{"id":10317,"date":"2023-01-25T05:15:37","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T06:15:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/?p=10317"},"modified":"2023-01-25T23:54:50","modified_gmt":"2023-01-25T23:54:50","slug":"what-is-the-cico-calories-in-calories-out-diet-how-to-count-calories-for-weight-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/everything-else\/what-is-the-cico-calories-in-calories-out-diet-how-to-count-calories-for-weight-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the CICO (Calories In, Calories Out) Diet? How to Count Calories for Weight Loss"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3760602 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-dinner.jpg\" alt=\"Yeah, it can be confusing when you don&#039;t understand CICO.\" width=\"804\" height=\"307\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-dinner.jpg 1019w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-dinner-300x115-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-dinner-768x293-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-dinner-713x272-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-dinner-600x229-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 804px) 100vw, 804px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>It\u2019s time to learn about The CICO (&#8220;calories in, calories out&#8221;) Diet!<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You probably have questions like<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Steve, does CICO work?\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Will counting calories help me lose weight?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Okay, what the hell IS a calorie?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well my friend, you\u2019ve arrived at the right place!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>I&#8217;ve been writing about this stuff for 13 years, and our team of nerdy experts help our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Online Coaching clients<\/a> with all types of diets (including CICO). We are really flippin&#8217; good at it!<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\t<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/coaching-overview-page\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"cta-button yellow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tIs CICO right for you? Maybe! Let our coaches help you decide.\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<\/a><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Here\u2019s what we\u2019ll cover to answer the question: \u201cWhat is CICO?\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#CICO\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the CICO Diet plan?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#calories\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is losing weight really about calories?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#counting\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does calorie counting work? (CICO and weight loss)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#problem\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The problem with CICO (Humans are bad estimators)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#tips\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tips for sustainable weight loss (Next steps)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s time to get started!<\/span><br \/>\n<a name=\"CICO\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>What Is the CICO Diet plan?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3760603 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-sharks.jpg\" alt=\"I guess this is kind of CICO, in a way\" width=\"803\" height=\"362\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-sharks.jpg 938w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-sharks-300x135-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-sharks-768x346-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-sharks-713x322-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-sharks-600x271-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 803px) 100vw, 803px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cCICO\u201d stands for \u201cCalories In, Calories Out.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CICO Diet is a weight-loss strategy where the participant tries to tip the balance of what they eat (calories in) against what they burn (calories out).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s pretty much it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>It doesn\u2019t really matter what food you eat, because there are no restrictions on any specific food groups with CICO.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It also doesn\u2019t matter what exercise you do (if any).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As long as you get the equation right, and the calories you eat are lower than the calories you burn on a daily basis, you\u2019re good to go.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3760604 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/barney-thumbs-up.gif\" alt=\"Naturally, Barney would like CICO, because it doesn&#039;t forbid beer.\" width=\"380\" height=\"289\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CICO Diet is really simple and has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/loseit\/comments\/8npll0\/i_had_an_epiphany_that_cico_isnt_actually_a_diet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">helped quite a few people lose weight<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is likely why the CICO Diet has grown in popularity in the subreddit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/loseit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">r\/loseit<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n<a name=\"calories\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>Is Losing Weight Really About Calories?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3760605 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-sandwich.jpg\" alt=\"One way to lose weight is to be eaten, but I wouldn&#039;t recommend it.\" width=\"807\" height=\"326\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-sandwich.jpg 1919w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-sandwich-300x121-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-sandwich-768x310-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-sandwich-713x288-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-sandwich-600x242-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 807px) 100vw, 807px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Yes. Losing weight actually does come down to burning more calories than you consume.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s about as close to fact as we can get in nutrition science.