Day 41:

Yesterday's cals:

In:   3461 (34% carb, 28% fat, 38% protein)
Out: 2827
18% SURPLUS

Yes, I finally managed to have a true surplus day for the first time in the last 6 weeks, yay me!!!!
Of course, I feel like a bloated piggie, but such is the process... It's weird in a good way that I usually find it harder to not be active these days than last year when it was an effort just to get off the couch. Today's another somewhat higher day as I'll end up somewhere in the neighborhood of 1800-2000 calories leading into the weekend.

Exercise:  NONE!!!!

Yes, no cardio, no weights, no sneaking in a few sets on my big blue exercise ball, nothing!!!!!
What is this telling me? Well, first off, I still feel bloaty from yesterday. Second, I don't feel like getting up and doing anything. I don't know if it's the junk food from yesterday, the lack of exercise, the lack of a nap while I was getting some school stuff taken care of, or bad luck for Friday the 13th or whatever. I just feel poopy. And I used to do that stuff for over a decade straight? It's not an exaggeration that I started reclaiming my life during last summer's challenge.

Things I've learned from this little mini-break/reset/whatever:
Junk food makes me feel junky, period. For the occasional surplus days, I need to get my calories from better sources. The over-processed crap on the value menu tastes like slime on a bun these days.

The cheap digestive enzyme thingies from Trader Joe's work very well for me when I'm eating plenty of beef. Tried it both ways a few times, and no bloaty, just swallowed a basketball feel if I use them, and the stuff sits like a rock in my stomach for hours if I don't. Lesson learned. Also that cinnamon and ginger seem to help quite a bit with the food coma when eating grains. Doesn't eliminate it, but definitely blunts the edge. Not big on eating the ginger slices soaked in rice vinegar that my lady is so certain cures everything, but it's not the end of the world for someone who used to chew raw garlic cloves just for fun. Yeah, I'm weird. Sue me....

Hmm... Long post for a total off-day. I've got my eating modifications planned out for the next few weeks and tomorrow's back to my usual lower carb/calorie/high protein approach. This has been about as much of a refeed or reset as I can stomach (pun intended, lol)