I am new to the Zone and I am excited to make this a new and healthier part of my life. I have already read "Enter the Zone" and I am currently going through "Mastering the Zone." Based on the calculations for protein blocks, I want to make sure that I have calculated them correctly. As it stands it would appear that I would need to eat a large number of protein blocks per meal.

Per Dr. Sears, Page 9 of "Mastering the Zone" he writes that the maximum amount of protein that the body can absorb in one meal is 35 grams. However from my calculation work sheets I am coming up with a personal number of 49 grams per meal.

This is what I have:
Height: 6' 3" (75 inches)
Weight: 214 lbs.
Body fat percentage: 14%
Lean Muscle mass: 184 lbs.
Activity Factor (Very Active): 0.9

I am a competitive Triathlete (16 yrs experience) . I train 6 days per week. Sessions range from 60-120 minutes per session. I swim, cycle, run and strength train. I am returning after a one year hiatus working on my PhD.

Lean mass (184 lbs) multiplied by activity level (.9) = 166 grams of lean protein.

166 grams of protein divided by 7 grams of protein (block) = 23.7 or 24 blocks of protein per day.

To divide the 24 blocks over three meals and two snacks for the day, that would break down to:

• 7 blocks for breakfast
• 7 blocks for lunch
• 1 block for snack one
• 7 blocks for dinner
• 1 block for snack two

With one block of protein equaling 7 grams of protein, I would need to eat 49 grams of protein per meal to meet my 7 blocks per meal requirement.

Which brings me back to Dr. Sears point of not exceeding 35 grams per meal, which would be 5 blocks.

My first thought is to increase the protein blocks for my snacks to balance the total protein requirement for that day. So my snacks would actually be sized as a meal, and I would be eating 5 blocks of protein, 5 times per day. This way I do not exceed Dr. Sears' recommendations and stay in the Zone.

Suggestions and Recommendations would be great. Am I making the correct modifications?

Thanks

I didn't check your math, so assuming you are correct, I would take the 24 blocks and divide them up a bit differently.

Instead of eating meals that size (might be impossible in one sitting), I would divide things up and spread over the day. Make your meals 5 blocks. Increase your snacks to 2 blocks. You can also have a pre and post workout snack, so add those in, so you would be eating more frequently during the day.

I don't know your meal timing or the timing of your workouts, but I am sure you can figure out what works best.

I agree with Cran. And according to Dr. Sears, any more than 5 blocks of protein (4 blocks for females),
and the remainder is not used as Protein but converted and stored. I can't recall though if it is turned into either fat or carbs.
Either way, one does not want more than 5 blocks (4 blocks) in any one meal.

Hi Joe,

Here's some additional info that might help you decide on meal snack size. Your goal will be to provide a constant supply of protein to your body throughout the entire day (Zone balanced with carbohydrate and monounsaturated fat) and to support your workouts to maintain hormonal balance in order to mitigate the effects of elevated cortisol levels caused by longer intense workouts. Cortisol elevates after approximately 45 minutes of strenuous exercise, and elevated cortisol works against your Zone efforts. It’s all about giving your body the protein it needs and doing so in a manner that lessens cellular inflammation. Paying attention to your specific Zone balance needs and making good food choices will make a big difference when it comes to inflammation lowering.

The 3 meal and 2 snack plan is a suggestion which is designed to fit the average person’s lifestyle and needs. Your LBM is above average and you have increased activity, so don’t be too concerned if you happen to eat 6 blocks at a meal instead of 3, 4 or 5. With your LBM, you may find you do fine with 6 block meals. You could split 24 blocks however you desire, as long as you eat within an hour of waking, eat prior to exercise if it’s been hours since you last meal/snack, don’t go longer than 5-6 hours without eating, and keep the maximum 5 or 6 blocks per meal in the back of your mind. You could eat 8 3-block meal/snacks, or 3 5-block meals and 3 3-block snacks, or 3 5-block meals and multiple 1 or 2 block snacks (this would be helpful when you have the 2 hour exercise sessions; a snack about half way through is recommended for topping off hormonal levels) or even graze throughout the day on 1, 2 and 3 block snacks until you hit 24 blocks.

Be careful not to overestimate your activity level. If you’re lifting heavy weight daily, then 0.9 (Very Active) is appropriate. If not, and most of your sessions happen to fall closer to the 60 minutes, you may be better off using 0.8 (Active). You can experiment to see. More food is not better if you don’t require it. Eating more than your body needs will increase your level of cellular inflammation. Excess dietary protein will be converted to stored body fat. Excess stored bodyv fat increases cellular inflammation. Whichever activity level you end up with, keep it block amounts consistent from day to day until which time your overall activity level changes. In other words, once you have decided on an appropriate activity level do not change the number of blocks you eat from day to day. The Zone activity level you use for calculations would only change if your LBM or your exercise changes significantly.

One last note, to get the whole picture read "Toxic Fat", Barry Sears' most recent Zone book.

Good luck!

Thanks for the vote of support, John!

Joe, just another point with regard to spreading things out a bit more, you will gain better insulin control. You can probably imagine that if you eat a 7 block meal, that may be too much at one time and will likely spike insulin levels. However, eating the same number of blocks spread over time will moderate the insulin response.