CICO. Calories In, Calories Out, is the simple framework behind how body weight changes. It’s grounded in the basic law of energy balance:
- Calories In = What you eat and drink.
- Calories Out = What your body burns through metabolism, movement, and heat production (thermogenesis).
🔁 Energy Balance 101:
- Calories In = Calories Out → Weight stays the same
- Calories In > Calories Out → Weight gain (excess stored as fat)
- Calories In < Calories Out → Weight loss (body burns stored fat)
But What About Hormones?
Yes, hormones matter. They influence hunger, cravings, energy expenditure, and fat storage. But here’s the truth:
Hormones affect how easy or hard it is to maintain a calorie deficit, not whether energy balance still applies.
Let’s break it down:
1. Insulin: The Carb Scapegoat
High insulin (often from overeating carbs or just too many calories overall) promotes fat storage. But here’s the kicker: Even with high insulin, if you’re in a calorie deficit, your body still burns fat to meet its energy needs. No loophole. No magic.
2. Thyroid Hormones: The Metabolism Regulator
Hypothyroidism slows your metabolic rate, meaning your “Calories Out” drops. So yes, fat loss becomes harder. But not impossible. You’ll just need to adjust intake or increase output to create a deficit. The maths still holds.
3. Cortisol: The Stress Hormone
Chronic stress jacks up cortisol, which can:
- Spike cravings
- Increase appetite
- Push you toward calorie-dense comfort foods
But again: it’s the extra calories causing weight gain, not the cortisol itself.
4. Leptin & Ghrelin: The Hunger Duo
Leptin says, “I’m full.” Ghrelin says, “Feed me now.”
When these hormones are out of whack, managing hunger and satiety becomes a psychological battle. But they influence behaviour, not physics. You still gain or lose based on calories, not feelings.
Why CICO Still Wins
Your body doesn’t get to ignore the laws of thermodynamics. It can’t magically create or destroy energy.
Hormones influence your energy balance, they don’t override it.
- Struggling with hunger? That’s a hormonal signal.
- Feeling low energy? That’s your body adjusting output.
- Craving sugar? That’s a hormonal behavioural driver.
But at the end of the day:
Burn more than you eat — you lose weight. Eat more than you burn — you gain weight.
🎯 For the Hormone Bros Screaming “But Insulin!”…
Hormones absolutely impact:
- Your cravings
- How full you feel
- How efficiently your body burns calories
But they don’t bend the rules of calorie math. Managing hormones through sleep, stress reduction, and smart nutrition makes CICO easier to stick to but it doesn’t make it disappear.
Bottom Line:
Hormones influence the process. Energy balance determines the outcome. Master both, and you’re unstoppable.
My name is Gav Gillibrand and I help busy & high performing men lose 20-60lbs in 3-6 months & keep it off for life. Burn fat, build muscle & skyrocket energy. 750+ men transformed and counting…
Here’s how I can help you:
2. Book a FREE 15min Body Transformation Strategy Call with me – pure value, no strings, just answers about your health & fitness.
