Trust me, Donna, I didn't hear whining or complaining--just the natural frustration when trying out something so different from what you're used to. I've got to go rustle up some grub myself but if I can check back in this evening, maybe I can give you a few more ideas for snacks. Very important, snacks are! <said in my best Yoda voice> Hang in there, ok. And know that most people I know who have successfully maintained weight loss (and I hang out a lot in the Vets forum) have realized the necessity of some kind of portion control).

You'll also have to bear with me since I don't know the details of the Dousts 40-30-30. I can tell you Zone ways of handling some issues, but there still might be contradictions.

Beachfox, you are fortunate to have darker skin--I suspect you will look glorious in your 90's.

Also thanks for the compliment, but I find knowing about nutrition and acting on it to be two different things Then too, I find I've forgotten a lot of what I used to know, and am doing things I'm sure I had a rationale for at one time, LOL! No matter what, though, if someone is eating wholesome foods, is healthy and feeling great, it really doesn't matter about the scientific details. People like me who really have no good instincts about food (or maybe willingness to use them), have to figure it out from a book!

Till later, hungry man and dogs here.....

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

Oh, I didn't see your post, Donna. You've got the snack issued covered then? So glad you are happy with your choices. Being prepared is half the battle.

Yes!! Truly!

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

OK you guys...with all your help and encouragement AND someone generously loaning me a copy of MASTERING THE ZONE, I was able to get through today with NO hunger:great: I do need to work on getting my daily calorie intake up a bit though, I think it's a little low, but I'm getting a better handle on how to do this! Wooooooooooo Hoooooooooo!

Brenda, the snacks ARE really the secret to beginners success! I just can't believe how important they are. So after shopping today, I made up my dinner to take with me to work and it was great! Tonight, after getting home, I made up a little snack to keep me until morning and it worked super. Don't worry about trying to answer questions based on the Daoust's plan, I'm actually finding that I understand the Zone way of thinking BETTER than the Daousts 40-30-30! I can't explain way, it just makes SO much sense! And here is was thinking that the Daoust's plan would be easier! Oh well...live and learn!

Now that I've made it through my third day successfully, I'm psyched to keep going. I'm almost on a "high" (:jump: ) because I wasn't hungry; my biggest fear!

Baby steps for me along with a little help from my friends!

Donna

Donna! I am sooooo happy for you!

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

O well done Donna!!! Fantastic news!! Yes - that info that Brenda gave you on the snacks was so valuable eh. And yes, I think the snacks are a critical success factor - so you've found the appropriate pathway through for your metabolism. That's splendid - and exactly where you need to be! That was my experience too - I needed to get the correct fuel for my metabolism and also I needed to trust that the properties of that fuel would keep me going. It's not an easy understanding to grasp - but once you have experienced it I think you have the game sussed!! Then your metabolism evens out and all the cravings/hunger etc disappear!

Hey - no need to be embarrassed about the sun comment - the Aussie sun does create havoc with our 'imported' ethnic origins! I'm just lucky!!!

Just came back to thank Brenda for the compliment - but as I haven't looked 'glorious' at any other age - I have my doubts about 90 too! Although the idea appeals!

__________________
The fox is wild!



5'3" Maintaining 121-125
Original weight 198 +

Hey all,

Just a quick update. Yes...I'm still hanging in there and picked up a few more Zone books to help me along. Today, I actually "designed" a meal and it WORKED! I plugged all the info into the computer program and it came out correct. Of course, I'm allowing for a little variation...but I'm getting really close the actual 30pro-40carb-30fat.

My husband came home from his trip to find me weighing and measuring (just to check) and was totally confused. I explained that this was just a variation on our current way of eating (really, he has no clue). He was a bit upset when I told him that I was reducing his protein and he looked confused, but was thrilled when I told him that he was now going to be eating some substantial snacks. Being a man, I did his calculations and he can do 5 blocks of protein at one meal so he's pretty happy now.

And one more thing; I now know what THE most vile food on the planet is: NO FAT SOUR CREAM. OMG...what chemist designed that so called food???? Blech! I mean it was awful!!! Now, the low fat was at least edible but congress should pass legislation BANNING this stuff.

All for now. Hope to have more later.

Donna

LOL, Donna I made the same mistake with the fat free sour cream....ack!!! Some low and no fat products are worth it, some aren't, and that one needs a category by itself.

I am so glad you are doing well and had success today! Keep us posted, ok?

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

I never eat cream of any description - yuk! Low fat oils, dairy and soy - yes - but not cream. Too awful.

How're you doing Donna?

__________________
The fox is wild!



5'3" Maintaining 121-125
Original weight 198 +

Hi All,

Well, as the days go by, I find myself still trying to find the "Zone." I have had to do a bit of 'tweaking' because even when I followed the exact measurements and quantities for pro/carb/fat, I was still getting hungry before the 4-5 hour time frame between meals. Just by reducing the amount of carbs by one block, I find that this balance of nutrients seems to do me good.

Tonight, I made grilled pork tenderloin with steamed rutabaga and steamed zucchini with garlic. I do have one question; the vegetables, with soy sauce and crushed red pepper had a good taste, but the veggies seemed a bit dry without butter on them. I did add a tad of olive oil in with my soy sauce to stir fry them and even with 1 tsp. per svg of 3 total cups, they still seemed dry.

