Hi All:

I'm hoping to get some expert advice. I posted my question to the folks at ZoneDiet.com, but I was unsatisfied with the answer.

I am a returning Zoner who was in the zone for 2-3 years several years ago before I fell off the wagon. This time I'm in in worse shape than before. My blood pressure (150/90) prompted a visit to the doctor where I got an Rx for meds and bad news about my fasting glucose (157) and triglycerides (266).

I returned to the Zone immediately, and have been in the Zone for about two weeks. However, I am having hunger issues and I am trying to determine if it's due to incorrect calculations, or if I have not adjusted my Zone carburetor, or if it has to do with my probable insulin resistance.

I have a lean body mass of 195. At my weight (340), I am starting with the most exercise I can do safely, which is moderate (walking 3-4 times a week for 30 minutes, whereupon I work up a very good sweat and raise my heart rate to the low end of elevated). My allotment of protein is 16.5 blocks if you consider it light activity or 19 blocks if it is moderate activity. I have been eating 19 blocks.

The problem I am experiencing is about 1.5 - 2.5 hours after a meal, I start to feel hungry. This also happens after snacks. It is generally only after lunch and dinner, not after breakfast. As an experienced previous Zoner, I don't believe I am having mental focus issues. I am surprised because I have not experienced this issue before.

I am wondering if this is the result of eating too much food (should I cut back to 16.5 blocks), an imbalance (should I add carbs or remove some based on Dr. Sears' suggestions in Mastering the Zone), or if it has to do with insulin resistance somehow. My thought was that perhaps I am still spiking in insulin when I eat, but now there is less sugar for the insulin to convert, and therefore my blood is ending up low on sugar. . .

Any Zone "experts" out there care to make a guess?

Thanks!!

Hi,

Not sure if I could be called an expert, but I can do more than make a guess. For starters, I think you might not quite be eating enough. I'll explain more about that later. I'll do a few calculations, and get back to you soon with my thoughts. I'm confident this can be figured out. Might take a little trial and error, but you'll be able to resolve it.

If you don't mind me asking, how did you arrive at 195 LBM? It will help if you can also post a few samples of your meals and snacks. The foods you choose in any given meal can be key to the hunger issue.

Hi Sue. Thanks for taking a look and helping me out. This is a little long. Not too long, I hope.

Because Dr. Sears' tables only go to 300 lbs and I weight 338, I have had to seek some alternate sources of information on LBM. This may be where I am going wrong. Dr. Sears' books help you to calculate body fat. Once you know your body fat, you subtract from your weight and he calls that LBM.

Using this site (http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/) I determined my body fat to be 43.4%. That's about 147 lbs. That makes the LBM about 191, and I rounded up liberally because 191 seems too low for me since I am large framed with broad shoulders.

However, I calculated my lean body mass again using the following web site this evening:
http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/lbm

Sex: Male
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 338lbs
Lean Body Mass: 183.88 lbs

So, this may be part of my problem. If you have other suggestions for calculating LBM, I'd be glad to hear them.

Next, meals.
As I mentioned in the post, I am not a new Zoner, so I am familiar with which foods are favorable and which are not favorable. All this week and last I have been consuming 19 blocks. I have been eating 5-5-2-5-2.

For breakfast I have had a smoothie just about every day. 1 Cup whole milk (1c, 1p, >1 F), 1/2 cup frozen strawberries (1/2 c), 1/2 cup frozen raspberries (1c), 1/2 scoop protein powder (1p), 1/3 cup greek yogurt (1p, 1/2c, <1F) and stevia. I pair this with a Zone Perfect bar (2 blocks) and 4 non-Zone fish oil caps (about 400 - 800 mg EPA total) and a large glass of water. I often forget to eat fat, maybe about half the time. I have macadamias or almonds when I do remember. This holds me from 7:30AM until 11:30 or noon, no problem, even when I forget the fat.

