The CICO diet has only one rule: take in fewer calories than you burn daily, and you will lose weight. That’s it? Yes, that’s all of it. This principle is the center of most weight loss journeys today. And considering the direct role of calories in weight gain, the CICO diet sounds very reasonable and simple. But is it too simple? Is weight loss just about consuming fewer calories? Let’s find out.
CICO is an acronym for Calories In, Calories Out. The CICO diet involves consuming fewer calories than you burn daily. In other words, your “calories out” should be greater than your “calories in,” or, in simpler terms, a calorie deficit.
The calorie in, calorie out diet is not a specific diet, as any diet plan that ensures fewer calories enter the body than are burnt daily is a CICO diet. While the term “CICO diet” itself may not be popular, most weight loss diet plans use the basic concept of the CICO diet.
One of the reasons this diet is so widely accepted in society is its simplicity, as it doesn’t discriminate the source of calories. For example, assume you need to eat 2000 calories a day to be in a calorie deficit. With the CICO diet, eating ten 200-calorie chocolate bars or two plates of a 1000-calorie fruit-and-vegetable meal is the same.
An insight into how calories affect the body is necessary to fully understand how a CICO diet works.
Biologically, a calorie is the amount of energy your body derives from what you eat or drink. Calories can also be used to quantify how much energy the body requires to perform a task.
The body requires calories to perform its basic metabolic functions and power vital systems and organs, like the brain, kidney, lungs, heart, and nervous system. The amount of calories the body requires to perform these basic functions to stay alive is known as the basal metabolic rate (BMR). Many factors affect the BMR, including height, age, and weight.
Aside from the basal metabolic rate, the body needs calories for tasks like digestion and physical activity. The amount of calories the body needs for these tasks varies from individual to individual.
When you consume more calories than you need, the body stores the excess calories as fat, corresponding to weight gain. Similarly, you lose weight by taking fewer calories than the body needs. This is the principle behind the CICO diet.
The CICO diet works on the principle of a calorie deficit causing weight loss. Many studies and diet experts have confirmed that principle. So, in short, this diet works. However, it’s not nearly that easy.
While the premise of consuming fewer calories than your body burns for weight loss cannot be disputed, there are multiple factors involved in successfully losing weight. For instance, studies show that the body absorbs calories better in processed foods. This implies that you may actually be absorbing more calories from some foods than you know. Also, heavily processed foods can increase insulin levels in the body, which prompts the body to store more fat.
Additionally, the role of hunger and fullness cannot be ignored in weight loss. The hormone that signals the brain to feel hungry is ghrelin. The stomach releases this hormone when it is empty, prompting the body to eat.
Foods have different effects on ghrelin. Proteins tend to lower ghrelin levels, while fatty foods tend to increase it. Fiber also promotes satiety which prevents overeating. Therefore, two foods can have the same amount of calories and still have different effects on hunger, which is the prompt for many to eat.
To sum it up – the CICO diet does work for weight loss theoretically, but calorie reduction is not the only factor that promotes weight loss or health.
The calorie in, calorie out diet has some benefits for people seeking to lose weight. They are as follows:
The CICO diet operates on the principle of a calorie deficit for weight loss. This principle has been heavily researched, and the results are very positive. If you take fewer calories than you burn, you will definitely lose weight. The fact that the CICO diet works is enough motivation for many people who are seeking to lose weight to consider adopting it.
One of the reasons the CICO diet is common for weight loss is its simplicity. There are no complex guidelines or rules, as long as you eat fewer calories than you burn. In fact, the calorie source doesn’t matter. For many who are seeking to lose weight but don’t have time to exercise or practice other weight loss strategies, the simplicity and ease of implementing the CICO diet is a welcome relief.
Although the CICO diet works for weight loss, many diet and health experts are not convinced it is the best approach. Here’s why.
In the CICO diet, all calories are equal. This implies that getting 100 calories from sweets is the same as getting 100 calories from fruits and vegetables. However, sweets and fruits have different effects on the body. The emphasis on calories – and just calories – by the CICO diet does not promote healthy eating habits.
An unhealthy diet, particularly one with lots of sugars, refined carbs, and processed foods, can put undue stress on the body. The body has an in-built stress response mechanism known as the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response. The NEM has six circuits or related organs that work together to manage stress in the body. The circuit that is burdened by consuming unhealthy foods is the Bioenergetics circuit. Dysregulation of this circuit is associated with obesity, diabetes, heart conditions, and Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS).
