Let me start out this entire blog post by introducing myself while giving you guys some insight as to who exactly I am, and also what qualifies me to be addressing such a wide-ranging topic in the fitness/health community. Well, I’m Ian. I’m currently 21 years old and I’ve been though more in my lifetime than probably most 60 year olds have. By the time I was a junior in HS I started developing an eating disorder, and by the time I was in college I was hospitalized because my body was shutting down due to lack of adequate and proper nutrition. I spent over 2 months inpatient and over 1 month out patient recovering at a hospital. I’ve fully recovered from anorexia nervosa and orthorexia nervosa since then, and I must say - it has been a long road. With that being said, I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything in the world because what I have learned is something that cannot be obtained through classes, studies, tests or anything comparable. To have done what I have done and conquered is defiantly something not everyone goes through. An inside perspective is not something everyone can offer.
Since recovering I’ve found a love for nutrition, training, and leaning about everything far and in between in regards to health and wellbeing. Going so far as to taking nutrition classes at the University of Alabama, prior to me transferring to New York City to attend the following years of college. I’ve had quite the experience in these ranges of topics, so just like you wouldn’t want to listen to a person in a topic where their opinion and experiences are not valid, I just wanted to provide some insight as to why mine might be held to a higher account in terms of actual first hand experience.
Since recovering I’ve found a love for nutrition, training, and leaning about everything far and in between in regards to health and wellbeing. Going so far as to taking nutrition classes at the University of Alabama, prior to me transferring to New York City to attend the following years of college. I’ve had quite the experience in these ranges of topics, so just like you wouldn’t want to listen to a person in a topic where their opinion and experiences are not valid, I just wanted to provide some insight as to why mine might be held to a higher account in terms of actual first hand experience.
Nevertheless, lets dive right into why I’m writing this. Lets first try and answer the question, “What makes a food clean?” Does that mean organic? What about if I’m a vegetarian? Does that mean only fruits, some grains, and vegetables? What if I’m paleo? Does that mean grains are not clean? How about vegan? What about processed food and added chemicals? If it goes in my body does it have to be completely natural??
Had enough?... I sure have. Don’t get me wrong, I was once a “clean” eater myself, and I sure have had my share of “clean foods”. Usually when you try to ask a clean eater what exactly “clean” eating means, the definition kind of rolls back and starts becoming counter productive to the overall argument. The truth is there is no such thing as “clean eating”. Like I said before, I was once a “clean” eater, and that led to a very unhealthy relationship with food. This article I’m writing is in no way hating on or bashing “clean eaters”, and to each there own, but I’m giving my outlook on why it’s a very single minded process of thinking that the industry has put in your mind, that’s factually backed up with zero actual evidence or scientific research.
One thing all clean eaters seem to believe is that certain types, kinds, or varieties of foods have somewhat magical or mythical properties that impact health. That’s 150% false. Certain types of foods don’t get you more fit or in shape to achieve optimal body composition than another food. The majority of people also think as long as you eat the “right foods” or cut out certain foods it will get you the body you want. Insert all the diets you’ve seen on “Super foods”, and your typical “cookie cutter” diets here. Truth of the matter is, your body processes fat from pizza the exact same manner it processes fat from nut butter. When you ingest fat there is no trigger or reader in the body that says, “Because this was pizza I will store this as fat, and since this was nut butter its healthy, so I’m storing it different then the pizza.” Your body is your body. Fat is fat, protein is protein, and carbs are carbs. So essentially a calorie is a calorie depending on what it’s made of (protein, carb, fat). Your body does not recognize the type of food. If you have found yourself thinking or saying, “This chicken, rice, and broccoli I am currently eating is going to turn into muscle because it’s all clean food!” or adversely, “If I eat ice cream it will turn into fat because it’s a unclean or bad food!” you do not have a firm grasp on what nutrition entails. This is where eating disorders can come into play. When you label a food as “good” or “bad” you are making a massive mistake in your thinking and physiology. When you start restricting these foods that you and the majority of society have labeled as unclean, unhealthy, and bad for you - it can start effecting everyday social situations, relationships, friendships that can eventually skyrocket into a full blown eating disorder. Trust me on this one. You don’t want that. Restricting certain foods based on nutrition profiles and believing types/categories of foods are better than others, i.e. an obsession with only eating “clean” is titled as orthorexia nervosa.
