HELLO!

I promised myself, that after induction on atkins, I would flop on over to the zone. (I find atkins SOOOO restrictive sometimes, my taste in some of the foods permitted is so narrow) I have lost a solid 10 lbs tho, and have felt so great!! I cheated last night, and as a result have gotten sick, been tired and sluggish all day. (Sucks, but now I know the power of the BAD carb)

I spent the past 2 hours flipping through the Zone book ~ Barnes and Nobles, and think I have the jist. Definitly more complicated than I had ever imagined. (The block theory throws me off) I bought a copy of "A week in the zone" which kinda seems like the Cliff's notes of the bigger book. I DO have a few questions ... !!

They keep referring to "the zone." Is this like being in ketosis? When "in the zone" is the body burning fat?

Several things are permitted like yogurt and fruits, but both have a lot of sugar? There is lengthy mention of the fat/car/protein ratios, but nothing is said about sugar.. should I STILL beware even if it is coming from a healthy source rather than a big ol' piece of cake?

I'm sure I will think of more questions .... please help a newbie

I too, am changing from Atkins to the Zone - I'm happy with Atkins (I'm fairly strict in that I don't use any "substitutes" or "fakes" to make something low carb pretend its high carb, and I never touch sugar or grains in any form) but I want more fruit and veg and I want to try eating less fat - for instance low fat yogurt instead of full fat cream. The Zone appeals to me and so I bought the book today.

I think by the "Zone" he simply means the combination of carbs/fats/proteins that produce a balanced hormone response to keep your system on an even keel. The way I understand it, 1 block equals 9g of CARBS or 1 1/2 g of FATS or 7g of PROTEIN: that is the CONTENT of carbs, fat, protein in the food, not the weight of the food. Each time you eat, even if its a little snack as well as a large meal, you should have equal BLOCKS of p,c & f. This can be broken down (for women) into 3 blocks of each category (3 lots of 9gs of protein = 27g total protein, 3 lots of 1 1/2gs of fat = 4 1/2 g total, 3 lots of 7gs of protein = 21g total) three times a day, plus 1 block of each category twice a day for snacks - which equals 11 blocks in all. But I think you can eat up to 11 times a day (!?), just so long as you have EQUAL blocks of fat, protein, carbs each time.... I think this is being "in the zone". If you ate, say 2 blocks of fat, with 1 block of protein and 4 blocks of carbs, you're NOT in the zone. Bear in mind I only bought this book today , but that's how I understand it. I still haven't figured out if this is supposed to cause weight loss and if so, what you do when you get to your goal weight. Perhaps I need to read the book again!! Hopefully some kind soul will let us know if I've got it all wrong........

hi Kanne!
welcome to the zone!!! I am sure you'll love it!

the 'zone' refers to the zone of optimal health and optimal athletic performance. when you are in the zone you will be burning fat, sure.

it doesn't really matter where your carbs come from: from table sugar, or from yogurt, or from lettuce. there is a difference in terms of insulin response, so if you are sensitive to simple sugars, you shouldn't use them at all. otherwise, have whatever you want. for desserts it is better to use crystalline fructose, since it is slower than plain sugar in terms of insulin response, and it will still give you a perfect creme brulee, lol.

the block talk was invented only because it is convenient. 1oz of meat is one block of protein, 1 slice of wholegrain bread is one block of carbs, 1tsp of oil/mayo is 1 block of fat. you see how easy it is to have a one or two block sandwich with ham/cheese and mayo (add lettuce and tomato slices, do not worry about carbs, too few to count from these veggies)? you could do grams if you wish, 1-2-3 rule, as in the small book you have mentioned. I just made a list of what one block of everything is and have it on my refrigerator door, it is very convenient, mix and match as your heart desires. if you want me to I can e-mail it to you.

please, visit zone websites
drsears.com
and
zoneperfect.com
for recipes, testimonials, support boards, and explanations, and lists of blocks.

zoneperfect offers a nice service: if you want to prepare a meal, you enter the kind of protein you wish to have and the amount, and you'll see recipes or meal suggestions for that. very nice.

Mila

Hi everybody!

I'm switching over too.

I tried the zone for about a week last year but didn't take it seriously. Now, after reading/doing Atkins and Calp and then going back to the Zone I feel I really understand everything (insulin/carbohydates etc) so much more.

