Alternate between high-calorie days of 2000 calories with a dessert and low 1200-calorie days with 4 meals. When you consume more calories, you drive nutrients into cells, building muscle and revving up your metabolism. The next day, you cut calories, essentially turning your body into a prime-time fat-burning furnace.

Try this week’s worth of meals to turbocharge your metabolism!

Sunday: High-calorie day (2000 calories)

Breakfast

1 large egg omelet (96 calories)

1/4 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (49 calories)

2 slices nitrate/nitrite free turkey bacon (70 calories)

1 slice whole wheat bread, toasted (100 calories)

1 medium-sized orange (62 calories)

Total (377 calories)

Snack

1.5 large rectangular graham crackers, 3 squares (90 calories)

1 tbsp peanut butter (95 calories)

Lunch

2 slices whole-wheat bread (200 calories)

2 slices turkey-breast meat (44 calories)

1 slice low-fat American cheese (38 calories)

Lettuce (5 calories)

2 slices tomato (6 calories)

1 medium banana (105 calories)

4 squares dark chocolate, 70-85% cocoa (72 calories)

1 cup baby carrots (50 calories)

Snack

1 medium apple (95 calories)

15 almonds (105 calories)

Dinner

1 cup cooked whole-wheat spaghetti (176 calories)

4 oz cooked chicken breast (186 calories)

1/2 cup steamed broccoli (27 calories)

1/2 cup chopped zucchini (10 calories)

1 cup tomato sauce (78 calories)

Dessert

1 cup low-fat frozen yogurt (280 calories)

10 raspberries (10 calories)

Total calories: 2,049

Monday: Low-calorie day (1200 calories)

Breakfast

Single-serve reduced-fat plain Greek yogurt (150 calories)

Raspberries (21 calories)

15 almonds (90 calories)

1 tsp honey (about 20 calories)

Snack

10 baby carrots (40 calories)

2 tbsp hummus (50 calories)

5 pita chips (65 calories)

Lunch

English muffin (134 calories)

1/4 cup pizza sauce (34 calories)

2 rings green peppers (4 calories)

1 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese (71 calories)

Snack

Small banana (90 calories)

1 tbsp peanut butter (about 95 calories)

Dinner

3 oz salmon (121 calories)

1/2 cup broccoli (30 calories)

1/4 cup (uncooked) brown rice (172 calories)

1 tbsp teriyaki sauce (20 calories)

Total calories: 1207

Tuesday: High-calorie (2000 calories)

Breakfast

2 eggs scrambled with 1/2 cup asparagus (142 and 13 = 155 calories)

1/2 cup blackberries (31 calories)

1 piece of whole wheat bread (100 calories)

1 tbsp strawberry jam (40 calories)

Snack

Pear slices with 1 tsp cinnamon (103 and 6 = 109 calories)

1 honey graham cracker (59 calories)

Lunch

Calzone

1/2 cup steamed spinach (20 calories)

1/2 cup chopped chicken breast (138 calories)

1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese (85 calories)

1 tbsp rosemary (10 calories)

1 tbsp pizza sauce (9 calories)

About 2 oz frozen pizza dough (160 calories)

Snack

11 pieces dried apricots (90 calories)

1 oz cashews (150 calories)

1/2 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt with 1 tsp honey (104 and 21 = 125 calories)

Dinner

3 oz lean beef (120 calories)

1/2 cup potatoes with 1 tsp dill, pinch of salt, and 1 tbsp parmesan cheese (68 and 6 and 22 = 96 calories)

1 cup lima beans (176 calories)

1 oz whole wheat roll (74 calories)

Dessert

1 slice cinnamon-raisin bread (120 calories)

1 tbsp nutella (95 calories)

Total calories: 1962

Wednesday: Low-calorie (1200 calories)

Breakfast

2 frozen organic waffles (200 calories)

1 tbsp maple syrup (50 calories)

1/2 cup blueberries (42 calories)

Snack

6 celery stick slices (6 calories)

1 tbsp natural peanut butter (95 calories)

25 raisins (39 calories)

