Mel, speaking of cinnamon rolls, I did receive a sample of the rolls back before the zone introduced the line (and it was marketed under Medwell). I enjoyed the cinnamon roll, so that is 2 things that I liked (of course the other was that sandwich that I mentioned on the other thread). However, unfortunately, just doesn't keep me hunger free for very long (or at least not as long as they say it should).

I was also tempted to try the brownie, but since those cookies were too sweet, I am leary of ordering the brownies.

I am really glad that you are enjoying the products. I definitely can sense your enthusiasm, and it is infectious! You go, girl!

Very good report Mel! And, a big thank you from me. You say such kind things. :-)

This might be a way to try to get the extra package of food in daily (to make up for the other half of the dinner selection you split). Open a package of granola each morning and nibble on it, one little piece at a time, throughout the day (I think you had mentioned you didn't have much trouble filling up on junk food...try to think of this nibbling as similar). I'll bet you might easily get that 1 package down, spread throughout your waking hours, and probably not notice much impact from it(re filling your stomach too much). If granola just isn't your thing, you could do the same with bagel chips, or even a pretzel, just taking one small bite, off and on all day. What'd you think?

The brownies, I have two favorite ways to eat them, either frozen or warmed just slightly in the microwave(chewier that way). Enjoy your brownie today! :-)

SUE...THANKS AND I DO REMEMBER YOU TALKING ABOUT THE GRANOLA. I WILL TRY THAT TODAY. I JUST MIGHT FIT IT IN. I HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE BUT YOU ARE A FONT OF INFORMATION!!


CRAN...OK SO THAT'S 2 THINGS. I WILL HAVE TO KEEP A SCORE BOARD. THE COOKIES ARE A BIT SWEET BUT I'M A RECOVERING CARBOHOLIC SO THAT'S OK WITH ME. LOL LET YOU KNOW IF THE BROWNIE IS SWEET.

I love the sweetness of the cookie. My favorite cookie this week is the Heath Bar (my favorite changes week to week, lol!). I like to warm them a little in the microwave, and take my time eating them by nibbling at the little toffee bits. :-)

You'll find the brownies don't taste very sweet at all.

LOL, I think that is part of it. I used to be a carbaholic, but since zoning, I often feel that "sweets" are too sweet for me, so it turns me off.

When I bake treats at home (not often), I do find myself cutting the sugar substantially, for my taste, and no one really even notices--lol!

No, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the products, it is just that they didn't go well for me. I think it is because my "traditional zone" fare keeps my insulin levels lower, and these products seem to make my insulin levels go higher (noting the glycemic index equal to that of fruit). I am glad that they are working well for you, though.

Let me know about those brownies!

Mel, it is so nice to read your thread filled with so much positivity and enthusiasm! Very refreshing! But then again your posts always have been :-) Love your sense of humour. Keep up the fantastic Zone work you are doing, you are a benefit to this forum.

JANA~ THANKS SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY AND MAKING MY DAY BRIGHTER WITH THE COMPLIMENTS. I AM BLUSHING!!

I JUST LOST THIS POST BUT LET ME TRY TO REMEMBER WHAT I TYPED.

THE BROWNIE REPORT: OMG!! ARE YOU SURE WE'RE ALLOWED TO EAT THIS FOOD? IT'S REALLY ON PLAN?? PLEASE DON'T ANSWER THAT CAUSE YOU MIGHT JUST BURST MY BUBBLE OF HAPPINESS. I HAD ALL I COULD DO NOT TO SHOVE THE ENTIRE THING IN MY MOUTH!! (INSERT A DROOLING SMILEY HERE) THIS WAS THE BEST SO FAR AND I THOUGHT THE CINNAMON BUN WAS!! OR MAYBE THE CHOCOLATE COCONUT COOKIE! HARD TO PICK ONE...

