I am relocating to Chicago and hoping to connect with other zone oriented people to help me learn about the city and all the great things it has to offer.
If you live in or near Chicago Please reply.

Well I guess the Chicago people haven't come across, Well if you need anything or have any questions let us know ok? :D

I'm in Cleveland my daughter lives in Chicago. She just moved there about 1 year ago and loves it. she doesn't want to move back home there is so much to do there, always something going on. Good luck in Chicago.

Hi I'm in the south suburbs. I'm looking for a Zone pal too. How is it going for you??

in Chicago proper, started about 3 1/2 weeks ago.

I am not in Chicago, but I am up north in Wisconsin, about 3 hours away.

Hi again, Cranberry Cat.

I'm realizing I need more moral support than I expected. I think the Zone is perfect for me, as I lost about 7 lbs just through the plate method. And my energy recovered within the first day, began to be significant by day 4. I started just before our department implemented a totally new electronic medical records system, and decided I wouldn't get strict about it until after we stopped staffing the 24/7 special help desk. Had to switch to nights, then afternoons, but been working 9-5:30 this week (5 day of 6 today).

I've done really well, despite the being glued to the phone, with candy/ice cream, and chex mix freely offered. I found on several days, I wasn't even hungry after starting the morning off well, but about mid afternoon, shear boredom at the lack of physical activity got to me, and I'd break 'a little'--truly, just like a mini snickers or something. Haven't gained any weight, but stopped losing. Sort of feel good about it.

But today--whoa man--the stress got to me, totally binged, and sure it's emotional, not biological. I'm so glad tomorrow is our last day in the command center--I can't wait to get back to my cubical, away from temptation, and have the freedom to get up from my desk occasionally!

Julia, sounds like you work in a hospital or some kind of medical center? Are you in IT?

I work in a hospital, I am a nurse, but I work in case management. We are phasing in our EMR, basically have everyone up and running except for the docs. I was on the core team when we implemented nursing's EMR. I can certainly relate to what you are going through, it was definitely a stressful time!

Great that you were able to control it enough so that you didn't gain, and so you should be able to hop back in there soon, right?

Keep in touch, we are almost neighbors!

I'm a Respiratory Therapist, now Epic Analyst. Today is the last day in the command center. I've gotten up every morning, and eaten a zoned breakfast, and eyeballed a zone lunch. Somewhere around 2 hours after that, I wind up breaking down and eating something like mini-candy bars or ice cream. The command center was kept quite stocked, so people wouldn't run off to the cafeteria. So since you are in a big room with supervisors and everyone, there's pressure not to look like you are fooling around, so you work incessantly, eat lunch at your desk, and hardly move from your chair. So I think the "treats" are due to me sitting at the computer for almost 6 hours straight by that time, probably feeling a little self-pity.

Have the weekend off, Monday I'm back in my home cubicle, with less noise, more freedom, and less temptation. Actually, this morning I weighed the least I have in about 8 years. But still, I am concerned not just about the weight, but about what I'm eating, and what those choices are doing on a cellular and molecular level.

Nice to know you're an RN, and can 'get' where I'm coming from.

Have a great day!

LOL-Epic! We have Meditech, you have probably heard of that.

From what I hear about Epic, I think it would have been nicer to have had that system instead of Meditech. Everything has to be built and customized in Meditech, and the nursing module took literally over a year to build and get it going.

Hope things get back to normal soon! If that happens again, I would recommend bringing in your own blocked snacks. I made up a platter of hummus-filled deviled eggs on Thursday, and it was nice to have something good to munch on!

Why I thought everyone in Wisconsin was on Epic! (giggling)

The fun part of health IT is that every hospital has to be customized--every department has gone with a different solution, and when you get an EMR, it takes a year and a half or more to do it right.

At my last hospital they did the RT department in about 8 weeks. HUGE mistake--everyone hates it. They did Epic, also, I keep hearing how much they hate it. I remind them, it isn't the software, it's the design.

I did successfully use my own snacks for some of the days. The last week was more challenging--about the time the 8th person walked by with an ice cream bar, my resolve had sort of eroded.

Back to my cubicle, and the insulation it offers.

Yeah, we just did our ED, a fairly quick build and I don't hear much good about that one. And, very difficult for the end user to review, too. Which is a big one for me, so I will be working to fix that! If I am struggling with it, then I know that the docs won't have the patience to read it, either.

Did you get snow today? We were supposed to get a few inches, but nothing yet, maybe it will come overnight?

Sorry to hear the endusers are not happy. That's supposed to be a lot of what it's about--although patient safety comes before that.

Snow--yeah. This sure is a hard winter, huh? Glad I'm not living off the land!

And I think more is supposed to be on the way. . . (groan, like Lurch)

Well, we were glad to let that system pass south of us! We have "enjoyed" so much snow again this year, it was another near-record breaking year of snowfall, after breaking the record last year.

Seems as if I looked back last year, and I don't remember seeing 2 heavy snowfall years back to back like we had this year.

I think we are in the clear for the rest of the week up here.

Looks like it missed us too.

TGIF!

So, how is the Zone going for you?

Do you live in Chicago, or just in the surrounding area?

I live in the North West side of the city.

I took measurements today. Unfortunately, I didn't closely monitor exactly when I started the Zone diet. I think we are at about a 6 week point.

Down to 33% body fat from 37%; weight is down 10 lbs. I think the thing that is interesting, is I have not been "strict"--mostly, I'm eyeballing what I eat, and educating myself.

But it's quite encouraging, to feel satiated, more focused, be over my daily post-lunch zombie state, and to have the weight sort of drop off from me.

I'm settling down about how quickly these changes should happen, as far as habits. I started eating some fish oil, but I'm not sure about the source, so I'm a little worried about contamination. Ingredients: Anchovy, Sardine and Soy--encouraging that they are using the "little" fishes. I'm creating this habit, still, trying to remember to eat 2 tablets a day. It's listed as 1200 mg, but then the Omega-3 is 720 mg.

I mentioned in another post that I've had more struggles this past year or so with non-allergic asthma. I also had a freaky thing last ?Spring? I think, where my joints very suddenly swelled up, especially painful in the hands. I had to go on steroids, but they never found anything "wrong" with me--no lupus/rheumatoid arthritis, etc.

So I'm suspecting I have some degree of inflammation that isn't measurable by the standard measurements.

Aah, well, looking at my stats gives some encouragement not to go crazy this holiday.

Have a great day, thanks for chatting.

I know this is an older post but I too am from the Chicago suburbs. Is there any other Zoners from the surrounding area? I'm also a nurse and I just started the Zone diet. It's been sort of complicated with my work schedule so far but the mountain I've had to face so far has been from my family. The amount of negativity I get from them...It would be nice to have someone nearby to talk with/vent to who understands and can give tips/moral support when I have a question.

Hi Shaunna,

I'm not in the area, but my husband grew up in the south side of Chicago (from age 3 to 16) and has many friends and relatives in the Chicago suburbs. I have some posts here about my family’s adjustments when we started the Zone. I don't have time to look for them at the moment, but probably will this afternoon. I'll post a link, so check back here later to find it. In the meantime, if you're inclined to look for it, I think the post(s) are in the KIDS forum here.

Shaunna, I found it. I'm posting it in the Kids forum with your name in the subject.

Shaunna,
I am not in the Chicago area, but I live up north from you in Wisconsin (probably about a 3 hour drive). And, I am a nurse, too!