Calories in, Calories out... really the way to go?

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  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    #proofisinthepudding
  • Adamsa1969
    Adamsa1969 Posts: 20 Member
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    _dracarys_ wrote: »
    CICO + Intermittent Fasting + IIFYM = how I lost all my weight.

    How does the intermittent fasting work?
  • sunfastrose
    sunfastrose Posts: 543 Member
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    Start with counting calories (CICO) and then go from there to tweaks. Get used to the process before going to the next step.
  • Fursian
    Fursian Posts: 524 Member
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    innerhottie wrote: »
    I'm a yo-yo dieter. Have been ever since 5th grade when I was told I needed to go on a diet while at a slumber party with "friends".
    I've tried it all... diet pills, low carb, weight watchers... I can lose it, but I always gain it back.
    I've been reading some threads and posts on here today (while iced in in NC) and thinking of trying just good old calorie counting.
    I have a fitbit and I enjoy working out, I love food, but I CAN lose weight when I put my mind to it.

    Any thoughts, tips, stories? Do you strictly count calories or do you really adhere to a number of macros (carbs, sugar, protein, fat?)
    Looking for something for the long haul.

    I'm having success with CICO. When I first started, the macros were a bit overwhelming (this whole site was overwhelming to me actually when I first saw it, and I didn't return for a good 5-6 months), and to not complicate things, I just ignored the macros and focused on hitting the daily calorie goal MFP had set for me. About a month in I started to try hit my protein and fat goals. :)

  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    edited January 2016
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    That's the only way to lose weight. CI/CO=(as long as your in a deficit)weight loss ;)
  • FabianRodriguez94
    FabianRodriguez94 Posts: 221 Member
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    CICO is the only road to weight loss. And it's pretty awesome to be able to enjoy whatever foods you like, as long as you control the portions :)
  • tracie_minus100
    tracie_minus100 Posts: 465 Member
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    I have been a yo yo dieter for most of my adult life (I'm 35 now). I tried all the fads, and would lose some, then gain it all back and then some within a fairly short amount of time. It wasn't until I dropped my excuses, dropped my previous "all or nothing" approach, and adopted the CICO mentality and started working on teaching myself moderation that I really found success. (I also worked hard on getting over my issues with emotional eating). I've lost over 94lbs in the last year while still having things like cookies, ice cream, etc here and there. I don't feel restricted or deprived.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
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    dubird and pinklotus have it right! Cut a little at a time- don't go crazy throwing out all the sugar in the house, and only buying vegetables or whatever. Log for a week, see what you ate, see where your calories are coming from, and where and what foods you'd really like to be 'spending' them on. Then gradually cut calories, eat slimmer, and see what happens.
    Don't jump into an exercise program so fast and so hard that you hurt yourself along the way- Pain, aside from 'good muscle soreness', isn't going to make you want to work out. Go slow, be kind to yourself and recognize that baby steps will take you a very long way. :)
  • tincanonastring
    tincanonastring Posts: 3,944 Member
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    Wow. Expected a trainwreck and was pleasantly disappointed!

    These are great replies, OP. I especially liked the advice about learning the process before worrying about the fine tuning. Learning to log correctly while gaining an understanding of the various calorie management basics will give you a solid start on your path to not just lose the weight, but to keep it off.
  • innerhottie
    innerhottie Posts: 163 Member
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    I am loving all of the advice and information. Thank you!
    I logged all day today and I am about 35 calories over right now (and had a big dinner... LOL)
    Definitely see ways to fine tune and plan. Thanks again!
  • sanfromny
    sanfromny Posts: 770 Member
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    innerhottie wrote: »
    I am loving all of the advice and information. Thank you!
    I logged all day today and I am about 35 calories over right now (and had a big dinner... LOL)
    Definitely see ways to fine tune and plan. Thanks again!

    Great job...as cold as it is I'm sure a little shivering will burn off that 35 extra! lol. Just keep at it and when you fall off get back up and do it again. I'm back here now trying to do it again, for good
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Adamsa1969 wrote: »
    _dracarys_ wrote: »
    CICO + Intermittent Fasting + IIFYM = how I lost all my weight.

    How does the intermittent fasting work?