CRAN~ MY MOST HONEST OPINION IS THIS...IT IS NOTHING LIKE THE COOKIES. (I FOUND THE M&M ONES A BIT TOO SWEET FOR ME BUT LOVED THE OTHER) THE BROWNIE IS CHEWY AND FUDGY ASLMOST THE PERFECT BROWNIE...BUT WITH A HINT OF ART. SUGAR TO IT. MY TASTEBUDS ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO THAT BUT IT DID NOT DETRACT FROM THE TASTE AT ALL. THEY REALLY OUTDID THEMSELVES WITH THIS PRODUCT AND I AM VERY PICKY ABOUT NON-SUGAR PRODUCTS. THIS IS AS HONEST AND I CAN MAKE IT. LOL

SUE...I ATE THIS 1/2 COLD AND WILL TRY A HEATED 1/2 TONITE. OMG...THIS STUFF IS GOOOOOOOD!! I AM NOT "MISSING OR CRAVING" ANYTHING...THIS FROM A WOMAN WHO CAN'T PASS UP JUNK FOOD OF ANY KIND WHETHER IT BE SWEET OR FATTY!

THESE FOODS ARE DEFINITELY MADE FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME. HOME DELIVERY, WHO THINKS ONE POT AND A PAIR OF SCISSORS ARE KITCHEN TOOLS AND WHO CAN'T COUNT BLOCKS!! ROFLMAO
THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO GET OTHER CARB FREAKS LIKE ME A CHANCE TO GET STARTED. THEN THEY COULD READ ALL YOUR POSTS HERE AND LEARN EVEN BETTER HOW TO ADD IN THE "REAL" FOODS THAT I KNOW I WILL BE DOING SOON MYSELF. BUT FOR NOW...LET ME TELL YOU I AM IN HEAVEN.

Mel, I do agree with you, there are some people who really need these products!

In terms of being a carboholic, I believe that is why these products were developed in the first place. Sears always said that he would sell bread and pasta if he could figure out a way to "zone it"--and he did. But, I think that the main point is that this stuff is for those who just can't give up their bread and pasta; for those who would not give the Zone a second look because of the high amount of veggies; and maybe for those who might not be able to prepare an entire meal without assist.

I don't think that the stuff was invented for me--I am really comfortable in creating zone meals with all kinds of veggies in my kitchen, and I prefer whole foods over processed foods. A few weeks ago, when I did the first food trial, I was eating exclusively zone food products, and I found after 3-4 days that I was really missing my veggies, and I was really missing my "meat".

I do also want to stress that the glycemic index of these products is about the same as fruit, according to Barry Sears (via email from Dave Shreck). So, if one is doing well on a Zone balanced diet with veggies, then suddenly throws these products into the mix, I think that the normal reaction is that one may not stay in the Zone. Honestly, I don't know why Sue tolerates them so well, even with fruits being something that she can't handle, yet she tolerates these foods just fine despite the GI. I don't know if you had this info before, but that is why I brought up the gastroparesis thing, because I thought maybe that explained her reaction better, that it made more sense. But, I won't go there again!

CRAN....THIS IS WHY I SAID DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT I COULD TOLERATE THE ART. SUGAR WHEN JUST LAST YEAR I COULDN'T. FUNNY THING IS I CAN EAT IT IN THESE PRODUCTS AND NOTHING ELSE I HAVE EVER FOUND. AS FOR MYSELF...I WAS LOOKING FOR A FAST WAY TO SEE IF IT WORKS FOR ME AND THE 14 DAY PACKAGE FOR NEWBIES IS PERFECT. I WON'T ALWAYS BE EATING SZ PRODUCTS EXCLUSIVELY. SHORTLY I INTEND TO INCORPORATE THEM INTO A "WHOLE FOODS" MEAL PLAN. I HAVE LIKE $300 WORTH OF TRADER JOE'S IN MY FRIDGE!!! LOL
BUT I NEEDED SOMETHING TO GET THE SCALE MOVING SO I TOOK A CHANCE AND ORDERED THESE. WHEN I SAW SUE HAVING SUCH GREAT SUCCESS WHILE I WAS "LURKING", I DECIDED TO RISK AN ORDER. VERY GLAD I DID. WE ARE BOTH CARB SENSITIVE BUT IN DIFFERENT WAYS...AND HAVE SIMILAR TASTE LIKES. I JUST HOPE MY LUCK HOLDS OUT!!! ROFL


