10 Macro Friendly Foods That Are Natural Vasodilators

 

Your macronutrients are the starting blocks. At IIFYM, it has been preached over and over; keeping track of your macros is the fastest way to achieve success, in a replicable manner. Yes, we know conventionally you may have been conditioned to believe that only healthy foods that taste like cardboard (these natural vasodilators won’t, we promise) are the only ones that are right for you, but we beg to differ.

In fact, following macros and finding appropriate macro friendly foods is the fastest way to accelerate your progress and achieve success. Don’t know your macros? No problem! You’re in luck, as they are just a stone’s throw away over in our macro calculator.

Which brings us to the “meat” of this post; finding macro friendly foods that are natural vasodilators, and enhance blood flow to your muscles, and throughout the body as a whole. Sure, supplements may sound promising, but there is a large gray area in what supplements exactly contain. As there are tons of hidden additives that may unfavorably affect your macronutrient requirements (such as those found in heavily marketed pre-workout boosters).

Well stress no more, as you are about to have your mind blown with these 10 foods that are natural vasodilators which are extremely flexible, and will still fit your IIFYM requirements, all while boosting your blood flow. Here we go!

1.) Coffee

 

 

Coffee is the beverage of champions- period. Never in history has there been a beverage more consumed than coffee, which simultaneously provides ergogenic benefits. Can’t function without your cup o’ Joe in the mornings? We feel you.

Yet, coffee does much more for you than merely acting as a stimulant, as it also boosts vasodilation and blood flow. According to a study conducted in 2015, men who drink 2 or more cups of coffee daily are far less likely to experience erectile dysfunction (ED), a condition caused by poor blood flow (1).

Though ED causes can be more complex than simply reduced blood flow (such as being compounded by diabetes etc.), this is strong evidence for the argument for coffee. Either way, this is a great addition to this list of natural vasodilators.

And why wouldn’t you want to drink more coffee? It’s delicious to boot, and is one of life’s true pleasures! And the best part of it all?

Coffee is extremely macro friendly. In fact, it can have close to 0 net effect on your macros, as when consumed black without additives, the macronutrient yield is extremely low. So get chugging and pump up that blood flow!

2.) Cayenne And Chili Peppers

 

 

There’s something alluring about cayenne or chili peppers that keeps us coming back to them again and again. Maybe it’s the succulent fire-breathing-mouth-watering effect they deliver? Whatever it is, one thing that is sure is that they complement an IIFYM plan perfectly.

How so? Well, for one, peppers are not notorious for being high caloric foods (though they can be if you eat a lot), and can easily fit your macros. Or maybe, it is the way these peppers can make your blood boil- in a good way of course.

Similar to chili and cayenne pepper, grapeseed also increases levels of the enzyme responsible for producing nitric oxide, translating to many benefits.

But what is of particular interest to us is the ability of the active ingredient, known as capsaicin, to promote the activity of an enzyme known as nitric oxide synthase (2). This little-known enzyme is what is required for the production of nitric oxide in tissue, helping to improve vasodilation and blood flow.

This effect by which capsaicin increases levels of this enzyme have been observed during multiple studies, and also explains why some male enhancement products have the ingredient capsaicin in it; let’s just say it “spices” up things in the bedroom!

3.) Grape seeds

 

 

Normally, eating the fruit would be the main course, with its peel or seeds optional; but what if things were reversed in this case? Yes, even though grapes are a powerhouse in their own right (SPOILER: more on grapes to come).

In this instance, their seeds take all the glory as one of the natural vasodilators. Why? Because they house health benefits not known by many, and are extremely low calorie, fitting comfortably into an IIFYM plan.

In addition, grape seeds or supplemental grapeseed extract is one of the few true natural foods that help stop testosterone from being converted into estrogen. This by itself is worth its weight in gold but isn’t what we’re after first in this case.

We are after the ability of grape seeds to boost vasodilation, by once again increasing levels of nitric oxide in the blood. Similar to chili and cayenne pepper, grapeseed also increases levels of the enzyme responsible for producing nitric oxide, translating to many benefits.

You can expect to see improvements in blood pressure, vascularity while working out, and buffering of fatigue. Indeed, the only deterrent to consuming grape seeds is that they have a bitter taste, and may not be tolerated well by everyone.

4.) Dark Chocolate

This is the most pleasurable macro friendly food out of this list of natural vasodilators, simply because it shows the power of IIFYM. You would be hard-pressed to find a healthy lifestyle plan that allows you to have chocolate, so you know you’ve hit the jackpot!

To be clear, we’ve specified dark chocolate since milk chocolate or other varieties do not have the flavonol content that is required to elicit an effect, and will not significantly alter your macro requirements as other varieties would.

This is the kind that has a slightly bitter taste and at least 70% cacao content. However, this does not mean that dark chocolate isn’t delicious, or that it is without health benefits. In fact, it would take far too long to highlight all the advantages of dark chocolate, so how about we stick to our primary target? Vasodilation.

Yep, you could frankly have a serving of good old dark chocolate before your workout, and experience an awesome pump to successfully smash it. Many bodybuilders swear by the vasodilation the experience from melting half a bar of dark chocolate into their pre-workout drinks.

Almost all of these attributed benefit is due to the presence of a compound known as epicatechin, which is an antioxidant flavonol (similar to the compounds in tea). These findings have been confirmed via studies, which demonstrate significant vasodilation after just five days of daily consumption of flavonol-rich chocolate (3).

Finally, we know dark chocolate is a caloric beast. However, it is also chock full of fiber, and a little goes a long way, so consuming a bit daily can be accommodated by making a note of its macro content.

5.) Watermelon

 

Did you know that watermelon does not have a high sugar content? Oh yes, believe it or not. Many associate this fruit with being loaded with sugar, when in reality, it’s just water!

This is why watermelon has made the list of one of the best macro friendly natural vasodilators, gaining the highest stamp of approval by us here at IIFYM.

What makes watermelon so sought after, is the presence of an amino acid called L-Citrulline. This amino acid can convert into L-Arginine, which is the direct precursor of nitric oxide. In fact, consuming more L-citrulline is a better way of increasing arginine than just consuming more arginine supplements (4)! See a pattern yet?

Consuming more L-Citrulline improves vasodilation, up to at least its saturation point. But nevertheless, it is a welcome addition to these natural vasodilators.

6.) Cold Water Fish, Especially Salmon

 

 

Salmon and its gang of cold water compadres (tuna, cod, etc.) are well known by many thanks to their excellent omega-3 fatty acid content. Omega-3 by itself is beneficial for overall blood vessel health, and hence healthy blood flow, but this macro friendly food has more going on for itself.

…like many of the other natural vasodilators on this list, increase nitric oxide by increasing the amount of enzyme (nitric oxide synthase) available to act on and convert arginine.

In particular, is the presence of a molecule known as coenzyme Q-10. This important biological molecule has numerous functions, but relating to promoting vasodilation, it helps to relax arteries, improve blood vessel function and prevent the breakdown of the nitric oxide molecule itself (5).

What this means is that it is able to exert its vasodilatory effect for a longer time. Making it a great addition to this group of natural vasodilators. Cold water fish are incredibly dense in protein and fat, so be sure to remember that when formulating your plan with one of IIFYM’s knowledgeable coaches.

7.) Grapes (and Red Wine!)

 

 

Ok, before you ask why we put red wine in brackets, it’s because we’re not sure if you’re ae an ehm… closet drinker. Yes, red wine does have proven health benefits, but its macro content is less than desirable (as alcohol sugars aren’t really helpful for anything).

Grapes, on the other hand, are great for your macros. They have ample Vitamin C (which can foster blood vessel health), along with numerous polyphenols, the most famous being Resveratrol.

And this is exactly the guy we are looking for; Resveratrol found in grapes, like many of the other natural vasodilators on this list, increase nitric oxide by increasing the amount of enzyme (nitric oxide synthase) available to act on and convert arginine (6). This conversion is referred to as the “rate limiting step” and is the key to increasing vasodilation.

8.) Pomegranate

 

 

One of the richest sources of anti-oxidants known to man. Pomegranates are also strong contenders for the crown of being the number one in this list of macro friendly natural vasodilators.

Similar to the other foods on this list, pomegranates upregulate nitric oxide synthase enzyme expression, but also protect nitric oxide itself (7).

Thus, it can be regarded as promoting a self-sustaining vasodilatory system, on the one hand increasing nitric oxide, and on the other preventing premature removal of it from the blood. Pomegranate fruit can be consumed on its own (though it is a chore to eat it), or can be taken as juice- you just need to be careful of juices with excessive added sugar.

9.) Onions

The inconspicuous and everyday onion can help you in your quest to compile macro friendly foods, owing to its content of a compound known as quercetin. The quercetin in onions has a nitric oxide protectant effect, as well as a “scavenging” action, promoting its recycling to make new nitric oxide molecules.