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-1\" id=\"refmark-1\"><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we address in our guide <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/paleo-keto-slow-carb-vegan-how-to-determine-the-perfect-diet-for-you\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Lose Weight (The 5 Rules of Weight Loss)<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, our bodies obey the Laws of Conservation of Energy and Thermodynamics:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To lose weight, we need to burn more calories than we consume regularly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With this knowledge, it makes sense to design a diet specifically around this principle: match the calories you eat (in), with the calories you expend (out).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>No other food rules need to apply:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forget about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-the-keto-diet-or-ketogenic-diet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Keto and low-carb<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It doesn\u2019t matter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">if a caveman ate it<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who knows what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-the-mediterranean-diet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the Mediterraneans ate<\/a> anyway?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>As long as you meet your calorie goal, you can forget about the rules of any specific diet.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3760606 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/joker-no-rules.gif\" alt=\"I can see why CICO might appeal to the Joker...\" width=\"472\" height=\"231\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This appeals to me personally, because I\u2019ve created <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/paleo-keto-slow-carb-vegan-how-to-determine-the-perfect-diet-for-you\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">my own guidelines for how to eat<\/a>, and I don\u2019t pledge allegiance to any particular dieting strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because I\u2019m a mind-reader, I know your next question is likely&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n<a name=\"counting\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Does Calorie Counting Work? (CICO and Weight Loss)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3760607 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-dim-sum.jpg\" alt=\"You can totally eat Dim Sum on CICO!\" width=\"813\" height=\"441\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-dim-sum.jpg 2031w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-dim-sum-300x163-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-dim-sum-768x416-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-dim-sum-713x387-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-dim-sum-600x325-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 813px) 100vw, 813px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>In principle, CICO works.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In practice, it becomes a little more complicated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Okay, fine, A LOT more complicated.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s because a lot of things influence \u201ccalories in.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ditto for \u201ccalories out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s break some of this down.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Here are some of the things that impact \u201cCalories In:\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Appetite: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how hungry we are is going to drastically affect how many calories we consume. Hormones, body composition, and our tastes and preferences will all impact our appetite.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-2\" id=\"refmark-2\"><sup>[2]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Calories absorbed: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the preparation of food will affect the bioavailability of calories. For example, cooking starches (like potatoes) generally increases the calories available.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-3\" id=\"refmark-3\"><sup>[3]<\/sup><\/a> Your own individual gut microbe can also influence the amount of energy extracted during digestion.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-4\" id=\"refmark-4\"><sup>[4]<\/sup><\/a> So will the macronutrient content of the food you eat.<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><strong>Psychological considerations:<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">your stress levels, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/are-you-making-these-mistakes-with-your-sleep\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sleep quality<\/a>, and certain conditions like PCOS can all impact the regulation of hormones, which can influence your metabolism and appetite.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-5\" id=\"refmark-5\"><sup>[5]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oh, and all of the above assumes we\u2019re actually tracking calories accurately. Which pretty much nobody does. Ever. But I\u2019ll get to that shortly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And remember, this is only half of the equation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3760608 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/a-beautiful-mind.gif\" alt=\"I&#039;ll be honest, I don&#039;t really know what&#039;s going on here...\" width=\"444\" height=\"291\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Here are some of the things that impact \u201cCalories Out:\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Energy burned while resting: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-many-calories-should-i-eat-every-day-a-look-at-total-daily-energy-expenditure-tdee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Basal Metabolic Rate<\/a> is a count of how many calories you burn at rest and will be controlled by your age, weight, height, biological sex, muscle composition, etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Energy burned through Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT): <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">do you fidget a lot? That increases your NEAT, or the energy you burn doing stuff other than exercising. Think tapping your feet, twirling your hair, using your hands when speaking, etc. Even just an hour of this kind of movement can accumulate an extra 300 calories burned.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-6\" id=\"refmark-6\"><sup>[6]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><strong>Exercise:<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of course, how much you intentionally exercise will impact your calories out, although perhaps not as much as most people think (more on this later).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is only scratching the surface on what determines \u201ccalories in, calories out.