Learn how CICO works through the story of Sally, who found CICO after a decade of fad-diet failures. This story will feel familiar to anyone who has struggled with their weight.

Here is the best total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) calculator we've found; it has specific exercise options and its output includes a calorie-cycling plan.

This Washington Post article dispels a popular myth about low-intensity exercise being more effective because it burns a higher percentage of fat. This basically supports the CICO approach: don't worry about burning fat: focus on burning calories, which means the more intense your exercise session, the better.

Instead of Googling individual foods and tallying each food's calorie count, try plugging multiple foods into Wolfram | Alpha's "answer engine." It's not perfect, but it's usually close. Example: here's the calorie count for a "healthy" version of the Egg McMuffin (click "Total nutrition facts" for the total calories).

There are a few ways to determine your bone density, muscle mass, and bodyfat percentage, and some are better than others. We like the DEXA scan because it's quick, easy and accurate (though not always cheap). DEXA scans are particularly helpful if you are exercising intensely and packing on muscle, in which case your weight will only be part of the equation.

Dining out is a wonderful part of modern life, so it needs to be a part of your CICO plan too. Easier said than done, of course. Once that plate of delicious pasta is on the table in front of us, it seems sinful to let any of it go to waste. This article offers–among other useful insights–a powerful secret weapon in the eternal battle against clean-plate syndrome: the doggie bag.