A thread for maths based weight loss - CICO (calories in calories out) Who's with me

[EauNeu]

I've been meaning to start this thread for a while for CICO followers or the CICO curious

NB This is a support thread for people using or wanting to use CICO. IF you want to discuss whether calorie tracking is a good idea can I suggest you start another thread as I want to keep this one on topic.

I've been losing weight using CICO for the last year and am four stone down. I've followed the advice on the reddit r/loseit board and the basic method is calorie counting. I've lost weight using this same method before (slipped when I stopped counting). For me this is now how I like to control my weight and it's easy enough for me to keep at it as I move towards maintenance.
What I like about it:
-No cost
-Can do anywhere and in any situation
-No taboo foods - don't need to cut anything out as long as I count it
-It just works. I know if I stick to my calories I will lose fat.
-If i get a water gain, I know for certain that's what it is as I know I didn't overeat.
-I feel amazing - younger, bouncier and happier
-i feel control over my weight for the first time ever - none of the obfuscation of other diet plans/food group exclusions. It's just simple maths.
-no need to do crazy exercise. It helps to be active but I've lost most of this weight without any additional routine - weight loss happens in the kitchen more than in the gym.

How to get started
-start now - don't wait.
-download a calorie tracking app. Myfitnesspal is my preference but there are others
-work out your TDEE - this is how many calories you probably use in a day - this is your BMR (how many calories you'd burn even if you lay in bed all day) plus the calories you burn with your normal activity
-decide on how many calories you'll eat to lose 1-2 lb a week if you need to - eating 500 calories under your TDEE will give you a loss of 1lb per week.
-just track and stick to your calorie limit. That's it. If you do this and you are accurate you cannot help but burn fat.
-it really helps to use a food scale rather than eyeball amounts. If you are short like me, an extra 50 calories on each meal makes a real different to my weight.
-count everything - drinks included. Be super honest - your body knows what you ate even if you don't track it. Measuring is knowing.
-remember that losses aren't always linear on the scale. Some things such as illness, injury, hormones, eating a lot of carbs or salt will make your body hold onto more water. If you've been tracking honestly you don't need to worry about this as fat will be coming off.

If you want more info, there is loads of useful guidance here:https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/wiki/quick_start_guide/
and here
https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/wiki/faq/
Reddit loseit is a also brilliant community with lots of support and progress pictures.

Would love to hear from anyone who's already doing this or interested.

I'll start

starting weight - 13stone 5lb
current weight- bouncing between 9 stone 10 and 9 stone 12 over the last couple of days
goal weigh - 9st 3lb will take me into healthy BMI but hopefully still with some boobs remaining - they seem to be shrinking more than any other part right now!
doing 1200 calories per day at 5'0 - weight loss has been steady at 1-2 lb per week until recently, now I'm smaller it's slowed down but still coming off slowly

hadn't been feeling that hungry but my appetite is back with a vengeance so trying to use more calories on protein to fill me up rather than carbs.

goal for this week is to stay under 1200 every day rather than letting myself go 50 or so over like I have been doing.. Keeping that discipline

clothing wise I'm in a weird space. Most things now too big but don't want to spend much as I hope to drop another size or two.

Love cico. Lost 70lbs 5 years ago and gained it all back then some during COVID and have yet to drop it. You've inspired me to get back on it! I prefer the nutracheck app because I havent yet cancelled my yearly subscription out of shame you don't have to scroll through the US VS UK products. Myfitnesspal forum is great too.

I had two eggs fried with spray oil on a slice of tiger bloomer bread (buttered) for breakfast, so I'll guestimate that, stick to black coffee and tea at work and count properly when I'm home for dinner. 😁

For clothes, you could always get a cheap vinted bundle of essentials to tide you over.

I like CICO as a concept. But I can never figure out what the different exercise levels I should put down for myself to work out TDEE. I work in an office all day. So sat on my behind stuffing snacks from my treat drawer. But I also walk to work and back. About 40-50mins round trip. I try to exercise a couple of times a week but don't want to include that in the calculations as its not a guarantee. I wear a Garmin fitness tracker so can see how much 'extra' energy I'm expending on exercise days.

I also find that MyFitnessPal doesn't let me set the calories low enough for calculated TDEE as mine often comes out very low as I am only 4.5ft tall. So by the time you take out 500cal I'm below their minimum 1200 limit. Its very frustrating.

