For your information:
This is how I approached my diet......there is some good information here to think about:
I wanted to take the time to reveal the bottom line of my diet after trial and error, and the various techniques that I used along the way. I tried to write this with simplicity in mind. The purpose is not to provoke a fierce debate.
While I understand that being this technical and meticulous isn’t for everyone, it may be possible that there may be some information I am giving that may benefit another forum member. And, this is the primary purpose.
This approach has worked for me, is working for me, and subsequent opinions contrary to this approach likewise doesn’t matter.
After educating myself on the basic requirements of tissue loss and tissue gain, I quickly learned there were many opinions and opinions on these opinions, and one could easily get confused on where to start and which basic circumference of information to use for ones goal. But there tended to be some dust that settled on simple basics.
I also looked at several different methods of caloric Maintenance formulas. (like NROL, Benedict, and the basic multiplier, and they still didnt really satisify WHAT I WANTED--more specific--detailed)
I sat myself down, and wrote down every possible dietary weakness and strengths I possessed. I literally tore myself apart being honest. I developed a “On Limits Food List” and an “Off Limits Food List”. I evaluated my living environment and work environment, its associated effects and causes, and what would applicably have negative and positive effects on my goal, and set reaction in place)
I developed a list of bad food items that could be made to be more healthy that I liked (for example: Oatmeal cookies, and Peanut Butter Cookies, and replaced the ingredients in these to the more healthy alternative—like Splenda for the replacement of white refined sugar, and whole wheat flour instead of white bleached flour, and so on and so forth).
I developed a CLEAR strategy in dealing with my weaknesses (and changing ingredients in sweet items-like the aforementioned- is one example as it assisted with the “I want something sweet—DAMN IT!” type of situation).
There was NOTHING I wasn’t prepared for, Mentally, if my body began to resist or crave certain things as I progressed forward. This was key, and an entirely different writing. (and one I would do if asked, because the system I have in place could work for another person)
Therefore, I decided to make a Excel Spread Sheet for my diet calorie and activity tracker. The First Tab was the equation set from the Benedict Formula, and the accompanying activity multiplier (s). I plugged in my age, gender, weight, height, and approximated activity set, and this produced a approximated Maintenance Line according to the Benedict Formula. This was really just a look back reference page (and man in the end--it IS WAY OFF)
What I didn’t like about this formula, is its general broad and blanketed scope it gave for each day, with having knowledge that each day can be drastically different from one day to the next.
One could move and/or change the multiplier for a given day, but this too, I thought had the same broad effect. I could have used other MT opinions (like NROL, and others, but they too suffer from---what I wanted…a more narrowed and more specific caloric calculation to me. I am not arguing that they don’t work—they do, and have been proven to work, and I post these to assist others, it’s just that it wasn’t for me—exactly anyway)
Therefore, I sought to educate myself on the approximated calorie expenditure based on certain activities being performed that was based on the variances of: Age, height, weight, and gender.
The activity segments were broken down in this manner: 1. Work, 2. Off Work, 3. Workout day(with or without cardio) with Work, 4. Workout-Rest(with or without cardio)with Work, 5. Workout day(with or without cardio)with an Off-Work day, 6. Workout-Rest(with or without cardio)with Off-Work day, 7. Wake hours on Work days (not including work hours), and Wake hours on Off-Work days, and 8. Sleep hours. Dependent on the day, then, I would apply the applicable variances that were applicable for a given day.
Examples: A Work Day with a Workout(without cardio): Work hours (8), Sleep hours (8), Awake hours (8-1=7), Workout (1). In the hourly sense the day is completely covered more thoroughly and independently according to personal activities.
I then made another spreadsheet listing the variable activities and the applicable variances in hours in use for that particular day. I then made this connect to another spreadsheet that I configured to use daily, weekly, and monthly, and would copy and move a blank one forward for a subsequent month.
The next task was attempting to approximate the calories according to the variances I configured for myself each day. I studied the approximation science of how many calories were burned dependent upon the activity performed, and since there were going to be applicable fluctuations in any one determined activity segment, I decided to come to terms on a “medium” and would apply the variance, if applicable. (for example, working 10 hours instead of 8, or maybe work was more demanding than normal, etc).
I basically have a desk job, but I can tend to be on my feet for extended period of time dependent upon the problems and situation. Looking this sort of activity up (sitting at a desk with a PC, tends to give an approximated hourly caloric expenditure of 120c per hour, so I mediated the difference to 150 per hour(and sometimes this needs adjusted)
Sleep hours: Looking this sort of activity up tends to range between 60c to 80c per hour. (If I get less sleep, I subtract the hours and make up the caloric difference, if I get more than 8, I add hours, and adjust caloric figures)
Awake Hours: This can be 8 (8-1) or 16(16-1) hours dependant if I am off-work, working, and Workout variances. Like work, this can have MANY caloric expenditure variances. But, like work I can be on my feet a lot and not be. Therefore, I settled with the same 120c per hour (and had since narrowed this a bit higher)
Workout: One hour. I tend to vary this as well. It depends in rest between sets, whether I am lifting heavy (low reps), or higher (6 to10, or 8 to 12), etc. This can range from 250c to 450c (and higher), if it lasts 45 min, I simply don’t call it one hour, I adjust accordingly.
Cardio: Depends on whether it’s 20m, 30m, 40m, 45m, 50m, or 60m, along with projected intensity level (I am terribly honest—there is no other way). I do an upright recumbent stationary bike (with back rest). I don’t do these like a normal person either. I hoist 45lb plates over my head with both arms hold them in the air for extended periods, then I will grab two 10lb plates and thrust them forward in a pumping fashion, etc. I don’t mess around. Admittingly, I don’t like running. So the bike fits and allows me to do what I have to do to get the job done at the time. And, if there are any double, triple, and quadruple cardio sessions in one day, I of course, make caloric adjustments (which is already in excel-mathematically).