Had enough?... I sure have. Don’t get me wrong, I was once a “clean” eater myself, and I sure have had my share of “clean foods”. Usually when you try to ask a clean eater what exactly “clean” eating means, the definition kind of rolls back and starts becoming counter productive to the overall argument. The truth is there is no such thing as “clean eating”. Like I said before, I was once a “clean” eater, and that led to a very unhealthy relationship with food. This article I’m writing is in no way hating on or bashing “clean eaters”, and to each there own, but I’m giving my outlook on why it’s a very single minded process of thinking that the industry has put in your mind, that’s factually backed up with zero actual evidence or scientific research.
One thing all clean eaters seem to believe is that certain types, kinds, or varieties of foods have somewhat magical or mythical properties that impact health. That’s 150% false. Certain types of foods don’t get you more fit or in shape to achieve optimal body composition than another food. The majority of people also think as long as you eat the “right foods” or cut out certain foods it will get you the body you want. Insert all the diets you’ve seen on “Super foods”, and your typical “cookie cutter” diets here. Truth of the matter is, your body processes fat from pizza the exact same manner it processes fat from nut butter. When you ingest fat there is no trigger or reader in the body that says, “Because this was pizza I will store this as fat, and since this was nut butter its healthy, so I’m storing it different then the pizza.” Your body is your body. Fat is fat, protein is protein, and carbs are carbs. So essentially a calorie is a calorie depending on what it’s made of (protein, carb, fat). Your body does not recognize the type of food. If you have found yourself thinking or saying, “This chicken, rice, and broccoli I am currently eating is going to turn into muscle because it’s all clean food!” or adversely, “If I eat ice cream it will turn into fat because it’s a unclean or bad food!” you do not have a firm grasp on what nutrition entails. This is where eating disorders can come into play. When you label a food as “good” or “bad” you are making a massive mistake in your thinking and physiology. When you start restricting these foods that you and the majority of society have labeled as unclean, unhealthy, and bad for you - it can start effecting everyday social situations, relationships, friendships that can eventually skyrocket into a full blown eating disorder. Trust me on this one. You don’t want that. Restricting certain foods based on nutrition profiles and believing types/categories of foods are better than others, i.e. an obsession with only eating “clean” is titled as orthorexia nervosa.
Also a problem with restricting foods, once your diet is over and you turn the page thinking all the hard work is done, severe binging periods can take place that can lead to you gaining all the weight back and probably even more than what you originally started with wanting to drop in the first place. For example, when you’re told you can’t have something or this food is “off limits”, it is scientifically proven in studies that your craving for the certain “off limits” food is highly intensified. We can put it in another perspective as well. When you were a kid and your parents said something like, “Ian, you absolutely can never do this! Ever! It’s forbidden!” What is the one thing you wanted to do?... You wanted to do that thing you were told not to do. Why?... Because you were told you couldn’t, which in your head makes you think your missing out on something. Well, I remember being told that when I was younger, and I also remember touching the stove and getting burnt when told specifically not to touch it. See my point?...
When you are eating foods titled as “clean”, indirectly you are eating foods that are quite high in volume, fiber, fill you up, and are low in fat. This is something most “clean” foods subsequently have in common. Sweet potatoes, brown rice, chicken, asparagus, oatmeal, egg whites, vegetables, turkey, spinach, quinoa, fruits, tilapia, whole wheat breads, broccoli, green beans. Indirectly you are affecting your overall calorie intake when eating these without even really thinking twice about it because they are all very low in that category. That is how the word “clean” when referring to food came to be. Some of the biggest mistakes when it comes to “clean eating”, are people thinking you have to suffer on a diet to see the results you want, and also becoming obsessive with clean food. The number one mistake is not addressing the underlying factor to achieving the body composition you want that even “clean” and “bad” foods all have in common. Let me introduce you to macronutrients.
