Hi, all. This is my first time on the site (first time posting, obviously) so forgive me if this has been asked a million times or I don't post it correctly. (I'm also not big with forums.)

Anyway...

I love the Zone. I was "on" this diet, following it really, for many years when I was younger. It always made me feel good and I always dropped the few pounds I wanted to lose quickly. My whole life, I have always been slim. Even after my son was born, I went right back to my usual weight: 115-120. In ONE YEAR, I gained around 30 pounds! This is not me. I don't recognize myself and I feel horrible.

Now, at 38 years old, I am back to the Zone and actually ON this diet. It is NOT working. I am familiar with it and I am doing everything right. I've been on it for almost a month and I am not losing this awful weight. I lost a tiny bit (pound or two) the first week and now have been the same weight (give or take a pound) for over two weeks! I am so discouraged, I don't know what to do. I am keeping track of my am and pm weight and everything I eat throughout the day. I have not cheated one time in this whole month. I am at my wit's end. I need help. If anyone has any ideas, I would really appreciate it.

Thank you kindly,
Hali

Hi Hali,

It's not uncommon to lose only a couple pounds with 3 weeks of Zone eating. Some medications and hormonal therapies can interfere with Zone progress. If your 30 pound weight gain in one year is not the result of your eating patterns or any medication you might have been taking, you could check with your physician to try to get a handle on the cause of the weight gain. If you'd like to post your actual food diary for a day or two including how you feel 4 hours after each meal (hungry or not, focused or not), your LBM and a description of any exercise activity you perform, I'll be happy to take a look and give some suggestions.

Hali,
A food journal is sometimes very revealing. If you could provide an example of what you have been eating, and how you are feeling after your meals, that would be immensely helpful.

The fact that you gained 30# in a years time is interesting, sounds like a metabolic thing. Have you talked with your doctor about it? I am thinking along the lines of thyroid issues, or hormonal changes. Any tendancy towards type 2 diabetes in your family?

Looking forward to hearing back from you!

Thanks, Sue.

I'm not hungry at all throughout the day but I eat all day. I eat 6 times (this is the way I'd always done it when it worked)...breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack...and all of these are ridiculously small portions (for me). Because I'm not hungry, I don't need to eat a lot.

My weight gain is severe in a short time, I think. I herniated two discs and, ever since then, I've just packed the weight on (and lost some height). I have other medical issues with my back and knees because of a car accident so my activity is very limited. But I don't want to go crazy at a gym anyway. I love yoga but am unable to do that right now with my medical issues. So I'd like to drop the fat first then work with the occupational therapist on toning and strengthening some walking if I can.

Typical day:

B: coffee and 1/2 zone bar
S: milk and cashews
L: salad (mostly lettuce with some low fat shredded cheese, chickpeas, olives, and a few pieces of lean chicken) or tuna with olives & grapefruit
S: Boost (label says it's zone perfect) or zone bar or 1/2 apple with cheese
D: egg whites with grapefruit (small pre-packaged container) or salmon with green beans
S: chobani yogurt or cottage cheese & 1/2 apple

I read labels and make sure they are zone perfect and I drink water ALL DAY. This is quite a change from my eating habits before this. I'm very discouraged and ready to dump this diet. I feel like I've given it some time and I have worked really hard to make sure I stick to it, eating nothing I'm not supposed to. It's depressing to see the scale in the mornings.

Thank you so much,
Hali

Oh, thank you cranberrycat! Didn't see your post. I agree that weight gain is absurd. I do have some thyroid issues in my family but I've never had any problem with that. Also, my dr. dismissed this weight gain which I find insulting and irresponsible. I am in-between doctors right now. ;-)

Thanks, again!

Hi Hali,

Without knowing your LBM or the actual amounts of food in your meals I can't tell for certain, but it doesn't look like you're eating enough food. Use the Body Fat Calculator here to track your stats and to determine how much food to eat each day. http://www.zonediet.com/tools/body-...calculator The amount you require now might not be the same as the amount you required in the past.

