It Can Only Get Better

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exercise journal, vegan runner, vegan weight loss, weight loss

It’s been one of those weeks that I question if the world has shifted slightly and the planets are not aligned correctly. I’ve always wanted to learn more about astrology and Chinese horoscopes but never had the full attention span to actually study it. So, this is all I can say about the last two days of my trials with working out and writing blog entries.

So, Tuesday afternoon it was more than gorgeous out for a January day. It’s mid-winter here so we are supposed to have a few feet of snow by this time of year. It’s very irregular to have 57F/14C and a full, cloudless sky of sunshine. At lunchtime I took the furry baby out for a nice 1.25 mile walk and she was having the time of her life!

Then the husband came home an hour early so we could go outside for a nice warm workout. His knee is still healing so he was on his bike and I was running alongside him. Even though his pain, he still comes out with me to exercise – can I say “Best Husband Award” winner! We got about a mile away from our house and the sunshine dulled and was covered by these gloomy black clouds. We contemplated what we should do but thankfully we turned around for home. I was disappointed that I didn’t get my long run in today but ran faster than normal just for more of a burn. I jumped in the shower and all of a sudden the lights started a disco show in the bathroom. A big bang and then we were out of electricity for the next 4-5 hours! It was interesting just enough to finish my shower in the dark and then make a candlelight dinner. Yes cooking by the light of a candle – thankfully we have a gas stove so with the strike of a match we had a working stove. It was a fun adventure and boy are we glad we turned around when we did!

Later we found out that the winds (that we exercised in) got up to around 60 MPH! I did notice the wind was incredibly fighting me – I thought I was just lighter due to the loss of a few pounds. Lol

Then Wednesday night I gave up going outside for a run. It was around 18F/-8C outside, so not going out in that temperature! Plus, my stomach was a little upset so an inside workout would be perfect. When I got to the gym, nothing was working again so I had to get someone to flip the fuse box switch to get the tv’s and treadmills working. It’s a small gym in our gated community so when they got a few new pieces of equipment they didn’t make adjustments for the extra needed power. It’s free with our community fees so what can I say… Then I turned on the heat since it was turned off and 55F/13C – grrrr… Then the darn thing persistently ran hot heat for the entire time I was there – pushing it out right on to me. Again, bad design. I stuck to my schedule and ran 6 miles – I felt great running the first 5 but the last 1 was more challenging because I was so hot due to the heater. When I stopped, my stomach was cramping up and I could barely move after I got my cool-down walk completed. I did some yoga to loosen things up while my husband finished up his biking before going home.

When I got home my stomach was so sore. It was all I could do to take a shower sitting down and then get dinner prepped. The darling hubby took over the last few steps as I laid under a heated blanket. I couldn’t move or eat for about three hours after my run. This happens a few times when I run more than normal but running 6 miles is normal to me now so I’m guessing the heat really did it in for me. The cramps were so strong my husband kept asking if I wanted to go see a doctor. Poor guy was so worried.

This morning, I’m feeling much better and thankfully no more cramps as of yet. The last two days have been very trivial but thankfully I’m keeping positive and making sure I don’t stop now just because a few things have gotten in the way.

Hotel gym

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exercise journal, exercise log, running, vegan diet, vegan runner, weight loss

Happy November everyone! Happily in the sunny state of VA again for work with the husband. Thrilled because we got out last night for two mile run outside. Today I adventured to the gym and ran two miles on the rickety old treadmill as staff tried to fix the broken tv, I didn’t do it!

Wedneday Motivation

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exercise journal, exercise log, my workout, running, vegan runner, weight loss

Yesterday I took myself to the gym once again.  It was nice to get back into the grindstone of working out and feeling good after a two day break.  As I was reading the book Mile Markers by Kristin Armstrong, I came across something that was interesting.  She wrote something along the lines of “people that are runners love to workout and make sure they fit it into their daily schedules.  People that do it because they have to make up excuses to get out of it.”  I found this very well written with a little truth to it.  Lately I have found that, yes, I do have to exercise to lose a few extra pounds of fat on my body but more importantly because I love doing it!  I love the feeling of working out and sweating all the nasty chemicals that have entered my body through the air every day.  It’s a cleansing moment for me.