Its action seems to depend heavily on oxygen concentration and blood pH, meaning that under certain conditions it could do absolutely nothing. However, owing to its extremely flexible low macro count, you can feel free to use onions and not negatively affect your IIFYM plan.

10.) Garlic

 

 

Going hand in hand with onion is everybody’s other favorite meal enhancer- garlic. Not one to be outdone, garlic also possesses its own set of tricks, being able to improve blood flow in the periphery (limbs, and blood vessels furthest away from the heart) (8).

Though garlic itself contains nitrates and nitrites which are converted to nitric oxide via saliva. Its actions are believed to be due to another compound, known as interleukin-6. Which is why it lands itself in this list of natural vasodilators.

The Final Say

There are much more macro friendly foods you will discover as you spend more time with IIFYM, and this is the exact beauty of it all.
You do not need to get bogged down with ridiculous restrictions, causing your diet to fail altogether.

No, instead you will be able to follow a SMART plan crafted by one of our specialist coaches, taking into account your individual differences and making a Custom Macro Blueprint that works for you. Losing weight or gaining muscle does not need to be difficult. It just needs to be built on a solid base of getting your macros in a way that works the best for you.

Allowing you to fit foods to help your goals such as these natural vasodilators!

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IIFYM.com Interviews Matt Christianer

For our readers out there that might not be familiar with you, please tell us a bit about yourself.

I am 33 years old currently living in AZ engaged to the real Wonder Woman. Beyond that, I am the first IFBB MP Pro in history, 3X IFBB champion, 2x Olympian, co/star of the Netflix documentary the Perfect Physique, and have been published in many fitness magazines.

However, my story begins long before then. My love with fitness first started when I was 15 and got my very first job at a gym in Payson, AZ when my family relocated from Ohio. I lifted for two years before tragedy struck. At the age of 17, I was involved in a near fatal high-speed rollover car accident where I was wearing no seat belt.

I was life flighted to Scottsdale Osborn with head trauma and a broken hip and femur.

I remember wheeling my wheelchair back in the gym for the first time about a month after my accident. I could only train upper body but that did not stop me! I trained another year before I had to have a 2nd hip surgery. After another year, I was fully clear to train 100%.

This is when my quest for competing began! I would not dare step onstage without the legs to match my upper body. It took nine years after my accident before I would step onstage as a middleweight in bodybuilding.

 

Image Source: Pretty Masculine

 

I ended up winning both the novice and amateur divisions. From there, I went on to compete at the national level in bodybuilding until I heard about a new division starting in the NPC/IFBB, Men’s Physique.

Becoming an IFBB Pro as Matt has takes incredible dedication, starting with a flexible dieting macro calculator is a great place to start!

This was my division and I ran with it! I would eventually win three IFBB shows and have the honor to compete in two Olympias. Over the course of competing for years on end, I had completely trashed my hip and it was time for what I had been dreading for years…my 3rd hip surgery.

This surgery would end up being a full hip replacement. During my year and a half of rehab, I learned a lot about life, my spirit and the power of the mind. I could have never gotten through this last surgery and rehab without my amazing family and fiance Heather.

This year has been my comeback year and within the last few months have shot with Muscle and Fitness, Muscular Development, FitnessRX, Inside Fitness, A1 Supplements, and MD Latino. I will complete in my first show after having my full hip replacement on July 29, 2017.

The last time we saw Matt Christianer on stage was in 2015 at the Dennis James Classic. Why such a long break? (hips surgery plus whatever else)

After the Dennis James, I knew what had to be done, what I had put off for over seven shows… a full hip replacement.

 

Left: 3 weeks post hip replacement
Right: 1.5 years after hip replacement – 2 weeks out from IFBB prestige crystal cup

 

How is the recovery going?

The recovery is going well, however, longer and more painful than I had imagined. That being said, being able to train legs again, knowing my hips can take the weight is a very freeing feeling.

I have learned to listen to my body and am realistic with my strengths and weaknesses. My overall goal is symmetry. I end up getting in leg workouts 3x per week.

I still have some pain left, but my doctor has said that another year of rehab and training and the pain should be fully removed.

How long were you “out” for?

I actually walked out of the hospital the very next morning after hip surgery. I took a solid three weeks off as a mental break and to let my body focus on healing. From there, I slowly started my therapy and training in the gym again. I had lost so much size and strength it was a very mentally challenging time for me.

After a solid year of recovery, I really stepped up my training, and now here I am two and a half weeks out from my first show back after my hip replacement.

How did you deal with taking that much time off from the gym?

My fiancée took amazing care of me when I was down. The support I’ve had from her and my family, friends, and sponsors were a huge help. When I was forced to slow down and take time off, I really tried to enjoy the break.

I have been training for 18 years straight and I was able to mentally take a negative and turn it into a positive to come back recharged and better than ever.

 

 

Did you count your macros while you were healing?

I did not. I ate in moderation and did not restrict myself. After so many years of my life spent training and dieting I didn’t really need to track during that time. I had an idea of where I needed to be nutrition wise. I just wanted to focus on healing-mind, body, and soul.

Now that you have recovered from your surgery, you have decided to compete again. Tell us about the road from recovery to being stage ready.

The road to recovery has been a grueling one. As I’ve mentioned, I’m two and a half weeks out from my first show back! After surgery, it has been a very gradual process. I started with mostly physical therapy and then moved to light training. I just kept slowly moving forward. I kept telling myself that I have to keep pushing forward, even if some days are just a crawl, its progress.

How has IIFYM helped you with your prep?

Well, I’ve been following the IIFYM strategy since my very first prep. I’ve found it to be incredibly beneficial and allows me so much more room for adjustment the further I get into the process.

Couldn’t imagine using any other diet to reach the stage in peak shape!

What were your macros when you started training for this show and what are they now?

My numbers when I started training for the show were; 200P, 250C, and 65F. I am now in the middle of a carb cycle where my numbers fluctuate between 200P, 150C, and 45F to 200P, 350C, and 45F.

 

 

What are your go to foods when dieting for contest prep?

For proteins, I am big on egg whites with lots of veggies thrown in. Turkey is a favorite staple of mine as well as grass fed beef, venison, elk meat, and fish. My fats are usually avocados and peanut butter, and eggs (when I keep in the yoke).

I keep it simple. I only use carbs that I have recently been consuming…

For carbs, everyone’s favorite, I love soda flavored slushies and jasmine rice for breakfast with cinnamon. I save a lot of my carbs for sour patch kids, as I’m a sucker for candy. I recently bought a snow cone maker and it’s been worth its weight in gold as it’s been 118 degrees in Phoenix this summer.

What kinds of foods do you use to carb up on during peak week?

I keep it simple. I only use carbs that I have recently been consuming; jasmine rice, sour patch kids, caramel rice cakes, Red Vines, baked potatoes, and donuts.

 

 

What are your go to foods when trying to add size in the off season?

Loaded Burgers! Oreganos Pizza! Lots of deer meat and steaks, any kind of potatoes.

(Our clients have the benefit of dieting with foods such as, one of our coaches will build a Custom Macro Blueprint so you can too!)

Let’s talk a bit about exercise. What type of routine do you follow?

At this point in my career after almost two decades of training, trial and error, I train 100% instinctive. I have learned to listen to my body and am realistic with my strengths and weaknesses. My overall goal is symmetry. I end up getting in leg workouts 3x per week.

Chest, back, shoulders, bi’s, and tri’s I train 2x per week. I train calves six days a week and end up doing 2-3 ab workouts per week as well. I base my workouts on stress levels, sleep patterns and overall energy level. I hit my strong body parts at the end of my workout and always start with my weak body parts first.

 

 

Do you take any supplements to help you train harder or recover faster?

I’m currently taking Isomorph28 made by APS nutrition which is there isolate protein. I also take their pre-workout Mesomorph but only on the days that I really need the extra boost! I take a nitric oxide booster called Plasmagen Nitrate before 75% of my workouts. Gotta have the pump! Love the pump!

How much cardio did you do to get in shape for this show?

The Macro intake usually takes care of my conditioning but before any big show or shoot, I’ll start cardio 3-4 weeks out. Usually between 15-25 minutes of HIIT 3X per week. I am two weeks out and currently doing 20 min of hit 3x per week.

What kind of cardio do you do to get in shape? LISS? HIIT? MISS?

I may switch it around due to my hip and how it’s feeling that day but I try and do as much HIIT as possible! I get on the stair climber and elliptical as much as possible. Hit it hard and get out.

 

 

What is your goal going into this show? I know you are training to win, but is there a minimum placing that you would be happy with? Top 5? Top 3 perhaps?

I always train to win, but more importantly, I train to beat my best! There are a lot of things that you cannot control come show day, so all I worry about is what I can control. What I can control is coming in my best, leaving no stone left unturned throughout the training journey and having a smile along the way (even the nights I drag myself to sleep.)

