Thank you in advance for helping me out. I see alot of the 1-2-3 method and saw some examples of it - but can some one please explain
1. how to use it
2. Why do you use it
3. How to apply it.

I have learned to look at the products in the store and evaluate the block size and what need to be added to make it balanced - or at least try but i am not grasping the 1-2-3 system

Thank you.

Going to the store today to stock up on items for meals and snacks, cooking steel cut oatmeal in the crock pot ( 1 cup oats to 4 cups h2o- hope that is corret) and then portioning out and freezing, cooking up chicken ready to go, and going to try to embrace the plan.

I am looking and hoping to drop a few pounds - apprehensive b/c seems like every time I try I gain wt - not a good thing, and I am looking to keep my diet balanced and LOW IMMFLAMATORY - since everything I read and hear and see on Dr. Oz is that immflamation is the root cause of illness. How does this plan balance out hormores? ie: thyrod, estrogen, etc???

If anyone can help out w any other tips for me besides the 1-2-3 - I would greatly appreciate it. I do not wnat to gain any wt and truely want to decrease inflammation - hope I am on the right path.

Thank you again in advance for the help.

Kim- tigerpup

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Think of it as this:
for every 1g fat, there should also be 2g protein and 3g of carb. It is basically a rough ratio to get your meal into a zone balance.

If you look at a typical 3-block meal, there is 9g fat, 21g protein and 27g carb. This is more exact, but basically gives you the 1-2-3 ratio.
Or for a snack, there is 3g fat, 7g protein, and 9g carb. Again it is more exact, but basically gives you the same ratio.

It is not necessary to be exact on the Zone, so that is why 1-2-3 is "close". The Zone is a range, not an exact spot.

I personally use the block method, which is just another way of getting there. Sometimes I use gram counting, but I really don't use 123 because it still involves me having to do mathematical calculations, and for whatever reason, it is just easier to know the numbers of grams for a meal/snack, and then to just get the numbers to add up (choosing zone favorable ingredients, of course). Maybe other systems work better for others... it doesn't matter which method you chooose, though, because all methods basically will get you in the Zone.

This plan basically balances out the hormone insulin. But, gaining control of insulin will also help you in your attempts to balance out the other hormones. And controlling inflammation is the cornerstone of the Zone!

Thank you! I will continue to process that - but it seems very straight forward now that you have put it in simple terms! Thank you again.