For lunch I have had some kind of baked chicken with salsa and cheese, or lowfat chicken sausage from Trader Joe's with some 1.5% milkfat cheddar to make 5p. For carbs I have had green beans (1/2c) and fruit (cherries, blueberries, grapes or apples) to make up the difference. I also had a black bean salad with green onion, tomato and cucumber earlier in the week. Each portion was painstakingly calculated. I have had some almonds for fat, though admittedly I likely ate too many, not too few. I have taken 4 more fish oil caps with lunch. I usually eat at 11:30 or noon, and have found myself starting to feel hungry by 2:40 or so. I also drink water liberally throughout the day. I estimate I am drinking 4-5 16oz glasses of water when I am at work from 9AM-6PM.

At about 3PM, I am hungry and have tried eating a Zone Perfect bar, or half a Zone Perfect bar and two more fish old caps (200-300 mg EPA). This usually holds me until 4:30 and then it's time for my actual planned snack. This has been either a Zone Perfect bar or 2 pieces of string cheese and fruit (apple or grapes or cherries or some combo). Again, two more fish oil caps and water liberally.

Dinners have been much the same as lunches. In fact, leftovers have been used all week for lunch. Twice I had salmon - once a fillet and once a smaller salmon fillet "stuffed" with crab and shrimp - again using the nutrition label to make sure there were sufficient protein. More veggies with dinner than with lunch. Usually green beans or broccoli, a salad and the rest as fruit like cherries, berries and grapes, peaches, nectarines etc. Again, painstakingly calculated so that the total is 5 carbs. For fat, I use olive oil when baking chicken and usually have some almonds or macadamias. 4 More fish oil caps with dinner.

My evening snack is the same as my afternoon snack, more fish oil and more water.

I have been trying to dose heavily on fish oil and have managed, for the first time for me, to avoid a dreaded, skull crushing migraine that I often get when I start Zoning. I believe the fish oil has been indispensable. I plan to switch to Zone fish oil once my current supply runs out.

I look forward to hearing what you, as a long time Zoner, have to say. For the record, the folks at ZoneDiet.com told me to "adjust my carburetor" by adding or removing a block of carbs - not much help.

Thanks for the additional info Matthew. The people you spoke to were on the right track, but before you go there (adjusting carb blocks) let's see if we can make some overall adjustments that could also help. I'll put it all together and get back to you later.

For starters, today see if you can keep the fruit to one block at any given meal or snack, except in your smoothie, and make sure not to forget any fat.

A tip on fat, which you probably already know, make sure your protein source contains the full amount of hidden fat, and if not, add fat to your meal to make up for it. You can elevate insulin and become hungry simply by not having that minimum needed fat in the balance(3 grams total fat to balance each block of protein).

Another important change you can make right away is to stop eating Zone Perfect bars. Many people are not able to stay in the Zone with them. They're most likely contributing in a big way to keeping you out of the Zone and exacerbating your hunger problem. Some info, Dr. Sears has no affiliation with Zone Perfect and does not endorse their products. In fact, if you go to their website, you'll find that Zone Perfect does not even recommend a Zone balanced diet! Dr. Sears Zone bars (available only from Zone Labs) are the bars that have been tested on diabetics and successfully shown to control insulin levels. Dr. Sears has a patent on Dr. Sears Zone bars. You can check them out in the PRODUCTS tab. They've just added 4 new additional flavors!

I'll get back to you later with the rest of my thoughts.

Sue,

Reducing the fruit intake and replacing with veggies is challenging due simply to the quantity of food. I will see what I can do there.

I think you are right about the fat. i need to keep better control of it. I usually just eyeball it, but you're right that, if I am hungry, it is a likely culprit. The "hidden" fat should be 1.5g fat for every 7g or protein, right? And then I am supposed to add an additional 1.5g x 4 blocks, right?

On the issue of Zone Perfect bars, I have used them for a long time. I know they are no longer affiliated with Dr. Sears and that he does not endorse them. However, they are still nearly 40 30 30 (thought not likely favorable carbs) balanced and have worked well for me in the past. I don't suspect them as a culprit. I will revisit this issue if I continue to have problems.

Thanks again.