When you are eating foods titled as “clean”, indirectly you are eating foods that are quite high in volume, fiber, fill you up, and are low in fat. This is something most “clean” foods subsequently have in common. Sweet potatoes, brown rice, chicken, asparagus, oatmeal, egg whites, vegetables, turkey, spinach, quinoa, fruits, tilapia, whole wheat breads, broccoli, green beans. Indirectly you are affecting your overall calorie intake when eating these without even really thinking twice about it because they are all very low in that category. That is how the word “clean” when referring to food came to be. Some of the biggest mistakes when it comes to “clean eating”, are people thinking you have to suffer on a diet to see the results you want, and also becoming obsessive with clean food. The number one mistake is not addressing the underlying factor to achieving the body composition you want that even “clean” and “bad” foods all have in common. Let me introduce you to macronutrients.
Every food you eat is made of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Protein and carbohydrates both consist of 4 calories per gram, and fat consists of 9 calories per gram. That’s why fat dense food like peanut butter is higher in calories. Even all the clean foods we’ve previously addressed consist off these guidelines. When you are counting macros you simply have a set number of macros per day (based on gender, height, weight, age, metabolism, activity, and body goals), and you fill them up tracking the foods and amounts you eat. The macros can be easily tracked and accounted for on your phone by many different applications, but I recommend “My Fitness Pal” which makes counting macros a walk in the park. This allows for a more flexible way of meeting your goals while striving for optimal body composition. One thing you have to also adhere to is your daily fiber composition or micronutrients (Vitamins, Minerals & Antioxidants). Micronutrients are also a main factor in hitting your goal each day, and usually if you’re eating a variety on fruits and veggies daily you are hitting this goal with ease. For ideal body composition you usually want 40-60 grams of fiber a day, which is really not that hard to hit if you’re eating a balanced diet. Am I saying that if you follow IIFYM or flexible dieting, all you do is eat pop tarts, candy, cookies, chicken fingers, ice cream, pizza, and all the previous foods you’ve labeled in your head as “bad”? No. I’m not saying that at all. What I am saying is that you can account for it in your daily macronutrients and actually factor it into your overall nutrition for the day. Like I previously said, there is absolutely zero research, as in completely nothing, that shows eating chicken and rice and all other types of “clean” foods while hitting the same macro/micro goals as if you were to be using a flexible dieting method is more beneficial to overall body composition.
By default if your using IIFYM/Flexible Dieting to achieve your goals, you do end up eating these labeled “clean” foods, but they are tracked and accounted for to help meet your goals because most of them are nutrient dense and when trying to hit fiber/micro goals they do play a role in having a balanced diet. Your looking for a diet of about 80% whole food sources while having the other 20% to be more “flexible” when dealing with. When you have room for certain amounts of carbs, fat, and protein is it ok to fill up some of them with a pop tart? Or cereal? Or a cookie? Yes. It absolutely is. The luxury of being able to exercise flexible dieting is being able to treat yourself with out feeling guilty like you did something wrong or ate a “bad” food. No food is “bad” they all just have different nutrient profiles that are suitable to meet macro-orientated goals. It’s not essentially the kinds of foods that matter, but it’s the calorie intake and also the macro composition of your total diet.
By default if your using IIFYM/Flexible Dieting to achieve your goals, you do end up eating these labeled “clean” foods, but they are tracked and accounted for to help meet your goals because most of them are nutrient dense and when trying to hit fiber/micro goals they do play a role in having a balanced diet. Your looking for a diet of about 80% whole food sources while having the other 20% to be more “flexible” when dealing with. When you have room for certain amounts of carbs, fat, and protein is it ok to fill up some of them with a pop tart? Or cereal? Or a cookie? Yes. It absolutely is. The luxury of being able to exercise flexible dieting is being able to treat yourself with out feeling guilty like you did something wrong or ate a “bad” food. No food is “bad” they all just have different nutrient profiles that are suitable to meet macro-orientated goals. It’s not essentially the kinds of foods that matter, but it’s the calorie intake and also the macro composition of your total diet.