\u201d<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-7\" id=\"refmark-7\"><sup>[7]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The important thing to consider here is that none of the above invalidate the basic premise of an energy deficit being necessary for weight loss.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These factors will just influence one end of the equation or the other.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>For example, let&#8217;s chat about protein and CICO: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eating plenty of protein has been shown to help keep people feeling full and satiated.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-8\" id=\"refmark-8\"><sup>[8]<\/sup><\/a> So lots<\/span>\u00a0of protein can help folks lose weight, not because it changes the requirements for weight loss, but because it might allow them to get through the day less hungry (lowering their \u201ccalories in.\u201d)<\/li>\n<li>Adequate dietary protein can help with building and maintaining muscle.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-9\" id=\"refmark-9\"><sup>[9]<\/sup><\/a> The more muscle someone has, the more calories they&#8217;ll need to maintain it (raising their &#8220;calories out.&#8221;)<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-10\" id=\"refmark-10\"><sup>[10]<\/sup><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read our guide \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-much-protein-do-i-need-to-eat-every-day-protein-101-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How much protein should I eat?<\/a>\u201d for more on this subject.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>To recap this section: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">from a biological perspective, eating fewer calories than you burn is 100% necessary for weight loss.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But all sorts of things impact the number of calories we eat and the number of calories we expend.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is going to lead us to&#8230;<\/span><br \/>\n<a name=\"problem\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>The Problem With CICO (Humans Are Bad Estimators)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3760609 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-oar-man.jpg\" alt=\"Yeah, humans (or LEGOs) aren&#039;t good at estimating calories.\" width=\"798\" height=\"345\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-oar-man.jpg 2032w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-oar-man-300x129-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-oar-man-768x331-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-oar-man-713x308-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-oar-man-600x259-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>The majority of the problems people have with CICO is that it allows nutrient-deficient food to enter the diet, only limiting \u201chow much.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They\u2019ll argue that people should be eating fruits and vegetables, lean protein, avoiding processed foods, and blah blah blah&#8230;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We all know this.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You don\u2019t need someone else telling you to eat your veggies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3760610 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/leo-duh.gif\" alt=\"Eating veggies for health is a no-brainer.\" width=\"508\" height=\"247\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This isn\u2019t the problem with CICO.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The problem with CICO is it\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">really <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hard to estimate \u201ccalories in\u201d and \u201ccalories out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">REALLY<\/span> hard. We humans are TERRIBLE at it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Take \u201ccalories in\u201d or how much we eat:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> people generally UNDERestimate how many calories they consume by about <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">30-40%<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-11\" id=\"refmark-11\"><sup>[11]<\/sup><\/a> Even dieticians, who are specifically trained in nutrition science, underestimated how much they eat.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-12\" id=\"refmark-12\"><sup>[12]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3760611 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/simpsons-cant-be-good.gif\" alt=\"Millhouse is probably just realizing the issue with CICO\" width=\"468\" height=\"263\" \/><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThat may be true Steve, but don\u2019t worry about me. I <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-read-a-nutrition-label-part-1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">read the label<\/a> on everything I buy so I know exactly how many calories I\u2019m eating.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, are you aware that the FDA allows a 20% leeway on total calories identified on packages?<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-13\" id=\"refmark-13\"><sup>[13]<\/sup><\/a> Meaning that 100 calorie drink of Orange Juice might actually be 120?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re a food manufacturer, which way are you going to lean towards? Especially when you know people might scrutinize the calories of your nutrition label in an effort to lose weight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>This isn\u2019t just paranoia:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> this study found that packaged snack food generally contains MORE calories in it than advertised.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-14\" id=\"refmark-14\"><sup>[14]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yeah&#8230;and remember, this is only half of the equation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s about to get even worse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>People are also really bad at estimating \u201ccalories out.\u201d\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When folks self-assess how many calories they burned by exercising, they\u2019re generally WAY OFF, by as much as 50%!<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-15\" id=\"refmark-15\"><sup>[15]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oh, and those fitness trackers we wear? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3596493\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/portlandia-fitbit.gif\" alt=\"Our Fitbit trackers can help us with analyzing trends and getting in more steps.\" width=\"540\" height=\"304\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They\u2019ve been shown to be inaccurate, some by up to 90%!