I'm a newbie to the Zone Diet and like the basis of the science behind the program, but I find that eating shouldn't be so scientific. I recently gained weight due to knee injury and surgery. I have bouts of inflammation since surgery b/c I am athletic and to add something else to the mix I have PCOS.

I like the idea of blocks and the ratios of protein to carbs to fats however, what I've been reading in the forums is this is a bad carb, or that's a bad carb, unfavorable grain, or it doesn't have the right balance and so on. My feeling is if you eat whole foods in the right combinations, you shouldn't have to worry about how many P's, C's and F's are in the food. Where I find people are challenged on this diet is with "packaged foods".

Dr. Sears should promote more whole foods eating and not offer so many supplemental foods and pre-packaged foods - it confuses the masses. It's easy to follow an eating plan if it makes good sense. Good nutrition does not come in a box, but it comes from the ground - fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, vitamins, and minerals; Grazing animals fed their natural diets, and the water - non-farm raised fish and shellfish.

I commend all the people who have lost weight following this program and supplemented with packaged foods. It worked for them.

I find I will be successful if I stick to the whole foods, non-refined grains and sugars, and organic meats and fish but using Dr. Sears recommendations for block eating. If you eat the right combinations of foods - you should not require additional supplementation.

I look forward to your support of my whole foods approach to this eating philosophy.

I agree with you, you can lose weight on this plan without eating packaged foods. Dr. Sears just makes them for convenience sake, so that when you are out running around you can easily stay in the zone. Unless you live in a place that's really organic and earthy, its hard to find restaurants that offer organic or whole foods. So Dr. Sears created his "packaged foods". Through years and years of research, he's found the right combo of nutrients to put into his bars that mimic the effects of whole foods. The restrictions are with your health in mind. An ear of corn compared to a few cups of broccoli for instance. You might think of both as wholesome good foods. But there's more to it than that. The ear of corn is going to make your blood sugar go up and stay up, where the broccoli won't do that much damage. The whole basis of Dr. Sears plan is about keeping insulin levels stable. You can't do that by eating certain foods, whether they are whole foods or not. Dr. Sears has taught us to treat food like a drug. Its a very powerful drug, and it affects every aspect of life. So it really is scientific. Its not that restrictive if you were to look at the food block guide. There are so many foods you can eat. All fishes are good, most lean meats, turkey, and chicken, seafood. Most nuts are good. Olives and olive oil are very good. Tons of fruits and veggies are good. You just have to learn which ones are better than others.

I understand the glycemic differences... I'm not a corn eater or a potato eater. I have a degree in biochemistry with emphasis in metabolism - so I completely understand the science but don't agree with marketing packaged foods as a substitute for good whole food choices. There is no way that a packaged food can be as good as the real thing. We've become a culture of convenience rather than a culture of appreciation of where our food comes from. Planning is also a big part of a successful eating plan.

I live in PA, the growing season is short, but you can still make good choices regardless of the season.

I like the premise of the plan, but I refuse to take fish oil tablets, polyphenol supplements and the like - it's parking lot science... my plan is to just eat a balanced whole foods meal. Everything in the "right" moderation.

The fish oil is taken because most of the fish that's available to the general public today is highly contaminated with chemicals and mercury from pollution. The fish oil that Dr. Sears sells is very purified to remove all the chemicals. He advocates the fish oil use because people used to eat fish a lot, but now people just eat crap. Fish is so healthy, look at the Japanese, they have the highest life expectancy of anyone, 86 for woman, and almost as high for men. They eat lots of fish. I hate to get too philosophical, but life evolved from the sea, so naturally there are lots of nutrients left in the sea that we wouldn't really have access too without taking the fish oil or the SeaHealth. But if you decide to read more about the Zone, just remember to keep an open mind.

Kristen, I like your approach. I am a reformed "processed food" junkie. Have been zoning for about 5 years, but even at that, I was still eating processed forms of foods that I felt that I could work into the zone. I have more recently switched my philosophy to eliminating as many processed foods as I can and eat whole foods. So, I have eliminated zone bars as one step, and eating real food for my snacks.

I don't agree with the Zone's marketing of things like pasta. That isn't what I believe the Zone to be about. I understand that they are just trying to make it more appealing to a wider variety of people, those who would not dream of giving up their highly processed favorite things. But, for me, I don't believe in this type of marketing. I would rather see the Zone stick to the true premise of the Zone.

Sometimes, we have to put a bit of emphasis on "good carb, bad carb" because most people just don't have a clue as to what is good and what is not as good to eat. Yes, all are good to eat, but some in more moderation than others. It is a new skill that we have to teach, because most people have been brought up to believe that grains are good, pasta is a staple, and breakfast is supposed to be a big bowl of cheerios! So, I think blocking meals helps people to realize portion size, portion control so that they are not overdoing it on the high glycemic foods.