Hi Sue,

Well, I had a good time at the store and didn't spend as much as I thought I would, which was good! I am now on day six of a week in the zone and actually am feeling pretty good, in fact I had a great day yesterday, but pushed myself a little to hard and am paying for it today...oh well, I'll learn. But, I do have some questions.....I have noticed that some times a meal does not sustain my as long as I'd hoped, ie: this morning I had Oatmeal w/the zone protein powder for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and by 10:30 I was starved. I had a snack of 1/2 c. grapes and 1 oz of string cheese, though I didn't feel like it was enough, I still felt a little shaky so I had some peanuts and that seemed to help. I am going to fixing my lunch soon, tuna and ?? I have always had a problem with low blood sugar and was told I'm insulin resistant. Weight is NOT an issue for me, in fact just the opposite, keeping it on is a challenge, so I do add the fats, sometimes a little more than the zone calls for just to maintain my weight. I really like this diet, though the hardest thing for me to give up is the breads, I love breads, especially sour dough! The other thing I have noticed is the snack at bedtime really helps, I seem to sleep better. The other thing I have noticed is my hot flashes have calmed down in the last few days due to the zone or coincidence? don't know. Can you recommend some good snack choices between meals, ther is not a lot listed in the book. Thank you for your help...have a great day :-) p.s. I would like to get started on some supplements too, but don't know where to start, I did get the protein powder first.

another question I wanted to ask about eggs.....I have my own chickens, three lovely girls that give me wonderful eggs (their very spoiled) anyway, so needless to say I don't buy eggs at the store or any type of egg substitutes. I see the a lot of the recipes use the white only or the subs. Is it really that bad to eat the whole egg? I love 'em, they give me great energy/protein.If I cut back on the yolks, any suggestions to use up the extra yolks? Thanks

RM,

Sounds as if you may benefit from a bit less carb per meal, and up the fat. Many of us "carb sensitive" people are better able to manage insulin levels by making this adjustment. Drop one carb block, and up the fat to 5-6 blocks. That may help with your meal satiety, as it does indeed sound as if you are dropping your blood sugar and becoming hypoglycemic.

The yolk of the egg contains arachidonic acid (AA), and this is a fatty acid that we try to avoid in the Zone.

I used to worry about tossing them out, but I have learned to just go ahead and toss!

Hi RM,

Lessening, even elimination, of hot flashes is a typical Zone result. I went through menopause about 7 years ago and have never experienced a hot flash.

Your meal results and other comments in your post point to you being more sensitive to carbohydrate. Try tinkering with the oat breakfast be dropping to 2 blocks of oats in the meal. Keep the 3 blocks of protein powder and make sure that you at least double the fat blocks you add to it because protein powder is fat free.
Here’s how Dr. Sears explains fat blocks (taken from MASTERING THE ZONE, page 292 and 293).

“Why is a fat block only 1.5 grams?
Every block of low-fat protein contains approximately 1.5 grams of “hidden fat”. Therefore, by adding one extra fat block (which is defined as 1.5 grams of fat) for each block of low-fat protein, you are actually consuming 3 grams of fat or two blocks (one internal in the protein and one external) for each protein block. If you are using fat-free protein sources, such as isolated protein powders, then you should be adding two blocks of fat to achieve the same ratio. Obviously, if you are eating higher fat protein choices, you would not be adding any extra fat blocks to your meal. Remember that every time you add additional fat blocks to a meal, they should be composed primarily of monounsaturated fat.”

Some common fat free proteins eaten on the Zone diet are egg whites, protein powder, some deli-style meats, and some soy products.

The Zone adjustment for those who become hungry with low blood sugar symptoms at 4 hours or less after a meal(referred to in Zone books as unfocused hunger) is to drop 1 Carb block form each meal. In your case, adding extra monounsaturated will be a good idea, too. Extra fat provides better insulin control but will not cause you to gain weight (when using it as recommended in Zone adjustments, only a handful of extra blocks) because it doesn't impact insulin. Barry Sears refers to it as being insulin neutral.

