I am a lacto ovo vegetarian, following a plan very similar to the Zone. I just bought the Soy Zone, and it looks great. Anyone try the recipes? I plan on trying some soon.

Hi, I still eat a lot of my meals veggie, but have added back in some fish adn chicken over the past few years. I find I feel better with it. I was lacto ovo veggie in my pre-Zone days (had even tried being vegan for a couple yrs) . My first experiences with the Zone were veggie, and it was before "The Soy Zone" came out. I love the book and it has lots of great recipes. I was going to begin to list my favorites to you, but there are so many I don t'know where to start. We like Meatballs Parmiagiana, Tempeh Picnic Salad, Southwestern Tofu and Black Beans, Mexican Yellow Squash and Beans, and lots of others (don't know if I got the names exactly correct, I make them from my head now and no longer need to look at the recipes). If you have any questions about veggie Zoning I'd be glad to try to help. Sue

Hi there! I too was a vegan for over a year and during that period I never felt sicker in my life, even though I was eating what I thought was a healthy diet. In retrospect, I was eating a ton of "healthy" whole grains, too much fruit, and just not enough protein. Later on, even when I reduced the ratios and ate more vegetable protein, I just still didn't feel up to par. I feel pretty good as a lacto ovo vegetarian - I feel the same healthwise as I did when I ate meat, chicken and fish, so for many reasons I prefer to remain meatless. I do strongly believe that humans need some form of animal protein, whether it comes from dairy or from flesh. My own personal experience proved for me at least, that my particular body chemistry just won't cooperate on a totally plant based diet!

Hi zonie, My vegan experience is similar to your's in that I now feel I was also overconsuming whole grains and fruit, and,as I mentioned, I didn't feel as great eating that way as I had previously. While I didn't feel "sicker..." as you described you had, I when I became vegan, I began to gain a little wt, and also my blood lipid levels began to rise. I still had low chol and trig, with high HDL, but they were definitley on the upswing, which was not the direction in which I wished to go. Glad you've ben able to get back on track with the Zone. Sue

Hi there. I've been vegetarian for 22 years (flirting with vegan off and on) and a Zoner since last Christmas. The Soy Zone was the second book that I bought. So far only one recipe in there has been mildly disappointing (and of course I can't remember which one it was!). I have friends who are trying out each of the recipes - no duplication until they get all the way through - and they have found 2 or three they don't like much. My favorite right now is the Southwestern Tofu with Black Beans. I feel AMAZING on this diet. I'm tall so I wasn't really "too overweight" - the high end of the weight range for my height - but I've dropped 25 pounds, and have been full of energy since the first day on the Zone. I used to have Kashi with soy milk for breakfast, a big salad for lunch and then would be so hungry and tired by the time I got home, that it was either a big bowl of pasta or a big baked potato with salsa for dinner 'cause they were fast and crash (surprise, eh?) by 9:00. Now I have oatmeal with protein powder for breakfast, add grilled tempeh or marinated soy to my salad or lunch time veggies, have a Zoned snack in the afternoon, and make a leisurely and healthy dinner from one of the books (or my imagination, now that I know the rules). I was recently away from home for over 3 weeks, and managed to maintain the Zone and my health throughout. I even spent a week with my sister who was just told to go on the Zone by her doctor because she has very low blood sugar and could become diabetic. We had a great time talking food! :-)