For closer adherence to the Zone diet, incorporate the following suggestions.

1. Switch to decaf if you're drinking regular coffee.

2. Liquid meals can prevent lowering insulin enough to stay in the Zone, so in place of the boost and milk snacks, substitute snacks composed of lean protein, vegetables and a dash of monounsaturated fat (olive oil, olives, almonds, avocadoes, cashews).

3. Change the chick peas in the lunch salad to vegetables that are less dense in carbohydrate, like bell peppers, cucumbers, mushrooms, tomatoes, green beans, etc.

4. Remember to add a dash of fat to meals and snacks. Be more generous with that dash of added monounsaturated fat when you choose low fat proteins.

5. Don't become too reliant on cheese as your protein source (it's not the best protein for insulin control).

6. Making sure the labels are in perfect balance is not always the bottom line. The ingredients and how the meal made you feel a few hours later are both very important considerations.

7. Eat more veggies and less fruit. One way to jumpstart stored fat loss with the Zone diet is to have all of you carbohydrates from vegetables, no fruit. Once the fat loss kicks in add a little fruit at a time to the amount you find you can tolerate while still maintaining fat loss..

8. Berries are your best choice of fruit for the Zone. Berries stimulate insulin production less than most other fruits

Wow, that's a lot to think about. Not eating enough? I kept cutting back the portions and driving myself crazy wondering why the pounds are melting away. Thank you so much for the tips. I really want to continue with this particular diet and this will allow me to (with some adjustments). I will try these tips and see how it goes.

Much appreciated!

"...why the pounds AREN'T melting away..." is what I meant, of course. :blush:

Hali,

It would be interesting to see the actual amounts of what you are eating.

Have you checked your stats against the bodyfat calculator? Doing this will reveal what you should be taking in, per your stats.

Are you getting any exercise? I find, personally, that I just DON'T have diet success without balancing it with exercise. I can maintain like crazy, but it is easy for me to gain and hard for me to lose, despite eating well in the Zone. Exercise seems to push me through. Weight loss is slow, but it happens when I put this all together.

Also, when you first started, did you take any measurements? Have you noticed the measurements changing despite the scale? Scales are sometimes very inaccurate and it is difficult to see short-term progress. However, if you take measurments, or even just take note of how clothes are fitting, you may realize that you are successful.

Looking at your diet intake, I would also recommend similar as Sue. I won't knock the coffee, if it is only one per day and you aren't having any hunger/appetite issues. My personal experience has been that I have difficulty losing weight when I rely on bars and processed foods. Try replacing some of the processed foods with whole foods and focus on getting more veggies, 1-2 fruit servings per day, limit legumes to once per day, and limit your "liquid" dairy.

My current eating patterns: I generally get at least 1/2 of my carbs from vegetable sources (definitely lunch and dinner are loaded with veggies). My breakfast is a home made smoothie, and my snacks vary but generally one snack is a veggie-based snack and the other snack is a berry-based snack. I used to use legumes quite a bit, but have moved away from using them regularly, so if you rely on them a lot, you may want to switch them out for another veggie. I also struggle when I use too much cheese for my protein, and so I limit hard cheeses to once per day--if that. Cottage cheese is better, but still just once per day.


Please check back in and hopefully you can give some more amounts on your food intakes, check your stats, and let us know about exercise.

You're welcome, Hali. It's important to eat your full block recommendation every day (from the calculator), even if you don't feel hungry. If you eat less than you require, even if it's Zone balanced, your body will sense it's in a time of famine. It thinks it's starving and compensates by trying to survive on less energy (on fewer calories) and at the same time tends to hold onto all the stored fat it has to provide for future needs. It's the body's attempt at self preservation.

Also, keep in mind that the m\aximum weight loss expection for the Zone is 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per week.

Please keep us updated!

