Greetings all. I came to know the Zone Diet through the typical Christmas book gift given to me in 1999. It changed my life and made more sense than anything I had ever encountered before. I was convinced I had found my ticket to a long life of health and vitality every topic Dr. Sears discussed spoke directly to me it seemed.

What followed was a revamp of my diet and a keen understanding of how the effects of food can effect every moment of life. I saw instantly how a high carb plate of my favorite pasta or a wonderful dessert would hit me later negatively after its consumption. That relaxed feeling of well being came over me after I spent a couple of days following the pattern of 40-30-30 and it seemed I had found a mystic wonderful key to life. Further my Polynesian background and genetic disposition seemed to respond incredibly well with the Zone. The fish oil's were like some magic pill handed straight from the heavens, my wife started using them as well as kids. All was well the world made perfect sense.

Something inside my body is aligned to self destruct appetite wise however. I could only maintain the program for the most 5 days before slipping away, be it a night out on the town, sweets placed upon a counter, a social night out on the town. something somehow would derail the efforts.

For me I was never able to lower my appetite, the same insatiable need for comfort food was always there. Perhaps I could stave it off for a few days under the momentum of commitment and belief that the Zone was the way, but ultimately failure lurked around the corner.

Time and time again. I would start strong for a few days but fail. Understanding that the system is forgiving and one can get back on easily I would not get discouraged and try again. Years have passed now. Its obvious there are other factors in me that are causing my demise.

The lasting positives in the midst of all my failures is the idea that at least each time I devour a meal I do think about trying to make it Zone friendly. Even if its a proportion fit for a bear I will automatically try to mix the carbs with protein to give myself some sense of control. Fruitless it seems as my meals are often to large and will never fill my hunger I still try and find some sliver of comfort in knowing I'm conscious of what it takes.

Pro-active as I am I have gone the psychology route as well. but that has only educated me on the fact I have a problem with food, it has not given me tools to conquer the issue. The only thing that has ever helped me with appetite was Phen-phen, with that I had complete control of the issue.

I still proclaim this method of eating as the best way to a vibrant life. I just wish I could implement it.

John in Torrance, Ca

John, you might like to try ZoneFast 1-2-3 foods. Good luck!

John,

I hear you all the way! Sounds exactly like me.

I have never found a better eating plan than this, and I do believe that it is the way to go. I feel totally my best when I eat in the Zone. although I do struggle with the hunger part at times, as you said. And, there are times that I just can't turn down something else that is put in front of me (donuts brought in to work, etc). However, I should also say that my saving grace there is that once I take a bite or 2, I usually feel let down by the overwhelming sweetness, or maybe it just wasn't what I was expecting. I guess that keeps me from overeating it, but not always!

And, of course, there are moments in my life that always present to derail me. Today, for instance, my daughter's birthday party. It wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it wasn't perfect, either.

I can't say that I have been extremely successful from this angle (emotional eating), but the important thing is that we try and try. And, just think about how far along we are, as opposed to where we could be if we hadn't started Zoning all of those years ago. I figure that if I hadn't started zoning, I would most definitely be diabetic by now. But, I have been able to avoid this diagnosis following the Zone lifestyle.

I try to stay away from guilting myself over what I ate that didn't belong in my diet. Just moving forward, not looking back.

BTW, I don't eat the Zone products. I tried them and was of no help to me at all. I had no more control over my hunger than I had with classic zone, and so I continue to eat classic zone, whole foods, avoiding processed foods as much as I can.

