You’ve probably heard of the Calories In, Calories Out (CICO) method of weight management. It’s probably the most popular approach – and the most effective.
The concept is pretty simple: To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than your body burns. And when you consume more Calories more than your body burns, you gain weight. CICO is a flexible, science-based 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. And you might know that MyFitnessPal can help you track your calories and nutrients. Actually, MyFitnessPal can be your best friend on the CICO diet. The app can help you set your goals and stay on track with tracking.
I’m wondering how to use it MyFitnessPal Can the CICO method help me? Let’s go into it step by step.
Step 1: Set up your goals in MyFitnessPal
When you first log in to MyFitnessPal, the app will ask you for some important information: your age, weight, height, gender and daily activity level.
Your answers will help calculate the key statistics that make the CICO method work:
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR): The number of calories your body burns at rest to maintain basic body functions.
Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE): The total calories your body burns in a day, taking into account your activity level (e.g. how much you exercise, whether you have a physically demanding job, etc.).
Next, select a destination:
- Lose weight
- Maintain your current weight
- Muscle building
If your goal is weight loss, MyFitnessPal suggests a calorie goal that puts you in a calorie deficit. When you reach this goal, you will consume fewer calories than you burn each day.
Calories consumed – TDEE = calorie deficit
Then set a goal for how quickly you will lose weight. MyFitnessPal asks you how much you want to win or lose per week.
You can choose to gain either 0.5 pounds or 1 pound per week.
For weight loss, choose either 0.5 pounds, 1 pound, 1.5 pounds, or 2 pounds per week as your goal.
You can also choose to maintain your current weight.
The standard recommendation for safe weight loss is a calorie deficit of 500-1000 calories per day, which typically results in a loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week (1).
However, according to Stephanie Nelson, RD, chief scientist at MyFitnessPal, a larger deficit doesn’t mean faster weight loss. In fact it is 68% MyFitnessPal Users who have reached at least 90% of their goal weight Lost an average of less than 1 pound per week.
Step 2: Log what you eat (aka your “calories”)
If you log what you eat throughout the day in MyFitnessPal, you’ll know what the “calorie content” portion of your CICO diet looks like.
MyFitnessPalThe food database includes millions of foods, from grocery store staples to popular restaurant dishes.
To log your meals and snacks, search for the item in the database, select the items you had, and add them to your diary. Ideally, choose from the “Best Matches” options in the app.
As a tip: Upgrade to Premium to access our barcode scanner. It makes logging packaged foods even easier.
Do you often cook or prepare meals at home? You can add your own recipes MyFitnessPalto. Enter the ingredients you’re using and the app will calculate total calories and nutrients for the entire dish or per serving. This is very helpful if you like to make the same recipes over and over again.
As a tip: Weighing or measuring and portion sizes can help improve the accuracy of logging – but every logging is a win! It’s about progress, not perfection.
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Step 3: Log your workout (aka “calories burned”)
MyFitnessPal makes it easy to log the calories you burn, whether you manually log workouts or sync the app with a fitness device like a Fitbit or a Garmin.
When you break a sweat, log it. MyFitnessPal can estimate your burn consumption for all types of exercise, from strength training to running to swimming.
MyFitnessPal calculates the calories burned during exercise and adjusts your daily calorie goal for you.
For example, if you have a goal of 1800 calories per day and burn 300 calories while exercising, MyFitnessPal updates your remaining daily intake to 2100 calories. And when you sync your fitness device, your calories will be displayed automatically!
Some MyFitnessPal Members choose to disable this feature, which is easy to do in the app. If you do this, you can still log your workout, but the calories will not be added back to your goal.
Step 4: Add Macros to the Mix
Not all calories are created equal! The calories consumed are the core of the CICO diet. However, paying attention to macronutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) can help you optimize your results.
“One downside to focusing only on calories in versus calories out during weight loss is that it doesn’t teach us the importance of the nutrients in those calories,” says Melissa Jaeger, RD, LD, director of nutrition at MyFitnessPal.
“Tracking with MyFitnessPal can help you not only know your total daily calories, but also important nutrients like protein, fiber, saturated fat and more that support your overall health and well-being while losing weight!”
MyFitnessPal has tons of food data, including macros. If you’re logging food, you can check your daily macros in the Nutrition tab. (If you’re a Premium member, you’ll find it right in your dashboard.)
In this section, you’ll find a breakdown of how much protein, fat, and carbohydrates you consume and how they contribute to your overall calorie intake.
Adjusting your macros can help you achieve specific goals. For example:
- Higher protein can support muscle maintenance and recovery, especially when you lift heavy loads.
- Balanced carbohydrates and fats can keep your energy levels stable throughout the day and help you avoid fatigue or mood swings.
MyFitnessPal provides you with a default setting of balanced macros for optimal overall nutrition. If you have a premium membership, you can customize your macro goals, which is especially helpful if you’re following a specific high-protein or ketogenic diet plan.
Step 5: Get your data and check your progress
It’s very gratifying to see a record of all your hard work. One of the most motivating aspects of use MyFitnessPal is the ability to track your progress. Consistent journaling can show you how well you are achieving your goals. You can see what works – and what doesn’t.
You can track changes in your weight, measurements, and fitness goals in the Progress section of the app. MyFitnessPal’s visual charts help you identify trends over time and identify opportunities for improvement.
Well, okay. Not Exactly. No day is perfect. No two bodies are the same. Even when it comes to counting calories and macros, you shouldn’t limit yourself to being overly precise.
Instead, strive for consistency rather than perfection. As Stephanie Nelson says, “It’s more sustainable to go slower because you end up making changes that you can sustain long-term. Don’t just focus on numbers, but on smaller behavioral changes you can make.”
More tips for the CICO diet
A few more tips on how to use it MyFitnessPal To be successful with the CICO diet:
- Log foods as quickly as possible: Whether before or right after a meal, logging your foods as quickly as possible will make you less likely to forget what you ate.
- Set reminders: Use MyFitnessPal’s built-in notifications to remind you to track meals and workouts.
- Customize your experience: Premium MyFitnessPal members can customize their macros, customize their dashboard, and tailor their experience to their goals.
- Join the community: MyFitnessPal’s Member 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 provide you with information and insights about what you eat, how much you burn, and help you achieve your goals with a few simple math and science.
Check out some Success stories from MyFitnessPal members to see how tracking has helped transform their lives.
The post How to do the Calories In, Calories Out (CICO) diet with MyFitnessPal appeared first MyFitnessPal Blog.
