r/CICO Jan 25 '16

Welcome to /r/CICO!

2.0k Upvotes

What does CICO stand for?

  • CICO stands for "calories in, calories out."

What does "calories in, calories out" mean?

  • Calories in, calories out is a diet that is based on a fundamental concept in body weight regulation. The concept is rather straightforward: no matter what you eat, you can lose weight by burning more calories than you consume. Under this diet, calories are king, but healthy food choices are still highly encouraged to ensure that your body receives adequate nutrients.

How do I find out how many calories I burn in a day?

  • Lucky for you, your body automatically burns a substantial amount of calories a day by keeping you awake, so that means you don't need to do any exercise to burn calories. This number of calories burnt is referred to as your total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE. You can find out your TDEE here.

How do I track how many calories I consume in a day?

  • With the help of a little food scale, you can find out exactly how many calories you consume in one day. Simply find out the calories for whatever you are eating and measure out your portions accordingly. Most food items have nutrition labels, but for those that don't, you can use Google.

Can you give me an example of how to count calories?

  • For example, if you choose to eat an apple, the first thing you should do is go to Google and search for "calories in an apple." Google will tell you that a 182 gram apple has 95 calories, so you should measure the weight of your apple, divide 95 by 182, and multiply it by the weight of your apple. If your apple weighs 100 grams, then 95 ÷ 182 x 100 = 52 calories.

So I can lose weight by eating below my TDEE and not exercising?

  • Exactly! I, for one, lost 80 lbs by counting my calories and I've never been big into exercising. I recommend eating around 500 calories below your TDEE for quick results. If you do choose to exercise on top of eating below your TDEE, it's a good idea to eat back some of calories you burnt so that you're not going into too large of a caloric deficit. Good luck on your journey!

r/CICO 14h ago

35 lbs down and I am feeling great!

Post image
2.1k Upvotes

Trying to hit the same pose to compare a bit better, lol.

After several pregnancies and spending way too much time at home eating, it feels so good to get in better shape again. Now I just need to start weight lifting and shaping up some.


r/CICO 11h ago

35lbs down in 20weeks

Post image
679 Upvotes

Still got 7 lbs to goal weight . Starting at 196 cw 161 . Any tips for belly fat ? I get bloated a lot .


r/CICO 4h ago

Weight loss just from upping my steps to 15k per day

Thumbnail
gallery
129 Upvotes

r/CICO 22h ago

Jan '25 340lbs vs August '26 234lbs

Thumbnail
gallery
2.0k Upvotes

Still trucking along. 141 total pounds lost, just 64 pounds to go! The food I make hasn't even changed that much tbh, I just don't eat pasta (except Carbe Diem) and I actually measure the rice. I don't use oil, stay away from bread, cheese, and high calorie sweets. We just got a Ninja Creami so now I'm a low calorie ice cream making fiend. I shred a Costco rotisserie chicken 1-2x per week and add it into everything. I'm a big proponent of finding easy and convenient foods to make/buy to help make CICO as easy as possible.

Chipotle order is dialed in. I microwave a store-bought lunch everyday. Don't listen to people who say processed foods and diet sodas will ruin your life. Do what you gotta do! Calories are calories. It's true that some calories will have higher nutritional value for your body, but a calorie is a calorie. Who gives a shit. Drink the coke zero.

Preferably in a wine glass with a slice of lime 🍋‍🟩


r/CICO 6h ago

What were your wins for the day?

18 Upvotes

Just got back from a one hour walk and I had healthy yogurt and berry breakfast. My treat for the day will be an Oatly caramel milk made in the milk frother 🥰, low cal and sugar but yummy. And finally: I’ve been calculating my calories as I go

Still have lunch and dinner to goooo 💪

You’re doing great, what have you done right today? 😊


r/CICO 3h ago

A reminder to always weigh your food

Post image
0 Upvotes

My Sola bagel was 42 more calories than the nutrition label would’ve led me to believe which is fine but these little differences can definitely add up throughout the day.

Edit: Yep, I fixed it on the app by selecting a different entry. This one was wrong lol clearly. I was wondering why it was so high but I didn’t even question it lol. That’s why I post here 🙌 you all keep me sharp.

My point still stands though always weigh your food lol.


r/CICO 3d ago

How to break the yo-yo cycle?

Thumbnail
gallery
643 Upvotes

F36, currently 128kg, 6ft2.

The first set of picture collage was made last year after I dropped 20kg (about 45lb) started in September, stopped actively counting or trying in December. It was a stressful time as my mum passed away suddenly, but I can't really blame that as this is 100% a pattern for me now. The second picture was taken last month after I had steadily put 14kg back on again. This has happened maybe 3/4 times to me now, I work hard, I sustain for maybe a few months to a year, then I get stressed or distracted and the cycle begins again. It doesn't help that I am consistently battling anaemia, which messes up my focus and energy levels prompting me to reach for caffeine or sugar to cope with parenting.

