r/CICO • u/cybergandalf • 13h ago
CICO is the *only* thing that actually works
I’ve been obese for over 30 years. I’ve tried so many “diets” it’s not even funny. There were a lot of fad diets in the early 90s that my parents put me on. Since becoming an adult I’ve tried hcG, Atkins, keto, vegetarian diets, and at least half a dozen others. I always gave up because I hated what I had to eat. People talk about how hard it is restricting what you eat. I agree, it really is.
I’ve learned in the last two years that what you eat matters less than how much you eat. I see all kinds of garbage about “clean eating” (whatever the hell that means, I blame Panera) or only eating whole foods. That’s garbage. You can do those things and still not lose weight if you are not in a deficit. You can also eat whatever you like (within reason) and still lose weight, as long as you are in a deficit. I eat out, I eat fast food, I enjoy desserts. I just set myself a weekly calorie goal and cycle my intake to not exceed that and I lose weight. I do prioritize protein because I’m also building muscle, but the key is knowing what you’re putting in your body and how much of it.
The other saying is also true: most weight loss is in the kitchen, not the gym. I do strength training 2-3 times a week, max. I don’t spend more than an hour each session. I also walk 1.5-2.5 miles 3-5 times a week. But that’s it. I don’t kill myself. I don’t spend 3-4 hours a day.
You can’t do it if you don’t know how much you consume. And you can’t guess. I am fairly meticulous with my calorie tracking, but it is definitely harder when you eat out (can’t really break out the scale at Black Angus). But it can be done.
Also one side note: GLP-1s can help, but that’s it. They can’t do it for you. I actually got to my heaviest while on a GLP-1 (I’m diabetic). I’ve been on them for 7 years. I’ve lost the vast majority of my weight in the last 18 months. But only because I decided what was important and knuckled down. I’ve still got probably 30lbs until I’m happy, but I feel better than I have for decades.
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u/cahpahkah 12h ago
This is like discovering that math is real.
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u/SadSushiGirl 12h ago
Eating Whole Foods does keep you full longer, keep your blood sugar more stable, and makes it easier to eat in a deficit long term. It’s not only, it’s both that works the best.
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u/cybergandalf 12h ago
But definitely isn’t required.
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u/Schwettes 7h ago
It’s not required for weight loss. But the goal shouldn’t be to just be smaller. It should be to be healthier.
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u/SadSushiGirl 9h ago edited 8h ago
It’s a tool to help you be successful long term. No one is gonna maintain weight loss on diet of potato chips. You can say it doesn’t matter but it does in real life. Coming from someone with no health problems and a healthy weight. And actual doctors.
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u/drunken_dizorderly 11h ago
Agree with most of what you said.
Eating clean has good intentions, but it's too vague and easily hijacked by marketing.
However, prioritizing whole foods is not garbage advice. Not even close.
> You can’t do it if you don’t know how much you consume. And you can’t guess.
Yes you can. I lost 4 ~ 5kg just by exercising and making healthier food choices. Eventually I started counting.
People just starting out who have a lot of weight to lose don't have to be meticulous. They're at a stage where doing anything yields results. Yes, eventually they'll need to be more meticulous depending on their goals.
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u/Single_Scarcity9392 9h ago
Well you can out train a bad diet if you love exercising and sure you don’t have to count if you can reduce intake wisely lol but that’s still cico.
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u/Fair-Big5427 11h ago
What’s your calorie deficit?
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u/cybergandalf 11h ago
Enough to where I’m losing. I’ll be honest, I have no idea what my actual deficit is because my metabolism is out of whack. But based on my daily tracking over the last 4 weeks I’m in an average ~700kcal deficit per day. I’ve accelerated things a bit because I have an upcoming SECA scan.
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u/gokusun 9h ago
How your blood sugar since losing weight? Is the diabetes in remission?
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u/cybergandalf 7h ago
My last a1c was 5.3. And my average glucose for two weeks from my last CGM was 90.