Does anyone have the same experience?  Do you love or hate your workouts?

Wednesday Day Out

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diet, exercise journal, exercise log, my workout, vegan, vegan diet, vegan dinner, vegan food, vegan menu, vegan runner, veganism, weight loss

Changes are a good thing, especially when it involves coffee.  My adventurous day out of the home office started out with dropping my husband off at work and heading off to Panera Bread.  I’m not a big fan of Panera Bread but it’s basically the only breakfast place close to my husband’s work that has vegetarian options.  I’ve read from other vegan bloggers Panera Bread has vegan bagels but unfortunately I have read that most locations do in fact put an egg wash on top (which is basically a lazy way to brown the top easily).  Additionally, bagels are so high in calories so it is a dieter’s nightmare.

My breakfast ended up being a whole grain bagel (plain and no toppings) and a large coffee.  Panera Bread’s website has nutritional charts for each and every product and it stated the Whole Grain Bagel has 340 calories.  The coffee is calorie free, always a plus.  I took my breakfast and sat in a corner window alongside a double outlet.  I munched on the whole grain, sipped coffee and enjoyed working in a new environment.  There is jus something about working in a new place to get the ideas to flow through the keyboard.  I got so much work done.

After a few hours of crunch time, I was really into my work but some “business suits” came in a sat right next to me.  They were completely over-the-top loud, I’m assuming it was on purpose because when I left I heard them stating they wanted my perfect seat with the electrical outlet.  So, I’m assuming their behavior was all an act of immaturity in plans to get my seat.  Grrr

In the car I regrouped and shook off their behavior so that I could enjoy the rest of my day out.  I then went to a few shops to get some things on our grocery list that we can’t purchase at the local farmers’ market.  It’s nice to have some time alone but I do have to admit I love shopping with my husband better – it’s nice to have him to chat with while filling the shopping cart.  Lol, I missed him so I picked up a few goodies for him to be spoiled.  My favorite pastime is spoiling him, haha.

Next I went to Robek’s Smoothie Shop and purchased my husband’s Zen Berry Smoothie, which is the only thing on the menu that is vegan.  Caution if you are vegan, all the other smoothies have sorbet that contains dairy products and their powders are not all vegan.  Additionally, if you purchase a travel mug, you get $0.20 off each smoothie.  Haha Not a discount really but it does reduce materials going to the landfills so the travel mugs are eco-friendly.  Just wait until they have a deal where you purchase the travel mug you get a free smoothie – it ends up being the same price as a smoothie.   The only problem is that the zen berry costs $1.00 more than non-vegan options.  I took the smoothie to my husband as a dessert when we met up for lunchtime.  My stomach was feeling a little off still so I went to lunch (bento) with him in the park and chatted with him while he ate.

After lunch I drove home to get some more things done before the evening approached.  I did some laundry, hung it out to dry, make a dinner picnic, picked up the kitchen, and then I was off again to the gym.  I knew that I wanted to get to the gym at least for a little workout, so I hurried around the house to assure I had the time.  Thankfully I did things fast enough so I could spent about an hour in the gym.  I ran 5k, a round of 30 sit-ups and then lifted weights for about 20-30 minutes.  By that time I was completely out of time and I’m sure if I picked up the hubster in the condition I was in, he would have preferred to walk home.  Time was on my side so I hurried and took a shower before the furry baby and I flew out the door to pick up the husband for our surprise romantic beach picnic.

Dinner was near the beach and we watched the army recruits train, boats race and the sun go down.  It was the perfect ending to a near perfect day.

Calories Eaten: 1,189 (oops)

Calories Burnt: 238    

Calorie Differential: -608   

 

Dizzy Workout

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diet, eco-friendly, exercise journal, healthy foods, my workout, vegan, vegan breakfast, vegan diet, vegan dinner, vegan food, vegan menu, vegan runner, veganism, weight loss

Second day of the week and only three more to go, hooray!  To celebrate, my husband and I got up early and went to work.  Such rebels, right?!

The husband was sent off with a blueberry pancake bento for breakfast and a eggplant stuffed with “fried” rice bento.  He was super happy for the bentos this morning because he is addicted to blueberries as much as I am right now.  Yum!