Hali,
I would like to recommend the book "Wheat Belly" which is changing my life. I incorporate the principle of the zone diet w/ a "Wheat Belly" approach. I hit my plateau & could not get off until I read the wheat belly book by Dr Wm Davis. I use strict zone principle, however, have cut the wheat out of my diet. Read his book & it might make sense. It worked for me & at 54 y.o. I plan on becoming the healthiest I have ever been in my life. And... hunger free, highly focused & energetic as I have ever been. Check it out... george

Hi Hali, I was just reviewing your typical day and from what I can see, your body is in starvation mode! You're really not eating very much. I've been
using the " at a glance method" and I've literally been stuffed the whole time.

My diet mostly consist of raw vegetables,some fruit,nuts,lean protein,the size and thickness of my palm and I been mixing rice vinegar(they have it with garlic or basil) in my olive oil for the dressing with a little shake of italian seasoning. I'm starting to eat cooked vegetables now for variety. I'd watch out for the milk and the boost, these liquids can throw you off balance. I think once you start eating the pounds should start coming off. Also 30 minutes of exercise helps, I started out with just walking because I was really out of shape,now I'm going to give this stair master a shot , but I'll start off slow(very slow). Wish me luck, you take care :)

Hali, I use the Zone At-a-Glance method too. It's the way I lost 100 pounds. It's easy and it works great!

cranberrycat: I don't know the exact amounts of what I'm eating. "Not much" is very subjective but that's what I think.;-) I just kept cutting my portions down. Plus, on this diet, I'm full all the time. FULL. I want to skip snacks and even meals but I don't...I make sure I eat a little 6 times a day. But I am constantly so full that I feel bloated. It's awful. I don't know how I could possibly eat more. What kinds of things should I eat more of? Everything? As for exercise...I don't exercise at all. I'll be starting physical therapy (again) next week for my injuries but I'm don't allowed to do anything right now. That's probably one of the reasons I gained so much weight so quickly. I know I'm getting older but I always lost pounds on this diet when I was younger without exercise. I waited until I lost the fat and then I toned up what was left. It always worked well. Things are different now, I guess. You're right about the number on the scale. I actually got rid of my scale about 10 years ago. I just bought one for this diet about a month ago. I have always paid more attention to how my clothes fit me. The answer now is: they don't. Thank you, again, for all your help. I will definitely skip the "liquid" protein and see how that goes. I'll also cut out the cheese as primary protein sources (although I'll probably eat a little cottage cheese maybe once a day). I used cheese a lot throughout the day for snacks and even lunch sometimes.

Sue & Gail: I have heard of bodies going into that mode. I did used to eat large quantities (I love food). :-) But I've never had a problem with my weight. Ever. I ate whatever I wanted. This is very difficult and new for me. I will try to eat more, but like I said to cranberrycat, I am so full all the time it's all I can do to eat what little I do for snacks. It's weird. I feel bloated. Is the "at-a-glance" mode a book or a link on here or...? I will try that. Thank you both. (Good luck, Gail!)

george: I will definitely check out "Wheat Belly". I've already looked up the book and the website and it looks interesting.

Thanks, again, to all of you for your time and advice. I really appreciate it. I'll let you know how it goes...

Best,
Hali

Hi Hali,

Here's a link http://www.zonediet.com/tools/zone-classic

One very apparent dfference for you now is you higher level of inflammation due to your injuries. Increasing your fish oil dose would help. The goal of the Zone is to lower inflammation and to gain hormonal control. Weight loss is enhanced when inflammation levels are low. When you're pumping out inflammation it's not going to be as easy to lose the stored fat. Understanding more about how the Zone works and how to tweak it for your needs can help to alleviate your frustration. I highly recommend reading the most recent book by Dr.Sears, "Toxic Fat". It gives the whole picture. BTW, when you follow the Classic Zone you should basically be eating a wheat free diet. Dr. Sears suggests weaning off breads, pastas, etc over the first couple weeks of the Zone diet. Oen day at a time, Hali, or one meal at a time. Whichever it takes, you can do it. :)

Hali,

I didn't realize you were suffering from an injury. I agree with your thoughts on that.

So, just go back to the basics, lean protein, monounsaturated fats, and veggies. Try the dropped carb/increased fat approach, and that will help you to get some quality carbs in as well as reduce the size of your meals. Keep us posted!