Matt

Hi Matthew,


There are several things to change to get you on track and eliminate the hunger. You mentioned that eating more veggies will be challenging because of the quantity, but let’s look at your current plan. According to the menu you posted, you’re eating 20 blocks daily at the moment (21 when your first afternoon snack is 2 blocks). Only 1 ½ or 2 blocks of those 20 to 21 C blocks you eat are from veggies, and 15 ½ of those C blocks are from fruit and Zone Perfect bars. This isn’t going to keep a person in the Zone, as you’re finding out already. If this is the way you were able to stay in the Zone previously, it’s not working now. Bodies change. People sometimes need to change and adjust their balance to suit the changes in their body. I’ve experienced this first hand with myself and other people I’ve helped with the Zone. The great thing about the Zone is that can be adjusted to fit most any situation. Since you’ve been in the Zone before for a few years you know how to mix carbs in a meal to get mostly veggies, plus a block or so of fruit and still have a manageable sized meal. If you’re not sure how to, take a look at the men’s 7 day planner or the recipes on this site. A 4 block meal from the planner becomes a 5 block meal with the addition of a glass of milk and a few nuts. You can also eat 4 4block meals (3 block meals plus a glass of milk and a few nuts) plus snacks.


Here are my recommendations.

1. Barry Sears advises to assume 50% body fat when your stats are too large for the calculator. With a total weight of 340, this gives you 170 LBM. He also advises to increase to a higher activity level than your actual for the purpose of the protein/ block requirement calculation, because carrying the weight of your excess body fat is like strength training 24/7. Calculated with the 0.8 grams of protein per pound of LBM level (Active)you would require 20 blocks daily. With the 0.9 level (Very Active) it would be 22. If you prefer to go with your assumed 195 LBM those block amounts would be 23 and 25. I suggest you eat a minimum of 21 blocks a day for now.

2. Lose the Zone Perfect bars and substitute Zone favorable snacks for now. Once you gain hunger control, if you want to eat Zone Perfect bars try adding them back and see what happens.

3. Substitute veggies for a lot of the fruit. Look at the Zone recipes, meal planners and Zone Food Block List to find lower volume favorable veggies and combinations of carbs to make it easier for you. As for the several blocks of fruit you will still be eating, limit it to berries.

4. Eat at least the minimum amount of fat at every meal and snack.

I don’t think you should try adding more C for now. First you have to eat typical Zone meals to address the hunger . This means less fruit, more veggies, and at least the minimum fat for Zone balance at each meal and snack) . Eat the kind of Zone meals I just described for 4 or 5 days consistently before you try adjusting C blocks. Studies show it takes a minimum of eating this way consistently for 4 days, to lower insulin into the Zone.

One more thing. The amount of fish oil you’re taking can be taken in one dose. Its not necessary to split it throughout the day. Also, don't count it toward fat blocks.

Let us know how things are going!

Sue,

First, thanks for taking the time to perform a detailed analysis. I appreciate it.

I think a LBM of 170 is not off-base. I looked at a few more web sites and I got some agreement that 170 is probably a good estimate. Further, I think I have been confusing LBM with ideal weight.

I'm not sure that an activity level of active (0.8) or very active (0.9) is accurate, but I think the Zone experts misjudged by recommending 0.6. I will work with 0.7. This should work out to 17 blocks per day.

Additionally, I will focus on replacing the fruit with veggies and adding fat and let everyone know how it's working out. By the way, despite my difficulties, I am sleeping better and no longer falling asleep immediately after dinner or at 3-4PM. I am more alert and focused, and I have lost about 7 pounds after two weeks! So, I can't be TOO far out of the Zone. My doctor will be re-evaluating my blood pressure (which has already dropped due to meds and diet to 120/65) and will re-work my blood. I hope to see a drop in triglycerides and blood glucose as well.
Thanks again!

Matt

Hi,

You're welcome!

Sounds like you've got a plan!

Just a couple more comments. I think 17 blocks is too low for you. You're having success now except in the hunger area. You're currently eating 20 or 21 blocks a day according to the detailed menu you posted. Dropping to 17 blocks will not help the hunger issue, and is too few blocks for you based on your stats. My suggestion of 21 blocks for you, in my previous post, is based on your assumption (in a previous post) that you have a moderate activity level. I increased that by 1 level, to Active ,and used 170 as your LBM in the block calculation (as per Dr. Sears directions in "Mastering the Zone"). I included the block info for very active in case you were interested, or in case you increase your current activity in the near future.

