Hello all - I am new to the Zone. I get the concept of not going more than 5 hours without eating, but eating breakfast within an hour of rising may be a problem. I typically do my daily workout first thing and I can't eat beforehand as I take a dose of eloo (www.sethroberts.net) and have to wait an hour before tasting anything else. And now if I am eating 5x a day, getting that 2-hour flavorless window (at least 1 hr. before/after eloo) will be even more difficult if I don't take it first thing. Eating right after I get back is usually not desirable as I am either in a hurry to get to work (I pack breakfast and eat there) or it is simply too early to eat breakfast, as this would mean getting hungry for lunch early, etc. What can I do?

I am not familiar with eloo, but I am going to assume that this is a routine that you do not care to break. Assuming this, then timing out your breakfast may be a problem.

However, if you are looking for a quick breakfast fix, then you could invest in the Zone shakes or Zone cereal. The shakes would be an easy way to get your breakfast on the run, just mix with milk and then take with you on the way to work.

Hi Teresa!

To remain in the Zone, you'll need to have at least a 1 block snack prior to exercising first thing in the morning(refer to the exercise info in Zone books for a more thorough understanding). This would necessitate rearranging your schecule in some manner in regard to the product you consume.

Sorry, everybody; force of habit from the Seth Roberts forum. "Eloo" is extra light olive oil, which is one of many flavorless oils one can take for appetite suppression. The key is taking it an hour after and before tasting anything else, thus convincing the brain that there isn't much food available (as it uses flavor as a gauge for food availability) so that it turns down the appetite and reduces cravings. A few people following this method use it in conjunction with the Zone, which is how I came to try it.

It did occur to me that I have a sufficient break in-between breakfast and lunch for this 2-hour "flavorless window", as I usually don't eat a snack during this time, so perhaps I will give this a try. Thanks, everybody!

Thanks for the info!

Honestly, from my many years of experience (my own and the of many others), with the Zone diet there are no cravings, nor any need to trick your brain in regard to appetite control. The Zone itself eliminates cravings and also satisfies the needs of the brain and body.

Oh, I get it!

I had never heard of using it in that manner. But, I think that the concept is similar to the Zone, although not used in that manner. Increasing fat in a zone meal can also help with appetite suppression.

Glad you worked it out, though!

Sue, may I ask if you took/take your fish oils with meals or separately? I ask because some on the Shangri-La forum (the method is called the Shangri-La Diet - even thought it's not a diet - because it puts one at peace with food) have noted that when they take oil capsules separate from meals it suppresses their appetite, but when they take it with meals it increases it.

This would make sense as the capsules would essentially be flavorless but have associated calories. Taking them with meals increases the flavor-calorie association and causes the brain to crave more of that kind of food (theoretically), while taking them apart from meals has the opposite effect, as I described above.

The amount of oil in the capsules would be very small and perhaps not enough to achieve either effect, but it is just a thought...

Hi Teresa,

I take them with meals.

Am I'm missing something here? I'm not sure why you're asking me this.

Also, being new to this site, you may not have known, but I take a very small fish oil dose, 1/2 the usual 2.5 gram maintenance dose split into 2 doses a day, less than that on some days (Barry Sears worked with me to determine my dosage), so I woud not be a good example for the effects of fish oil in regard to your topic no matter when I took it.

The Zone diet eliminates cravings even for people who are not taking supplemental fats apart from meal times. I was not taking fish oil when I first began the Zone diet.

Teresa,
That is an interesting comment, because I think that my bottle of zone fish oil states to take it on an empty stomach (or something to that effect).

I think the bottles say take it before a meal. In my experience, Dr. Sears usually recommends taking it with a meal.

I wonder why there is conflicting information between Dr. Sears and Zone Labs?

I ask, Sue, because I thought perhaps if you were taking the oil apart from meals it might contribute to the appetite suppression (or AS as we call it on the Shangri-La forum) you experience. But as you stated the dosage you take would likely be too small to have an effect on your appetite either way.

Teresa,

Suggest you try taking it both ways and decide which way is the best FOR YOU. Asking us, to tell you, is a bit of a task !

Personally I take fish oil - 2 capsules - twice a day and probably nevr at the exact same times and haven't noticed any relationship between this and appetitie - or anyhing.

Sometimes - Lord forbid - I've even forgotten to take a dose and taken 4 at one time !

I read a study - a very large one - NOT done by anyone connected to Zone Labs - an independent research study of the effects of daily consumption of fish oil - and one of the findings was that the levels of the beneficial chemical effects of the fish oil in one's blood rose and fell very gradually.

Meaning : the conclusion being that it was not necessary to take the "effective dosage" at carefully spaced intervals.

So - one could extrapolate from this that it's effect on anything would vary little, if any, as long as the dosage was taken somewhere on a daily basis - according to the study.

...from the "END" Zone

E.Wally

ewally@verizon.net

[quote]Posted By Teresa on 07/31/2008 8:40 PM

I ask, Sue, because I thought perhaps if you were taking the oil apart from meals it might contribute to the appetite suppression (or AS as we call it on the Shangri-La forum) you experience. But as you stated the dosage you take would likely be too small to have an effect on your appetite either way.

[/quote]

thanks fro explaining! :)


Satiety (lack of hunger) is one of the many benefits of the Zone, even for an individual who isn't taking fish oil. You can learn the details of this from Zone books (any Zone book).

Cheers!

I take my fish oil in my morning shake, and I will admit that I find that I get longer satiety when the fish oil is added, rather than when I don't add it.

In the Zone Labs fish oil, there are 4 grams of fat per standard dose (4 capsules or 1 tsp). I normally take 2 tsp, and so that is a significant amount of fat to be adding to this meal. I do not believe that I would be getting as favorable of a result from this shake, if it weren't for the addition of the fish oil.

So, I believe that the "fat properties" of the fish oil definitely helps with satiety of the meal.

Your personal experience may be different than mine, but I think that it helps me to extend that particular meal.

[quote]Posted By Sue on 07/29/2008 8:37 PM

I think the bottles say take it before a meal. In my experience, Dr. Sears usually recommends taking it with a meal.[/quote]

Sue, with your vast zone knowledge, why would Zone Labs recommend taking fish oil differently than what Dr. Sears recommends?