What is CICO and Why Does It Work?
CICO is the foundational principle of thermodynamics applied to human biology. The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.
When you consume fewer calories than your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE), your body compensates for the energy deficit by mobilizing stored triglycerides from adipose tissue (fat stores) and converting them into ATP (cellular energy).
Decades of metabolic ward studies have shown that when calories and protein are matched, low-carb, keto, low-fat, and intermittent fasting diets produce statistically identical fat loss rates. The magic is always the caloric deficit.
You cannot out-train a caloric surplus, and no superfood will trigger fat loss without a net energy deficit.
How to Calculate Your Daily Caloric Deficit
To begin CICO, you first determine your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)—the energy required to keep your organs functioning at rest—using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation.
Next, you multiply your BMR by your physical activity factor to determine your TDEE. Subtracting 300 to 500 kcal creates a rate of fat loss around 0.35kg to 0.5kg (0.75 to 1.1 lbs) per week.
- Sedentary (desk job, minimal exercise): BMR × 1.2
- Lightly Active (1-3 gym sessions/week): BMR × 1.375
- Moderately Active (3-5 workouts/week): BMR × 1.55
- Very Active (heavy manual labor or 6+ training days): BMR × 1.725
The 3 Biggest Mistakes People Make with CICO
1. Underestimating Portions: Cooking oils, salad dressings, sauces, and handfuls of nuts are extremely dense in calories and frequently go unlogged.
2. Overestimating Exercise Calories: Fitness trackers often overestimate calorie burn during workouts by 25–40%. Never 'eat back' all estimated workout calories.
3. Inconsistency on Weekends: A 400 kcal deficit Monday through Friday (2,000 kcal saved) is completely wiped out by an unmonitored 1,000 kcal surplus on Saturday and Sunday.
How AI Photo Logging Makes CICO Effortless
Traditional manual calorie tracking requires searching through 10,000 conflicting database entries, weighing every single food scrap on a scale, and spending 15 minutes a day typing on a phone.
Banana Vision simplifies CICO by replacing manual database searching with instant AI computer vision. You take a photo of your meal, the AI recognizes the ingredients and portion geometry, and records your calories and macros in under 3 seconds.