The CICO (calorie, calories) method for weight management is popular because it looks simple. If you burn fewer calories than you burn through exercise and daily life, you will lose weight (1). Absorb calories more than you need for your lifestyle and you will gain weight (1). If you meet your body’s calorie needs on your nose, you will remain the same (1).
This simple approach works for many people, but there are several CICO myths that can oversimplify things. These myths may mislead you to think that weight management boils down to mathematical equations.
In this article, we will uncover some of the most common misunderstandings about CICO and have a clear understanding of how it works so that you can get the most out of the tool.
Myth: CICO is simple
One of the most common CICO myths is that it is a simple equation of energy balance. The premise is to increase or lose weight calorie surplus or deficit.
Fact: Weight loss is complicated
“While the concept of the CICO method is simple – fewer calories than you burn to lose weight, it is not a general and sustainable weight loss situation.” In MyFitnessPal (1).
Your body is complicated. Many factors such as genetics, age and hormones can affect weight (1). Similarly, everyone’s body handles nutrition slightly differently from food (2).
In other words, your body is not a calculator. Losing weight is more than just calories.
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Although CICO actually represents calories versus calories, CICO is just an informal way to express the energy balance equation (1).
However, weight management is not that simple. Food quality, metabolic rate, and individual differences can all affect how your body manages weight (1, 2). So, does this mean you shouldn’t do a CICO diet? Not exactly, but it is important to remember that this is one of the many factors in your weight.
Myth: You can eat whatever you want as long as you stay within the calorie limits
The universal myth around CICO The method is that all calories are calculated in the same way, whether they come from protein, carbohydrates, fats, or processed foods.
This gives you the impression that as long as you stick to the CICO calorie goal, it doesn’t matter what type of food you eat or when eating, such as late at night.
Fact: There are many more
It is helpful to realize that your body needs to lose, increase or maintain weight in the number of calories, but, it has more than that (1).
According to Jaeger, “The downside of focusing only on calories vs. calories is that it doesn’t teach us the importance of nutrition in these calories (2).” When you focus only on large numbers rather than the components that make up these numbers, it’s not the components that make up these numbers. When it comes to healthier habits and respecting our bodies’ hunger and fullness during the weight loss journey (2) can be challenging.
when Your diet can also affect weight management. When it’s dark, our bodies are designed to eat in the light and fast. Interference to this rhythm may short-circuit your body’s feedback signals and responses to food, thereby increasing your chances of weight gain (3).
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The quality of food and meal timing can affect your hunger and overall health (2, 3). Focus on eating high-quality foods such as protein and fiber that are rich in nutrients and get most of the food during the day (2, 3).
Myth: Cutting 3,500 calories is always equal to losing a pound of weight
A long-standing belief is that 3500 calories are a pound of calories, so it is believed that reducing calorie intake can lead to weight loss.
Fact: Weight loss can be unpredictable
The reality is that our bodies don’t lose weight in this predictable way. Factors like metabolism, muscle mass, stress, and genetics can influence how your body responds to calorie deficiencies (1). When you lose weight, the body burns less calories, which slows down your progress (4). Basically, your personal results are not as good as math advice.
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Rather than relying on the 3500 calories rule, instead of focusing on developing sustainable habits (such as eating full food), support long-term health outside of weight management (2).
Non-starched vegetables and protein are an exciting duo, so I encourage my clients to get used to including at least 20 grams of protein and half a plate of non-starched vegetables per meal. Rewards: Recent research shows that gradual weight loss is better for your metabolism (5).
About the Expert
Melissa Jaeger He is the nutrition director of Myfitnesspal. Melissa received her Bachelor of Diet (DPD) from St. Benedict College and completed her dietary internship through Iowa State University. In May 2024, she was recognized as the Best Dietitian of the Year awarded by the Minnesota College of Nutrition and Diet.
Samantha Cassetty, MS, RDis a nationally recognized food and nutrition expert, media personality, nutrition consultant and author. Cassetty is a former nutrition director for good housekeeping and co-author of Sugar Shock.
Myth: CICO is just about food and exercise
Another common misconception is that the CICO method is only about how much you eat and exercise, which can cause you to ignore other important factors that affect weight management.
Fact: Many other lifestyle factors are important
Although food and exercise are key components of weight management, so do other diet and lifestyle behaviors. For example, lack of sleep can destroy hormones that regulate hunger and satiety, resulting in overeating (6). Additionally, high stress can increase cortisol levels, which may promote fat storage, especially in the abdominal area (7).
Your metabolic rate is affected by factors such as age, muscle mass and even certain medical conditions. All of this means that simply reducing calories or increasing exercise may not always lead to predicted outcomes (1).