Waking up this morning I was crazy hungry so I took some leftover veggies and half a potato diced in a skillet along with some canjun seasoning.  It was already cut up, so it took about 5 minutes to eat everything through.  I ate part of it in a fat free tortilla (mini) and the rest just on a plate.  Delish!  I topped it off with some Michigan Cherry Coffee.

After some work in the morning I decided that it was time to bake – yeah, I have this craving to bake things on cold mornings.  That’s normal, right?  My darling man has been requesting blueberry scones, so what’s a wife to do but to make them for him.  Actually I made Lemon Blueberry Scones but I think they will slide just this once.  (hopefully)  The downturn was I ate one right away and then another half.  I wasn’t so impressed with the lemon flavor, so next time I want to double the lemon to make them amazing.

By this time it was lunch so I delighted in another leftover serving of homemade Dukbokki.  This is a Korean dish that is basically a red pepper paste mixture with rice cakes simmered in it.  Mmmm I love this dish but I’m afraid that it is making me bloated feeling – I’m so bloated that my pants are a little tight.  Grrr At least I hope that is the case – uh oh!

Once I finally got my bloated stomach so I could move off my chair, I got back to work.  At this time, the sun was beaming through the house windows and I just could not resist the urge to jump outside for a little sun.  Sunbathing during the afternoon is just a little perk of working from a home office.  One hour later I was beaming myself after filling my Vitamin D.  Okay, so maybe I wasn’t full of Vitamin D however the hour in the sunshine did start to trigger vitamin D synthesis that helps make Vitamin D in the body, it’s not a direct supplementation.  Articles in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggest at least 10 minutes a day of direct sunlight for fair-skinned people.  I have yellow hints in my skin due to my German roots so I feel as though an hour is a good amount.

What’s one to do after sunbathing?  Well, in my case it is the perfect time for working out in the gym.  I drank some water, tied on my running shoes and headed off to the gym.  Since yesterday I ran 5 miles, I had planned on taking it a bit easier today with only 5k (3.15mi).  Unfortunately my stomach wasn’t really having any of the running on the treadmill.  So maybe sunbathing before running (in the cold) wasn’t my greatest idea.  I ended up running 2 miles and then jumping on the stationary bike.  I biked for 30 minutes and was feeling lightheaded.  Since this is one of the symptoms I do not ignore when exercising, I decided that I would take my cold sweats and dizzy butt home.  I really do not want to be the one that passes out in the gym…

It was good timing though since I got home, took a nice cold, relaxing shower and got on with some more work before the hard working man got home.  You know, everyone was very worried about my husband and I getting married early in our lives but we are so thankful to have each other even after 6 years of marriage.  I can’t image life without him.  I’m just as excited as our furry babies when my husband comes home.  I’m sure I’m not the only one with this type of marriage, right?

By dinnertime I still wasn’t feeling the best so I decided to have an easy, freezer dinner.  I always make extras and freeze enough for two to eat later on a lazy night.  Anticipating a lazy night, I laid out two Basmati Rice Burgers with Pinto Beans, one Pea Burger, and a few naan.  Along with some purple beans (which sadly turn green when you steam them), Brussels sprouts, cucumber slices and a few cherry tomatoes, our dinner was a huge success.  I had my pea burger on a Wasa Whole Grain Cracker and half a piece of homemade naan.  Yum!  Later on the husband had a Oreo Cookie in Soy Cream with a cup of Mango Tea and I had a British Tea.

Calories Eaten: 1,163

Calories Burnt: 375 (Total this week- 861cals)

Calorie Differential: -1,594

Welcome Monday

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diet, diet log, eco-friendly, exercise journal, healthy foods, my workout, vegan, Vegan BBQ, vegan breakfast, vegan diet, vegan dinner, vegan food, vegan menu, vegan runner, veganism, weight loss

Welcome to a brand new week everyone!  Each and every week guaranteed a new and exciting beginning.  It’s similar to a fresh start to the school year but us adults get to renew our lives each and every week.  Although occasionally we all wish for a week to never end, say when we’re on vacation, but most of the time the weekend comes with excited cheers and happy dances, at least in my household.