Hi Hali;
I know you use the Glance method; however, you might consider using the Block method, at least for a while.
By weighing/measuring/reading the labels and counting blocks - it gives you a real sense of serving sizes and proportions.
Something worth considering and done properly, the Glance method works well, too.
.
Just cutting out grains, especially wheat, helps a lot. My wife did not do real well as i have,
though honestly, she did not follow Zone guidelines as closely as I did. But, after I suggested cutting out grains, especially wheat,
she was able to lose last 15-20 pounds and maintain.

Thank you for the link. That is a little easier to follow. I did this diet so long ago. Yes, I have severe inflammation. I don't take fish oil...there are three on here for sale. Do you suggest one over the others? Yes, I really do need some time to tweak this and address my needs. I do have a feeling that will help with a lot of the frustration. (Re: wheat...I actually don't eat any grains right now at all. Absolutely NO pasta, rice, bread. Even the high protein pita pockets I got I gave to my husband. I also got Kashi Go Lean cereal and don't eat that. I'll get those again once I've lost some weight because they seem really good.) Thanks for all the info and support!

Hi John. Thanks for writing. :-) I haven't tried the glance method yet but I will look at both that and the block method. I haven't weighed food yet but maybe I should do that just once so I can see what 3 oz looks like so I can eyeball it in the future. I don't eat any grains at all right now. We'll see how it goes. Thanks!

Cranberrycat: I'm going to keep at it for a while and try really hard not to become so discouraged and depressed about this. With everything else going on, it's difficult not to want to give up completely. No weight loss again today. Not even an ounce. I'll keep you posted. Thank you, again.

Best,
Hali

You're welcome, Hali. Yes, I'd recommend Omega Rx. The capsules are most ocnvenient. The liquid is exactly the same thing for those who prefer taking a liquid over a capsule. The amount of Omega Rx you'd take daily depends upon your degree of wellness. It's explained in TOXIC FAT as follows (grams refer to total amount of EPA and DHA combined).

To maintain wellness, 2.5 g/day (4 caps; 1 teaspoon liquid).

For overweight, obesity, type 2 diabetes, or before starting a diet, 5 g/day (8 caps; 2 teaspoons liquid).

For chronic pain, 7.5 g/day (12 caps; 3 teaspoons liquid).

For existing neurological conditions 10 g/day (16 caps; 4 teaspoons liquid).

Excellent! Thank you!

Don't worry, it will come.

I go in and out of ruts myself, but in the long run it does turn itself around. And, to be honest, each time I go off (thinking that this thing isn't working), I learn very quickly how much better I feel in the Zone, even if I am not losing weight. So, basically I just try to put wellness in the forefront, and let weight loss happen as a pleasant side-effect!

Thank you. I am desperate to lose this weight but I do have to admit I feel so much better on this diet so I will try to keep that in mind. :-)

Hi Hali, please don't get discouraged,you're still recuperating from an injury, and if you are on any meds, that could be effecting you as well. whether you use the block method or at a glance, it's still better than the traditional american diet that's very lacking in the nutrients you need.

I used to be thin when I was younger, then I had my son at 38. after that it seems like all I had to do was just smell food and I would gain weight
i would try diet after diet where either your constantly hungry or craving something you shouldn't eat. and I just had no energy.

this is the only lifestyle change I've tried (diets don't work) that actually gives me energy . I'm 50 and I feel like it did in my 20's. Just to be able to feel good again can be a silver lining in itself but the icing, is that eventually you will start to loose weight once your inflamation subsides.

Take care of your self and eat well, it's good for you :)

Thanks so much, Gail. :-) I'm trying. It's so much with recovering and this being the first time I really need to lose a lot of weight...it can be depressing. But I really do want to stay on this diet because I feel so good when I eat the Zone foods. I'm really going to try to concentrate on that. Also, I am desperately waiting for the inflammation to go down and that might take awhile. (Hee..."...all I had to do was smell food and I would gain weight...".) :-D

Thanks for your response.

Best,
Hali