Hi, I just started the zone diet today. I'm surprised I'm not hungry. I had the bagel with cream cheese this morning (Got to get used to the taste of the zone bagel but I didn't toast it) and the bagel chips with hummus. I'm hoping this diet will help me. I'm hypothyroid and ever since no diet would work. My metabolism would just laugh at me and put on weight. I've tried many different diets and saw myself put weight on the Atkins diet, Jenny Craig, South Beach diet and many others. I actually have tried the Zone a few years ago when Dr. Sears was delivering the food to your doorstep. It was expensive but easy since I didn't have to cook anything. For the first time I lost eight pounds. I wish I was able to continue it but I couldn't afford it. I did manage to keep the weight off for a few years but have been gaining it back. So now I'm trying again. His new program is affordable so I'm hoping it'll work. I'm getting desperate.

Welcome, Jenine!

Hope you have success with the new products! I didn't have much success at all, I tried them a few months ago. However, hunger and swings with cravings seemed to be my issue, and it appears as though hunger is not an issue with you...

Have fun with it!

Hi Jenine,

Welcome to the forums. I have hypothyroidism too, and the ZoneFast 1-2-3 foods have been a huge help. I'm able to stay in the Zone better with them than I have for the last 15 years with my traditional Zone meals. To my surprise, after maintaining my 100 pound weight loss for a lot of years, when I began eating the Zone foods last year, I quickly became much leaner, dropping over 15 more pounds of fat. Here's a tip. Zone Labs recommends either toasting the breads, rolls and bagels or freshening them by microwaving for about 10 seconds (go according to the best time for your microwave). You should try the 1-2-3 recipes on this site. They’re really good. And, they’re quick and easy to make. To see more meal ideas you can check out the photo album in my signature. The photos look best (full screen) if you view them as a slideshow. You might have to start your own photobucket account to view full screen photos as a slideshow, but that's free and easy to do. I’ve also been keeping ZoneFast 1-2-3 journals of my meals. You can find them here:

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

http://www.zonediet.com/Community/F...aspx#55799



I'll be happy to help if you have questions about the ZoneFast1-2-3 plan and food.

Good luck to you!

Hi Jenine,
I am new too. I just wanted to say hi. I am really getting a lot of support from this website and reading you note helped me too! AM

Thanks everyone, I'm hoping the products help me. Thanks Sue for the tip on toasting the bread. It does taste a lot better. I'm going to check out the other meals and yours. I'll keep you updated on weight loss.

Good Luck Ann Marie, I'm glad to know the website gives a lot of support.

Hi , Im new too. And will be quietly lurking in the background trying to figure out if I can do this.

Hi Donna, welcome! Just jump in and begin. You'll find eating in the Zone becomes second nature in no time. I'll be happy to help if you have questions.

Welcome Donna :-) !

Hi I am new too, actually just signed up on the site and am reading all I can so I can start the diet. I have just recently been diagnosed with hypothyroidism after having packed on 50 pounds. This diet was highly recommended for hypothyroid disease so I have decided to give it a try. Excited to get started!

Welcome Brenda! I have hypothyroidism and I've been very successful with the Zone. I'll be glad to help if you have questions. Good luck to you!

I'm so new, I haven't even received my package yet! Over the past 4 years, I lost 70 pounds doing the Medifast program. However, over the past year or so, I've put back 20 pounds. I couldn't stand the thought of eating another MF meal! I've been playing around with low carb, but I need more structure. And it doesn't help that I'm 55 y/o and just can't seem to loose an ounce. I really hope I'm going to be able to do this. I'm so confused about 1-2-3, blocks of things, how to put the food I'm going to receive together with food from the grocery store!!!! Am I putting the cart before the horse in not waiting until I receive my package and read the information??? I ordered the two week ZoneFast package. Please help. Thanks in advance.

Marsha

Hi Marsha,

No worries with this plan. You'll be eating normal meals made of real food. It's very easy. Your two week package will come with a sample weekly plans, info about grocery additions and also some recipes. It's the same recipes and grocery info found here on this site on these pages:

http://www.zonediet.com/GroceryAddi...fault.aspx

http://www.zonediet.com/Tools/ZoneF...fault.aspx


This page will also give you good ideas:

http://www.zonediet.com/TypicalZone...fault.aspx



No worries about weight loss adn you age, either. I'm a few years older than you and ZoneFast 1-2-3 works great for me. I've been keeping journals here in the forums , and I've also posted some of my recipes . You can find them here (note, you'll see a couple extra snacks in my day because I need to eat closer to the men's requirements in order to support my higher than average LBM and activity level):

http://www.zonediet.com/Community/F...aspx#56008

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


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


For more meal ideas you can look at my ZoneFast meal photo album. Just click on the pizza photo in my signature to get to the album. It's best viewed as full screen as a slideshow.

I'll be happy to help if you have questions. Good luck, and have fun with it!

Good morning Sue:

Thank you so much! I can see just from reading the boards for one day that you're going to be a great resource and source of information. I can't wait to get my package. I ordered yesterday. I live on Long Island in New York. Any idea what the turn-around is? And should I be going over the food list and stocking up my fridge with some staples? I was thinking fresh veggies, organic strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and low fat Greek style yogurt and 2% milk. Sound like a good plan?

Have a great Friday. =D

Marsha

Hi Marsha,

You're welcome! Turn around time is pretty fast. You'll probably get it today or tomorrow depending on what time of day you ordered yesterday. A friend of mine in Staten Island gets her's the next day; I'm in CT and get mine the second day after ordering.

Stocking up on those basics is an excellent idea. Have a nice weekend Marsha. The weather's supposed to be beautiful!

