Adjusting diet is something you'll learn how to do very well when using the WLC System.
The WLC System allows you to make diet adjustments on a weekly basis, if required, so you can continue to get results.
Your body will adapt to anything you are doing after a certain period of time, and that's why the WLC System is so powerful. You make adjustments when needed so you continue getting great results.
These diet adjustments that I'll talk about in detail will be decided upon by YOU during each weekly assessment you perform.
This means you need to really know what you're doing and understand why you're doing something.
That's why it's very important that you get your free copy of the WLC System and study that manual. It's going to take a little work on your part to read through the manual, but it will be well worth the time and effort. I promise you that.
If you've already read about the WLC Diet in the WLC System Manual, you'll know that you cycle calories on a daily basis when using this powerful system.
You'll also have your highest calorie days on the weight lifting days each week.
You'll use calorie cycling so your body does not become accustomed to the same amount of food and calorie intake each day.
You can build muscle and burn fat much easier with calorie cycling.
Your metabolism kicks hard throughout the duration of each WLC weight lifting cycle. If you haven't tried calorie cycling before, you're in for a pleasant surprise.
Your body will eventually begin to adapt to calorie shifting as well, but it will take it a bit longer to catch on to what you're doing.
Along with calorie shifting and many other methods within the WLC System, you will continue getting amazing results for the duration of your program. You won't waste time with the WLC System.
WLC Cycle Goal: Build Muscle Or Burn Fat?
What's your goal? Build muscle OR burn fat?
Did you choose to make muscle building or fat loss your goal? Remember, you're only choosing one goal at a time to focus on for each weight lifting cycle.
Focusing on only one of these goals at a time will give you a better chance to make some great progress.
There's no reason to try to lose fat and build muscle at the same time.
I've tried this many times before, and I made absolutely no progress at all. It's better to focus on one and really go for that calorie surplus or calorie deficit.
You'll be much happier seeing results that way.
If you've chosen muscle building as your goal, you will stick with this goal for the duration of the cycle.
The weekly muscle gain goal you will target for each week is anywhere from 0 to 2 pounds of muscle gain. If you do not gain any lean muscle mass during the week, you will increase calories up a few levels.
If you gain 1 pound in a week, you might increase calories a level or stick with this level until muscle gain slows. One pound of muscle gain each week is GREAT progress but you can shoot for a little more if you want.
If you gain 2 pounds of muscle, you can either increase a level or keep the calorie level constant.
Do you see what we're doing here? You'll be measuring your muscle gain and fat loss each week, and you'll be able to adjust your diet based on your results.
If you've chosen fat loss as you're WLC Cycle Goal, then you will stick with that goal for the duration of the fat loss cycle. The weekly fat loss numbers for a fat loss cycle should be anywhere from 0 to 2 pounds.
Sometimes with fat loss cycles, you build muscle and lose fat during the week, so your weight may stay the same. Same goes for muscle building cycles. You have to watch muscle gain and fat loss numbers to know what you're really getting in terms of progress.
If you notice in the mirror that you're looking MUCH better but you're weight has stayed the same, you may want to keep your calories constant and ride the progress wave as long as possible at that caloric intake. This just means you're losing fat while gaining muscle.
When you replace fat loss with lean muscle gain, you are doing GREAT! Keep it going for as long as possible.
WLC Weekly Assessment for Adjusting Diet
During each WLC weekly assessment, you will weigh yourself and find your body fat percentage to determine your weekly muscle gain or fat loss.
All you need to measure is your body weight and body fat percentage. You can calculate muscle mass and fat mass from those 2 numbers.
Based on your results, you will adjust our caloric intake to the next levels, either up or down.
You will use calorie levels determined for your body weight at the beginning of each WLC cycle. Just a little preview of what these caloric levels might look like for a 200 pound person with 10% body fat and a moderate activity and exercise level:
*EXAMPLE ONLY – 200 Pound Person w/ 10% Body Fat*
| Calorie Level | Average Calorie Intake |
|---|---|
| Fat Loss Level 2 | 2593 |
| Fat Loss Level 1 | 2953 |
| Maintenance | 3313 |
| Muscle Gain Level 1 | 3673 |
| Muscle Gain Level 2 | 4033 |
| Muscle Gain Level 3 | 4393 |
| Muscle Gain Level 4 | 4753 |
| Muscle Gain Level 5 | 5113 |
| Muscle Gain Level 6 | 5473 |
| Muscle Gain Level 7 | 5832 |
Once you have your caloric table set up for the beginning of a weight lifting cycle, you will be ready to go. You simply use the average as your average daily intake throughout the week.
Use the WLC Calorie Cycling method and you're all set for your WLC diet. You then perform you're weekly assessment each week and adjust your diet accordingly.
Simple and very effective.
Adjusting diet weekly is why the WLC diet is so effective. Other diets never make ANY adjustments. The WLC System adapts to you.
You can make your own calorie levels using a spreadsheet program or sheet of paper and calculator. It's not hard. But I've given you log books to use with the starter programs here at Weight Lifting Complete. Everything is calculated for you.
Just follow the example table above. I actually use Lean Body Mass as the multiplier for each level if you were trying to figure that out.
The multipliers for each level looks like this:
Fat Loss Level 2 = Maintenance Level – 4*Lean Muscle Mass
Fat Loss Level 1 = Maintenance Level – 2*Lean Muscle Mass
Maintenance Level = Basal Metabolic Rate*Activity Factor
Muscle Gain Level 1 = Maintenance Level + 2*Lean Muscle Mass
Muscle Gain Level 2 = Maintenance Level + 4*Lean Muscle Mass
Muscle Gain Level 3 = Maintenance Level + 6*Lean Muscle Mass
Muscle Gain Level 4 = Maintenance Level + 8*Lean Muscle Mass
Muscle Gain Level 5 = Maintenance Level + 10*Lean Muscle Mass
Muscle Gain Level 6 = Maintenance Level + 12*Lean Muscle Mass
Muscle Gain Level 7 = Maintenance Level + 14*Lean Muscle Mass
Remember, the body weight for the person in the example above is 200 pounds with a 10% body fat percentage. This means the lean muscle mass is equal to 180 pounds.
Adjust according to your body weight and body fat percentage.
I've actually made a quick diet adjustment calculator for you:
Free Download Diet Adjustment Calculator: Download
That should make everything much easier for you. Remember to use the WLC System as your guide as everything is explained within the pages of that manual. If you need any help on adjusting your diet, let me know.
President of WLC says
There is one thing I should have mentioned in this article on making diet adjustments. I focused on calorie intake ONLY, but I also want you to realize this ONLY applies if your food choices are top-notch. You should NEVER adjust your calorie intake unless you are flooding your body with nutrients at each meal. Every food you eat should be extremely healthy as explained in the WLC System. Only then will your calorie levels be adjusted. Your food choices are THE most important to begin with. Once you get that right, you can start adjusting your diet based on your results each week.