Okay, let's try this reply again. Sorry, just learning how to drive in these forums! I've been vegetarian for almost 2 years. Seafood was the last meat we gave up. We've been doing the traditional vegetarian diet----beans and grains, and avoiding dairy. I haven't been feeling very well though---low energy, moody, and despite eating so "healthy", gaining body fat. I was at a new MD for an annual check-up, and she suggested that I wasn't getting enough protein. I had always scoffed at the idea that there wasn't enough protein in a traditional vegetarian diet. I now understand that in order to get enough protein on a beans and grains traditional veg diet, a high amount of carbohydrates need to be consumed and there is a price to pay. The MD suggested I read the Zone books. Reluctantly, I read Enter the Zone, Mastering the Zone, and Soy Zone. For about 2 weeks, we've been trying to put together some Zone favorable meals, with some success. Right now, it feels quite unnatural, and I'm still not comfortable eating dairy products. Breakfast has turned out to be challenging. We had always enjoyed oatmeal in the morning, but on the Zone, a block of C (oatmeal) is so small, and it is easy to add up too many carbs. We're trying WestSoy unsweetened soy milk this week to pump up the protein in our oatmeal without adding more Cs. Right now, I'm in the early stages of confusion. Quite frankly, I still don't want to believe what he has to say (Sears) because it will require a major change in our eating habits. Michelle

Sorry, not veggie, but have a question. Have you tried any other protein sources (vegan) such as TVP (texturized vegetable protein) or tofu? I believe it may be easier to get enough Protein without having to down gallons of soy milk. I know from my lactose-intolerant husband that the non-sugar version is not so tasty. Please do give it (the Zone) a try. I am amazed at how energetic and healthy I feel, and I am losing the weight that has piled on since I first hit puberty. It's worth the eating-style change to me, and even to my husband, who admits he is terrified of changing anything. (He has now lost 20 lbs. since July and is finally a believer--despite lots of kicking and screaming at the beginning.) Now I feel good all the time, and when I don't I can tell why much more easily. No more hypoglycemic attacks, no more binges, no more guilt. I feel like I am eating LOTS of food, and I am no longer on the roller coaster when it comes to my blood sugar. The eating-style change you are so scared about is not as awful as you think--try for a week or two, and then see how you feel when you go back. If you go back. :wink: Good Luck! Ronica

[quote:7b94cbfe3b="RBrownson"]Sorry, not veggie, but have a question. Have you tried any other protein sources (vegan) such as TVP (texturized vegetable protein) or tofu? I believe it may be easier to get enough Protein without having to down gallons of soy milk. I know from my lactose-intolerant husband that the non-sugar version is not so tasty. Please do give it (the Zone) a try. I am amazed at how energetic and healthy I feel, and I am losing the weight that has piled on since I first hit puberty. It's worth the eating-style change to me, and even to my husband, who admits he is terrified of changing anything. (He has now lost 20 lbs. since July and is finally a believer--despite lots of kicking and screaming at the beginning.) Now I feel good all the time, and when I don't I can tell why much more easily. No more hypoglycemic attacks, no more binges, no more guilt. I feel like I am eating LOTS of food, and I am no longer on the roller coaster when it comes to my blood sugar. The eating-style change you are so scared about is not as awful as you think--try for a week or two, and then see how you feel when you go back. If you go back. :wink: Good Luck! Ronica[/quote:7b94cbfe3b] Yes, we enjoy tofu, esp. baked tofu, and we use some of the fake meat products like Morningstar breakfast sausages, patties, and veggie burgers. I'm just not used to having some of that at every meal. As a newbie Zoner I've found that if we are to avoid consuming a lot of dairy, eating means cooking something, or heating up something. This is not always convenient with two little kids, and days where we are running here and there. A carbohydrate laden traditional veggie diet is quite varied---there are a lot of foods to choose from, and its cheap. How much is rice and beans? How much is a PBJ? (How much is our health worth to us?) Those are just some of the first hurdles our family has come across. And right now, it just feels so awkward eating this way. But yes, we are going to give it a trial run. Thanks. Michelle

Michelle, if you're a veggie, a good snack (.it's carb, but a favorable carb...) is hummus.It has fat too, but like I said its good.Trader Joes has a good one. So then you can have a string cheese, a piece of celery and you have the makings of a lunch or snack...adjust the amounts to zone. Also, my favorite brkfst: 2 slabs of tofu (firm) as thick as your thumb, squirt with Bragg's, microwave for 2 min. or pan fry without oil, then toast 1 slice of sprouted grain bread and spread with tahini. Top with tofu, sprinkle with cayenne and eat. (appr.2 blks)(so drink milk or something to add a block.)