If you make these changes and you're still getting hungry, there are more adjustments thecan help. The info I've already suggested is the first step.

Cheers!

Sue,

OK, now I am getting a bit confused regarding the number of blocks appropriate for me.

Assuming my LBM is 170 lbs, and my activity is walking 3-4 times a week for 30 minutes, I would multiply 170 by 0.6. However, since my actual weight is 325 (I have lost 13 pounds already) I am still carrying enough weight to bump my activity factor up by 1 to 0.7.

170 * 0.7 = 119 g of protein per day.
119g / 7 blocks per gram is 17 blocks per day.

I was afraid that my hunger initially was coming from overeating, and therefore reduced the activity level calculation. In order to come up with 21 blocks, I'd have to have an activity level of 0.9, which seems high to me.

I am walking 2.6 mph on a treadmill 3-4 times a week for 30 minutes. At my weight, what do you suppose is the right activity level?

Also, I added cucumbers, tomatoes and copious amounts of broccoli over the weekend, and reduced my intake of grapes and cherries. Pretty much just eating berries as fruits for now.

Thanks.

I used 0.8. You'd posted that you walked. I agree that would be light activity, but you also posted that you had a moderate activity level. I wasn't sure if you were including some other additional exercise that you hadn't specified in your post when you came up with moderate, so I went with your take that you are performing an amount of exercise which put you at moderate. I bumped moderate up to active (explained why previously) and used the 0.8 grams protein per pound of LBM. Then I added one more block to that result because you have been hungry, and because you thought you really had a higer LBM (if you simply aren't eating enough blocks it could cause hunger; you'd thought you were eating 19 a day, though your posted menu showed you were at 20-21; possibly you may have been eating 19 most days asyou think you were). The one additional block was also meant to give you the benefit of the doubt (a little bit at least, because I really don't think your LBM is in the 190's). If you're still following my line of thought, putting that all together here's my actual calculation: 170 x 0.8 = 136 grams or P per day; 136/7 = 19.43 blocks per day, which you'd round up to 20; 20 = 1 = 21 blocks daily.

Congrats on you progress so far! Now that you weigh 325, if you followed my calculation at this weight the result would be 20 blocks a day. If you can resolve the hunger with the change to more veggies, and stay at a lower number of blocks daily, that's great! But since you have been losing on somewher between 19-21 blocks a day. IMO, it's still appropriate for you at this point.

Sue,

Thanks again for giving this so much thought. I really do appreciate the assistance.

I have been consuming 17 blocks per day for the last 4 days and have NOT had good success. I can make it from 7:30 AM until 11:30 AM without difficulty. But I can not make it from lunch until my 4:30 snack at all. And I am often hungry after dinner as well. About 2-2.5 hours. As you may recall, I was not sure if I should use an activity factor of 0.7 or 0.8. I will switch back to 0.8.

So, I am going to definitely follow your recommendation of more blocks. I will go back to 19 or 20 blocks per day and see if the hunger abates, but weight loss continues.

As a side note, my wife is also Zoning with me. She is also having some hunger at the same times, so it stands to reason that we both need to make adjustments.

I post again to let you know how it's going in a few more days.

Thanks for the update Matthew. Glad I could help. As you've probably guessed, I'm not at all surprised that 17 blocks isn't working for you.

By best to both you and your wife!

Hi all.

I have a little update. I have increased to 19 blocks and focused on putting more veggies in my meals and less carbs. The addition of blocks has certainly helped my hunger. I am finding that, whether I eat a 4 or 5-block meal for lunch or dinner, it is still difficult to make it for 4 hours without hunger. But, I still feel good mentally which suggests I am not overeating on carbs. I have been eating as follows:

5-4-2-2-4-2
OR
4-1-4-2-2-4-2

I do have a bit of a puzzler though. On Saturday we had what I thought was a fantastically balanced meal and it sent me spinning out of the Zone, napping on the sofa after dinner and feeling groggy. Here's the meal:

6oz Wild Caught Sockeye Salmon (Thanks Trader Joe's!) with soy sauce, mustard, crushed garlic glaze (4P)
1.3C Broccoli Florets, boiled, firm but tender (1C)
12 spears of Asparagus, boiled (1C)
1.5 cups white Mushrooms sauteed in olive oil and < 1tsp Worcestershire (1C)
2/3 cups Strawberries (1C)
4 LARGE olives (4F)

This meal seems totally balanced to me. The only things I did not account for are the oil to cook the mushrooms and any carbs in the garlic, mustard, soy sauce or Worcestershire, whihc I can't imagine being much of anything. So, this was a very frustrating meal for me, but seemed to work out perfectly for my wife.

