CICO (calories in, calories out) approach to weight control is popular because it seems simple. If you consume fewer calories than you burn through exercise and daily lives, you lose weight (1). Take in more calories than you need to burn your lifestyle, then you go weight (1). If you meet your body’s calorie needs on the nose, you remain the same (1).
This simple approach is effective for many, but there are several cico myths that can simplify things. These myths may mislead you into believing that weight control boils down to a math equation.
In this article, we debunk some of the most common misunderstandings about CICO and give a clear understanding of how it works so you can make the most of this tool.
Myth: Cico is simple
One of the most common CICO myths is that it is a simple energy balance equation. The prerequisite is that all it takes is a calorie surplus or deficit to win or lose weight.
Truth: Weight loss is complicated
“While the CICO method is simple in the concept – eat fewer calories than you are passionate about losing weight – it’s not the whole picture of how safe and sustainable weight loss happens,” says Melissa Jaeger, RD, LD, Nutrition Manager at MyFitnessPal (1) .
Your body is complex. Many factors, such as genetics, age and hormones, affect body weight (1). Each body also treats nutrients from foods a little differently (2).
In other words, your body is not a calculator. Weight loss is more than just calories in, calories.
Takeaway
Although CICO literally stands for calories in vs. Calories out, Cico is just an informal way of expressing energy balance -equation (1).
However, weight control is not as simple as that. The quality of your food, your metabolic speed and individual differences affect everyone how your body handles weight (1, 2). So does that mean you shouldn’t make a CICO diet? Not exactly, but it is important to remember that it is a factor among many when it comes to your weight.
Myth: You can eat whatever you want as long as you stay within your calori limitation
An ordinary myth around cico The approach is that all calories count in the same way, whether they come from protein, carbohydrates, fat or processed foods.
This gives you the impression that as long as you stick to your CICO caloric dimensions, it doesn’t matter what types of food you eat or when you eat them, such as late at night.
Truth: There is much more about it
It is useful to be aware of the number of calories your body needs to lose, win or maintain your weight, but there is much more to it than that (1).
According to Jaeger, “a disadvantage of focusing solely on calories in vs. calories is that it does not teach us the importance of the nutrients in these calories (2).” When you focus only on the large picture numbers and not the components that make up these numbers, it can be challenging to introduce healthier habits and honor our bodies of hunger and metting signs during our weight loss journey (2).
When You also have an impact on weight control. Our bodies are designed to eat when it is light and fast when it is dark. Disorders of this rhythm can short -circuit your body’s feedback signals and response to food, resulting in a greater chance of weight gain (3).
Takeaway
The quality of your timing of food and meal affects your hunger and overall health (2, 3). Focus on eating high quality foods, such as protein and fiber rich, nutrient-tight food and getting most of your food within daylight (2, 3).
Myth: Cutting of 3,500 calories always corresponds to a pound of weight loss
A long -term belief is that 3,500 calories are the number of calories in a pound, so it has been believed that reducing your calorie intake with this will very much result in a pound of weight loss.
Truth: Weight loss can be unpredictable
The reality is that our bodies do not lose weight in such a predictable way. Factors such as metabolism, muscle mass, stress and genetics affect how your body responds to caloric deficit (1). When you lose weight, your body will burn fewer calories and slow down your progress (4). Basically, your personal result is less straightforward than mathematics suggests.
Takeaway
Instead of relying on the rule of 3,500 calories, focus on creating sustainable habits-as to eat full food-there, long-term health supports in addition to weight control (2).
Non-stained vegetables and protein are a filling duo, so I encourage my clients to make a habit of including at least 20 grams of protein and a half plate with non-star vegetables at each meal. Bonus: Recent research suggests that losing weight in a gradual way is better for your metabolism (5).
About the experts
Melissa Jaeger, Rd, LD is the Nutrition Manager for MyFitnessPal. Melissa received a Bachelor of Arts in Nutrition (DPD) from the College of Saint Benedict and completed his dietary internship through Iowa State University. In May 2024, she was recognized as the registered young dietitian in the year awarded by the Minnesota Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Samantha Cassetty, MS, RDis a nationally recognized food and nutritionist, media personality, nutrition consultant and author. Cassetty is a former nutrition director for good household and co -author of the book Sugar Shock.
Myth: Cico is only about food and exercise
Another common misconception is that the CICO method is only about how much you eat and how much you practice, which can lead to overlooking other important factors affecting weight control.
Truth: Many other lifestyle factors count
While food and exercise are critical components of weight control, there are other eateries and lifestyle behavior as well. For example, poor sleep can interfere with hormones that regulate hunger and metacity, leading to overeating (6). In addition, high stress can increase the levels of cortisol, which can promote fat storage, especially in the abdominal area (7).
Your metabolic speed is affected by factors such as age, muscle mass and even certain medical conditions. All this means that simply cutting calories or increasing exercise may not always lead to the predicted results (1).