Lunch

1 cup reduced-sodium tomato soup (158 calories)

Toasted small whole wheat pita with 1 slice swiss cheese and 1 basil (74 and 106 and 1 = 181 calories)

10 baby carrots (40 calories)

Snack

1 medium nectarine  (62 calories)

Dinner

3 oz shrimp (90 calories)

1/2 cup peas (58 calories)

1/4 cup couscous (uncooked, is more when cooked) (163 calories)

1 tbsp hoisin sauce (35 calories)

1/4 cup red peppers (12 calories)

Total: 1231 calories

Thursday: High-calorie (2000 calories)

Breakfast

1 cup orange juice (112 calories)

Poached egg on a whole-wheat English muffin with nitrate/nitrite free 1 slice Canadian bacon (71 and 134 and 43 = 248 calories)

1/2 cup sautéed potatoes (1 tbsp olive oil) with 1/4 cup mushrooms and dash of salt and 1 tsp garlic powder (58 and 119 and 4 and 9 = 190 calories)

Snack

25 raspberries (25 calories)

1/2 wheat bagel with 1 tsp almond butter (150 and 33 = 183 calories)

Lunch

Whole-wheat wrap (190 calories)

1 tbsp hummus (25 calories)

1/2 cup shredded carrots (25 calories)

4 olives (20 calories)

1/4 cup sprouts (2 calories)

2 oz deli chicken breast (50 calories)

1/2 cup shredded romaine lettuce (4 calories)

1/4 cup avocado (59 calories)

8 cherries (40 calories)

1 clementine (35 calories)

Snack

1/2 cup edamame (65 calories)

1 part-skim mozzarella cheese stick (70 calories)

Dinner

3 oz baked trout with lemon and 1/4 cup bread crumbs: (126 and 30 = 156 calories)

1/2 cup roasted tomatoes (22 calories)

1/4 cup brown rice with 1/2 cup steamed kale and 1/4 cup chickpeas: (172 and 16 and 72 = 260 calories)

Dessert

1/2 cup mango sherbet (120 calories)

1 tbsp shredded coconut (90 calories)

Total: 1991 calories

Friday: Low-calorie (1200 calories)

Breakfast

Cinnamon oatmeal (170 calories)

2 large sliced strawberries (12 calories)

Snack

1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds (142 calories)

Lunch

1 cup spinach (7 calories)

14 walnut halves (185 calories)

1 oz feta cheese (58 calories)

1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries (138 calories)

1 tbsp light balsamic vinaigrette (30 calories)

1/2 cup broccoli (15 calories)

Snack

10 whole-wheat crackers (90 calories)

1 tbsp peanut butter (95 calories)

Dinner

1/2 grilled chicken breast (130 calories)

1 cup steamed cauliflower (25 calories)

1 cup sweet potato (114 calories)

Total: 1221 calories

Saturday: High-calorie (2000 calories)

Breakfast

2-egg omelet with 1-oz cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup chopped red peppers, and 2 nitrate/nitrite free turkey sausage links: (142 and 113 and 6 and 132 = 387 calories)

1 wedge honeydew melon (45 calories)

1 slice whole-wheat toast with 1 tbsp raspberry preserves: (100 and 50 = 150 calories)

Snack

1/2 cup lowfat milk (52 calories)

1 cup cinnamon shredded wheat (200 calories)

Lunch

1 cup whole-wheat spaghetti (176 calories)

1/2 cup marinara sauce (111 calories)

1/2 cup zucchini (10 calories)

3 oz sliced grilled chicken breast (140 calories)

Snack

50 pistachios (160 calories)

Dinner

Black bean veggie burger (115 calories)

Whole-wheat bun (120 calories)

Tomato slice (3 calories)

Romaine leaf (1 calories)

Onion ring (2 calories)

1/3 cup (uncooked) quinoa with 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes and 6 artichoke hearts (160 and 35 and 20 = 215 calories)

Dessert

Instant hot chocolate, prepared with water: (113 calories)

16 animal crackers (120 calories)

Total: 2013 calories