Hi. I am new to the zone & have just read "A week in the Zone". The book provides sample meals & ideas but can any of you 'veterans' give samples of your daily meals/snacks? My goals is develop a group of sample menus that I can mix/match for variety. I am eating 11 blocks now & my exercise level is very low (just had back surgery) but once I am recovered my exercise will be in the 'active' zone & I plan to re-evaluate my blocks.

Hi Crista! I'm wishing you a good recovery from surgery.


I have lots of sample meals and snacks on this site, in 4 different places.


1. Click on the photo of the shrimp and other foods in my signature; it's a link to meal photos and descriptions.


2. http://www.zonediet.com/Community/F...fault.aspx


3. http://www.zonediet.com/Community/F...fault.aspx


4. http://www.zonediet.com/Community/F...fault.aspx

Hi, I am rather new to all this wonderful information. I have the blocks sorted but don't know anything about the pre-breakfast block and exercise can someone explain please..
thanks Roby. nz

Hi Roby,

It's important to stay 'in the Zone' 24/7. In order to do that, if you plan to exercise before breakfast you'd eat a balanced Zone snack prior to exercising.

thanks for the reply, just seem to be sitting stable and need a push at the moment, any ideas.

You're welcome. It would be tough to give ideas without more details about what you're doing. A good place to start is to review the Zone material to be sure you're eating the right amount for your needs, and that you're following the plan correctly. Make sure to drink enough water. The daily recommendation is to drink at least the number of ounces of water equal to 1/2 your weight in pounds (for example, a person who weighs 150 pounds would drink at least 75 ounces of water a day). Also, drink 1 cup of water for each cup of tea, coffee, or diet soda you drink, because of their diuretic effects.

I received the routine email from Zonediet.com and found myself browsing through these postings. I read about Kimberly's difficulties staying in the zone, and I discussed it with a friend I train with at the gym. I also went back to 'Mastering the Zone', which I consider the clearest and most accessible of the books (I've given out several copies to loved ones), and I came up with this answer to Kimberly's issues.

Before I provide it, please allow me to qualify myself. Before the Zone, I went from 27% or so bodyfat to about 19%. With the Zone, I've taken it as low as 11%. I'm currently around 13%.

By the way, we all know that you can't really measure bodyfat on living things, right? You can only approximate. To get a completely accurate reading, you'd have to disect a body and weigh its parts. I mention that only to remind us that we're always figuring out our numbers, but they are really only estimates.

I'll give a little more numerical info on myself. I went from roughly 178 to 155 without the Zone, then have taken it to as low as 130 on the Zone. I'm currently about 133. The change in my waistline, well, that's major. I went from wearing a 36 or 37 to fitting into size 30 jeans. I've been in the Zone since 2007, and I'm very happy here. By the way, I don't have any undressed 'before' pictures. Plenty of 'after'. In the 'before' pictures I have, my clothes are on, but you can see the weight just by looking at my face. Now I have cheekbones. If you want to know what I look like, my website is IvanBorodin.com.

Okay, enough qualification. Let me explain where I believe Kimberly has gone wrong. I do this not to step on any of the previous poster's toes. In fact, I'm a reluctant poster. But thinking about Kimberly's issues has helped me with some of my own recent mistakes.

Please allow me to quote from the man himself, Dr. Barry Sears.

Level 1: Bronze - 'What-Your-Grandmother-Told-You-Rules' Rule No. 2 Eat more fruits and vegetables, and less pasta, grains, and starches during the day.

Kimberly, I believe you are breaking that rule with regularity. Because of that, you aren't staying in the Zone. I think you have taken the endorsement of 'Zone' bagels and pizza as an exception to the most basic Zone rules. The Zone is based on the Mediterranean Diet, meaning it has to be centered around salads and cooked vegetables. My advice, actually Dr. Sears' advice, is to drop those bagels, bagel chips and pizzas and use the menu discussed in 'Mastering the Zone.' I imagine the 'Zone' pizzas and bagels can work in a pinch, but there is no getting around the wording of Bronze rule # 2 - 'less pasta, breads, grains and starches'.

