Hi everyone. I have known about the zone for quite a while now. I loosely applied it earlier in the year and had a good deal of success. Crossfit probably didn't hurt. Well now, after a few injuries and a bad bout of the flu, I have taken a big step back. I tried looking for this on the forums, but I missed it. I am sure it is there so I apologize beforehand for repeating a question that may have already been covered.

I am trying to become more dedicated to the zone and I need your help. After using the calculator I found that I need 23 blocks of protein. I am only 5'6". I weigh 190 lbs, and I am 17% body fat. How can I possibly spread 23 blocks of everything across the day? I have decent size hands, but they aren't huge! Even if I did 6 blocks of protein a meal, that would leave me with 5 blocks to use in snacks. Would 6 for breakfast, 3 for a snack, 6 for lunch, 6 for dinner, and 2 for a snack before bed work? Any help or advice would be great. Thanks in advance.

Hi Heath,

Try 3 5-block meals, 4 2-block snacks. You're not limited to only 2 snacks a day; you can divide your snacks as you wish, as long as one is eaten at bedtime.

Also, it looks like you've used the Elite activity level. You haven't detailed your currnent type and amount of activity, but from your limited descritpion, Elite sounds inappropriate.

Thanks Sue! I appreciate the insight. I didn't realize I had the liberty to add that many snacks. I guess that means I can eat earlier than the 4-6 hours after a meal that was mentioned in the literature on here.

As for the elite level, I chose this because despite the injuries and the bout of the flu, I am still incredibly active. My lack of eating properly coupled with this has caused my body fat to sky rocket. Just a few months ago I was sub-10%.

I am a professional firefighter paramedic and I crossfit 5-6 days a week. Sprinkle in some soccer and football, along with some distance running when I have the time, and I think it puts me into the elite category on the calculator. I am not sure how familiar you are with crossfit. In a nutshell it is a combination of body weight excercises, olympic lifting, and endurance work, at the fastest pace you can manage.

Thanks again Sue I really appreciate the info.

Lol. Just went to look at the calculator again. Something is way off. I think I may have accidentally used the female calculator originally. That being said, I just reused it with my dimensions, and according to it my bf% is 6 or something like that. There is no way that is possible. I am going to reload it and try again.

Okay, still not right. So, I did my bf% at the gym the other day and know it is 17%. I weigh 190. 32 inch waist. So how many blocks is now the question because I am not getting an answer from the calculator that makes any sense. I know I am not 7%. Lol. Any advice guys?

Hi Heath!

You can eat as many times a day as you like, as long as you follow the Basic Zone Rules (find the rules tab in Quick Start). The object is to spread your protein intake throughout the day, so there is a constant sypply of protein. The 3 meal and 2 snack yis merely a good suggestign that suits the typical American lifestyle. Don't eat more than 5 or 6 fully balanced blocks at any one meal.

I'm familiar with Crossfit. Most crossfitters use the Active or Very Active level, depending on the intensity of their workouts. As you know, not each crossfittter performs at the same level, some grandmas are even crossfitters. Assuming from the tone of your postings the you are at that your workouts are at a more intense level, I'd suggest Very Active, your job and dabbbilng in other sports considered. If you think your job and other sport activities require heavy lifting and activity as if you were a professional athlete or an olympian who is performing a heavy training schedule for hours on a daily basis, then use Elite. Daily athletic training activity, especially involving lifting (strength triaining), is what most influences activity level and protein requirement, not how active you are otherwise. The activity level and you LBM determines the amount of protein you require to maintain (and/or build) you current muscle mass. Too much and you gain weight. Too little and you won't maintain your muscle mass. Once your are eating at an appropriate block amount based on your LBM and activity level, additional energy needs are supported in the Zone by adding extra monounsaturated fat to meals. Most crossfitters double their fat blocks, at least (for example, instead of adding 4 F to a 4 block meal, they add 8 F).

You'll have to decide on your LBM adn body fat%. If you weigh 190 and have 17% body fat, then your daily requirement using the Very Active level would be 142 grams of protein daily (20 or 21 blocks).

You'll gain a much better understanding if you read as much as you can about athletes in the Zone. I'd highly suggest you check out the Elite Athlete page in the FITNESS tab above. Especially helpful for you will be to view the video presentations there, the ones of Barry Sears explaining the Zone to athletes.

Thanks again Sue. I can see what you are saying in comparing the active vs. the elite levels. I think I will try to start out with 20 blocks and go from there. My gym focuses more on the Olympic lifts, with quite a bit of weight, than some of the other affiliates. That's really the biggest reason I went with my original choice in the calculator. When I looked at the short descriptions it made the most sense at the time. I think you have been more than helpful. One last thing though. Would I be better off starting with more or less blocks. I know I already said I was going to start at 20, but I figure I have been banking on your opinion so far, what's one more question. Thanks again.


Heath

Heath, 20, 21 if you want (not a lot of difference).

Thanks Sue you have been more than helpful I really appreciate it! Have a nice holiday weekend.

I'm happy to help if I can. :-)

Thanks, you too!