the answer has been infront of my nose all this time.... it only took 25 years of my life to figure it out. Exercise and a healthy diet.. I've heard these words and I've heard these words, but I wouldn't believe it. It seemed an impossible concept. Sure it worked for people in magazines, but I'm not them. I discovered the zone last summer (on the advice of a friend), and since then have gone down 30 lbs (and still going !) Its the first time those #'s on the scale have gone in that downward direction, and I must say it's VERY refreshing! I am most surprised at how painless and simple this has been. To think all the time I've wasted searching for that miracle solution.. I could have been living in the zone! Better late than never! Anyways just wanted to share this with everyone. It really is true... sometimes the most obvious answer is the right one. :D -Susan

Susan, I know how you feel. I spent 20 years as a "healthy" vegetarian, putting on one or two pounds every year. Based on the USDA, it was healthy. Little did I know how wrong they were and no matter how much I exercised, still the weight creeped on. Since I don't look at diet books (my mom spent years on "diets" and never lost any weight for any length of time), I never would have found the Zone. Until I started having heart problems and it was recommended to me as a healthy way of eating. I really didn't think I'd lose weight, I was trying to stop my heart palpatations. What a nice surprise I got! I, too, can't believe how simple and painless it's been. It's been quite a joy! I'd gotten into a food rut and the Zone has revitalized my vegetarian palatte! Not to mention making all my blood numbers and my weight go down, down, down! And the best of all, energy, Energy, ENERGY! The only time I yawn these days is after having too many (Christmas) cookies :wink: or if I've been up for 20 hours! Thanks for sharing and keep on telling your friends to spread the word!! Robbin (I love it when I tell a friend about the Zone, loan them my "WITZ" and they come back a week later and say "this is the greatest diet in the world! I feel amazing!!")

angelrob, tell me what changes you have made since being a vegetarian. I have a saga of weight gain since becoming a veg 25(!) yr. ago. I have zoned successfully as a veg in the past, but lapsed(zonewise) for several yr, now and regained all. I am trying to add salmon and halibut and considering organic chicken....feels kinda wierd...I have a feeling we're being fed a lot of "bull" about meat by the meat industry but there's a lot of controversy right now....what have you done, if indeed any, changing....I need inspiration. Thanks in advance. infrared

Oh, hi, angelrob, sorry I demanded to know what you eat....I just read the vegie group and realized that I knewyour story,,,thanks anyway. infrared

It's ok infared, sometimes this forum layout can be confusing. Most of what I've changed on the Zone is cutting the "whites" and adding protein. There are SOOOOOO many more protein options for us now than there were 20 years ago! I remember taking foil wrapped potatoes to cookouts to toss in the coals. I was ecstatic when "Nature's Burger" came out! LOL Breakfast change: I used to eat Kashi Go-Lean with soy milk. Now I have steel cut oatmeal with protein powder and soy milk. In the summer I do make berry smoothies (with protein powder) occasionally. Lunch change: I used to eat a big salad. Now I usually eat a huge salad or (and they get a kick out of this at work :-) 1 cup green beans, 1 red pepper, and 1 piece of fruit that varies and the protein is usually "Veat" which is soy "Chick'N" nuggets - I think it tastes like spicy thick bread. Dinner change: Since I'm no longer starving when I get home, I can prepare more stir frys rather than the "quick" pasta or baked potato that would put me to sleep by 9pm! I eat eggs once a week (an omlette for Sunday brunch) and about the only cheese that doesn't kill me is lo-fat mozzarella string cheese. Luckily for me, I love most vegetables :-) Since my vegetarianism began because I found meat "gross", and I have found other reasons over the years, I can't imagine forcing myself to eat fish or chicken unless I were in a very drastic situation. I'm very grateful that I have the choice! And much happier with all the options we have today rather than that bucket-o-tofu at the co-op that was my only choice in 1982 :-) I haven't been convinced that humans MUST eat meat. I think the farming lobbies in this country are huge and I take everything with a grain of salt (even the veggie information :-) I mostly go by how I feel, how I look, and my clinical results. I was terribly anemic growing up - I loved my vegetables, but I also ate meat. Every time I gave blood they had to spin my sample (it wouldn't "drop" in the iron test solution). I was turned away a couple of times for low iron. The doctor had me on huge horse pills of iron! After I gave up meat, I've not had the problem even once (even pre-Zone). My doctor at the time was surprised but happy. Robbin