Okay, now my personal take on your fruit choices and the question of fruits vs. vegetables. Here's where I'm stepping into anecdotal territory, and I'm well aware of that. Deep breath. I love blueberries, but they've never filled me up. Never. In fact, I've only gotten hungrier eating them. Blueberries, in my opinion, are the bubble gum of the fruit world. You could chew them all day, you aren't going to feel full. I feel similarly about blackberries and even strawberries. I have no idea how to scientifically justify that explanation. I enjoy berries in moderation, but don't count on them. And about that whole fruits aren't a good for you as vegetables, I've heard that a lot, the glycemic-index is higher, blah, blah. Okay. There's nothing wrong with fruits anytime, even after six at night. I routinely have an apple and a half-cup of cottage cheese with almonds or peanuts as a 2 point late-night snack (sometimes one point just isn’t enough. Wouldn’t you agree?) I just did it as I typed this. Fruit works fine. Dr. Sears would probably back me up on that one. Try a variety and see what fills you up.

But please, Kimberly, replace those breads (I know, I know, they're 'Zone' breads, but come on, let’s face it, they're breads) with a ton of vegetables. Like Dr. Sears says, when you're eating those high volume veggies, it's actually difficult to consume too many carbohydrates. Anyone can eat a cup of pasta, but try eating 6 cups of brocolli.

Just to reinforce the point, Dr. Sears basically repeats himself in his Level 3: Gold 'Now-I-Have-To-Do-Some-Hormonal-Thinking Rules, Rule No. 1. Make sure most of your carbohydrates come from fruits and vegetables, and use grains, starches, pasta and breads as condiments. Try to keep grains, starches, pasta and bread to no more than 25 percent of the total carbohydrates consumed at a meal.

By my count, that's three times he's said more of less the same thing. And that's just the back cover of the book. Within the book, the repetition must number in the dozens. It's the most important aspect of the Zone diet.

And one more thing about Zone foods. I love Zone bars. I love them like I love the fourth quarter of a game seven. But I usually won't buy them. Why? The only time I ever gained weight while following the Zone diet was when I tried replacing meals at home with Zone bars. I'll only choose a Zone bar when I'm out and don't have time to organize a proper meal. That's what the Zone food products should be used for. For dealing with inconvenient situations. Throw a Zone Bagel in your suitcase for an afternoon snack on the job. But never choose processed food over a salad you make at home.

You know, I hope that Zonediet.com doesn't delete or remove my discussions of their products. I've used the Fish Oil for years. I'm trying the cognitive vitamins. I think their products rule. I just don't think a Zone bagel can beat my lunch today- Cooked chicken breast, a bed of mixed greens, chopped celery, carrots, mushrooms, Thai dressing with peanuts and an apple for dessert. And you know what? I don't think Dr. Sears intended Zone pasta to replace anything but regular pasta. And his biggest point, which he makes over and over again; replace pasta with vegetables.

Now, here's another rule you're breaking, Kimberly.

Level 3: Gold 'Now-I-Have-To-Do-Some-Hormonal-Thinking Rules' - Number 3. Always eat a Zone breakfast within one hour of rising.

You're not doing that. You're having a Zone snack, which is rule number 5. Always have a small Zone snack thirty minutes before you exercise.

A Zone breakfast, according to 'Mastering the Zone', is a 4 point, Zone-orchestrated meal. If you start your day off with only a 1-point pittance, how could you expect to feel full? I know I couldn't.

In ‘Mastering the Zone’, Dr. Sears draws up a dietary game plan that is both basic and effective. He draws it up like this 4-4-1-4-1. Meaning you have Breakfast, Lunch, a snack, Dinner, a late-night snack. Why not try that out? I wouldn’t even sweat the slight difference in points. I mean, what if you’re ‘supposed’ to eat 13 points, and you eat 14 instead? With all the exercise you’re doing, you’ll be fine. And if you start off the first 4 hours of your day with a 4 point breakfast, then a 4 point lunch, well, you’ll be operating on a full tank. Imagine eating 8 points by Noon. It sounds filling, doesn’t it?

Consider working out later in the day. Or at least until after you've digested a full breakfast. I know, I know, first things first. It's just that, you're facing a problem that many athletes face. Early morning workouts on a practically empty stomach can actually lead to weight gain, because they can put your brain in a state of deprivation that it may take all day to recover from. In the meantime, the hunger doesn't die down.

