I think I am in a plateau--haven't lost more than 2 lbs. in 2 months??? :shock: (Part of this is due to wacky schedules--in August my in laws visited, and due to a biking accident, were here 2 1/2 weeks while my FIL's kidney was removed--they are not zoners, and MIL is very skeptical due to personal food addiction (I know that's baloney!) so I sometimes had to eat the meal she prepared to be polite.) I am really following it pretty well, occasionally I deviate, but not enough to completely stop weight loss (not every day and definitely not more than once in a day). Can you remind me how to bust out of this plateau? Is drop carb/add fat for women on the pill something to do at each meal, or just one meal a day (like supper)? I still feel good, and don't get nearly as hungry, or as many carb cravings, so I haven't given up, but I need help to get me out of this spot. Thanks! Ronica :? PS Example of my food today: Oatmeal (1/4 cup dry) 3C with 1 T. peanut butter 3F, 1T yogurt, a little splenda maple syrup 3 oz. lean ham 3P coffee (6:30 AM) 3 cups broccoli/cauliflower mixed, steamed 1P 2 slices low-carb bread (1C) with 3 oz lean roast beef, lettuce 3P peach 1C 5 Cashews 4 almonds (3F) diet soda (12:00 PM) 3 glasses water 1/2 zp bar (4:00 PM) 1P1C1F 2 glasses water 2 cups tomatoes 2C 1 t. olive oil 3F 1/2 cup cottage cheese with a few pieces of feta cheese 2P fresh basil (5:45 PM) I am about to eat a 2 block snack as dinner had to be really early tonight, so it was only 2 blocks. (9:30 PM) Thank you! Any help would be appreciated. OH yeah, I tasted the grapes when I got home from the grocery store. Hopefully that won't throw me off. Probably ate about 6. :twisted:

Hi Ronica: This happens to me, and when it does, I usually find that my eating habits have "slipped", portion sizes have inched upwards, and/or I haven't been getting as much exercise as before. All I can suggest (and what I do myself) is when this happens, to "get serious" about zone again. I am (unfortunately) really sensitive to carb, so even two weeks of customer visits where I end up eating a small roll at dinner for carb because there aren't very many vegetables available, can contribute to screwing me up. The other thing is I eat out lunch and dinner most days of the week because of my job and my schedule. That is a lot of eyeballing. I find that my portion sizes can creep upwards (funny how they never go down) over time, if I am not vigilant. Right now I'm in the 1st week of "getting serious" again after I noticed I had stopped losing fat entirely and might actually be gaining a bit. It's working, I can feel it already, I just have to remember to watch the portion sizes at lunch and dinner. Actually I have been eating a two block dinner and then snacking on a cup of milk right before bed (I end up at 7:00PM with only 3 blocks left to go, most days) and I find that works great for me. I exercise in the early morning, so by evening I don't need to eat a 3 block meal anyway. I consume more food in the first half of my day because that's where my exertion is. This has been quite a ramble but I hope it helps. Don't worry about the plateaus, I'm sure it happens to everybody.

Hi, Ronica! Sue just helped me get off my plateau (actually, I was starting to gain back!) I was eyeballing amounts and was quite a bit off. I found I had more carbs than protein for some of my meals and was not keeping the balance of protein-carb-fats very clean. So, you might want to start keeping a food diary for a week and actually read off your labels instead of just writing down what you think is the amounts. I found that my no-fat yogurt is really 2 carbs, 1 protein now -- not one and one -- like the old brand I used to use. I also missed some "hidden" amounts in some of the combination foods. (My black beans have 3 grams protein, 9 grams carbs to a 1/2 cup serving.) I was surprised at how far I had strayed. Most of my "oops" were from changes in the brand of food I now buy from what I was buying when I started Zoning last year. Hope this helps! Celeste

Hi, Remember you don't want to be counting the protein in beans nor in other plant foods, with the exception of soy, because much of it remains relatively unavailable to the human body during the digestive process, due it's being bound in fiber. Sue

Many people often experience a stall in fat loss, especially those who are losing large amounts of weight. However, before concluding that you have hit a plateau, consider the following: When following the Zone lifestyle one can gain muscle and lose fat simultaneously, with the end result being no weight loss on the scale. A tape measure, having body fat checked regularly with either bio-electrical impedance (“BIA”) or calipers, or judging by the fit of your clothing are more accurate indicators than the scale. Make sure that you are consuming the appropriate number of blocks per day. Keep in mind that 11 blocks is the minimum recommendation for adults (with some exceptions for petite women). Have you recently started an exercise program? Believe it or not, you might not be eating enough food. Check the body fat calculator to ensure that you are consuming the correct number of blocks for your LBM (lean body mass) and your activity level. Are you eating too much food? Most people tend to underestimate how much they actually eat and overestimate their physical activity. The Zone lifestyle is a fat burning diet and requires large amount of water. Sometimes, simply increasing water intake can start weight loss again. If you conclude that you are indeed at a plateau after considering the above criteria, here are some helpful pointers to get your fat loss started again: 1. Try to make sure all your carbohydrates are favourable. Choose low glycemic vegetables and fruits, with an emphasis on low glycemic vegetables. Vegetables tend to be a more effective carbohydrate choice because they are less carbohydrate dense than fruit. 2. Drop 1 mini block of carbohydrate and add 3 mini blocks of fat at each meal. A 3 block meal would then be 3P, 2C, 6F. Making this adjustment will keep the calories about the same without affecting insulin levels. One mini block of carbohydrate contains approximately 36 calories (9 grams x 4) whilst 3 mini blocks of fat contains approximately 40.5 calories (4.5 x 9). Remember, fat has no effect on insulin, but carbohydrate is a powerful stimulator. By lowering insulin levels the body can tap into its own fat stores. 3. Another method is the rotation method utilizing blocks. I have based this on a person eating 12 blocks a day and here is how it works: For 3 days only eat 8 blocks broken down into 6-7 small snacks. For the next 4 days eat 10 blocks broken down into 6-7 small snacks. For the next 7 days (1 week) eat 12 blocks. Repeat this whole procedure one more time starting at 8 blocks. The entire rotation method takes 4 weeks. Remember never to go under 8 blocks a day, so if you eat 11 blocks daily your rotation blocks would be 8/10/11. If you are a man eating 14 block daily your rotation blocks would be 10/12/14. 4. Breaking up your blocks into smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day is another helpful way to increase metabolism and break a hormonal plateau. 5. Increasing any existing aerobic activity that you are already doing can also help to get you past your plateau. 6. Use water as your primary beverage and avoid anything containing caffeine or artificial sweeteners as both can affect insulin levels. Remember we all have individual biochemistries and this may not pertain to all individuals. Once you begin to lose body fat, you can go back to your correct number of protein, carbohydrate, and fat blocks.