For example, lets say you make 5 million dollars a year working a job. Do you think it would be an ok investment to buy a 1 million dollar house for you and your family? I would say that would be a fine investment for a family. Now, lets look at the other end of the spectrum - Lets now say you now make 2 million dollars, do you think buying the same 1 million dollar house would still be an ok investment? Wrong. That doesn’t mean you still can’t buy a house, and their might be a suitable house in the same neighborhood as the 1 million dollar house you were originally looking at. The same applies with food concepts. If your macros are higher, you have a grater total amount of macros to spend on various foods (bulking, off season or building muscle) than you would if you had lower macros (cutting, contest prep or losing fat). So, would a person who has higher macros be able to eat some cookies to achieve their desired macronutrient ratio? Yes most likely. But the key is the person on lower macros might still be able to have one cookie and still keep their sanity when trying to diet down.
One thing that social media has effect is the overall outlook of Flexible dieters compared to that of clean eaters. If you follow me, or any other IIFYM Instagram account you know exactly what I mean. You go through their social feed to see dozens of pictures of good-looking food that is “off limits” or “bad” too most in the fitness world. Poptarts, candy, ice cream, pancakes, protein powders, eggs, cinnamon rolls, muffins, bread, cereal, cookies and the list can go on for quite a while. The issue with this is that people think, “Well, this is all this person eats.” No. They do eat their fair share of fruits, veggies, and other foods to reach macro/micro goals if they are truly following flexible dieting. They just don’t post a picture of their chicken and sweet potatoes because what sounds more aesthetically pleasing to look at or a better conversation starter to you? A stack of buttermilk banana nut pancakes? Or chicken and broccoli?... Poptarts and protein powders will not make you hit your macros/micros, but the incorporation of a variety of foods and key nutrients along with it will.
One thing that social media has effect is the overall outlook of Flexible dieters compared to that of clean eaters. If you follow me, or any other IIFYM Instagram account you know exactly what I mean. You go through their social feed to see dozens of pictures of good-looking food that is “off limits” or “bad” too most in the fitness world. Poptarts, candy, ice cream, pancakes, protein powders, eggs, cinnamon rolls, muffins, bread, cereal, cookies and the list can go on for quite a while. The issue with this is that people think, “Well, this is all this person eats.” No. They do eat their fair share of fruits, veggies, and other foods to reach macro/micro goals if they are truly following flexible dieting. They just don’t post a picture of their chicken and sweet potatoes because what sounds more aesthetically pleasing to look at or a better conversation starter to you? A stack of buttermilk banana nut pancakes? Or chicken and broccoli?... Poptarts and protein powders will not make you hit your macros/micros, but the incorporation of a variety of foods and key nutrients along with it will.
Question. Does a slice of pizza ruin a diet? No. Does an entire pizza? Yes, that’s quite possible. What people don’t understand is that you can track that pizza into your daily total macros, account for it, and carry on your day having zero guilt. You are hitting your macros so what’s the difference? Its not a cheat if your eating the same macros per day simply because what we addressed before - your body break’s down all carbs, protein, and fat exactly the same. You are able to track and count “non bodybuilding”, “bad”, and “unhealthy” foods into your daily intake. One of the relevant things in the health and fitness world is having a “cheat meal” once a week or once in a blue moon. This is where you essentially allow yourself to stray away from your diet for a day or a mealtime. This can lead to a vicious cycle and why some people get discouraged and don’t see progress overtime. Having a cheat meal can lead to mass binging, feeling guiltily, giving up on your diet all together, and ruining everything you might have worked for. Instead, you could of just factored two or three pieces of pizza into your day, had it, and moved on knowing your still on track in terms of your diet to achieve the body composition your looking for. People fail to understand a little can be tracked while keeping fitness goals insight and in grasps.
