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Alicia 
Posts:10
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| 07/08/2008 10:42 AM |
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I'm pretty new to the Zone... I have been severely overweight more than half of my life. After being a pretty slim child, i started gaining weight around the age of 14. Let's just say all hell broke lose and what started as a moderate weight gain, became dramatic. My period has always been pretty crazy and at one point i had cysts in one of my ovaries. I reached my highest a few months ago at 270lbs and I'm 5'11". I tried many weightloss plans, diets and I even went to top specialist cuz no one could really figure out my weight gain cuz like no matter what i tried i kept ballooning up, there really isnt another way of calling it.. i was a size 20 by the age of 17... all they ever said was that i must eat a lot, which i dont, i really eat like a normal person. I do sometimes have a very sweet tooth, but nothing extreme either.
Anyways, about 3 1/2 years ago i moved to an apartment very close to the beach in Florida and i rode my bike everywhere. I watched what i ate but never really got on a diet... i dropped from a size 22 to a size 16 or tight 14 but gained it all back.
Watching one of those Mistery Diagnosis shows on the Discovery Channel, i heard about PCOS for the first time and I did some research online and all the symptoms made me think i suffered from it, except for the fact that i no longer have cysts in my ovary... at least not last time i had an ultrasound.
I didn't find out until december 07 that i had thyroid issues when i became a patient of Zone Mexico. Also my hormonal levels are all messed up and they told me i have insulin resistance. I had my inflammation test done and it showed that my AA/EPA score is 23.33 when its supposed to be from 1-3.
I haven't lost all that much weight because i have gotten off track a lot. i've been out of town a lot and i just find it really hard to stay on track . I did see a dramatic weight loss the very first weeks though when i was home and followed the plan exactly. But i was hungry a lot of the time.
Since I found these forums i have so many doubts. I'm not exactly sure if the amount of blocks and omega they put me on is appropriate for me. Normally i'm hungry in between breakfast and the first snack...and then between the seconds snack and dinner. if i am pms'ing i have horrible sugar/carb cravings and it's when staying in the zone becomes so hard.
I was put on 15 capsules of omega day and 9 blocks if i was exercising or 8 if i wasn't.
I am 5'11 and currently at 269lbs.
Other than of course losing weight which is important to me, I want to have a baby more than anything in the world... and with the issues in my period and all i have been told that could be a huge problem when trying to concieve.
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Sue K 
Posts:9554
Zone Expert
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| 07/08/2008 11:25 AM |
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Welcome Alicia!
For starters, you're not eating enough. 11 blocks daily is the minimum that Dr. Sears has set for all adults. At 5' 11" and around 270 with no exercise you'd probably be in at the least, the 12-13 block range. Depending upon the amount and type of exercise you perform, that number of blocks would increase. If you'd like to post more info I'll be happy to help. The info I'd need is your current weight, measurement around the abdomen at the level of the umbilicus ,and the measurement around the widest part of your hips (keeping the measuring tape level with the floor). Also, I'd need to know the type(s) of exercise you do, and the number of minutes you spend at it plus the number of times a week you perform the exercise.
Dr Sears recommendations have successfully helped many people with PCOS.
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sue
Lost 100 lbs 15 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil. ZoneFast is the best!
To view my before/after pics and meal photos click on this picture
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Alicia
Posts:10
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| 07/08/2008 11:52 AM |
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Hi Sue! Thanks a lot! See the number of blocks you are talking about is what they said I would have to go to once I stopped doing the Zone to lose weight... maintenance they said. Also, the eating plan they give you is very different from what i read about here in the forums and in the first book i just finished reading, a Week in the Zone. What I was given has no dairy and a lot of other stuff. Basically what they say you should eat is just fruits, veggies, protein, nuts. Also they put me on the omega rx that Dr Sears sells here on the website but once my inflammation results came back, they switched me to a zone labs omega rx that has a blue label but i couldn't find here in the US. I called to place my order and they told me they had no idea what i was talking about. I read the labels and there are some ingredients that one doesn't have that the other does. The one on sale online has EPA/DHA fish oil concentrate, gelatin (bovine), glycerin, purified water, toasted sesame oil concentrate, proprietary antioxidant blend (soybean oil, natural flavor, tocopherols, canola oil, citric acid).
Total Calories 35
Calories From Fat 35
Fish Oil Concentrate 4000 mg
EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) 1600 mg **
DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) 800 mg
The one with the blue label i was taking has gelatin, glycerin, mixed tocopherols and citric acid.
Total Calories 35
Vitamin E 8mg
EPA 1600mg
DHA 800 mg
Would taking one from the other make a difference?
my waist measurement is 46 1/2
and my hips 57 1/2
Mainly I walk anywhere from half an hour to an hour depending on the time I do it. And sometimes every day, some others just 4 times per week. I also do some stretching exercises la Zona Mexico gave me and some ab work. If my schedule allows it i will also add some workout belly dance tapes i have that are 35 minutes each and work out different target areas... one is hips and buns lol and the other one is targeted to your belly. And its so much fun too. I lost a lot of the weight I mentioned in my first post on riding my bike and these tapes.
I just have found that this time around my energy level is so much lower and i find my self short of breath so easy. when they ran all that blood work they told me that i had a growth hormone deficency and that was what caused my low energy levels?