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CICO is not only related to diet and exercise. To achieve sustainable weight loss and overall health, sleep, stress management and diet quality must be considered (1, 2). This does not mean trying to overhaul all habits at once. Making some adjustments to your diet to achieve a calorie deficit is a great first step!
Myth: All calories are created equally
A common belief is that calories are calories, and no matter what their source comes from strawberry or strawberry ice cream.
Fact: Calories’ mass plays a role in weight management (2)
Example: A well-designed 2019 study compared calorie consumption and weight gain on a superprocessed food diet with a minimum limit diet. People follow one diet and then switch to the opposite diet during the washing-there is no prescribed diet plan between the two diets (2) time between (2).
Even though the meals offered to both groups had the same amount of calories, fat, sugar, fiber, carbohydrates, and protein, participants in the supersystem diet consumed 500 more calories per day per day compared to the diet with minimal processed diet. .
The processed food group added an average of two pounds over a two-week period. However, these same people lost the same weight (about 2 pounds) with less processed diets within two weeks after the diet pattern.
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Food quality is an important part of the weight loss equation. Jaeger recommends using MyFitnessPal to help you choose nutritious foods for weight management. “Using MyFitnessPal tracking will not only help you determine the total calories you have in total weight loss, but it will also help you identify key nutrients like 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, calories, so it’s easy to understand why many people think it boils down to eating less and moving more.
Fact: There are more nuances
Although calories and movement are part of your energy balance equation, it’s more than that. (1) Other factors such as your weight history, genetics, muscle mass, sleep patterns, stress and age may affect your weight (1).
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Considering calories, calories (also known as less diet and more movement) are an informal way of expressing the energy balance equation rather than being used all for weight management (1).
Myth: Calories Counting Is Necessary for CICO
Given that CICO stands for calories, the amount of calories, many people think that calories are the mandatory part of following the CICO weight loss method.
Fact: Although helpful, it is not strictly necessary
Research shows that paying attention to your food quality and eating habits (such as partial control and diet) can still lead to weight management without tracking all calories (8, 9).
However, calorie counts can provide structure and awareness, and a 2021 study found that people are more successful in losing weight using diet tracking tools including MyFitnesspal (10).
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Although calorie counting may help, it is not the only way to succeed in CICO (8, 9). Mindful diets, portion control, and focus on diet quality are other strategies that help you achieve your goals without rigorous tracking (8, 9). However, MyFitnessPals’ new advanced voice recording feature makes tracking food (and calories) more than before in the app.
CICO works the same for everyone
myth
A common CICO myth is that if everyone follows the same calorie defect or residual, everyone loses weight or gains weight at the same rate. In other words, people mistakenly think that it has to do with numbers.
Fact: Everyone is different
In fact, CICO does not account for individual differences in metabolism, genetics, muscle mass, sleep patterns, and stress, all of which can significantly affect your weight (1).
For example, if you have slow metabolism and over 50 years old, you may be different from someone with a fast metabolism even if you stick to the same caloric defect or residual (1).
Key Points
CICO can be a useful framework, but it is one of many factors that affect your weight. Therefore, it is helpful to adjust weight loss methods to suit your needs and situations (1).
FAQ (FAQ)
Can you go beyond your diet?
Sweating workouts feel tough, so you might think it can offset the harm of an unhealthy diet. But this is not true at all. Studies have shown that exercise alone does not promote significant weight loss (10, 11).
Plus, a diet filled with saturated fat, sodium, and excessive sugar can ruin your health (12). Exercise is a healthy-promoting activity and there are many reasons to participate regularly – including help in maintaining weight – but can’t go beyond unhealthy eating styles (11).
Can CICO be used in other ways than weight loss?
CICO is a way to express the energy balance equation and can therefore be used to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain weight (13).
Do you always need to run into a calorie deficit to get your CICO to work?
Weight loss involves many factors. In addition to the calorie deficit, the quality of the food you eat, food, hormones, genetics, stress and sleep patterns can all work (1).
Additionally, you need an energy surplus to make the CICO work to gain weight (13). If you try to keep your weight, you need about the same number of calories compared to your calories (13).
Is the time and CICO important for meal sound?
Although calorie balance is a factor in weight management, mealtime opportunities affect hunger, energy levels, and metabolism (3). Eating or skipping meals irregularly can lead to overeating later in the day, which makes it more difficult to maintain a calorie deficit or balance.
Additionally, eating at a consistent time (especially earlier in the day) can help regulate blood sugar levels and support healthy metabolism, as your body processes food more effectively when active (14).
8 myths about CICO diet first appeared on the MyFitnessPal blog.
