I am new to the Zone (2 days) and need a buddy to talk to. I am having a really hard time witht the sugar cravings. I NEED CHOCOLATE! If anyone else is looking for a buddy please let me know

Hey, I am now on day 4 and things are getting better. I do feel really good. I started this change in lifestyle (hate to use the word "diet") to help in prevention of Dibeaties and to help with my inflamatory arthritis. I hope that this keeps going this well. Does anyone have any advise on cutting down on cooking time? I am use to eating out a lot or fixing something quick and easy such as pasta :roll: . These are hard habits to break especally when I work until 6pm and have to go home to a toddler. I want to get one of the cook books (ex: Zone Meals in Minutes) Is there one that anyone recomends over the other. Well all have a great day :D

[quote:37fb99d50b="tlsvols"] I want to get one of the cook books (ex: Zone Meals in Minutes) Is there one that anyone recommends over the other. [/quote:37fb99d50b] I like the "Can do" section of Zone Meals in Seconds. There are many easy recipes in there. I really like Kristy Walker 's ZonePerfect CookBook. She has a wide variety of recipes. Some are easy if you substitute some canned or frozen foods for fresh. Others will take you an hour to prepare. They are numbered by degree of difficulty. I like her "venison chili", but I use 92% lean ground beef instead of the venison and my own variations on chili peppers. Most of the ZonePerfect CookBook's recipes are for single, three-block servings. I have to do the math to convert these to multiple servings. The Sears cook book recipes are usually for four, four-block servings. I also like to throw a bunch of chopped vegetables in a big pot and braise them in olive oil. It only takes a few minutes to chop them up and cook them this way. For protein with my vegetables, I cook enough meat on the grill to last me four or five days. Then I portion it up into four-ounce servings and reheat it in the microwave.

[quote:31b3eab5c2="tlsvols"]...... I work until 6pm and have to go home to a toddler. I want to get one of the cook books (ex: Zone Meals in Minutes) Is there one that anyone recomends over the other.[/quote:31b3eab5c2] [color=darkred:31b3eab5c2] Hi, I highly recommend the book Dan already mentioned, "Zone Meals in Seconds" (not to be confused with Zone Meals in Minutes"). The recipes in "seconds " are more convenient, and less time consuming to make. It even has a chapter of crock pot recipes. In addition it presents the Zone in an easy to understand way. I have a bunch of tips to use to simplify things and cut down on meal preparation time. I'm in a hurry now, but will post these soon in this thread. :) [/color:31b3eab5c2]

Thanks for the tips :D . I have never been much of a cook so it kind of intemadates me. I will look for those books.