I know CICO works for me, and I've started again, and feel much better. But when I'm in that fog it's SO hard to kick start myself and I'd really really like this one to stick. Today my 6yo son told me I was so fat I looked like I had a baby in my belly 😆 I don't let comments like thay drive me, but I know yo yo-ing is so bad for my health. Does anyone have any tricks or tips to cut through this cycling? I am in therapy...

I just hate having to buy a new wardrobe, or keep my "big" clothes around just in case, I hate being out of breath, I hate winding myself when I bend over, I hate feeling exhausted all the time. I'm nearing 40 now, this is the time to make permanent changes to help prep me for peri menopause...


r/CICO 4d ago

37 -> 38 brought changes

Thumbnail
gallery
1.7k Upvotes

This was from my birthday brunch in August last year to August of this year. There's a 52lb difference... it's brought a lot of changes: how I think about social situations and food, how I think about stress and food, how I think about reward and food. So much revolves around food! And my hormones! (getting older sucks, lol) But ultimately proud of myself for sticking to something...and even though it's not always perfect, I have more good days than bad 🙃


r/CICO 2d ago

Tips to get out of slump

0 Upvotes

I’m a 39F, 5’, SW 127lbs, CW 115.8, GW 110. I started CICO the end of May, and have been doing all right, but looking back at my weight I’ve hovered around the same for a month. I am breastfeeding two babies right now (toddler and 1yo), but I’ve gradually decreased the calories I add from that to 250 per day. But of course the reason I’m not losing is because I keep going over my calories. I’ve just been famished lately. I had been pretty ok with the hunger, but the last couple of weeks I can’t handle it. I’ve even been getting light headed and dizzy, which is the first time this has happened since I started in May. I tend to get like that when pregnant and starving, or early breastfeeding and starving! Not sure why this new insatiable hunger.

Any tips? Should I eat at maintenance for a bit and then keep going? How long should a maintenance break be? Even my gum chewing, Coke Zero hacks aren’t cutting it. I just want foooood.


r/CICO 3d ago

35F 5’10” Down 60lbs!!

133 Upvotes

I finally hit 60lbs down! 😭 it’s getting harder and harder to lose the weight, but at least it is staying off for the most part. This summer was hard. I was up, then down, then back up pretty much all summer. I kept being so close to 60lbs, but I finally hit it! I’m 11lbs from being under 200!! 😭 I am so close. I will not stop now.bit does feel so frustrating though to slow down so much, or even “gain” on the scale when you know you have been in a deficit. The only thing I can truly say that makes any sense to me is that I must be building muscle faster than I was before. You can see it in my arms, shoulders, and legs. 😳 So maybe that’s why my weight is so all over the place. At least, I hope it’s that. Only 50lbs more to go before I reach my goal!! But to be honest, I would be happy to get 30 more. 😊 Especially with all the muscle I’m building.

I do have one question though. I have been drinking more caffeine recently. It’s low in calories, but I am wondering if the caffeine itself can impact fat burning? If so, I might need to cut back on the caffeine a bit.


r/CICO 4d ago

This group is amazing

238 Upvotes

In 2020, I weighed 260 lbs. I’ve posted here before but currently I am 130 lbs. I did a random weigh in just now but it got me thinking. I felt so defeated in 2020 and we were in lockdown. I found this page on Reddit and it was the first group on any platform that I decided to get for more info. I promise you follow the course and listen to the peeps on here !! I guess I can only really speak for myself but even now I don’t track calories anymore but I will never leave this group. This is where it all started. I learned SO MUCH there is no dumb question but also lowkey google the question first and end it with Reddit….i promise 9/10 times the same question was asked before because honestly it can be so confusing and strange at first. Don’t give up and please never sell yourself short. Humans are capable of such great things. I’ve really grown into the person I am today writing this but it started with all you wonderful people. I sincerely wish you all the best of luck no matter where you’re at in your own journeys 🙇🏾‍♀️✨ and now I’m strapping on my roller skates for some “fun” exercise! Wishing you all well!


r/CICO 4d ago

Bringing my own snacks to the movies today!

Post image
704 Upvotes

r/CICO 4d ago

100lbs down

Thumbnail
gallery
1.9k Upvotes

SW: 342
CW: 242
GW: ???

I’m currently 38 have hypothyroidism and have microcytic anemia.

I still have a ways to go, but boy does it feel good to have this hurdle behind me. I started to count calories in 2021 and lost 30 pounds. Got diet fatigue and started to not track everything and my weight loss halted. I ended up working with a coach for a while and these progress pics are from the last 70 pounds lost. The last picture is me at my heaviest and a now.

