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CICO is overrated in my opinion
Replies
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I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?41
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VintageFeline wrote: »GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »VintageFeline wrote: »Munchberry wrote: »CICO is NOT a weight loss plan - it is a math formula that describes the relationship between calories taken in (CI) and calories expended (CO).
Except with all things with the human body it is never quite as simple as it seems. I used to eye roll and tell people it was simple math. No more.
It is simple math. Working out what the numbers in that formula are for the individual takes a little experimentation because there are things that affect CI. But the formula stands.
Well, to be fair, for some people it's more complicated due to some people wringing more calories out of food than other people, but we're talking margins here, you know? CO is also a crap shoot on how efficient you are at exercise too.
Again, this is just margins, but it's also close enough is good enough but it's also sometimes masked by the dreaded water weight on the scale and people get frustrated because they don't know this.
I just noticed I put CI when I meant CO. And now it's way too late to correct and this will haunt me in five years.
message a Mod- they'll fix it for you.2 -
Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
Because food is more plentiful now and we sit on our butts more.32 -
Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
Before I ever knew what CICO and macros were it was "damnit I'm eating to much - I'm going to get fat"
pretty straight forward.16 -
Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
Our ancestors had periods of time where there was no food. Instant CI<CO. Really, how hard is this to understand...20 -
Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
At some points in history, being overweight was a sign of wealth - they feasted regularly on multiple course, indulgent meals.9 -
Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
You are confusing calorie counting/tracking with CICO. CICO just explains what is going on inside the body.
CI<CO = Weight loss...
CI>CO = Weight gain...
CI=CO = Weight maintenance...13 -
Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
Because of more food scarcity, because of that hunter gatherer thing, because of life being completely different to modern life in every single way. When was the last time you chased down a gazelle then butchered it, cooked it, kept a fire going, fashioned any repairs to your shelter and skins you wear for warmth? How far do you walk to get water, forage for berries etc?
So many strawmen, strawmen everywhere!
And now? Some people are just naturally able to maintain their weight or have developed habits to enable them too. I was always overweight as an adult but maintained around the same weight. I never looked at the calorie content of anything, my natural habits kept my weight within a range. Not everyone is a fat *kitten* when faced with plentiful food.9 -
Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
so can you answer the question 'how did you become obese?' if not because of too many calories?5 -
IMO it is understandable how someone can look for any other reason for weight gain. It must be very hard to admit that you gained weight simply because you ate too much. Ironically, the moment you accept responsibility is the moment when you can actually move forward...20
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Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
By personally wrestling it from the ground... chasing it down... or running away from it.8 -
Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
At the risk of stating the obvious, they lost weight by eating less than they burned, they maintained weight by eating the same as the burned and they gained weight by eating more than they burned.
But that's a really wordy way of explaining it, so let's use the simpler CICO.
DUH!16 -
So, I homeschool. I decided to present my 7 year old daughter a "lesson" on the body's energy balance. I used the formula CICO and explained to her what it meant using some of the explanations provided here in this thread. It took about 5 minutes to lay it all out to a young child who has never heard of any of this stuff before.
She immediately understood it and explained it back to me. Then she said "mommy isn't this what you're doing to lose weight right now?"
I said "Yes it is, but in reality we're all doing it all day every day even if we don't know it."
She said "that's cool" and wandered off.
So this isn't exactly complicated stuff, right?
Out of the mouths of babes...34 -
Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
I'm glad you find science so amusing.
I think you, like the OP and others in this thread, are misunderstanding what CICO really is. It doesn't mean counting calories, and it isn't a way of eating. It is simply an energy balance equation - and it is always in play - for our ancestors, for us, whether you eat processed food or nothing but whole foods, whether you are obese, normal weight, or underweight - CICO applies to all of us.
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WinoGelato wrote: »Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
I'm glad you find science so amusing.
I think you, like the OP and others in this thread, are misunderstanding what CICO really is. It doesn't mean counting calories, and it isn't a way of eating. It is simply an energy balance equation - and it is always in play - for our ancestors, for us, whether you eat processed food or nothing but whole foods, whether you are obese, normal weight, or underweight - CICO applies to all of us.
Whether we realize it or not.
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WinoGelato wrote: »Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
I'm glad you find science so amusing.
I think you, like the OP and others in this thread, are misunderstanding what CICO really is. It doesn't mean counting calories, and it isn't a way of eating. It is simply an energy balance equation - and it is always in play - for our ancestors, for us, whether you eat processed food or nothing but whole foods, whether you are obese, normal weight, or underweight - CICO applies to all of us.
Yeah, CICO, like gravity, doesn't exactly play out the way it would in certain cartoons of yesteryear:
https://youtu.be/wohXVDHrrbc?t=2m48s
Whether you know about it or not... it works!13 -
blackmantis wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »Genuinely curious OP - how do you think you lose fat if not via CICO?
Dr Fung the author of "The Obesity Code" claims that calories are not the problem nor the solution. He claims it's the amount of times you spike your insulin.
Dr. Seuss - author of "Green Eggs and Ham" claims that green eggs and ham are delicious on a train, in a box, or on a plane.