John

Your story really touched me. I am sure there are so many people struggling in the same way as you and myself. Thank you for posting your story. I agree with CC about the the Zone 1-2-3 foods. Some are ok but others just dont satisfy me. I have had a problem with eating chocolate forever. My naturopath said eating chocolate was an emotional response. Now if I could just work out what I am emotional about. My father left us when I was 11. Of course there was hurt there but I am not sure if that is it .... He used to buy my sister and I chocolates - could that be the connection? Why do I buy them in the first place? They are in the house so of course I am going to eat them - then I feel guilty. I am learning that I have to be very organised and make sure I have all the ingredients to make Zone meals. Then I am not looking around for the chocolates. I am trying an alkaline regime as well as the Zone at the moment. I am pretty sure I have gout in my wrist and I want so much to get rid of it before I return to work in a couple of weeks. Different foods affect the body in different ways and we just have to experiment to see what is right for us. I have found out that pasta doesnt like me! So if we go out for a meal I just skip that section of the menu entirely and go straight to the protein and then build on that. Why are all the yummy things bad for us!! ha ha

CC

I know what you mean about how hard it is with morning teas at work, birthday parties or special occasions. I can actually say no to doughnuts etc. I did this after reading someone saying ..... it is hard saying "no" the first time, then each time after that it gets easier and easier. I just think of all those sweet things as "poison". Remember that book I was talking about Sweet Poison. Sugar is poison - it is empty calories that are bad for you. It is good when people bring other things like dips, crackers, cheese - I always stick with these. Yes, I should say the same thing about the chocolate but for some reason like John - it is the hardest thing to do - there is a real mental block there.

Margaret, I totally agree, and I remind myself every day of the poison set forth in front of me. But, the attachment to it still does not go away. I can say out loud that it is bad for me, yet the temptation to eat even a little bite is still there.

Knowing that it is bad and acting upon it are so different.

I like your statement about the "emotional" attachment to chocolate, yet still wondering what you are emotional about! LOL and I totally agree!

I've found that the 1 Zone product I swear by are the Zone Perfect bars. They are reasonably priced at Sams club if you can buy in bulk (I pay less for 2 12 packs at Sams that 1 12 pack at GNC). They have two amazing dark chocolate flavors and for someone who's gone through diet after diet ever since I was a kid, I've been able to stick to Zone Diet for three weeks now. I just started in in conjunction with a program / challenge at my gym. I lost in one week the 10 pounds that I've been battling for at least 2 years. I have always been active so I'm sure the zone diet is the biggest player in finally busting through pounds I haven't been able to loose in ages.

I suppose for me what works when I have those cravings is 1.) to incorporate 1 of those zone bars into a meal or 1/2 a bar into a snack, 2.) while not ideal because of the artificial sweater if it's been an outrageous day, I have a caffeine free diet coke (I know, living on the edge here!), or 3.) channel it into something to remove me from my house / kitchen - an extra class at the gym, a walk with a friend, etc. I had a friend that told me when he was trying to alter a diet he just had to tell himself when those cravings came "Stay strong, eventually these cravings will pass" even if it meant telling himself that a hundred times. I also had a lady at the gym share that what gets her through sometimes is looking at not feeding that craving as a badge of honor that's making her better, stronger, healthier, etc and getting her to her goals quicker by not caving.

We all know that it's something that is ALWAYS there and hard but hopefully some of that helps! And, if you slip up once or twice, you can't beat yourself up on that. Tomorrow's another day and an opportunity to be a stronger person. And if you can get someone on the Zone journey with you, by all means it helps too!

Good advice, Faye. I agree, it is not worth beating yourself up over it.

The hard part is to put the thoughts into action. And, I can tell you that it is sometimes much easier than other times. If I can put some other kind of reward ahead of it, then sometimes that happens, so having some sort of reward or short-term goal makes it easier to stick to it in the long-term.

More true words have never been spoken, John.

I've been zone'ing for 2 years now. I do feel better than ever, and have lost somewhere between 20-25 lbs (and still yo-yo) in that time. However, I have never achieved what I imagine long-term success to be. Each time I think I've figured out the problem, I'm on top of the world for a few days... a week, even a few weeks... and then I crash and burn again.

And like you, in the worst of times, I still try to "think" in the zone, even if I'm eating crap.

Here's to more good days than bad.

I think that the part about "thinking in the Zone" is one of the keys to our success. No matter how much I crash and burn, I still have certain behaviors that will probably never change, such as shopping the "periphery" of the store and staying out of the aisles, and always looking at recipes as potential zone winners vs. unzoneable. If I see a recipe with too much pasta or starches, I usually veer away from it. Also, eating out, I actually do pretty well asking for veggies on the side rather than the potato, etc.

