Zone Dietary Road Map

The Zone isn't a "diet" in the "weight loss" sense that other books use where you must eat this and eat that and follow the instruction sheet to a "T". Diet, in The Zone, refers to the original meaning of simply how and what you eat. It's a methodology of knowing what the requirements of your body are so that you can meet them in a way that works best for your body. It starts out by explaining HOW your body works and WHY it works that way, then it introduces the principles so that you can determine for yourself which foods to eat so that you feel your best.In a nutshell, the whole premise of the book is that you need to keep your body nourished but not over-nourished. As you use your muscles throughout the day, your body requires protein to maintain your muscle mass. How much protein YOU require is determined by your lean body weight (ie: without fat) as well as your activity level. An athlete will naturally need more protein than your average couch potato. If you want to decrease your muscle mass, decrease your protein intake. If you'd like to maintain the muscles you have, only eat as much protein as is required to do so. And if you're into body building and want to increase your muscles, eat a little more protein so that you can maintain your current mass and that you have enough additional protein so that your body is able to create new muscle. The book rightly recommends that you never eat more protein than your body can handle.On top of protein, everybody needs carbohydrates. Most people erroneously think of carbohydrates as being pasta, rice, bread, and sugars and that's one place they can make mistakes. Carbohydrates encompass the entire range of fruits and vegetables (in other words, stuff that you plant in the ground). Apples, oranges, lettuce, broccoli, spinach, mango, tomatoes, potatoes, rice, wheat, blueberries, etc. Pasta is a carbohydrate in that it is a processed form of wheat (durum semolina usually). Bread is exactly the same. Sugar is derived from the sugar cane plant.The difference between each of them is in how much carbohydrates are packed into each food. A pound of lettuce, which is over 90% water content, doesn't have as much carbohydrates as a pound of pasta. You can verify this for yourself next time you go to the grocery store. Pick up those packaged salads and look at the nutrition information panel. Note how many grams of carbs there are in the package. Find an equal weight package of pasta and note how many grams of carbs there are. You'd likely have to eat several heads of lettuce to equal a handful of pasta. Regardless of which source of carbohydrates you choose, you'll still need the same number of grams. The important thing to remember is that the number of grams of the particular food is NOT equal to the number of grams of carbohydrates in the food.So protein maintains your muscles and carbohydrates gives you the energy as it gets converted into glucose to fuel your brain and muscle syste

I am a 23 year old female who exercises 3-5 times a week, cardio and weights. One thing I've noticed from reading these reviews is that many, if not most, of the reviewers have only recently read the book and begun to apply the concepts. (with a high rate of success, not to doubt.) I am adding my experience because I have been attempting to follow this eating plan for 5+ years for the purpose of losing body fat. I read THE ZONE when it was first published and went on the diet hard-core, because it made so much sense to me. I had previously had NO success trying to lose weight on the traditional low fat/protein - high carbohydrate diet illustrated by the ridiculous, industry driven "food guide pyramid." (Let's face it- do you think Nabisco would be very happy if the U.S. Surgeon General made an announcement that Wheat Thins really aren't good for you?)I did lose weight when I began to follow The Zone eating plan strictly. I was absolutely thrilled. I must say, I was a bit obsessive. However, over the past five years, I have struggled with my weight fluctuating 15 lbs. I have a hard time with what Dr. Sears protests regarding two things, now that I've been familiar with applying the concepts in this book for so long: 1) Lack of hunger/ food cravings: Even when following The Zone to a *T*, I experience intense carbohydrate cravings and get hungry between meals, usually after 3 hours at most. It is not my so-called improved hormonal balance that Dr. Sears speaks of that keeps me on track, but my sheer willpower. 2) Permanent weight loss: I was 18 when I began The Zone. I am now 23. As stated earlier, my weight has fluctuated +-15 lbs. over the past five years. It must be noted that over this time, there has not been *one single thing* that I've put into my mouth that I've not considered the "Zone" repercussions of. The bottom line is, that if I slip a bit, I readily re-gain weight. This is easy to do, because The Zone is in essence a very calorie restricted diet. Although Dr. Sears says that no foods are "forbidden," the Zone sharply limits several foods that many people really like. In sum, I am very happy for the many people who have recently gained considerable success following The Zone balanced eating plan. However, my caveat is that I have doubts regarding the ability of most people to follow it for the rest of their lives. I know I have, thus far. I never feel really fulfilled. I am not satisfied by the size of the fat blocks which the diet prescribes for my height/ body weight. If I follow the Zone very closely (and I've had a LOT of pracice) I'm very frequently half hungry and miss many specific foods. Good luck to all. If you've had a similar experience, I'd be interested in hearing about it.

I read 'The Zone' and followed what he said. I lost 20 pounds in less than 3 months and have maintained my weight for 1 month. My biggest surprise was the outstanding decrease in my cholesterol/HDL ratio, tested through work. My ratio dropped from 6.24 to 3.2 in 4 months (doctors want it less than 4.0). I eat like he says and exercise like he says, except I do eat ice cream at night frequently. I try to ride a stationary bike every 3 or 4 days. I do not feel I am dieting. I used to have orange juice and bananas for breakfast and was hungry before 11 am. Now I have 10 ounces of 1% milk, 1 oz peanuts, 1 oz cheese and crackers and eat lunch 45 minutes later than I used to. Peanuts remain in the stomach a long time and the fat content satisfies me. Instead of potatoes, I have broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans. I've talked enough. It worked for me. Good luck to you.

For the last 10 years, I've struggled with my weight, always needing to lose between 10-20 pounds of fat. About two months ago, I started eating more vegetarian meals. I did start to feel better and experienced reductions in sugar cravings. However, my weight wasn't coming off as quickly as I wanted even though I was exercising 4-5 times a week and was not eating that much "junk." Then I discovered the Zone. What a difference! My sugar cravings are gone (I still enjoy chocolate but don't eat much of it), and my energy levels have sky-rocketed! I don't use a scale, but people have asked me if I've lost about 10 pounds, and this is only after two+ weeks on the diet. And I can lift heavier weights in the gym and exercise for longer periods of time! Best of all, I am no longer a slave to constant hunger; I am now in control. THANK YOU, Dr. Sears. I will never eat a protein-free meal again. Just say no to pasta, bread, cereal, rice, and sugar-laden, refined foods! By the way, the naysayers either didn't read or understand the book, haven't tried the Zone, or did not follow it correctly (you need to enjoy eating fruits and vegetables).