I've been on the zone diet for about a week now. I've been fairly consistent to keep within 3-5 blocks per meal. I just ate 7-10 blocks in one meal and I know it's too much and it's just as bad as eating a peice of cake for dinner.

I've read that eating over 5 blocks can spike insulin levels. I've also read that spiking insulin levels can be reduced after 4-5 hours.

If you eat 7-10 blocks of 40-30-30, what happens to the glucose levels? Does protein store as fat? Do carbs store as fat? What happens to the fat? Need some help here!

Hi Bryan,

Botton line, if you eat a 7-10 block meal it takes you out of the Zone. It's in the past. I'd move on from there, by making you next meal or snack of appropriate size and proportions.

Yes, excess protein, carbohydrate and fat can all get stored as fat.

Sue-

It depends though, right? Some excess can be stored as glycogen and glucagon?

Here's another question...

The other day I was at a party and I ate 6-7 chicken wings. It was light on the barbeque sauce and had no breading on it. It was obviously deep fried, as wings are.

It was the only thing I ate, as I avoided the pizza.

What happens to the glucose and insulin levels when I eat high concentrations of dietary fat? How is it metabolized?

Bryan,

Eating protein and fat with little carb may not cause much fluctuation with your glucose levels, but this does not keep you out of the Zone all by itself. You still have potential for fluctuations in insulin levels, in response to the amount of glucagon that is produced. Your best bet is to eat a balance of protein, carb (favorable) and fat, with the goal of keeping your glucose and insulin levels from suffering those wide fluctuations.

[quote]
Posted By Bryan on 17 Feb 2013 10:49 PM
Sue-

It depends though, right? Some excess can be stored as glycogen and glucagon?
[/quote]


The 7-10 block meal won't allow a person to keep insulin within the low Zone range. Simply stated eating that many calories at one meal, even if they are perfectly Zone balanced amounts of P, C and F, will elevate insulin, thus throwing off the insulin/glucagon axis (refer to Zone books for details). The elevated insulin basically locks the fat cells, preventing them from releasing stored fat, and signals the fat cells to store fat.