Thank you for the support. John

John.

Hi there. You mentioned not being able to find a solution to the emotional side of eating that you are experiencing. Have you tried Dr. Stephen Stosny's Core Value program for eating? The basis of the program is increasing one's Core Value to become more compassionate towards others, themselves, etc.

While I do believe in the Zone as more of a nutritional program, and not as a "diet", this may still be of benefit to help you better implement the Zone principles:

Fintd it on the web at compassionpowercom

and you could also try the NLP approach used by Paul McKennna in his books/cd's "I Can Make You Thin" which will change your views about certain foods, in order to help you better implement the Zone principles.

finally a forum that i can relate to. every response seems like it came right out of my mouth. i truly LOVE the zone lifestyle, i feel so much better while i am in the zone. my aches and pains go away, my energy level increases and yes my sometimes my hunger diminishes. but for some unknown reason, i continually stick undesirable foods into my body. i can look at the food, know that it is "bad" and rationally say to myself, "this will not make me feel better", however, i find myself eating it anyway. after years of bouncing back and forth, i have come to believe that eating these "bad" foods, somehow releases a chemical in my body/brain. sort of like when people gamble/shop--endorphines. i believe that after some time of eating properly, my body craves the chemical and i resort to eating the undesirable food to satisfy that need. i know it sounds crazy, but i believe that is the main basis for our food addiction. sure emotional issues are part of it, however, if you can realize your emotional issues and confront them and deal with them, that doesn't leave a reason why the negative behavior continues. some of the drug companies have made compounds to block the need, unfortuantely, those meds have very bad side effects. it would be nice if these medical issues could be resolved.
the prepackaged zone foods are convenient, but do not always satisfy. they certainly do not address the issue that i've stated. i am always wary of a company who wants to sell you their product that doesn't address your needs. how would prepackaged "bread" products steer you down a road of healthy living?? the 1-2-3 plan seems to be completely opposite of the classic zone.

Here is a book you might find very enlightening, and might provide you enough insight to implement the Zone lifestyle.
"The End of Overeating by David A. Kessler, MD"

thanks john, i'll give it a good read

I have read the book that John suggested, and it is a real eye-opener!

Totally agree with your comments on the Zone 1-2-3, Suzanne. I guess I am a classic zoner, all the way!

Suzanne, "Anyone who understands the elegant biochemistry of these products will realize that they strictly adhere to the Zone principles and offer an exciting new approach to optimize all of the benefits of the Zone Diet."

The Zone diet has been demonstrated in a variety of clinical studies to reduce cellular inflammation more effectively than any other diet. That is a clinical fact. It is my hypothesis that restricting food ingredients will have a slightly more positive impact on the reduction of cellular inflammation. However, that remains to be demonstrated in highly controlled clinical studies. The new Zone Foods we have developed in preliminary testing have proven to be more effective than the standard Zone diet in the reduction of cellular inflammation because of their ability to control hunger and reduce the intake of omega-6 fatty acids. The ideal experiment would be the Zone diet using only paleolithic ingredients (that will always contain arachidonic acid) versus the Zone Diet using the new Zone Foods that are free of arachidonic acid. I would predict the Zone Foods offer a better chance of reducing cellular inflammation the most because a diet can be constructed that is very low in omega-6 fatty acids with the absence of arachidonic acid. A Zone diet based on paleolithic ingredients may be a good starting point for developing an optimal human diet for the 21st century, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved to further cellular inflammation. I wouldn’t develop new food products unless I believed they can be instrumental in the reduction of cellular inflammation that will ultimately destroy our health care system.

This link may help you understand why Dr Sears developed these foods. He is all about the reversal of inflammatory diseases.
http://www.zonediet.com/blog/2010/0...-a-chance/

I remember reading that passage, but honestly the problem that I have with the Zone Foods is the fact that they are manufactured, processed, lacking many of the essential ingredients required to sustain life.

