Calorie Maintenance Levels

The previous two examples have helped us establish a baseline for your daily calorie maintenance level. This is the number that will assist us in determining how much food you need per day on your flex calorie diet.

Setting Up a Flex Calorie Diet

Here’s where we stand:

1)    You’re prepared. You’ve just spent the last week detailing everything you’ve eaten, and have taken the time to calculate an approximate daily calorie maintenance level.

2) You’re not prepared. In which case you’ll use the “Lazy Method” which is covered on the next page but don’t skip this page. You need to at least read it.

Assuming you’re prepared and know your daily calorie maintenance level, it’s time to get started. Use the following chart to determine how many calories you need to eat per day, and how many “flex calories” you are allowed per week.

If your maintenance level is:

•        3500 calorie maintenance level ­ 2850 calories day per, 2100 flex calories per week.

•        3400 calorie maintenance level ­ 2770 calories day per, 2030 flex calories per week.

•        3300 calorie maintenance level ­ 2690 calories day per, 1960 flex calories per week.

•        3200 calorie maintenance level ­ 2610 calories day per, 1890 flex calories per week.

•        3100 calorie maintenance level ­ 2530 calories day per, 1820 flex calories per week.

•        3000 calorie maintenance level ­ 2450 calories day per, 1750 flex calories per week.

•        2900 calorie maintenance level ­ 2370 calories day per, 1680 flex calories per week.

•        2800 calorie maintenance level ­ 2290 calories day per, 1610 flex calories per week.

•        2700 calorie maintenance level ­ 2210 calories day per, 1540 flex calories per week.

•        2600 calorie maintenance level ­ 2130 calories day per, 1470 flex calories per week.

•        2500 calorie maintenance level ­ 2050 calories day per, 1400 flex calories per week.

•        2400 calorie maintenance level ­ 1970 calories day per, 1330 flex calories per week.

•        2300 calorie maintenance level ­ 1890 calories day per, 1260 flex calories per week.

•        2200 calorie maintenance level ­ 1810 calories day per, 1190 flex calories per week.

•        2100 calorie maintenance level ­ 1730 calories day per, 1120 flex calories per week.

•        2000 calorie maintenance level ­ 1650 calories day per, 1050 flex calories per week.

•        1900 calorie maintenance level ­ 1570 calories day per, 980 flex calories per week.

•        1800 calorie maintenance level ­ 1490 calories day per, 910 flex calories per week.

•        1700 calorie maintenance level ­ 1410 calories day per, 840 flex calories per week.

•        1600 calorie maintenance level ­ 1330 calories day per, 770 flex calories per week.

•        1500 calorie maintenance level ­ 1250 calories day per, 700 flex calories per week.

So that’s it!

You now know how many calories to eat per day, and how many free calories you get per week. Understand that it is best to space out your free calories somewhat evenly from day ­to ­day unless:

•        You have a big social event (birthday party, holiday dinner) and need to save the majority of these calories for this event.

•        You have binge eating tendencies and may feel particularly weak one to two nights per week and need extra calories.

•        You want to hit the town and have a few drinks this weekend.

During the first two weeks of your diet try to hold off on consuming your free calories until you really need them.

The first several weeks will reveal a lot about how and when you need to eat these extra calories. Just remember that if you consume all of them early in the week, you’ve left yourself no wiggle room for cravings later in the week.

During the first couple weeks of your new eating plan it’s best to under-­consume free calories early in the week. For example, if you are allowed 1500 free calories per week and are craving something sweet on Monday, instead of eating a 520 calorie muffin, try eating a 200 calorie candy bar instead.

If you’re dying for something sweet or salty, don’t overdo it. Eat a little less rather than a little more. You will feel good about your choices, gain confidence and momentum, and stockpile extra calories for later in the week to be used as a reward, should you want to use them on junk food.

After the first several weeks you will develop a solid understanding of when you typically need to eat free calories. Make adjustments as needed.

Another reminder... It is best to use free calories for clean, healthy food choices. With that said, we are human. Don’t pressure yourself to be perfect and never eat junk food.

Life is best lived with balance. Don’t beat yourself up if you need a muffin or small pack of Doritos. That’s what your free calories are for ­ the human side of us.

Most eating plans and dietary structures don’t allow for the human side of life. Welcome to reality. No one is perfect. Pretending that you can maintain perfect abstinence from your favorite foods is a huge lie.

The beauty of flex calorie dieting is that it allows for reality; the human side of dieting. You will learn your tendencies, be allowed to live a little, and learn to work with your (good and bad) eating habits instead of trying to pretend they aren’t there.

Now, I know this method can be tedious so if you didn’t prepare all your flex calories as laid out above… I have a Lazy way to do it to skip the most time consuming parts. Plus, some tweaks that make this diet 10X more effective.

If you want these secrets you need to…

GO TO YOUR EMAIL INBOX AND CONFIRM YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

It should be there by now, so check your junk/ spam folders if you don't see it and add the email to your address book.