Sure top three is great, but 1st is an automatic Olympia qualification, so you know what I’m gunning for!

Congratulations on your recent engagement. Tell us about your fiancée and how you proposed.

Thank you so much! Heather Schneider is my dream woman! The real Wonder Woman! We reconnected after not seeing each other for years after high school. I ran into her at a local show after moving back to AZ from LA. After a 5 hour talk over coffee, the rest is history!

I am so proud of her, not only because she is a national level bikini competitor and lives the fitness lifestyle, but because in June of this year after a million years of school, she became Dr. Schneider! Soon to be Dr. Christianer.

 

 

Watching her day in and day out, caring for her patients, and changing lives is so inspiring! I ended up proposing at her most favorite place, Disneyland! She has been going there since she was a little girl. I had her entire family in on it with me.

We set-up in front of the castle for a huge family picture. What she didn’t know was it was all a big set-up to pop the question.After her mom slipped the photographers the note, her dad distracted her and her sister Summer slipped the ring into my shorts!

I grabbed her by her precious little hands, explained to her how she has saved my life and got down on one knee. Best day of my life!

 

Follow Matt Christianer on social media to see more about his journey back to the stage: Instagram, Facebook, and on his website Christianer Training Revolution

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The Transition: To Start Cutting Fat or Bulking?

 

Low reps or high reps? Free weights or machine? IIFYM or Clean Eating? All of these questions pale in comparison to how often I’m asked whether it’s time to start cutting fat or bulking by athletes I consult.

It’s time such a common question is answered once and for all so you can decide the option best suited for you. The IIFYM macro calculator can be a great place to start, but tools like this are useless until you decide whether your current destination is Shredzville or Gainzville.

Have Your Cake or Eat It

The first realization that should be considered is the principle of specificity in terms of body composition goals. In general, it’s necessary to either choose fat loss or muscle growth to focus on in a given time period, not both simultaneously. This will help you make significant improvements in either area.

For untrained athletes that are just getting into a proper IIFYM diet plan and training consistently, or an athlete that has taken several months/years off and gotten back into a consistent routine- it can be possible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time through the considerably new stimulus the reestablished program can produce, and the myonuclei created during past resistance training (1,2).

One other circumstance where both may occur is during the first weeks of a diet optimization of clients that could benefit from a better macronutrient breakdown or improved nutrient timing around workouts. However for those that have been training for, let’s say 6+ months or so, it becomes less and less likely that muscle growth will occur along with fat loss.

Choosing One

For fat loss to occur to any substantial degree, a significant enough caloric deficit must be created. For muscle growth to occur (aside from the above-mentioned exceptions) a caloric surplus must be consumed to fuel training performance through proper muscle glycogen stores, support muscle recovery and growth through adequate protein intake. While supplying sufficient hormone support through proper fat consumption.

Not to mention the countless variety of micronutrients obtained in a surplus (yet another reason a highly varied diet plan through IIFYM is important for sustainable progress), which is required for optimal performance and growth.

This is said to highlight the fact that although IIFYM may allow you to enjoy cake while cutting fat and in a bulk. You aren’t likely to have and eat your metaphorical cake when choosing your goal. This leads to the ultimate question of when to begin cutting fat and when to bulk throughout your training career. A question we’re happy to finally help answer for you!

 

 

Count Your Cutting Fat Phases

The first question that will help people decide if it’s time start cutting fat or not is to consider how long it’s been since your last cut. For many coaches including the coaching staff here and myself, a good rule of thumb is to have at least 6-8 months of a true bulking season before clients consider cutting fat again.

This isn’t 6 months since you last stopped dieting, but a true 6-month bulking season once you’ve properly reversed dieted and gotten back to maintenance or a slight surplus.

The short explanation of this rationale is the time it takes for health factors including metabolic rate and hormone levels to return to baseline levels after an extended dieting period. Prolonged dieting leads to negative adaptations within a person’s metabolism and hormones (3,4,5).

Although the changes are normal, they need to be addressed and returned to a healthy level after dieting in order to ensure notable improvements in strength and size, and that future diets are as healthy as possible.

Consider taking your previous, ideal body weight you really enjoyed being at, and use ½ to ¾th the above stage weight strategy as your approximate growth season range.

Although an IIFYM approach can make dieting much more sustainable. Making sure to spend significant time in a caloric surplus between dieting phases can be vital for optimal health and quality improvements in performance and body composition.

Spending at least 6-8 months in a true bulking season, while using IIFYM to consume a variety of nutrient-dense foods, can help to ensure health factors are back to ideal levels, and improvements are made between phases of cutting fat.

Although I tend to encourage people to spend 1-2 years in a surplus between cutting fat in order to maximize muscle growth (since drug-free muscle growth is a relatively slow process). The 6-8 months is at least long enough to ensure each diet plan is effective and safe for most individuals.

Stage Weight Strategy

For physique competitors, there is a great rule of thumb I tend to follow with my clients to help keep a bulking season in check. Determining whether it’s time for cutting fat, or to continue focusing on a bulking diet plan.

When entering a dieting phase, it’s best to approach it with a mindset of “slow and steady wins the race” to help maintain muscle tissue and health throughout cutting fat. However, we don’t want clients having to diet for excessively long periods of time due to gaining unnecessary body fat from the bulking season.

There tends to be a sweet spot for most people that allow for sufficiently fueled muscle growth and performance. While enjoying their favorite foods through IIFYM, and still keeping body composition at a reasonable level.

For male competitors, this rule of thumb tends to be around 20-25 lbs above stage weight. The athletes that have competed before can use their last stage weight as a reference point, then have 20-25 lbs above that show day weight as their growth season ceiling. Leaving their future contest prep more manageable.

Continue Bulking, Not Cutting Fat

In most female competitors I work with during the offseason, this range tends to float more around the 10-15 lbs mark. The smaller structure of females tends to call for a lower bulking season body weight to make improvements without getting unnecessarily heavy.

For males and females that don’t compete and subsequently don’t reach such low body fat levels when dieting. Consider taking your previous, ideal body weight you really enjoyed being at, and use ½ to ¾th the above stage weight strategy as your approximate growth season range.

So if you’re a female who performed a diet plan two summers ago to prepare for photo shoots or vacation, and reached a body weight of say 115 lbs. Using a maximum range of 123-127 lbs could be a great estimate of your ideal growth season weight.

Thinking of your bulking season body weight as being a flexible range, rather than a strict figure. This can keep stress low and progress consistent through growth season.

Competitors

• Males – 20-25 lbs above stage weight
• Females – 10-15 lbs above stage weight

Non-Competitors

• Males – 10-15lbs above previous ideal body weight
• Females – 8-12 lbs above previous ideal body weight

Using this strategy, if you’re within the above-mentioned ranges, you don’t likely need to start cutting fat. Instead, continue focusing on getting bigger and stronger in the gym, and enjoying more of your favorite foods by following IIFYM.

Reverse Well, Progress Well

Another crucial question to ask yourself before reaching a decision is how well you reverse dieted after your last diet cutting fat. In my Reverse Diet Survival Guide here on IIFYM.com, I covered the importance and strategies helpful in performing a proper reverse diet after you finished cutting fat.

And, how IIFYM can make the reverse much easier to execute. Due to the metabolic and hormonal adaptations I mentioned earlier, it’s important to spend time transitioning into a bulking season by gradually adding calories back in and reducing cardio for successful growth. This will set you up to be efficiently cutting fat in the future.

If you spent time gradually reverse dieting into your current bulking season. Enjoyed your favorite foods while keeping within your daily macro goals through IIFYM rather than bingeing or using cheat meals.

While also having your food intake at a reasonable level, and have your weekly cardio down to the minimum necessary for general heart health; you may be in a great place to begin cutting fat again.

On the opposite side, if you haven’t reversed dieted properly, are still consuming rather low calories from day to day, and still performing considerable amounts of cardio (more than 1-2 short sessions per week). Then it is almost certainly not a time for you to be cutting fat again.

First, it will be important to take the time to gradually adjust your diet and cardio to better performance supporting, health-promoting levels. Which will then help to ensure your subsequent diet isn’t putting you in danger of creating significant metabolic and hormonal disruptions.

 

 

Lean Gains > Mass Bulk

How you approach your muscle building season will greatly influence how often you may ask yourself whether it’s time to be cutting fat or bulking.

It’s common for newcomers to follow old-school “bulks” that usually entail loads of calories with the intent of providing as much “fuel” as possible to promote muscle growth. Even at the expense of a reasonable body composition.

It helps to periodically perform a commonly termed “mini cut”, which can be a great “middle of the road” strategy to keep body fat in check while still allowing focus on making improvements.

The thought of tracking food intake with IIFYM or using our coaches for optimal growth seasons is thrown out the window. Instead, it’s replaced with eating as much, and whatever the young athlete can get their hands on.