SUE.... I GOT ABOUT 1/2 BAG OF GRANOLA IN BUT THAT WAS IT! THE MAIN TEST I GUESS IS THAT I HAVE NO LOW BS FEELINGS, I AM CLEAR HEADED, MAKING BETTER DECISIONS, GENERALLY FEELING GREAT! SO FAR SO GOOD.

*SWEET DREAM EVERYONE*

2/13 SATURDAY

BREAK: SESAME BAGEL W/ ORGANIC PEANUT BUTTER
SNACK: 1/2 BAG OF BAGEL CHIPS
LUNCH: SANDWICH ROLL W/ TURKEY AND LT. MAYO
DINNER: FUSILLI W/ BROCCOLI
SNACK: 1/2 BAG OF BAGEL CHIPS

* THE GRANOLA YESTERDAY WAS TOO MUCH. NEXT WEEK I'LL CALL ZONE AND SEE WHAT THEY THINK. THIS FOOD IS "DENSE" AND I JUST CANNOT ALWAYS FIT IT ALL IN. BUT I FEEL GREAT WHEN I DON'T TRY.

Good idea Mel. I'm pretty sure you can call on Saturday mornings too, if you feel like getting the ball rolling today. A tip, when you call, have as many of you specifics if you info ready, like your stats, activity, amount you're eating, extras you're adding to the Zone foods, etc. The only concern I see is that you'd need to confirm you're getting enough food to meet your needs, and I don't know if or how your wheel chair status might change your requirement. Please let us know what you find out. :-)

Have a great Saturday!

THANK GOD I LISTENED TO YOU SUE...

I CALLED ZONE AND EXPLAINED MY SITUATION WITH THE WHEELCHAIR AND DIGESTION, ETC. THEY SAID THE PASTAS AND PIZZA ARE 4 BLOCK MEALS. THAT I SHOULD EAT ONLY HALF AND HAVE THE OTHER HALF FOR DINNER THE NEXT NIGHT ( JUST LIKE YOU ADVISED) I DON'T HAVE TO ADD ANYTHING TO MAKE UP FOR THE DEDUCTION BECAUSE I AM A 2 BLOCK ZONER.

I FEEL SOOO RELIEVED. BY THE WAY...DID I TELL YOU THERE ARE SMALL DENTS ON EITHER SIDE OF MY FAT BELLY??? SOME DAY I WILL HAVE A WAIST AGAIN! I HAVE GREAT EXPECTATIONS!!!
2010 IS GOING TO BE A GREAT YEAR FOR ME. I AM SO GLAD I DIDN'T THROW IN THE TOWEL AND WASTE IT.

Mel, I am glad you got some good advice.

I am just giggling to myself because you and I are on opposite ends of this--you are getting too much food, and I can't seem to get enough! LOL!

You remind me of another zone buddy that I knew a few years ago, she came at it full of energy like you, and she had really good success with it (traditional zone). I don't know the extent of her disease process, as yours, but I do believe that there are some similarities. All I know is that I really envy the enthusiasm that the both of you seem to have in common. I said this before, but YOU GO GIRL!