My current weight is 60kg I look best at 50kg or below 😪

Hey I will join on this do we all check in every Monday?

im currently 10st 5 and 5ft 2
I need to be at 8st 7 I have 2 stone to loose
I used to loose weight really easily but since lockdown I have struggled and I put on a stone & a half

Hi all

seem to have broken my plateau of a few weeks, now down to 9 stone 8.8 (v important that .8 - lol). Unfortunately the last pound seems to have come right off my boobs. Can't have it all, I suppose! I'm hoping for a pound a week at the moment and no more since I don't want my face to get too drawn and my arse is disappearing - I need to find a sweet spot where the belly is smaller but the boobs and butt are not completely diminished. Thinking when I get to 9st 3lb I'll try to stick there for a while and see how I feel.

Hoolahoophop I feel you. myfitnesspal is not really geared too much to the shorter person but the principle is useful.

I've used a sort of 'titration' or trial and error before to get my calories right. When weight loss was edging over 2lb, increasing a bit.

Do you lose on 1200, if so how much?

HappyAnonymous pleased to have you on the thread too, yeah a regular check in at least once a week - I like the Monday idea, a bit of accountability is good for me after the weekends. I'll try and post a bit more to keep the thread alive and for the sort of daily annoyances and victories - please share yours anyone who wants to!
Namechangeagainx that food sounds lush, eggs are like a cheat code when you have so few calories to play with, filling but you feel like you've had somehting healthy.

Namechange thanks for the tip about vinted bundles! I didn't realise that was a think but I'm gonna get on that !

I'll join! 🙋🏽‍♀️

A calorie deficit is the only effective way to lose weight and keep it off!

So here we go

Height - 5'2
Weight 10 stone 2

Had a baby in July 2020 and then another in Feb 2023 and I'm done having kids to time to get this weight off

I know how to do it, I am just so bloody tired 😂 and the kids sleep pretty well so no excuse really.

Back to work soon (December 17th) so need to get some weight shifted

I was about 8 1/2 stone pre children. Goal is probably about 9stone 2?

What meals will everyone be eating? I think I’m starting on 1000 Cals xx

welcome febbabies

totally know what you mean. I 'knew' what to do but it took ages to get started. Having a holiday booked and being determined not to get on the plane feeling huge was my push. Getting back to work and feeling kick ass is a good one too !

Meals wise - i find that no breakfast (just coffee), small lunch and a decent size dinner works best for me. Hate to go to sleep hungry so would rather stack my calories for the end of the day. Today was a can of soup and some microwave steamed veggies (easy wfh lunch) and then was able to have carvery for dinner. I'm not much of a cook so I've been doing it in quite a lazy way

nice no-scale-victory (NSV) today, was able to put on my daughter's knee length boots to nip out to the car - I've NEVER worn knee length boots in my life as I have always been chunky of calf, so this was thrilling to me 😁

Hello All,

I joined the thread a while ago but I've been on holiday. It was fab, but filling.

Height 5ft (on tip toes)
Currently: 59.5kg
Goal: 50kg

Using my fitness pal and my Garmin watch to track. Aiming for 1200 + some exercise calories. Also tracking and trying to increase water.

Currently on 7 cups of fluid (one tea with milk, one coffee the rest water or fruit tea) I have run (jogged) 4k today and walked to work and back (40 mins walking). Eaten two eggs scrambled with butter on a small slice of white bread and some minestrone soup. Around 500 calories. Will have meatballs and pasta tonight but will halve my usual amount of pasta and have with some rocket salad, cherry tomatoes and olive oil and balsamic. Hopefully there will be some calories left for a chocolate and some grapes after dinner and maybe one of the kids Halloween cakes.

I'd like to add in some exercise to tone my arms and midsection while I'm dieting does anyone have any recommendations. I'm thinking little things you can do while the kettle boils rather than a workout video. So I can fit it in without noticing.

Looks like calorie counting is going well for lots of you.

I’m trying to do this op but I am failing

I’m failing because I’m hungry and I can’t be bothered to put the food into my fitness pal

SW: 12st
CW: 11st 7lbs
TW: 10st (miracle)

I started this in mid July and as you can see it’s not been that great. However I am in my 40s and the weight doesn’t budge like it used to.

I couldn’t survive on 1200 calories a day.

Can you give me some low calorie meal ideas please?

I have never been a snacker always preferred 2 meals a day and got used to feeling stuffed after each meal.