You’ve probably heard of the Calories In, Calories Out (CICO) method for weight management. It’s probably the most popular approach, and also the most effective.
The concept is quite simple: to lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than your body burns. And when you consume 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 can help you track your calories and nutrients. In reality, MyFitnessPal can be your best friend on the CICO diet. The app can help you set your goals and stay on track while tracking.
Wondering how to use MyFitnessPal can help with the CICO method? Let’s go into it step by step.
Step 1: Set your goals in MyFitnessPal
First, when you sign up for MyFitnessPal, the app will ask you for essential information: your age, weight, height, gender and daily activity level.
Your answers will help calculate the key metrics that make the CICO method work:
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR): The number of calories your body burns at rest just to maintain basic body functions.
Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE): The total number of calories your body burns per day, taking into account your activity level (for example, how much exercise you do, whether you have a physically demanding job, etc.).
Then you choose a goal:
- To fall off
- Maintaining your current weight
- Gain muscle mass
If your goal is weight loss, MyFitnessPal will suggest a calorie goal that will put you in a calorie deficit. If you reach that goal, you’ll consume fewer calories than you burn each day.
Calories consumed – TDEE = calorie deficit
Then you set a goal for how quickly you will lose weight. MyFitnessPal will ask you how much you want to win or lose per week.
You can choose to gain 0.5 pounds or 1 pound per week.
For weight loss, choose a goal of 0.5 lb, 1 lb, 1.5 lbs or 2 lbs per week.
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 weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week (1).
But a greater deficit doesn’t mean faster weight loss, according to Stephanie Nelson, RD, MyFitnessPal Lead Scientist. In fact, 68% of MyFitnessPal users who have reached at least 90% of their target weight lost an average of less than 1 pound per week.
Step 2: Record what you eat (also known as your “calories in”)
When you track what you consume throughout the day in MyFitnessPal, you will know what the “calories in” portion of your CICO diet looks like.
MyFitnessPalThe company’s food database includes millions of foods, from supermarket foods to popular restaurant meals.
To record your meals and snacks, find the item in the database, choose the items you had and add them to your diary. Ideally, choose from the ‘Best Matches’ options in the app.
For tip: Upgrade to Premium to access our barcode scanner. It makes logging packaged foods even easier.
Cook at home or prepare meals often? You can add your own recipes MyFitnessPalat. Enter the ingredients you used and the app will calculate the total calories and nutrients for the entire dish or per serving. This is super useful if you like to make the same recipes repeatedly.
For tip: Weighing or measuring and portion sizes can help improve recording accuracy, but every recording is a win! It’s all about progress, not perfection.
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Step 3: Record your exercise (aka your “calories out”)
MyFitnessPal makes it easy to track the calories you burn, whether you manually log workouts or sync the app with a fitness device, like a Fitbit or a Garmin.
If you sweat, record it. MyFitnessPal can estimate your burn for all kinds of exercises, from strength training to running to swimming.
MyFitnessPal takes the calories burned during your workout and adjusts your daily calorie goal for you.
For example, if you have a goal of 1,800 calories per day and you burn 300 calories while exercising, MyFitnessPal will update your remaining daily intake to 2100 calories. And if 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. Doing this will still allow you to log your workout, but the calories will not be added back to your goal.
Step 4: Adding Macros to the Mix
Not all calories are equal! The number of calories consumed is the core of the CICO diet. But paying attention to macronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrates) can help you optimize your results.
“One downside to focusing solely on calories in versus calories out during a weight-loss journey is that it doesn’t teach us how important the nutrients in those calories are,” says Melissa Jaeger, RD, LD, chief nutrition officer at MyFitnessPal.
“By tracking with MyFitnessPal you can identify not only your total daily calories, but also the key nutrients to support your overall health and wellness when it comes to weight loss, such as protein, fiber, saturated fat and more!”
MyFitnessPal has tons of food data, including macros. When you enter foods, you can view your daily macros under the ‘Nutrition’ tab. (If you are a premium member, you can find this directly on your dashboard.)
In this section you will find an overview of the amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates you consume and how they contribute to your total calorie intake.
Adjusting your macros can help you achieve specific goals. For example:
- Higher protein can support muscle maintenance and recovery, especially if you lift heavy.
- Balanced carbohydrates and fats can keep your energy levels stable all day long, helping you avoid fatigue or mood swings.
MyFitnessPal gives you 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.
Step 5: Collect your data and review your progress
It’s super satisfying 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 logging allows you to see how well you are sticking to your goals. That’s possible to 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. MyFitnessPalThe visual graphs allow you to see trends over time, helping you visualize opportunities for improvement.
Well, okay. Not precisely. No day is perfect. No two bodies are the same. Even when it comes to counting calories and macros, don’t stay hyper-exact.
Instead, aim for consistency over perfection. As Stephanie Nelson says, “It’s more sustainable to take a slower approach because you end up making changes that you can sustain in the long term. Instead of focusing solely on numbers, focus on smaller behavioral changes you can make.”
Other tips for the CICO diet
Some more tips for use MyFitnessPal to succeed on the CICO diet:
- Introduce food as soon as possible: Whether it’s before or right after a meal, if you record your food as soon as possible, you’re less likely to forget what you had.
- 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 membership 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 into what you eat, how much you burn, and help you achieve your goals with some simple math and science.
Check out a few success stories from MyFitnessPal members to see how tracking has helped change their lives.
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