Hi Christie

 

So sorry to hear about your parents.  They are so young to be going through those complications.  I hope that there will be some improvement soon for them both.

 

30 lbs is awesome.  You have done very well and are dedicated so I am confident you will reach your goals of weight loss and health.

 

I have Dr Sears’ Toxic Fat book but would not pass it on to my friend.  She is keen to do WW.  I have spoken to her about the importance of protein and fish oil.  She does listen.  I have also spoken to her about her consumption of chocolate, alcohol, lollies and chips …..  Maybe when she sees me loosing weight she might come around.

 

I have been back on the Zone for a week and have lost 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) and cant wait to hit the 30 lbs mark like you!

Cranberrycat - good piece of advice, I'll try that. I usually try to eat it an hour before bed, but since once I get in bed to "read" I'm fast asleep it doesn't usually work that way! I'll try it earlier and see what happens.

Sue - I was glad for those results. It made me feel more comfortable about the glucose aspect. We're re-checking in 3 months but I would guess it will still be good and hopefully even better!

Margaret - I understand about your friend. I think you are handling it beautifully by giving her some information but allowing her to decide for herself. I hope she appreciates what a great friend she has in you! Great job on your first week back on the Zone. We can celebrate together when you reach the 30 lb mark - agreed?!

Christie, re the bedtime snack issue, a person whose insulin is in the Zone range (and presumably that includes you) is meeting their body's energy needs by burning fat (dietary fat and stored body fat), not by burning carbohydrate.  The purpose of the Zone balanced bedtime snack is to keep hormonal levels stable to prevent nocturnal hypoglycemia. 

____________________________________________

sue
Consultant of Zone Labs
Certified Zone Affiliate

Lost 100 lbs 15 yrs ago, off BP meds, thanks to the Zone diet and Zone fish oil.   ZoneFast 1-2-3 is the best!

View my Zone Fast 1-2-3 meal photos here:
http://s531.photobucket.com/albums/...3%20Meals/

View my classic Zone meal photos here:
http://s531.photobucket.com/albums/...4/?start=0

One's body does require some carbohydrate for functioning (otherwise why bother eating it at all). My point is that Christie may have some level of glucose intolerance, despite her being in the Zone. During the day, she is efficiently using up the carb that she is eating. But, it is possible that there is something in the evening that is interfering with her ability to control the glucose levels, which is causing a slight bump in the morning. By moving the snack a little earlier before bedtime, the chances of being able to efficiently use the carb in that snack are greater. And, provided that it is a zoned snack (which I assume that it is), then that should help avoid any hypoglycemia, as well.

 Hi Christie

 

When I reach the 30 lb mark you will hear me all the way from Australia!!  ha ha

My friend had her first WW weigh-in last night since using the Propoints system.  She lost 3.9 lbs!!  This was with unlimited fruits plus her daily alcohol (unlimited as well ….).  The man behind her lost 4.1 lbs.  One lady who only lost 100 grams (3.5 ozs?) said she is going to take up drinking!

 

Margaret (from Australia)

You really should encourage her to read Toxic Fat! She can be thin and still be unhealthy. And what will hapeen months or even years from now? It is still a diet and not a lifestyle, let alone a very healthy one, esp. the unlimited alcohol. All foods, except water, are either Protein, Carbohydrates, or Fat. WW and others do not realize that all that alcohol is a Carbohydrate in the body. Even allof the software and websites treat (for example) 4 oz of red wine as almost nothing (like 2 g of Carbs) instead of about 9 g of Carbs as Dr. Sears states.

You really should encourage her to read Toxic Fat! She can be thin and still be unhealthy. And what will happen months or even years from now? It is still a diet and not a lifestyle, let alone a very healthy one, esp. the unlimited alcohol. All foods, except water, are either Protein, Carbohydrates, or Fat. WW and others do not realize that all that alcohol is a Carbohydrate in the body. Even all of the software and websites treat (for example) 4 oz of red wine as almost nothing (like 2 g of Carbs) instead of about 9 g of Carbs as Dr. Sears states.

Margaret,

The thing about WW that I found when I did it years ago is that I could always find a "cheat" or a workaround that fit the rules but prevented my losing weight.  I did WW back in the days of "Fat and Fiber" where you were limited to 20g of fat and had to eat at least 20g of fiber each day.  At first, seemed like a good program, I was eating lean meats and lots of fruits and veggies.  But, I soon discovered hi-carb cereals that were also high fiber (grape nuts, for example), and I ended up lacking in overall results. 

Now, if you combine the WW points system with the Zone, I am sure you would have a winner, the best of both.  I have never run into a Zone meal that didn't score well with the WW points. 