The argument I hear most commonly from people who don’t practice flexible dieting usually includes some of the following questions like, “what about preservatives in food!? They are bad for you because they can be toxic to your body, right??!”. I have a favorite saying that my father use to preach to me in regards to anything in life. He use to say, “Too much of a good thing is always a bad thing, Ian”. I can tell you preservatives are not the best for you, but I can also tell you the way most preservatives, processed food, and toxics are tested. They usually are tested on lab rats where the diet usually consists of 70-80% of the addressed identified toxin. The only way you would ever get enough preservatives or toxic material from food is if you were buying it in bulk and sprinkling it on everything you ate. This is exactly how the dreaded high fructose corn syrup was tested in regards to scientific data. Always remember that too much of anything is a bad thing. Chicken, vegetables, ice cream, chips, or sweet potatoes. If you’re overdoing it on anything it can have adverse effects on overall health. Here’s another perspective on how too much good can be a bad thing - chances are if your human you’ve had a cold before. And you’ve heard of having vitamin C to help you get over it, right? They even sell Vitamin C in little packets that you can add to water. Did you know you can overdose on vitamin C and it can potentially kill you? Too much of one food can cause negligence of the essential vitamins and minerals you would fundamentally be getting from eating a wide variety of foods. Another thing I get a lot is “how much sugar is bad??” sugar is another thing that is toxic, but the amount you would have to consume wouldn’t be sustainable. You would literally have to be dunking your hand in a sugar bag all day. Despite that, I still get people asking, “What’s the correct range my sugar intake should be at?” My answer is anything in reasonable amount. Their have been no studies done that show adequate fiber intake in relation to sugar intake can be detrimental to your health. As long as you are eating fiber and hitting a minimum of 10g per 1000 calories a day, then you probably don’t have to concern yourself with your sugar intake. I have never kept track of it. Look at it from this perspective – when you think of someone overweight because of eating too many sugary candies, soft drinks, or sweets you usually think of a chubby kid who lived down the street from you in your neighborhood growing up. Do you think that kid was getting up every day and eating bran cereal, oatmeal, or whole grains to exceed a minimum fiber intake daily? It all coincides with the basis of adequate overall nutrition. It is all about moderation.
The main reason for writing this is to show you that you can still have a healthy relationship with food even when trying to achieve goals you’ve set for yourself in terms of body composition, gaining muscle, or even loosing fat. I can’t tell you or put into words the freedom I have now that I practice Flexible dieting. Food was always something that I was worried about, and to not have it on my mind for the wrong reasons is something I wish everyone struggling with mental health, fitness, or nutrition could experience. Flexible dieting has really reformed my life, and I’m thankful for the change it’s provided for me. When talking in terms of health and fitness it is all about finding a sustainable lifestyle and something long term. The best diet is one that you can maintain while living your life. Flexible dieting is something I can see myself doing long term because the lifestyle it creates is something that shows you how health is achievable in many ways. Not only am I the healthiest I’ve ever been on the outside in terms of appearance, I am even more so mentally.
I bet your wondering what the steps are to calculating your macros and start tracking your progress. There are calculators out there than can give you a starting point, but its up to you to weigh yourself and track progress according to the goals your trying to achieve (building muscle mass, losing fat). Below are some of the links I like and that will help you get going and figure out the right starting point for you.
I bet your wondering what the steps are to calculating your macros and start tracking your progress. There are calculators out there than can give you a starting point, but its up to you to weigh yourself and track progress according to the goals your trying to achieve (building muscle mass, losing fat). Below are some of the links I like and that will help you get going and figure out the right starting point for you.
· http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/
· http://iifym.com/category/faq/
· http://macrofit.com/macros-micros/
· http://macrofit.com/flexible-dieting-iifym/
· http://macrofit.com/macro-calculator/
· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6H2edyPLU8
· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4MzG66X__Y
If you read my whole article, have any questions, want to debate a point, or want more information I’d love to talk. You can write me back here and comment below or on my Instagram! Thank you guys for the support and for reading!
-Ian Moses
1/17/15
· http://iifym.com/category/faq/
· http://macrofit.com/macros-micros/
· http://macrofit.com/flexible-dieting-iifym/
· http://macrofit.com/macro-calculator/
· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6H2edyPLU8
· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4MzG66X__Y
If you read my whole article, have any questions, want to debate a point, or want more information I’d love to talk. You can write me back here and comment below or on my Instagram! Thank you guys for the support and for reading!
-Ian Moses
1/17/15