Adrenal fatigue is a condition where the body’s stress response cannot keep up with life’s chronic stressors. If the NEM is continually stressed, in this case from eating unhealthily, AFS can result. Considering the CICO diet does not consider the impact of food on health, people who are already managing other health conditions or are stressed have to be extra careful.
Yes, the CICO diet involves consuming fewer calories than you burn, but you first need to know how many calories you burn, which is not an easy task.
To start with, you need to know your basal metabolic rate. There are online calculators people turn to for this, where you input your height, weight, age, gender, and some other personal information.
However, these online calculators only give a rough calorie estimate and very rarely the exact amount. This also applies to even the more advanced methods of determining BMR. Aside from the basal metabolic rate, the body also needs calories for digestion and physical activity. Again, the available techniques for tracking these aren’t accurate.
Some people use the time they spend working out to estimate how many calories they burn, but a study has shown that this calorie estimate can be inaccurate by up to 50%. There are also several fitness trackers for this purpose, but those can also be off by up to 90%.
The same story of inaccurate estimates also applies to the calorie intake of people. A study shows people generally underestimate the calories they get from meals by up to 40%. The error in calorie estimation is even more in overweight adults who are not trying to lose weight. Moreover, the FDA actually gives room for a 20% error on the stated calories on packages.
Counting calories is not an easy task and is liable to underestimation and overestimation of consumed and burned calories, respectively. If calorie estimates are wrong, which they usually are, a CICO diet may not be effective in weight loss.
The idea of counting calories is one many health experts frown on. This is because it can quickly degenerate into an obsessive behavior where people’s nutrition is guided solely by a calorie calculator. This may worsen the condition of people with eating disorders who already pay too much attention to eating.
According to a study of more than 100 people with an eating disorder, 75% said they used online calculators to estimate their calories, with 73% reporting that they felt this played a part in their eating disorder.
Also, if the calorie count is wrong, people may deprive themselves of essential energy to survive. Even when losing weight, the body still needs calories to function. In a case where someone consistently eats far less than the body needs to maintain basic metabolic processes, their health will be adversely affected. Also, the NEM’s Bioenergetics circuit, concerned with energy production, may dysregulate, opening the door to chronic conditions like adrenal fatigue.
Weight loss through a CICO diet is often short-term, and stopping the diet can lead to another round of weight gain. Of course, you can still manage to keep within the stated weight limits if you are physically active, but a CICO diet focuses solely on the calories the body gains from the diet. As such, people on this diet may not be particular about other useful tips for weight loss.
In view of the benefits and drawbacks of the CICO diet, you may be wondering if it’s any good and who can actually benefit from it.
The CICO diet is a good guideline for anyone looking to lose weight. However, it all depends on how the diet plan is implemented. For example, the fact that you are on a CICO diet should not replace healthy eating. Ensure your diet consists of proteins, vegetables, fruits, and fiber-rich foods. Likewise, cut down on refined sugar, processed foods, and overly sugary foods. You should understand that the CICO diet should be a piece of the puzzle when losing weight and not the sole approach.
If you have a history of eating disorders, you should be careful with a CICO diet. People with these disorders are more likely to be triggered by all the calorie counting and over-attention to what they are eating.
In any case, ensure you speak to your health and diet expert before commencing the CICO diet, or any diet plan at that. Also, if you are on medications, you should speak to your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet.
The CICO diet involves consuming fewer calories than you burn. Several studies have confirmed that this strategy is useful for losing weight. However, the CICO diet is not as straightforward as it seems. It has the following drawbacks:
As such, the calorie in, calorie out diet should be combined with other useful weight loss recommendations, like increased physical activity. Also, it is important to speak to a diet expert before making drastic changes to your diet routine.
For more information about healthy diets and weight loss options that work for you, the team at Dr. Lam Coaching can help. We offer a free, no-obligation phone consultation at +1 (626) 571-1234 where we will privately discuss your symptoms and various options. You can also send us a question through our Ask The Doctor system by clicking here.
While the CICO diet has been confirmed as useful in losing weight, health experts believe that stopping this diet can lead to weight gain. The CICO diet should be combined with physical activity and other helpful weight loss tips for long-term weight loss.
