Hello:

I am fairly new to zone and have a printout of the blocks in my purse and look at it when putting together meals, snacks, everything really. However, I have a party this weekend with appetizers and dinner. I have two questions.

1. How do you count appetizers? Or, do I just skip them? (I have to bring one actually)

2. Any suggestions as to how to figure out dinner without my paper would be great! (I know it will be turkey and other stuff)

Thank you seasoned zoners!

In time you can learn to quickly estimate blocks and recognize good vs. bad carbs. My recommendation is to have a snack before you go to the party. This way you can choose to have a few or none of the appetizers depending on how they look when you get there.

Fast ways to calculate your dinner quantities have been provided by Dr. Sears. One method is the plate method. Imagine a dinner plate. One third fo the plate should have low fat Zone favorable proteins. The remaining two thirds should be Zone favorable carbohydrates. Or, you can use your hand. Eat as much protein as the size and thickness of your hand without your fingers. Eat as much carbohydrates as your hand with you fingers included.

In either case, having a snack before you go helps because it will also help reduce temptation.

Matt

Thank you for the response. Having a snack is a good idea. My problem with the plate method is I am so paranoid I am not going to do it right. I have to step out of my exact measurements at some point so this will be a good test!

I look forward to the day I no longer rely so heavily on my paper with the exact block measurements.

Thanks again!

Marissa,

Hang in there! Life sometimes just happens like that, and it is a good idea to know what to do with situations like these. You aren't going to stay home and eat every meal at home, right?

Plate method will work out just fine. Just review the list of favorable carbs, try to choose the best choices.


BTW, if you are bringing an appetizer, how about bringing something that you can enjoy? My suggestion would be some of those hummus deviled eggs. Boil up some eggs, peel and halve, scoop out the yolk and replace with hummus. They are a really big hit at our house, my family prefers them to the yolks!

Hi, Marissa! It's good to hear that you are planning ahead for the party. It's great that you are bringing an appetizer ... that way you know you will have a Zone friendly appetizer at the party!

I have a hint about the plate method. Take different types of lean protein (turkey, chicken, fish, etc.) and cut a piece the size of your palm and then weigh it. I must have a big palm because it weighs more than 3 oz. for chicken and turkey. It works for fish with me. However, I now know the portion size according to my hand. It helps!

Also, just to make sure there is a Zone friendly veggie dish, why not take along an extra dish? That way you will be guaranteed to have a delicious Zone friendly dish and I'm sure the host/hostess will be happy to have another dish to pass around!

Matthew's suggestion of eating a snack before the party is a wonderful tip.

I have copied and pasted a post by Sue that she wrote in December preparing for holiday parties. This is by Sue:

"With so many of the festivities at this time of year revolving around food, I’ve heard a lot of comments lately about thoughts on eating at parties and holiday dinners. Most of them are about deprivation and how you can’t possibly eat healthy in these situations. Others are about throwing all caution to the wind and eating everything in sight. Over the past 14 years that I’ve been in the Zone I’ve found that you can eat well at holiday gatherings, even have a bit of the favorite pie or Christmas cookie, and still stay in the Zone. The approach I take is the classic Zone recommendation and it works great! Here are some of my strategies. For cocktail parties eat a balanced meal or snack (containing protein, carbs and fat) prior to the party. Stick with a small glass or two of wine with a protein chaser, such as shrimp, cheese, wings or mini-drumsticks and pass on the crostini and the hors d’oeuvres wrapped in pastry. If you feel uncomfortable without a drink in your hand, have some sparkling water with a twist of lemon or lime, or a splash of cranberry juice for a little color. When it’s time to sit down to the holiday dinner, pass on the rolls, breads, rice and potatoes. By all means have the protein entrée and fill up your plate with lower density veggies. If you’d really like to eat the special dessert, the family favorite, then go very light on the veggies at dinner and have a small dessert to make up the carb in your meal. No one will even notice that your plate is filled with veggies instead of potatoes swimming in gravy. Best of all you’ll be giving yourself the gift of good health and you’ll be feeling great!"

I hope you have a great time at the party!

Have fun at the party Marissa!

Thanks so much for posting my tips Karen! :-)

Thank you all so much for you responses and help. Great ideas and since I can't always prepare my own meals, I need to figure this out.

For those of you who have been doing this for a long time, when did get proficient enough to do it by yourself without checking the papers all the time?

I sometimes feel trapped without my paper because I just don't want to mess things up!

You're welcome Marissa!

I began the Zone so long ago that I don't remember how long it took. Yu'll get there. When I'm cooking I'll still sometimes jot down the number of blocks of P, C and F as I add them to the pot. Nothing elaborate, just slashes in groups of 5, one slash to a block. Relax and have fun with it!

Marissa, I started on 12/4/08 and I remember exactly how you feel! After having the same ingredients enough times, you just start to remember. It just takes time, and then all of a sudden everything just clicks! I still measure everything, although I'm pretty good at just eyeing it now.

Tip: They had to tell me a "few" times not to take every little thing so seriously and to have fun with the Zone. I took their advice and now I'm so relaxed with it and I totally enjoy it!

You are doing great, Marissa! Keep up the good work!

That's great Karen!

Marissa,

I have a box of recipe cards for some of my favorite dishes. The recipe cards basically give me the ingredients and block amounts. I also keep a food block list on my refrigerator door, and I do refer to it. I have a lot of common ones just in my head, but I do find myself checking and rechecking.

When I first started, I began in the summer, when the kids were out of school, and I had lots of time to do more meals. That is when I really built up my favorite recipe collection. Then, by September, when we all got busy again, I had it down, and I knew which recipes would go fast, and which ones would take longer to prepare.

But, as for proficiency, I am always adjusting ingredients, creating new ones, and I guess I just go back to the block list every time.

Hope that helps!