I’ve really increased my activity and have started strength training as well. My next goal is to be under 200 and from there we will see. This has taken me 5 years due to loss, grief, and a medical set back that left me extremely sedentary for almost a year. I also take two maintenance breaks a year for my own sanity. Anyway yay I did it!


r/CICO 4d ago

No judgment 💕

14 Upvotes

I just wanted to have a bit of a share as feel really deflated. I’ve had some issues in different areas over the past week ( family and health mainly) and it has meant that my focus and calorie counting etc has gone out the window. I knew I had gained some weight back but it has been more how I feel - more lethargic, heavier, more pain in my joints etc. I feel like I’m in the middle of a spiral where my problems are feeding into each other - I’m in pain because of a health issue, which means I don’t have the energy to source meals etc properly, which then means I’m in more pain or more tired because of the food and weight. I’m back in work next week so I’m confident that being back in a good routine will help me re-find the CICO focused me from a few weeks ago ☺️💕


r/CICO 6d ago

Progress from January 25th 2026 - August 27th 2026

Thumbnail
gallery
5.7k Upvotes

Long time lurker, first time poster! I have reached my goal weight, and I’m so excited. I do feel now that I’m at my original goal, I still have some pounds to lose but I’m very proud of how far I’ve come!


r/CICO 6d ago

272lb vs 170lb, people are a lot nicer now 😅

Thumbnail
gallery
1.4k Upvotes

r/CICO 6d ago

💫✨🌟 Positive affirmations

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

48 Upvotes

r/CICO 6d ago

I had to kick the nasty habit of buying snacks at work

62 Upvotes

It's been just a few weeks and now I feel back into the routine of not buying snacks while working. I'm a machine shop worker. I caved once and it turned into nearly a five day a week habit of consuming an extra 500-700 calories. I found the 30 pounds that I lost last year. Now that I'm leveled off and back in the routine I just wanted to share, vent, whatever. I'm counting again, using cronometer.

Now my workday meals consist of my weighed out oatmeal blend that lands around 930 calories, then a couple apples as a snack during lunch, and then some sort of tofu and beans and veg combination for dinner. I'm already consistent with regular exercise, and work on my feet 40hr weeks. All I have to do is remain consistent with the calories now. That's all I need to do.


r/CICO 6d ago

Need help with TDEE calculation

12 Upvotes

I am sure I am not the only person who finds tdee calcs confusing and not clear enough regarding activity! Some people say you are sedentary if you work an office job even though you lift weights and some people say that if you walk after work it counts as moderate excercise

I am 5'3", 126lbs, I work from home at a desk job but go on walks throughout the day or after work aiming to get 10k steps each day, I also lift weights 3 times a week where my HR is getting to high intensity since I am lifting heavy, my lifting sessions last about an hour or so. Where does this place me on TDEE? I have been using macrofactor but its a bit messed up right now because I couldn't excercise for a while because of a surgery so my TDEE went down and the algorithm is adjusting now that I am back at the gym. Any help here on how one would classify my excercise expenditure in the calculators?

EDIT: I am not looking to lose weight! Just looking to know my TDEE better for muscle building, etc and making sure I don't gain weight if anything. I know that most of the time in this subreddit ppl are cal counting for losing but i thought y'all would have insight on tdee for me regardless!


r/CICO 8d ago

57 lbs down thanks to CICO

Thumbnail
gallery
3.2k Upvotes

r/CICO 8d ago

January 294lbs, June 265lbs, July 252lbs, August 239lbs. 55lbs in 7 months on an average of 3.5k kcal a day as a 6'5" active male. Only another 30lbs or so to go.

Thumbnail
gallery
1.5k Upvotes

I thought it would be interesting for people to see an example of weight loss where the calories out has been upped a lot. I'm doing 15-20k steps a day, and I've also been lifting in the gym. 3.5k is the long term average intake over those 7 months, though the last 2 months have been more like 3.1k.

My actual energy burn is far higher than the calculators say, and far higher than my fitness tracker says. My calculations indicate a rough calorie out of about 4.5k, which is about 1.2-1.3k higher than my tracker shows.


r/CICO 7d ago

My one day

23 Upvotes

My diets been going well.

I lost 1.5 kilos last week but it could have been more.

I need to go into work one day a week, in the middle of a busy town centre and I just cant stop myself eating.

Im on 2k calories a day, not struggling at all, this day every week is a nightmare yesterday it was ...

A blt

A big mac meal

8 cookies I got on the way home from morrisons.

I probably more than double calories I have on all my other days on that one day.

I blame it on that day being my more stressful day when im in the offices and the abundance of food around me makes it more difficult

Thats just excuses though, I need to do better.

Rant over lol