What About Moderate Carbs?
Written: Oct 23 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Large servings, no special foods needed, no gimmicks. . .and the diet works!
Cons: Using the block method can be confusing.
The Bottom Line: Not everybody is the same, not every diet works for all people, but I highly recommend the Zone diet to anybody who wants to lose weight, or eat healthier.
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| mycrewx8's Full Review: The Zone Diet |
I was in search of a way to shed the last 10 pounds of post-pregnancy weight when I stumbled upon the Zone diet. Post-pregnancy weight loss is a journey I’ve taken many times, and I’ve never followed an established diet before, because I have this issue with being told what to do. After all, we all know how to eat, don’t we? I felt that most diets were fads, gimmicks to get people to buy the diet products.
I had never heard of the Zone diet, though later learned that it was popular among celebrities. I became aware of it after doing a brief survey for eDiets, which stated that the Zone diet was one that was suited to my eating preferences and weight loss goals. I then visited the web site at ZonePerfect.com to see what it was all about.
History
The basic premise of Dr. Sears’ Zone diet is that evolution occurs very slowly, and our genes have not had time to adjust to a diet high in grains and dense carbohydrates, as agriculture is a relatively new development in human history when compared to evolutionary time-lines. Because our bodies are not able to handle the onslaught of simple carbohydrates, the result of consuming them is a myriad of health ailments, including weight gain. What I read was consistent with my limited biology knowledge, so I read on to hear what the claims of the Zone diet were.
Dr. Sears’ theory is that our bodies were made to run on lean proteins and natural carbohydrates, and the Zone diet consists of 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fats. The aim of “being in the Zone” is to “maintain your insulin level within a therapeutic zone,” so that the carbohydrates you eat will be used for energy, rather than stored as fat.
Foods
The first thing necessary for following this diet is to become acquainted with most favorable and least favorable foods. In the case of carbohydrates, those that are low on the glycemic index are the most favorable. It is stated that most people eat the same 20 foods most of the time, and my strategy was to choose the proteins and carbohydrates I enjoy most from the most favorable lists, and build meals around those. Fats are pretty easy. . .if your protein has fat, you don’t need to add any. If it doesn’t have fat, you should add some (preferably) monounsaturated fats such as olives or olive oil, peanuts, almonds, avocados, or natural peanut butter. I am a vegetarian who eats dairy products and seafood, and was very pleased to see many seafood and soy products on the “most favorable” list of proteins, although chicken breast and turkey are included also. Beef, ham, Canadian bacon, corned beef, pork chops, and dark turkey meat are on the “moderately favorable” list.
Serving sizes
Using the eyeball method, a serving of protein should be the size and thickness of your palm. A serving of most favorable carbohydrates should be the size of two, loose fists, and a serving of least favorable carbohydrates should be the size of one tight fist.
Using the block method of determining servings is more precise, and it involves counting the grams in the protein, carbs, and fats that you consume. When doing a profile at the Zone’s site, it will give you a recommended number of blocks of food to be consumed in a day, based on your weight and measurements, age, and level of physical activity. You are free to split the blocks up between meals and snacks as you wish, but you should eat 5 times a day, and never let more than 5 hours pass between meals or snacks. The idea behind this is to prevent ketosis.
The blocks can get confusing. Each block consists of 3 mini blocks, one mini block of protein, one mini block of carbohydrate, and one mini block of fat. The premise of the Zone diet is to eat a balance at each meal and snack. A mini block of protein is 7 grams, one of carbohydrate is 9 grams (fiber does not count towards the carb grams, as it is not absorbed by the body), and one mini block of fat is 3 grams. So, for a 4 block meal, you would multiply the number of grams of each micronutrient by 4 (the total number of blocks). Hence, you would be aiming for 28 grams of protein, 36 grams of carbohydrates, and 12 grams of fat. . .although the number of fat grams is reduced if the protein has fat in it. Although fat will not stimulate the release of insulin, a gram of fat has more calories in it that a gram of protein or carbohydrate, so that if you go overboard on the fat, it will be difficult to lose weight.
Special Foods?
None needed. Although the best place to get Zone-friendly foods is from the perimeters of the supermarket (dairy, meat and seafood, produce), many convenience foods can be used as well. Just count the blocks, though some foods are just too far out of the Zone and should be avoided. Eating out is not difficult if you use the eyeball method, and the Zone web site has ranked many popular fast foods that are Zone friendly. Also available on the web site are recipes for many Zone meals and snacks. There are Zone food products available, and I rather enjoy the Zone Perfect Nutrition Bars.
The “E” Word. . .
Ah, yes, exercise. Since exercise lowers insulin levels, it is recommended that you get at least 40 minutes a day of exercise. Aerobic exercise, to lower insulin levels and burn fat, and anaerobic exercise (simple body weight resistance exercises will do), to build muscle.
The Claims (as quoted from the Zone Perfect web site)
Increased energy
Gradual loss of body fat
Better mental acuity
More restful sleep and a decrease in the amount needed
Decreased muscle and joint pain
Improvement in your cholesterol profile
Decreased carbohydrate craving
My Findings
I was a total carb addict, and this diet was a major change in eating habits for me. I formerly ate a low-fat, low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet, and my first 2 days in the Zone were rocky. I didn’t feel bad, just different. I was getting no exercise at all, other than daily activities (which includes a fair amount of walking), for the first couple of months on the diet. Even so, I found:
* Increased energy
* Weight loss of 4 pounds immediately, followed by the loss of 1-2 pounds per week
* Increased mental acuity (very helpful for school!)
* Feeling well rested on 6 hours of sleep, when before, 8 hours hadn’t been enough
* No more blood sugar crashes
* No more mood swings
* Episodes of heart pounding ceased
* No more early afternoon carb cravings (which were often accompanied by a blood sugar crash)
Overall. . .
I have heard before that “food is a drug”, and I am a firm believer in that now. When I eat outside the Zone, I immediately get headaches (those darn sugary foods!) and feel like I’ve been drugged. . .I cannot even think clearly. While eating in the Zone, I feel great, and continued to lose weight even after reaching my goal. I was never hungry, never felt deprived, and am actually unable to eat the entire number of blocks recommended for me.
I have not had the opportunity to read Dr. Sears books yet, but I found the web site to be full of detailed information. I have also not had the need to call the Zone support toll free number, but I am ranking the helpfulness of the customer support highly, due to the vast resources available on the web site.
Recommended:
Yes
Approximate Monthly Cost (US$) 0.00
Food Variety Restrictions A wide variety of allowed foods
Restrictiveness of Portions Several hearty portions
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Epinions.com ID:
mycrewx8
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Member: Jennifer K.
Location: Northern Indiana
Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 7 members
About Me:
Been offline due to computer issues, but I'm BA-ACK =)
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