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Amanda 
Posts:8
Newbie
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| 11/18/2009 2:31 PM |
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Hi there everyone,
I wanted some help on my understanding about the zone and how each blocks count.
If i have 3 blocks of protein, 3 blocks of carbs and 3 blocks of fat per meal (eg lunch), so it means around 21g protein, 27g carbs and 4.5g of fats yes?
My question would be if i am eating foods from the lists provided on the website, by addind them up i should consume the amounts above, but as i count it sometimes gets shightly different so does it mean im not in the zone ?
As i am not from US, our products in my country really varies and we have different things provided which are not in the list but they are high in protein for example.
eg special (dairy product) curd contains (100g) 17g of prot, 3.5 carbs and 0.5 fat
I am sure that it is a right choice, as i cannot follow the product list most of the time (not all products are easily found around my area)
as i am partially vegetarian (eat meat 2 times a week maximum) it is a bit difficult to find good protein source, so sometimes i eat eg 20g of protein in a form of a protein shake and then take something else during that meal time, for example nut cutlets which containn around 27 g of carbs and 7 g of fats, but the thing is that it also contains 5g of protein, so to sum up i consume 25g of protein 27g of carbs and 7g of fats in total.
Is it ok to do so? and please suggest how should i count when i vary producds if i count incorrectly.
Should i count like this: for the protein source only proteins(exlcude carbs and fats it contains), for the carb source only carbs (exclude fats and proteins it contains) and for the fat source only fats (exclude prot. and carbs) IN ORDER to get a perfect zone meal (3 blocks of each),
OR should i include all proteins,carbs and fats from each of the source (protein source eg chicken, carb source eg veggies, fat source eg nuts) to get a good '3 blocks of each' zone meal?
Thank you for your help VERY much!!! |
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John
Posts:784
Zoner
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| 11/18/2009 2:56 PM |
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You are doing fine. Being in the ZONE is unique for every person. And the ZONE guidelines, are just that, an initial guide, a place to start. Some folks, after being strictly 30-30-40 balanced for a week or two, will find they need to adjust like adding a little more fat or eating either a little more Carbs or a little less Carbs. Please do NOT stress over the exact amount! The importance is how you feel and adjust.
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Keep reading here on this web site, and you will find the information, as it naturally becomes a lifestyle, and not a diet. |
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Sue K
Posts:10512
Zone Expert
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| 11/18/2009 3:05 PM |
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Hi Amanda!
First of all, try not to get too caught up in counting. It's not necessary to in order to be successful with the Zone. Second, to address the actual gram amounts you posted, yes, except for the fat, which is a minimum of 9 grams in a 3 block meal (see * below). Also, note that in the Zone we're concerned with the insulin stimulating carb, not the total carb (insulin stimulating carb = total carb minus total fiber.)
The Zone P/C ratio is actually a range of ratios, not one specific point. What makes a Zone meal perfect for you may not be perfect for another person. It depends on your personal response to carbohydrate. This is the reason that the Zone includes adjustments to fine tune for hunger. As a general rule of thumb, if a food contains only several grams of carbohydrate, there's no need concern youself with that small amount of carbohydrate. Since you also eat vegetarian sometimes, it's important to note that you should not consider the protein in most plant sources, two exceptions being soy and gluten "meats". With the exception of these, not all of the protein in plant foods is available for absorption in the human digestive tract. The amount available to be aborbed depends upon the specific food.
I'd highly recommned reading both TOXIC FAT and THE SOY ZONE, to gain a better understanding.
* Here’s how Dr. Sears explains fat blocks (taken from MASTERING THE ZONE, page 292 and 293).
“Why is a fat block only 1.5 grams?
Every block of low-fat protein contains approximately 1.5 grams of “hidden fat”. Therefore, by adding one extra fat block (which is defined as 1.5 grams of fat) for each block of low-fat protein, you are actually consuming 3 grams of fat or two blocks (one internal in the protein and one external) for each protein block. If you are using fat-free protein sources, such as isolated protein powders, then you should be adding two blocks of fat to achieve the same ratio. Obviously, if you are eating higher fat protein choices, you would not be adding any extra fat blocks to your meal. Remember that every time you add additional fat blocks to a meal, they should be composed primarily of monounsaturated fat.”
Common fat free proteins eaten on the Zone diet are egg whites, protein powder, some deli-style meats, and some soy products.
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Amanda
Posts:8
Newbie
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| 11/22/2009 10:50 AM |
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Thank you very much John and Sue.
About the fat - As i understood, then the block of fat actually contains 3g of fat in total (i also read somewhere in the forum that fat grams should be divided by 3 in order to get blocks), am i right?
as i started 6 weeks ago, I actually lost some weight (2kg) within 3 weeks, but for the past 2 weeks i actually gained one kg back, and i was thinking to reduce from 11blocks to 10, but not sure if it would be the right thing to do.
4 weeks ago I started doing 30 mins of work outs every 2nd day (short light-weighted cardio, all was set up by a personal instructor), and i know that muscles weight more than body fat, but I am certainly sure that my look started appearing more toned up, but ALSO i am getting stuck in getting rid of unwanted fat, and i actually look bigger because muscles are getting stonger anyway (and i already can feel them hiding behind my stomach fat), so it could be that i need abit less protein (and carbs and fat) in order to actually burn that fat and use less energy from the things i consume.
It is a bit confusing for me, as the main goal is not to loose weight in general, but to actually loose unwanted stomach fat and look more skinny around my waist. |
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Sue K
Posts:10512
Zone Expert
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| 11/22/2009 12:04 PM |
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Amanda, yes on the 3 grams of fat and dividing by 3.
No, don't cut back your block amount because it will work against your Zone efforts. I'd suggest reading TOXIC FAT for a better understanding. Your body burns fat for energy in the Zone. Cutting back on dietary protein will not help you lose stored body fat. When you gain muscle it can increase the amount of protein need. Stick to the block amount that the Zone Block & Body Fat Calculator shows for you (link at right). Your protein requirement would decrease if you lose LBM (which should not happen when eating the Zone diet) or if your activity level significantly decreases. |
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Sue K
Posts:10512
Zone Expert
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| 11/22/2009 12:04 PM |
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Amanda, yes on the 3 grams of fat and dividing by 3.
No, don't cut back your block amount because it will work against your Zone efforts. I'd suggest reading TOXIC FAT for a better understanding. Your body burns fat for energy in the Zone. Cutting back on dietary protein will not help you lose stored body fat. When you gain muscle it can increase the amount of protein need. Stick to the block amount that the Zone Block & Body Fat Calculator shows for you (link at right). Your protein requirement would decrease if you lose LBM (which should not happen when eating the Zone diet) or if your activity level significantly decreases. |
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