Why Counting Calories for Fat Loss is Useless & What Actually Works (The Mass Balance Model) 👇

1/ If you still believe in CICO (Calories In, Calories Out) for fat loss, you’re using the WRONG model. The human body is NOT a closed system—it’s an open system. Fat loss is about mass, NOT calories. Let’s break this down step by step. 🧵👇

2/ Closed systems vs. open systems:

A closed system (like a bomb calorimeter) traps energy inside, with NO mass exchange. 🔥

The human body is an open system—it constantly exchanges both mass and energy with its environment. 🌎

3/ Why does this matter?

🔥 CICO assumes the body is a closed system—like a furnace where calories are “burned” to create weight loss.

🚫 Wrong. The body doesn’t store or lose “calories.”

✔️ The body metabolizes and stores molecules (mass), NOT energy.

4/ Mass has weight. Energy (calories) does not.

When you metabolize food for fuel, mass leaves the body as CO₂, H₂O, ketone bodies, urea, and waste. You lose mass, NOT calories.

5/ If CICO were true, all isocaloric diets would cause the same weight loss.

But studies show low-carb diets cause more fat loss than low-fat diets—despite identical calorie intake.

Why? Because mass excretion changes depending on what you eat.

Carbs increase insulin → trap mass in fat cells.

Fat increases ketones → increases fat oxidation & mass excretion.

6/ The Mass Balance Model (MBM) explains this perfectly:

✔️ Fat loss = Mass In - Mass Out (not calories!)

✔️ The body eliminates fat as CO₂, water, bile acids, ketones, & waste.

✔️ What you eat determines how much mass you retain vs. excrete.

7/ CICO ignores:

🚫 Hormones (insulin, glucagon, leptin, cortisol) dictate fat storage & excretion.

🚫 Fat metabolism increases CO₂ & ketone excretion—NOT just calorie burn.

🚫 Food quality alters metabolic pathways—NOT just energy balance.

🚫 The body doesn’t “store energy” as fat—it stores molecules with mass as fat.

8/ Why is obesity reversal so EASY under MBM?

✔️ Drop insulin → Mass can leave fat cells.

✔️ Prioritize protein & fat → Higher satiety, lower food mass intake.

✔️ Ketogenic state → More fat metabolism → More CO₂, Water & ketones excreted.

✔️ Fasting → No insulin → Full access to fat stores.

9/ How do you actually LOSE fat without counting calories?

🔥 Eat for low insulin & high fat metabolism:

🥩 Meat, eggs, fish = High protein → Increases glucagon → Metabolizes fat.

🥓 Butter, tallow, animal fats = Fuel without insulin spikes.

🚫 No sugar, no seed oils, no refined carbs = Prevents insulin traps.

💧 Water & electrolytes = Supports metabolism & fat loss.

10/ Forget about "burning calories."

🔥 Weight loss happens when stored molecules EXIT the body.

🔥 Increase CO₂, water, ketone, & bile excretion.

🔥 The more fat metabolism, the more fat you lose—independent of calories.

11/ What does NOT matter?

❌ Starving yourself

❌ Tracking every calorie

❌ “Burning off” what you eat

❌ CICO nonsense

12/12 Fat loss is about removing stored mass—not creating a calorie deficit.

✔ Optimize your diet for hormonal balance & mass excretion.

✔ Low insulin, high protein, high fat = sustainable fat loss.

✔ Stop counting calories & start using the Mass Balance Model!