How to Do the Calories In, Calories Out (CICO) Diet Using MyFitnessPal

[ad_1] <img width="800" height="502" src="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/how-to-do-cico-diet-1-1024x643.png" class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" alt="How to do the CICO (Calories In, Calories Out) Diet | MyFitnessPal" srcset="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/how-to-do-cico-diet-1-1024x643.png 1024w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/how-to-do-cico-diet-1-300x188.png 300w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/how-to-do-cico-diet-1-768x482.png 768w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/how-to-do-cico-diet-1.png 1504w" /> You’ve doubtless heard in regards to the Energy In, Energy Out (CICO) methodology for managing weight. It’s most likely the preferred strategy—and the best.

The idea is fairly easy: To shed some pounds, you could eat fewer energy than your physique burns. And when you eat extra energy than your physique burns, you acquire weight. CICO is a versatile strategy to weight reduction backed by science (1).

In the event you’re new to the CICO weight loss plan or calorie monitoring typically, chances are you'll not know precisely the place to begin. And chances are you'll know that MyFitnessPal may also help you observe your energy and vitamins. The truth is, MyFitnessPal will be your greatest buddy on the CICO weight loss plan. The app may also help you set your targets and keep on observe if you’re monitoring.

Questioning tips on how to use MyFitnessPal may also help with the CICO methodology? Let’s get into it step-by-step.

Step 1: Arrange your targets in MyFitnessPal

First, if you join MyFitnessPal, the app will ask you for some important data: your age, weight, top, intercourse, and day by day exercise stage.

Your solutions assist calculate an important stats that make the CICO methodology work:

Your Basal Metabolic Price (BMR): The variety of energy your physique burns at relaxation simply to keep up fundamental bodily capabilities.

Your Whole Day by day Vitality Expenditure (TDEE): The entire energy your physique burns in a day, factoring in your exercise stage (e.g., how a lot you train, whether or not you've gotten a bodily demanding job, and many others.).

Subsequent, you’ll select a objective:

Losing a few pounds

Sustaining your present weight

Gaining muscle

In case your objective is weight reduction, MyFitnessPal will counsel a calorie objective that may put you in a calorie deficit. In the event you meet that objective, you’ll eat fewer energy than you burn every day.

Energy Consumed – TDEE = calorie deficit

Then you definately’ll set a objective for a way rapidly you’ll shed some pounds. MyFitnessPal will ask you ways a lot you’d like to achieve or lose per week.

You may select to achieve both 0.5 lbs or 1 lb per week.

For weight reduction, you’ll select both 0.5 lb, 1 lb, 1.5 lbs, or 2 lbs per week as a objective.

You too can select to keep up your present weight.

The usual suggestion for secure weight reduction is a calorie deficit of 500-1000 energy per day, which generally ends in shedding 1 to 2 kilos per week (1).However a much bigger deficit doesn’t imply quicker weight reduction, in keeping with Stephanie Nelson, RD, MyFitnessPal Lead Scientist. The truth is, 68% of MyFitnessPal customers who achieved not less than 90% of their objective weight misplaced lower than 1 pound every week on common.

Step 2: Log What You Eat (Aka, Your “Energy In”)

Once you log what you eat all through the day in MyFitnessPal, you’ll know what the “energy in” a part of your CICO weight loss plan seems like.

MyFitnessPal’s meals database contains thousands and thousands of meals objects, from grocery retailer staples to fashionable restaurant meals.

To log your meals and snacks, seek for the merchandise within the database and select the objects you had, and add them to your diary. Ideally, select from the “Greatest Matches” choices within the app.

Professional tip: Improve to Premium to entry our barcode scanner. It makes logging packaged meals even simpler.

Cook dinner from dwelling or meal prep typically? You may add your individual recipes to MyFitnessPal, too. Enter the elements you used, and the app will calculate the full energy and vitamins for the complete dish or per serving. That is tremendous useful when you prefer to make the identical recipes on repeat.

Professional tip: Weighing or measuring and portion sizes may also help enhance logging accuracy—however any logging is a win! It’s all about progress, not perfection.