Although this may sound enticing at first (who doesn’t like pizza buffets?) it nearly always leads to athletes becoming discouraged with the amount of body fat they have accumulated. Not to mention, excessive caloric surpluses have been shown by research to be unnecessary to gain optimal muscle strength and size between cutting fat phases.

There’s No Need For Excess

Applying IIFYM to your lean bulk diet plan can help to keep food intake, and subsequent body fat levels, in check and reduce the need for constant cutting fat phases.

The reality is, a large caloric surplus isn’t necessary to fuel gym performance and muscle growth. In fact, it’s been supported that as little as 100-200 calories per day above maintenance intake may suffice for consistent muscle growth in an intermediate, average sized male athlete (~180lbs) (6).

This, of course, isn’t to say additional intake is useless but does help to highlight the often unnecessary, excessive surplus.

We’ve created a plethora of bulking diet plans for clients while keeping their fat gain to a minimum in the process. It all starts with having one of our coaches build your Custom Macro Blueprint.

Being honest with yourself on how much of a surplus is actually required, being consistent tracking intake with IIFYM. While using previous stage/ideal body weights can help competitors and non-competitors alike to maintain a more reasonable, longer term lean bulk without the need to be constantly cutting fat to reduce unnecessary body fat.

 

 

Large Slash vs. Mini Cut

As with most topics in training and nutrition, there’s rarely a black and white answer to most questions. Although most people tend to approach their nutrition as extremes such as constantly cutting fat or perma-bulks, restrictive clean eating or sloppy version of IIFYM.

There are strategies that can help athletes meet somewhere in the middle for a more sustainable, enjoyable approach.

For people that decide to spend a lengthy amount of time bulking to focus on adding size and strength (1-2+ years). It helps to periodically perform a commonly termed “mini cut”, which can be a great “middle of the road” strategy to keep body fat in check while still allowing focus on making improvements.

…mini cuts help athletes continue progressing while retaining a growth season physique they can feel comfortable in.

Rather than undergoing extensively cutting fat every time you want to reduce weight. Consider performing essentially a miniature diet where the goal is to simply lose anywhere from 4-8lbs to get back within your ideal offseason weight range before once again reverse dieting gradually.

Following a mini cut using IIFYM principles can help make the brief period of energy restriction much more enjoyable while keeping fat loss efficient.

The Middle Ground of Extensively Cutting Fat and Bulking

Making gradual changes when entering a cutting fat phase is always a prudent move to avoid muscle loss and excessive metabolic adaption. Yet, performing brief, gradual mini cuts from time to time during a prolonged lean bulk season can further extend the time in an ideal environment for good health and great performance.

By entering a mini cut, the athlete can add just enough weekly cardio, and create just enough of a dietary reduction to lose a few pounds over the following weeks, get their bodyweight back into their ideal offseason range.

To obtain this ideal weight range, find out your ideal cutting macros with a Custom Macro Blueprint.

Yet, still remain at or near a surplus that can allow for continued strength gains in the gym. Doing this keeps the athlete in an environment conducive to muscle growth and performance enhancement, and body composition within an ideal, manageable range.

Rather than looking at your fitness goals as extremes, keep in mind there is usually some middle ground that can help you continue progressing without making drastic changes. Just as IIFYM allows athletes to enjoy their food while still reaching their goals, so can mini cuts help athletes continue progressing while retaining a growth season physique they can feel comfortable in.

 

 

Personal, not just Physical Progress

Anytime someone considers if they should start cutting fat or bulking, one of my first thoughts is to ask why they are considering one or the other. If you find yourself constantly jumping between a cutting fat and bulking, it could be important to ask yourself what is encouraging you to on an internal level.

When it comes to training performance and physique goals, there are a lot of strategies and considerations we coaches can help to highlight for clients. However, if the desire comes from a pursuit of happiness (cue Kid Cudi music), then there may be deeper issues to approach first.

Something I try to always help those I consult with to understand is that no amount of muscle gained, or body fat lost will lead to the feeling of happiness and fulfillment many mistakenly assume it will provide. Having a healthy body can no doubt improve your quality of life, but very, very rarely does reaching a certain body weight or gaining a certain amount of muscle truly make people content.

The Mental Balance

I’m no Tony Robbins so I’ll save the deep talks for other people to cover. Yet, I will say in my experiences with athletes and my personal experiences, considering the reason behind our decisions goes a long way in making the journey much more enjoyable.

If you’re constantly bulking and cutting fat without finding your own version of balance in life. It could be best to take some time and really evaluate what helps you to feel fulfilled in life before diving in even further with your fitness goals.

When athletes come to the realization that fitness can improve their lives, but isn’t the universal answer to their problems, the efforts put into gaining muscle and cutting fat become less stressful and more of what it should be – a part of life, not life itself.

Deciphering the Dieting Dilemma

As with most things in nutrition and exercise, the answer of whether you should cut or bulk is generally, “it depends.” Regardless of the decision, one of the most important factors in the success of each person will be to continue learning and applying strategies backed by science. Also, making sure to thoroughly vet coaches and trainers you put your trust in when starting the next step of your journey.

Although each person’s circumstances and needs will differ. Using these considerations can go a long way in helping you decide what your next move should be, to start building an even better version of yourself.

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Reality vs. Perception of Body Image: The Falsehood of the Ideal Physique

Fit is IN

Nowadays, appearances are being brought to our attention constantly. Through billboards, TV commercials, magazine ads, and social media to name a few. It’s enough to make you stop and check yourself in every reflection you pass by, or to sneak in an ‘ab check’ every now and again. Because let’s face it; we live in a tough world with high standards. But, what’s realistic for you? Most people have extremely unrealistic expectations for themselves regarding body image.

Talk to one of our IIFYM coaches, or check out the macro calculator to see what could work for you. Because let’s be honest, not everybody was meant to fit in a size 2. And hey, that’s ok! Rock those big beautiful quads. Some of us are watching you in the gym…envious.

How the Body Ideal Has Changed Along With Our Body Image

Throughout the years, body image and the ‘ideal’ has changed dramatically. We’ve gone from curvy, modest women, to busty, lean, pouty-lipped vixens who have no problem showing off their round glutes to the world on a daily basis.

As times changed, so did the ideal beauty. Unfortunately, not everyone fits into the box of ‘what ought to be’. If you were to scroll through the latest and greatest Instagram hashtags, many of the most popular photos are of thin, round booty’d young women; scantily clad. Quite a change from the full bodied swimsuits of yesteryear.

 

 

Perception and Why the Ideal Body Image is Flawed

In your day to day life, how often do you see these bronzed, muscular, lean bodies? Not very often, right? There’s a reason for that. The portrayal you see on social media is not accurate. There are numerous tricks and hacks to give the illusion of, well, basically anything you want. Want to look more successful?

Rent a nice car, borrow a high end, well to do looking suit, toss on a smile and snap a photo giving the illusion of grandeur. Want to look bustier? Throw on a pushup bra, and there you go.

Being a size 2 as a cardinal rule of success is just as annoying as saying 1,200 calories is the magic number for weight loss.

Such a simple change has such a massive effect; thus altering body image for those who see this. None of this is real. Just like what we see on social media. People only show you what they want you to see. Which means they probably won’t be posting photos of their rusted 1994 Toyota Camry with the busted tail light, or that 5lbs they gained over Christmas.

But don’t worry, you’ll be keeping that holiday weight gain to a minimum following IIFYM. Better body image and you get to have your cake and eat it too? IIFYM for the win!

Tips, Tricks, Hacks

There are certain ways to cheat the system. I guess you could call IIFYM cheating the system too. Losing weight and eating the foods you love? Life is so good, but back to social media. That’s what Instagram is for the most part. Algorithms, robots, spam accounts, hashtags; it’s all a game truly.

So, to get an advantage, we filter, bend, work our lighting, and do basically anything possible to get that edge. Body image weakening the more we try to keep up. Here are a few things you should know about the ‘fitspos’ you see on social media and why you shouldn’t base your body image on what you see.

 

They’re not that lean year round.

Many of the fitness icons with massive followings are not shredded year round. Plus, many who demonize IIFYM, giving the impression that in order to be lean machines like they are, you MUST ‘eat clean’. All the while, inadvertently practicing a form of IIFYM on those weekend binges. Although it may appear that they’re lean and sculpted 365 days a year, it’s not realistic.

So, what many do is load up on photos when they’re at their leanest, and release the photos throughout the year giving the illusion of sculpted shoulders and tight, perfectly carved abs. The saddest part? They’re probably struggling with body image as well. It’s difficult going from a stage lean sculpted body, back to a manageable, realistic weight.

Which is why many want to live in a perpetual state of lean, God/Goddess like physical stature. What better way to do that than through social media?

They don’t just eat burgers and donuts.

IIFYM is great. Obviously. That’s why you’re on this site. But, all those cookies, donuts, and burgers they post about? That’s not an all the time thing. Again, many hoard photos, and post them at their convenience.

