You’ve probably heard of the Calories In, Calories Out (CICO) method of weight management. It is probably the most popular and effective approach.

The concept is quite simple: to lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than your body burns. And if you consume more more calories than your body burns, you gain weight. CICO is a flexible approach to weight loss backed by science (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 it will help you track your calories and nutrients. In fact, MyFitnessPal CICO can be your best friend on the diet. The app can help you set your goals and keep track of them.

Wondering how to use it MyFitnessPal Can it help with 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 application it will ask you for key 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 amount of calories the body burns at rest to maintain basic body functions.

Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE): The total number of calories your body burns in a day, taking into account your activity level (eg how much you exercise, whether you have a physically demanding job, etc.).

Next, you’ll choose a goal:

• Losing weight
• Maintain your current weight
• Gaining muscle

If your goal is to lose weight, MyFitnessPal it will suggest a calorie goal that will put you in a calorie deficit. If you meet this goal, you will consume fewer calories than you burn each day.

Calories Consumed – TDEE = calorie deficit

Then you set a goal of how fast you lose weight. MyFitnessPal it will ask you how much you want to win or lose per week.

You can choose to gain 0.5lb or 1lb per week.

To lose weight, you will choose 0.5lb, 1lb, 1.5lb or 2lb as your goal per week.

You can also choose to maintain your current weight.

The standard recommendation for weight loss is a 500-1000 calorie deficit per day, which typically results in a loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week (1).

But a bigger deficit doesn’t mean faster weight loss, according to Stephanie Nelson RD, MyFitnessPal Lead Scientist. In fact, 68% MyFitnessPal users who have reached at least 90% of their goal weight he lost an average of less than 1 pound per week.

Step 2: Record what you eat (namely, your “calories”)

When you log what you consume throughout the day in MyFitnessPal, you’ll know what your CICO diet “calories” look like.

MyFitnessPalThe food database includes millions of foods, from grocery store items to popular restaurant meals.

To record your meals and snacks, search for the item in the database and select your items, then add them to your diary. Ideally, choose from the “Best Matches” options in the app.

For a tip: Upgrade to Premium to access our barcode scanner. It makes registering packaged foods even easier.

Cook at home or prepare meals often? You can add your own recipes MyFitnessPalalso Enter the ingredients you used, and the app will calculate the calories and nutrients for the entire dish or per serving. This is very helpful if you want to repeat the same recipes.

For a tip: Weighing or measuring and portion sizes can help improve log accuracy, but any log is a win! Everything is progress, not perfection.

Step 3: Record your exercise (namely, your “calories out”)

MyFitnessPal makes it easy to track your calories burned, whether you log your workouts manually or sync the app with a fitness device like a Fitbit or Garmin.

When you break a sweat, record it. MyFitnessPal You can calculate your burn for all types of exercise, from strength training to running and swimming.

MyFitnessPal It will record your exercise calories burned and adjust your daily calorie goal for you.

For example, if you have a goal of 1800 calories per day and burn 300 calories exercising, MyFitnessPal will update the rest of the day’s intake to 2100 calories. And if you sync your fitness device, your calories will appear automatically!

some MyFitnessPal members can opt out of this feature, which is easy in the app. If you do this, you can still log your exercise, but the calories will not be added to your goal.

Step 4: Add macros to the mix

Not all calories are created equal! Calorie intake is the heart of the CICO diet. But focusing on macronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrates) will help you optimize your results.

“One of the downsides of focusing only on the calories that go into a weight loss journey is that it doesn’t teach us the importance of the nutrients in those calories,” says Melissa Jaeger, RD, LD, Chief Nutritionist. MyFitnessPal.

“Tracking with MyFitnessPal not only identifies your total daily calories, but can also help you identify key nutrients to support your overall health and wellness when it comes to weight loss, such as protein, fiber, saturated fat, and more!”

MyFitnessPal Contains tons of food data, including macros. When you log your foods, you can check your daily macros under the “Nutrition” tab. (If you’re a Premium member, you can find it in your dashboard.)

This section explains how much protein, fat, and carbohydrates you’re consuming, and how they contribute to your overall calorie intake.

Adjusting your macros can help you meet specific goals. For example:

• Higher protein it can help with muscle maintenance and recovery, especially if you’re lifting heavy.
• Balanced carbohydrates and fats it can keep your energy levels stable throughout the day, helping you avoid fatigue or mood swings.

MyFitnessPal it gives you a default setting of balanced macros for optimal overall nutrition. With 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 your data and review your progress

It is very satisfying to see a record of all your work. One of the most motivating aspects of using it MyFitnessPal it’s the ability to track your progress. Continuous logging will show you how well you’re meeting your goals. you can see what works and what doesn’t.

In the “Progress” section of the app, you can track changes in your weight, measurements, and fitness goals. MyFitnessPalVisual charts allow you to see trends over time, helping you spot opportunities for improvement.

Well, okay. no specifically. It’s not a perfect day. No two bodies are the same. Even when it comes to counting calories and macros, don’t get hung up on being hyper-precise.

Instead, strive for consistency over perfection. As Stephanie Nelson says, “Taking a slower approach is more sustainable because you end up making changes that you can sustain for the long term. Instead of just focusing on the numbers, focus on the smaller behavioral changes you can make.”

Other tips on the CICO Diet

More usage tips MyFitnessPal To succeed on the CICO diet:

• Promote food ASAP: before or after a meal, logging your food as soon as possible means you’re less likely to forget what you’ve had.
• Set reminders: Use MyFitnessPal’s built-in notifications to remind you to track your meals and workouts.
• Customize your experience: Premium MyFitnessPal members can adjust their macros, customize their dashboard, and tailor their experience to fit their goals.
• Join the community: in MyFitnessPal community of members 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 insights and insights into what you’re eating, how much you’re smoking, and help you reach your goals with some simple math and science.

Check out some of the success stories of MyFitnessPal members to see how following them has helped change their lives.

The post How to Diet Calories In, Calories Out (CICO) Using MyFitnessPal appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

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