Articles: Weight Loss

The Zone Diet has become one of the trendiest diets in Hollywood. Stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Aniston, Sandra Bullock, and Demi Moore have all credited the Zone Diet for their famous Hollywood figures. But, will the Zone Diet work for those of us that are not in Hollywood? What exactly does it take to be �in the Zone?�


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Entering the Zone

If you are wondering how to eat on the Zone Diet, Dr. Barry Sears is the creator of the Zone Diet, and he explains that if you "enter the zone" you will lose weight permanently and achieve peak physical performance. He also claims that the Zone Diet will help enhance your mental productivity as well as delay signs of ageing. Advocates of the Zone Diet claim you can lose at least 5 pounds in the first two weeks, and then 1 to 1.5 pounds every week after that.

The base idea behind the zone is learning to control your insulin, or blood sugar levels. You may ask, �How could controlling my insulin levels help me lose weight?� Dr. Barry sears explains that excess insulin in our bodies makes us, as well as keeps us, fat. When we keep our insulin in a tight zone, our bodies burn fat much more efficiently, and the result is weight loss.

It's a Balancing Act

In order to gain control over your insulin levels, you must learn to balance your carbohydrate, protein, and fat intake for every meal. To do this, you can remember the 40:30:30 ratio. Meaning, 40% of your calories should come from carbohydrates, 30% should come from protein, and 30% should come from fat.

To help people achieve this ratio, Dr. Barry Sears creating the Zone Food Blocks. Each block contains a standardized amount of carbohydrate, protein, or fat. The amount of Zone Food Blocks you should consume each day is calculated according to your weight and height, as well as your waist and hip circumferences. In order for a person to lose weight, that person is allocated a certain number of blocks for each meal and each snack. Generally, the bigger a person is, the more Zone Food Blocks that person is allocated. The Zone Diet's website has weight loss resources for helping you calculate your personal daily number of Food Blocks. These resources also explain how those Food Blocks should be divided throughout the day. In order to create these Zone Food Blocks, the dieter must measure and weigh all the ingredients in their food.

Will This Cost Me Money?

The Zone can definitely have a price tag. This is merely because creating meals and snacks that fit into the Zone Food Blocks can be a challenge without a Zone Diet book. Also, if you find that creating the meals on your own is too much of a challenge, you can order pre-packaged Zone Diet meals and snacks over the internet. These meals and snacks will be delivered right to your door- for a hefty price.

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Of course the creator of the Zone Diet explains that in order to achieve the best results, you should follow the Food Blocks, however it is possible to follow the basic principles of the Zone, without making hefty purchases.

Zone Diet Foods to Eat

* Most carbohydrates must be cut from the diet, examples include:

o Rice
o Potatoes
o Pasta
o Noodles
o Bread
o Bagels
o Breakfast Cereals
o Croissants
o Muffins
o Chips
o Pastries
o Pies
o Chocolate
o Sugar
* Most Fruits and Vegetables can be eaten
* A low fat protein rich food (no larger or thicker than the palm of your hand) should be consumed with every meal, examples include:

o Skinless Chicken
o Turkey
o Fish
* Saturated fats should be avoided
* Fats that are mono-unsaturated are recommended, examples include:

o Olive Oil
o Avocado
o Nuts
* When making your meals divide your plate into three equal sized sections, and fill each section with the following:

o The first section with a low fat protein
o The second section with a fruit
o The third section with a vegetable



How does the Zone Diet Plan compare to the current recommended healthy eating guidelines?


The Zone Diet differs drastically from the current recommended healthy eating guidelines in terms of food ratio and calorie intake. As stated above the Zone Diet requires a 40:30:30 ratio of food. This is very different from the current healthy eating guideline of 50:15:35. Meaning 50% of our calories should come from carbohydrates, 15% from protein, and 35% from fat.

The amount of calories consumed is very different as well. The current healthy eating guidelines suggest that the average woman should consume about 2000 calories per day, and the average male should consume about 2500 calories per day. If you follow the Zone Diet, you will only consume between 1000 to 1300 calories per day. That�s half the amount of calories you should be consuming. Because of this fact, most health experts are skeptical that weight loss on the Zone Diet is related to insulin levels. They feel weight loss actually occurs because the person, on the diet, is eating so many fewer calories than they should be. For example, if you choose to eat an apple (50 calories) over the large Danish pastry (650 calories) you normally eat, everyday, you can be close to positive that you could lose at least 1 pound per week.

Where the Zone Diet and the current healthy eating guidelines coincide, is the advice on eating less fat, specifically saturated fat. Also, health experts agree with the idea of filling up with fruits and vegetables. This is because of their low calories, and all the nutrients they provide.

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Advantages of the Zone Diet

* The Zone Diet has fewer dietary restrictions than many other low carbohydrate diet plans
* The Zone Diet allows and recommends eating fruits and vegetable, which other low carbohydrate diet plans do not
* The Zone Diet encourages cutting out junk food
* The Zone Diet suggests swapping saturated foods for mono-unsaturated foods- this is good for heart health


""Check Out ZoneDiet.com Today!"" Click on the link to Learn more about the Zone Diet and Dispell the Myths


For example:

* When followed properly, The Zone Diet is NOT complicated or time consuming
* The Zone Diet is not as expensive as you may have heard. You don�t have to buy books, scales or spoons, or pre packaged meals. Their website has a wealth of information and recipies
* The Zone Diet encourages you to eat a ton of fruits & veggies where you get probably more nutrients than you did
* The Zone Diet can be incorporated when you are eating out. Their website has restaurant reviews and how to "Zone" your meal.


FREE 7 Day Meal Planner Kickstart Your Health & Wellness Regimen with The Zone Diet


If you are considering trying the Zone Diet, be sure to consult your health care professional to make sure this diet is right for you.