Zone Diet Weight Loss

Food Tracker

Cindy — Sun, 19 May 2013 06:58:55 GMT

Hi, I'm new to the zone. I'm wondering is there a zone food tracker other than the pdf file. I spend a lot of time on the computer so I would like one that is on the PC or as an app for my phone/ipad. Is there one available? Cindy

Weight loss supplement while nursing

GISEL — Fri, 17 May 2013 05:29:47 GMT

I am currently breastfeeding a 6 weeks old. I would like to lose 10 pounds. I am currently 119lbs. I am 4.10 height. I've been doing the Zone for 3 years. I'd like to try the Weight loss green tea supplement but I am not sure if it is safe while nursing. Could someone provide me that information? Thanks a lot!!!!

Ongoing weekly thread

rene — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:59:43 GMT

Hi! I am new to the forum and was just wondering if tere is an ongoing weeklt thread... a place to check in, exchange ideas and support each other. If there isn't , anyone interested???

Atkins Newbie

KAREN — Wed, 15 May 2013 02:20:07 GMT

I will starting Zone soon, as I have ordered 3 of the books, and have been studying this site for the last couple of days. Am very excited to get started! However, my question/fear is this: I lost 30 lbs. on Atkins within a 4 month period, and have no more weight to lose. Am having to switch off of Atkins because stomach cannot handle the fat. Will I have a big weight gain when I switch to Zone? Thank you in advance!- Karen

Block Calculator

Michelle — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:11:45 GMT

I've lost 50 lbs. so far and am recalculating my block need (which was at 11). I'm not sure if I should choose moderate or active for exercise. I workout 1-2 hours - 5 days a week (strength training 3 days a week and cardio 5 days a week). The calculator says 12 blocks for moderate and 14 for active. Also, on my 2 days off - should I drop it to 12 blocks because I don't have the intense workout?

Michelle

Total loss but fat gain

Leslie — Mon, 13 May 2013 01:18:20 GMT

I started The Zone diet a week ago and I'm down 3.6 pounds however when I calculate my body fat % and do the math on my base weight, my actual fat has increased by 0.2 pounds so the loss has been in muscle or lean mass. I'm using 13 blocks per day and was true to the diet with the exclusion of yesterday (Mothers Day) and I avoided all sugars and did a decent job of not over indulging. What should I do to adjust or should I wait another week or two. Maybe my body is just adjusting to the new way of eating and I just need to wait a bit for the dust to settle. The other piece of information that I should mention is that I have been working out 5 days a week but just before I started the diet I hurt my back and took the week off so I've been quite sedentary.

Blocks-Breastfeeding-Weight Loss

Christina — Fri, 10 May 2013 11:33:17 GMT

I am very new to the Zone. I was introduced to this by a dear friend who swears by the program. Currently I am nursing a 3 mo old and would like to lose the baby weight which is about 15-20 lbs. I am confused as to how many of these blocks I should be consuming. My stats are as follows: 186lbs, 72inches tall, 31 waist, 42 hips and I exercsie 6 days a week with 6 days of heavy weight lifting and 4 days of 30 minutes of cardio. The calculator says I should consume 17 (technically between 17 and 19 seeing as I kept getting different numbers). After reading some of the nursing forums I am to add 3 blocks totalling to 20 blocks a day, which is a lot for the average female (I realize I am not the average female as I am 6' ft tall). I would like someone to give me guidance as far as whether or not this is accurate. Also I am confused as to the timing of these meals. With the help of my friend we figured 4, 3, 4, 3, 4, 2. I am used to eating every 3 hours so would that suffice? Thank you in advance to your help. :)

Christina

Body Fat %

Leslie — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:41:45 GMT

Hi. I'm about to start The Zone diet tomorrow after reading the book. I went through the process of finding the number of blocks which resulted in 13. I'm not sure about the body fat % calculations though. When I use the method presented in the book and online, I get a body fat % of 45%. (Ouch). But I have an electronic hand held body fat calculator which is supposed to be very accurate. When I use that I get a body fat % of 38.5%. (still ouch). How accurate is the measurement method compared to the electronic hand held calculator. I do crossfit 4 to 5 times a week and I although I have a lot of weight to lose, I also have a good muscle base which makes me question the 45%.

new to the zone soon

william — Sat, 04 May 2013 04:57:08 GMT

Been working out for a few months at my local Crossfit gym and been slowly reading the week in the zone book. im planning to start the zone in the next few weeks once I understand it completely. I hope I get good results between the zone and crossfit.
any tips or ideas would be greatly appreciated
thanks
Bill:w00t:

Cinco de Mayo Tips

Sue — Wed, 01 May 2013 08:05:27 GMT

It just occurred to me that lots of us might end up at a Cinco de Mayo party or two this weekend.

To keep it in the Zone, I pass on the festive drinks (water is always around somewhere) and load my plate with Zone portions of foods like chicken, shrimp, tomato chunks and other raw veggies, salsa and a few spoonfuls of guacamole.

If you decide to indulge in alcohol keep it to smaller amounts and have a protein chaser.