Okay so maybe not all of you may be fans of the happy dances, as I and the furry baby are, but I believe you get my point.  Try it on for a size, you may have an inner *happy dance* love too.  Last week was one of those weeks my husband and I just wanted to let be and move on from to another one.  Thankfully we had a full weekend of celebrating our family being together and are trying our best to make this week better than the last.  Don’t get me wrong though, we won’t forget what happened and we will not turn our heads from the illegal actions at our local animal shelter and veterinary hospital.  It is important to never forget those things that we stand for, as the quote goes, “If you don’t stand for something you will fall for everything!”  In my household we stand for equality among everyone and everything – whether it be sexual preference, ethnicity, legal justice, animal rights and so on.

We woke up (thanks to the lovely train that blows his horn around 4-5AM everyday- why do they do that so early in the morning?) and started our week off the right way.  That basically meant no rushing and trying to wake up the proper slow method that our bodies crave.  It’s a great way to start a week off right.

My darling man collected his prepared breakfast and lunch bentos as I made the coffee.  Fully packed for the day, the dog was leased and we were off on an early morning wake-up (bathroom break) walk.  It’s now in the 50’s at night, so boy does it give you a wake up call this early in the morning as the sun rises.  The cold temperatures are overlooked though by the unbelievably beautiful sunrises.  Furry baby didn’t even notice the temperature decline, she was just as happy as ever – actually she was ecstatic for some unknown reason. She always makes me laugh because during our walk she always (not over exaggerating) has to “lay her deposits” in the same spot.  If pooches could cross their tiny legs while walking she would totally be doing the “potty dance”.  Her deposit destinations are more than half way through the walk and she tends to run the last few minutes to get to her favored location.  She will absolutely not go anywhere else and gets angry with us when we change the walking route.  So funny how canine’s tend to get in routines too – they are more like the human race than we give them credit for on a daily basis.

I’m thankful to see her doing so well though after last week.  She does have her stressed quirks right now that I talked to our veterinarian about and he seems to believe that she is doing fine considering the circumstances.  I’m not certain what happened to her during her hour away from us but she does seem to have more gray her than normal.  Plus, she has separation anxiety – my poor baby!  She doesn’t leave our side for anything right now.  The other day I had to use the restroom with a feline begging for water from the faucet and the canine next to my feet.  What a crowded bathroom that was!  Note to myself, next house must have a large bathroom for our growing family.  Thankfully the veterinarian said that she will continue to feel more safe again and in about 2-4 months she will be just fine again.  Our veterinarian is just the most trustworthy person I know, so I imagine he will be right on with his predicament.  At least she still loves her walks and being spoiled – at least we can do that for her.

After the husband was off to work, I started up my own work along with a steamy cup of Michigan Cherry Coffee and a freshly picked Paula Red apple from a local farmer.  The Paula Red variety tastes very similar to the Jersey Mac variety.  Both have a juicy crisp inside and slightly tart outside skin.  It was delicious!  Once I got through some necessary work stuff, I headed to the kitchen for a healthy dosage of Vegan Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes.  It was a new recipe that I tossed together on the fly.  They were crispy and savory, unlike the sweet ones I make for the husband.  I’m amazed at the crunchy outside but fluffy inside – a perfect oatmeal if I do say so myself.  If I were to make them for my husband, I would add some sweetener such as agave nectar or brown sugar but for me these were perfect.

Crisp Oatmeal Blueberry Pancakes for One

A few light household chores and a little work and I was off to the gym for a little morning mental cleansing.  My goal at the gym was met for weight lifting and running but my bike plan was interrupted by some maintenance workers that decided it was the best time to put some sort of locks on all the television sets.  I understand that they were doing their jobs but it would have been nice if they placed signs up stating the work was going to be done at a certain time so as to not interrupt the workouts of others.  My workouts are very important to me, each one helps to reduce stress, calm my nerves, let me think about the day ahead and so on.  Television repair just doesn’t help any of these things.  Ah well, lunch was calling my name.

Lunch consisted of half a Cranberry and Stuffing Tofurky Deli Slice Sandwich – which by the way, even though the package instructs one to eat with cranberry sauce it never mentions that it doesn’t contain any.  It’s new so it’s higher priced however does taste the same as the original – darn!  Then I had about five pieces of homemade dukbokki from last night and a little portion of White Bean and Tomatillo Soup.  It seemed like a lot of food but in the end only came up to around 400 calories.  Then I added a tiny Paula Red apple as a snack but only ate around ¾.

