{"id":12869,"date":"2023-04-20T06:34:29","date_gmt":"2023-04-20T13:34:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/?p=12869"},"modified":"2024-02-13T09:31:53","modified_gmt":"2024-02-13T17:31:53","slug":"counting-calories-cico-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet-articles\/weight-loss\/counting-calories-cico-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You\u2019re Not Losing Weight on the CICO Diet"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"tldr\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">What is the CICO diet? CICO (calories in vs. calories out) is a popular approach to weight loss because it\u2019s simple\u2014you eat fewer calories than you burn.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">The problem? CICO overlooks the fact that calorie quality is as important as quantity.<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\">Find out how to turn the principles of the CICO diet into sustainable choices that help you feel satiated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/div>\n<p>The CICO diet (calories in vs. calories out) pushes the idea that to lose weight, you only need to eat fewer calories than you burn each day.<\/p>\n<p>This diet suggests that it doesn\u2019t matter what you eat\u2014you can still lose weight as long as you stay within your calorie goals. For people who struggle to eat a clean and healthy diet, CICO sounds perfect. After all, it takes all the questions out of food choices and turns <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" data-parsed=\"external\" href=\"\/diet\/weight-loss\/\" title=\"weight loss\">weight loss<\/a> into simple math.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, there\u2019s much more to the equation. Here\u2019s what the CICO diet gets wrong\u2014and what to do instead.<\/p>\n<p>[toc]<\/p>\n<h2>What is the CICO diet?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-900101094 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/bulletproof-woman-on-phone-with-coffee.jpg\" alt=\"Woman in kitchen setting drinking coffee and scrolling on phone\" width=\"1504\" height=\"802\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re dieting the CICO way, you\u2019re focused on your daily calorie intake.<br \/>\nIn order to get that personalized calorie number, calculate your total daily energy expenditure (aka TDEE), and then eat fewer calories than you burn. You can calculate your TDEE using <a data-parsed=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet\/healthy-eating\/best-macronutrient-calculator-food-tracker\/\">macro tracker apps<\/a> or an online <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" data-parsed=\"external\" href=\"https:\/\/tdeecalculator.net\/\">TDEE calculator<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For people looking for a simple solution to weight management, the CICO diet is a great first step. But while there are certainly numerous success stories out there, the CICO diet isn\u2019t the best diet for healthy living. It\u2019s a strategy that can help some people lose weight by creating a calorie deficit.<\/p>\n<p>With CICO, you could eat ice cream for three meals a day, as long as you don\u2019t exceed your total allotted calories for the day. If that leads to weight loss, your body likely isn\u2019t getting the nutrients it needs for its overall health. You still need to balance your plate with quality fats, protein and carbohydrates from whole foods.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, staying in a caloric deficit isn\u2019t a long-term approach to weight management.<\/p>\n<p>Over time, cutting calories can actually do more harm than good.<sup><a href=\"#ref-1\">[1]<\/a><\/sup> If your meal plan puts you in a caloric deficit for too long, your body will respond by slowing down your metabolism. And if you\u2019re dealing with food sensitivities or poor digestion, cutting calories isn\u2019t necessarily going to help you feel better.<\/p>\n<p>All of these factors can lead to weight loss plateaus.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related: <a data-parsed=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet\/how-to-increase-metabolism-without-pills-boosters\/\">How to Increase Your Metabolism Without Pills or Boosters<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Why you might not see results on the CICO diet<\/h2>\n<p>Losing weight and creating a calorie deficit are closely related.<sup><a href=\"#ref-2\">[2]<\/a><\/sup> But there are few major caveats to this rule.<\/p>\n<h3>When it comes to diet, quality matters<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-900074537 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/energy-collagen-peptides-scoop-coffee-752.jpg\" alt=\"Hand scooping Bulletproof Energy Collagen Protein into coffee mug\" width=\"752\" height=\"401\" \/><\/p>\n<p>First, not all calories are created equal because foods affect the body differently.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, a 400-calorie bagel eaten first thing in the morning spikes your insulin levels and causes a sugar and energy crash a few hours later. You will be both hungry and tired, making it harder to adhere to your daily calorie goal.<\/p>\n<p>In comparison, a 400-calorie breakfast that prioritizes protein and quality fats will keep you full and focused all morning long. Here\u2019s why: When it comes to <a data-parsed=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet\/healthy-eating\/what-are-macros\/\">macronutrients<\/a>, dietary fat and protein digest slower compared with carbohydrates, which supports satiety.<\/p>\n<p>Protein also boosts your metabolic rate and can increase the amount of calories you burn throughout the day due to its high thermic effect.<sup><a href=\"#ref-3\">[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re building your meals, here\u2019s what to keep in mind:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Protein:<\/strong> Reach for high quality, complete proteins from whole food sources. Animal sources such as meat and seafood contain all essential amino acids, while plant-based sources usually lack one or more (but can be combined so they\u2019re considered complete).