I just ran into - not less than - three people this weekend - all of whom were impressed at my weight loss and general health - but all apologized to me for starting the South Beach diet instead! (They all know my wife and I are ZONErs!) To one of these, earlier this year, I gave the couple a copy of AWitZ. (I purchase a copy every so often just to give away.) She said that the ZONE was too much reading and too technical. She said she liked the South Beach because it is only this thick (holding two fingers 1/4 in apart), and the reading is simple, and the rest is all meal suggestions and recipes. She said that once she gets her weight jump-started (with SB) she will then consider going to the ZONE. (Quote, "I want to enjoy a rainbow - don't tell me how its the refraction of sunlight ...", end-quote) So, if "ZONE Meals in Seconds" has gotten rid of a lot of the detail and technical stuff, I can't wait for it to come out in paperback so I can purchase several copies of it to give away, instead. BUT, one has to wait at least a year of it in hardback - before the publisher will release a paperback version. It's a shame that Dr. Sears doesn't have a short pamphlet that we could pick up a few copies to give away- instead! (TECH, DR. Sears? Are you listening?) [size=18:0b40003f53]A guess a Q is due, here: Is anyone familiar with South Beach? It seems similar to Atkins? How does it differ from ZONE? (So I can counter-act it!)[/size:0b40003f53]

Here is a post from Prevention.com Forums about South Beach diet vs. ZONE. Enjoy!!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I got this oof of the ZONEPerfect website forums and thought I'd post it here in the Prevention.com message boards ... -- -- -- Earlier text - 1 day meal plan - deleted for brevity -- -- -- Dinner = roughly 3 protein, 3 carb, 4 fat (Since there are no portion amounts listed for the dinner items, and since neither of us had any idea what a Lemon Zest Ricotta Crème was, we had to guess at the total amounts of food in this meal.) So there you have it campers. Phase one of the radical new South Beach diet is somewhat higher in protein and fat, and a bit lower in carbs than the Zone. In other words, it sounds an awful lot like Atkins. Of course this is just the first, temporary, phase. After the first two weeks, when you are supposed to add some carbs back into your diet you get…Ta Da! The Zone! (or a very close cousin). Now I’m not usually a whiner, but this is really all a bit frustrating. To read Time magazine, or the Web MD web site, you’d think that Dr. Agatston had made a dramatic discovery in the field of nutrition. Article after article favorably compares his “radical new” diet to Atkins and praises it for including low glycemic carbohydrates and limiting saturated fats. These same articles consistently either make no mention of the Zone, or if they do mention it, it is dismissed as another “high protein” diet. Long time readers know that I’ve spent countless hours responding to mis-informed articles describing the Zone as a high protein, high fat, low carb diet. Over and over I’ve pointed out that we recommend that 40% of daily calories be from carbohydrates - an odd recommendation for a diet that is supposedly “low carb”. The problem, as discussed before, is that writers are lazy, and they already “know” what the Zone is, i.e., high protein, high fat, low carb. It’s only because they haven’t done their homework that these same writers greet the arrival of the South Beach Diet as something new and revolutionary. Shame on them! Dr. Sears first published his book The Zone in 1995. Eight years would certainly seem to be enough time for these folks to have figured out just exactly what it is that we recommend. Ah well, I’d better not get started down that road or I’ll never get the newsletter finished. After I’m done for the day, however, I’m going to go put in a travel request to investigate the new Honolulu Diet. That should be good for a giggle. Andy --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi John d. p! It seems South Beach is just the trend for the time being. Just another spark of hope for the diet "hoppers" (those who try every diet know to man, with little success over the long haul). The technical information in Dr. Sears books is a critical component for achieving long-term weight loss. Those following a diet without much knowledge of the relationship of food, insulin, cravings, inflammation, and so much more, will not see the importance of sticking with it. I'm not saying that South Beach doesn't work (as it is pretty much a copy of "The Zone" in it's later phases), but the key to maintaining weight loss (as you know) is understanding why you continue to do what you do. So when friends and family start with the Zone being too difficult, tell them, "Yes, that's right, the Zone is for intelligent people, ready to make a long-term commitment to their health and if you don't think you can handle that you'd better go with South Beach, or something easy to read!" Also, just wanted to mention that Dr. Sears does have a short guide called the "ZoneRx Guide" which pretty much provides all the basics one would need to get started. Take Care~ crumbelina

it sounds like the diet "Dr. Phil" is pushing is fairly Zone-like too. there's 45% carbs, 25% protein, 30% fat, with the recommended diet for an overweight woman coming to appromiately 11 blocks. funny how no one is going on about this being a low carb diet. I think that the Zone was considered very high protein, low carb when it came out, because the prevailing trend was high carb, low fat. now the trends have shifted but public perception hasn't changed. people who hear i'm on the Zone inevitably say "Isn't that like Atkins?" but people who see what I eat just assume that I'm eating sensibly. One of the women on my soccer team started on the South Beach diet at the same time I stated on the Zone. We've lost the same amount of weight but I sure had more energy than she did when she was in the induction phase.

