Hi all-

I am new to the zone and have been recommended 11 blocks per day. I lift weights 3-4 times a week, do some Crossfit, and play soccer occasionally. I'm a 5'3 female at 115 lbs, 20% BF (according to zone) and looking to cut down BF while increasing some LBM and improving my Olympic lifts maximums. I've been eating three 3 block meals with two 1 block snacks (1 between lunch and dinner and 1 before bed), but I find that I'm too full after breakfast and hungry before it's time for lunch and I'm starved after my workouts (which are immediately after work).

Is there a better way to adjust this? Can I just eat my food at even intervals when it suits me as long as I maintain my 11 blocks per day?

I would prefer the following schdeule:

Bfast - 7:00am - 2 blocks
Snack - 9:30am - 1 block
Lunch - 12:00pm - 2 blocks
Snack - 4:30pm - 1 block
Gym
Snack - 6:30pm - 1 block
Dinner - 8:30pm - 3 blocks
Snack - 10:30pm - 1 block

Also do I have to maintain the 1P,1C,1F ratio for every meal/snack? Several people have mentioned eating additional fats to improve gym performance maybe right after my workout? Lastly many people at my gym who are on the zone have said they constantly felt hungry when first starting out (withdrawal from the insulin spikes they say)...but I frequently feel too full right after eating and then hungry a short time later. Additionally the zone calculator pus me at 20% BF, but when measured at the gym I was at 16%. Could this have an impact?

Thank you for any advice.

Hi!

Increase to 12 blocks daily and pay close attention to using favorable veggies and fruit for most all of your carb. If you still find you're hungry after meals, judge the hunger at 4 hours after the meal and adjust according to Zone rules (focused hunger, add 1 C block to meals; unfocused, drop 1 C block from meals).

Yes it's fine to arrange meals and snacks in a pattern that works for you, as long as you follow the Zone rules for timing and balance.

Yes, eat P, C and F in you appropriate balance at each meal and snack. The optimal thing to do is to eat a snack prior to exercise and a meal or snack after exercise. If you’re eating your appropriate daily P requirement and find you're lacking energy during workouts, additional fat added to meals will usually help (double the fat blocks you add to meals).

If you'd like to post your typical meals for a day, and let us know which type of hunger you have, focused or unfocused, I'll be glad to take a look and make suggestions.