I am very new to the Zone, and although I was doing well with my own diet and exercise (lost 16 pounds since February), my sister convinced me to give the Zone a try. I have always been a bread fan (bagels, mainly!), so it's been an adjustment for me. Even so, I've been sticking to the diet closely, with the exception of the snacks. Over the past few months, I have gotten used to eating far less than I'm supposed to on the Zone diet, and now I feel like I'm stuffing myself at each meal. It just seems impossible that I will lose weight eating this much food! Does this feeling of being overly full go away over time, and will I really lose weight? All of my meals have consisted of 3 blocks. Although I should get 11 blocks a day, I think I'm getting more like 9 since I can't imagine eating the snacks when I feel so full. (Am I doing something horrible by *not* eating the snacks?) Here's an example of what I've been eating: Breakfast: Egg Beater (1/2 C) omelette with 1/2 C mushrooms, 1/2 cup green peppers, 1 oz low-fat cheese, 1 tsp olive oil (which I sauteed the veggies in). I ate a whole large orange since the mushrooms and peppers combined still left me short of a full mini-block Lunch: 3 oz tuna with 3 tsp light mayo on a half a small pita pocket, 1 C raspberries Dinner: 1 soy burger patty with 1 oz low-fat cheese on a small hamburger bun, tossed salad (the one block recipe in "Zone Perfect Meals in Minutes") and 3 tsp of olive oil and vinegar dressing. I'm drinking several glasses of water throughout the day. I go to Curves 3-4 days a week and exercise for 30+ minutes. I also walk a few times a week, usually between 1-3 miles. I'm 5'4" and currently weigh 175, although prior to starting the Zone I was down to 173. That's down from 189 in February. My LBM is 107, and my body fat is somewhere between 33 and 37%, depending on which chart or instrument I use. I'm willing to keep at this if I know I'm going to see results. I just need some reassurance!

There are many who are much more knowledgeable about this, but since none of them have answered yet, I'll give it a go. The Zone is based on hormonal thinking, and the idea of a snack is to keep your blood sugar in balance. If you go too long between meals, your blood sugar will drop and could cause cravings that will lead to eating not so healthy things. Also, if your body feels it's not getting enough food (eating one meal a day for example), it goes into starvation mode and holds on to all the calories it can get, stores as much fat as it can and slows metabolism. This is why people who are very overweight can stay that way on much less food than it took to get that way. I don't know if it works the same way if you skip snacks, but I assume there's a reason we're told to not let more than 4-6 hours go by without eating, unless you're asleep of course. You might also want to look at the carbs you are eating and make sure that the unfavorable are 1/4 of your carb blocks, and that you're getting enough. I don't have the block chart, but 1/2 small pita and 1 cup of raspberries only add up to 2C in my calculator. You should try to keep the unfavorable carbs a lower percentage of your carbs, like maybe only one block per meal if you can. Personally, I avoid wheat most of the time unless I'm at a really good restaurant with great bread (or in Denmark YUM!) but that's my physiology. I know that it's more volume without the bread, but you could break things up into smaller 2 block meals and just have them more often... Saying all that, I'm convinced enough to say I'm eating this way for the rest of my life, that it will keep me healthier, thinner, and happier. I recommend sticking with it! Best of luck to you. It's not an easy journey but the Zone makes it easier. Robbin

I would eat smaller meals and have the snacks. I don't think you should feel stuffed. If you are going to give it a shot follow the guidelines and have the snacks and avoid the unfavorable carbs. Often a 3 block breakfast is too much for me. I prefer a 2 block meal and a snack later. Just having lost 16 lbs in 3 months could be affecting your results. I will be interested in what others say as we have a similar profile. I have done this eating plan before and it is really worth learning. Kim

