I may be a little daft in asking this, but using the eye ball method 1/2 of your plate should come from vegetables and or fruit. Now one block of lets say broccoli is 3 cups cooked, that alone would take up 1/2 of your plate? How do you rationalize the eye ball method then?

Hi Candace!

2/3 of your plate is made up of carbs when you use the hand-eye method. It works out because most people use a variety of carb in a meal, and do not eat all their carb from one single very low density veggie such as broccoli. And, it does work. I lost 100 pounds with the hand-eye method, never counting a single block until after I was at my ideal body fat%!

I understand what you mean Candace.
I don't like cooked veggies and the ones that I eat raw take up more than 2/3 of the plate because I don't eat a hole variety and their density in carbs are so low that I have to eat much more than 2/3 of a plate. It's a problem because I feel I'm not going to get all the vitamins and minerals I need and I feel I have to eat too much.

So in the case that you do want to eat your carbs from one type of veggie you would go by the recommended amount in the book. I do eat quite a variety of vegtables. But I have a newborn, I am just starting this so some meals it is easier to say have all my carbs come from one place.

I think that the plate method works nicely for those who are not in control of the cooking. But, as you both point out, I also believe that the plate method can get pretty tricky if using raw veggies, or if using all low density veggies. It takes a heck of a lot of raw broccoli to make up a block, and I certainly could not eat all of that broccoli in one sitting!

Hi Candace

You might have to use 2 plates .... I was going to say this jokingly but maybe that is the answer. Your protein you could eyeball using the fist measurement and if you want 3 cups of broccoli then eyeball that as well and have 2 plates. I measured out 4 cups of cabbage once but couldnt eat all of it!

webberte - you said you dont like cooked veggies. What about making a soup? We are going into Autumn in Australia so when winter comes I am going to be making a lot of soups and stews.

Margaret

Speaking of soup, I posted a Beef Barley soup recipe on my recipe thread, if anyone is interested...

Hello...
On my first approach to the zone.. I use the hand/eye method and also when I have lunch at work or dinner with customers... it is great... but when I bring my lunch, I use two plates...one for salad and other for cook vegetables and protein... and fruit for dessert... my second approach was measuring cups and weight portions for a couple of weeks, and now I know how a portion looks is easy to go back to hand/eye.
Keep on... been on the zone is just great.

Margaret, I cook some cream of veggies, like broccoli and asparagus for example, it's the only way I can do it, there can't be chunks. But even that way, I still can't eat cooked veggies I don't like, if I can taste them, I can't stand it. So there's not much variety either. I find it tuff and challenging but I'll get through it I guess!

Cut back on the 1 block of broccoli and add your favorite fresh fruit. I am not understanding of the PERFECTIONISM presented on these boards. Use your common sense. Who would want to eat 3 cups of broccoli??? Eat 1/4 block or 1/2 block of broccoli. Use another vegetable for 1/2 block. Then use another fruit for 1 block. There are so many choices. Give this gift to yourself. CREATE...CREATE...CREATE

Oh, and try to eat mostly things that rot...foods that you need to wash under the faucet before you eat them. I know this is certainly not the American way, but it is the HEALTHY WAY... we have gone crazy with boxed, artificialed, chemicalized, way over-produced "food", fast food from grocery stores. And we wonder why the incidence of cancer is more now than forty years ago. Let us begin to respect our bodies enough to eat REAL FOOD. Let us love our bodies enough that we will make the time to fill our frig with REAL FOOD. Amen and Thank You.

I agree. I don't think I've ever eaten an entire block of broccoli at one time in all of the 14 years I've been eating the Zone diet (or of any other veggie that requires over 2 cups to yields 1 C block!).

Hi webberte

I know quite a few people who just hate veggies. My husband likes the chunky bits of soup but sometimes I blend it up so that it is smooth.

Now I am thinking of making broccoli soup!! I am going to put garlic, onions, chicken stock. Usually with broccoli I just make a stir fry but a lot of the times it would just sit in the fridge but soup would be a good idea!

D said,

"Oh, and try to eat mostly things that rot...foods that you need to wash under the faucet before you eat them. I know this is certainly not the American way, but it is the HEALTHY WAY... we have gone crazy with boxed, artificialed, chemicalized, way over-produced "food", fast food from grocery stores. And we wonder why the incidence of cancer is more now than forty years ago. Let us begin to respect our bodies enough to eat REAL FOOD. Let us love our bodies enough that we will make the time to fill our frig with REAL FOOD. Amen and Thank You."

All I can say to this is "AMEN"!

Oh, speaking of soups, I just saw a new recipe for a curried broccoli/cauliflower soup. I am going to try the recipe tomorrow and if I like it, I will post it on my recipe thread.

Love, love, love cream of asparagus and brocoli with soya milk, onions, garlic and a bit of grated old cheese!!! MMM!!!