<img width="1024" height="643" src="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cico-diet-success-story-patrick-1024x643.png" alt="How Patrick Achieved His Weight Loss Goals With the CICO Diet | MyFitnessPal" class="wp-image-60458 size-full" srcset="https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cico-diet-success-story-patrick-1024x643.png 1024w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cico-diet-success-story-patrick-300x188.png 300w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cico-diet-success-story-patrick-768x482.png 768w, https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cico-diet-success-story-patrick.png 1504w" /> You may also like

How Patrick Achieved His Weight Loss Objectives With the CICO Weight-reduction plan >

Step 3: Log Your Train (Aka, Your “Energy Out”)

MyFitnessPal makes it straightforward to log the energy you burn, whether or not you manually log exercises or sync the app with a health gadget, like a Fitbit or a Garmin.

Once you break a sweat, log it. MyFitnessPal can estimate your burn for all types of train, from power coaching to working to swimming.

MyFitnessPal will take your train energy burned and modify your day by day calorie goal for you.

For instance, you probably have a objective of 1800 energy per day and also you burn 300 energy doing train, MyFitnessPal will replace your remaining day by day consumption to 2100 energy. And when you sync your health gadget, your energy present up robotically!

Some MyFitnessPal members select to show off this characteristic, which is simple to do within the app. In the event you do that, you may nonetheless log your train, however the energy gained’t get added again to your objective.

Step 4: Add Macros to the Combine

Not all energy are created equal! Energy consumed is the crux of the CICO weight loss plan. However being attentive to macronutrients (proteins, fat, and carbohydrates) may also help you optimize your outcomes.

“One draw back of focusing solely on energy in vs. energy out throughout a weight reduction journey is that it doesn’t educate us the significance of the vitamins in these energy,” says Melissa Jaeger, RD, LD, Head of Diet at MyFitnessPal.

“Monitoring with MyFitnessPal may also help you not solely establish your complete day by day energy but additionally key vitamins to help your general well being and wellbeing in the case of weight reduction reminiscent of protein, fiber, saturated fats and extra!”

MyFitnessPal has tons of meals knowledge, together with macros. Once you log meals, you may examine in in your day by day macros on the “Diet” tab. (In the event you’re a premium member, you could find it proper in your dashboard.)

This part supplies a breakdown of how a lot protein, fats, and carbs you’re consuming, and the way they contribute to your general calorie consumption.

Adjusting your macros may also help you meet particular targets. For instance:

Larger protein can help muscle upkeep and restoration, particularly when you’re lifting heavy.

Balanced carbs and fat can maintain your vitality ranges secure all through the day, serving to you keep away from fatigue or temper swings.

MyFitnessPal offers you a default setting of balanced macros for optimum basic vitamin. When you have a premium membership, you may customise your macro targets, which is particularly useful when following a particular high-protein or ketogenic weight loss plan plan.

Step 5: Get Your Knowledge and Evaluation Your Progress

It’s tremendous gratifying to see a report of all of your exhausting work. One of the vital motivating features of utilizing MyFitnessPal is the flexibility to trace your progress. Persistently logging can present you ways properly you’re sticking to your targets. You may see what’s working—and what’s not.

Within the app’s “Progress” part, you may observe modifications in your weight, measurements, and health targets. MyFitnessPal’s visible charts will let you see tendencies over time, serving to you visualize alternatives for enchancment.

Properly, OK. Not precisely. No day is ideal. No two our bodies are the identical. Even in the case of counting energy and macros, don’t get hung up on being hyper-exact.

As a substitute, attempt for consistency over perfection. As Stephanie Nelson says, “It’s extra sustainable to take a slower strategy as a result of you find yourself making modifications you could sustain for the long run. Moderately than focusing solely on numbers, deal with smaller conduct modifications you can also make.”

Different Ideas for the CICO Weight-reduction plan

Some extra recommendation for utilizing MyFitnessPal to succeed on the CICO weight loss plan:

Log meals ASAP: Whether or not it’s earlier than or proper after a meal, logging meals as quickly as you may means you’re much less prone to overlook what you had.

Set reminders: Use MyFitnessPal’s built-in notifications to remind you to trace meals and exercises.

Customise your expertise: Premium MyFitnessPal members can modify their macros, customise their dashboard, and tailor their expertise to suit their targets.

Be a part of the group: MyFitnessPal’s member group helps you join with others on the identical journey. Chat with buddies and browse success tales to remain motivated.

With the precise instruments and mindset, the CICO weight loss plan can empower you with data and insights into what you’re consuming, how a lot you’re burning, and make it easier to attain your targets with some basic math—and science.