Hi Sue:

I received my package today and I'm so excited to get started tomorrow. I opened the box, put the breads, etc in the fridge and started reading the materials enclosed. I'm very confused. I expected there to be a two week meal planner so that I would know exactly what to eat. There is a booklet with recipes but no meal planner. I don't know how to start. I figured out that I'm an 11/11/11 but I have no idea what to do with that information. This seems extremely difficult and complicated. Also, I drink 1 fairly large coffee per day (it's probably 16 ounces of hazelnut decaf with 3 tablespoons of half and half and Splenda. Can I continue to use the half and half? Help me please!

Thanks.

Marsha

Great, you got it!

The 2 week planner I received was not elaborate, just oen page with simple suggestions. Here's one of the sample days, to give you an idea:

Breakfast: Toast with 1 tablespoon cashew butter

Lunch: Lemon Hummus Avocado Sandwich

Snack: Cookies

Dinner: Fusilli with Red Clam Sauce

The lunch and dinner are both Zone recipes you can find in the TOOLS tab on this site, and I think they're also in the info that came with your food.

Follow the suggestions on the "Grocery Additions" page here and you can't go wrong: http://www.zonediet.com/GroceryAddi...fault.aspx

Enjoy your new meals!

Good morning Sue:

Thanks for the quick reply. How about the decaf coffee with half and half. Can I still use the half and half?

For breakfast this morning I was thinking of having a toasted bagel with light whipped cream cheese, turkey bacon and strawberries. If the bagel is a complete 2 block, am I allowed to have 1 tablespoon of light cream cheese, 3 strips of turkey bacon and 1 cup of strawberries? Does that make a complete 3 block breakfast?

I want this to work for me so I want to be sure I'm doing everything correctly! Thanks so much.

Marsha

Oops, I forgot to reply to the half and half. :-) I'd cut that amount in half if you can, or use 2 T at the most.

Your breakfast looks fine, though it's a little higher in fat with both the bacon and the cream cheese together (turkey bacon contains more fat than most Zone low fat proteins; just go easy with it).

If you're doing the 1-2-3 plan, don’t bother to try to apply blocks to it. Part of the ease and convenience of 1-2-3 is that you don't need to do all the counting and measuring of the block plan. It's all figured out for you as long as you follow the info on the Grocery Additions page. You have the average woman's 11 block requirement. Eating a 1-2-3 plan breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner, as recommended in the sample I posted, will give you the correct amount for the average woman. I don't count. Just take care not to go much over the suggested portion sizes on the Grocery Additions page.

Keep asking questions if you have any. I'll be glad to help!

Have a nice Sunday.

Hi Sue:

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'll cut the half & half and maybe I'll have the smoked salmon sandwich from the recipe page.

Have a great day.

Marsha

Welcome Marsha! I'm fairly new to the Zone as well and just want you to know that you have lots of friends here. It's so helpful to me to be able to "chat" about my daily experiences with people who are doing pretty much the same thing I am. Keep in touch. Your successes and challlenges help us all! Claire

Marsha,

You're welcome. A smoked salmon sandwich makes a great breakfast too. As long as it's not farmed salmon, it contains a much better type of fat than turkey bacon. Wild salmon is the best choice. :-)



Claire and Marsha,

It's great that you're both sharing your info here in the Forums. Our experiences are helping many readers here. Have a fun Sunday!

<div class='NTForums_Quote'>Posted By Claire on 05/16/2010 9:17 AM

Welcome Marsha! I'm fairly new to the Zone as well and just want you to know that you have lots of friends here. It's so helpful to me to be able to "chat" about my daily experiences with people who are doing pretty much the same thing I am. Keep in touch. Your successes and challlenges help us all! Claire</div>

Hi Claire:

Thanks for the welcome. It's so nice to meet you. Would you mind posting some of your daily menues? I've been scouring Sue's journal and have gotten some great ideas but I don't think you can have too many! I'm planning on asking Sue to look at my day today to let me know if I'm on track. I was totally scared and freaked out this morning until I saw Sue's response to my post from last night but today has been so much fun!

Hope you're having a great Sunday.

Take care,

Marsha

Hi Sue:

Hope you're having a great Sunday and that the weather in Connecticut is as lovely as it is here on Long Island! Would you mind taking a look at my day today? Please let me know if I'm making good choices or where I should do something differently.

Here's what I've eaten so far today:

B - plain bagel, toasted with 15 grams (1 tablespoon - I like to measure by weight. It keeps me honest!) of TJ's light whipped cream cheese, 1 slice of TJ's turkey bacon and 92 grams (3/4 cup) of raspberries

L - 170 grams (3/4 cup) TJ's 2% Greek-style yogurt, 1 package granola and 76 grams (that finished up a 6 ounce container) of raspberries

It's only 3:14 right now, but this is what I'm planning for dinner:

D - Roasted Vegetable Orzo

Should I be adding a salad or a side dish of another veggie to my dinner?

S - Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thank you so much!

Marsha

Sue:

I forgot to ask, is it okay to have sugar free Jello cups? Haven't had any today, just want to know.

Thanks!

Marsha

Yes Marsha, it's beautiful outside here today!

Your menu looks fine. I'd say stick with the 1/2 cup of yogurt as suggested, but please don't stress over eating the 3/4 cup; it's not a biggie. :-)

No, you don't have to eat a veggie side with "Roasted Veggie Orzo", but it's fine to eat one if you'd like to. Funny, we're having that recipe for dinner here tonight!

My biggest suggestions to you would be to relax and to stop weighing your food. Weighing your food is not necessary.