In reality, many eat a balanced diet. It’s not all fun foods and binge eating while waking up with a six pack. IIFYM is amazing, but it’s not magic.

Some social media celebrities use some sort of performance enhancer.

Whether it’s for muscle growth or fat loss, it’s no secret there are performance enhancers within the fitness community. What’s unfortunate, is that many who are new to the fitness scene are unaware of this and look to these individuals for inspiration, and strive to be just like them.

That’s fine; until you begin to feel discouraged that your shoulders are nowhere near the size of your favorite fitness model, or that you can’t reach the level of leanness many do. Plus, like I said, many take a ‘bro’ approach.

Demonizing IIFYM, while expecting people to forever abstain from treats or ‘fun foods’. Self-esteem and overall body image take a massive hit when you can’t live up to the standards of your favorite IG models. It goes without saying that some of these pages are downright discouraging and have a massive effect on body image.

 

 

They work their angles.

Choose your favorite fitness hashtag and check out the posing dawned in each photo. Notice something? Maybe it’s because we’ve become so accustomed to it, but standing with your back overly arched, your glutes popping outwards, and your chest out, drastically changes the way a body looks.

Not to mention high waisted leggings, flexing, turning your legs inward/outward, pulling your shoulders back, etc. You get the point. A body overly posed compared to the same body standing in an anatomical position is going to show a massive difference. It’s all an illusion. Thus continually changing the ideal body image, and what’s perceived as ‘normal’.

Work With What You’ve Got

There are thousands of women out there that would love to ‘fit into a size 2’. But, that’s very unrealistic for many people. Being a size 2 as a cardinal rule of success is just as annoying as saying 1,200 calories is the magic number for weight loss.

Unless you want to start shaving your bones down, it’s just simply not plausible to shoot for an unrealistic goal such as fitting into a size 2 dress when you were born with curvy, wide hips.

There is no ‘happiness weight’, there is no musculature that will bring you complete joy, contentment, and an ideal body image, and there is no ‘diet’ or magical foods that will get you where you want to go…

Granted, it works for some women, but that’s SOME. Just like SOME people can lose weight without counting macros/following an IIFYM diet plan. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes. There is no one size fits all. Some men are born with a naturally wide back and small calves (oh, the horror).

Some women are born with small, narrow shoulders and wide hips. You cannot change your body structure. What you can do is build on it, embrace it for what it is, and improve your own perception of body image.

What you see in the mirror every day is your body at its best, but also at its worst. The same goes for these fitness icons. Although they give the illusion of perfection on social media, odds are they feel the exact way we all do at times; completely inadequate with a less than perfect view of their body image.

 

 

Mental Health – It’s Just As Important As Physical Health

Have you seen those women at the gym in between their sets marching in place? I have. It’s obsessive and strange; trying to burn as many extra calories as possible. Being “healthy” is such a relative term.

Some people try so hard to be healthy, they, in turn, become extremely unhealthy in their actions and obsessive mannerisms. Healthy is a term used for physical health, but just as important is mental health.

This health and fitness trend is becoming a disorder in itself. What it is, is semantics. You can call it health and wellness all you want, but what it actually is, a disorder when taken to the extremes many take it to, and it drastically affects body image. IIFYM is mocked, and ‘clean eating’ is praised and almost creepily coveted.

There’s even a new eating disorder called ‘orthorexia’ that’s popped up within the last several years. This is an obsession with eating only ‘pure, clean’ foods. That’s where we really have to look at the fine line between health and an unhealthy obsession.

Body Image and ‘Clean Eating’

Here’s a familiar scenario that’s seen quite often in the bodybuilding/fitness community:

A woman discovers physique competitions and wants to prove to herself that she can put on a swimsuit, get onstage, and strut her stuff showing off her hard work to the world! But, where to begin? An online coach suggests she cut out gluten, dairy, sugar, and fruit. But, she can treat herself to one cheat meal a week. She’s heard of IIFYM, but hey, that’s only for the weak!

The aspiring competitor restrains herself all week; avoiding plans with friends, bringing her Tupperware everywhere she goes, scouring food labels ensuring there’s no sugar or gluten contaminating her clean diet plan. But, once Saturday hits, it’s time to give into her cravings.

She orders an appetizer, followed by an entrée, and of course, dessert. Fitting as many treats into her meal as possible. Before you know it, she’s consumed 3,350 calories for dinner (this total is taken from a popular chain restaurant). When it would be best to avoid such diet plan-wrecking behavior by hiring an experienced IIFYM coach to create a Custom Macro Blueprint, that’s centered around balance.

 

 

Fast forward post show. The competitor has successfully made it to the stage! Now what? Post show blues settle in, and there’s no goal on the horizon. Inevitably, abstaining from treats becomes difficult, and the competitor starts to give in. Bingeing on chips and pizza, and afterward, feeling horrible shame and guilt.

Plus, after this intense dieting phase, these massive binges lead to unwanted weight gain, plus a diminished body image. This then sends the competitor into another diet phase through ‘clean eating’. Thus starts the yo-yo of dieting, binging and an unhealthy relationship with food.

Yes, it happens. Often. By the end of it all, her body image is trashed, and much of this could’ve been avoided by implementing IIFYM.

Body Image and IIFYM

Here’s another scenario:

A new competitor decides to hit the stage. They hire an IIFYM coach who follows flexible dieting principles and macro counting. They manage to fit a treat in here and there throughout the week, and maybe even a little more on a weekly refeed day. No restrictions, no bingeing. The competitor can go out with family and friends, ordering mindfully from the menu.

Fast forward post show. The competitor increases calories, while still enjoying the food she loves following an IIFYM diet plan. No need to binge, no need to feel shame. There’s no massive weight gain, and no pit of shame she needs to climb out of. Plus, due to moderate, reasonable weight gain, the competitor’s body image is still in a positive place and allows her to carry over into her growth season happily.

 

 

Changing Your Body Image Won’t Bring You Happiness – Changing Your Mentality Will

As many set out on their fitness journey they believe “if only I reach this weight I’ll be happy!”. Unfortunately, that’s not true.

There is no ‘happiness weight’, there is no musculature that will bring you complete joy, contentment, and an ideal body image, and there is no ‘diet’ or magical foods that will get you where you want to go (again, IIFYM for the win!). Ask anyone in the gym; you will never be as big as you want to be, or as lean as you want to be.

Stop Chasing the Ideal Body Image

Chasing that ideal physique is a forever quest, and the ideal is constantly changing. Below are a few tips for finding that balance and keeping a healthy body image/mentality as well as a healthy physique all while following IIFYM:

• When browsing through social media, keep in mind that most things are not as they appear. These fitness icons are human too. Flawed, insecure and definitely not perfect.
• If you’re still thinking about that donut you ate last week, and not in a reminiscing sort of way, that is NOT health. You can have a healthy body while still enjoying ‘fun’ foods. That’s the beauty of IIFYM!
• Focus on what your body is capable of, not just how it looks. If you’re a competitor, it can be difficult transitioning from lean, prep body into fluffier, offseason body. So, rather than focusing on what your body looks like constantly, focus on what it can do. Set goals, hit new PRs, and focus on how amazing you feel at a healthy body weight. Feeling good in the gym, and feeling good about the food choices you’re making (enjoying a balanced diet and foods you love through IIFYM), is a great way to improve body image.

Reality vs. perception when it comes to body image is a tough topic. When we’re constantly being bombarded with these perfect images it evokes strong feelings of inadequacy in many people. Many use these social media pages as motivators, but end up feeling discouraged.

Scroll with caution, and keep these things in mind next time you’re feeling less than perfect, and reach out to an IIFYM coach to find a goal that’s realistic for you. A great place to start is with their Custom Macro Blueprint which is personalized to your goals.

 

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Meal Timing for Macros: Does It Even Contribute to Your Diet?

 

It doesn’t seem like too long ago, people (including myself) were so focused on meal timing as well as frequency, that it consumed our lives. We were so worried about ensuring we were taking in the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, and fats at a certain time that it became an infatuation.

Speaking of macros, if you don’t have a clue what your macros should be for the day, you check out this quick and easy IIFYM calculator. Knowing these numbers is extremely important to your overall success.

Ultimately though, is there a point of meal timing in order to set yourself up for success? The answer is no, but with a caveat.

All the bro-science surrounding meal timing has been debunked and we should all be thankful for that if we are not an elite athlete (we will touch on this later).

Together, between all of us, we have probably heard our fair share of reasons why people are eating at certain times of day to meet the requirements of their meal timing.

*It should be noted that we at IIFYM.com, as well as the author, would advise you to consult with your doctor before engaging in any new nutrition or exercise program, including the ones found here on IIFYM.com.

