CICO (Calories In, Calories Out): Explained for the Hormone-Focused Crowd
Gav Gillibrand
On a mission to help busy entrepreneurs & exec dads drop 20-30lbs in 90 days, boost performance, and build unshakable confidence, without sacrificing their lifestyle. ?? Ready to transform? DM “LET’S GO”
CICO, or Calories In, Calories Out, is a simple framework for understanding body weight regulation. It’s rooted in the principle of energy balance, where:
Calories In = The energy (calories) you consume through food and drinks.
Calories Out = The energy your body uses through basic metabolic functions (like breathing and digesting), physical activity, and thermogenesis (heat production).
When Calories In = Calories Out, your weight stays stable.
When Calories In > Calories Out, you gain weight (surplus energy is stored as fat).
When Calories In < Calories Out, you lose weight (the body uses stored energy).
The Hormonal Perspective on CICO
Hormones like insulin, cortisol, leptin, ghrelin, and thyroid hormones influence appetite, metabolism, and fat storage. However, CICO still applies, because hormones affect how your body manages energy, not whether energy balance exists. Here’s how:
1. Insulin and fat storage
Elevated insulin levels (from overeating carbs or calories in general) can promote fat storage. But even with high insulin, if you’re in a calorie deficit, your body will break down fat to meet its energy needs.
2. Thyroid hormones and metabolism
Hypothyroidism can lower your metabolic rate, reducing your "Calories Out". This means you may need to adjust your caloric intake accordingly, but weight loss still depends on maintaining a deficit.
3. Stress and cortisol
Chronic stress and high cortisol can increase appetite and cravings for calorie-dense foods. This can lead to overeating, but it’s still the extra calories consumed that cause weight gain.
4. Leptin and ghrelin (hunger hormones)
Leptin signals fullness, and ghrelin triggers hunger. Hormonal imbalances here can make calorie control harder. Yet, these hormones influence behaviour (how much you eat), not the fundamental rule of energy balance.
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Why CICO Is Still True
Your body cannot create or destroy energy. It follows the laws of thermodynamics. While hormones can make it easier or harder to stick to a calorie deficit, they don’t bypass the maths.
The bottom line for the hormone bros...
Hormones absolutely affect how you feel, what you crave, and how efficiently your body burns calories. Managing them (through sleep, stress reduction, balanced meals, etc.) makes sticking to CICO easier. But at the end of the day, the energy equation is king.
Hormones influence the process, not the outcome.
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My name is Gav Gillibrand and I'm on a mission to help busy, tired & stressed C-Suite executive dads drop 20-30lbs in 12 Weeks, optimise performance & fall in love with their body 365 days of the year.
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If there is a will, there is a way
2 周So glad to read sanity in the insane world that has become the Linkedin Fitness Influencer community
TEDx Speaker. Health Educator. Online Coach Helping Busy Professionals Get Strong for Life!
2 周Well said!
CEO Grace Concierge | 16-Week Wellness Programs | Nurse Practitioner
2 周great topic Thank you I am always telling my women that hormone replacement can help with weight reduction but it is in no way a weight loss treatment. It is all in what you feed your body!
Always intrigued by the calories debate.