Any suggestions? Can anyone see anything I may be missing? Thanks!

OK, I think I have hit on something. NSAIDs.

When I was prescribed my blood pressure medication and started the Zone a few weeks ago, I was also prescribed NSAIDs (naproxen) for an injury.

I suspect that, since I have read that NSAIDs block both good and bad eicosanoid production, that my hunger problem has everything to do with the prescription to the NSAID.

I am considering discontinuing the NSAID and relying on fish oil alone to reduc the inflammation associated with my minor injury.

Anyone care to weight in on this?

Will the NSAIDs block me from fully getting into the Zone and lead to hunger problems?

Matt, that meal is not a balanced 4 block meal. You need more C in the meal, and maybe a little more F. Your amounts are too low on the broccoli , mushrooms and strawberries (refer to the block list on this site or to the list in "The Anti-Inflammation Zone" for the most up-to-date C block info). I wouldn't consider 4 large olives to be 4 blocks F unless you've got a nutrition label on them showing that info. In this case the fat in the salmon might make up for the fat you are short on with those olives. If you add the missing C and a little more monounsaturated fat the meal might work well for you. Most likely our wife did better with it because she needs less C to stay in the Zone than you need.

I doubt the NSAIDS are making you hungry. More likely it's your meal balance and/or carb choices. It might also be your high BP med.

If you blood pressure med is a beta blocker, it might be interfering with your ability to be in the Zone, because beta blockers raise insulin levels. If you're taking a beta blocker, a couple easy solutions would be either to ask your dr to swith to a different type of med, or to take enough Omega RX or Eico Rx to eliminate you high BP.

Sue,

Most of my lunches and dinners are leaving me hungry, however the meal I showed above didn't leave me hungry. Instead it gave me a mild headache and made me sleepy - signs of too many carbs, which is the opposite of what you are saying. I see that I was definitely light on my broccoli and mushrooms, according to the Quick Start Guide on the web site. But my symptoms were those of someone who ate too many carbs, so I am a bit confused. In fact, after a Zone-favorable snack (low fat cheese, berries, almonds) about 2 or 3 hours later, the grogginess disappeared and the headache subsided.

As far as my being hungry between meals more generally, here's another thought. I am supposed to eat like 19 or 20 blocks. I have been eating 19 this week. If I eat 4-2-4-2-1-4-2, I suppose that I should not expect my 4-block meals to last 4-6 hours. Is that correct? In other words, perhaps I am feeling hungry between meals because my lean body mass is higher and my total protein needs are higher, so my 4-block meal is not like your 4-block meal, and that I *should* be hungry sooner.

For example, today I had a 4-block lunch. I had three low fat chicken sausages (33g protein, 4P), 1.5 cups cooked broccoli (which I now realize is about 1/2 C), 1/2 cucumber (1/2C), 1 Tomato (1/2C), 2/3 cup mixed blueberries and raspberries (1C) and 1/2 heaping cup of black bean salad with cukes, tomatoes, onions, spices (1C), and almods for fat (4F). I ate at 11:30 AM, done with the meal by Noon. Hungry by 2:30pm.

I will definitely try to up the carbs and make sure I look at the Anti-Inflammation Zone (which just came in the mail yesterday) or the web site for my carb numbers.

My BP med is an ASE inhibitor, not a beta blocker. It's Lisinopril. Any idea what effects it may have on my ability to stay in the Zone? I have OmegaRx oil on the way in the mail. How much does Dr. Sears recommend to tackle blood pressure issues. I thought I heard 7500 mg per day. My BP was 165/90 before meds. After about a week of 10mg Lisinopril per day plus Zoning and using drug store fish oil in relatively large doses (2900 mg EPA per day), my BP is 125/70 in the AM and 110/60 in the PM. However, I really want to kick the BP meds because the long term use has yucky side effects, like so many Rx drugs.

