How to Diet Calories In, Calories Out (CICO) using MyFitnessPal

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

The concept is pretty simple: to lose weight, you need to take in fewer calories than your body burns. And if 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 maybe you know that MyFitnessPal can help you track calories and nutrients. in fact MyFitnessPal can be your best friend on the CICO diet. The app can help you set your goals and stay on track when you’re tracking.

Wondering how to use MyFitnessPal can it help with CICO method? Let’s go into it step by step.

Step 1: Set your goals in MyFitnessPal

First, when you sign up for MyFitnessPal, App will ask you for some essential 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 number of calories your body burns at rest just to maintain basic bodily functions.

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

Next, you’ll select a goal:

• Weight loss
• Maintaining current weight
• Gaining muscle

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

Calories expended – TDEE = caloric deficit

Then you will set a goal of 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 lbs or 1 lb per week.

For weight loss, you’ll choose 0.5 lb, 1 lb, 1.5 lbs, or 2 lbs per week as your goal.

You can also choose to maintain your current weight.

The standard recommendation for safe weight loss is a caloric deficit of 500-1000 calories per day, which usually 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 Chief Scientist. In fact, 68% of MyFitnessPal users who have achieved at least 90% of their goal weight lost less than 1 pound per week on average.

Step 2: Record What You Eat (Aka, Your “Calories”)

When you record what you consume during the day in MyFitnessPal, you will know what the “calories in” part of your CICO diet looks like.

MyFitnessPalThe food database includes millions of food items, from grocery store staples to popular restaurant dishes.

To log your meals and snacks, look up the item in the database and select the items you had and add them to your diary. Ideally, choose from the “Best Matches” options in the app.

To tip: Upgrade to Premium to access our barcode scanner. This makes recording packaged food even easier.

Do you 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 total calories and nutrients for the entire dish or per serving. This is very helpful if you like to repeat the same recipes.

To tip: Weighing or measuring and portion sizes can help improve logging accuracy—but every cut is a win! It’s all about progress, not perfection.

Step 3: Record Your Exercise (Aka, Your “Calories Out”)

MyFitnessPal makes it easy to track the calories you burn, whether you’re logging your workouts manually or syncing the app with a fitness device like a Fitbit or Garmin.

When you break a sweat, report it. MyFitnessPal can assess your burn for all types of exercise, from strength training to running to swimming.

MyFitnessPal will take your calories burned and adjust your daily calorie goal for you.

For example, if you have a goal of 1800 calories per day and you burn 300 calories exercising, MyFitnessPal will update your remaining daily intake to 2100 calories. And if you sync your fitness device, your calories are automatically displayed!

Some MyFitnessPal members choose to turn this feature off, which is easy to do in the app. If you do, you can still log your exercise, but the calories won’t be added back 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 paying attention to macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) can help you optimize your results.

“One downside of focusing solely on calories in vs. calories out during your 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 at MyFitnessPal.

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

MyFitnessPal has tons of food information, including macros. When you’re logging your food, you can check your daily macros in the “Nutrition” tab. (If you’re a premium member, you can find it directly on your dashboard.)

This section provides an overview of how much protein, fat and carbohydrates you are eating and how they contribute to your total calorie intake.

Customizing macros can help you achieve specific goals. for example:

• Higher proteins can support muscle maintenance and recovery, especially if you lift heavy.
• Balanced carbohydrates and fats it can keep your energy levels steady throughout the day, 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 when you’re following a specific high-protein or ketogenic diet plan.

Step 5: Get your data and review your progress

It is extremely gratifying to see a record of your efforts. One of the most motivating aspects of using it MyFitnessPal is the ability to track your progress. Consistent logging can show you how well you’re sticking to your goals. You can look 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 maps allow you to see trends over time, helping you visualize opportunities for improvement.

Well, okay. No exactly. No day is perfect. No two bodies are alike. Even when it comes to counting calories and macros, don’t get caught up in being hyper-precise.

Instead, strive 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 over the long term. Instead of just focusing on the numbers, focus on the smaller behavioral changes you can make.”

Other tips for the CICO diet

A few more tips for use MyFitnessPal for success on the CICO diet:

• Log food ASAP: Whether it’s before or right after a meal, writing down your food as soon as possible means you’re less likely to forget what you ate.
• Set reminders: Use MyFitnessPal’s built-in notifications to remind you to track your 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 community of members helps you connect with others on the same journey. Talk to friends and read success stories to stay motivated.

With the right tools and mindset, the CICO Diet can empower you with information and insights into what you eat, how much you burn, and help you reach your goals using simple math—and science.

Check out some success stories from MyFitnessPal members to see how tracking has helped change their lives.

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