Very very good Mel. In fact, excellent! (and exactly what thought they'd tell you) :-)

I'm going to experiment with a brownie sundae for my snack now. I'll let you know how it goes. :-)

BROWNIE SUNDAE!! OMG SUE.....I CAN'T WAT TO HEAR ABOUT IT. SO HURRY UP IN THE KITCHEN!! DON'T BE WASTING TIME HERE "TALKING" TO THE REST OF US!! AND BY THE WAY...IT IS EXACTLY LIKE THE ADVICE I WAS EXPECTING FROM YOU! EVEN AS I TYPED THAT POST, I KNEW YOU LIKE TO ERR THIS SIDE OF CAUTION WITH ALL I HAVE WRONG WITH ME. I APPRECIATED THE PUSH TO CALL THEM...BELIEVE ME! ONE DAY I WILL GROW UP AND MAKE THE CALLS ON MY OWN! ROFLMAO


CRAN....SORRY TO HEAR THE DD IS STILL UNWELL. I HOPE YOU GET AN ANSWER SOON. MY DAUGHTER WAS ABOUT THE SAME AGE WHEN SHE CONTINUALLY GOT TERIBLE "APPENDIX" PAINS A FEW TIMES A YESR...... EACH TIME MY EX-DH AND I RUSHED HER TO THE ER. HER RED CELL COUNT WAS HIGH AND SHE WAS FEVERISH. BUT NO TEST EVER CAME BACK WITH AN ANSWER AND WE NEVER GOT A DIAGNOSIS. ONE DAY IT DISAPPEARED AND SHE NEVER GOT IT AGAIN. GO FIGURE. GOOD LUCK THIS WEEK AT THE DRS.

Oh yeah...the brownie sundae was goooood. I also had a couple ounces of Sea Health Plus with it.

I zapped the brownie in the micro wave to warm it slightly, cut it into cubes, and layered it in a glass goblet with (these are approximate amounts, and are all Trader Joe's brand) a scant 1/4 cup thawed OG frozen raspberries, a few Tbsp. OG nonfat plain yogurt, 1 tsp. chunky almond butter with roasted flax seeds and 1Tbsp frozen pomegranate seeds. =D

(INSERT A BIG OL' DROOLING SMILEY HERE) YUM! THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"I KNEW YOU LIKE TO ERR THIS SIDE OF CAUTION WITH ALL I HAVE WRONG WITH ME."

The Zone is for all people. My only pause was not knowing your actual level of activity, and I didn't want to possibly put you on the spot by asking you in the forum setting. That's precisely the reason I advised you to have all your stats ready when you called. :-)

2/14 VALENTINE'S SUNDAY

BREAK: GRANOLA & 2% MILK
SNACK: COOKIE
LUNCH: PEAR & CHEDDAR SANDWICH ON 2 SL. MULTI-GRAIN
DINNER: 1/2 TOMATO & CHEESE PIZZA
SNACK: COOKIE
***EDITED: DINNER CHANGE: GRILLED CHICKEN BRUSHED WITH BALSAMIC & OLIVE OIL & BRUSSEL SPROUTS & A SALAD W/ A SPLASH OF DRESSING. I DECIDED TO EAT WITH THE KIDS FOR DINNER TOO.

THE BROWNIE WAS GOOD. MINE ENDED UP HAVING A TBS OF STRAWBERRY YOGURT WITH 1 DICED STRAWBERRY ON TOP. DELISH.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY ZONE!

SUE...MY ACTIVITY LEVEL IS ALMOST NON-EXISTANT. I DO STRETCHING WITH MY ARMS AND I HAVE A SPLIT TREADLE THAT WHEN YOU PUSH ONE FOOT DOWN THE OTHER RISES...LIKE A CHEAP PLASTIC "STEPPER". IT'S FOR KEEPING THE LEGS ACTIVE AND PROMOTE CIRCULATION. SO THE ZONE CALL IDEA WAS AN EXCELLENT MOVE!!

Thanks for filling me in on you activity Mel. :-)

A tip, keep an eye on how much dairy you add (the plan contains 1 serving per day, optional), because optimal inflammation lowering is of the utmost importance for you (actually, it is for everyone, not only foy you!).

Have a nice Happy Valentines Day with you daughter and he boyfriend. :-)

OK....THE COFFEE BUG CRAVING IS KILLINGME TODAY. NOW WHY WOULD IT WAIT 2 WEEKS BEFORE IT REARED IT'S UGLY HEAD? MR. BUG, WAS THIS REALLY NECESSARY AND ON VALENTINE'S DAY?
DRINKING LOTS OF WATER. I AM GOING TO HAVE SOME STEAMED VEGGIES.