Grapes may not work for you; they take me out of the Zone (I'm very carb sensitive and in my pre-Zone days had low blood sugar problems on a daily basis). A good snack would be hardboiled eggs with the yolks discarded, filled with hummus.

Yes, avoid eating the yolks, even those from your home raised chickens, because they are rich in AA, a fatty acid that promotes inflammation. The Zone is based on lowering insulin levels and lowering AA. It makes no sense to eat AA when the point of your diet and lifestyle is to lower AA. Red meats (including pork) are higher in AA, as are organ meats. For this reason we avoid them as much as possible in the Zone. You asked about other uses for egg yolk. I've heard they're good to use on your hair, though I've never tried it.

You're doing right to add more monounsaturated fat because the Zone calls for adding extra monounsaturated weight once you're at your ideal weight (refer to page 292 of MASTERING THE ZONE).

The more bread you eat, the more difficult it'll be to keep those levels where they need to be to prevent you low blood sugar symptoms.

The bedtime snack is probably playing a big part in why you're sleeping better. Its purpose is to prevent nocturnal hypoglycemia, which causes people to wake up in the night.

You can find some more snacks of mine in these threads:

http://www.zonediet.com/Community/F...fault.aspx

http://www.zonediet.com/Community/F...fault.aspx

Hi Sue,

Thank you for your suggestions. No, hot flashes ?? lucky you! I hate them, I start peeling clothes off or step outside or find anything that will cool me off. Though I will admit that since I have started this diet I have not had one, so lets hope that this is the cure...yeah!!!I am still working on fine tuning the zone for me. I must carb sensitive, because I have noticed certain foods do not sustain me long, so I am keeping a journal to refer back to to be able to get this to work for me. I have found that if I have a 1/4 c. of cottage cheese with my oatmeal and protein powder I last longer between meals, but oatmeal alone doesn't keep me there, even with the protein powder...??? so much for the grapes! darn, oh well my chickens will like them....LOL. I still need to get some more books like you suggested"mastering the Zone" and I would like to get the cookbook too. I am still struggling with geeting the blocks right, I also depends which foods I have on hand at the time. I have to learn to adjust my shopping and have back to the produce twice this week. But, I prefer fresh over frozen if at all possible.

Darn, about the eggs !! well I will just feed them back to the chickens. They like protein too.

I have noticed, that I am requiring more water than I used to drink, have had a few bouts of constipation. I have always drank alot anyway. It is my drink of choice other than herbals teas and my morning cup of coffee.

I have been real good on eliminating the breads so far, though I did buy some whole grain rye to use for my tuna sandwich.

Another question, should I supplement fish oil if I am eating fish 3 to 4 times a week?

Thanks again for your guidance.....take care, Ro

Hi Sue,

Thank you for your suggestions. No, hot flashes ?? lucky you! I hate them, I start peeling clothes off or step outside or find anything that will cool me off. Though I will admit that since I have started this diet I have not had one, so lets hope that this is the cure...yeah!!!I am still working on fine tuning the zone for me. I must carb sensitive, because I have noticed certain foods do not sustain me long, so I am keeping a journal to refer back to to be able to get this to work for me. I have found that if I have a 1/4 c. of cottage cheese with my oatmeal and protein powder I last longer between meals, but oatmeal alone doesn't keep me there, even with the protein powder...??? so much for the grapes! darn, oh well my chickens will like them....LOL. I still need to get some more books like you suggested"mastering the Zone" and I would like to get the cookbook too. I am still struggling with geeting the blocks right, I also depends which foods I have on hand at the time. I have to learn to adjust my shopping and have back to the produce twice this week. But, I prefer fresh over frozen if at all possible.

Darn, about the eggs !! well I will just feed them back to the chickens. They like protein too.

I have noticed, that I am requiring more water than I used to drink, have had a few bouts of constipation. I have always drank alot anyway. It is my drink of choice other than herbals teas and my morning cup of coffee.