    Basically, I condense my calories in a window of time (11am-7pm, give or take a little), then fast (except for water) the rest of the time. A lot of that time is sleep anyway. For instance, my first meal of the day is lunch at 11 and it's usually in the 500-600 calorie range. Snack at 3ish is ~200 calories. Dinner is around 6 and is in the 600-700 range. My goal is only 1500 because I'm a desk jockey and I don't do much cardio.

    It's a way of manipulating your calorie goal so that you can have larger meals, but still stay within your goal. I'm not hungry in the morning, so waiting to break my fast until later in the day doesn't bother me. I just have a cup of coffee and water in the morning. I prefer this way of eating because I like large volumes of food (how I got fat), but it helps me stay within my calorie goal because I'm satiated. You just have to know what foods will keep you feeling full for longer periods of time. There is some trial and error to it, but it's how I lost the bulk of my weight.
  • Jbell0213
    Jbell0213 Posts: 189 Member
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    Thanks for a the responses too guys. Good info. I have been at this 35 days and I'm down 8.5 pounds. I never realized how much I was eating before. I had all of my day calories in at breakfast. Making better choices now.
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
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    Power walk every day. Lost 57 lbs. in 1 year.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited January 2016
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    From your original post it appears that you tend to go on a diet, lose weight, then regain. I think you could benefit from calorie counting for a few reasons: if your diet is not too different from what you are already eating you might feel like it's more of a modification than a complete overhaul of your eating habits, which makes sticking to it easier. Weighing and measuring your food will also help you understand how certain foods look for certain calories and use that information later to help you maintain your weight. For example, what does an 800 calorie pizza meal look like? For my choice of pizza that's 3 slices + a diet drink. Even when I'm not dieting I have learned that eating any more than that in pizza is pushing it. Same for any meals that you have often. If you pick up this information during your dieting phase and use it when you reach your goal, you are less likely to regain much.
  • Shesaleo18
    Shesaleo18 Posts: 126 Member
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    I was genuinely interested what people thought of the article I thought it was quite interesting. And then I got marked as spam...what tha???
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
    edited February 2016
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    Shesaleo18 wrote: »
    I was genuinely interested what people thought of the article I thought it was quite interesting. And then I got marked as spam...what tha???

    For the record I didn't mark your post as spam. To get it removed, you can click the "Flag" --> "Report" link, choose the "other" category and ask the mods to remove. We sometimes get people randomly promote websites in discussion topics, so it looks like a couple of people thought that's what you were doing

    As for your link and feedback you were seeking, you may wish to start your own thread
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    If the tactics used to lose weight (diets) are not sustainable for the rest of your life, there's a very high chance you will continue to yo yo. Gradually improve towards a system that is sustainable in the long term
  • lawmaria
    lawmaria Posts: 184 Member
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    What is CICO? I have been trying to follow along with everyone's comments. In the deficit, what does that mean? Should I eat or not eat back the calories I get from working out? Also, how do I figure out what my actual daily calories should be. 6 days a week I workout - Either MMAxout workouts for 45 mins or kickboxing/bag workouts for 45 mins. I am at a standstill and can't figure out what the heck is going on? I was doing weightwatchers in Dec, but recently stopped (lost on average about 1lb a week). Since I have stopped, I have not lost. Any suggestions or help, thanks.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    lawmaria wrote: »
    What is CICO? I have been trying to follow along with everyone's comments. In the deficit, what does that mean? Should I eat or not eat back the calories I get from working out? Also, how do I figure out what my actual daily calories should be. 6 days a week I workout - Either MMAxout workouts for 45 mins or kickboxing/bag workouts for 45 mins. I am at a standstill and can't figure out what the heck is going on? I was doing weightwatchers in Dec, but recently stopped (lost on average about 1lb a week). Since I have stopped, I have not lost. Any suggestions or help, thanks.

    Calories In Calories Out

    No matter what weight loss program you are on, all weight loss results from a calorie deficit, your CI<CO.

    If you enter accurate data in MFP and a reasonable goal (1 lb/week) then it should provide you a calorie goal with a deficit built in. This will not include exercise calories, so when you do work out you should log and eat back those calories (many estimates are overinflated so people tend to only eat back 50-75%).

    Log everything you eat, ideally using a food scale for accuracy.

    You should read the stickied Most Helpful posts at the top of the forum sections, you will find a lot of the answers to your questions there.

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