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Does Simple CICO Work Just As Well As Clean Eating To Improve Body Tone As You Lose?
amyn73
Posts: 241 Member
in Debate Club
So my question relates to some conflicting info. I keep hearing on this site. So many people claim CICO is the key to losing weight. I get it. You have to be in a deficit. But then you get the "no processed foods, cut everything white, etc" camp. This seems to conflict with the people who say " eat all the food you like, just stay in a deficit." So, which is it? Do we need to eat clean or follow CICO? And I'm not saying that the CICO camp is advocating eating cheeseburgers and chocolate chip cookies to meet your calories for the day....but I do wonder if it's important to be really aware of processed foods and less gealthy choices, especially to avoid being thin and flabby.
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CICO is a condensed way to describe the energy balance equation that leads to weight loss or gain. It is not synonymous with calorie counting and does not describe anything to do with health, muscle tone, or body fat percentage. For that you need to hit your micros & macros, get enough fluids, enough sleep, and most people will need some form of resistance training depending on their unique goals. This can be done with or without clean eating.11
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CICO for weight loss.
Macros/micros for body composition and health.
Some people follow the IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros). You will find that in order to fit your macros, you need to eat mostly whole foods and can fit in some portions of less than "ideal" foods.
I find a lot of times on the boards people who claim to eat "mostly" clean tend to eat the same as people who follow the IIFYM. People who eat "clean" often follow an 80/20, 90/10, whatever split. Often it comes out to the same.
I was a "clean" eater for a long time. I no longer fear foods but my diet is still primarily whole foods with some more processed foods occasionally.4 -
This is a long but very thoughtful, and thought provoking, article by Alan Aragon.
A nice mixture of science and common sense. It gives a good perspective on your "but I do wonder if it's important to be really aware of processed foods and less healthy choices, especially to avoid being thin and flabby" question.
http://www.simplyshredded.com/research-review-the-dirt-on-clean-eating-written-by-nutrition-expert-alan-aragon.html3 -
Do a search and read this thread, it may answer a few questions---by Dvdgzz "CICO-still skeptical?"0
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snowflake954 wrote: »Do a search and read this thread, it may answer a few questions---by Dvdgzz "CICO-still skeptical?"
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10348650/cico-still-skeptical-come-inside-for-a-meticulous-log-that-proves-it/p13 -
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snowflake954 wrote: »Do a search and read this thread, it may answer a few questions---by Dvdgzz "CICO-still skeptical?"
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10348650/cico-still-skeptical-come-inside-for-a-meticulous-log-that-proves-it/p1
Thanks zyxst!1 -
Thanks for all the replies. I appreciate it!0
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I second the notion that weight loss is dictated by a calorie deficit while body composition and health are dictated by macro/micronutrient intake and exercise.
How you get your macro/micronutrients doesn't matter (processed vs clean) so long as you get them without going over calorie goals. Eating clean may or may not cause you to achieve this but focusing on the proper intake of nutrients while maintaining a deficit will typically result in a diet that's mostly whole foods (which is only one definition of "clean") with "treats" mixed in (this is IIFYM in a nutshell).
How you exercise will depend on goals. Resistance training will improve body composition, bone health and other things while cardio will improve cardiovascular health, stamina and other things.3 -
The OP confuses me. If you realize you have to be in a deficit why would you need to ask if CICO works? CICO and 'must be in a deficit' are both saying the same thing.
If we are only talking fat loss then you do not have to eat clean (by any definition of the term).0 -
CICO to lose weight and macro/micro counting for body composition. I suggest you do some type of resistance training to build and preserve muscle as well because CICO alone won't get you where you need in terms of actual fat loss. Tried that myself and became skinny-fat. Was a pain to fix...1
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why do people keep saying cheeseburgers are junk?
for the OP tho...deficit for weight loss, macros for health and nutrition, exercise for health and fitness.
Yes I eat whatever I want and lose weight but because I get in enough protein and fats and do resistance training and stay in a deficit I lose weight, keep as much muscle as I can so I am getting lean without being soft.1 -
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Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
maybe but my Cheeseburgers are extra lean ground beef/pork with spices and bbq sauce cheese avocado and mayo etc...nothing junky about it...2 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
maybe but my Cheeseburgers are extra lean ground beef/pork with spices and bbq sauce cheese avocado and mayo etc...nothing junky about it...
My mouth just started watering..... I can haz cheezburger?1 -
So my question relates to some conflicting info. I keep hearing on this site. So many people claim CICO is the key to losing weight. I get it. You have to be in a deficit. But then you get the "no processed foods, cut everything white, etc" camp. This seems to conflict with the people who say " eat all the food you like, just stay in a deficit." So, which is it? Do we need to eat clean or follow CICO? And I'm not saying that the CICO camp is advocating eating cheeseburgers and chocolate chip cookies to meet your calories for the day....but I do wonder if it's important to be really aware of processed foods and less gealthy choices, especially to avoid being thin and flabby.
how are you defining clean eating?
how are you defining "processed"?
eat to your calorie goal and make sure you hit your macro and micro-nutrient needs..
no food is bad/unhealthy/whatever in the context of a diet that hits all three of the above needs.
end of story and end of thread..3
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