How to Use MyFitnessPal for the Calories In, Calories Out (CICO) Diet

You may have heard of the “calories in, calories out” (CICO) approach to weight management. This is probably the most popular method and also the most effective.

The concept is very simple: To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than your body burns. if you consume more With more calories than your body can burn, you gain weight. CICO is a science-based, flexible approach to weight loss (1).

If you’re new to the CICO diet or calorie tracking in general, you may not know exactly where to start. you may know my fitness partner Can help you track calories and nutrients. Actually, my fitness partner Can be your best friend in CICO diet. The app helps you set goals and stay on track while tracking them.

Want to know how to use my fitness partner Can you help with CICO method? Let’s get into it step by step.

Step 1: Set your goals in MyFitnessPal

First, when you sign up for MyFitnessPal, app You will be asked some basic information: your age, weight, height, gender and daily activity level.

Your answers help calculate the most important statistics that make the CICO method work:

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR): The number of calories your body burns to maintain basic body functions while at rest.

Your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE): The total number of calories your body burns in a day, taking into account your activity level (e.g. how much exercise you do, whether you have a physically demanding job, etc.).

Next, you’ll choose a goal:

• lose weight
• maintain current weight
• gain muscle

If your goal is to lose weight, my fitness partner A calorie target will be recommended to put you into a calorie deficit. If you achieve this goal, you will consume fewer calories than you consume each day.

Calories Exhausted – TDEE = Calorie Deficit

You will then set a goal for how fast you can lose weight. my fitness partner You will be asked how much you would like to gain or lose each week.

You can choose to gain 0.5 pounds or 1 pound per week.

For weight loss, you can choose to lose 0.5, 1, 1.5, or 2 pounds per week as your goal.

You can also choose to maintain your current weight.

The standard recommendation for safe weight loss is to eat a caloric deficit of 500-1,000 calories per day, which usually results in 1 to 2 pounds of weight loss per week (1).

But Stephanie Nelson, chief scientist at MyFitnessPal, says a larger deficit doesn’t mean faster weight loss. In fact, 68% my fitness partner Users who have achieved at least 90% of their target weight The average weight loss is less than 1 pound per week.

Step 2: Keep track of what you eat (also called your “calorie intake”)

When you log your consumption throughout the day in MyFitnessPal, you’ll know what the “calories” portion of the CICO diet looks like.

my fitness partner‘s food library includes millions of food items, from grocery store staples to popular restaurant meals.

To record your meals and snacks, search for the item in your library and select the item you have, then add it to your journal. Ideally, choose from the “Best Match” option in the app.

hint: Upgrade to Premium to access our barcode scanner. It makes documenting packaged foods much easier.

Do you often cook or prepare meals at home? You can add your own recipes my fitness partneralso. Enter the ingredients you used and the app will calculate the total calories and nutritional content for the entire dish or per serving. This is very helpful if you want to make the same recipe over and over again.

hint: Weighing or measuring and portion sizes help improve recording accuracy – but any record is a win! It’s all about progress, not perfection.

Step 3: Record your exercise (also known as your “calorie burn”)

my fitness partner Whether you record your workouts manually or sync the app with a fitness device like a Fitbit or Garmin, it’s easy to track the calories you burn.

When you sweat, record it. my fitness partner The consumption of various sports can be estimated, from strength training to running to swimming.

my fitness partner It will record the calories burned by your exercise and adjust your daily calorie target for you.

For example, if your goal is 1,800 calories per day and you burn 300 calories through exercise, my fitness partner Your remaining daily intake will be updated to 2100 calories. If you sync your fitness device, your calories will be displayed automatically!

Some my fitness partner Members can choose to turn off this feature, which is easily done in the app. If you do this, you can still log your workout, but the calories won’t be added back to your goal.

Step 4: Add the macro to the mix

Not all calories are created equal! Calories burned are key to the CICO diet. But focusing on macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) can help you optimize your results.

“One of the drawbacks of focusing solely on calories in versus calories out during weight loss is that it doesn’t tell us about the importance of the nutrients in those calories,” says nutrition director Melissa Jaeger. my fitness partner.

“Tracking with MyFitnessPal not only helps you determine your total daily calories, but also the key nutrients that support your overall health and well-being as you lose weight, such as protein, fiber, saturated fat, and more!”

my fitness partner Has extensive food data, including macros. When you log your food, you can view your daily macros on the Nutrition tab. (If you are a Premium member, you can find this on your dashboard.)

This section details the amounts of protein, fat, and carbohydrates you consume and how they affect your total calorie intake.

Adjusting macros can help you achieve specific goals. For example:

• higher protein Can support muscle maintenance and recovery, especially when you lift weights.
• Balanced carbohydrates and fats It keeps your energy levels steady throughout the day, helping you avoid fatigue or mood swings.

my fitness partner Provides you with preset settings for balancing macros for optimal general nutrition. If you have a Premium membership, you can customize your macro goals, which is especially helpful when following a specific high-protein or ketogenic diet plan.

Step 5: Get data and view progress

It’s such a pleasure to see a record of all your hard work. One of the most motivating aspects of using my fitness partner is the ability to track your progress. Keeping records can show you how consistent you are with your goals. you can look What works and what doesn’t.

In the Progress section of the app, you can track changes in weight, measurements, and fitness goals. my fitness partnerVisual charts allow you to see trends over time, helping you visualize opportunities for improvement.

Okay, okay. no exactly. No day is perfect. No two bodies are the same. Even when counting calories and macros, don’t be too precise.

Instead, strive for consistency rather than perfection. As Stephanie Nelson says: “Taking a slower approach is more sustainable because you end up making changes that you can stick with in the long term. Don’t just focus on the numbers, but focus on the smaller behavioral changes you can make .

Other tips for the CICO diet

More usage suggestions my fitness partner To be successful on the CICO diet:

• Record food as soon as possible: Whether it’s before or after a meal, recording your food as quickly as possible means you’re less likely to forget what you’ve eaten.
• Set reminder: Use MyFitnessPal’s built-in notifications to remind you to track your diet and exercise.
• Customize your experience: Premium MyFitnessPal members can adjust macros, customize dashboards and customize the experience to fit their goals.
• Join the community: My fitness partner Member community Helps you connect with others on the same journey. Chat with friends and read success stories to stay motivated.

With the right tools and mindset, the CICO Diet can give you information and insights into what you’re eating and burning, and help you achieve your goals through some simple math and science.

take a look at some Success Stories Messages from MyFitnessPal members about how tracking has helped change their lives.

post How to Use MyFitnessPal for the Calories In, Calories Out (CICO) Diet first appeared in My fitness buddy blog.

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