This does not refute your bonus point, because this is going to depend on who you are. Everyone is different, so ymmv, but as a systems thinker with VERY pronounced ADHD, counting (while it works on paper) has never actually worked for me past the first few weeks.
In my experience, though, when I am exercising, yes I may eat a bit more to replace what was spent, but I’m put in touch with my body a LOT more, and get clearer signals for what to eat. This often ends up becoming a kind of feedback loop, because I’ll start craving healthier foods that contain more micros, and are less calorically dense whole foods - mostly plants. I’m no longer eating just to get through, but responding to my body intuitively, which significantly reduces the cognitive load of “gotta eat healthy foods”. This is self-reinforcing too. As new microorganisms from specific foods colonize the gut, it pushes the brain to want more of those foods. (Sounds crazy, but it’s true.)
For example, maybe I’ll want a chopped up head of iceberg lettuce with shredded beets/carrots, SMALL portion of chicken/salmon/tofu and a piece of fruit instead of just that dense protein bar or bag of chips to keep me going. Good luck gaining weight on the first one - you would literally not have enough time in the day to prepare, eat and digest an amount that would add any weight.
Exercise doesn’t have to be crazy strenuous either. Just moving at all helps, and low impact movement can help tremendously with the aches and pains that can come with extra weight. OP is very young, and might not be feeling it yet, but she will.
Walking, swimming, cycling, and yoga are all fantastic places to start out, and those activities do have varying levels of accessibility but they’re still all very achievable for the vast majority of people.
CICO is fundamental science at the level of basic physics, but there’s also human psychology and the brain-gut connection to contend with. Layering other things on top of CICO, to that end, could result in compounding effects which accelerate and complement a foundation of rote calorie counting. A whole-system approach that integrates movement, nutrition and food prep skills together with intuitive eating is very much worth trying and is more likely to last long term IMO. With enough practice, this became a new normal. I feel great, keep a healthy stable weight and don’t even think about calories anymore tbh.
this fr ⤴️