I have been real good on eliminating the breads so far, though I did buy some whole grain rye to use for my tuna sandwich.

Another question, should I supplement fish oil if I am eating fish 3 to 4 times a week?

Thanks again for your guidance.....take care, Ro

Cranberrycat,

thank you for your post. I am working on getting the right combination to work for me, as I must be carb sensitive. It is going to take me a while to fine tune this diet for me. I have always been sensitive to everything, foods, meds, supplments, etc. Especially with meds & supps, I usually require the lowest dose and sometimes only a quarter of somethings. One 325 mg. tylenol puts me to sleep!!

Bummer about the yolks....but toss them out...oh no,no, no, I couldn't do that....I'll just feed them back to the chickens! they like protein too! LOL

are you still in the zone?

Hi Sue,

thanks for the reply. I will try adding more of the fat and see how much longer is sustains me. I will get those two books. I currently Do NOT take fish oil, but will start, which do you recommend from Dr. Sears products?

The water makes sense as far as burninn fat, though I have not lost one pound since I started this, nor have I gained a pound. The goal for me was to maintain my weight, not lose. As I had stated in an eariler post weight is not one of my issues, insulin control is. Along with more energy hopefully and alleviating menopausal symptoms.

thanks again.....take care...Ro :-)

Hi Ro!

You're welcome! Nope, no hot flashes. I just started a carb sensitivity thread in the Weight Loss Forum here. Check it out. I’m looking forward picking up tips from other people’s experiences with carb sensitivity. And yes, I'm still in the Zone.

You might find that if you add even more monounsaturated fat you'll do better with the protein powder and oats (the better response with cottage cheese and oats is probably due to the fat in the cottage cheese).

I prefer fresh veggies to frozen, too.

If you're going to get a book(s), my two top picks/recommendations, in this order, are TOXIC FAT and THE ANTI-INFLAMMATION ZONE. As for Zone cook books, ZONE MEALS IN SECONDS and also TOP 100 ZONE FOODS, I love both of them.

You're drinking more water because in the Zone you're burning fat to produce all you energy. Burning fat requires 1/5 times more water than burning carbs.

Good on the bread!

Yes, still take fish oil because you wouldn't be able to get enough EPA and DHA from eating fish alone, even if you ate fish every day. Make sure you're taking the correct amount for beginning diet and also for addressing your level of wellness. BTW, the constipation is likely to be from the initial release of AA as you begin to burn your stored fat. It's common. The appropriate fish oil dose will eliminate constipation. Here are the recommended dosages taken form TOXIC FAT (grams refer to total amount of EPA and DHA combined):

To maintain wellness, 2.5 g/day (4 caps; 1 teaspoon liquid).

For overweight, obesity, type 2 diabetes, or before starting a diet, 5 g/day (8 caps; 2 teaspoons liquid).

For chronic pain, 7.5 g/day (12 caps; 3 teaspoons liquid).

For existing neurological conditions 10 g/day (16 caps; 4 teaspoons liquid).

I'm in Marysville. Just down the road from you. Melinda

I am in Seattle .... just completed shopping from the suggested list and will be starting my life change plan in less than 24 hours...nervous and and feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the information after listening to the CD's (Enter the Zone and The Anti-Inflammation Zone) and joining the website for support. I am looking for ways to keep it simple until it becomes an easy/familiar process.

Welcome lisa!

The easiest way to do the Zone is the SuperZone plan (see the info in the SUPERZONE FOOD tab, top of this page). The second easiest way is to use the divide the plate method shown in Quick Start Guide (link at right).

Have fun with it and good luck!

Thank you Sue. I appreciate the response. Until I am blessed with employment, I will have to focus on option two which really seems to be serving me well as a newbie. To prevent too much time from passing in between meals, I am considering investing in some bars for those unpredictable times that I am not as prepared with my food plan for the day. Also want to increase my fish oil and perhaps purchase it from the Zone site. Although I am convinced that Dr. Sears oils with improve my fibromyalgia, I am concerned about how it will effect my Coumadin pro-time (mechanical heart-valve)levels. Thanks for your feedback-greatly appreciated.