Atkins was a good kickstart but I felt deprived, didn't like eating so much fat, and missed fruit and loads of veg terribly.

I did a few days of CALP but found myself getting terrible heartburn and the idea of eating within an hour a bit strange as I like to graze.

Then, getting my period mid cycle really capped things for me - I feel this definitely was because of Atkins and to be honest, I'm a bit pissed off!!

I think the Zone is so much more flexible and I'm really looking forward to eating more fruit.

Made a protein shake this morning and being able to put in a load of berries and a bit of yogurt was like dying and going to heaven.

Im new to all of this Im on my last straw to try to loose weight.>>>

i have read a little of the zone book of the book stands.....i am just wondering other than counting the food blocks.....how many carbs exactly did barry sears mention that is allowed a day?

he mentioned sth like 40% carbs, 30% protein etc......

i am more used to gauge how many carbs eaten a day coz i am on Atkins....

Well, I just came off the Zone and I'm back on Atkins, premaintence level. On the Zone, my carbs were 99g's per day, which is fine, if I don't cheat, and get my scheduled exercise in. However, I was not losing weight, but yo-yoing between 175 and 180 pounds. I went back to Atkins pre-maintenance a little over a week ago and I'm back down to 175.

If you intend to try the Zone, you need to be sure that you adjust your block intake according to your activity level. If you take a day off from exercise, you need to lower your blocks for the day. Alsom it requires diligence in watching your food intake.
I'm sure the diet works for many, but it's not for everyone. You need to do your own experimenting to find out.

I realize this thread is old and therefore you may have found all of your questions answered by now. If you haven't, I'd be happy to help.

To JimR: I am sorry to hear you were not getting the desired results from the Zone. I am however, concerned you gave up prematurely without all of the facts. Your post indicates you were eating 11 blocks. That is the minimum amount for most women (unless very small frame and under 5'1"). Most men generally fall into a minimum of 14 blocks. A higher activity level would bump that number up. Chances are you were not eating enough. This would have put your body into a catabolic state and you would have held on to fat AND lost lbm.

I hope you reconsider coming back to the Zone.

Zone Coach, I went back on the Zone a couple weeks ago and lost 3lbs.

Generally my daily block total is 13, when I exercise. 11 is my minimum, when I don't get to exercise. I sit behind a computer all day, so if I don't get out for my walk and do my power yoga, I have to stay at 11.

Welcome back to the Zone. It can take your body a couple of weeks to adjust, especially since you've bounced around a bit.

How have you calculated your blocks? As I said earlier, men generally fall into the 14 block category. You may be hindering your weight loss by not eating enough.

You may find more success by maintaining your blocks throughout the week. The rotational method (as you've described) is not recommended unless you've hit a plateau.

Rotational method, you mean cutting back on days I don't exercise? I thought this is what Dr. Sears said you're suppose to do?

Yes, although it is not an official term, some enthusiasts do it after reaching a plateau, and then only to get past the slump (ie: a week or so). Dr. Sears' method of calculating blocks is based on your lbm and WEEKLY activity level. Although the MINIMUM blocks for adults is 11, men will almost always fall into a minimum of 14, unless of course you're exceptionally small. You may have better results by increasing your blocks. If you post a sample daily menu, activity log, and goal(s) I may be able to help. If you’re not too shy about posting your stats, I can more accurately figure your block count too. I will need:
Height
Weight
Age
The circumference of your waist at the umbilicus (i.e., belly button). Measure three times and compute the average.
Measurement of your wrist at the space between your dominant hand and your wrist bone, at the location where our wrist bends.
If you’d prefer, you can email me off line with that information. Myzonecoach~yahoo .com

Coach, I've already done the calculation 3 times. The latest was last evening, using the calculator at the Zone Perfect Web site. The numbers are the same. 11 blocks for sedentary activity, 12 for moderate, and 14 for active.

Perhaps I'm not understanding the activity right.

I do power yoga, every morning for 30 minutes, and I walk briskly, every lunchtime for 40 minutes.

I thought this would be conisidered light moderate to moderate activity .

Am I wrong?

I would say that falls into the ACTIVE category (the one right above 'elite' on the calculator)

Mila, can you e-mail me that list of blocks that you keep on your fridge? I'm thinking about switching from Atkin's and this would help so much! Thanks! e-mail is lexanddaisy~insightbb.com