<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-16\" id=\"refmark-16\"><sup>[16]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>That&#8217;s why we made this infographic on tracking &#8220;calories out&#8221;:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3897551\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/calorie-tracker-infographic.png\" alt=\"This infographic shows calorie discrepancies from fitness trackers compared to actual calories burned.\" width=\"952\" height=\"952\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/calorie-tracker-infographic.png 1200w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/calorie-tracker-infographic-300x300-1.png 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/calorie-tracker-infographic-600x600-1.png 600w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/calorie-tracker-infographic-150x150-1.png 150w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/calorie-tracker-infographic-768x768-1.png 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/calorie-tracker-infographic-100x100-1.png 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 952px) 100vw, 952px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>This is the main problem with CICO: we\u2019re stuck with educated guesses for \u201ccalories in\u201d and \u201ccalories out.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So we underestimate the calories we eat by 40%. And then we overestimate how many calories we burn by 50%.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No WONDER we think our metabolism is broken if <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/why-cant-i-lose-weight-heres-the-truth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">we can\u2019t lose weight<\/a>!<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The truth is we\u2019re unknowingly eating too much, and\/or moving too little.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ugh.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Heck, even how many calories you need a day (your baseline or Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is an estimate, something we acknowledge in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-many-calories-should-i-eat-every-day-a-look-at-total-daily-energy-expenditure-tdee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">our calorie calculator<\/a>, which you can play with right here:<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>THE NERD FITNESS CALORIE CALCULATOR<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<div class=\"frm_forms  with_frm_style frm_style_calculator-style\" id=\"frm_form_48_container\">\n<form enctype=\"multipart\/form-data\" method=\"post\" class=\"frm-show-form  frm_pro_form  frm_ajax_submit \" id=\"form_wcdyb2\">\n<div class=\"frm_form_fields \">\n<fieldset>\n<legend class=\"frm_hidden\">Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator<\/legend>\n<p><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"frm_action\" value=\"create\" \/><br \/>\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"form_id\" value=\"48\" \/><br \/>\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"frm_hide_fields_48\" id=\"frm_hide_fields_48\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"form_key\" value=\"wcdyb2\" \/><br \/>\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"item_meta[0]\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n<input type=\"hidden\" id=\"frm_submit_entry_48\" name=\"frm_submit_entry_48\" value=\"b075a398df\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/blog\/feed\/\" \/><input type=\"text\" class=\"frm_hidden frm_verify\" id=\"frm_verify_48\" name=\"frm_verify\" value=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"frm_field_446_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_required_field frm_left_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_jrvcf2\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">Biological Sex<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\">*<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    \t\t<select name=\"item_meta[446]\" id=\"field_jrvcf2\" data-reqmsg=\"This field cannot be blank.\"><option value=\"\" selected> <\/option><option value=\"5\">Male<\/option><option value=\"-161\">Female<\/option><\/select><\/p>\n<div class=\"frm_description\">Male\/Female<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_447_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_required_field frm_left_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_rn8552\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">Age<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\">*<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"number\" id=\"field_rn8552\" name=\"item_meta[447]\" value=\"\" min=\"0\" max=\"9999999\" step=\"any\" data-reqmsg=\"This field cannot be blank.\" data-invmsg=\"Number is invalid\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"frm_description\">Use age in years.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_448_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_required_field frm_left_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_hucs72\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">Weight<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\">*<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"number\" id=\"field_hucs72\" name=\"item_meta[448]\" value=\"\" min=\"0\" max=\"9999999\" step=\"any\" data-reqmsg=\"This field cannot be blank.\" data-invmsg=\"Weight is invalid\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"frm_description\">Use pounds (lbs). If using metric system, multiple kg times 2.2 for lbs. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_449_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_required_field frm_left_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_p7i982\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">Height<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\">*<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"number\" id=\"field_p7i982\" name=\"item_meta[449]\" value=\"\" min=\"0\" max=\"9999999\" step=\"any\" data-reqmsg=\"This field cannot be blank.\" data-invmsg=\"Height is invalid\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"frm_description\">Use inches. If using metric system, divide cm by 2.54 for total inches. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_450_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_left_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_wwa1j2\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\"><\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"number\" id=\"field_wwa1j2\" name=\"item_meta[450]\" value=\"\" readonly min=\"0\" max=\"9999999\" step=\"any\" data-invmsg=\"Basal Metabolic Rate is invalid\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"frm_description\">Your BMR is an estimate of the total calories burned a day, while in a state of rest. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_451_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_required_field frm_top_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_iqrsp2\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">Activity Level<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\">*<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    \t\t<select name=\"item_meta[451]\" id=\"field_iqrsp2\" data-reqmsg=\"This field cannot be blank.