Matt

I have a Dr. Appointment in about a week. If I can show numbers that are too low (which should happen with the Omega Rx AND Lisinopril simultaneously) then I should be able to get off the meds or relaize a decrease in the Rx until my next Dr. Appointment.

Did you say that you realized the benefits of Omega Rx with your BP in a matter of days?

Yes, days. I don't know that you would necessarily experience your blood pressure going too low by taking both the ACE inhibitor (Lisinopril) and fish oil (FO). I think it would merely appear to your doctor that the Lisinopril is working. If your BP normalizes while taking both, it wouldn't prove to the doc that FO is creating the vasodilation that's giving you the normal BP numbers. I forgot that I failed to mention in my recent post about my BP med/FO situation that I also switched PC docs the week I began Omega Rx (directly related to my BP and FO). It's a long story, but my doc was not willing to help me get off the 2 BP meds I was on, so I switched to one I knew would be more open minded. Fortunately, he was.

Hi Everyone:

I have some updates (GOOD NEWS) that I thought I would share with the community.

When I returned to the Zone last month, it was because of a doctor's visit due to high blood pressure when I subsequently learned that I also had high Triglycerides (266) and high fasting glucose (157) in addition to being obese (340 lbs, 6'2"). The doctor immediately started me on blood pressure medication and also wanted me to start glucophage and a drug for Triglycerides.

At 38 years old, I was scared straight and went back on the Zone to avoid starting a bunch of meds and with a hope of getting off BP medication.

Well, I have been Zoning for about 4 weeks now and returned to the doctor's to have my blood checked again to see if I need the medications. And today I got my results.

June 2008 July 2008
Weight 338 314
BP 150/90 125/75
TriG 266 134
F Gluc 157 101
Chol 118
HDL 27
LDL 64
A1C 6.1

I am pretty pleased with this news, especially since this was only 4 weeks from my initial results. The doctor is also pleased.

But now I have some questions, and I'm hoping Sue can help.

- My BP came down to 110/65, but then went back up to 125/75, even as high as 133/80. I think I may have taken too much fish oil. I experienced the symptoms Sue mentioned in a different post regarding fish oil. Do you have any suggestions?

- My HDL is still too low. How do I raise it in a Zone-favorable fashion? Can I expect it to go up naturally as I continue to follow the Zone diet?

- My LDL is still too high. How do I lower that? Can I expect it to go down naturally over time from this point on?

Any other comments are certainly welcome!

Thanks.
Matt

Wow. I see my nice little chart of data got messed up when I posted it. Let me make better sense of it.

___________June 2008_____July 2008
Weight.....338...........314
BP.........150/90........125/75
TriG.......266...........134
F Gluc.....157...........101
Chol.....................118
HDL.......................27
LDL.......................64
A1C......................6.1

I hope that makes it easier to read.

Matt

YEAH MATT!!!!!

Great job!

I'm on my way to a wedding this afternoon for the rest of today, so I'm kind of writing this in a hurry, don't mean to be short! :)

Could you post what you mean by having the same symptoms I did after my first doses of fish oil? What exactly was your experience (dosages, timing, symptoms, how long the symptoms resolved, etc.; any info you canthink of)? Thanks. I'm mostly curious to see how similar to mine they are.


According to Dr. Sears, my situation in regard to fish oil is very unique, practically unheard of in his vast experience. You'll know you've taken too much fish oil if you have diarrhea (as defined by Dr Sears: stools with no form, all liquid; if they retain some type of form, he usually doesn't consider it that you've taken to much fish oil). All those BP's you listed are fine. BP fluctuates constantly throughout the day. My case was very different.

The way to raise HDL is with exercise. Also practice strict adherence to the guidelines for lean protein and fat choices in the Zone, so as not to lower your HDL further.

I'm surprised that you'd say your LDL is too high! The strictest guidelines I've heard say to try to get it under 110.

[quote]Posted By Sue on 07/11/2008 12:30 PM

YEA, MATT!!!!!

Great job!