We now have each day particularly broken down according to what I am doing, and can be adjusted accordingly when obvious differences and/or variances occur in a particular day. With some refinements, and the fact I had to change caloric approximations because of weight changes, I have my expenditure pretty much narrowed down to a personal science, and my weight loss was indeed matching my projections in excel.
Each days Maintenance Line is taylored to a specific day by specifically what I am doing that day, and this MT line is subject to the 24 hour dietary cycle.
The 24 hour diet cycle clock.
For example: 7AM to 7AM (24 hours) would be one dietary hourly cycle where ALL caloric consumption would occur and be counted for that day. I didn’t adjust this clock cycle around work. Rather I would sometimes adjust this cycle according to the scheduled workout, AND whether work effected its schedule or not. At first there were no adjustments that were necessary even WITH work effecting the timing of the workouts.
But, as I lost weight and my body fat was dropping and getting relatively low, I had to make dietary 24 hour cycle clock adjustments. I always tended to look at my diet caloric totals first if a problem developed and projections were off. I thought this may be an indication of a bodily adjustment and/or refinement and/or adaption to the caloric content the body was being given in accordance to activity stimulation.
I studied some more, and then implemented the: CycleBack, CycleForward, and CycleFlipBack techniques, which are basically caloric manipulations in a 24hour dietary cycle. The results from implanting these manipulations (in accordance to my personal goal) were above astounding.
When I begin to explain these manipulations, I want you to keep in mind the very meticulous and specific caloric projections that were tailored to myself in accordance and/or in sync with what I was doing a particular day.
One can do things with this 24 hour cycle period in providing more short term calories, and change up the clock, while at the same time, not letting the body get accustomed to a certain 24 hour cycle of eating patterns.
For example: (This can be adjusted to suite different personal situations, the hours provided are only an example to give you an idea on how it works)
Say for the first week your 24 cycle clock is: 7AM to 7AM (work is 11P to 7A), you could eat at 3AM (which is 4 hours earlier), and technically your over your limit at that time, but let’s say you train at 8AM (or something like that), for this period you have just provided a small surplus; however, the next day, you could switch back to the 7A to 7A. Which erases (if your meticulous) the previous 4 hours the day before, and one could ramp up an exercise, say cardio, and cause a deficit(though exercise) instead of a balance.
I call this Cycle Back. The 24 hour clock can be anytime adjusted to your daily routine. This cycle back can assist with craving yearnings without the guilt of thinking your over eating. It feeds you and your mentality at the same time. One just has to adjust the next day as a consequence, but it’s something in place to assist with hunger when needed and assist the body in not adjusting to you. In addition, it can provide some extra calories for your workout coming up.
Within the Cycle Back, you can also decide to leave the surplus, of say +300 or so, to allow the body to think it ate too much, and then adjust the CycleBack to 3A to 3A (which is good to do with long term dieters---once in a while)
I use the cycle back most of the time to give the appearance of extra calories, to provide more energy--at the time for weight training, but in the end of things........the next day, it cancels out and I bring a deficit through exercise. But not all the time.
There is another technique I use called: Cycle Forward. Let’s use the same 24 hour cycle clock, 7A to 7A, and I ate at 3A, I will push the caloric content at 3a as eating at 7a, and just push it forward, and count it within the same clock. If working 11p to 7a, and a scheduled Workout was at 8a, this would be ideal to allow time for digestion, and have extra calories BEFORE workout. I then would eat after workout as well.
This is the tougher side of the equation, though, but this can used to assist cravings, but at the same time, you have to space out the meals a bit more intelligently, as you consumed some of the calories prior to the clock starting, but still counting in the same clock, so there is a consequence.
Both of these cycle types I constantly used when I lost my weight, and it worked for me and there is no doubt about it.
The CycleFlipBack, is just intentionally moving the hours 3 to 4 hours earlier than the cycle before it. For example: using the same 7a to 7a example, I would eat at 3a about 4 hours earlier than when the 24 hour diet cycle actually ended. Next day keep it at 3a to 3a, next day after this, move it back another 4 hours, keep it the same, and then flipback again. What you have taking place here is a small surplus, deficit, small surplus, deficit, and so on. This messes with the body pretty good, ya think? In all this, I know what the surplus in caloric content is, and with the deficit, and whether any of the days cancel out. I believe this is smart—when advancing in goals and when weight loss plateau’s develop, to have something in place to TRY to combat problems. And, the diet is one major player in the equation, and needs careful consideration in my opinion.
I ate frequently, but inconsistantly (just not at the same times, I mean). I implemented the 95-5 approach to my diet. This means that if I allow a RARE cheat item 5% of the time (and put this in the caloric projection, and then sometimes--allow an overage (think the caloric manipulations), then this 5% is not gonna erase the 95% that is correct. This is not possible.
But this only works if you are in fact 95% correct and faithful, LOL. And, one has to consider that most of the time I was 100%---faithful--for months, and the 5% rarely came about, and if did, I was prepared, and would allow it, without hurting my goal path. One has to allow breathing room, and cant have the belt wrapped to tight. One has to breath. And if one does, maybe 100% isnt so hard to achieve. If you can understand what I am trying to say.
This is just a brief synopsis. I hope this helps someone in some way. This was my intention on writing this.
Best regards,
Chillen
!! 
