Adelfo Cerame - IIFYM Style: Making Your Diet More Flexible & More Effective. This is How it Works for Me!
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| Most previous rodent studies used the equivalent of several truckloads of aspartame to make sure the rodents would develop brain cancer. A recent study is different and although those three bottle may "fit your macros", you are probably reconsidering to consume this amount of Diet Coke on a daily basis after listening to today's installment of the SuppVersity Science Round Up on Carl Lanore's Super Human Radio (tune in live at 13PM EST). No wonder Adelfo did not switch from raw milk to Coke light, but favors water and other calorie-free beverages. |
- the latest and for the fist time relatively convincing scientific evidence for the real-world significance of the pro-carcinogenic effects of aspartame
- oats, beta glucans, sorghum and other things that could help you stay lean and healthy
- fermented black, green and olong tea and its effects on AKT, AMPK and blood glucose
- the direct estrogenic effects of DHEA and its metabolites (including 7-OXO)
- and much more
What? Oh, I see you are not really interested in my jabber? You are just here to read Adelfo Cerame's latest update? Ok, here you go...
Make your diet more flexible and reward yourself with less stress and better results
Comment Dr. Andro: "IIFYM" in the original sense means "if it fits your
macros", a couple of people did however transform this into the "just
eat whatever you want diet", which is clearly not what I would suggest you do. And even when Adelfo writes that he is now not sticking to "your typical bodybuilder foods", those broccoli + rice + chicken breast diets are bullocks anyways. It's just as he states "moderation" and "control" are key and when you are dieting and working out you can get away with almost everything, if you don't turn to pizza and french fries as you staple foods (I guess with an appropriate caloric deficit you could still lose body weight)
Yes, I’ve jumped on the bandwagon and incorporated a IIFYM style diet into my nutritional regimen but to be honest I’ve always counted macros and I’m sure the majority has too, even before counting macros was tagged with the whole IIFYM acronym. Even though I’ve always counted my macros I still shied away from your so-called “non- bodybuilder” foods and stuck to your typical bodybuilder foods. Though my variety of food choices improved immensely from the typical chicken breast, broccoli and brown rice, with more variety of fruits and vegetables and getting over my phobia of carbs, I still feared that eating your so called “non bodybuilder” food from time to time (exception for re-feeds/cheat days) would hinder progress especially during contest prep. But I’m starting to learn more and more that all foods can be a “go” if moderation is used and if you are following daily macronutrient goals.I’m not promoting overeating (chronic surplus of calories), or an excuse to eat whatever you want but I am promoting flexibility and sanity while at the same time still being able to achieve the lean physique you want. And it all goes back to the philosophy of dieting smarter than harder.
Obviously it’s damn near impossible to hit your daily macronutrient goals while at the same time trying to get in your micronutrients eating foods such as pop-tarts, ice cream, and bagels… It’s not going to happen! So the majority of your foods are going to come from whole “nutrient dense” foods because micronutrients are just as important as hitting your macronutrient goals.
What I have found works well for me is this...
- My current macros: 200g/ 200g/ 40g = protein/ carbohydrates/ fat
- Fiber Intake: 25g-50g
- Fruits: At least 1 serving/day (but I eat more)
- Veggies: At least 1 serving/day (but I eat more)
| Carbohydrates: Obviously this is the macronutrient where I’m able to have some flexibility with my sources but before even considering being able to squeeze in a beer or a cup of ice cream, my first priority is hitting my fiber intake (fruits & Veggies) – The way I hit my daily fiber intake is by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, and at the same time probably getting my daily intake of micronutrients since I am eating a variety of foods throughout the day (oops I mean once I break my fast). After all these goals are met, then I can squeeze in treats like ice cream, beer, frozen yogurt, pancakes and still stay with my daily total kcal and macronutrient goals. | Protein: Again; I’m not going to hit all 200g of protein eating ice
cream – the majority of my protein sources will come from animal meats,
seafood, eggs, dairy, and supplementary protein (whey, casein supps). Fats: My Fat intake is pretty much on the low end but still 20% of my total kcal. So basically most of my fat intake is trace amounts coming from my protein (animal meats, eggs, dairy…) and carbohydrates that contain trace fats and I still fit in my coconut oil as much as I can – Sometimes I will save the majority of my fat macros so I can have a bowl of ice cream at the end of the night to help me go to sleep ;-) |
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| Illustration 1: The practical realization of this regimen could look like this (this is just and example day); for more details check out the table and text below |
| Pre-workout meals: Sample A is my typical pre-workout “go-to” staple; Whey + Coconut oil. I usually have this during my higher volume days. I’ve been noticing that on higher volume days, my body really benefits from the fats from coconut oil Sample B is Whey + pop-tarts, I’ve been experimenting more with low fat/ higher carb pre-workout meals during my heavy/strength days, I felt that it has really given me that extra push I need in the gym during my strength days. Sample C is basically my “on-the-go” pre-workout meal. Beef jerky and rice cakes are non-perishable and are stored in the back of my trunk, so on the days when I have to go from work to the gym… I can whip me up a shake and grab my beef jerky and rice cakes in the trunk of my car. Immediate PWO meals: I usually just stick to my whey, banana, and RAW honey for my immediate PWO meal – I find the combination of both a great PWO treat. | PWO meal: I’ve just been eating a variety of foods. Basically whatever I’m feeling… Whether it’s homemade beef Thai salad, Homemade pizza, Homemade burger or French toast; I have it but I always make sure that I have my veggies and fruits to go with it. And notice that everything is homemade. By making everything at home I can control the macronutrients of each meal – If I want to make a burger, I’ll use 97% lean meat to control my fat macros. If I want a pizza, I’ll make sure all the meat is lean, add my veggies, and make sure to measure the dough out to hit the specific amount of grams of carbs I want. Bedtime nutrition: Since my fats are so low nowadays, I had to ditch my beloved RAW milk (Raw milk will have to take a seat back until’ offseason). Most of my meals before bedtime consist of low fat dairy products such as Greek frozen yogurt, cottage cheese, ice cream, and string cheese and protein supps. My last meal is usually my left over macros, so I just use my macros for whatever I can think of. Usually this will be one of those items I mentioned above. |
Again… This is just what works for me. It's based on my N=1 experience and reflects the way I have been able to make my intermittent fasting (IF) regimen more flexible.
I’m not trying to promote overeating or a chronic overconsumption of junk food but I am promoting flexibility and sanity. In my opinion, it is actually a lot more challenging, because of all the calculating I must do to count every bit of food that enters my mouth. Even my re-feeds are controlled now, and no more need of cheat days since I don’t feel deprived of much and I think this will also give me the advantage in the long run especially after the post contest rebound where the window of binging usually occurs. Since I am eating a variety of foods and not depriving myself of anything. In the end it will be a much smoother and less fat-filled transition into the off-season.
That's it for this week. Come back on November 22nd for my next update.