SUE...SOMETIMES DAIRY...ESP MILK, COTT CHEESE AND YOGURT....MAKE ME HUNGRY SO I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. I DON'T LOSE WEIGHT WHEN I EAT THEM. THANKS FOR THE THOUGHT.

MONDAY 2/15

B: CINN. BUN & 1 EGG WHITE
S: 1/2 BROWNIE
L: SALAD WITH 1/2 BAG OF CROUTONS AND 1 OZ CHICKEN
D: FUSILLI W/TOMATO & SPINACH
S: 1/2 BROWNIE & YOGURT & 1 BERRY

NEED TO GET A BIT MORE WATER IN THIS WEEK.
GETTING BACK ON TRACK WITH EXERCISING IS PAINFUL.
GOT OUT THE 3-RING RECIPE BINDER AND GETTING READY TO GET
CREATIVE WITH MY OWN COOKING SOON.
** NO EGG FOR BREAKFAST AND CHANGED SNACKS. SAVING THE BAGEL CHIPS FOR A LUNCH. NEXT BOX ISN'T HERE YET.

DAY 7 2/16 WEDNESDAY

B: CINNAMON BUN
S: 1/2 PRETZEL
L: WHITE ROLL W/ TURKEY AND PEAR SLICES
D: FUSILLI
S: 1/2 PRETZEL

*LAST NIGHT THERE WAS A CHANGE IN DINNER. I HAD TO USE A SHAKE.
I HAD SOME WORK TO DO AND COULDN'T BE HERE. IT SEEMED TO WORK OUT OK.
SINUS + SNOWSTORM = SLEEPINESS SO I AM NOT 100% SURE.

IF I DON'T GET THE OTHER 1/2 OF MY ORDER TODAY I'LL HAVE TO CALL AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. I CAN'T BELIEVE A WEEK WENT BY ALREADY!!! THE SCALE WAS AT 187 BEFORE IT BOUNCED TO 188. I THINK NEXT WEEK I MIGHT JUST HAVE ANOTHER LOSS

Mel, the weight was coming off of me, too, until I started eating the ZoneFast foods. I haven't had a loss since I started eating them, except for the short period of time that I had in between shipments when I was eating regular food.

I hope your weight shift has nothing to do with the foods, but you are definitely making the right choice by monitoring it. I still think that the foods just have a GI too high for me to be able to stay in the zone.

** SNACK CHANGE: 1.2 CHOC RASPBERRY BAR FOR EACH ONE.
I FORGOT I HAD THEM!! THESE BARS ARE GREAT!! GET MORE!

CRAN... I MEANT THE SCALE WAS BOUNCING AROUND THIS MORNING AND ENDED UP STAYING THE SAME AS LAST WEEKS LOSS. (188) I ALREADY LOST 5 LBS FROM 193.5 SO I AM FINDING THE OPPOSITE OF YOU...MY SCALE WAS CREEPING UP THESE LAST 2 YEARS FROM THE LOW 170'S...THEN I BEGAN THIS AND IT'S CREEPING DOWN...EVER SO SLOWLY WITH MY BEING REALLY SEDENTARY...BUT DOWN ALL THE SAME. SO WITH 2 GOOD WEEKS BEHIND ME (1 ON MY OWN & 1 WITH SF ZONE FOODS) I CALLED AND PUT THE WOMEN'S PLAN ON A WEEKLY AUTOSHIP NOW. I HAVE A DR THAT TELLS ME I CAN TRY ANYTHING FOR A MONTH...AND TO STOP IF SOMETHING DRASTIC HAPPENS! LOL SO WE'LL SEE WHT THE NEXT WEEK BRINGS.
MEL'S RESULTS COMING SOON TO A THEATER NEAR YOU!