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Topic author: linda lou
Subject: "The Zone " Basics
Posted on: 10 Sep 2002 2:36:12 PM

Message:
I hear this mentioned now and then on the board. What is this plan exactly? I haven't purchased or ordered the book but curious to see what it is all about. Anyone doing this??

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Topic author: BC
Replied on: 10 Sep 2002 3:57:49 PM

Hi Linda
It?s the plan I started my weight loss on and still my WOL. The Zone is not as easy to explain as Atkins, but I'll try to give you a taste of the basics, but not necessarily the rational or science behind it:

1. For most people, the plan consists of eating EACH meal or snack in a ratio that works for you. The ratio Sears suggested is 40% carb, 30% Protein, 30% Fat, but it is adjustable for the individual. There are several methods/levels of Zoning.

2. In the ?Block? method, the total amount you eat each day is derived from a calculation of your Lean Body Mass plus activity level. This is the amount necessary to support you and your activities, not your fat.

3. In general, you are encouraged to eat three zone (balanced) meals and two zone snacks a day, although some re-arrangement is fine.

4. Observe certain meal/snack timing guidelines.

5. No foods are specifically forbidden, but you are encouraged to make wise, healthy choices--lean proteins; low glycemic, nutrient-rich veggies; "good" fats.

Linda, as I said in another thread, the Zone is designed as a plan for optimal health, by balancing insulin/glucagon production, and providing the opportunity for good nutrient consumption. Weight loss is a delightful and inevitable side effect.

For a better look than I've just given, you can check out www.zoneperfect.com. Click on Getting Started and/or on Mastering the Zone. I'd be happy to answer any other questions I can.

brenda

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Topic author: belleraine
Replied on: 13 Oct 2002 12:46:03 AM

I've just started Zoning and love it. I was getting bored with Atkins and felt I was eating way too much fat. The Zone is still low carb compared to popular low fat diets. However, it is still a low/moderate fat diet. You cannot eat bacon and pork rinds all the time. Anybody other than me see something wrong with eating bacon and pork rinds -- I do love both. But think about it. If you're low-carbing so that your body will burn fat for fuel, all that fat you're putting in is being burned before your body fat is being burned. Could that be the reason for so many stalls on Atkins? And I do believe that calories do count -- and fat intake. I gained 4-5 pounds over a weekend on a planned cheat. That Monday (this past Monday) I started The Zone diet and have lost all that I gained on the cheat plus two more pounds. I had been stalled on Atkins.

I would love to hear more opinions, both positive and negative on the Zone.
Mark
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Topic author: admin
Replied on: 13 Oct 2002 08:18:48 AM


I'm excited to see a discussion of the Zone on our boards...keep it up. this is an important plan, and for those who don't tolerate the higher fat of Atkins well, it is a great alternative.

I?ve never done the zone, but the one criticism i see constantly of it is that it is "complicated" to follow. Is that true, brenda? or is it just something you quickly get used to?

LCandrea, webmaster

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Topic author: BC
Replied on: 13 Oct 2002 10:24:45 PM

Andrea, I think "complicated" is a relative thing. Initially it takes some calculating, planning, and a change in your way of thinking about eating. I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. My former way of eating just made me fat, sick, and unhappy.

The first week, I made a few mistakes, and meal planning and preparation took longer than normal. I did get frustrated, but I started feeling better. By the second week, I was well on my way, and it's pretty much been second nature for a long time now. When I look at the newbies board, the questions, the "mistakes" I don't find it much different in that regard--the "getting up to speed" in your woe.

On an ongoing basis, what most people would consider "complicated" perhaps is you hear about eating in a ratio in general. I realize that may sound pretty hairy, but the Zone's block method makes it easy to do. I do it in my head, well, actually without thinking much about it at all, unless I'm tracking for some specific reason. If you've ever used Fitday, counted carbs, counted calories, paid attention to portions, etc., to me it's no more complicated than that--it's just "different." There?s also the eyeball method, which is very simple.

Is it for everyone? Probably not. While I think it would be a healthy plan for a lot of people, it does take some initial investment of time and energy to understand and put into practice. It takes the willingness to adjust to giving yourself some limits over the long haul and being, as much of the time as you care to, accountable to yourself for what you put in your mouth. For me, again, this is not a bad thing. The benefits have greatly outweighed the effort I made understanding and implementing the plan in my life.

172/108/108
Zone since 4/98

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BC
LC Since 1998
Highest Weight 172
Current 104-108