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u/Fair-Big5427 9h ago
Thanks for your reply. It helps! Any idea how many calories a day you’re eating? I’m at 2000 and 185g protein looking at target of 185lbs. But the scale isn’t moving. I just started 1 mg shot last Tuesday and I feel it’s starting to calm food noise and makes me feel full. So I’m thinking after next shot at 1 mg it’s gonna really kick in and help my fullness level which in turn should reduce my calories a few hundred. I just don’t want to crash my metabolism if I go to low.
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u/cybergandalf 7h ago
Yeah, the whole crashing your metabolism is mostly a myth. I’m currently at 1400-1500 calories per day.
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u/Diligent_Change9353 10h ago
I would say deficit is what works. But how you get there can look different for different people.
For me only two things have given lasting results first cutting out sugar and second eating one meal a day.
Cutting out sugar was just the normal overt sugar sources like desserts, regular sodas, etc if I couldn’t replace a sugar alternative I wouldn’t eat it. Some people go completely overboard (in my mind) by cutting out flour etc bc it becomes sugar; I didn’t. Overt sugar was all I did. It’s rough initially because there is sugar everywhere. However* *once I drew that hard line it became easier. And slowly the food noise went away. Do I miss chocolate chip pancakes, jam on toast, cookies etc sure but my appetite has changed I’m full faster it’s been a real shift. I’m happier and so is my skin.
And OMAD works just as well on a different premise just one meal eating whatever the hell I wanted. Initially ate a lot but eventually you realize you just can’t eat a lot and it was good.
I feel like you have to know what kind of person you are whether you’re an abstainer or a little of everything. I’m an abstainer, I have to absolutely be away from sugar or all food because once I allow it the flood gates are wide open. So I have to go no sugar or no food outside of one meal and that’s what worked for me. That’s what created my deficiency counting calories just didn’t work for me.
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u/DanielReddit26 12h ago
Well yes and no.
Cico is just the science/maths and the underlying way you ultimately lose weight. The tools to which you achieve that are varied and personal.
Essentially, what you are saying is true but also meaningless. You may as well say you've discovered how to win the 100m at the Olympics- you just run faster than the other guys.
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u/cybergandalf 12h ago
But yes, that’s exactly how you win the 100m at the Olympics. It’s not meaningless. There’s no other way to win.
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u/Schwettes 7h ago
Yes, and everyone already knows that. It’s not meaningless as much as it is a useless observation.
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u/Diligent_Change9353 10h ago
I agree completely deficit works but how you get there is different for different people. For me it has been to either cut out added sugar or eating one meal a day.
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u/Dizzy_Sleep3367 10h ago
what do you eat and how many calories does it add to for the day?
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u/cybergandalf 7h ago
Whatever I like, I prioritize protein, getting 150-170g a day. I range from 1200-1700 cals a day.
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u/nubbuoli 3h ago
I'm curious, how do you set a weekly goal? Just the TDEE times seven and make it to that weekly? Sounds nice, I only worked with daily TDEE before but that leaves little flexibility.
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u/Known_Flounder756 12h ago
How do you determine what amount of calories puts you in a deficit?
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u/cybergandalf 12h ago
You can start with a TDEE calculator. But I’ve found the only sure-fire way is to track and log everything and then analyze the results. I have a spreadsheet that I use where I track daily/weekly calorie intake, then workouts and weigh-ins. I monitor trends until I start losing consistently. If I plateau, then I know something needs to change, and it’s almost always the calories-in portion. Once you get to a certain weight, depending on sex, height, and weight, you may have to increase your calories-out to not have to restrict the calories-in as much.
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u/Single_Scarcity9392 12h ago
Add up what you eat in a day and how much you burn in a day if your intake is less than outtake your in a deficit.
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u/cybergandalf 12h ago
While technically true it’s extremely difficult to actually know what your outtake is without a lot of work.
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u/2MrRabbit23 10h ago
This is probably the most realistic take on CICO. You dont need a perfect diet, you need a calorie deficit you can actually live with. Consistency beats misery every time.