To trade in a whole-food diet for a manufactured diet just to avoid omega-6 and AA does not sound like the brightest idea, if one also sacrifices other necessary nutrients.

Anyone who strictly adheres to zone principles will enjoy the anti-inflammatory benefits of the Zone, and will have greatly reduced the intake of Omega-6 and AA. Maybe not eliminated, but greatly reduced. Studies have been done on cultures who eat in similar fashion to the Zone (i.e. the Mediterranean diet, etc) and their levels of inflammation are greatly reduced (this is supported in Zone literature). Just my opinion, but I think the Zone is missing the boat when it comes to the 1-2-3 plan, as this plan does not provide other necessary nutrients which requires supplementation, and is a far cry away from what our ancestors were eating. Man did not survive the early years of existence eating zone 1-2-3, and did just fine on a paleolithic type of diet. The only reason why Omega-6 and AA needs to be reduced today is because modern man eats way too much of it. But total elimination of it is not how we got to where we are today.

My two cents. I've been "in the Zone" for over 16 years, the last two of them Zone Fast food all the way. Zone Fast has improved my results taking them to levels I never thought possible. My dinner tonight: risotto made with Zone orzo, Trader Joe's seafood mix (shrimp, scallops and calamari), garlic, celery, onion, carrots, roasted heirloom tomatoes, chicken stock, olive oil wine and seasonings. Am I sacrificing necessary nutrients by eating this way? I sure don't think so.

Sue's example of her meal is wonderful, but I would take the same ingredients except the orzo and make a meal out of the whole food. By using the orzo, most of the p/c/f content is already present (carbs, protein, fat), and the rest of the ingredients are used in much smaller portions to complete the meal. If one eliminates the orzo, then the amount of the other ingredients is increased to the extent to meet the same block requirements for the Zone. The increase in the ingredients results in a higher amount of fiber and vitamins. Maybe in Sue's example she does not feel as if she is sacrificing nutrients, but I think it would be an interesting comparison to make on paper. My guess is that there would be a world of difference.

And, BTW, the amount of AA in shrimp and scallops is undetectable in a 3-block serving (couldn't find calamari). Taking the olive oil into consideration, there is an extremely small amount of AA in olive oil... to put it into perspective, 3 blocks of olive oil contains about 1.2g of saturated fat, in which about 0.04g is AA. Again, this is an extremely small amount.

My Food photo album on Facebook (Sue Knorr) will clarify what this meal and Zone Fast meals in general look like in regard to amounts of veggies and fruits.

I saw that, it does look delicious! However, there is no indication of how much of anything that you used, so it would be impossible to do a comparison without having the exact amounts.

However, from what I see in your picture, the plate is not terribly full, (or maybe it is a bowl, hard to tell). I would estimate that you have about 2 blocks' worth of orzo and about a block's worth of whole food, which is what I used as my example in my previous post.

It's a 4 block meal, all real food, and happened to be served in a large pasta bowl. You're looking at the 4" rim of the bowl, which is not meant to be covered with food. IMHO my results and meal photos speak for themselves re my Zone Fast experience. I'm not posting here to prove anything to those who chose to eat Classic Zone. To each his own.

Hmmm, from your picture, I am supposed to know that this was a 4-block meal served in a bowl? Kind of difficult to tell that!

I don't doubt your results, I am sure you are doing just fine with the meal plan. But, you posted a response to my post regarding nutrients in your meal, yet you have not posted how much of any of the ingredients, thus making it impossible to draw a true comparison, which leaves the rest of us in a position where we just have to guess.

CC, as I wrote, I'm not attempting to prove anything to anyone. I'm simply joining in the converstion to give my perspective on the topic. I do not use the gram counting method or the block method to stay in the Zone so, even if if I wanted to, I couldn't give specific amounts for the ingredients in that meal. The photos make it obvious to me, and hopefully to others, that there are lots of vegetables in these meals. BTW this is the only post in this thead that is intended to be a direct reply to your postings here.