The way to raise HDL is with exercise. Also practice strict adherence to the guidelines for lean protein and fat choices in the Zone, so as not to lower your HDL further.

I'm surprised that you'd say your LDL is too high! The strictest guidelines I've heard say to try to get it under 110.
[/quote]

What she said, great job!

The drop in your triglyceride number is great. I didn't catch your starting total cholesterol number but 118 is really low. I'd expect that to rebound as, of course, your HDL number goes up. My doctor wants me to shoot for total cholesterol between 180-220. He also wants my triglyceride/HDL ratio to be close to 1. Exercise will help to stablize your BP, too.

Keep up the good work and congratulations.

Tom

<edit> I just re-read the post topic. I'm no expert.

Sue:

Thanks for the quick response. I hope the wedding is a fun time! And thanks for the praise. When I Zoned long ago, I never had blood-work done before and after, so I am excited to be able to watch (and share) my progress.

Regarding the fish oil, I read that Dr. Sears recommends for those who have not taken a SIP test, to take 5g of EPA/DHA per day for my situation (obese, high BP, sugar problems, etc).

I have some Omega Rx oil and some other non-zone labs oil that I am taking until it's gone. I have been taking 4 caps of his oil (2.4g of combined EPA/DHA) and 8 caps of my other oil (2.4g of EPA/DHA) and had salmon 3 or 4 times during the week. I started to develop some acne (face and body) over the past week which my sister has told me is a sign of taking too much fish oil. I also noticed my BP rising over the week when I started to use his oil in concert with the other oil (before I got the Omega Rx oil I was taking about 2.5-3.5g EPA/DHA). BP went from 110/65 to 125/75 throughout the week.

I should also add that my wife was sick and, in picking up some slack around the house, I didn't exercise for 5 days straight, which may also account for the rise in blood pressure, thought I doubt it would cause the acne.

I had salmon for dinner on Wednesday and no snack so I could fast for the blood test; then Yesterday after the Dr. Appt I ate a Zone Bar, water and all my fish oil (2.4g Zone oil, 1.2g non-zone oil). By lunchtime I had diarrhea with no form (the key symptom I saw you mention elsewhere), acne flair-up and sluggishness around 4PM. I had an upset stomach and some heartburn (which I get when I am not Zoning, and I assumed this meant I was out of the Zone due to blocked DGLA production). All symptoms were gone by the evening. I had chicken for dinner instead of fish, and no additional fish oil.

Today I made sure to eat some steel cut oats (1 C) with breakfast, string cheese (1 P) and a super smoothie (3C, 3P), almonds for fat, and only had Zone fish oil, and only 2.4g. I feel very good today.

Curiously, the symptoms I had (heartburn, acne, diarrhea and upset stomach) are all shockingly similar to what would happen to me if I ate a BIG McDonalds meal (Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Fries and a Coke).

So, how much EPA/DHA is in Salmon (6 oz, or 4 P blocks)? Should I count the EPA/DHA as a part of the 5g that Dr. Sears recommends, or should the 5g be above and beyond what is normally in my diet?

Thanks again!
Matt

Tom:

Thanks for the praise!

I have my starting cholesterol, HDL and LDL numbers and I can post them later. I honestly don't recall the exact numbers, but I do believe that both Cholesterol and HDL dropped.

Thanks for the tips about exercise. That seems to be the common wisdom.

I am exercising, but it is hard at my weight to do anything too high impact. I plan to continue walking until it is safe for me to start running again, and that is some time off yet.

I have heard that a TG/HDL ratio of 1-2 is good, the lower the better. I will be having more blood work done in 3 months time. By then I hope to be 15 or more pounds lighter and I expect improvements in general in all of my blood numbers.

Matt

<snip>
[quote]Posted By Matthew on 07/11/2008 4:42 PM
I am exercising, but it is hard at my weight to do anything too high impact. I plan to continue walking until it is safe for me to start running again, and that is some time off yet. [/quote]

Try something low-impact like riding a bike, stationary if need be. I've never been a runner and can't imagine the stress on the joints/legs with that activity. Bikes burn a bunch of calories, build both endurance and cardio-vascular helath. Get a helmet.

Tom