The CICO Diet Can Benefit You Lose Weight—at a Cost

The CICO Diet Can Benefit You Lose Weight—at a Cost – Even if it’s your first time reading about CICO DIET, it’s nothing new. And even arguably revolutionary “new” diets are often not based on the latest research (yes, even the keto diet).

See, the weight-loss fad these days is just looking different. Diet vendors (yes, they do exist) provide a set of rules for a particular diet, foods, or food groups that are prohibited and 100 percent of certain nutrients. I try to create this isolation using daily limits.

But the truth is that most diets work more or less by the exact mechanism: reducing calories. Is to encourage (need?) to lose weight and thereby lose weight.

If it’s your first time reading about CICO DIET, it’s nothing new. And even arguably revolutionary “new” diets are often not based on the latest research (yes, even the ketogenic diet).

See, weight loss fashion looks different these days. Diet vendors (yes, they do) provide a set of rules regarding 100% of specific diets, prohibited foods or food groups, and specific nutrients. I’m trying to create this separation using daily limits.

But the truth is that most diets work more or less by the exact mechanism: cutting calories—encouraging (needed?) to lose weight, thereby losing weight.

“The idea of calories in against calories out is fundamental to weight loss,” says Bethany Doerfler, a clinical nutritionist at Northwestern University. “But metabolism and weight loss are much more complicated than that.”

So before jumping on the CICO bandwagon, it’s essential to understand a few critical factors about your metabolism and bodywork regarding dieting and weight loss.

CICO has sound ways, but some ways can cause serious problems. Here are some things to consider regarding health, well-being, and satisfaction before adopting the CICO approach to weight loss.

What Is the CICO Diet?

“CICO doesn’t have a specific plan,” says Dezi Abeyta, R.D.N., men’s health and nutrition consultant and author of The Lose Your Gut Guide.

And that’s not a bad thing.

With CICO, you consume fewer calories (calories consumed, or “CI”) than you burn in a day (calories burned, or “CO”). And let’s be honest, keto, paleo, Whole30, and other diets can be tricky ways to get in fewer calories than you burn, and CICO tries to simplify it all.

Let’s make it a little more complicated to understand how CICO claims work.

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body burns to keep you alive. This number is unique to an individual and is determined by various factors such as height, weight, and age. Online calculators provide estimates, and some doctors use ventilators that give a more accurate and personalized BMR.

Then it would help if you considered lifestyle factors such as physical activity, probably because you’re not lying in bed all day. But, again, online calculators and formulas estimate how many calories your body burns.

To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than your body needs to maintain your activity level. It is where CICO comes into play.

On the CICO diet, use the calculator above to track how many calories you consume each day and try to eat fewer calories each day.

For example, he calculates that he needs 2,600 calories a day. Then, aiming for weight loss, he can aim for 2,200 calories daily.

When you Run a Calorie Deficit, You Start Losing Weight.

And really, no food is off-limits as long as you’re below your daily calorie threshold.

“Everything is on the table,” says Abeyta. “So if you want to drink beer and eat chicken wings every day. You can do so, as long as you eat less or exercise more to maintain your calorie deficit.” Is it an excellent way to approach CICO from a building perspective? Not.

Therefore, while the premise of CICO is based on simplicity, the actual implementation of the CICO diet can be complex. For example, calorie counting requires close tracking, which can be especially difficult when eating or traveling.