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Why CICO (Cals In-Cals Out=Body Fat Gained) Is a Big Fat Myth



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This is pretty interesting stuff! Jason Fung is a kidney specialist and proponent of the *gasp* low carb/keto dietary program. But wait! Aren't all of us (especially those with CKD) gonna die from the "gobs of Protein we're shoving down our pie holes???!!!!!! *another gasp*. And here's a quick article that discusses why CICO is a myth. Makes a lot of sense...

https://idmprogram.com/the-failure-of-the-calorie-theory-of-obesity/

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The other part of this, that I swear I have never seen mentioned, is that when we take in too many calories, they don't all get converted to fat. Some are just plain pooped out. If your body doesn't want/need them, it just lets them go. And from my personal experience, one of the first things that happens when I restrict calories, is that the bowels slow way down. And the more times you have screwed with your metabolism, the quicker it catches on! Thoughts?

Edited by Orchids&Dragons

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If CICO worked, there would be no need for all this other crap.

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55 minutes ago, Orchids&Dragons said:

The other part of this, that I swear I have never seen mentioned, is that when we take in too many calories, they don't all get converted to fat. Some are just plain pooped out. If your body doesn't want/need them, it just lets them go. And from my personal experience, one of the first things that happens when I restrict calories, is that the bowels slow way down. And the more times you have screwed with your metabolism, the quicker it catches on! Thoughts?

I don't know about the body just "letting unneeded calories go." That hasn't been my experience. My body is EXTREMELY thrifty and finds some damn way to assimilate the billions of crap cals I've fed it over the years! :D LOL. My bowels do slow down if I down regulate my Fiber volume.

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2 hours ago, FluffyChix said:

This is pretty interesting stuff! Jason Fung is a kidney specialist and proponent of the *gasp* low carb/keto dietary program. But wait! Aren't all of us (especially those with CKD) gonna die from the "gobs of Protein we're shoving down our pie holes???!!!!!! *another gasp*. And here's a quick article that discusses why CICO is a myth. Makes a lot of sense...

https://idmprogram.com/the-failure-of-the-calorie-theory-of-obesity/

i really like this guy. The calorie Deception is one of favorites

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Good read/view!!

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4 hours ago, FluffyChix said:

This is pretty interesting stuff! Jason Fung is a kidney specialist and proponent of the *gasp* low carb/keto dietary program. But wait! Aren't all of us (especially those with CKD) gonna die from the "gobs of Protein we're shoving down our pie holes???!!!!!! *another gasp*. And here's a quick article that discusses why CICO is a myth. Makes a lot of sense...

https://idmprogram.com/the-failure-of-the-calorie-theory-of-obesity/

I agree a calorie is not a calorie - 2000 calories of all donuts is different than 2000 calories of healthy whole foods. We also have no control of body physiology or metabolic rates. But there are things that may improve your metabolic rate.

Weight loss is in the kitchen. fitness and body composition is in the gym.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/metabolism/art-20046508

Metabolism: Converting food into energy

Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. During this complex biochemical process, calories in food and beverages are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function.

Even when you're at rest, your body needs energy for all its "hidden" functions, such as breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells. The number of calories your body uses to carry out these basic functions is known as your basal metabolic rate — what you might call metabolism.

Several factors determine your individual basal metabolism, including:

  • Your body size and composition. People who are larger or have more muscle burn more calories, even at rest.
  • Your sex. Men usually have less body fat and more muscle than do women of the same age and weight, which means men burn more calories.
  • Your age. As you get older, the amount of muscle tends to decrease and fat accounts for more of your weight, slowing down calorie burning.

Energy needs for your body's basic functions stay fairly consistent and aren't easily changed. In addition to your basal metabolic rate, two other factors determine how many calories your body burns each day:

  • Food processing (thermogenesis). Digesting, absorbing, transporting and storing the food you consume also takes calories. About 10 percent of the calories from the carbohydrates and Protein you eat are used during the digestion and absorption of the food and nutrients.
  • Physical activity. Physical activity and exercise — such as playing tennis, walking to the store, chasing after the dog and any other movement — account for the rest of the calories your body burns up each day. Physical activity is by far the most variable of the factors that determine how many calories you burn each day.

    Scientists call the activity you do all day that isn't deliberate exercise nonexercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT). This activity includes walking from room to room, activities such as gardening and even fidgeting. NEAT accounts for about 100 to 800 calories used daily.

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@jenn1 Absolutely agree with you. And DEF love the weight loss is in the kitchen and body comp is in the gym.

I also still maintain that a low carb or Keto diet isn't for everyone or that there is a one-size-fits-all-solution and equation for sustainable weight loss. You know? I just thought he gave a very easy to understand explanation of CICO. :D

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    • LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
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