You're welcome lisa. If you do a search using the word coumadin on DrSears.com you'll get some hits containing Dr Sears' sdvice to zoners who take Coumadin and Zone labs fish oil. You could also try a live chat (upper right of this page) to see if they have more info for Zoners on Comadin and fish oil that you could then discuss with your doctor. Good luck!

Lisa, no need to worry, even those of us who are 2-income families still don't have enough money to consider superzone products. Come on, $14 for a loaf of bread!?! But, even if money were no object, I would not recommend superzone or any other manufactured food to you as a staple of your diet. With fibromyalgia, it is important to eat unprocessed whole foods rather than pre-packaged manufactured foods. I don't have a problem with an occasional bar, but that would be something you could reserve for life's emergencies that we sometimes find ourselves in.

I would recommend consulting with your doctor about using increased doses of fish oil while on coumadin.

And, welcome!

Thank you so much for your input. I have lost 13 pounds since starting THE ZONE, yet still low on energy. Nevertheless, I feel better than before discovering an improved way of eating. So I am definitely in it for the long haul. My physician is also pleased with my life change.

Don't worry, the energy will come. You are dealing with much more than what the average person is.

Hmmmm....it is 3:40 in the morning and I am H U N G R Y!! What's wrong with this picture? Somewhat normal? I spaced and measured my blocks as usual including the water. Luckily for me, I have nothing but healthy stuff in the house!! Smile. It could be emotional....well. I am still sleepy, so back to the water then back to ZZZZzzz!!

Lisa,

1. Recalculate your protein/block requirement to make sure you're eating enough blocks.

2. Make sure your carbs are mostly veggies with some fruit.

3. Cut out unfavorable carb.

4. Review Zone fat information to make sure you're adding the missing fat to fat free proteins. (For more info about this, refer to ** below)

If you're still getting hungry, then follow the Zone directions for judging the type of hunger and adjusting carb amounts (focused huger 4 hours after a meal = add 1C block to meals; unfocused hunger 4 hours aftre a meal = drop 1C block from meals).


**Here’s Dr. Sears explanation of fat blocks (taken from MASTERING THE ZONE, page 292 and 293).

“Why is a fat block only 1.5 grams?

Every block of low-fat protein contains approximately 1.5 grams of “hidden fat”. Therefore, by adding one extra fat block (which is defined as 1.5 grams of fat) for each block of low-fat protein, you are actually consuming 3 grams of fat or two blocks (one internal in the protein and one external) for each protein block. If you are using fat-free protein sources, such as isolated protein powders, then you should be adding two blocks of fat to achieve the same ratio. Obviously, if you are eating higher fat protein choices, you would not be adding any extra fat blocks to your meal. Remember that every time you add additional fat blocks to a meal, they should be composed primarily of monounsaturated fat.”

Common fat free proteins eaten on the Zone diet are egg whites, protein powder, fat free dairy products, some deli-style meats, and some soy products

Thank you Sue. I am in tune with and done all that you suggested. I have listened to the audio Zone directions multiple multiple multiple times and have been sticking to it as closely as possible...don't have any unfavorable carbs in the house...only fruit and veggies ecept for the sample packs of bars and protein shakes which I understand are balanced as a snack or meal. Whatever is going on...I am committed to stick with it and get it right. Thanks again. I truly appreciate the feedback.

Sounds good! :-)

I'm curious....Who is that pretty little girl in the photo with you?? Your smiles are beautiful!

OK, everyone in Washington -- it's two years later. Where are you now? (I'm no longer in Vancouver -- moved out east to Goldendale.)

[quote]
Posted By Katharine W. on 24 Jul 2007 11:22 AM
I'm down in Vancouver -- closer to the Portland Zoners.
[/quote]

I see July of 2007, how about October 2011, anyone in Vancouver, WA?