Before I get an inbox full of hate mail from all the morning joggers out there, let me say that morning exercise obviously works for some people. It just hasn't usually worked out for me (unless I’ve eaten a lot the night before), and most importantly here, it doesn't seem to be working out for Kimberly. And helping Kimberly is the whole point of this epic post.

Ivan Borodin * March 24th 2010 * IvanBorodin.com

Hi Robynne,

The first thing I would recommend would be to read A Week in the Zone by Dr. Barry Sears. You can also find a wealth of information on drsears.com

We can help you out here. Let's start with our Body Fat Calculator to determine the amounts of blocks you should be utilizing...
http://www.drsears.com/ZoneResource...fault.aspx

While eating in the Zone, meal timing is critical. Try to eat 5 X a day, 3 meals and 2 snacks. A snack should hold you 1-2 hrs while a meal will hold 4-5 hrs. You should eat on schedule even though you may not be hungry. If you are hungry, you need to make some hormonal adjustments
http://www.drsears.com/portals/6/Do...lchart.pdf

thanks for all this support. I usually have a 2 block breakfast then 1 2 hrs later. Would I be better having 3 breakfast.

Hi Ivan -- thanks for your post! I know we all respond differently, but I find that the Zone works best for me when I follow the same guidelines you've detailed so clearly. Interestingly, I respond the same way to berries and apples as you've described -- apples hold me far better and longer.

Laurie

Hi Laurie -- thank you for the welcoming post. If we ever meet in person, I'll be sure to put out a bowl of apples.

I think the key with this diet, like many things in life, is to stick with the basics. Reading this last month's posts sent me back to the Dr. Sears' 'Mastering the Zone', and that has really helped me stay on track.

Would like to hear about a my recent mistake? A real guffaw that dropkicked me out of the Zone?

Pastries. You know, I brought my bodyfat down to 11% this year, a first for me, so I figured I could afford to experiment. I study Chinese, and I found myself in Chinatown in Los Angeles, where I live. Well, I picked up a dozen or so bean buns, a taro cake or two, and decided to work them into my diet. So for lunch, let's say, I'd have a chicken salad (all protein), and then a sesame bun (carbs and fats.) Yum, and sort of Zone, right?

Well, how do you think that worked out?

If you guessed that it led to a carbohydrate binge, then you guessed correctly. I repeated the mistake with Armenian pastries as well. I mean, what's next? Ordering a pizza and seeing how to make it Zone?

I mean, you can step out of the Zone now and then. Dr. Sears even suggests that you occasionally have that bowl of pasta, but if you're making that part of your actual diet, then you're not going to get the results the Zone promises.

My point here is, and it's one I think we all need to remember, is that there is no substitute for going by the book. A palm of lean protein, two fists of favorable carbohydrates, a thumb of fat.

Thanks again for the greeting. By the way, Laurie, I'm quite impressed with your numbers. What an achievement!

Ivan Borodin * March 25th 2010 * IvanBorodin.com

Roby,

Re "I usually have a 2 block breakfast then 1 2 hrs later. Would I be better having 3 breakfast."

Either way should be fine for the Zone. See which way you feel best, and that will be the better way for you.

Sue-
you are amazing.so knowledgeable in the "zone".i feel much better already.the imflamation in my upper body has gone down alot!!!!!
Tammy

Excellent Tammy. I'm very happy for you! Glad I could help. :-)

Ivan, thanks for taking the time to respond to my post. I have read and reread what you posted. You have given me some things to think about.

I don't eat bread, pasta etc. on a regular basis. I have been eating a superzone bagel with peanut butter and 2 egg whites after I workout and it holds me for about 3 hours. That is it for the grain carbs for the most part. I may have superzone bagel chips here or there but that is it. I find when I eat a zone snack before I workout, I am hungrier after my breakfast. When I skip the snack, the breakfast holds me for three hours. I can only workout in the morning but I will try to eat breakfast before I eat and see how it works for me.

I have been adding more veggies to my zone meals. I have also purchased more apples and will try them in place of berries. I am sensitive to the glycemic values of fruit for sure. It is all related to my carb sensitivity. I have never been full on any fruit I have eaten and some veggies. I am going to try the 4-4-1-4-1 or mix it with some threes to see how I feel. Maybe, I just need more protein and fat. I may do the 4 blocks of p and f but keep the carbs to three. I guess I will have to experiment with it which can be a pain at times. But, I don't want to gain any weight so I have to be careful.