Do you put anything on your veggies or just eat them plain?

Brenda: Do you (or did you) follow the "add the appropriate protein amount to a dinner plate and then fill the rest with fruits and vegetables" approach when you first started or did you weigh and measure everything?

Beachfox: I just noticed your stats and that you are 5'3" having lost a whole lot of weight! Congrats on the wonderful weight loss! I'm 5'2" and I hope that I am as successful as you have been.

Having been raised in Wisconsin, the DAIRY state, we ate a whole lot of dairy products including LOTS of butter, heavy cream, cheese and MORE butter. I actually think that this might require the most adjustment. Low fat and I NEVER did get along, but Atkins and I worked well together.

I now have to learn to adjust my thinking and concentrate of the goal - better overall health and consistent weight loss until I reach my desirable weight.

I'm going to try making some of the recipes from the Zone Meals in Seconds cookbook. This should give me some more practice in meal construction.

I have to admit, now that I've tweaked my meals, I am getting past the hunger. This is a V E R Y good thing!!!

Donna

G'day Donna - pleased to hear you are managing well. I find continual assessment useful and tweaking when necessary. One thing I do with stirfry is to use a 'cooking sauce'. Once I have the veggies quickly seared I add 1tblsp of lowsalt soy sauce and 1tblspn of sesame oil - then I add quite a lot of water to it all and quickly reduce it down by fast cooking. This seems to keep it moist enough for me - but without using artificial thickeners. Well - re butters/condiments etc - I often mix my steamed veggies with a little couscous, nuts, herbs etc. I never use other additives/condiments - but that might not be appropriate for your plan. I'm a bit careful with my fruit intake - because I tend to go overboard quite quickly with it and I need to watch the sugars. I did measure EVERYTHING until it became automatic - and I STILL watch myself - its SO easy to add a little bit more eh! Thanks for the kind words regarding my loss - yes, it was a long way here from there alright!!!

__________________
The fox is wild!



5'3" Maintaining 121-125
Original weight 198 +

Congratulations, Donna! It sounds like you are finding your way very nicely. Yes, I think some adjusting for your own personal metabolism is likely for most of us. I did "ok" with 40% carbs during the period when I was working out very hard and regularly--at least if those were "good" carbs. What works for me now is something less than that. It is GOOD not to be hungry, isn't it!

In answer to your question about veggies. Partly I think it may be a matter of adjusting your taste over time. Let's face it, there is NOTHING that's going to taste just like veggies cooked with a generous dollop of butter. That said, I think you are on the right track with spices, herbs and seasonings. One thing that I often do is to heat a non-stick pan that's been sprayed with olive oil, add a couple of tablespoons of low salt, low fat broth and my seasonings and sort of saute the crisp-steamed or nuked veggies lightly in the broth, letting the broth almost evaporate and adding a bit more if needed until the veggies are tasty. You may find they will seem more moist this way, too. In fact, I almost never use anything but oil spray on the pan and broth to saute anything.....Wine works with some veggies in the same way, especially if I'm going to add meat to make a skillet dinner. I've been known to use butter flavored canola spray (gasp! ) on the tops of each serving of veggies. Sometimes just a bit of the flavor and feel of oil makes a difference. And I've used butter flavoring for things like the LC favorite cauli mash. Of course, sometimes I use the real thing, but generally as a "garnish" so I can savor it. Foods with lots of fats/butter taste too rich to me now, as does full fat milk--and I actually prefer fat free. I've found that the longer we eat this way, the more we prefer simply prepared foods, but it's been a process over time.

This may also seem strange, but when I started the Zone, I had lots of those packages of dried mixes you make sauces from, like McCormicks? I found that some of them, used dry and sprinkled on my veggies as they sauted turned out to be quite yummy. Now you have to remember I have never claimed to be a great cook!

But yes, try broths, spices, herbs, a sprinkle of parmesan, etc., and your own creativity. Shelton makes an extremely low salt/low fat chicken broth, but only available at HFS's. Making your own is even tastier. I love the Penzey's catalog for top notch spices and herbs of every kind. I also grow many of my own herbs in summer.

Speaking of making your own, try slow cooking your veggies in with your lean meats and seasonings for marvelous flavor. Roasted veggies of all kinds are absolutely incredible, too. Hope this gives you a few ideas to take off with....

Donna, I was a meticulous weigher and measurer for a about a year. I had to be. After a while I became really good at eyeballing it, but I found that over time, my portions start expanding again, and wasn't as meticulous with my choices. I've gone through that cycle a couple of times now; I should learn something! Weighing, measuring and being accountable (on paper or with FitDay or DietPower, for example) always keep me on track. You, on the other hand, might do just fine eyeballing.

Beachfox, my DH doesn't care for cream in any form but ice cream

It seems all three of us are shorties. I'm 5'2" if I stretch it a little

Wishing you both a good day/evening Keep us posted, Donna! Your are doing wonderfully!

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

Aha, Beachfox, I just saw your post! I think we use similar methods to create tasty veggies. Great minds, eh?

__________________
BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108

I noticed the veggie cooking method Brenda! I also grow my own herbs! Snap!

__________________
The fox is wild!



5'3" Maintaining 121-125
Original weight 198 +