7-Day Calorie Confusion Meal Plan
Force your metabolism to work harder! This plan allows you to eat more and lose weight by alternating between high- and low-calorie days. Take the guesswork out of your diet with this week-long meal plan.

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