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Sue K
Posts:9554
Zone Expert
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| 07/08/2008 8:23 PM |
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Hi Alicia,
You're welcome!
I don't know why they're telling you there are stages to the Zone. Your protein requirement is calculated the same way whether or not you need to lose weight. You do not eat less when you have stored fat to lose. In the Zone you eat the same while you lose the stored fat as you will eat after you are at your ideal body fat%. I do not know why they said no dairy. And, I'm not sure what the other fish oil with the blue label is.
What I do know is that you are not eating enough. According to the body fat calculator, you should be eatgin 14 or 15 blocks a day, about twice as much as you are now eating.
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sue
Lost 100 lbs 15 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil. ZoneFast is the best!
To view my before/after pics and meal photos click on this picture
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Alicia
Posts:10
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| 07/08/2008 10:54 PM |
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OMG wow Sue! Thanks SO much! I have SO many questions. Thank you for taking the time to answer.
I have to admit that most of the time either my body is now used to eating the 8 or 9 blocks or I have just worked my head into believing that. But like I said before I really haven't lost even inches in the past month or so since I get all these cravings and I end up sabotaging my days. :( I am usually fine during the day but all my cravings kill me after dinner. Then is when I will want all those addictive sweets or popcorn which i love. I am a carb eater and have always been. Tortillas, beans and rice were part of my upbringing and are a huge base in the mexican diet.
I have read a lot of your replies to several other posts and I realize now that it is because I am not eating the right amount of blocks.
Typically what I do is wake up, take a blood sugar support capsule my SHP or polyphenol capsule, eat a block, exercise, eat a 2 block breakfast and my 3 capsules of omega, have a one block snack with 3 omega caps, two block lunch plus a blood sugar control capsule and the 3 omega caps, one block snack 3 omegas and 2 block dinner 3 omegas plus 2 bone support capsules.
I have had to adjust my eating schedule just so I do not end up going to bed having had my last snack or meal more than 3 hours before then.
What I found to be the least satisfying would be breakfast since I am normally really hungry by the time i finish with exercise and lunch... dinner is fine since I am used to the mexican way of eating, where the biggest meal is lunch.
What would you recommend me to do as far as adding the blocks i need to be eating? Maybe add one block to each meal and snack or perhaps doing say 1 block before exercise, 3 block breakfast, 2 block snack, 4 block lunch, 2 block snack, 2 block dinner? I'm just trying to figure out what would make me get to the next meal or snack without the cravings but not so full that I will be able to eat it.
I love smoothies and thats why the protein powder shakes have been a huge must for me. I would love to add yogurt to them to make it more smoothie like. What I normally have is what I was told was a 2 block meal consisting of two cups of strawberries or blueberries or half and half, 4 almonds and 2 scoops of protein powder and a packet of splenda. Sometimes I add a little vanilla extract or cinnamon powder just to change a little.
When I got sick with bronchitis that was all i ate, my entire 9 blocks was shakes. I know it might not be ideal but I couldn't get myself to eat, all I wanted was liquids and I found the shakes made me feel better, not so down and if possible I believe they helped me heal faster.
Is there any way I can find out or calculate how many omega rx capsules are the right doze for me?
I will start adding the missing blocks tomorrow and let you know the changes I see. This weekend will be a challenge since I am traveling to NY from Friday until Sunday night. I find it really hard to stay in the zone when I travel with non zoners who say I am not eating right and ask me if I am trying to "starve myself eating just leaves" |
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Sue K
Posts:9554
Zone Expert
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| 07/09/2008 6:49 PM |
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Hi Alicia!
Most of us grew up eating too many carbs! :)
I'd recommend you increase meals to 3 blocks each, and get in the other 5 blocks as 1 and 2 block snacks. That's just a suggestion. You could split your 14 blocks however you like as long as it fits the Zone rules found in Quick Start Guide in the EATING tab of this site. Be sure to have one of your 14 blocks as a 1 block bedtime snack.
The three 2 block meals and two 1 block snacks you've been eatiing are the recommendation for an elementary school aged child on the Zone diet. No wonder you're having a tough time with it!
Re: "What I normally have is what I was told was a 2 block meal consisting of two cups of strawberries or blueberries or half and half, 4 almonds and 2 scoops of protein powder and a packet of splenda." That's not quite a Zone balanced meal for a couple reasons. 4 almonds is not enough fat. You'd need at least 12 almonds (6 grams fat) to balance a 2 block smoothie made with Zone protein powder. 2 cups of strawberries would be 2 blocks of carb, which would work in the 2 block smoothie, but 2 cups of blueberries would be 4 blocks of carb, which would not allow you to stay in the Zone. Cinnamon is a great addition because it promotes lower insulin levels
From your post it looks like you're taking 15 caps of Omega Rx daily (between 9 and 10 grams of EPA and DHA). That amount can be taken all at once, one time a day. You don't need to spread it throughout the day.
Here are Dr. Sears recommendations for the amount of combined EPA and DHA required (grams per day) depending upon your current state of wellness:
No existing chronic disease 2.5 g
Existing obesity, heart disease, or type 2 diabetes 5 g
Existing chronic pain 7.5 g
Existing neurological conditions greater than 10g
Have a great weekend in NY!
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sue
Lost 100 lbs 15 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil. ZoneFast is the best!
To view my before/after pics and meal photos click on this picture
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