I have successfully lost weight on Weight Watchers in the past (and was even a WW Leader) ... however, I found it to be a constant struggle, always feeling like I was fighting cravings. Now I realize it was because I was eating a lot of high glycemic-load foods (certain fruits, "light" bread, "diet" desserts, etc.) and not balancing with lean protein and healthy fats. I've been on just about all of the WW variations in the past (starting in high school, back in the 70's), and experienced the same with all.

Not to mention, I regained the weight (plus more) each time, since I never learned how to eat in a way that I could sustain for the long-term.

Laurie

Margaret,

I know from personal experience how tightly people hold on to their own "diet" knowledge though, so I can sympathize with you about what a touchy subject of conversation that might be between your friend and yourself.
In my experience though, I have to second what Laurie's said about so-called "successful" WW weight loss. On WW, people will lose weight but they REALLY seem to struggle with hunger constantly which in the zone, if done right, is not an issue.
Also, I second what Sue said about non zone calorie restriction working up to a point but eventually leveling off to a standstill, which is also not the case with the zone. For example, my cousin Sara and I are one year apart in age- she's 26 and I'm 27. We have almost identical body types (much more than my sister and myself) and the same food preferences, same food cravings, same height, same exercise preferences etc (the list could probably go on..) and we were both roundish girls in our early to mid teen years that decided to not be roundish girls anymore around the same time and found dieting at the same time and running and other exercise. Initially, we both tried all sorts of fad diets and after a while, when we were both sufficiently miserable, we settled into the traditional WW type of calorie restriction diet and massive amounts of exercise. During this time, we both slimmed down, but it was with serious amounts of effort in the form of cross country running 5-9 miles daily and severe calorie restriction that centered around only eating fruits and vegetables and low-fat bagels, cereals, pasta, etc. Furthermore, while we had slimmed down, we both still had a fair amount of "junk in the trunk" as it's so often referred to.
However, in my late teens I stumbled upon the zone and started dabbling with it at first and then ran with it full force when I read one of the zone books and was thoroughly intrigued by Dr. Sears's assertions. Within 4 months I had lost 25 lbs during the off season of cross country which meant that I was eating WAY more than I had before, while concurrently doing WAY less than I had been doing before but ended up 25 lbs lighter than before. I've been an aspiring zoner ever since. In contrast, my cousin Sara who is now a dietitian and has continued to follow the standard FDA food pyramid guidelines extremely faithfully and runs 5 miles a day, but she is 15 lbs or so heavier than I am even with her tremendous amount of work and effort otherwise. This is only my experience though, every body is different. However, that being said, I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear that the majority of people who have tried both WW and the zone have had greater, and more lasting results on the zone.

I too have been to WW in the 70s, 80s and 90s. I remember having cereal for breakfast and then being starving within an hour of eating. I hate being hungry! That is why the Zone is so good - cuts the cravings. I am on my 2nd week and have lost another 1.3 lbs (.6 kilo). I have a way to go but really need to do it. I have put on a lot of weight over the last year and am sick of it. Everyone around me is loosing so I think if they can do it so can I! I must say one positive thing about my friend - she eats tonnes of veggies and salad. She loves them. That is one thing I need to work on. I could encourage her to read the Toxic Fat book but I know she would decline. She loves WW. Hopefully she will notice my weight loss soon and I will let her know how I am eating. Just wanted to clarify something. WW does not promote alcohol, my friend is fitting it into her daily points. She uses the points for that and not protein etc. This is interesting ... I compared my Zone lunch to the WW points. Everyone can have a limit of 29 points a day. I had egg white omelette cooked in olive oil, spinach, 15 grams cheese, orange, 1/3 banana. I think all up it would have been 2 points .... Egg whites, fruit, veggies are 0 points.

LOL--see what I mean? Every single zone meal that I have ever made has always measured up very well with regard to zone points! FYI on alcohol, it DOES have its place. Putting the Zone aside, moderate consumption of 1-2 drinks per day is beneficial for cardiovascular health. Some people are not able to tolerate alcohol in the Zone, as it acts as a liquid carb does. But, if it is tolerated, it should be fine to use accompanied by protein and fat.

Cranberrycat - that's such a good point. As I found out with grapes - you can have a good choice as listed on the list that your personal body system may not like as well. For some people they may need to avoid some things entirely while others can have more flexibility and still stay in the Zone.

Maybe it is obvious; but treat alcohol, even beneficial 4 oz of red wine - as an unfavorable carb with no more than 25% of carbs as unfavorable.

Agreed, John! I didn't flesh out my response quite enough.