You'll feel great and you body will love you for it the next day!

Lifestyle Changes, etc

cranberrycat — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:26:14 GMT

Last month, I had started posting a series of threads related to a class that I was taking. It is a 16 week program focused on making lifestyle changes to lose weight.

I haven't posted an update recently. I actually did not go to class during week 3 (I had other special things going on). The weeks after that have really not applied all that much to the Zone, and so I have not posted on those topics either. Basically, each week is focused on making baby steps towards the healthy lifestyle, but there is much more emphasis on counting food groups and calories than what I had anticipated. It does open up my eyes a bit more to see caloric content of some foods and the "empty" calories that they contain. It solidifies my decision to stick with the Zone!!!

As an example, during the previous weeks the instructor was focusing on balancing out food group choices, but not really focusing on calories. I honestly have not gotten much push from her to "include" grains, and she is very impressed by my veggie intake! But, during the last class, we were working on food groups again, and I continue to fall short on grains and dairy, and now there is more emphasis on "improving" this. So, as an experiment, I tried plugging into my food tracker some grain-based foods, and what happens? My calorie intake would go UP, my intake of "empty" calories would go UP. Who in their right mind would recommend a grain-based diet that encourages higher calories and empty calories?

One good thing to be taken from this experiment, I DO get to see caloric value, and I am making some changes with regard to my current diet to include foods with less calories. Now, the veggies are definitely NOT the issue, but fruit adds up, protein adds up (depending on fat content), and fat adds up. Sometimes, I tend to overlook the impact of adding some extra fat, because of my sensitivity to carbohydrate. But, it is extremely important to measure it out, otherwise it is very easy to go overboard with it and not even realize. Sometimes, when people are struggling to lose weight in the Zone, even when they feel that they are doing everything right, it does pay to take a look at the caloric value. No matter how much we say that we don't need to count calories in the Zone, even Dr. Sears says that excess calories will still cause weight gain.

An interesting tool that I have found is the USDA Super Tracker. Now, obviously, it is based on the Food Pyramid, and so if one chooses to use the food tracker, one would have to overlook the tracking of the food groups. However, there is a really neat tool for creating reports, and one can create a report based on nutritional values. So, you can plug in a days' worth of food and then find out how well your meal stacks up with regard to vitamins and minerals, and get some hints on what foods to include in your diet, if you are falling short of a specific nutrient.

So, I will continue to keep everyone updated on how this class is progressing. I obviously don't agree with everything that is being discussed and presented, but there are some ideas that are still relevant. I don't have class this week, we are having individualized conferences with the instructor. Will check in again afterwards!

how many blocks?

Mary — Wed, 01 May 2013 05:21:11 GMT

Hi friends.
I'm brand new here and have been eating in the Zone for about 3 weeks, and I'm feeling so much better but not losing weight. My question is this: I need to lose about 30 pounds but can't find info on how many blocks I need for weight loss. It seems to me the calculator on the website is for where I'm at now, not where I want to be. Obviously I'm missing something, so if you have experienced wisdom to share I would really appreciate that.

So far I've just been dividing my plate, 3-4 oz lean protein, then lots of veggies/fruit, and a touch of good fat. No refined sugar or wheat these past three weeks either. (Yesterday I made cookies for a class I'm teaching, had 3 of them and wow! I felt so awful later. Back to clean eating for me!) I'm ready to get more precise and start using blocks, or 1-2-3.

Also, any advice on which Zone books are best for getting a newbie like me off to a good start? Thanks!
Mary

Just wondering?

Trisha — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:09:58 GMT

I just started the Zone diet about three weeks ago. I workout approximately 6-7 times a week doing crossfit and jogging about 10-15 miles a week. I have been doing 11 blocks a day but I find I am hungry and craving sweets at the end of the day. Also, I haven't lost any weight since I started. I'm not overweight but I thought I would lose at least a little bit on this diet! What am I doing wrong??? Also, I love peanut butter so I mostly use that as my fat blocks! Should I not be using as much peanut butter??

Green tea pills

Jane — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:10:11 GMT

Hi,

I want to lose weight (45 lbs). I would like to try green tea pills. Is it a good solution? Dangerous for the health? Can you give me your opinion?

If you have ever taken green tea pills. Thanks to share your experience.

Thanks a lot. Jane.

New to Dieting: Am I Eating Right??

tim — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:56:10 GMT

I am new to dieting and want to know if I'm doing things right. I am a 6'1 male with a current weight of 220lbs. Target Weight of 200lbs or less.

Ok with that out of the way I have been exercising 4x a week usually a 30 min run 3x and 1 night of 2-3 hours of pickup basketball. My main question is, Am I Eating Right in Order to Lose this Weight?

