About 9 years ago my weight went way over 200 pounds. A couple of years later I was up to 325 pounds. I was exhausted of the person I had become physically. I was having orthopedic issues with my knees and hips because I was obese. I was limited on the things I could do to have fun - no more bowling, no more dancing, no walking the theme parks and no wearing a swimsuit in front of others. I started going to the gym with a personal trainer and was able to get my weight down to 270 pounds. I was working out about six days a week, but my diet was not the best.

I went back to my orthopedic surgeon regarding my hip/knee issues. He told me that my ailments were from being overweight, and that the issues could not be surgically repaired. He challenged me to lose about 10 pounds by my next visit and to start physical therapy. I went home that day and decided that was it! No more excuses;no more blaming everyone or everything else for my failures to losing the weight. I had tried every diet on the market, and nothing worked.

My boss gave me the Cliff Notes and the book on the Zone Diet. I took the books home and read them all weekend. Everything about it made total sense!! I immediately boxed up all the bad stuff in my cupboards. I got rid of all the things in my refrigerator that were not on the “good” list. I went grocery shopping and stuck to the outer perimeter ONLY. I started the Zone Diet that weekend and have been on it since.

About 5 months later I had dropped 50 pounds with the Zone Diet alone. I was feeling great and seeing great results!!! My weight-loss goal is to lose 100 pounds by my big 4-0 in October. I am currently 9 pounds away from hitting my 100-pound weight-loss goal!!! I have to give credit where credit is due and that is to the Zone Diet! It's genius! It works! I love my new lifestyle with my eating and exercise. I have gone from a size 24 Women's to a size 12 Misses. I have run into people out of the blue who I have not seen in a while who did not recognize me at first. That's a good thing.

I hope that someone out there who might have been through what I did or worse could gain something from my story. If you want a fat, unhealthy body, then YOU are the one who puts the fat, unhealthy things into your body;not the people around you. Instead of looking for food to comfort you through a stressful period, get up off the couch or out of the bed and move your feet!! The endorphin high is the best HIGH ever!

Tracie P., Orlando, FL

My battle with weight has been a lifelong struggle, and it is still something I have to make conscious decisions about every day. I've spent most of my life either 10 pounds up or 10 pounds down. During certain parts of my life I gained up to 40 pounds and was always searching for the “perfect” diet. I felt bloated, unhappy, and at times weak from cutting out entire food groups and eating incorrectly - all carbs, or all protein, or no/low fat. There was a new diet out on a weekly basis.

A while ago, I weighed about 127. I wasn't overly heavy by any means, but my weight was mostly fat — not lean muscle. I had heard about the Zone Diet, went to the bookstore to get “A Week in the Zone” and my life has changed for the better ever since.

I use the block method and have three meals per day plus two snacks. The misconceptions about the Zone being like Atkins really upset me. Dr. Sears was the pioneer as far as hormonal balance, healthy fats, and insulin levels, and every other diet since has tried to emulate this.

My weight loss been around 12 pounds, and the Zone has completely changed my fat/muscle ratio, my bloated face and body, my skin tone and texture (I am a firm believer in OmegaRx® pills) in addition to the healthy choices I have following the block method.

As I approach 50, I get tons of questions from people regarding my diet/exercise routine. My answer is simple — The Zone!!

Sue K., East Rockaway, NY