I have a question about adding food blocks during times of increased activity. I only work part-time but my job is moderately active-in constant motion for 7 hours. I find that if I try to eat my normal 12/13 daily blocks while working I get periodic low blood sugar.
So my question is....since I get 15 min breaks every 2.5 hours should I eat one more block in a meal
or have more snack blocks between meals.

My meals are usually only 2-3 blocks because I just get too full from the volume of food.
The only thing for snack that I could do while still working would be a snack bar type zone snack. It would have to be in my pocket.
thanks for any help

2-3 blocks at a time will be enough to keep you in the Zone for 2.5 hours. Either your daily block amount is not enough for you, or you need less carbohydrate in your balance. First check your daily protein/block requirement with the calculator being careful to choose an appropriate activity level considering your type of work. If that checks out, then try fine tuning by dropping one carbohydrate block from each 3 block meal (and dropping 2/3 carbohydrate block from every 2 block meal). You can also gain better blood sugar control by adding a little extra monounsaturated at to meals (a coupel blocks or so), in addition to the dropped carbohydrate. For better blood sugar and insulin control eat vegetables for most of your carbohydrate. Limiting fruit to a block or two of berries a day will also help.

Desiree,

First of all, your block allotment does not fluctuate from days of activity to days of inactivity, so depending on what your block allotment is (based on your perceived activity level and your stats), you should do that every day.
If you are experiencing this while working, I would first recommend that you check the calculator to be sure that you are taking in enough blocks during a day.

Then, try to get your 3 blocks in for meals. It sounds like the meals being too small are not sustaining you long enough. In addition, hypoglycemia can occur when there are huge swings in blood sugar, so it may be that you are eating something that is running your blood sugar too high, and then it falls too low. So, take a look at the types of carbohydrate that you are eating, and make sure you are eating favorable carbs.

Another tip, as you are experiencing hypoglycemia, is to drop a carb block from your 3 block meal. So, eat your 3 blocks of protein, but only eat 2 blocks of carb, and then increase your fat to 5-6 blocks. The added fat should help slow the entry of the carbs into the bloodstream, and the reduction of the carbs should also help you with the volume issues.

I meant to type the word fat (monounsaturated fat). Also, here's a link to the calculator, http://www.zonediet.com/tools/body-...calculator

wont increasing the fat blocks by that much then put me in a non-zone percentage of nutrients? or is that adjustment kindof a "band-aid" for my situation?
And I guess I'm confused because if I'm expending alot of calories I assumed I wasn't eating enough carbs (i.e. 2 blocks) and getting low I figured maybe I needed to slightly increase blocks of carbs. to sustain prolonged activity.
By calculations I should eat 12 zone blocks. I don't do grains in any of my carb blocks because I am very sensitive
So I need a little clarification :) I should not eat more 40-30-30 blocks in general; I should adjust my normal blocks by increasing the fat 2+ and decreasing carb blocks 1x.

thanks again

You will stay in the Zone doing this adjustment. The middle point of the Zone is 40-30-30, but because of your problems with hypoglycemia and your stated sensitivity to grains, I do believe you will do better by dropping your carb blocks to 2 blocks and increasing your fat blocks to 5-6, leaving your protein at 3 blocks.

Continue to eat a total of 12 blocks throughout the day. You don't need to worry about making this adjustment on 1-block snacks, but if you eat 2-block meals, just drop off the carb a bit and increase the fat a bit. If you have a long span between meals, I would encourage you to eat 3-block meals.

Correct , Desiree. With your symptoms, at your recommended block amount you would drop the carbohydrate by the amounts I explained. This is the standard Zone adjustment for people with your symptoms. 40/30/30 is just the starting point. You adjust from there to elIminate hunger and/or other symptoms. If you're still feeling the symptoms after you drop carbohydrate, then try the extra fat. If you are getting hungry or feeling like you still need more after these adjustments, Then try adding another balanced block every day.