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IIFYM
G
STEP BY STEP
G U I D E O N H O W TO U S E
THE IIFYM PRINCIPLE
W H AT I S O U R
OUTLOOK ON IIFYM?
If you are following one of the BBR guides, it is important that you stick to our recommended foods
and quantities. There is no point purchasing a plan and then deviating from it and creating your own.
Changing your macros should only be used if, for example, you can’t eat something on a guide or you
don’t enjoy that food. In which case, you may sub out the food given and find an alternative that totals
the same macros. Another instance where this would be helpful is if you were eating out and had to
deviate from the plan; you can enter the food you had in (if it differs from your diet) and see what you
have left remaining for the day and eat accordingly.
WE DO NOT RECOMMEND USING IIFYM TO EAT JUNK FOOD
If you neglect eating healthy foods, you risk creating deficiencies in nutrients, which in turn creates
numerous health problems in your body. We at BBR advocate the 80/20 rule: 80% whole, real foods
and 20% treat foods. Ideally, we suggest only ONE TREAT MEAL per week. IIFYM shouldn’t be used
as an excuse to eat junk foods full of empty calories and contain no nutritional value just because it
fits your goal macro ratios. Your results and health will certainly suffer as you lose out on the essential
nutrients of natural foods.
There are two forms of carbohydrates: simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates.
Simple carbohydrates are made of just one or two sugar molecules (e.g. fruit and honey). They are the
quickest source of energy, as they are very rapidly digested.
Complex carbohydrates may be referred to as dietary starch and are made of sugar molecules
strung together. They are often rich in fibre, and are used for timed release and sustained energy (e.g.
vegetables, wholegrains and sweet potato). Complex carbs, or low-GI carbs, are digested slowly, giving
the body a sustained energy release, which means they are highly unlikely to be stored as fats.
CO M P L E X C A R B S SIMPLE CARBS
Wholemeal/rye bread Fruit
Beans Honey
Sweet potato Basmati rice
Brown rice Post-workout shake
Buckwheat (Contains simple sugars, e.g. Maltodextrin/
Lentils dextrose)
Barley
Maize
Quinoa
Yams
Pumpkin
Rolled or steel-cut oats (avoid quick oats)
When we eat these types of foods, our body breaks down the protein that they contain into amino
acids (the building blocks of proteins). There are 22 amino acids, eight of which are essential to the
body — which means they need to come from our food (essential amino acids) — and others which are
non-essential as our body produces them on its own. Unlike plant sources, protein that comes from
animal sources, contains all the essential amino acids that we need.
Vitamins Fibre
- Vitamin A is an important micronutrient Fibre refers to certain carbohydrates that our
needed for healthy eyesight and gums body cannot digest. They, instead pass through
our intestines and remove waste from the body.
- Vitamin C supports a healthy functioning
immune system Diets that are low in fibre have been proven
to cause problems such as constipation and
- Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant which helps
hemorrhoids and increase the risk for certain
fight free radical damage in the body
types of cancers such as colon cancer. Diets
- Vitamin D is needed for strong bones and high in fibre have been proven to decrease risks
immune function of heart disease and obesity and help lower
- Vitamin B is used for energy production, cholesterol. Foods high in fibre include fruits,
nervous system health and for proper digestion vegetables, and wholegrain products.
Minerals
By logging the foods you eat in My Fitness Pal
(MFP), you can track your daily fibre intake,
ensuring that you are staying at a healthy level.
MFP will often set this for you based on the RDA,
There are also essential minerals that play however you can alter it to suit you.
important roles in the body such as: Some dieters will only count NET CARBS, which
- Iron needed for red blood cell production means they subtract their fibre from their total
carb content for the day, as it technically isn’t
- Calcium for strong, healthy bones and teeth
‘absorbed’. They use the ‘what doesn’t absorb,
- Magnesium for nervous system health doesn’t count’ method. MFP does not subtract
fibre from the carbs – it simply shows you how
- Zinc for healthy skin and reproductive and
much you’ve consumed for the day. At BBR, we
immune function.
count total carbs (including fibre) in your intake.
- Selenium for protection from chronic diseases
It is recommended that healthy, fit women aged
and premature ageing
18-50 need 25g of fibre per day.
TIP: NET CARBS = CARBS – FIBRE.
TOTAL CARBS = TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE GRAM
INCLUDING FIBRE.
W H AT
APP
DO WE
USE?
MY FITNESS PAL (MFP):
This is our preferred app for tracking
macros at BBR. It has the largest
database for food and drink items
and is extremely easy to navigate
and use. MFP even has a food label
scanner so you can quickly log new
items easily. Once the item has been
entered once, it is stored in your history,
allowing you even quicker access to foods
eaten often.