While all of them are based upon improving the quality of life and health of an individual. We do not know the current health constraints you may be living with. For that reason, please seek the advice of your doctor to ensure you are healthy enough to engage in and utilize your new exercise or diet plan.

When To Consume Calories

Remember the whole “you should eat something as soon as you wake up since your body isn’t being fed while you sleep,” nonsense? The “breaking the fast” talk? For some of us, the alarm clock was like a dinner bell.

Our feet hit the floor before the alarm even went off because we were worried our hard-earned gains were being lost by sleeping too long and not feeding our muscles. Who would have thought that we would plan our lives according to maximizing our potential lean muscle gains?

People would make a sound breakfast following an IIFYM diet plan. Where they mainly focused on a quality protein source while having a side of carbohydrates with it— such as oatmeal.

Some even went as far as drinking a shake during their morning routine. Believing the liquid form of protein and amino acids would hit their system faster than a whole food source. Since it would need to be broken down into a usable form first.

What about the oatmeal you ask? Well, they’d throw their oats in the blender with their protein powder and mix it all up.

 

 

The “don’t eat late at night” Myth

Then there was the “don’t eat food late at night or it will be stored as fat” theory. This too was later debunked. If you follow us here on IIFYM, you know that we focus on the big picture. As in, total calories consumed by the end of the day and hitting each of our macros.

Thanks to researchers, we now know that you don’t have to worry about when you eat all your macros to fit your IIFYM diet plan. Meal timing has been thrown out the window. New research is showing that a small meal such as a beverage with protein can not only help with protein synthesis during the night, but it can also help with satiation and metabolism upon waking in the morning (3).

If you aren’t sure where you’re going wrong with your IIFYM diet plan. Or you simply don’t know where to start, IIFYM coaches can help you reach your goals. We all know that you can’t out-train a poor diet plan. The great news is, you don’t need to when you find a plan that fits your lifestyle.

IIFYM has everything from a 90-day weight loss challenge, coaching, Macro Blueprints and even recipes that you can utilize. If you haven’t checked out the IIFYM.com programs, I highly recommend you take a few minutes to see how they can take your health and fitness to the next level.

It’s About BALANCE, Not Meal Timing

What does all of this mean? This all means that if you are focused on following a balanced diet plan such as IIFYM, engage in exercise, and are looking for overall weight loss, maintenance, or improved health. There’s no reason to get bent out of shape or worried about meal timing.

If you aren’t a professional athlete or plan on partaking in marathons or long endurance activities, don’t worry about it. Meal timing is truly for those who exert their bodies to the limit. And therefore, need to focus on proper recovery from extensive bouts of exercise or competition.

Well, it’s shown that not consuming calories within the originally thought 45-minute window has no bearing on size or strength gains (2).

Something to take into consideration with all this being said is that you still shouldn’t negate the fact that you need a proper well-balanced diet, full of whole food options.

Don’t think that just because meal timing was debunked that it means you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want. If this is currently you, IIFYM has many different programs available for you to utilize based on your goals.

IIFYM.com isn’t just a website, it’s a community where people go to find tons of great literature and information. Everything IIFYM related as well as everyday health and fitness topics to help you along your journey. Everyone on the site is there for a common purpose of engaging in a healthier lifestyle through the use of IIFYM techniques to make your life a little less complicated.

 

 

The Post Workout “Window of Opportunity”

I’ll raise my hand super high in front of the entire IIFYM.com family and say it would stress me out after a workout if I didn’t have a post workout protein source or shake ready to go with some sort of carbohydrate.

I would almost get anxiety thinking I just spent all that time in the gym for nothing if I couldn’t get in my post workout shake within that 45-minute “window of opportunity”. Due to being so focused on the notion of meal timing that I thought all hope was lost if I missed the opportunity.

I needed that protein and waxy maize (or other fast digesting carbohydrate source) to match my meal timing plan. Well, that too has been debunked by science—thank goodness. No more running around trying to gather everything you need to get in your post workout recovery shake or meal.

People were looking at the “window of opportunity” as a make or break aspect of the equation. When in actuality, it wasn’t truly necessary. What’s more important is your overall nutrition for the day versus meal timing and your post workout nutrition.

It’s like I say to all my clients who ask if a certain food or supplement will make them fat. No, that ONE piece is not going to make you fat, it’s the cumulation of everything else you eat throughout the day that could potentially cause you to gain weight.

The same principle applies with post workout meal timing. Nowadays, we’ve come to realize that the 45-minute window we once thought we had is now much wider.

How does the expansion of the “window of opportunity” affect strength and muscle size? Well, it’s shown that not consuming calories within the originally thought 45-minute window has no bearing on size or strength gains (2).

The Death of Meal Timing

See a reoccurring theme, my IIFYM friends? Meal timing is dead. Gone. Good riddance.

Stop worrying about specific meal timing and start focusing on your total calories and macronutrients for the day. Ensuring you’re hitting those numbers—regardless if you follow the IIFYM diet or not.

Everyone was so worried about what to eat post workout, when in fact the inverse is what we should be focusing on. In that, it’s what we consume BEFORE we engaged in exercise.

To maintain your energy levels, you want to ensure your body has enough glycogen stored to allow you the ability to push yourself hard in the gym without failing and tapping out early.

If you are used to exercising in the morning before eating breakfast, your focus should be on your last meal before bed. You should make sure you are taking in carbohydrates during that meal to ensure your glycogen stores are full for your morning workout.

…the post workout or event nutrition (meal timing) isn’t as important as we once thought. It’s positively more crucial to refuel and feed your body within a 24-hour period.

In the case where you eat prior to your workout (let’s assume resistance training). Your post workout meal timing truly shouldn’t be a concern at all since the body would still be breaking down and utilizing the nutrients you fed it before your workout.

In fact, research is showing that when protein is consumed prior to training, the amino acids are still available long after the training session ends (1).

Therefore, eating again post workout would be redundant. Not only that, but the chances of depleting your glycogen stores from a resistance training workout when compared to an endurance workout aren’t that great. You’ll burn through glycogen more so when engaging in long bouts of endurance training than you would lifting weights.

 

 

What About Meal Timing For Elite Athletes?

If you are an elite athlete or compete in fitness or bodybuilding, meal timing might be ideal for you based off of your extensive bouts of training. On any given day, you could be exercising for over two hours (in one or multiple bouts).

For these individuals, foodstuffs such as electrolytes, protein, and carbohydrates can truly make a difference. Not only in the overall physique of the individual but also their performance.

Prepping for an event such as a marathon or any type of endurance race can involve carb-loading as well as replenishment afterward due to the demands that the body was asked to be put through.

Even then, the post workout or event nutrition (meal timing) isn’t as important as we once thought. It’s positively more crucial to refuel and feed your body within a 24-hour period.

Due to this being the cardinal rule for ideal performance, knowing your ideal macros will give you an edge.

Provide yourself with the ideal intake, have one of our coaches build your Custom Macro Blueprint.

Or in the case of a bodybuilder, depleting the body and then adding carbs back in to fill up the muscle can mean the difference between being first and last place on stage.

Maybe you’re a wrestler or tennis player and have multiple matches during a given day and need to plan recovery meals between to replenish energy stores. So, for these types of individuals, I would recommend meal timing. But, for the majority of us, we don’t fit into these categories.

Meal Timing For Health Reasons

I don’t want to neglect the fact that there are people out there, such as diabetics, who need to eat and focus on meal timing. If they take insulin, obviously, most work their insulin around their certain meal timing.

You don’t want to take a dose of insulin for no reason and then not eat anything, completely throwing your levels out of whack. So, there are instances where people will spend time thinking about and focusing on their meal timing due to health constraints.

 

 

Hitting Your Numbers Is More Important Than WHEN You Hit Those Numbers

If you look at a dieting technique such as intermittent fasting, you would quickly notice that not all of those individuals are eating at “certain” times of the day (well, kinda).

Yes, they have a window they feed during, such as an eight-hour timeframe. Yet, it’s not likely they change their workouts around it to squeeze them in during their feeding window.

There’s evidence that fasting isn’t a bad protocol when it comes to your health, and that for many, it may beneficial (4).

Years back people would have been stoned to death (ok, that’s a slight exaggeration) if they said they were not only going to train in a fasted state. Yet, also won’t have a post workout meal for several hours later.

Yet, it should be noted that those following an intermittent fasting nutrition plan are drinking zero calorie beverages such as water or even black coffee during their fasted state. Many people even incorporate IIFYM into their intermittent fasting nutrition plan.

The take home message is whether you are following an IIFYM blueprint or not. Meal timing truly means nothing to people who we consider “normal” non-competitive athletes and work the 9-5 lifestyle.

Don’t get yourself so worked up over when you are eating. It’s best to focus on hitting your diet plan calories and macros each day. With this strategy, you’ll see the results you were looking for.

