CICO: A COMPLICATED, SIMPLE IDEA

CALORIES-IN-CALORIES-OUT (CICO) - A COMPLICATED, SIMPLE IDEA

We get energy from food. We expend energy to move and stay alive.

This fundamental biochemical relationship between "energy in" and "energy out" is known as energy balance (also referred to as calories-in-calories-out, or CICO)

In Ring #3: Quantity of the Moxie 5 Rings Method Program, you'll learn how energy balance can be measured (at least approximately). You'll also learn about the many processes it affects in the body as well as factors that can affect energy balance, such as digestion or exercise.

FOR NOW, LET'S LOOK AT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENERGY BALANCE + BODY MASS.

Energy balance is a fundamental law of thermodynamics.

Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only transferred.

• If we take in more energy (calories) than we use or excrete (through metabolism and activity), we gain weight.

• If we take in less energy (calories) than we use or excrete (through metabolism and activity), we lose weight.

• If we take in the same amount of energy (calories) than we use or excrete (through metabolism and activity), our weight stays the same.

  
  

This is true regardless of

• the macronutrient composition of our diets (proteins / carbs / fats)

• our specific food choices

• meal timing / what time of day we eat

• or any other details of our nutritional plan (i.e. Paleo, Keto, Vegan, Mediterranean, etc,)

In other words, you could be:

• cutting carbs on the keto diet...

• avoiding sugar, grains, dairy and legumes on the Paleo diet...

• avoiding all animal products on a vegan diet...

• practicing intermittent fasting by skipping meals or shortening your "eating window"...

• eating very "healthy" by avoiding sweets + processed foods... or whatever "healthy" means to you...

• hitting your daily protein target...

• hitting your "4+4" veggies + fruits / Smart Carbs daily target...

• getting in 10,000+ steps per day...

• training with weights 3-5x/week...

• doing 30 minutes of cardio 3-5 days/week...

...but still not losing weight because you are not in a calorie deficit.

Remember, to lose weight, you must take in less energy (calories from the food you eat) than you put out (in the form of activity and basic metabolic functions). If you are gaining weight, it means you are taking in more energy (calories) than you need or can use (through metabolism + activity).

This basic relationship is simple.

But that doesn't mean that what occurs in between "energy in" and "energy out" is simple.

Or that energy balance is easy to change. (After all, if it was easy to change, I'd be out of a coaching job.)

WHAT AFFECTS ENERGY BALANCE?

Energy balance can be influenced by biopsychosocial factors on both ends of the equation.

Some factors that influence "energy in"

• Appetite - Influenced by hormones that regulate appetite and satiety

• Food consumed - Influenced by availability, palatability, energy density, sleep quality, education, socioeconomic status, culture

• Calories absorbed - Influenced by macronutrient intake, food prep, age, microbiome, health, energy status

• Psychological factors - Influenced by stress levels, mindset, perceived control, self-esteem, sleep quality

Some factors that influence "energy out"

• Energy burned at rest - Influenced by body size, hormones, dieting history, genetic factors, health, sleep quality, age

• Energy burned through exercise - Influenced by exercise ability, intensity, duration, frequency, and environment, as well as hormones and sleep quality.

• Energy burned through non-exercise activity - Influenced by health, energy status, stress, hormones, occupation, leisure activities, genetic factors

• Energy burned by metabolizing food - Influenced by macronutrient makeup and how processed the food is

In Ring #3: Quantity, we'll explore each of these factors, and how they can influence not only our actual energy balance, but our perceptions of energy balance - in other words, how much we think we're eating or expending.

CASE STUDY

Potatoes. Bread. Pasta.

What comes to mind when you read those words? Many of my clients think of "bad," "evil," "off-limits," and "fat-inducing."

One client in particular had such a fear of carbohydrate-dense foods that she eliminated all of them. No wild rice. No baked potatoes. No oatmeal. No apples.

Instead, her meals were built around meats, eggs, fish, oils, nuts, seeds, butter, and non-starchy vegetables.

She created "good" versus "bad" food rules in her head. All non-carbohydrate foods were "good," and all carbohydrate-dense foods were "bad."

"Bad" meant "Don't eat any." "Good" meant "Eat as much as you want." Since the "good" foods didn't have carbohydrates, she figured they couldn't possibly result in the accumulation of body fat. So, she ate the "good" foods until she was stuffed.

Well, I channeled my inner Dr. Phil and asked her, "How's that working for you?"

After six months, her answer was: "Not so good."

Instead of losing weight (like she'd hoped), she'd gained weight. She also felt worse in general, and her doctor said her lipid panel wasn't moving in a healthy direction.

After some troubleshooting and sanity checking, I worked with her on building more balanced, reasonable meals. No more 22 oz. steaks with veggies soaking in butter. Instead, her meals looked more like a 6 oz. steak, a baked potato, and plenty of veggies, drizzled with a little olive oil. She would even include a reasonably sized dessert after some meals.

With this new plan, her diet was nutrient-rich and satisfying. She didn't feel deprived and compelled to overeat. She didn't end up with too much or not enough carbohydrate. She simply ate reasonable portions, based on her body's needs. Imagine that!

With this new plan, she felt better and saner. She got rid of strict "food rules" and eventually, some of that extra body fat too.

Dividing foods, or entire groups of nutrients, into "good" or "bad," almost never helps. If people take in more energy (calories) than they expend, they'll gain weight no matter what they're eating. Period.

As a coach, one of my jobs is to help clients develop perspective and reasonable limits.

A slice of toast with breakfast, a cupped handful of brown rice at lunch, a piece of fruit as a snack, and a fist-sized baked potato with dinner likely won't be "limiting factors" for most people.

Instead, it's probably the sugary sodas, candy snacking, forgotten late-night desserts, and weekend bingeing - ironically, that often go along with stringent restriction - that are the real problems.

With most people, the more they restrict, the more likely they are to make up for it in other ways. Classifying all carbs as "bad" will probably lead to eating more - in the form of processed carbs or just excess calories in general - in the long run.

For more lessons like this one, check out the Moxie 5 Rings Method Program!