\"><option value=\"\" selected> <\/option><option value=\"1.2\">Sedentary (You frequent tell Netflix you are still watching) <\/option><option value=\"1.375\">Lightly Active (You casually stroll through your neighborhood a few times a week)<\/option><option value=\"1.55\">Moderately Active  (If we called the gym on a weeknight looking for you, they&#039;d find you)<\/option><option value=\"1.725\">Very Active (You are constantly moving throughout your day job and you&#039;re on the company softball team) <\/option><\/select><\/p>\n<div class=\"frm_description\">For &#8220;Activity Level,&#8221; veer toward the side of less active. Studies consistently show that people are not as active as they self-assess. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_452_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_top_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_zu1zb2\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\"><\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"number\" id=\"field_zu1zb2\" name=\"item_meta[452]\" value=\"\" readonly min=\"0\" max=\"9999999\" step=\"any\" data-invmsg=\"Basal Metabolic Rate is invalid\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"frm_description\">Your TDEE is an estimate of the total calories burned during a single day, when exercise is factored in. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"item_key\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n<!--\n\n<div class=\"frm_submit\">\n\n<button class=\"frm_button_submit frm_final_submit\" type=\"submit\"  >Submit<\/button>\n\n<\/div>\n\n--><\/fieldset>\n<\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">In summary<\/span>: balancing &#8220;calories in against calories out&#8221; is really all quite messy when you get right down to it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does that make all this hopeless?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not even remotely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But it does give us some context if you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/why-cant-i-lose-weight-heres-the-truth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">can\u2019t seem to lose weight<\/a>.<\/span><br \/>\n<a name=\"tips\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>Tips for Sustainable Weight Loss (Next Steps)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3995555\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/balanced-plate.jpg\" alt=\"A plate that that contains a portion of protein, healthy carb, veggies\/fruit, and unsweetened drink.\" width=\"720\" height=\"567\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/balanced-plate.jpg 720w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/balanced-plate-300x236-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/balanced-plate-713x561-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/balanced-plate-600x473-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>This post is not made to dissuade you from trying The CICO Diet.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I actually encourage everyone to track their food and calories for one week, because it\u2019s often an eye-opening experience on how much they\u2019re truly eating.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If possible, take a few days and use <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/31b251p\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a cheap food scale<\/a> instead of just eyeballing it. You\u2019ll be shocked about the actual <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-portion-control-how-to-lose-weight-with-portion-control\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">portion sizes<\/a> of some foods!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>When it comes to sustainable weight loss, here at Nerd Fitness, we encourage two paths:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make small tiny changes towards \u201creal food\u201d (like the <\/span><b>Nerd Fitness Healthy Plate<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> above).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make small tiny changes towards a strength training practice.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both of these strategies can dramatically &#8211; and positively &#8211; influence \u201ccalories in\u201d and \u201ccalories out\u201d respectively.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>In our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/healthy-eating\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Guide to Healthy Eating<\/em><\/a>, we explain why every website tells you to eat vegetables (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/vegetable-haters-how-to-start-eating-vegetables\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">which we also tell you<\/a>): <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">vegetables are full of nutrients, contain lots of fiber to keep you full, and are generally low in calories.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3602602 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/real-food.gif\" alt=\"These image shows some real food, critical if you&#039;re trying to lose body fat.\" width=\"425\" height=\"319\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eating lots of vegetables, or \u201creal food,\u201d will help you naturally lower \u201ccalories in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How about another example to think about? Here are 200 calories of a blueberry muffin:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3760613 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/calories-in-a-blueberry-muffin.jpg\" alt=\"Yeah, you don&#039;t even get the whole muffin.\" width=\"446\" height=\"297\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/calories-in-a-blueberry-muffin.jpg 780w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/calories-in-a-blueberry-muffin-300x200-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/calories-in-a-blueberry-muffin-768x511-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/calories-in-a-blueberry-muffin-713x474-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/calories-in-a-blueberry-muffin-600x399-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 446px) 100vw, 446px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Compare it to 200 calories of broccoli (Thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisegeek.com\/what-does-200-calories-look-like.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wiseGEEK<\/a>):<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3574949 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/what-200-calories-look-like-food-broccoli.jpg\" alt=\"A pic of 200 calories of broccoli\" width=\"448\" height=\"298\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/what-200-calories-look-like-food-broccoli.jpg 605w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/what-200-calories-look-like-food-broccoli-300x200-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/what-200-calories-look-like-food-broccoli-600x400-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which one do you think you\u2019re likely to accidentally overeat for your calorie allotment?