9 am Fruit-Grain Bar 120cal (Recently been swapping this out for an apple)

11:30am Non-Fat Greek Yogurt 80cal

1 pm Salad with cooked chickenbreast, some onions, green peppers, carrots, and 2 serv of fat free 1000 Islands (Dressing is like 100 cal total)

6 pm Chicken with a side of broccoli and small salad , or lightly breaded bonless porkchop (When not enough time I eat a healthy choice microwave dinner 300cal w/ some added chicken)

10 pm Bag of Smart Popcorn (100cal)

Pretty strict on this diet, drink alot of water sometimes with Mio. Throughout the day I tend to have about 100-200 calories not listed here but no more.

Soo am I on the right track here or way off? If I add these up I get my daily calories to be between 1200-1600

Low-Carb Menu Planning

Ali — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:56:30 GMT

What does a low-carbohydrate menu look like? Now you can plan your daily menu by using the following as a guide:

Breakfast

Meat or other protein source usually eggs

Fat source–This may already be in your protein, for example, bacon and eggs have fat in them. But

if your protein source is “lean”, add some fat in the form of butter, cream in coffee, or cheese.
Low-carbohydrate vegetable (if desired) this can be in an omelet or a breakfast quiche.

Lunch

Meat or other protein source
Fat source–If your protein is “lean,” add some fat, in the form of butter, salad dressing, cheese, cream, or avocado.

1 to 1½ cups of salad greens or cooked greens

½ to 1 cup of vegetables

Snack

Low-carbohydrate snack that has protein and/ or fat

Dinner

Meat or other protein source

Ft source–if your protein is “lean,” add some fat in the form of butter, salad dressing, cheese, cream, or avocado.

1 to 1½ cups of salad greens or cooked greens

½ to 1 cup of vegetables

A sample day may look like this:

Breakfast

Bacon or sausage

Eggs

Lunch

Grilled chicken on top of salad greens and other vegetables, with bacon, chopped eggs, and salad dressing

Snack

Pepperoni slices and a cheese stick

Dinner

Burger patty or steak

Green salad with other acceptable vegetables and dressing Green beans with butter

Having difficulties

Francie — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:10:08 GMT

I am having difficulty making sure I am doing this correctly. Would someone be willing to help me? I am not sure I am eating correctly and desparatly need some help!!
Francie

struggling

Tammy — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 02:55:46 GMT

i have been on the zone plan for 3 years now. after i lost 100 pd. it fell apart....i need some help.
i recalucated my blocks and went from a 4 to a 3.since then i've gain weight.
should i stick with the 3 and play with the blocks,or go back to the 4 block.
some people say i should never of went to a 3 and others have said "yes" be the 3block.
HELP
TC:

Dinner Tonight?

Sue — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 14:04:33 GMT

My dinner tonight was pan seared scallops, yellow beans sautéed in olive oil, lemon juice, onion, garlic and pepper, with fresh home-made guacamole. What was yours?

Fat or Protein?

Ali — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 11:31:35 GMT

Another hangover from the last half-century of dietary misguidance is the belief that dietary fat must indeed be bad for us, even if we accept that Carbohydrates are causing us to fatten.
This is a compromise position that seems perfectly reasonable. It was this kind of thinking in the early 1960s that led proponents of carbohydrate restriction to describe their recommended diets as high

in protein instead of high in fat. Rather than avoiding only the fattening carbohydrates, you eliminate butter and cheese from the diet, eat chicken breasts without the skin, lean fish, the leanest cuts of meat, and egg white without the yolks.
As I’ve said, though, there’s no compelling reason to think that fat, or saturated fat, is harmful, whereas there’s good reason to question the benefits of diets that abnormally elevate the protein content. Populations that ate mostly meat or exclusively meat, as I discussed earlier, tried to maximize the fat they ate, and one reason seems to be that high-protein diets–without signification fat or carbohydrates–can be toxic. Protein-metabolism experts in a recent U.S have addressed this issue.
Institute of Medicine Report called Dietary Reference Intakes.
“It has been suggested from evidence of the dietary practices of hunter-gatherer populations, both present day and historical, that humans avoid diets that contain too much protein,” the IOM experts explain, citing the same research on hunter-gatherer populations to which I referred. The short-term symptoms of these high-protein, low fat, low carbohydrate diets, these protein-metabolism experts point out, are weakness, nausea, and diarrhea. These symptoms will disappear when the protein content is reduced to a more moderate 20 to 25 percent of calories and fat content is increased to compensate.
When physicians and nutritionist tested carbohydrate restriction before the beginning of the anti-fat movement in the 1960s, they did so with fatty meat and diets that were 75 to 80 percent fat by calories but only 20 to 25 percent protein. This mixture had no side effects, was well tolerated, and is most consistent with the diets eaten by populations like the Inuits, who lived almost exclusively, if not exclusively, on animal products.
Whether or not a diet that is 75 percent fat and 25 percent protein is healthier that one than is 65 percent fat and 35 percent protein is an open question. Equally important is the question of which is easier to sustain and provides the most enjoyment. If you find yourself satisfied eating skinless chicken breasts, lean cuts of meat and fish, and egg-white omelets. So be it. But eating that fat of the meat as well as the lean, the yolks as well as the white, foods cooked with butter and lard may be the better prescription for sustainability, and it may be for health as well.