Hello~ Today is my first day in the zone and I am following the 7 day meal plan. My day does not get off to a good start without coffee, but I didn't see anything in the book about a coffee allowance. So, I made my coffee this morning and added my usual Sweet 'n Low and Half 'n Half...was that a big mistake? I'm excited and would love to hear from anyone on this! Cheers, Newzoner

The books say that caffeine can raise insulin levels in some (most) people, so usually zoners avoid it, but I have found that I can handle 1 cup with breakfast and stay in the zone. That's pretty much all the caffeine I need in a day, but I am a night owl with an early bird job, so that promise of coffee in the morning does get me out of bed. The half and half and sweet-n-low is another story. I suggest you try Splenda sweetener, as Sears believes it has no effect on insulin (also tastes better to me.) Try lightening your coffee with a little bit of milk. Half and half has lots of extra fat, which you don't need. If you can do it, wean yourself off the lightener altogether. (I drink mine black, no sweetener.) Too much sweetener and cream turns coffee into more of a dessert, IMO. Once you've been zoning for a week or so your sweet cravings will diminish and you won't need it. (However, whether or not you can stomach coffee black is up to you.) Half and half, per fluid ounce, has 3.45 grams of fat and over 11 mg. of cholesterol. As a beginner, it's probably best to start cold turkey, and once you have a better feel for the program, add in the luxuries you can't live without in small amounts. (I admit to an occasional piece of chocolate, balanced with protein.) When I tried this at first, I really didn't know the zone well enough, or my own response well enough, so had a lot of trouble with it. After 5 months, I can judge my body's response much better. :) Now it's a lot easier to cheat a little bit without blowing it completely! Best of luck, and looking forward to hearing your success story! Ronica

Thanks for the feedback on coffee. I suspected it wasn't part of the program but wasn't sure. So, do you think I should give up the coffee altogether? That would hurt! :x I'll try Splenda and go with the skim milk. So, do you think I will see/feel results within a week?

Hi Newzoner... I have coffeee every morning on the way to work and I always drink caffinated. I find that one cup does nothing to kick me out of the zone and I feel more mentally allert because of it. I personally use half and half in mine. I typically cut back a bit on my fat at breakfast to compensate but if not...I don't sweat it. In my experience, the extra half a block of fat isn't going to hurt you...at least it hasn't effected my weight loss in a negative manner. If you like decaf....go for it. You may or may not be one of those folks who's insulin levels are effected by caffeine consumption. Keep in mind that the Zone is not about abstinence...it is about eating balanced and in moderation. Good Luck! Jim PS...where are you from?

Thanks for the feedback, Jim. I guess I'll have to go along and see if/how the caffine affects me. Meanwhile, I'll try to make on the skim milk, though I'm already hating the taste tomorrow morning! I think that's a good idea to go easy on the fat from breakfast in order to allow a little cream in my coffee. Can I ask you another question? Would it be ok for me to have a mid morning and mid afternoon snack in my first 7 days? The 7 day meal plan does not include snacks, but today has been a challenge to make it from breakfast to lunch, and now lunch to dinner. What would you advise? Thanks Jim! Roxanne (Newzoner from San Diego)

We were all new at this once :D Two snacks are recommended per day (with qualifications) of 1 block each. One should be late afternoon (1-1.5 hours before dinner) and one an hour or so before bedtime. The late night snack can be done away with on any particular day if dinner is eaten within 3 hours of bed time. Now....you can break your meals up and do what we call GRAZING. You consume the same number of blocks per day, but you eat them as "little meals" rather than 3 major meals with snacks. This actually is the most optimal method of eating as it keeps insulin regulated and you're eating more frequently and therefore don't become hungry. Now...unless you're eating really early, you should be able to get from breakfast to lunch without being hungry. (Remember...no more that 4-5 hours between meals). I always spilt my breakfasts up. Some days I have a block before leaving for work (6AM), two blocks around 8:30 (cottage cheese and applesauce works good) and another block around 10:30. Another variation that works well for me is a strawberry, blueberry and protein powder shake (plus some almonds or macadamias) around 6:30 (I drink this on the way to work) and then the other half of my breakfast around 9:30. Many mornings I use Zone Perfect bars or Omega Zone bars (Omega Zone is preferred by me...I love the lemon!) as a block or sometimes two. Keep in mind that each bar is 2 blocks. Variety is the spice of live ya know? Jim [color=blue:48935d0a7b][/color:48935d0a7b]

