Just a bit confused re: the milk blocks. According to the starter guide 1 cup of 1 milk is 1 protein block and 1 carb block BUT the label on my milk carton also has 2.5 grams of fat (just shy of 2 fat blocks). Am I supposed to be counting those fat blocks or am I missing something?

I usually drink skim milk which is the same as the 1% without the fat but thought I would switch to 1% cause it was on the list. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

Yes, I use 1% milk, and I count that as a fat block, too.

1 or 2 fat blocks? I was thinking if I dropped the milk down to 3/4 cup then it would be closer to 1 fat block than 2?

AND... while I have you reading (I'm smiling), are you supposed to subtract fibre from carbs before you calculate the blocks? You rock. Thank you!

It is counted as one complete fat block.

Now, stay with me here, because sometimes this can get confusing. If you notice on the list of fat blocks, they are all listed as 1.5 grams per block. So, if you are looking at the fat content on the milk, you might be thinking this is almost 2 blocks of fat. But, a complete block of fat is 3 grams (so in this case, you are even a bit short on fat). The reason for the difference is that Sears assumes that most protein sources also has fat, and so if you use a fat free protein, you would "double" the fat, to replace the "missing" fat.

So, with your milk example, you would have a complete 1 block snack, no need to add anything at all (don't let the 0.5g fat bother you that is missing, no need to be exact).

And, Yes (you can keep smiling) you would subtract the fiber from the carbs before calculating the blocks.
: )

Shauna,

Dr. Sears' following explanation of fat blocks, taken from MASTERING THE ZONE (page 292 and 293) will help to understand better. Also, Dr. Sears prefers to err on the side of eating a little extra fat, rather than not quite enough, because it will enable you to have better insulin control (better ability to stay in the Zone, without interfering with the loss of stored fat stored fat; it's the insulin response from the carbs you eat, plus the amount of carbs you eat, the keeps you fat, not the fat you're eating). You could simply add 1 block of monounsaturated fat for each P block of that particular milk. a tip, Liquids, including milk, do not work as well for some individuals(causes early hunger). If you happen to find that you consistently don't have good Zone responses when including a glass of milk in a meal or snack (especially early hunger), the liquid factor is most likely the reason.

Here's the passage from the book:

“Why is a fat block only 1.5 grams?

Every block of low-fat protein contains approximately 1.5 grams of “hidden fat”. Therefore, by adding one extra fat block (which is defined as 1.5 grams of fat) for each block of low-fat protein, you are actually consuming 3 grams of fat or two blocks (one internal in the protein and one external) for each protein block. If you are using fat-free protein sources, such as isolated protein powders, then you should be adding two blocks of fat to achieve the same ratio. Obviously, if you are eating higher fat protein choices, you would not be adding any extra fat blocks to your meal. Remember that every time you add additional fat blocks to a meal, they should be composed primarily of monounsaturated fat.”

Common fat free proteins eaten on the Zone diet are egg whites, fat free dairy, protein powder, some deli-style meats, and some soy products.

You two are amazing. It is so generous and kind of you to spend your time on here helping others. Thank you soooo much!

A friend of ours lent us Entering the Zone and I am still reading it buy also considering buying the "Mastering the Zone" book. Does it help a lot with the rules/guidelines for counting blocks? I'm pretty sure once we get going it will all be second hand to us - my husband and I both started officially today. I'm drinking a smoothies as I type and my two year old stole some of it from me!

You're welcome Shauna! I'm always happy to help. And, thank you! While MASTERING THE ZONE will be a good addition to your Zone library, it's focus is primarily the on the diet alone. Also note that the food block lists in that book (specifically the carbohydrate lists) in the book ahd been revised since it's writing (regarding both favorability and amounts; some of the carb foods shown there as Zone favorable are no longer considered to be favorable by Dr. Sears). This should be kept in mind when using the many recipes in the book, and adjustments should be made when necessary. A excellent choice for a first or second Zone book is TOXIC FAT. It's the newest and most up to date Zone book, and it gives you all the info you need about how to do the Zone to alter the expression of you genes to get the most from the Zone diet and lifestyle. It gives the best understanding, of all the books, of all aspects of the Zone, and also includes 28 day meal planners designed by Dr. Sears to ease you into the Zone (by weaning you off the offending carbs over the first week), complete with recipes, both for men and women.

Thank you for the wonderful compliment, Shauna!

I think MASTERING THE ZONE is one of the best books written on the Zone. It got me started, it is a very good book on HOW to do the Zone, I think it was written better than ENTER THE ZONE. It may not necessarily get into all of the science, but I also think that most people are looking at HOW to do it, and this is the book for that. And, despite lacking some of the science that TOXIC FAT contains, I think it still does a really good job at illustrating WHY the Zone works, insulin control, etc.

For folks just inquiring, I kept a few paperback "A Week in the Zone".
I think I have one left.
It is a nice simple, basic intro and explanation, without all of the science.
Though the first book I read, was his first book, and I got a lot out of it, but some folks do not want or lose interest with the details, at least at first.

That is one book I don't have... but I have heard some good things about it.

Just wanted to add onto the book comments:

Like John, I also have the small Paperback - A Week in the Zone, I find it is really handy to take with me some places if I ever have a question since it is much smaller than my other Zone books.

I don't know how the index of F, C, and P compare to the latest & greatest (as Sue mentioned above about Toxic Fat being the most up to date), but I really would recommend that small little book. It contains some nice recipes too!

I also really like the Anti-Inflammation Zone book, but I'm not entirely all the way through it yet.

I agree, it is nice to have a little companion along. The block lists may not be totally up to date, but most of it should be just fine. And, better to have some reference rather than none when you need it.

A tip Jennifer, keep in mind that pineapple is no longer considered favorable carb (as they are referred to in A WEEK IN THE ZONE). Use them in moderation and go with Dr. Sears' newer water requirements (1/2 your total body weight in ounces of water daily; example, if you weigh 180 pounds, you drink a minimum of 90 ounces of water a day) and you should be fine.

That's oz of water for 1/2 of your body weight in Pounds.
Added for clarification in consideration of all of the international members of these forums.
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I wonder if that could be converted to some type of consistent formula for international (KG body weight to Liters of water)?
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I'll have to work on that, and see . . .

"That's oz of water for 1/2 of your body weight in Pounds."

Thanks. Good point John. I just edited my posting to clarify.

I'm glad to hear Toxic Fat will take place of some of the other books. I recently bought it new off Ebay for less than $10, shipping included! I hesitated to read it, though, because I wanted to read Enter the Zone first and I cannot for the life of me find my copy.