The rest of the day just flew past with me writing for work and working on a few other things online.  It was a nice day that ended very fast – where does the time go?  My husband was back at his normal time and we started to talk about dinner.  While I was running I had decided that I was finally going to use a round eggplant (does this have a name?) and stuff it with a type of no oil fried rice.  I love mock fried rice (no oil) since it is basically a way to use up a lot of veggies in your fridge and make a delicious dinner out of it.  I added corn on the cob from a local farmer and also a slice of homemade bread with homemade blueberry jam.  Regrettably I found some dark chocolate in the freezer and we ate some of that too in the evening.  Ugh!  I’m still trying to train my body that it doesn’t need something sweet after dinner – years of eating this way is hard to change in just two years of re-teaching. L  Still working on it…

Vegan Stuffed Eggplant

After dinner we took the happy pooch on another short walk and then relaxed the rest of the evening.

Calories Eaten: 1,272

Calories Burnt: 486 (5 mile run, 2.34 miles bike, yoga & weight lifting)

Calorie Differential: -773

Listen to your Body

Tags

exercise journal, exercise log, my workout, vegan runner, weight loss

Finally yesterday I got back to working out.  It’s been hard for me to want to leave the house since it is still uncertain as to what happened with our furry baby the other day.  Sad enough that it had to happen in the first place, but my furry baby is now in a bit of shock and doesn’t leave my side often anymore.  She’s more than sensitive about me leaving a room without her next to me.

Thursday I conned myself out the door and to the gym for a little “me time”.  I love working out but it’s hard to leave the house, my nerves are still shaken.  It was hard but at least I can say I managed to dress myself, walk out the door, check the front door was locked only three times and then walk to the gym.  This short walk is one thing that I enjoy daily since it refreshes my mind and body before and after a workout.  There’s nothing like fresh air to make the body feel better, even through the stressful times.

My workout didn’t stop as planned unfortunately.  The ever changing climate in the gym always keeps me on my toes wondering if I should wear winter or summer running clothes.  Today I was smart though and wore three layers of clothes, just in case.  It was a “desert day” so I stripped down to my bottom layer of clothing to prepare for the heat.  Clothing preparation= success.  Whether is be nerves about leaving the house or just an unsettlement, my stomach was jumping all around.  Seeing that I worked so hard to get myself out of the house though, I made myself get in a short workout.

I had planned a 5k distance per my usual easy day routine but found out that it was going to be more challenging than normal.  My stomach just would not settle down.  So, I ran one mile and then went to use the restroom.  I was having cold sweats and not feeling up to par so I knew something was up.  Then I chose to run the rest of the way and just end the workout with the 5k run.  Just after two miles though, my stomach was unbareable and I knew I couldn’t go anymore.  To tell you the truth, the thought of throwing up or passing out kept crossing my mind.  Then there was the thought my husband was going to be really mad if I didn’t stop – he’s always telling me not to push myself too hard.

Thankfully I made it home, took a nice cool shower and got into some comfy clothes to relax.  Sometimes we have to remember that working out is great but there are limits so we must listen to our bodies.

Daring Ones’ Self

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diet, exercise journal, my workout, running, vegan, vegan runner, weight loss

Eleanor Roosevelt was once quoted, “Do one thing that every day that scared you.”  It’s such a great quote to live by since we as humans can get stuck in major ruts that will last a lifetime if we’re not careful.

When I lived in Japan, doing something against the grain was much easier.  Something as simple as using a new sentence structure in Japanese to someone I know could have done my daring quota of the day.  Or, trying a different route home or even a new “eccentric” food would more than meet my needs.  Maybe this is why I love traveling and living in Japan so much… everyday is a new day with new adventures.  As an alien card holder, I always told myself to not be shy (which naturally I am), because most likely you will never meet that same encounter twice in a lifetime.  It’s true that yes you will meet people again but many will not remember or even think twice about a first encounter slip up.  So, it was easy to pop my head out of my turtle shell and do something daring.