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Right.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>For our other strategy, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Strength Training 101<\/a> series explains why growing strong is important for fat loss:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-building-muscle-and-strength\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Building muscle<\/a> takes a lot of calories (and so does maintaining it).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words, a stronger version of yourself will require more calories.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3915509\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/ms-piggy-strong.gif\" alt=\"Miss Piggy pulling bars apart in jail.\" width=\"424\" height=\"232\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>And will be able to escape from jail easier.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This will naturally raise your \u201ccalories out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The trick with it all is the \u201cmake small tiny changes\u201d bit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve seen over and over that small steps (eating one new vegetable a week, a simple bodyweight workout) create momentum. Over time, these small changes are the keys to permanently getting healthy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>The entire <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nerd Fitness Coaching program<\/a> is based on this premise.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So what should you do now? Pick a small change and get going!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Here are some options for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-build-healthy-habits-that-stick\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a healthy new habit<\/a>:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calculate an estimate of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-many-calories-should-i-eat-every-day-a-look-at-total-daily-energy-expenditure-tdee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">how many calories you need<\/a> (knowledge is power, even if it\u2019s an approximation)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Learn <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/healthy-eating\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">proper portions for some of the food you eat<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Serve <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-make-roasted-vegetables\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">one new vegetable with dinner<\/a> this week<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/walking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Start a walking practice<\/a> (even just 5 minutes at first is great)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Try a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101-where-do-i-start\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">simple beginner strength training workout<\/a> (here\u2019s one <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">you can do in your living room<\/a>)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most important thing you can do now: <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-do-beginners-get-fit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">start<\/a>!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3750164 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/mario-kart-start.gif\" alt=\"If you wanna win a race, you need to start it!\" width=\"455\" height=\"255\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The exact \u201csmall tiny change\u201d doesn\u2019t matter so much, just pick one you feel comfortable with and get going! Once that habit becomes sustainable, pick a new one! And so on and so on\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve seen it time and time again here that this is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-a-single-busy-mom-lost-100-pounds-with-nerd-fitness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">true path towards success<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Boom!<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Still here? Want some more guidance? An exact plan to follow on where to go next?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alright, you got it, but only because you\u2019ve been nice this whole time.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Here&#8217;s how Nerd Fitness can help<\/span>:<\/h3>\n<p><b>#1) Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">1-on-1 Online Coaching Program<\/a>:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3574583 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/NERD-CoachingBanner2019-00-Main-2d1.jpg\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery1\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>#2) If you want a roadmap for getting in shape, check out NF Journey. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our fun habit-building app will help you exercise and eat better, all while you build your very own superhero.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interested?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Try your free trial right here:<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><\/p>\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup-leadin\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup\" style=\"background: none; border: none;\">\n\t\t\t\t<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/click.nerdfitness.com\/8BxQ\/534d8131\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img class=\"desktop-show mobile-hide\" style=\"margin-left:auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/NF_Journey_GenericAd_Desktop_v3_A.jpg\" \/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img class=\"desktop-hide mobile-show\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/NF_Journey_GeneralAd_Mobile_v3_A.jpg\" \/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>\t\t<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>#3) Join The Rebellion! <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We have a free email newsletter that we send out twice per week, full of tips and tricks to help you get healthy, get strong, and have fun doing so.