You may have heard of the “calories in, calories out” (CICO) approach to weight management. This is probably the most popular method and also the most effective.
The concept is very simple: To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than your body burns. if you consume more With more calories than your body can burn, you gain weight. CICO is a scientifically supported, flexible approach to weight loss (1).
If you’re new to the CICO diet or calorie tracking in general, you may not know exactly where to start. You probably know that MyFitnessPal helps you track calories and nutrition. In fact, MyFitnessPal can be your best friend on the CICO diet. The app helps you set goals and stay on track while tracking them.
Wondering how MyFitnessPal can help implement the CICO method? Let’s get into it step by step.
Step 1: Set your goals in MyFitnessPal
First, when you sign up for MyFitnessPal, the app will ask you for some basic information: your age, weight, height, gender, and daily activity level.
Your answers help calculate the most important statistics that make the CICO method work:
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR): The number of calories your body burns to maintain basic body functions while at rest.
Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE): The total number of calories your body burns in a day, taking into account your activity level (e.g. how much exercise you do, whether you have a physically demanding job, etc.).
Next, you’ll choose a goal:
- lose weight
- maintain current weight
- gain muscle
If your goal is to lose weight, MyFitnessPal will suggest a calorie goal to put you into a calorie deficit. If you achieve this goal, you will consume fewer calories than you consume each day.
Calories Exhausted – TDEE = Calorie Deficit
You will then set a goal for how fast you can lose weight. MyFitnessPal will ask you how much you want to increase or decrease each week.
You can choose to gain 0.5 pounds or 1 pound per week.
For weight loss, you can choose to lose 0.5, 1, 1.5, or 2 pounds per week as your goal.
You can also choose to maintain your current weight.
Standard recommendations for safe weight loss are a daily caloric deficit of 500-1,000 calories, which typically results in weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week(1).
But Stephanie Nelson, chief scientist at MyFitnessPal, says a larger deficit doesn’t mean faster weight loss. In fact, 68% of MyFitnessPal users are at least 90% of their goal weight The average weight loss is less than 1 pound per week.
Step 2: Keep track of what you eat (also called your “calorie intake”)
When you log your consumption throughout the day in MyFitnessPal, you’ll know what the “calories” portion of the CICO diet looks like.
MyFitnessPal’s food library contains millions of items, from grocery store staples to popular restaurant meals.
To record your meals and snacks, search for the item in your library and select the item you have, then add it to your journal. Ideally, choose from the “Best Match” option in the app.
hint: Upgrade to Premium to access our barcode scanner. It makes documenting packaged foods much easier.
Do you often cook or prepare meals at home? You can also add your own recipes to MyFitnessPal. Enter the ingredients you used and the app will calculate the total calories and nutritional content for the entire dish or per serving. This is very helpful if you want to make the same recipe over and over again.
hint: Weighing or measuring and portion sizes help improve recording accuracy – but any record is a win! It’s all about progress, not perfection.
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How Patrick achieved his weight loss goals with the CICO Diet >
Step 3: Record your exercise (also known as your “calorie burn”)
MyFitnessPal makes it easy to track the calories you burn, whether you log your workouts manually or sync the app with a fitness device like a Fitbit or Garmin.
When you sweat, record it. MyFitnessPal estimates how much you spend doing a variety of activities, from strength training to running to swimming.
MyFitnessPal records your exercise calorie burn and adjusts your daily calorie goals for you.
For example, if your goal is 1800 calories per day and you burn 300 calories during exercise, MyFitnessPal will update your remaining daily intake to 2100 calories. If you sync your fitness device, your calories will be displayed automatically!
Some MyFitnessPal members choose to turn off this feature, which is easy to do in the app. If you do this, you can still log your workout, but the calories won’t be added back to your goal.
Step 4: Add macros to the mix
Not all calories are created equal! Calories burned are key to the CICO diet. But focusing on macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) can help you optimize your results.
“One of the drawbacks of focusing solely on calories in versus calories out during weight loss is that it doesn’t tell us much about the importance of the nutrients in those calories,” says Melissa Jaeger, LD, RD, director of nutrition at MyFitnessPal.
“Tracking with MyFitnessPal not only helps you determine your total daily calories, but also key nutrients that support your overall health and well-being while losing weight, such as protein, fiber, saturated fat, and more!”
MyFitnessPal has a wealth of food data, including macros. When you log your food, you can view your daily macros on the Nutrition tab. (If you are a Premium member, you can find this on your dashboard.)
This section details the amounts of protein, fat, and carbohydrates you consume and how they affect your total calorie intake.
Adjusting macros can help you achieve specific goals. For example:
- higher protein Can support muscle maintenance and recovery, especially when you lift weights.
- Balanced carbohydrates and fats It keeps your energy levels steady throughout the day, helping you avoid fatigue or mood swings.
MyFitnessPal gives you preset settings for balancing macros for optimal general nutrition. If you have a Premium membership, you can customize your macro goals, which is especially helpful when following a specific high-protein or ketogenic diet plan.
Step 5: Get data and view progress
It’s such a pleasure to see a record of all your hard work. One of the most motivating aspects of using MyFitnessPal is the ability to track your progress. Keeping records can show you how well you’re sticking to your goals. you can look What works and what doesn’t.
In the Progress section of the app, you can track changes in weight, measurements, and fitness goals. MyFitnessPal’s visual charts let you see trends over time, helping you visualize opportunities for improvement.
Okay, okay. no exactly. No day is perfect. No two bodies are the same. Even when counting calories and macros, don’t be too precise.
Instead, strive for consistency rather than perfection. As Stephanie Nelson says: “Taking a slower approach is more sustainable because you end up making changes that you can stick with in the long term. Don’t just focus on the numbers, but focus on the smaller behavioral changes you can make .
Other tips for the CICO diet
More tips on successfully implementing the CICO diet using MyFitnessPal:
- Record food as soon as possible: Whether it’s before or after a meal, recording your food as quickly as possible means you’re less likely to forget what you’ve eaten.
- Set reminder: Use MyFitnessPal’s built-in notifications to remind you to track your diet and exercise.
- Customize your experience: Premium MyFitnessPal members can adjust their macros, customize their dashboard and customize their experience to fit their goals.
- Join the community: MyFitnessPal’s membership community helps you connect with others on the same journey. Chat with friends and read success stories to stay motivated.
With the right tools and mindset, the CICO Diet can give you information and insights into what you’re eating, how much you’re burning, and help you achieve your goals with some simple math and science.
See some of the success stories of MyFitnessPal members and see how tracking helped change their lives.
The post How to Use MyFitnessPal for Calories In, Calories Out (CICO) Diet appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.
