Don't get me wrong, I love the Zone, and I love eating healthy foods. But sometimes it really hits me when I'm out shopping how much "bad" stuff is really out there. It seems like 90% of the grocery store is full of processed carbs and fat. Or cheap nasty processed proteins sources like hot dogs and chicken nuggets, and you have to search far and wide to find good quality lean protein that isn't packed with funky additives and flavorings. And once you get to all the good stuff, you realize how much more expensive it is than the cheap stuff. It seems so unfair to poor people. No wonder the poor people in this country are the fat ones. In other countries the poor people are skinny, but here they are fat. It's amazing and sad. Its the same all around the town when looking at all the restaurants and coffee shops. Yeah, I'd love to have that 20oz. frozen coffee drink from the coffee shop, but at what cost. It would be so full of carbs and fat. Probably would have like 7 blocks of carbs. Its amazing to realize I used to eat those types of things all the time, pre-zone. They are just so readily available and convenient. I guess I'm just rambling, but when you really think about how society is, you just have to congratulate yourself on being zoned. In this highly processed, fast food world, its so difficult. It can be s frustrating to explain to people WHY I eat the way I do sometimes. And trying to explain the entire zone concept to someone who is "old school" and still thinks that fat is the enemy. That's always a fun task. Does anyone else ever feel this way? Its a very un-zoned world out there.

Becky,
Yes! It can definitely be a challenge.

How about eating out? It is almost impossible to get a quality zone meal at a fast food joint. And, depending on where you go for a sit-down dinner, they may or may not be able to accommodate you with veggie sides. It is a struggle sometimes.

At the same time, there is a lot more variety available. Just take a look in the produce department. So many more options available that it can make your head spin. That is the good thing about living in the land of plenty!

This old thread popped up, so I thought I'd reply. I have a lot of vegetarian friends who expect to be accommodated, but I can't explain to them what I'm doing because they're so anti-meat. It's hard to make a zone balanced meal out of a lot of their choices. They'll want to just serve pasta with a bit of parmesan cheese, which is maybe twice the carbs I need with a 1/3 of the protein. This happens at business meetings, too, where there are these high carb sandwiches or pasta and very little protein.

My daughter just recently experimented with vegetarianism. I was concerned that she would not get adequate protein, and so we talked about it. We need protein, it is a necessary nutrient for our bodies. I know most everyone probably doesn't worry about balancing out their P/C/F, but I guess I just tell people that I feel better overall when I eat that way. Hopefully your friends will recognize your needs, just as you respect theirs.