<sup><a href=\"#ref-4\">[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Fats:<\/strong> Choose quality fats. What does that mean? These foods contain higher levels of stable fatty acids like omega-3s, monounsaturated fats and <a data-parsed=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet\/healthy-eating\/is-saturated-fat-bad\/\">saturated fats<\/a>. Your brain also thrives on fats as an energy source\u2014that\u2019s one of the reasons <a target=\"_blank\" data-parsed=\"shop\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.bulletproof.com\/products\/brain-octane-oil-32-oz\">Bulletproof Brain Octane C8 MCT Oil<\/a> boosts cognitive function, even if you\u2019re not on the keto diet.<sup><a href=\"#ref-5\">[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Carbohydrates:<\/strong> There\u2019s a big difference between white bread and a sweet potato. Bread digests quickly and spikes your blood sugar, while the potato contains complex molecules that take time to break down (and gives you fiber). Prioritize complex carbohydrates over simple carbohydrates, and consider eating fewer carbohydrates overall. <a data-parsed=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet\/healthy-eating\/low-carb-beginners-guide\/\">Learn about low-carb diets<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Bulletproof tip<\/strong>: If you\u2019re looking to add high quality protein and fat to your day, <a target=\"_blank\" data-parsed=\"shop\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.bulletproof.com\/products\/complete-daily-energy-vanilla-protein-17-8-oz\">Bulletproof Energy Collagen Protein<\/a> provides all 9 essential amino acids, along with MCT oil to provide an all-in-one solution for sustained energy. Or if you need some on-the-go fuel, reach for a <a target=\"_blank\" data-parsed=\"shop\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.bulletproof.com\/products\/collagen-protein-bar-chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-12-pack\">Bulletproof Collagen Protein Bar<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"keto-smoothies\" class=\"nosto_element\"><\/div>\n<h3>Your body needs nutrients, not just calories<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-900074475 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-protein-crisp-bar-752.jpg\" alt=\"Hands holding Bulletproof Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Crisp Bar\" width=\"752\" height=\"401\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If calories were all that mattered, all diets would work equally well.<sup><a href=\"#ref-6\">[6]<\/a><\/sup> But different diets with the same caloric intake can lead to different weight loss results. For instance, a 1,500 calorie-a-day Paleo diet doesn\u2019t necessarily yield the same results as a 1,500 calorie-a-day <a data-parsed=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet\/keto\/dirty-keto-vs-clean-keto\/\">dirty keto diet<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>When your focus is only on calories, you aren\u2019t thinking about the health benefits of important nutrients like fiber, protein, fat and carbohydrates. Getting the right ratio helps your body function at its best.<\/p>\n<p>However, finding the right balance of these nutrients varies for everyone and can change depending on your activity levels, age and gender. (You know this is true if you\u2019ve ever felt hungrier the day after a long hike or especially sore after a big workout\u2014your body is asking for food to repair those muscles!)<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s an example: Protein recommendations for the general public is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight.<sup><a href=\"#ref-7\">[7]<\/a><\/sup> But if you\u2019re only looking at your calorie intake, you\u2019re not considering how much protein you get in a day.<sup><a href=\"#ref-8\">[8]<\/a><\/sup> That\u2019s important because protein supports everything from healthy cells to strong muscles\u2014and if you\u2019re highly active, you likely need more protein.<\/p>\n<p>In the end, looking at calorie numbers isn\u2019t enough to understand what you need to feel your best. It\u2019s a great start. But if your body is asking for something more, pay attention to your personal biology\u2014not just a single number.<\/p>\n<h2>Should I count calories, or do keto? Or something else?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-900092591 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/bulletproof-mct-oil-pour.jpg\" alt=\"Hands measuring MCT oil next to a blending with coffee inside\" width=\"1504\" height=\"802\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Plenty of popular diets work by creating a calorie deficit.<\/p>\n<p>If you embrace intermittent fasting, you eliminate early-morning donuts and late-night snacks. The Mediterranean diet guides you toward eating more whole foods\u2014like fruits, vegetables and whole grains\u2014while eliminating calorie-dense processed foods. And the keto diet restricts carbohydrate intake, which also eliminates calorie-dense foods like pasta and bread.<\/p>\n<p>That said, if you are looking for a diet with a more favorable metabolic response than a calorie-restricted diet, research shows that a <a data-parsed=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet\/keto\/keto-diet-beginners-guide\/\">ketogenic diet<\/a> (high-fat, moderate-protein and low-carb) works for many people.<sup><a href=\"#ref-9\">[9]<\/a><\/sup> In the absence of carbs, the body learns to use fat as fuel\u2014no calorie-counting required.<\/p>\n<p>It all comes down to which diet you prefer and works best for you. As a starting point, healthy eating starts with eating nutrient-dense whole foods and cutting back on added sugar and ultra-processed foods. If you have questions, talk to an expert such as a dietitian or nutritionist who can set up a diet plan that meets your personal needs.<\/p>\n<p>Food isn\u2019t the only thing that impacts your health. Your overall wellness requires plenty of sleep, physical activity and managing stress. Find out <a data-parsed=\"internal\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/sleep\/how-to-sleep-better\/\">how to sleep better<\/a> with science-backed sleep tips.