Flexible dieting: eat the foods you like and still lose fat

You can lose weight and still eat pizza or ice cream now and then. Really. That is how flexible dieting works. It is easier to keep your results, and you can stop punishing yourself with constant bans.

Short answer: Flexible dieting means you look at the whole day, mainly at calories and protein, and not at "allowed" and "forbidden" foods. If you fit your numbers, no single meal throws you off, so you can lose weight and still have pizza or ice cream now and then.

The principle is simple

Your calories decide whether you lose fat, and protein helps you keep muscle and stay full. Inside those numbers, the food choice is yours. It is also known as IIFYM, short for "If It Fits Your Macros". Macros are protein, carbs and fat. This only works if your numbers are honest. In my practice, people often underestimate what they eat by 20 to 50%, so weigh and log for a while before you trust your eyes.

Why it works better than bans

• You can stick with it. Many of my clients find that when nothing is banned, cravings get weaker and they overeat less often. Research links flexible control of eating with less overeating than rigid rules, although it shows a link, not proof.
• Less feeling of failure. One dessert is part of the plan, so it does not feel like a slip.
• It works in real life. A party, a restaurant, a visit: you can handle them without panic, because they fit into the week.

How to do it smartly

Flexible still needs a solid base. Most of your food should be good quality:

• Enough protein in every meal (fullness and muscle).
• Lots of vegetables and fibre for volume and digestion.
• Then some room for what you enjoy, roughly 10 to 20% of your daily calories.

People often call this the "80/20" rule: most of your calories come from a nutritious base, up to about a fifth from food you simply enjoy. The 10 to 20% range is a rule of thumb from my coaching, not a number from a study. That base is what keeps your progress steady.

Who it is for

It suits most people who are fed up with all-or-nothing diets. If you already lost weight once and gained it back because you could not keep it up, flexible dieting is often an easier way to keep the result, because you can live with it. If you have, or have had, an eating disorder, or if food and weight feel out of your control, please talk to a doctor or a specialist before you start tracking anything.

Frequently asked questions

What does IIFYM mean?

If It Fits Your Macros. It is the English name for flexible dieting: if a food fits your numbers for protein, carbs and fat, you can eat it.

What is the 80/20 rule?

Most of your calories, around 80 to 90%, come from a nutritious base with enough protein in every meal and lots of vegetables and fibre. The remaining 10 to 20% is room for what you enjoy.

Why does flexible dieting work better than bans?

You can stick with it. Many of my clients find that when nothing is banned, cravings get weaker and they overeat less often. You plan one dessert in, so it does not break anything, and a party, a restaurant or a visit fits into the week without panic.

Does flexible dieting mean I can eat only sweets?

No. Most of your food should still be a good quality base, with enough protein, vegetables and fibre. Sweets and other favourites go into the 10 to 20% of room that is left.

Sources, so you can check:

1) This article comes from my coaching practice and cites no studies of its own. Research on rigid versus flexible control of eating is listed in the sources of the article "Weekend overeating" on this site.

Martin Barna

Online nutrition and fitness coach. Since 2013 I have coached 600+ clients on fat loss and keeping the result. I work with evidence and food you can actually live with.

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This article is for information only. It is not medical advice. If you have a health condition, talk to your doctor.