Takeaway
Cico is not just about diet and exercise. In order to achieve sustainable weight loss and general wellness, it is important to consider sleep, stress management and dietary quality (1, 2). It does not mean trying to review all your habits at once. Making some adjustments to your diet to achieve a caloric deficit is a good first step!
Myth: All calories are created equal
A common belief is that a calorie is a calorie, regardless of its source – whether these calories come from strawberries or strawberry ice cream.
Truth: The quality of your calories plays a role in weight control (2)
Case: A small, well-designed study from 2019 compared calorie consumption and weight gain on an ultra-processed food diet with a minimally processed diet. People followed a diet and then switched to the opposite diet after a leaching period – the time between the two diets when there is no prescribed eating plan (2).
Although the meals delivered to both groups, they had the same amounts of calories, fat, sugar, fiber, carbohydrates and protein, participants are consumed on the ultra-processed diet about 500 more calories per day. Day than those on the minimally processed diet.
The processed food group got an average of two pounds over the two -week period. However, these same people lost the same amount of weight (about two pounds) on the less processed diet over two weeks after this eating pattern.
Takeaway
Food quality is an important part of the weight loss equation. Jaeger suggests using MyFitnessPal to help you choose nutrient -rich foods for weight control. “Tracking with MyFitnessPal can help you not only identify your total daily calories for weight loss, but also key nutrients, such as protein, fiber and saturated fat, to support your health and fitness goals.”
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Myth: Cico is the same as “Eat Less, Move More”
Cico stands for calories in, calories, so it’s easy to understand why many people think it boils down to eat less and move more.
Truth: There is more nuance
While calories and movement are part of your energy balance equation, there is more to it than that. (1) Other factors such as your weight history, genetics, muscle mass, sleep patterns, stress and age can affect your weight (1).
Takeaway
Think of calories in, calories out (alias eating less, moving more) as an informal way of expressing the energy balance equation instead of being all for weight control (1).
Myth: To count calories is needed for cico
Given that Cico stands for calories in, calories, many people believe that counting calories is a mandatory part of following the CICO approach to weight control.
Truth: Although useful it is not strictly necessary
Studies show that paying attention to your food quality and eating habits (such as portion control and eating with attention) can still lead to weight control without tracking every calorie content (8, 9).
However, calorie counting can provide structure and attention, and a 2021 study found that people are more successful with weight loss using tracking tools, including dietary tracking tools such as MyFitnessPal (10).
Takeaway
While calorie counting can be useful, it’s not the only way to success with CICO (8, 9). Mindful eating, serving control and focusing on the quality of your diet are additional strategies to help you reach your goals without strict tracking (8, 9). MyFitnessPals’s new Premium -MOSTOMGING feature makes the tracking of food – and calories – faster than before in the app.
CICO works the same for everyone
The myth
A regular CICO myth is that everyone will lose or gain weight at the same speed if they follow the same caloric deficit or excess. In other words, people mistakenly think it’s all about the numbers.
Truth: All are different
In reality, CICO does not account for individual differences in metabolism, genetics, muscle mass, sleep patterns and stress, all of which can have a significant impact on your weight (1).
For example, if you have a slow metabolism and are over 50, you probably have different results from a person with a quick metabolism that is 25, even if you stick to the same caloric deficit or excess (1).
Key takeaway
CICO can be a useful frame, but it is one of many factors that affect your body weight. So it is useful to tailor your weight loss access to your needs and circumstances (1).
Frequently asked questions (frequently asked questions)
Can you train your diet?
A sweat exercise SESH feels tough, so you might think it can counteract the damage from an unhealthy diet. But this is simply not true. Research shows that training alone does not promote significant weight loss (10, 11).
Plus, a diet full of saturated fat, sodium and excessive sugar can undermine your health (12). Exercise is a health-promoting activity and there are plenty of reasons to participate in the regular-inclusive help with weight maintenance-but it cannot surpass an unhealthy eating pattern (11).
Can Cico be used for anything other than weight loss?
CICO is a way of expressing energy balance equation so that it can be used for weight loss, weight gain or weight maintenance (13).
Do you always need to be in a calorie deficit for CICO to work?
There are many factors involved in weight loss. Apart from a calorie deficit plays the quality of foods you eat, access to foods, hormones, genetics, stress and sleep patterns all a role (1).
In addition, you need an energy surplus for CICO to work for weight gain (13). If you try to preserve your weight, you need about the same number of calories in vs. calories out (13).
Does meal mean timing something with cico?
While caloribalance is a factor in weight control, the timing of the meal can affect hunger, energy level and metabolism (3). Eating irregularly or skipping meals can lead to overeating later in the day, making it harder to maintain a calorie deficit or balance.
In addition, eating at consistent times – especially earlier in the day – can help regulate blood sugar levels and support a healthy metabolism as your body treats food more effectively when you are active (14).
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