He also provides a great deal more objective evidence to support his claim.48 -
blackmantis wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »Genuinely curious OP - how do you think you lose fat if not via CICO?
Dr Fung the author of "The Obesity Code" claims that calories are not the problem nor the solution. He claims it's the amount of times you spike your insulin.
Dr. Seuss - author of "Green Eggs and Ham" claims that green eggs and ham are delicious on a train, in a box, or on a plane.
He also provides a great deal more objective evidence to support his claim.
Something wrong with my mind. I read that as Soylent Green Eggs and Ham.6 -
stanmann571 wrote: »blackmantis wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »Genuinely curious OP - how do you think you lose fat if not via CICO?
Dr Fung the author of "The Obesity Code" claims that calories are not the problem nor the solution. He claims it's the amount of times you spike your insulin.
Dr. Seuss - author of "Green Eggs and Ham" claims that green eggs and ham are delicious on a train, in a box, or on a plane.
He also provides a great deal more objective evidence to support his claim.
Something wrong with my mind. I read that as Soylent Green Eggs and Ham.
Sam I am just got dark.17 -
blackmantis wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »Genuinely curious OP - how do you think you lose fat if not via CICO?
Dr Fung the author of "The Obesity Code" claims that calories are not the problem nor the solution. He claims it's the amount of times you spike your insulin.
Yet, insulin cannot create energy from nothing or make ingested energy disappear. So it is all about the calories3 -
Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
Umm because they barely ate and moved around a lot.
I am calling troll, no one could function in life with this level of ignorance13 -
Aztec4Life wrote: »CICO thinking is like when we thought the earth was flat 500 years ago. I ate about the same calories at 400lbs that I do at 195. But now it's not processed junk.
There are so many factors that effect weight. Gender age fitness genetics stress sleep menstruation etc etc. To think that a simple math equation if energy expenditure regulates weight is ludicrous.
BTW, up until a few years ago I used to think calories caused me to be obese. I'm glad I know better now.
We've known the world was spherical for at least 2000 years.
You didn't eat the same maintenance calories that you do at 195.
There are many factors that impact weight, but CICO accounts for ~90% of this. Nutritional content does not override caloric density concerned with weight management.5 -
Aztec4Life wrote: »CICO thinking is like when we thought the earth was flat 500 years ago. I ate about the same calories at 400lbs that I do at 195. But now it's not processed junk.
There are so many factors that effect weight. Gender age fitness genetics stress sleep menstruation etc etc. To think that a simple math equation if energy expenditure regulates weight is ludicrous.
BTW, up until a few years ago I used to think calories caused me to be obese. I'm glad I know better now.
We've known the world was spherical for at least 2000 years.
You didn't eat the same maintenance calories that you do at 195.
There are many factors that impact weight, but CICO accounts for ~90% of this. Nutritional content does not override caloric density concerned with weight management.
And known within the margin of error of the available instruments the approximate circumference.
Columbus cooked the books/math on the size when he went looking for backers.2 -
stanmann571 wrote: »Aztec4Life wrote: »CICO thinking is like when we thought the earth was flat 500 years ago. I ate about the same calories at 400lbs that I do at 195. But now it's not processed junk.
There are so many factors that effect weight. Gender age fitness genetics stress sleep menstruation etc etc. To think that a simple math equation if energy expenditure regulates weight is ludicrous.
BTW, up until a few years ago I used to think calories caused me to be obese. I'm glad I know better now.
We've known the world was spherical for at least 2000 years.
You didn't eat the same maintenance calories that you do at 195.
There are many factors that impact weight, but CICO accounts for ~90% of this. Nutritional content does not override caloric density concerned with weight management.
And known within the margin of error of the available instruments the approximate circumference.
Columbus cooked the books/math on the size when he went looking for backers.
Follow the money... lol!2 -
Aztec4Life wrote: »I ate about the same calories at 400lbs that I do at 195. But now it's not processed junk.
I'll bet at 400lbs you had no clue how much you were eating...
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Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
I'm curious too- what's the assumption that there were NOT actually fat people way back when?1 -
Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
I'm curious too- what's the assumption that there were NOT actually fat people way back when?
No one was fat before the discovery of sugar.
Here is a self portrait some Greek guy did using a 3D printer:
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Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
If you do not understand that no one has claimed that calorie counting/tracking is necessary to regulate weight, then you are not seriously engaging with the thread and just trolling. Why would you do that?
Also, other species of animals will get fat when they have more food that they need and little necessary activity.8 -
Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
I'm curious too- what's the assumption that there were NOT actually fat people way back when?
No one was fat before the discovery of sugar.
Here is a self portrait some Greek guy did using a 3D printer:
damn- you got me.1 -
Aztec4Life wrote: »I laugh out loud. I wonder how our ancestors regulated weight before they knew what calories were? Or every other species on the planet? Or the 99% of people on earth who dont track calories?
What I'm getting out of this comment is that the key to regulating weight is to ignore calories. As long as you don't count them you're fine. Because CICO only applies if you think about it?14
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