Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below
.jpg "Research Chemical Sciences")
.png "Research Chemical Sciences")
The Zone Diet
- Thread starter ALY
- Start date
I think the classic Zone, popularized by Barry Sears, is 40/30/30. Here's a link to some explanations:
http://home.earthlink.net/~vinnyi/dieting/diets.htm
http://home.earthlink.net/~vinnyi/dieting/diets.htm
thebabydoc
New member
I did it for like 6 weeks religiously and lost 10 lbs + 2 inches on my waist
while actually getting bigger up top in the gym (e.g. the weight loss was
mostly fat).
Now I follow it (or at least the principles) during the week and go hog wild
on the weekends if I so please while still maintaining my protein intake as
directed. By hog wild, I mean shit like an entire box of brownie mix or a quart
of ice cream!!! I'm still losing weight without significant calorie restriction.
The key to the diet is not so much a diet as a change in lifestyle and
eating habits, although Dr. Sears does go a bit overboard with his extrapolation
of in vivo experiments to the human body vis a vis eicosanoids. Overall, though,
the logic is simple and straightforward, it is not a 'fad' diet, and it works in
the way a true 'diet' should work...slowly and focusing on loss of fat and
maintenance of lean body mass.
The basic principle is that total intake is calculated from lean body mass and activity
levels, with required protein intake calculated from the above. Once protein
requirements are calculated, carb and fat intake is calculated from that. Beyond
that, there are good carbs- those with low glycemic indexes (how fast they
are absorbed) and good fats (monounsaturated) which should be the primary
source of carbs and fats.
Another principle is the "balanced" meal, meaning that if you eat a ton of bad (or
other) carbs, you "balance" them with an appropriate amount of protein (usually the
crap you binge on contains fat and carb but no protein). For example, if you have a
beer, eat an ounce or two of sliced turkey breast to "balance" the carbs in the beer.
The basic formula is that for every 7gm of protein, 9gm of carbohydrate and 1.5gm of
'good' fats (not including the fat contained in the lean protein source) should be eaten.
Intake is divided into 3 meals, 2 snacks. Generally meals = 3 or 4 'blocks' and
snacks=1 'block'. Each bock is made up of 1 unit of each food type; therefore:
1 unit= 7gm protein, 9gm carb, OR 1.5gm fat, and
1 block = 7gm protein, 9gm carbo, AND 1.5gm fat.
So for example:
If you weigh 130lbs and work out like a fiend (activity level= 1.0 )
and your % BF =15% (= 85% = .85 lean body mass- [LBM],
your protein requirement in grams would be:
115 x .85 (LBM) x 1.0 (activity level) = 98gm/day (you'll see why
I used this number in a minute!!)
98gm protein/day divided by 7gm protein/ unit = 14 units/day
14 units/day divided into 3 meals and 2 snacks = 3 meals @ 4 units + 2 snacks @ 1 unit
converted to blocks (remember a block is protein + carb + fat),
each meal would be: each snack would be:
4 x 7 = 28gm protein 1 x 7 = 7gm protein
4 x 9 = 36gm carbs 1 x 9 = 9gm carbs
4 x 1.5 = 6gm fat 1 x 1.5 = 1.5gm fat
(the high activity level would also allow you to double your fat intake to up
to 12gms/meal and 3gm/snack)
NOTE: this is not only "allowed" amount of intake. IT IS REQUIRED
breakfast is the toughest, to eat all that protein and fat.
Almonds and macadamia nuts go a long way for fat and hard-boiled egg whites
and cold cuts help with protein. Neat things: 8 oz 2% milk = 1 block = 1 snack
It's really pretty simple; after 1-2 weeks you'll find that you don't really need to
weigh or measure foods anymore and you can eat anything you want so long as
you do it in moderation.
thebabydoc
while actually getting bigger up top in the gym (e.g. the weight loss was
mostly fat).
Now I follow it (or at least the principles) during the week and go hog wild
on the weekends if I so please while still maintaining my protein intake as
directed. By hog wild, I mean shit like an entire box of brownie mix or a quart
of ice cream!!! I'm still losing weight without significant calorie restriction.
The key to the diet is not so much a diet as a change in lifestyle and
eating habits, although Dr. Sears does go a bit overboard with his extrapolation
of in vivo experiments to the human body vis a vis eicosanoids. Overall, though,
the logic is simple and straightforward, it is not a 'fad' diet, and it works in
the way a true 'diet' should work...slowly and focusing on loss of fat and
maintenance of lean body mass.
The basic principle is that total intake is calculated from lean body mass and activity
levels, with required protein intake calculated from the above. Once protein
requirements are calculated, carb and fat intake is calculated from that. Beyond
that, there are good carbs- those with low glycemic indexes (how fast they
are absorbed) and good fats (monounsaturated) which should be the primary
source of carbs and fats.
Another principle is the "balanced" meal, meaning that if you eat a ton of bad (or
other) carbs, you "balance" them with an appropriate amount of protein (usually the
crap you binge on contains fat and carb but no protein). For example, if you have a
beer, eat an ounce or two of sliced turkey breast to "balance" the carbs in the beer.
The basic formula is that for every 7gm of protein, 9gm of carbohydrate and 1.5gm of
'good' fats (not including the fat contained in the lean protein source) should be eaten.
Intake is divided into 3 meals, 2 snacks. Generally meals = 3 or 4 'blocks' and
snacks=1 'block'. Each bock is made up of 1 unit of each food type; therefore:
1 unit= 7gm protein, 9gm carb, OR 1.5gm fat, and
1 block = 7gm protein, 9gm carbo, AND 1.5gm fat.
So for example:
If you weigh 130lbs and work out like a fiend (activity level= 1.0 )
and your % BF =15% (= 85% = .85 lean body mass- [LBM],
your protein requirement in grams would be:
115 x .85 (LBM) x 1.0 (activity level) = 98gm/day (you'll see why
I used this number in a minute!!)
98gm protein/day divided by 7gm protein/ unit = 14 units/day
14 units/day divided into 3 meals and 2 snacks = 3 meals @ 4 units + 2 snacks @ 1 unit
converted to blocks (remember a block is protein + carb + fat),
each meal would be: each snack would be:
4 x 7 = 28gm protein 1 x 7 = 7gm protein
4 x 9 = 36gm carbs 1 x 9 = 9gm carbs
4 x 1.5 = 6gm fat 1 x 1.5 = 1.5gm fat
(the high activity level would also allow you to double your fat intake to up
to 12gms/meal and 3gm/snack)
NOTE: this is not only "allowed" amount of intake. IT IS REQUIRED
breakfast is the toughest, to eat all that protein and fat.
Almonds and macadamia nuts go a long way for fat and hard-boiled egg whites
and cold cuts help with protein. Neat things: 8 oz 2% milk = 1 block = 1 snack
It's really pretty simple; after 1-2 weeks you'll find that you don't really need to
weigh or measure foods anymore and you can eat anything you want so long as
you do it in moderation.
thebabydoc
Last edited:
Similar threads
