Calories?

Let's talk about it.