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Why do people deny CICO ?
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Caralarma
Posts: 174 Member
So many people just don't grasp the concept of calories in calories out. They tell me that not all calories are equal and that you have to eat healthy to lose weight. I used to argue with these people but lately I just smile and nod. It's worked for me.. I eat basically anything I want and have lost 5 kg. I feel so many more people would be successful at weight loss if they just grasped this simple scientific concept. I'm hoping to reach my ultimate weight and then write a blog list about how I did it and prove all the CICO deniers wrong
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Replies
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Partly because of the diet industry, and partly because of poor education on actual proper nutrition. And people who don't want to admit when they're wrong.65
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Because they want to believe it's not that simple.81
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People often want a quick fix, are impatient and lazy, and don't want to put in the work in. So many people think I am crazy for logging and weighing my food. Let them think that as they munch on their Doritos. See if I care.58
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Because work (exercise) and reducing calories ("denying" oneself) are foreign/unpopular concepts to many.41
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All calories are equal but not all calories are equally nutritious. I think that's the confusion people have. I could eat 1500 calories of little Debbie's and lose weight but I'd feel awful and probably lose hair and my nails would be brittle. For weight loss yes it's CICO but it's not necessarily good for nutrition.169
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jefamer2017 wrote: »All calories are equal but not all calories are equally nutritious. I think that's the confusion people have. I could eat 1500 calories of little Debbie's and lose weight but I'd feel awful and probably lose hair and my nails would be brittle. For weight loss yes it's CICO but it's not necessarily good for nutrition.
The majority of diets that only include one food, whether it's Little Debbie snack cakes or broccoli, are going to result in failing to meet nutritional needs. But this doesn't change how weight loss works. It's a whole other topic. A calorie is just a way to measure energy in a food, not nutrition.
CICO isn't good or bad for nutrition, it's just a description of how weight loss is created.66 -
I have spent four years investigating this fascinating phenomenon, and this is my conclusion so far: Human beings are social animals. So people don't want easy and comfortable strategies to effectively reach their weightloss and fitness goals, people want to do pointless and hard, but also exciting, symbolic weightloss things, so they can feel that they're doing something, impress their peers, share struggles with them, and then have the necessary excuses to sabotage themselves, because people don't want to be outcasts. People are also deeply religious, even in our seemingly secular societies; a constant need to confess and repent for indulging in worldly pleasures. People also don't easily grasp concepts, so they want and need clear-cut rules, recipes and fat burning exercises. People, sheeple.68
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Because it can't possibly be that simple...
I find that human beings like to make things complicated for some reason...it's never the easy answer.35 -
I'm hoping to reach my ultimate weight and then write a blog list about how I did it and prove all the CICO deniers wrong
Of course the deniers will have none of that. They'll claim that you were one of the lucky ones and that their body type, blood type, thyroid issue, and anything else is what renders the science inapplicable to them.
Then they'll let apple cider vinegar and the latest detox separate them from their money....
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Maybe I'm lucky in that I haven't run across that many CICO deniers.
That said, I do think most people bring other health goals into their dietary system in addition to CICO (lower cholesterol, more fiber or nutrients, etc) and sometimes mention of those aspects can come across or be misconstrued as a denial of CICO.20 -
The fact is that the principle of CICO for weight loss is effective in practice. Recording what you eat and keeping a calorie deficit, which is, at the fundamental level, what causes weight loss, is highly effective process for someone with that goal. But, it's also way too simplistic. Though it is a "simple scientific concept", the body isn't. When you have a biological environment that has higher insulin, that does change how people's bodies manage metabolism.
So, at one level, CICO is a good tool. At deeper level, it's not that simple. Anyone that has a deeper understanding of biology knows this, or should. Just because it is a good methodology doesn't mean it's all things. We argue about this because we want to live in a binary world. Calories matter, not doubt. But, composition does, too.