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The CICO diet (calories in vs. calories out) pushes the idea that to lose weight, you only need to eat fewer calories than you burn each day. This diet suggests that it doesn\u2019t matter what you eat\u2014you can still lose weight as long as you stay within your calorie goals. For people who struggle to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":27288,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[31584],"tags":[12333,764,138],"class_list":["post-12869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-weight-loss","tag-keto","tag-nutrition","tag-weight-loss","reviewer-emily-gonzalez"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Is CICO Diet? What to Do When Counting Calories Doesn\u2019t Work<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The CICO diet says that you can lose weight by counting calories. But when it comes to weight management, calories aren\u2019t the whole story.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet-articles\/weight-loss\/counting-calories-cico-diet\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why You\u2019re Not Losing Weight on the CICO Diet\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The CICO diet says that you can lose weight by counting calories. But when it comes to weight management, calories aren\u2019t the whole story.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet-articles\/weight-loss\/counting-calories-cico-diet\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Bulletproof\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bulletproof\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-04-20T13:34:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-02-13T17:31:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/What-are-Macros-and-Should-You-Count-Them_What-are-macros.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Julie Hand\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Why You\u2019re Not Losing Weight on the CICO Diet\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@bpnutrition\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@bpnutrition\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Julie Hand\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Is CICO Diet? What to Do When Counting Calories Doesn\u2019t Work","description":"The CICO diet says that you can lose weight by counting calories. But when it comes to weight management, calories aren\u2019t the whole story.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet-articles\/weight-loss\/counting-calories-cico-diet\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why You\u2019re Not Losing Weight on the CICO Diet","og_description":"The CICO diet says that you can lose weight by counting calories. But when it comes to weight management, calories aren\u2019t the whole story.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet-articles\/weight-loss\/counting-calories-cico-diet\/","og_site_name":"Bulletproof","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bulletproof","article_published_time":"2023-04-20T13:34:29+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-02-13T17:31:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1500,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/What-are-Macros-and-Should-You-Count-Them_What-are-macros.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Julie Hand","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Why You\u2019re Not Losing Weight on the CICO Diet","twitter_creator":"@bpnutrition","twitter_site":"@bpnutrition","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Julie Hand","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet-articles\/weight-loss\/counting-calories-cico-diet\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet-articles\/weight-loss\/counting-calories-cico-diet\/"},"author":{"name":"Julie Hand","@id":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/#\/schema\/person\/dd0c3b0a7e4e1ea3b2824ff934abb476"},"headline":"Why You\u2019re Not Losing Weight on the CICO Diet","datePublished":"2023-04-20T13:34:29+00:00","dateModified":"2024-02-13T17:31:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet-articles\/weight-loss\/counting-calories-cico-diet\/"},"wordCount":1362,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet-articles\/weight-loss\/counting-calories-cico-diet\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/What-are-Macros-and-Should-You-Count-Them_What-are-macros.jpg","keywords":["Keto","Nutrition","Weight Loss"],"articleSection":["Weight Loss"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet-articles\/weight-loss\/counting-calories-cico-diet\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet-articles\/weight-loss\/counting-calories-cico-diet\/","url":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet-articles\/weight-loss\/counting-calories-cico-diet\/","name":"What Is CICO Diet? What to Do When Counting Calories Doesn\u2019t Work","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet-articles\/weight-loss\/counting-calories-cico-diet\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/diet-articles\/weight-loss\/counting-calories-cico-diet\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/What-are-Macros-and-Should-You-Count-Them_What-are-macros.jpg","datePublished":"2023-04-20T13:34:29+00:00","dateModified":"2024-02-13T17:31:53+00:00","description":"The CICO diet says that you can lose weight by counting calories. 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For over 15 years, Julie has penned creative and captivating content for publications both international and local in scope; from the international editions of National Geographic Magazine to Vermont\u2019s sustainable food magazine From Field to Table. Though she can\u2019t resist trying every science-backed health tip, she also has a penchant for crystals and astrology (don\u2019t judge). You can find her walking the beach (coffee in hand, of course) and practicing the ukulele on weekends.","url":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/author\/julie\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/80"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12869"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12869\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":900103279,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12869\/revisions\/900103279"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27288"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bulletproof.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}