I am super carb sensitive. I just recently noticed that my fat free cottage cheese has 9 grams of carbs which means that I should have been counting it as one carb and haven't been. Because of my sensitivity, I cut my fruit carbs to two when eating it with the cottage cheese but I am still craving carbs after I eat that for lunch even with added nuts for more fat. So, now I have to cut my fruit carb to one and with the cottage cheese being one carb, I may get in the zone with that meal.

I will try the two block snack because I do eat the cottage cheese, fruit and nuts for snack and that one block usually does nothing for me.

What are cognitive vitamins? Are they a brand or??

Being a woman, I really feel that depending on the time of the month and the age we are has a lot to do with if I can get and stay in the zone. I sometimes feel that it is a constant hormone battle. Ladies, out there, if you have any insights to that please post!!

I do apologize for any typos as I am running my business while typing this and I may have missed something. Thanks!

Thanks for taking the time to read my post, Kimberly. Like I mentioned, reading yours helped me, because I was slipping into some grey areas and wondering why I wasn't getting positive results. Going back to the basics cleared it up for me.

I wonder what kind of carbohydrates are you craving?. I mean, we all say, 'I'm craving carbohydrates', but I know exactly what I'm thinking about- another handful of grapes, a chocolate cake or a Chinese bean bun, heated in the oven. You know what I'm talking about? I'm just wondering what you're hankering for.

I've heard something along the lines that when you crave sugar, your body is actually running low on protein. Does anyone have an informed viewpoint on that one?

You know what I'm afraid of? I'm afraid of going to a bakery, filling up a box, and knocking it out in one sitting. So I'm always willing to give myself that extra Zone block, provided I'm not going too far above my daily allowance. When I read your initial post, I thought to myself, she needs to eat more, and eat earlier. No, I'm not a grandmother trying to fatten you. I just know from my own experience that it's better to eat right than to flirt with deprivation, which I've learned can lead to a binge. So if you face that choice between 3 or 4 blocks, I say choose 4. Choose being full. Choose satisfaction. Especially as it is a balanced meal.

The 'cognitive' vitamins I'm trying are offered on this website. They're actually called 'Cognitive Support'. I can't speak with any authority about them at this point, as I've only been taking them for a few weeks. I'm taking them to support my serotonin production. I'm hoping that they keep my mood level. Like anyone in a big city (I live in Los Angeles), I have gotten stressed out, and I wondered if I was facing a deficit in serotonin, which I understand feeds 'pleasure' hormones' to the brain. Hey, if the vitamins don't help, I'll just go back to dark chocolate.

Best of luck.

Ivan Borodin * March 26th 2010 * IvanBorodin.com

I guess you could say that when I crave or carb out as I call it, it is usually for sugar or some type of grainy sweet treat. I would really like to hear from anyone who knows if it is because of me running low on protein. It would explain things a little.

I wonder if I can call someone at Zone to get an answer or Sue, do you know if this might be the case?

You are right about eating the extra block. It is better than going off. I usually don't give in to the cravings, I just drink more water, have a zone snack and try to hold off until it is time to eat again.

I saw those vitamins and thought about trying them myself but I am interested in hearing from others who have tried them to see what kind if any results they are seeing.

Thanks! Best of luck to you as well. Please post again about the vitamins with any results you might be seeing.

I have also read of folks having some success with 1 or 2 tablets of Glucomannan (a fiber) by taking prior to eating.

I have really enjoyed reading this thread. I have been having my own struggles in this area. I completely agree with Ivan. I eat an extra block rather than cheat when I'm doing well. Zone bars cause near instant sugar cravings for me when eaten any time before lunch. I just seem to need the real food first (meaning unprocessed).

Thanks to everyone for all the info.
Cheers
Cleo

Thanks John, I am going to be placing a vitamin order tomorrow so your info. came at the perfect time.

Hi Cleo, the same for me with the Zone bars! I am glad that this thread is helping because I thought that I was the only one having these issues but I find that I am not alone. These forums are great!!

Good thoughts on here!