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Stop Villainizing Sugar for Widespread Weight Gain

 

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then donuts may as well be a one-way ticket to the Grim Reaper. Let’s face it, after determining your daily intake through the IIFYM calculator, you may as well not even think about enjoying candy with some of those available macros, right? Well, not so much… Despite how bad of a rap sugar consumption gets from mainstream media, the scientific community and their well-supported research show quite a different story.

Before you vow to never tempt your taste buds with the sweet taste of that evil substance. Or, lock your kids away in an organic garden.

Below are some considerations and legitimate scientific research to shed light into what professionals in the nutritional science community are saying about sugar. We’ll also cover how sugar intake can and should be approached by using IIFYM for those looking to balance their performance goals with the enjoyment of daily life.

Before delving any further into the topic. It should be noted that throughout this article, “sugar” is used in reference to added sugar in prepared foods. It should also be noted that all carbohydrates, no matter how “healthy” eventually break down into the monosaccharide, glucose (which is sugar), before being used and stored by the body so technically all carbohydrates are eventually converted into sugars.

Dextrose (glucose), sucrose (table sugar), fructose (fruit sugar), and galactose (sugar in milk), and a synthetically derived form of sugar- high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are common “sugars”. These types are the topic of conversation when health effects on sugar consumption are discussed.

Thermodynamics

For anyone that has been following my articles here on IIFYM.com. The topic of thermodynamics in relation to weight loss and muscle growth has come up more than once, and for good reason.

In an industry of misleading marketing, the idea of certain foods, workouts or supplements being magic bullets has inundated magazines, websites and locker rooms across the country.

No single aspect of training and nutrition will affect weight change more significantly than thermodynamics will- that is. The average balance of energy consumed compared to energy expended.

If you’re looking to lose fat, for example, myself, as well as the IIFYM coaching staff, can all assure you that cutting out any one nutrient or food ingredient isn’t the answer to better health or physique (legitimate allergies aside).

 

 

The answer for long term body composition changes lies in following a balanced, consistently tracked diet in which total daily calorie intake is gradually adjusted to create a sufficient caloric deficit for continued weight loss.

Restricting yourself to certain foods, or swearing away any one ingredient will just make the dieting process more difficult without any further benefit. All the more reason to look into a Custom Macro Blueprint so you can drop the diet restriction while on a fat loss plan.

One coach’s word may not necessarily convince the masses, but having legitimate, scientific research to further back those principles can be a bit more persuasive. Over the past decade or so, scientists have spent considerable time and resources in researching the possible health effects sugar intake can have on humans.

During that research, some interesting findings have been had which can shed light onto the not-so-villainous nature of sugar intake, and the benefit of IIFYM.

What the Research Says

A 2007 study explored the effects of high glycemic vs. low glycemic based diets among 34 individuals, with all other dietary factors including dietary reference intakes of macronutrients and micronutrient, met, as well as a daily multivitamin. The study reflected no significant difference in body weight, body fat, and resting metabolic rate across a yearlong intervention (1).

Another study investigated the difference in weight loss among individuals consuming a high or low glycemic focused diet, that were able to following a structured energy restricted diet (planned weight loss program) by consuming 1,000 calories of their plan with foods they freely chose, compared to those within the study that followed a meal plan without individual food selection available.

There aren’t good or bad foods, but simply some foods that offer a higher nutrient profile, which should be added into a balanced diet for long-term health and proper performance.

The results showed no significant difference in weight loss for those freely consuming higher glycemic foods than those following a strict meal plan of low glycemic foods. Once again, food choice is shown to have far less effect on weight loss than total energy balance.

The one common factor, energy balance in both studies was accounted for and controlled regardless of the carb sources consumed (2). Sound a bit like successful IIFYM dieting to anyone?

Quantity, Not Calorie Source

A separate, research review on countless past sugar studies also supports the conclusion that the excess calories, not the source of calories, is the main determinant of weight management (3). This said it’s much more reasonable to conclude that removing sugar from a diet doesn’t promote weight loss directly, but instead can help improve weight loss efforts by reducing excess calories.

 

 

Removing those 3 daily cans of soda from your diet and experiencing sudden weight loss isn’t from removing an evil liquid, but from reducing your caloric intake by roughly 2,940 calories per week (roughly 140 calories of sugar per soda can).

However, if a can of soda was a big craving of yours, and accounted for through an IIFYM approach to your daily caloric intake goals, it’s not going to harm your weight loss efforts (4).

This not only supports that sugar intake itself is unlikely to disrupt weight loss efforts but also supports the idea of IIFYM dieting.

There aren’t good or bad foods, but simply some foods that offer a higher nutrient profile, which should be added into a balanced diet for long-term health and proper performance.

“IIFYM allows individuals to apply scientific research to the challenges and enjoyment of everyday life”

Macro Make Up Does Matter

Sugar intake would only affect weight change if it were substituted for other macronutrients, namely protein.

Someone eating adequate protein, and consuming sugar in moderation within their total daily carbohydrate intake will make vastly different progress in body composition than someone not eating enough protein, but eating larger amounts of carbohydrates through added sugars.

If daily protein is sufficient, fat intake is adequate for optimal performance and hormone health, and total carbohydrate intake is appropriate for your current metabolic rate and weight loss goals. Then using IIFYM and having more or less simple sugars in your diet won’t derail your efforts.

Sweet Benefits to Sugar Consumption

 

 

Metabolic Capacity and Muscle Growth

When not dieting for fat loss, individuals should be focusing on improving performance in the gym through greater aerobic performance, strength, and/or larger muscle size- dependent on each person’s particular goals.

In order to do that, and also to ensure the future dieting phases are achieved as healthy and efficiently as possible, it’s important to gradually increase total food intake. This will support better recovery, better performance, and a greater metabolic capacity by allowing the body to adapt to and effectively use greater food intakes.

When doing this, many individuals avoid IIFYM and handicap themselves by trying to stick solely to “health foods.” By limiting sugar intake to a bare minimum, and eating only high fiber, high volume foods.

However if low-fiber, more sugary carb sources are ingested, individuals can maximize this glycogen replenishment and ensure optimal performance in subsequent bouts of exercise (8).

These individuals leave themselves bloated and unable to comfortably train at full capacity. At that point, they decide to stop increasing food intake and proceed through the rest of their growth season with a less than ideal offseason intake.

IIFYM can allow those individuals to reap the benefit of covering their bases through various fruits, vegetables, whole grains and unsaturated fats. Then utilize “fun” foods to supplement their daily food intake.

Leading to more comfortably reaching a higher intake that can more effectively help them maximize their efforts. By allowing themselves to enjoy some sugar-containing foods in their diet. They can improve digestion, train harder, feel better, and set themselves up for an even more efficient dieting phase in the future.

Intra-workout Performance

For those looking to maximize strength output and performance during exercise. Fast-digesting carbohydrates during workouts (in the form of carb powders), can help reduce fatigue and improve strength output during training sessions (5).

If you were to limit your sugar intake, at least having some sugars during your training sessions could be beneficial. By helping to maintain blood sugar levels during exercise.

Consuming a carb powder such as pure dextrose, a sports drink like Gatorade, or a similar carbohydrate supplement provides the body with readily absorbed glucose. Preventing that “bonked” feeling athletes often feel when training for extended periods of time without nutrients.

 

 

Post-Workout Glycogen Replenishment

Sugary foods can also be beneficial for consuming immediately after vigorous exercise as they support greater muscle glycogen restoration. They can help kick-starting recovery in the hours just after exercise. Although it isn’t necessary to pound sugar and a protein shake just after resistance training. It’s beneficial when focusing on replenishing glycogen before subsequent training sessions.

If you’re currently in a dieting phase when carbohydrate intake is low or an athlete that trains multiple times within a 24-hour time window. Such as multi-event competitions like Cross Fit often requires having some fast digesting carbohydrates at the cessation of a vigorous workout (1-1.5 hours).

Which can help significantly increase the rate of muscle glycogen replenishment before the upcoming training event.

This is due to two factors in particular; the first being that weight training itself promotes greater availability of a receptor within muscle tissue that takes up glucose for glycogen storage, GLUT-4.6.

The second contributing factor is that of the rate-limiting enzyme for glycogen storage, glycogen synthase, being greatly heightened just after resistance training (7).

If an athlete is consuming high-fiber, slower digesting carbohydrate sources, these benefits are hindered. However if low-fiber, more sugary carb sources are ingested, individuals can maximize this glycogen replenishment and ensure optimal performance in subsequent bouts of exercise (8).

Enjoyment

All science rhetoric aside momentarily, it’s just as important to keep in mind the simple enjoyment of treating yourself to the foods you like. As much as eating for health and performance is important, so too is enjoying life.

One of the most beneficial aspects behind IIFYM dieting is to stay on track with our health and physique goals. While still being able to periodically have the foods, we enjoy most.

The main aspect many “fitness professionals” leave out when promoting their 30-day challenge, or bashing IIFYM is the inability for the large majority of people to adhere to such restrictive diets over the course of their lifetime. Forever forsaking sweets, and sticking to bland foods may help with weight loss initially.

