I'm confused and need help. I have seen two schools of thought in this forum. There are those who feel that following the lower calories/blocks and adding additional fat is the proper way to stay in the Zone. And there are those who feel that athletes need more blocks. I work out heavily six days a week and am currently experiencing extreme hunger, which I am guessing is from unstable blood sugar levels.

My trainer has recommended the Precision Nutrition program which could be Zone compatible. One of the PN rules is to eat every 2-3 hours, which is fine with me because I am starving after 2.5 hours, no matter what I eat. (Sometimes I am hungry an hour after a good 3-block Zone meal). Also, my trainer has me drinking a Surge workout drink during my weight training workouts, and a protein drink (Metabolic Drive) immediately after my cardio workouts. These are not Zone meals.

I am guessing my body fat is about 25% and I would like to be at 19%. I am 5'4" and weigh approximately 145 and am 54 years old.

Quite frankly, I can't imagine eating only 11 blocks with my activity level and significant muscle base. Maybe if my blood sugar was stable it would be possible but I would need to adjust the ratios and I'm not sure how to do that. My question is, if I WOULD try the 11 block recommendation, how could it possibly fit into my 'eat every 2-3 hour' schedule, which is as follows:

5:00 a.m. - Eat
7:00 - 8:30 - Surge or protein drink (depending on the day)
10:30 - Eat
1:30 - Eat
4:30 - Eat
7:00 - Eat
9:30 or 10:00 - Eat (if up late)

Thank you for your help.

Linda

This is a "P.S." to my post. Before anyone blames my problems on the Surge and post-workout protein drinks, I should add that I have used these products successfully for over a year. My symptoms have only developed within the past month. Also, I was on a higher protein, higher fat, lower carb (all in relation to the Zone) diet for six weeks. The day after I went off it and added in more carbs (even 'healthy' ones), is when the hunger began. Could the diet have caused the carb sensitivity, resulting in unstable blood sugar levels when I eat them? If so, how do I fix it? Last, I forgot to mention that I am under a lot of stress. I am very busy and stressed at work, overwhelmed with things to do at home, and am grieving the loss of my mother, who passed away four months ago. All contributing factors, I'm sure. But what do I do? I'm a crying mess today.

Linda - I'm pretty new to this, but I would say stick with the Zone and ditch the PN idea.. You will be having mostly 1 block snacks all day!

I've been looking at Mastering the Zone and in it Sears talks about how we can tinker with blocks to get it working correctly (I'm working on my own hunger issues) So if you're hungry and tired/unfocused you've had too much carb in proportion to protein. If you're hungry but mentally sharp you've had to much protein to carb. So play with your blocks a little. Find out what foods keep you full for longer. I think you can double your fat blocks as well.

Somebody more experienced might correct me on these points though.

adrian is right on.

Linda your personal protein requirement/block requirement is determined by your activty level and your amount of LBM. Recheck to make sure 11 blocks is indeed your protein requirement. Athetes in the Zone meet increased energy needs beyond their personal protein requirement by adding extra monounsaturated fat to meals and snacks. Since you've been eating out of the Zone surrounding your exercise all along, you most likely haven't really ibeen in the Zone for any sitnificant amount of time. Consistently eating Zone balanced meals and snacks and following the besic Zone rules is necessary in order to be in the Zone.

Yes, it is 11 blocks but by tightening the measuring tape and hitting a higher activity level I could say 12. So, what would you recommend for a block schedule, given my workout times and how often I am hungry? And what adjustments would I make to a 1-block, 2-block, or 3-block meal if I want to decrease the carbs and add fat?

Thanks,
Linda

I would attempt to do it as 1:1:2 PCF - just to get an idea of how you feel. Then once you see how you feel (hungry + unfocused, hungry + focused) you can adjust your blocks accordingly. I think you can double the fat straight away - that should help with the hunger somewhat. And go 12 blocks too. (going off Sue's recent advice to me about adding an extra block)

I'm not sure about block schedule as I'm trying to work that out myself too. My current schedule when I work out in the morning is Pre-Workout, Post-workout, Breakfast (about 1-1.5hrs after PWO) then lunch, then small snack, dinner... I think having all those blocks around the workout may be an issue.. But if its not - I'd do it like this:

Pre: 1block, Post: 1 block, Bfast, or mid morning meal: 3 blocks, Lunch: 3 blocks, snack: 1 block, dinner: 3 blocks...

This is the advice I have given myself as of last week basically (few more blocks though) I'd love to hear others adving on scheduling blocks!

Good advice. I've been thinking maybe 2-block meals, but not sure yet. But I'll double the fats and go from there. I'm anxious to hear what others have to say.

Thanks,

Linda

Hi Linda,

It's always difficult to deal with the loss of a parent, my best wishes to you.

From the info you've given about your diet and exercise info, the amount and types of carbs you're eating are most likely the reason for you difficulties. You shouldn’t be getting hungry. As I posted here yesterday, I doubt you've really been solidly in the Zone. I could make better recommendations if I knew which specific foods your meals are composed of. I'll be happy to take a look if you'd like to post a detailed sample of your typical day of meals (foods and amounts) and exercise (type and length of time of session), including timing and how you feel 4 hours after meals. In lieu of that, try dropping 1 C block for every 3 block meal (drop 1/2 block C from a 2 block snack; use 1 scant C block in a 1 block snack), eat most of your carbs from favorable veggies and add a minimum of 6 fat blocks to every 3 block meal instead of (2 blocks F to a 1 block snack, 4 blocks F to 2 block meal). Also, since you mention you exercise heavily, try the Very Active level for your calculation if you’re not already doing so. Again, remember that you’ll need to eat in Zone balance each time you eat if you wish to be in the Zone and stay there. One unbalanced meal a day can be all it takes to prevent a person from being in the Zone.

Another tip, check out the Elite Athlete page in the FITNESS tab above. It offers excellent presentations by Dr Sears about athletes and the Zone diet.

Sue,

Thank you. (I don't know how you have time for all your posts!) :-)

I'm confused about your fat block recommendation. How many fat grams should I have for a 1-block, 2-block, 3-block meal?

I did increase my fat today and it helped. I felt much better but still need to fine tune. If I have time to post my food this week, I will.

Good stuff on the Elite Athlete link.

And thank you for your 'best wishes' regarding losing my mother.

Linda

Hi Linda,

If you're going to double the F blocks as I mentioned, then you would literally double the number of F blocks you add (1.5 g fat to each added F block ; refer the ZONE FOOD BLOCKS tab in QUICK START GUIDE, link at right). For a 1 block snack/meal you would add 2 F blocks, for a 2 block meal you'd add 4 F blocks, and for a 3 block meal you'd add 6 F blocks. If you decide to triple the F blocks, you'd add 3 F blocks to a 1 block snack/meal, add 6 F blocks to a 2 block meal and add 9 F blocks to a 3 block meal.