1.
SIMPLY CALCULATE YOUR MACROS USING AN ONLINE
CALCULATOR, SUCH AS IIFYM.COM
2.
DEFINE YOUR PHYSIQUE GOALS:
If you want to lose weight, you will need to be in a calorie
deficient. If you want to gain weight, you will need to be in a
calorie surplus.
Depending on whether or not you’re trying to gain weight or
lose weight, add or subtract 300-700 calories.
Note: Remember that the calculation will only provide an
estimate of your daily calorie needs. If you’re not used to
tracking your calories, I recommend starting with the calorie
number provided and monitoring your change in weight for
7- 10 days, then adding or subtracting calories to place you
in the appropriate deficit or surplus.
3.
CHOOSE YOUR MACRO SPLIT
Please see body type recommendations in the tables below.
This is the percentage of calories you’d dedicate to each
macronutrient; it is generally organised in this order:
carbohydrates/protein/fat.
4.
CONVERT YOUR MACROS INTO GRAMS
Your calorie goal by the percentages from your split,
ensuring they total 100 percent. This will leave you with a
total number of calories coming from carbohydrates, protein
and fat.
BODY
TYPES
BODY TYPES PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN HOW WE LOOK AT OUR NUTRITIONAL BREAKDOWN.
DIFFERENT BODY TYPES ARE GOING TO WORK OPTIMALLY FROM DIFFERENT MACRONUTRIENT
BREAKDOWNS AND HAVE DIFFERENT ENERGY EXPENDITURES. THE THREE GENERAL BODY TYPES
ARE ECTOMORPH, MESOMORPH AND ENDOMORPH, WITH MANY PEOPLE FALLING IN-BETWEEN
(ECTO/MESO OR MESO/ENDO).
Women are more efficient at burning fat and less efficient at burning the glycogen stored in muscle.
Therefore this suggests they may be able to operate on a lower carbohydrate intake than men. If you
are a woman training at low to moderate intensity, I would suggest first referencing the above macro
ranges to select a ratio that corresponds to your fitness goals and body type.
H OW TO
SET OUT MEALS
MFP gives you different areas to input data: breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. If eating five meals per
day I would simply input my main meals where they belong and smaller meals / snacks in to the snack
column. Alternatively, you can group them – morning meals (M1, M2) go in breakfast, M3 and M4 in
lunch and dinner M5 and M6 (if having) go in dinner.
NUTRIENT
TIMING
Nutrient timing is fundamental to achieving your goals. The timing of your meals can directly affect
and influence ‘your gains’ or lack there off. At BBR we like to keep our carbs around our work outs –
using them directly for fuel and recovery. The meals that are away from our workouts focus on healthy
fats and protein.
E.G. TRAINING IN THE MORNING
Pre-work out: Sweet potato, banana, and egg whites
Post-work out: WPI and banana
M1: Basmati Rice, lean protein and veggies
M2: Beef mince, avocado, kale and macadamia oil
M3: Chobani and 1 TBSP almond butter
M4: Salmon, greens and avocado
It would be reversed if training at night.
P R OT E I N CARB FAT V E G E TA B L E S
OPTIONS OPTIONS OPTIONS + SALAD
97-99% Fat Free
Brown Rice Almonds All leafy greens
Turkey Breast
Tuna Basmati Rice Cashews Celery
Chicken Barley Peanuts Cucumber
Prawns Quinoa Hazel Nuts Asparagus
White Fish
(Basa, snapper, Pumpkin Pumpkin Seeds Leeks
barramundi, coral trout)
Salmon Parsnips Macadamia Nuts Zucchini
Prawns Sweet Potato Walnuts Broccoli
Tofu Buckwheat Almond Butter Green Beans
Tempeh Rye Wraps Peanut Butter Snow Peas
Extra Lean Beef Mince Oats (Rolled or Steel cut) Cashew Butter Fennel
Lean Steak Rice Flakes Sesame Oil Carrots
Kangaroo Rye Bread Olive Oil Capsicum
Whey Protein Ezekiel Bread Coconut Oil Tomatoes
WPI protein Apple Flaxseed Oil Cauliflower
Eggs Banana Grass Fed Butter Mushrooms
Egg Whites Pineapple Macadamia Oil Eggplant
Chobani (plain-no fat) Orange Avocado Cabbage
Cottage Cheese
Kiwi Fruit Ghee Brussels Sprouts
(no/low fat)
Blueberries Coconut yoghurt Beetroot
Strawberries Olives
Raspberries