Jim, Wow...you really know your zone! I'm still beginning to understand the block system and how to plan my meals. I visited Dr. Sears' resource page where the blocks are listed, but I'm still trying to visualize what a 1 block meal is versus a 2 or 3 block meal. I think for now it might be best for me to stick with the 7 day plan to immerse myself in the program, then will modify as needed when I understand it better. By the way, I thought Zone Perfect bars were not "zone friendly," meaning they are not 40-30-30...do you know? Are Omega Zone bars available in stores? I think today (my 2nd day) will be much better since I ate my whole breakfast and brought my snacks! Had I eaten my whole breakfast yesterday, I'm sure it wouldn't have been a struggle to get to lunch. Thanks again, Jim. Believe it or not, I actually feel different/better today! Cheers, Roxanne

Hi, all. I am new here, but not new to the Zone. I have been doing this WOE for about a year now and love it! :D I have lost over 60 pounds and have slowed down now, but will not ever stop eating this way. I feel (and look) better than I have in a long time. I find that "grazing" works best for me. I eat 8x a day and have only one or two blocks each time. As you begin to feel more comfortable with this plan, you will figure out what works best for you. One of the most important things to remember is not to get stressed out trying to do it perfect. You will still do fine with mistakes. The other important thing to remember is always eat within one hour of waking and one hour before going to bed. I look forward getting to know you all better and Happy Zoning! :lol:

A) Here ya go...the difference between a one, two or three block meal (visually) is: Some more food Even More Food Even more food again! Seriously....The more blocks and the quantiyty simply goes up. Don't get caught up in trying to over analyze things as it will only bog you down. The folks that I have helped getting into the Zone have all printed out the favoirable Foods List Block guide and hung it somewhere in the kitchen...usually inside a cabinet door. Refer to it often! Mostt everything on it is very common foods and it won't be long before you're comfortable simply eating appropriate amounts of favorable things you like to eat. After a while, you won't even have to refer to the list (except during brain cramps which I sometimes have!) Also keep in mind....you're allowed to consume up to 25-30% unfavorable carbs during the day. Don't go hof wild and make it all twinkies but you can certainly use things like potato, some of the more natural breads, etc. Zone perfect bars are 40-30-30, they just have less than optimum ingredients as they have been commercialized for mass consumption. Omega RX Zone bars (for me at least) deliver their nutrients in a more controlled manner which allows me to go longer without any hunger. Hey...have a great day! Jim :mrgreen:

I understand the habit of morning coffee, having been a chronic caffeine user over several long periods of my life. After zoning off and on for 8 years I have to advocate for eventually ridding yourself of caffeine if at all possible. First of all, it’s really something to experience The Zone for everything that it is when you know that there’re no other stimulants responsible for that energetic buzz: it’s real and unmistakable, and you should notice some definite changes in your sleep patterns. Additionally, when you’re weaned from that mug for a few weeks you’ll probably notice some more subtle changes in your body and immune system (especially if you deal w/ some compromising factor, as in chronic fatigue, depression, pain, difficult periods, skin problems, etc.). You’ll then have a better baseline experience with which to compare and evaluate new zone meals, medications, moods, and the like. Of course, the beauty of the Zone is the element of moderation, and once you get a handle on it, the occasional treat or cheat is truly appreciated and further understood, to wit: you’ll really love that desert after the great meal; you’ll see the need for that cup of coffee afterwards so you can drive home without falling asleep at the wheel; when you wake up groggy and bloated and late for work the next day, you’ll still feel good overall because you’ll know that you’re one zone meal away from clarity, and—even better—that you’re on the right, sensible course of eating for the rest of your life.