good day folks!!
i hava odd question
i have weighed the same for 2 months.....220!!!!
i shood be 175!!!!!!!!
im doing half of the required zone blocks, because i just cant eat that much food at one sitting!!
i go to the gym @4am, and burn 450 calories (according to the eliptical)
then a series of weight lifting (machines) in super sets, with zero rest in between sets
i watch my heart rate for trainning, which rolls in between 125-130bpm for the 1/2 hour on eliptical
im 60 years old and believe i shood be loosing weight like no bodys bizzness
ANYONE ???????????????
being im 45lbs over weight, youd think I'd be loosing weight even if i wasnt working out

Hi Dave,

When you eat less than the body requires, it perceives starvation, and in an attempt to save itself and keep the status quo it slows metabolism. Diet has greater influence on weight loss than exercise at your weight. As you get close to your ideal weight (15% body fat), exercise will take a bigger role in maintaining your ideal weight.

If you haven't done so already, go to the Body Fat Calculator in the Tools tab (above) to determine your daily protein/block need. Stick with that amount daily, not less, to restart weight loss. If a 4 block meal is too much food at one sitting, it's fine to eat more frequent smaller meals, as long as you maintain Zone balance of you protein, carbohydrate and fat amounts at every meal and snack.

sue thank you so much for this answer. this also gives rise to another question.
will i want to calculate my needs for a guy 220lbs? OR, calculate for the person i'd like to be, at 175lbs.
i certainly dont want to maintain 45 extra pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL !!!!
i have in the past with my activity level, figured about 17 blocks per day. AGAIN...........for someone 220 or 175?
obviously 175 maintain wood be less???????
L

You enter your current weight.
If you want to maintain, then one would just double the fat, more or less.
The calculator takes your current weight in account, up to a certain point.
And I can not recall at which weight one cannot use the calculator.
I think its around 300 or 350 pounds.
Then at that weight or higher, one just maintains at 17 blocks (I think ???)
Sue can verify.
But you are OK to use the calculator at 220 lbs.
I was 235 when I started the Zone lifestyle in April 2004.
Now I maintain at 170 lbs +/- 2 lbs fluctuation.

P.S. I lost almost all of my weight through Zone lifestyle of eating and NO exercise!
Except some kayaking now and then. It was after I started losing weight, that I became more active about 6-7 years ago.
First kayaking, then biking, and then some hiking, including winter hiking and snowshoeing.
Now, my wife and I kayak up to 3 times a week in the summer, and kayak from Spring until fall (New England).
Bike mostly Spring and fall, and Hike Fall through Spring.
I only started "exercising" (gym, weight-lifting) about 1-1/2 years ago.
Almost ALL weight loss was due to the Zone ...

Hi Dave,

Put you current weight and measurements into the calculator. They will be used by the calculator to determine your current pounds of lean body mass (LBM) as well as your current actual pounds of body fat and your percentage of body fat.

The answer to your question is no, you will not eat less to maintain 175. To maintain 175 you will actually eat the same amount of P and C plus a few more F blocks at every meal. The daily protein requirement (block recommendation) is the amount you need to keep your amount of muscle mass in good repair and the block recommendation calculation is based on your LBM. LBM should not decrease as you lose stored body fat. LBM should remain the same or increase. If over time you see a trend in LBM loss it means you require a little more protein (you'd add one balanced block of P, C and F every day). Your block amount only changes if your LBM and/or your activity level change significantly. Once you reach your ideal body fat %, to prevent further loss of stored fat you add a little more monounsaturated fat to meals and snacks. The little bit of fat is enough to prevent your body from tapping into it's fat stores.

Incidentally, if you would like to estimate what your weight would be at your ideal body fat% (15 %males), divide your LBM by 0.85.

Im almost wondering if i shood just bag the gym until i loose down to 190lbs? concentrate on the Zone diet.
doing the calculator, says 14 blocks to maintain. one of my biggest problems is sitting down at noon and having to devour
2 heads of lettuce-1 block
2 cups of radishes-1 block
2 bell peppers------1 block
rather than go on here...............you git my drift............maintaining a diet like this would almost be impossible
AND REALLY EXPENSIVE.
im not complaining, and have known about the Zone since, 2000.
i'd have to eat every 2 hours
6am--2 blocks
8am---2 blocks
10--2blocks
12 2 blocks
2pm 2 blocks
4pm 2 blocks
6pm 2 blocks
john...........how are you incorporating the zone realistically.

Dave, The Zone is very doable. I've been eating 13 blocks a day for the past 18 years. The Zone's been freeing for me...freedom from obesity, high blood pressure, and the hypoglycemic symptoms and lack of energy I used to suffer with on a daily basis. Freedom to know exactly what to choose to eat to keep feeling great. Try Zone At-at-Glance http://www.zonediet.com/tools/zone-classic It's easy and it works great. It's the way I lost 100 pounds and have kept it off for years. If an entire Zone meal is too much for you at one sitting it's fine to eat smaller meals through out the day as long as you eat your full protein requirement daily. Remember to balance it with fat and carbohydrate every time you eat. Use lower volume favorable veggies to bring you meal to a manageable size (tomato sauce, hummus, salsa, etc.) Zone shakes make an easy, convenient lunch or recovery snack after a workout.

Dave, also you can look at using some dense favorable carbohydrates, instead of, for example 2 heads of lettuce, 1/4 cup black beans.
1/2 cup of a good tomato sauce. etc.