Ultimately, who's more right isn't important. If CICO works for someone's quest to lose weight, it just doesn't matter (and no blog of an anecdotal nature will convince me otherwise, though I will cheer your success nonetheless).99 -
terryritter1 wrote: »The fact is that the principle of CICO for weight loss is effective in practice. Recording what you eat and keeping a calorie deficit, which is, at the fundamental level, what causes weight loss, is highly effective process for someone with that goal. But, it's also way too simplistic. Though it is a "simple scientific concept", the body isn't. When you have a biological environment that has higher insulin, that does change how people's bodies manage metabolism.
So, at one level, CICO is a good tool. At deeper level, it's not that simple. Anyone that has a deeper understanding of biology knows this, or should. Just because it is a good methodology doesn't mean it's all things. We argue about this because we want to live in a binary world. Calories matter, not doubt. But, composition does, too.
Ultimately, who's more right isn't important. If CICO works for someone's quest to lose weight, it just doesn't matter (and no blog of an anecdotal nature will convince me otherwise, though I will cheer your success nonetheless).
Case in point...42 -
Because if it isn't CICO...
...it's them.59 -
terryritter1 wrote: »The fact is that the principle of CICO for weight loss is effective in practice. Recording what you eat and keeping a calorie deficit, which is, at the fundamental level, what causes weight loss, is highly effective process for someone with that goal. But, it's also way too simplistic. Though it is a "simple scientific concept", the body isn't. When you have a biological environment that has higher insulin, that does change how people's bodies manage metabolism.
So, at one level, CICO is a good tool. At deeper level, it's not that simple. Anyone that has a deeper understanding of biology knows this, or should. Just because it is a good methodology doesn't mean it's all things. We argue about this because we want to live in a binary world. Calories matter, not doubt. But, composition does, too.
Ultimately, who's more right isn't important. If CICO works for someone's quest to lose weight, it just doesn't matter (and no blog of an anecdotal nature will convince me otherwise, though I will cheer your success nonetheless).
Regardless of any of the things you mention, are you saying a person in those situations won't lose weight if they eat fewer calories than their body burns?
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terryritter1 wrote: »The fact is that the principle of CICO for weight loss is effective in practice. Recording what you eat and keeping a calorie deficit, which is, at the fundamental level, what causes weight loss, is highly effective process for someone with that goal. But, it's also way too simplistic. Though it is a "simple scientific concept", the body isn't. When you have a biological environment that has higher insulin, that does change how people's bodies manage metabolism.
So, at one level, CICO is a good tool. At deeper level, it's not that simple. Anyone that has a deeper understanding of biology knows this, or should. Just because it is a good methodology doesn't mean it's all things. We argue about this because we want to live in a binary world. Calories matter, not doubt. But, composition does, too.
Ultimately, who's more right isn't important. If CICO works for someone's quest to lose weight, it just doesn't matter (and no blog of an anecdotal nature will convince me otherwise, though I will cheer your success nonetheless).
It is that simple. The problem is with those who believe they have a deeper understanding of biology, but have enough just enough basic knowledge to create confirmation bias.
This is why there's just a textbook titled "Biochemistry" and not "Terry's Biochemistry".47 -
We do love our Gordian knots.11
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Because they've been bamboozled by the weight loss industry that wants them yo stay fat so they can keep selling them products.32
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Because if it isn't CICO...
...it's them.
I have also come to this conclusion. If weight loss is some mysterious and complicated thing, no one can blame them for not achieving it. If it's that simple, then the ability was with them all along and there are no excuses. People don't like that.55 -
janejellyroll wrote: »jefamer2017 wrote: »All calories are equal but not all calories are equally nutritious. I think that's the confusion people have. I could eat 1500 calories of little Debbie's and lose weight but I'd feel awful and probably lose hair and my nails would be brittle. For weight loss yes it's CICO but it's not necessarily good for nutrition.
The majority of diets that only include one food, whether it's Little Debbie snack cakes or broccoli, are going to result in failing to meet nutritional needs. But this doesn't change how weight loss works. It's a whole other topic. A calorie is just a way to measure energy in a food, not nutrition.
CICO isn't good or bad for nutrition, it's just a description of how weight loss is created.
My point was the confusion people are having is that they think calories are different because of nutrition. I used an extreme example for effect. Read what I said. I literally said for weight loss yes it's CICO. I know this. I said this.20
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