on the positive side My wife (call her Zone-aware, but not a Zoner) signed up with a new doctor recently. The nurse who took down all her data was on the Zone. The doctor was on the Zone. "It's the most sustainable" nutrition plan out there, the doctor commented. In reporting all this to me (I can be intense at times), my wife said, "I'm never going to hear the end of this!) Anyway, she's lost 15 or 20 pounds since last summer, after I tinkered with some of her recipes. She also observes that she does not wake up stiff in the morning anymore, but she attributes this to buying organic chicken instead of normal commercial fare containing hormones. To repeat, [b:1a50b6a499]"It's the most sustainable" nutrition plan out there.[/b:1a50b6a499] - C.

Hi, This is cool info to hear from a doctor. My primary care dr is very supportive of my Zoning, and is amazed that I was able to get off the two BP meds I used to take. He's actually bragged to other's about my results. At my last appt, he had a 4th yr med student "trailing" him for the month. He asked me to "tell him (the sudent) how you got off the BP meds". My doctor's also told me he has a bunch of other patients who "should be doing what you're doing". But, when all is said and done, he wants nothing to do with learning more about the Zone. Go figure??????? Sue 8)

Well, the Zone suffers from being technical and complicated, coming from a biochemist and all. But, like learning to ride a bike, you wonder afterward what all the fuss was about. People like Sue can help you get going. [b:9981f013d1]LISTEN TO HER![/b:9981f013d1] :wink: -C.

Thanks Charlie! :lol: :lol: :lol: Sue

I think a major stumbling block for people about the Zone is going from "caloric based thinking" to "block based thinking". When I tell them, simply put, that a block is about 100 calories with 40 - 30 - 30 proportions and you have to eat it that way every time, they start to understand. What they do not comprehend, however, is the amount of food piled on a plate when they see it. People quickly become amazed that I lose weight while eating that much stuff....and then eat fruit for dessert on top of it! When I tell them its about 400 calories, they do not believe me. Oh well, their loss...or lack of it. But they will keep paying for weight watchers (ie watch their weight stay on their body) , lose nothing, be hungry but have their meetings every week to watch everbody else's body weight stay there!

Hi, I agree that it is diffficult for many people to change their"caloric based thinking". I've also experienced that which you mention regarding people wondering how I keep my weight down eating "all that food". Even more amazing to me is why these same people consistantly resist the Zone! Sue

[quote:b4771815c8="Slknorr"]Hi, I agree that it is diffficult for many people to change their"caloric based thinking". I've also experienced that which you mention regarding people wondering how I keep my weight down eating "all that food". Even more amazing to me is why these same people consistantly resist the Zone! Sue[/quote:b4771815c8] I started this thread on the South Beach diet. The joy is that more and more recently, esp. after hearing of my Total Cholesterol reduction from 284 to 204 in just a few short months, many more persons at our church are now asking me about how I did it and more importantly, about the Zone diet.

[quote:81ead50d1c="jaydpiii"][quote:81ead50d1c="Slknorr"]Hi, I agree that it is diffficult for many people to change their"caloric based thinking". I've also experienced that which you mention regarding people wondering how I keep my weight down eating "all that food". Even more amazing to me is why these same people consistantly resist the Zone! Sue[/quote:81ead50d1c] I started this thread on the South Beach diet. The joy is that more and more recently, esp. after hearing of my Total Cholesterol reduction from 284 to 204 in just a few short months, many more persons at our church are now asking me about how I did it and more importantly, about the Zone diet.[/quote:81ead50d1c] That's great news John. I've read your progress posts and I congratulate you! I'm curious about something. Have many of your friends at church actually adopted the Zone lifestyle? It's been my experience that people are interested to know how I accomplished what I have, but when they find out, very few actually try the Zone. I even have a stash of "A Week in the Zone", that I hand out to interested people. Keep up the good work! Sue

I, too, have encountered many people who are on South Beach. The other day, standing in line at the grocery checkout, the magazine "Low Carb Living" had a feature comparing the Zone to South Beach. I have never read this magazine but I was curious so I picked it up. The article says the SB is very Atkins not only in that there are "phases" to the program but because of the restrictions in the first two weeks. Phase II allows fruit but restricts calories and you're supposed to stay on that "until you lose all the weight you want" and then you enter the "Maintaince Phase" which apparently is the ZONE. Neither program is "low carb" however and strange to be found in a mag of that name. Many people want a quick fix. I, personally, can't believe how quick a fix the ZONE is but you do have be aware of what you eat. I think some people like to be told EXACTLY what to eat and NOT to eat. I like the choices the ZONE offers. :D