Honest & Quick CICO Diet Review In 5 Items
CICO stands for Calories In, Calories Out. This diet promises weight loss through consuming fewer calories per day than your body burns.
In other words, you can eat as much as you like as long as you burn fewer calories. This may seem familiar and make more sense.
Although the CICO diet might sound novel, the concept itself is not new. The CICO diet might be right for you if you’re tired of trying new diets. The CICO diet is not a diet but a strategy to help people lose weight.
Experts agree that CICO’s idea is true. If you eat less than what you burn, you will lose weight.
The diet does not exclude any food, making it easier to begin than other restrictive diets.
Many experts and dietitians still believe that the CICO diet is not effective. Let’s see why!
CICO Diet May Make You Nutrient Deficient
The quality of your calories is just as important as how many calories you eat.
Many people who adopt the CICO diet focus only on calories and make poor choices. The CICO diet does not provide the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that your body needs to stay healthy, active, focused, and happy.
One pilot study saw 104 obese people undergo a low-calorie diet for three months. Their micronutrient levels were either lower or increased after the diet.
Micronutrient levels of Vitamin C and zinc were significantly lower, respectively. These micronutrients play an important role in boosting immunity, healing and repair, and protecting oxidation.
The CICO Diet Is Not Sustainable
It can be difficult to count calories and track them properly, eventually leading to burnout.
It takes a lot of math, dedication, and discipline. Sometimes it may mean giving up your social life or other activities and experiences.
These diets can trigger obsessive or disordered eating behavior.
The CICO Diet May Lead To Disordered Eating Behaviors
The CICO diet can benefit some people, but it may not work for everyone. This is because the diet can lead to obsessiveness about one’s food intake, leading to unhealthy eating habits.
It is simple to determine if you are on the right path, especially since the CICO diet is straightforward.
Dr. Steven Crawford, co-director of the Center for Eating Disorders, Sheppard Pratt, Maryland, says that “Counting calories” is a fairly specific behavior. Either you reach your caloric goal, or you don’t.
Perfectionist tendencies can be exacerbated by a lack of a daily caloric goal.
Additionally, focusing your whole diet on numbers can take away the joy and enjoyment of eating. It discourages us from connecting with our bodies and being mindful.
Other Factors Involved In Weight Regulation Are Not Considered By The CICO Diet
The CICO Diet doesn’t consider all factors that can influence weight loss.
It fails to account for different macronutrients which influence changes in body composition.
Protein, for example, has a greater thermic impact on food (TEF) than dietary fats and carbohydrates. TEF refers to the energy you expend from the digestion, absorption, and disposal of nutrients.
If you follow the CICO diet and eat a lot of carbs, your body will burn fewer calories than if it was mostly protein.
Second, it does not account for muscle gains. You may lose 10 lbs of body fat while gaining 10 lbs of muscle on the CICO diet. Many people will still believe they are not losing weight by looking at the scale.
It is important to consider how you feel when tracking your progress. A pound of muscle is denser than a fat pound.
Hormone theories also exist regarding weight regulation. These theories blame hormones like insulin and leptin for obesity.
Your Metabolism May Be Affected By The CICO Diet
Your metabolism can slow down if you have a large caloric deficit (eating significantly fewer calories than you burn), which could lead to exactly the opposite of your goal.
Your metabolism refers to how quickly your body processes food. Although you might lose weight initially, your metabolism will increase over time. Many people who adhere to diet plans end up gaining weight.
Unfortunately, a slower metabolism may be permanent. One participant in the “Biggest Loser” lost over 100 pounds during the competition and then gained it back.
To maintain his weight, he must now consume 800 calories less per day than an average man his age.
Last Words
Although the CICO diet’s premise is correct, the approach is.
It is important to know how many calories you are eating if you want to lose weight, maintain weight, or build muscle.
It is important to ensure that you eat whole foods and that they contain a balanced amount of carbs, fats, and protein. The best diet is one that is flexible, sustainable, and enjoyable.
For me, intuitive eating is the best way to eat. I find listening to my internal hunger and fullness cues (also known as intuitive eating) is the best. Remember that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to eating.