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ll also send you tons of free guides that you can use to start leveling up your life too:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup-leadin\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup one-column split yellow-cta nf-diet  shortcode-form-14 \">\n<div class=\"nf-signup-intro\">\n<div><span style=\"font-weight:700\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"title-first\">Download our free weight loss guide<\/div>\n<div class=\"title-second\">THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-signup-benefit\">\n<ul>\n<li>Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace<\/li>\n<li>What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating<\/li>\n<li>3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-signup-form\"><img class=\"asset-image\" src=\"&gt;\" \/><\/p>\n<form accept-charset=\"UTF-8\" action=\"https:\/\/app.convertkit.com\/forms\/3351751\/subscriptions\" data-sv-form=\"3351751\" data-uid=\"7a45ac8ba2\" data-version=\"5\" class=\"infusion-form\" data-options=\"{&quot;settings&quot;:{&quot;after_subscribe&quot;:{&quot;action&quot;:&quot;redirect&quot;,&quot;success_message&quot;:&quot;Success! 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method=\"POST\" id=\"inf_form_12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\"><input name=\"inf_form_xid\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" \/><input name=\"inf_form_name\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"Plugin Signup\" \/><input name=\"infusionsoft_version\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"1.68.0.144\" \/><input class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_field_Email\" name=\"email_address\" type=\"email\" required placeholder=\"Your Email\" \/><input name=\"null\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"null\" \/><input style=\"display:none;\" class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_custom_SiteSignupURL\" name=\"inf_custom_SiteSignupURL\" type=\"text\" value=\"http:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/feed\/\" \/><input style=\"display:none;\" class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_custom_SignupPostID\" name=\"inf_custom_SignupPostID\" type=\"text\" value=\"3760601\" \/>\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOriginURL\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOriginLandingPage\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_IPAddress\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"135.125.219.90\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastMedium\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastCampaign\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastSource\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastTerm\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastContent\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOptinFormFilledDate\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"2023-01-25 22:52:01\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_infcustomcoachvariation\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_FacebookBrowserId\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_FacebookClickId\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"infusion-submit\">\t<input class=\"opt-in-submit button infusion-recaptcha\" id=\"recaptcha_12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" type=\"submit\" value=\" Get It Now\" \/><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clearme\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alright, I think that about does it for this article.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, your turn:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are your thoughts on The CICO Diet?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you have a strategy for balancing \u201ccalories in\u201d and \u201ccalories out\u201d?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think I\u2019ve got it all totally wrong?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let me know in the comments!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>-Steve<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>PS: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure you read the rest of our content on sustainable weight loss:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-lose-weight-without-dieting-5-rules-of-weight-loss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 5 Rules of Weight Loss<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/why-cant-i-lose-weight-heres-the-truth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why Can\u2019t I Lose Weight?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/paleo-keto-slow-carb-vegan-how-to-determine-the-perfect-diet-for-you\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which Diet is Right for Me?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">###<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GIF Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/thesimpsons-l2JdTx0ApDOzXVMA0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Millhouse<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/season-5-the-simpsons-5x1-l2Je6zwsmFMhUxjoc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Barney Thumbs Up<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/movie-black-and-white-batman-X5LeLm1YRHVPa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joker<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/math-G4Fbv0dS9RvJS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A Beautiful Mind<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/the-wolf-of-wall-street-duh-TEAa6rnazO8y4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Leo \u201cduh,\u201d<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Photo Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/157013498@N02\/48249223671\/in\/photostream\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A Surprise Performance Appraisal<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/157013498@N02\/48188640556\/in\/photostream\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Against the Current<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/38446022@N00\/2874171158\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">There is always a bigger fish<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/128161151@N08\/49209570997\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dim Sum Trike<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/98327290@N02\/12750417614\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">miam miam<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"footnote-list\" style=\"display:none;\"><span id=\"fn-heading\">Footnotes<\/span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;( returns to text)<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li id=\"footnote-1\" class=\"fn-text\">You can read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/18025815\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this study<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/20628680\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this study<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3225890\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this study<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/18025815\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this study<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3447534\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this study<\/a>, or&#8230;ok fine, you get the point.