Hi,

I just read Dr. Sears new book TOXIC FAT and it has changed my entire view of dieting and health. For the first time I understand so many things that I didn't know before, like why I had such a bad reaction to lipitor.

Anyway, I am a reformed low carber. I wasn't an Atkins saturated fat aficienado, but I still did low carb via the Carbohydrate Addicts diet.

I don't know why, but I simply cannot eat large volumes of food, even though I am overweight. My husband said that before he married me he thought I was a closet eater because he didn't understand how I could eat so little and be so overweight. But once we married and we lived together he realized that there was just something about my body chemistry, that I just don't eat that much.

Now I know what that something is!

Anyway, there is NO WAY I could ever eat all of the food that Dr. Sears says I need to eat everyday. I have an ulcer history and I have read that this can reduce the amount of food you can eat in one sitting, so perhaps that is part of it.

For breakfast I drink one cup of tomato juice (to lower my cholesterol and it DID work, it lowered it by 38 points!), 1/2 cup soymilk, and some fruit. A good amount for me would be one orange, one banana (which I will change to some strawberries after reading Dr. Sears book) and maybe five grapes.

If I change the 1/2 cup soymilk to one cup could that be my protein for breakfast?

For lunch I usually eat veggies and some sort of protein, but nowhere near the amounts that Dr. Sears says I should eat. I am mostly a vegetarian but I do eat seafood. VERY occasionally I may eat some chicken or beef, but that is only on special occasions, such as a family gathering and then it is not very much.

I would feel comfortable maybe eating HALF of the amounts Dr. Sears says I should eat at every mean.

I also CANNOT eat snacks!!! I need my food to digest and need to go a few hours between means, I am NEVER hungry eating my lowcarb way, and it is already difficult to eat at all, much less large volumes of food.

So, I guess to sum it up my questions are:

1) Can one cup of omega three (not the sweetened vanilla or chocolate) soymilk count as a protein block with my fruit breakfast?

2) Can I cut all of the portions in half and omit all of the snacks and still get the benefits of the ZONE diet?

I still drink plenty of water, usually around 9 - 10 eight ounce glasses a day so that part is OK.

I don't think it is healthy to eat so much I am bloated, uncomfortable and nauseus, so I need help with this.

THANKS!

CA

Soymilks vary regarding their carb content, and you may have to count the carb block in there, as well. So, to answer your question, you can count the soymilk as a block of protein, but you would probably also count it as a block of carb, as well. This may actually help you, as it means less food to eat!

You need to eat all of the blocks, but you don't have to eat them in full-meal portions. For instance, if you would rather spread them out over the course of the day, that is fine. Some people eat 5-6 2-block snacks spaced out every 3 hours or so.

If you are concerned about the volume of food, you can use soymilk towards your protein/carb block, then that considerably reduces the amount of food to eat. Also, you can add smaller volume carbs like beans or tomato sauce to your meals. It only takes 1/4 cup of black beans to make up a block, and 1/2 cup tomato sauce.

Crissy, I would consider a smoothie with soymilk and powdered eggwhite protein, plus a fruit. It makes a great smoothie....and soymilk alone will be hard to equall a 3 blk meal. Or you could drink a cup and a half of it (0ne blk) eleven times a day...(uh uh) Smoothies go down easy......best of luck.