Hi there,

I started on the Zone January 1st and in the past two weeks I only lost 1.3lbs. I used to stuff myself with bread and chocolate, and except for 1/2 English Muffin in the morning I cut all that out, so it seems that I should have lost more than that. Am I on the right track? (other than that I feel pretty good, I have no cravings, but I'm not boucing off the walls ready for a workout...)
Thanks for any input!
Tessa

Also, I just read that we are not supposed to used artificial sweeteners. So does that mean my diet soda and sweetened raspberries are a thing of the past? And why? Does sweetened also stimulate insulin? Thanks for clearing this up!

Hi Tessa,

You have no cravings and your weight is already going down. Congrats! Yes, this sounds right on track. The body takes time to adjust to changes. A study has show it takes as little as 4 days of eating Zone balanced meals and snacks 24/7 to lower insulin levels into the Zone. You've been following the Zone Diet for 12 days. Subtract those first 4 days and you've been "in the Zone" for 8 days. You can expoect to lose about 1 pound a week. Keep up the good joob!

Tessa,

It has been said that artificial sweeteners actually stimulate insulin production, and that is why they are not recommended--although for some reason, Dr. Sears does seem to favor using splenda over other sweeteners.

If you are doing fine with the diet soda and the raspberries, then I wouldn't think you would need to change it, but if you begin to struggle, that could be one thing to fix

I've also heard artificial sweeteners can actually increase your cravings for sweets. Does anyone know if this is true?

Yes, I do believe that is true. I think it all ties in with the insulin release. The way I understand it, when the sweetness is first sensed by the tongue, the pancreas release some insulin in preparation for the food that is anticipated. Then, when the carbs don't come down the pipe (because there are no carbs in artificial sweetener), then there is actually a sense of feeling hungry, and perhaps an increased craving for sweets.

Thank you all for your responses! Since I lost another 1.3lbs (funny how it's the same exact amount) I think I will stick to my little vices....

You'll ultimately have better insulin control with unsweetened fruit. The better your insulin control, the better you'll be able to lower inflammation.