<a href=\"#refmark-1\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-2\" class=\"fn-text\">Read, \u201cBiological Control of Appetite: A Daunting Complexity.\u201d Source, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5407690\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PubMed<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-2\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-3\" class=\"fn-text\">Read, \u201cEnergetic consequences of thermal and nonthermal food processing.\u201d Source, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3228431\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PubMed<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-3\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-4\" class=\"fn-text\">Read, \u201cGut microbes help the body extract more calories from food.\u201d Source, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2012\/09\/120912125114.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Science Direct<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-4\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-5\" class=\"fn-text\">Hardvard Health takes an interesting look at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/staying-healthy\/why-stress-causes-people-to-overeat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">stress and appetite here<\/a>. Here\u2019s a study on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4989075\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PCOS and metabolism<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-5\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-6\" class=\"fn-text\">Read, \u201cThe Role of Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis in Human Obesity.\u201d Source, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK279077\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PubMed<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-6\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-7\" class=\"fn-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.precisionnutrition.com\/calories-in-calories-out\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Precision Nutrition<\/a> has a great article exploring this topic, if you\u2019re curious.<a href=\"#refmark-7\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-8\" class=\"fn-text\">Read, \u201cRevisiting the role of protein-induced satiation and satiety.\u201d Source, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0268005X1630340X\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Science Direct<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-8\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-9\" class=\"fn-text\">Read, &#8220;Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit.&#8221; Source, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6566799\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PubMed<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-9\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-10\" class=\"fn-text\">Read, &#8220;Increasing muscle mass to improve metabolism.&#8221; Source, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3661116\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PubMed<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-10\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-11\" class=\"fn-text\">Read, \u201cCalorie Estimation in Adults Differing in Body Weight Class and Weight Loss Status.\u201d Source, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5055397\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PubMed<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-11\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-12\" class=\"fn-text\">Read, \u201cEnergy intake and energy expenditure: a controlled study comparing dietitians and non-dietitians.\u201d Source, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/12396160\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PubMed<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-12\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-13\" class=\"fn-text\">Read it straight from the FDA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/regulatory-information\/search-fda-guidance-documents\/guidance-industry-guide-developing-and-using-data-bases-nutrition-labeling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">right here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-13\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-14\" class=\"fn-text\">Read, \u201cFood Label Accuracy of Common Snack Foods.\u201d Source, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3605747\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PubMed<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-14\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-15\" class=\"fn-text\">Read, \u201cIndividuals Underestimate Moderate and Vigorous Intensity Physical Activity.\u201d Source, <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosone\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pone.0097927\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PLOS<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/1454084\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">This study<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/21178922\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this study<\/a> came up with similar results.<a href=\"#refmark-15\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-16\" class=\"fn-text\">Read, \u201cAccuracy in Wrist-Worn, Sensor-Based Measurements of Heart Rate and Energy Expenditure in a Diverse Cohort.\u201d Source, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2075-4426\/7\/2\/3\/htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">PubMed<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-16\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/what-is-the-cico-diet-how-to-count-calories-for-weight-loss\/\">What is the CICO (Calories In, Calories Out) Diet? How to Count Calories for Weight Loss<\/a> first appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\">Nerd Fitness<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s time to learn about The CICO (\u201ccalories in, calories out\u201d) Diet! You probably have questions like:\u00a0 Steve, does CICO work?\u00a0 Will counting calories help me lose weight? Okay, what the hell IS a calorie? Well my friend, you\u2019ve arrived at the right place! I\u2019ve been writing about this stuff for 13 years, and our [\u2026]<br \/>\nThe post What is the CICO (Calories In, Calories Out) Diet? How to Count Calories for Weight Loss first appeared on Nerd Fitness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":""},"categories":[20,1,21,22,19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10317"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10317"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10317\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10356,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10317\/revisions\/10356"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}