Flexible Dieting: Why I love it. How to do it.

Hey friends, it’s due time that I share with you more about flexible dieting (i.e., counting macros)!

I do it. My clients do it. And let me tell you, it works.

Flexible dieting is one of the best approaches to fat loss. While some ‘anti-diet’ Dietitians hate on flexible dieting claiming it’s too “rigid” or “takes too much work” – I beg to differ.

And, for what’s it worth: I struggled for years with my weight. I would go through cycles of under eating, over exercising, removing entire food groups, so believe me – I know what restriction feels like. For me, I find freedom in flexible dieting because it provides both structure and flexibility but also allows me to eat my favorite foods.

That said, while flexible dieting may not be right for everyone (i.e, those with an active eating disorder or those recovering), it can work well for plenty of people including me.

You want to lose body fat but also improve your energy, sleep, performance in the gym, and overall health. 

You are fed up with diets so restrictive they send you into a psychological tailspin.

You are a yo-yo dieter who has lost weight time and time again only to regain it because the diet was unsustainable.

You want to be able to eat foods that fuel and nourish you but also want to include some of your favorite foods (pizza, chocolate, wine…you name it!) as a part of your plan.

Flexible dieting is a way of eating that takes an ‘all foods fit’ approach to weight loss, body recomposition, and improving performance in the gym. While most popular diets like Paleo, Whole30 or Keto demonize a certain food group (e.g. fruits, grains, dairy, beans) – flexible dieting allows all foods to be included in your diet as long as they fit within your specific macronutrient goals.

What are macronutrients? These are the three sources of energy that fuel our body–carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

While flexible dieting is known for its “if it fits your macros” approach, as Registered Dietitian I recognize that a food is made up of more than just macronutrients but fiber, vitamins, and minerals, antioxidants and water. That said, while I’m an advocate of flexible dieting – any diet should first be built on a foundation of whole foods versus highly processed foods.

Yes, you can have donuts on a flexible dieting plan! But that doesn’t mean you should eat three in a day even if you figured out a way for them to “fit your macros.”

While some people think logging what you eat is too tedious or time consuming, I’d much rather spend 5 minutes per day tracking my food then have to drink some awful weight-loss shake or give up bread in the hopes it’ll produce the results I want.

Flexible dieting serves as a powerful tool for educating yourself on the nutrient density of foods, specifically a food’s macronutrient profile.




Learning about the macronutrient composition of various foods, their function, and paying attention to how they make you feel physically or mentally is powerful info to have.




But the more you learn, the more you are able to make sense of it and apply it to your own life. And these are skills you will use for a lifetime. After-all, you never stop eating.