Throughout the fitness industry, controversies and debates arise on circulating issues such as training, supplementation, and nutrition. One of the most notorious disputes is diet and which protocol is optimal for fitness and overall health: clean eating or flexible dieting (IIFYM). These two nutritional plans are popular in the fitness industry because of various aspects such as cost, feasibility, easiness, tastiness, and many other factors that people value. I am interested in this question because I have a profound passion for fitness. I made it my New Year's Resolution to adjust to a healthier lifestyle in January 2015 and I fell in love with fitness. This love led me to continually research different areas of the fitness industry to optimize my fitness goals and improve my overall well-being. I also set a goal to obtain a certain aesthetic physique but of course that will take more time and patience. I have incorporated both clean eating and flexible dieting into my routine and I obviously have an opinion on which one I feel has enhanced my fitness goals the most. Obviously, I am not a nutritionist nor do I plan on becoming one, but I feel that I am qualified because I have experienced what has worked for my body. I plan to obtain my Personal Training Certification through the American College of Sports Medicine as well, which will improve my credibility. 

One article that summarizes the gist of Flexible Dieting is "Flexible Dieting: The Ultimate Guide To IIFYM" written by Elliot Reimers on December 5th, 2015. This article sets a basic foundation for a new trend in dieting called IIFYM or "If It Fits Your Macros". The author goes into the nature of food and how it affects the body, why extreme diets are useless, the basic gist of IIFYM, typical IIFYM diet examples, and the deeper psychology of eating. Reimers is very informative in this article and presents the reader with accurate and explanatory information. The author gives thorough examples and walks the reader through what it is like to be on an IIFYM diet. Elliot Reimers, according to his "Muscle and Strength" website page, is a power lifter who thoroughly researches nutrition and kinesiology. Reimers has a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Biochemistry from the University of Minnesota. As stated, Reimers has book and individual knowledge on this topic making him a valuable resource. This source serves as a valuable guide to introduce the concept of Flexible Dieting and gives proper examples for the reader to develop into their own lifestyle.

Along with Elliot Reimers, another author named Kyle Hunt wrote an article in support of IIFYM, but Hunt took more of an argumentative approach stating how people assume wrong things about Flexible Dieting. In his article "Why What You Think About Flexible Dieting is Wrong", Hunt gives three different perspectives from skeptics about IIFYM Flexible Dieting. His goal in this article is to dispel the so called "myths" of flexible dieting and common misconceptions about the plan. This article is more of a piece to try to persuade the reader to choose Flexible Dieting as opposed to a "clean diet" or other sort of nutritional protocol. The author also gives his perspective on flexible dieting and what it has done for him. According to BreakingMuscle.com, Kyle Hunt is the owner of is his own strength and conditioning gym. His specialties include custom nutrition plans, workout regiments, and contest prep coaching. Hunt is an ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer and has Bachelors Degree in Exercise Science. 

While the other two articles take a more informative and persuasive approach, Anthony Nehra's "Eat What You Want and Stay Lean: IIFYM vs. Clean Eating" compares IIFYM and Clean Eating head to head by listing the pros and cons for each diet protocol. Then Nehra goes into his personal opinion on which diet is better, and then goes into which diet is right for each individual. This article is very informative, relying on benefits and drawbacks for each nutritional standard and then generalizes which one is better by weighing the pros and the cons. Nehra's story is unlike the other author's listed. Nehra was the so called "fat kid" when he was younger, having not played any sports and resorted to an immobile lifestyle with an awful sense of nutrition. In college he decided to make a change, where he began to exercise and even competed in a few races. He discusses what he has discovered along his journey and gives the reader a couple of tips to always progress. Nehra's credibility is that he relates to the average human being who is just starting out. Many people are able to relate to Nehra and his journey, making him a valuable resource.   

The ultimate question, whether to choose Clean Eating or Flexible Dieting (IIFYM), can be argued in a multitude of ways and people will always have different opinions. This question seems to be arguable because it is easy for someone to assess each diet protocol and make a decision on which one they would want to incorporate into their lifestyle. Some agreements that I have found across the sources is the shear fact that each author has expressed the success of Flexible Dieting and how it is a great protocol to follow. They also shed light on how Clean Eating can be satisfactory, but the ultimate consensus is that Flexible Dieting (IIFYM) is the superior standard. The only difference I see between the sources is that Reimers' and Hunt's article focus on Flexible Dieting more than Clean Eating, and Nehra focuses on the two, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each diet. After doing this research, my views on Flexible Dieting has changed. I was under the impression that it was just about eating bad food and somehow making it productive for the body which countered my personal beliefs. But now after further research, I have come to the conclusion that this is an optimal nutritional protocol and I hope to incorporate it more into my life. I might need to revise my research question to make it more into a "how?" or "why?" question instead of a "yes or no" question. My new question(s) will be "How does one choose between Clean Eating or Flexible Dieting? Why one over the other and at what point in a person's fitness journey?" This way, I can take a more explanatory and thoughtful approach to my topic and I can provide my personal insight and experience to this topic. I feel I can add what I have learned over the past year and provide my personal experiences with each eating habit to convey a reasonable argument for the question I delivered. I have learned a lot from this research and I hope to continue to know more about these topics to better myself.

