I'd get one of the new adaptive types. With regular programmables, you
set the time for the temp setting to change. How long it takes the
system to get the room temp to that point varies depending on the
current temp, the outside temp, whether heating or cooling, etc. So,
if you want it to be 70 at 7AM, you have to set it earlier, like
6:15AM.

You set the adaptive ones for the actual temp you want at the given
time. So, in this example, you'd simply set it for 7AM. The
thermostat then calculates when to raise the setting based on the
recent history of system performance.