Ivan, when you say there is no substitute for good food on the zone, I believe you are exactly right on! It is the ONLY way that I have been able to succeed. I have tried all kinds of substitutes, zone bars, shakes, Zonefast food, and nothing works better than good ol' food.

Hi all,

I'm also really happy to see your posts. If you've seen any of my posts describing my struggles, it's always regarding giving in to cravings for sweets at night when I'm tired and my resistance is low. I won't bore you (or possibly trigger cravings) with listing the particular foods I tend towards, but they are right in line with what Ivan described :-) . And when I say "giving in to cravings" -- it starts with something small, but then turns into "I've blown it, so now what else can I eat". I know, NOT where I want to be in terms of my behavior, but it's my reality at the moment. The only thing I can say is that, over the past several months, I'm more in "control" of the episodes -- they're not as frequent, and I'm not eating as much (although it's still a lot). The intervals between binges are enough to undo the weight gain (it's always 3-4 pounds which comes off in about a week), so I'm maintaining my goal weight range. But regardless, the behavior is not one I'm happy with, and I'm not giving up until I get it under control. If I don't, I'm certain it will eventually slip into greater frequency, I won't be able to undo the weight gain between episodes, and my weight will start to climb all the way back to where I started (been there done that ;-) ... ).

I'm still learning about what triggers the cravings, in the hopes of taking actions to counter them before they start. So far, I've found they're definitely correlated to the following:

1. Not enough sleep -- the likelihood of a binge goes WAY up when I get less than 5 hours sleep. I'm a night-owl by nature, so often stay up way past midnight -- those hours after the kids are asleep are such great "me time". But I have to get up for kids/work at 6 am. I just need to be more disciplined about getting to bed at a reasonable hour.

2. Not enough carbs during the day -- I'm so fearful of unfavorable carbs causing cravings (which they often do) that I avoid them completely. Unfortunately, this usually results in my meals not having enough carbs and I wind up getting hungry within 2 hours, which leads to snacking throughout the day. I'm starting to add foods like high-fiber cereal (Fiber One, All-Bran) to my cottage cheese or yogurt, and it's really helping.

3. "Sweet" foods -- even Zone bars give me a mental craving for more sweets. Interestingly, I lost my weight (see signature) on a modified Zone program with a very limited carb list -- all nutrition bars and artificially sweetened products (even sugar-free jello) were off limits. Once sweets (even artificially sweetened) were out of my system, my cravings for them disappeared. Now that I'm at my goal weight, I "can" eat those foods, but as soon as I introduced them back into my diet, the binges started. So, as much as I love sweets, I need to avoid them for now. One day, I hope to be able to eat them in moderation, but I'm not there yet.

4. Making sure to eat after exercise -- although I'm not hungry immediately after exercising, I need to eat something within an hour, otherwise hunger hits me like a ton of bricks later on, and the chances of making unfavorable Zone choices goes way up.

Keep in mind, we're all different, so these may not apply to you, but I thought it might give you some ideas.

Thanks again for all your posts -- I can't tell you how helpful they've been!

Laurie

Thanks for sharing your info Laurie. You're doing a very good job at identifying and addressing your needs. In case you didn't realize, most of the things on your list are basic Zone principles. Once you master them you should see a big difference (enough sleep, eating the appropriate carbohydrate foods in the right amounts for your particular Zone balance needs and eating either a meal or snack after exercise).

Congratulations for maintaining your weight loss for almost a year and a half! You can do this. Wish you all the best! :-)

Hi Sue -- yep, I'm SO stubborn though -- I've unfortunately had to be hit over the head with the principles by repeated trial and error ;-) .

Also to all -- something VERY important I also wanted to mention. The single MOST important thing for me to do after overeating is to FORGIVE and FORGET. I try to look at it objectively, and learn something from the experience (what led up to it, how was I feeling before and during, etc.). Then, I put it behind me, close the door on it, and move on. I do NOT let myself feel guilty (which is hard, but I'm getting much better at it), because when I start getting down on myself, I'm much more likely to overeat. When I'm feeling good about myself, it's MUCH easier to stay on track. So I try to get back to those good feelings as quickly as I can. Making good Zone food choices and exercising gets me back to that good mental place :-).

Laurie