After the first year or so back in the states, I returned back to my shy demeanor until I came across this quote in the book, “Mile Markers: The 26.2 most important reasons why women run” by Runners’ World contributing editor, Kristin Armstrong.  It brought me back to my days abroad and I had to ask myself – what’s holding me back from living a new and daring life?  When I crossed the time meridian did something change?  Maybe time travel or something?  Either the reason, I knew instantly I had to break out of my shell and showcase my true self.  Living day in and day out can be incredibly boring and insignificant – who wants to be 90 years old and never have tried anything out of their sheltered comfort zone.  Not me, I know that.

So I’ve tried a few new things that I haven’t done in a while.  For instance today I took some of our fresh banana peppers from the MI farmer’s market and made homemade canned peppers and also pepper relish.  I have canned millions of times with my grandmother’s German recipes but it was always with her.  Living more than 4 hours away though, it’s too difficult to spend hours in her hot kitchen canning fresh produce. I miss those days but I do look forward to when I can teach my own children and grandchildren the hands-on way she taught us.  So, I made 2 jars for myself and my husband with what we had on hand.  It was strange doing it alone but exciting at the same time.  It taught me that I can really do it myself – my grandmother will be so proud.

Turning the wheels back, last night was actually my first break through “daring moment”, which happened to involve my daily workout.  Normally I’ll workout for about an hour or two and feel completely happy with myself.  Last night though the husband surprised me by coming home on time and ready for a good run outdoors.  The skies were a bright blue, a few picturesque white fluffy clouds presenting themselves and the temperatures in the mid-80’s, who wouldn’t want to get out there and run?  We tossed on our running shoes and hit the pavement for our normal 5K run.  My husband decided that he wanted to run another mile, which I said “why not”.  (Did I mention I already run 4 miles, an additional 1 mile of fartlek training, and a 5 mile bike ride already?)  But why let a gorgeous day go to waste?  We enjoyed every mile we ran and I wasn’t any more tired than normal.  It was the perfect run that my body was needing – one with fresh air, perfect temperatures and a great chat with my running partner.

So, if I had stuck to my normal routine, I would not have 2 colorful jars of canned veggies and not have done a double exercise. If we say “no” to things we come across in life, we may be missing out on important things.  Therefore, I urge all of you to get out there and enjoy life to the fullest.  Don’t let negative thoughts pull you down but rather challenge them and prove them whose boss.

 

 

You know it’s been too long when…

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exercise journal, exercise log, my workout, running, vegan, vegan runner, weight loss

You know it’s been too long when… you wake up in the morning and interrupt a running dream.  It’s been four days since I have really taken to the road or gym for a good workout.  Sure, walking around as a tourist in Michigan and swimming was nice but it’s not the same as a good ‘ol sweating workout.  I woke up this morning dreaming that I was late for a running event that I had signed up for along with some friends.  I ended up going late and not registering for the race, which meant I wasn’t supposed to run.  Thankfully I managed to help out a friend that couldn’t run because of an injury right before the race.  I started running the race with hardly tied running shoes and no socks.  That’s it and I woke up.  Strange but I can tell it’s a sign.  Do you ever have these dreams?

Zig-Zag Calories

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diet, eco-friendly, exercise journal, my workout, vegan, vegan diet, vegan runner, veganism, weight loss

I’ve been toying with this idea for a few months now, mainly due to the fact that I have plateaued for about 6 months now.  It’s rather annoying to be in a weight loss plateau when one is doing all the measures for good weight loss.  I eat healthy, organic, homemade vegan foods, exercising at least 6 times a week and get plenty of sleep and water.  The experts say this is enough but I’m not sure it’s working out enough to get those last 10-20 pounds off.  I have lost about 40-50 pounds in two years, which is  more than reasonable for healthy weight loss.  So, I’m thinking about working on a zig-zag calorie count instead of sticking to around 1200-1300 calories a day.  I love the idea that you are going to be boosting your calories one day and the next it will go down.  Here’s a lovely link that expresses the basic details to the idea.  Please do not get confused though, this is not a diet, it is cycling ones calories to boost metabolism from a relaxed mode to a more active mode.  Our bodies get into daily rituals and end up being stuck. So, the cycling of calories help light that fire under our tootsies.  What do you think?  Have you ever tried it out?