Hi, Welcome! :D [quote:d14fc84042="speechie"]I am very new to the Zone, and although I was doing well with my own diet and exercise (lost 16 pounds since February), my sister convinced me to give the Zone a try. I have always been a bread fan (bagels, mainly!), so it's been an adjustment for me. Even so, I've been sticking to the diet closely, with the exception of the snacks. Over the past few months, I have gotten used to eating far less than I'm supposed to on the Zone diet, and now I feel like I'm stuffing myself at each meal. It just seems impossible that I will lose weight eating this much food! Does this feeling of being overly full go away over time, and will I really lose weight? [/quote:d14fc84042] Yes! [quote:d14fc84042="speechie"]All of my meals have consisted of 3 blocks. Although I should get 11 blocks a day, I think I'm getting more like 9 since I can't imagine eating the snacks when I feel so full. (Am I doing something horrible by *not* eating the snacks?) [/quote:d14fc84042] What you're doing by skipping snacks is sabotaging your efforts to be in the Zone. The Zone is about controllng insulin levels, which ultimately will bring about the weight loss you desire. If you skip the snacks you won't be able to get into the Zone. In addition, by skippping snacks you'll be depriving your body of the protein and nutrients it requires. Although the focus is not on calories, the Zone is a calorie restricted eating plan. An 11 block day provides approximately 1100 calories a day. By eating 9 blocks a day (at your LBM) you are getting only 900 calories, which is starving your body and most likely preventing yourself from being in the Zone. If the volume of your meals is too great choose favorable carbs with less volume. But, from your examples, I don't see that you're consuming a huge volume of veggies. More likely you've just gotten your body used to not having enough food in the past and it will take a little time to adjust. [quote:d14fc84042="speechie"]Here's an example of what I've been eating. [/quote:d14fc84042] I'll point out how you could Zone balance these meals. I'm noticing your carbs and fat need some adjusting , so I'll be very specific. Also note that veggies should be a big part of the Zone diet. I would try to work more veggies into your lunch and dinner, and even your snacks. The easiest way to put together Zone meals IMO is to use the Food Block Guide on this site. [quote:d14fc84042="speechie"]Breakfast: Egg Beater (1/2 C) omelette with 1/2 C mushrooms, 1/2 cup green peppers, 1 oz low-fat cheese, 1 tsp olive oil (which I sauteed the veggies in). I ate a whole large orange since the mushrooms and peppers combined still left me short of a full mini-block [/quote:d14fc84042] You're short on C and F. You could add 1/2 cup of berries,[b:d14fc84042] or [/b:d14fc84042]1/4 cup tomato sauce or salsa on the omelet, [b:d14fc84042]or[/b:d14fc84042] 1/4 piece of toast to bring the C up to 3 blocks. Eggbeaters have no fat so you'll need to add 2 extra blocks of fat to the meal, one for each block of Eggbeaters used. (If this confuses you, see FAQ#42 in Zone FAQS found in Zone Tools on this site.) [quote:d14fc84042="speechie"]Lunch: 3 oz tuna with 3 tsp light mayo on a half a small pita pocket, 1 C raspberries [/quote:d14fc84042] Check the labels to make sure the fat in the tuna and mayo adds up to at least 9 g. If not, add fat. Best would be to have some almonds, Macadamia nuts, or cashews. Check the pita label to see that the total carbs minus fiber is around 18g for 1/2 a small pita. If not you are short on carbs. The Zone recommendation is to have not more than 1/4 of the total carbs in your meal from unfavorable carb. This is to assure you keep insulin levels within the Zone. In this meal 1/2 to 2/3 of your carb is unfavorable. I would put the tuna on a bed of lettuce instead of in the pita, and have a 3 bean salad, or some other veggies for carb. [quote:d14fc84042="speechie"]Dinner: 1 soy burger patty with 1 oz low-fat cheese on a small hamburger bun, tossed salad (the one block recipe in "Zone Perfect Meals in Minutes") and 3 tsp of olive oil and vinegar dressing. [/quote:d14fc84042] Again you have most of your carbs from unfavorable sources (the bun). This will most likely prevent you from being in the Zone. It would be better to use only 1/2 a small bun and add a block of veggies or berries to the meal. [quote:d14fc84042="speechie"]I'm drinking several glasses of water throughout the day. [/quote:d14fc84042] This is good. Try to increase your water intake. The minimum recommendation is 8 8oz glasses a day. Many Zoners need more. The fat burning metabolism of the Zone requires more water than you have probably been used to in the past. Once you're solidly in the Zone, you'll find you need more water. [quote:d14fc84042="speechie"]I go to Curves 3-4 days a week and exercise for 30+ minutes. I also walk a few times a week, usually between 1-3 miles. I'm 5'4" and currently weigh 175, although prior to starting the Zone I was down to 173. That's down from 189 in February. My LBM is 107, and my body fat is somewhere between 33 and 37%, depending on which chart or instrument I use.[/quote:d14fc84042] This is good. You require at least 11 or 12 blocks a day, depending upon exactly what your Curves workout consists of. [b:d14fc84042]9 blocks a day is not enough for you.[/b:d14fc84042] At 175 lb, and 107 LBM yor bodyfat is between 38% and 39% (38.86 to be exact; 175-107=68, 68/175=38.86). [quote:d14fc84042="speechie"]I'm willing to keep at this if I know I'm going to see results. I just need some reassurance![/quote:d14fc84042] With the adjustments I mentioned you should begin to see results. Sue

I've only been on the Zone for a few weeks, so I'm not an expert, but I do notice I feel better with more of my carbs from veggies and fruits, and less from bread. Experiment with different foods until you find ones that suit you. For me, chick peas seem to be a good way to fill out a salad without too much volume. It helps that I was already used to eating large portions of fruits and veggies. Keep up the exercise and drink lots of water, and don't get disouraged.