Yet, you are sure to create poor long-term relationships with food, and greater urges to binge eat on tempting foods. Learning to eat strategically with an adequate balance of nutrients, and occasional sweet treats can go a long way in promoting long-term body composition goals.

What about insulin spikes causing fat storage?

Ask people why they avoid sugar, and most respond with fears of spiking insulin. As hard as it may be to accept, insulin production itself doesn’t cause fat storage. Insulin will only promote fat storage if excess energy (calories) is consistently consumed- not simply from consuming sugars.

Instead, insulin first signals muscle and liver cells to store consumed sugar as glycogen to later be used as a readily available energy source.
Since muscle glycogen is quickly used as energy during exercise, and to a degree during daily activity and brain function.

This storage doesn’t attribute to body fat. When too much energy is consumed compared to what the body’s metabolism and training routine can accommodate for, those glycogen stores become full- and any “leftover energy” is then signaled to be stored within fat cells.

Ultimately, it’s eating too much (caloric surplus) that causes the extra fat gain, not the insulin spike.

In terms of increasing diabetes risk, this would again only occur in an environment where excess energy consumption is achieved on a constant basis over a somewhat extended period.

A 2005 study helped to explain this realization when a group of low-GI, high-GI or high fat based dieters all lost nearly the same amount of weight and improved insulin sensitivity.

In practical terms, whether a diet is restrictive and only focused on low-GI “health” foods. Or includes some high-GI “fun” foods as part of an IIFYM dieting approach. Both fat loss and improved insulin sensitivity can be achieved with nearly identical results (9).

Insulin and Diabetes Risk

In terms of increasing diabetes risk, this would again only occur in an environment where excess energy consumption is achieved on a constant basis over a somewhat extended period.

For Type 2 Diabetes to occur, it is largely due to a culmination of lifestyle factors, and not simply sugar consumption. Body fat level, total energy balance, exercise, and genetic predispositions are some major factors that play into the risk of diabetes.

For anyone considering following IIFYM but concerned with Type 2 Diabetes risk. Avoiding sugar on nutrition labels isn’t necessarily the answer. Instead, there are other lifestyle practices that will vastly reduce the chance of occurrence. Shown to greatly benefit insulin sensitivity (ability for the body to use a given amount of insulin effectively), thus helping prevent diabetes:

• Regular exercise in the form of both resistance training and aerobic activity. Moderate to vigorous exercise has been shown to greatly improve insulin sensitivity (10,11).

• Maintain a healthy body weight. Insulin sensitivity is shown to improve as body composition improves (muscle to fat ratio) while being overweight tends to reduce the ability for the body to properly use insulin.

 

 

• When body fat levels begin to get too high, performing brief diets, often termed “mini cuts,” can help regain proper insulin sensitivity. Showing that periodic diets are not only good for improving appearance but improving the efficiency of the body’s hormones (12).

• When possible, have your major carbohydrate containing meals before and after training sessions. Doing so takes advantage of a heightened insulin sensitivity and greater storage of carbohydrate as glycogen rather than body fat.

In terms of increasing diabetes risk, this would again only occur in an environment where excess energy consumption is achieved on a constant basis over a somewhat extended period.

Whether a person consumes excessive amounts of organic oats through a meal plan or packaged oatmeal pies with IIFYM. They can both create extreme, chronic rises in insulin and eventually lead to increased diabetes risk.

“Properly incorporated IIFYM strategies not only support physique goals, but also long-term health”

But sugar causes inflammation, right?

As we wrap up our discussion on sugar, and its often-over-exaggerated role in fat gain. It’s important to briefly touch on the correlation between sugar intake and increased inflammation.

Although there does seem to be a possible link between increased sugar intake and increased inflammation. It should be noted that this link is often shown in individuals whom regularly consume a higher than the reasonable daily amount.

Many research populations also neglect other lifestyle factors important for keeping inflammation within a healthy range.

Of the studies currently published researching the connection. A great majority are on a sample population not documented to be correctly performing many, or any, of the related lifestyle habits shown to minimize inflammation (13,14).

• Consuming a variety of fruits and vegetables, which contain many anti-oxidants and phytonutrients essential for reducing inflammation.

• Regularly consuming Omega-3 fatty acids through sources like fatty fish and fish oil supplements. Maintaining a proper intake of Omega-3 fats within the diet, and limiting excess Omega-6 fatty acids has been strongly supported by research to reduce inflammation (15,16).

• Performing regular exercise. Along with increasing insulin sensitivity and carbohydrate storage efficiency. Regular resistance training is also shown to provide long-term anti-inflammatory benefits. Although resistance training does create a short term, inflammatory response as muscle tissue recovers from the exercise session. It’s actual short lived, and still has extended lasting anti-inflammatory effects (17).

 

 

Let’s Not Forget

Although IIFYM minded coaches such as ours discourage the fear of sugar consumption. We never dismiss the importance of a varied, nutrient filled diet.

Although somewhat speculative, it would seem reasonable to believe the results of many sugar & inflammation studies would be less drastic if factors like those mentioned above were accounted for while focusing on nutrient dense foods was also implemented in each individual diet.

Sugar in reasonable amounts doesn’t seem to create any long-term negative health or body composition effects. However, it would be asinine to say sugar can be safely consumed in unlimited amounts.

We can all agree that too much fat can contribute to heart disease and too much protein can lead to gastrointestinal discomfort. Although excess consumption can create issues, no reasonable person would deny their importance in a healthy, performance-supporting diet.

Just as protein and fat should be consumed within reason, sugar should be avoided in excessive amounts in order to maintain proper inflammatory responses, energy balance, and allow for sufficient intake of more nutrient-dense foods within daily intake goals.

So how much sugar can I eat?

After hearing that total energy balance is the prominent factor in weight change, IIFYM extremists will take that and run with it- eating as many cookies and ice cream cones as they can fit into their daily macro goals.

However, that strategy is just as detrimental to long-term progress, and possibly more so to health, than avoiding sugar altogether.

Although sugar consumption in moderation is unlikely to cause any negative effects, balance is still vitally important. This is always encouraged when our coaches create Macro Blueprints for our clients!

How much is too much? Keeping a daily fiber intake goal can be a great strategy for limiting sugar intake to a reasonable level. Also, ensuring that enough nutrient-dense foods are consumed.

Following the below, USDA provided fiber and sugar intake goals can go a long way in keeping intake balanced and healthy.

Don’t Forget the Fiber

Fiber has been shown to provide numerous health benefits include disease prevention, nutrient absorption, digestion, healthy blood sugar maintenance, and improving satiety which is especially helpful when dieting (18).

Just as too much fiber can cause issues like those discussed earlier in this article, so too does too insufficient fiber have drawbacks.

 

 

The USDA suggests most individuals consume 14 grams of dietary fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed in their diet (i.e. 39 grams for a daily intake of 2,8000 calories).

Consuming this fiber recommendation through a variety of sources promotes sufficient micronutrient intake, given foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are great sources of fiber, and also contain substantial amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants important for long-term health, and optimal physical performance.

Sugar Recommendations

The American Heart Association and USDA recommend that men consume no more than 150 calories (38 grams) and females consume no more than 100 calories (25g) of added sugars per day in order to greatly reduce any potential health risks. For reference, some common foods and their accompanying sugar content are listed below.

Sugar Content in Common Foods

Food Type/Brand	Quantity/Volume	Sugar Content (grams)
Maple Syrup	1 Tablespoon	14
Full Calorie Soda	1 Can	39
Twix Candy Bar	1 Package	28
Glazed Donut	1 Donut	11

So, as you can see by just these few examples. Healthy individual sticking strictly to these suggestions could theoretically still enjoy a can of soda or donut a few times each week through IIFYM and still be within a reasonable intake.

Although the intake suggestion can be a safe recommendation to follow. It would stand to reason that trained athletes following IIFYM can likely consume higher amounts through intra- and post-workout carbohydrate intake without creating any health issues.

Since those sugars are more likely stored as glycogen than body fat. Plus, an otherwise nutrient dense diet is likely to reduce the risk of negative health effects from higher sugar consumption.

“Using IIFYM to periodically enjoy sugary foods can be part of a healthy, life-long nutritional strategy”

Sweet News

This article isn’t to encourage people to use IIFYM as a free-for-all but does explain that like most happenings in life. It’s okay to enjoy sugar in moderation. Taking anything to a restrictive or gluttonous extreme seldom turns out well for people in the long run.

Yet, making a point to educate ourselves on the facts behind our concerns. While learning how to properly apply those facts to our daily lives can go a long way progressing as efficiently as possible while making room to enjoy life. Now, where are those donuts I bought?

 

The post Stop Villainizing Sugar for Widespread Weight Gain appeared first on IIFYM.

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