Introduction

This document represents my experience with The Zone Diet. I have taken the bits and pieces from various sources regarding my experience using The Zone Diet and placed them into a single document. I lost almost 70 lbs of fat in < 10 months, 14 inches off of my waist and altered by body composition by going from 35% to approximately 13% body fat in that same time period by using the methods discussed in this document (confirmed via pre and post 9 point body pinch test). I did this without drugs or surgery, only with diet & exercise. The only pills I took were a multivitamin and omega-3 fish oils. When something like that happens people often ask "How did you do it?" and I say "I basically followed the Zone diet and worked out". Obviously there is a great deal of detail behind that statement. Since I do get many questions I thought it might be a good idea to get my thoughts and experiences down into a single guide. In this document you will find many ideas related to using the Zone Diet concepts and how to implement it effectively according to my experience. There are also a number of calculators on this page to help one develop a better understanding of The Zone Diet that you may find useful.

My workouts and training have been exhaustively detailed in the posts on this blog. My diet and fat loss has not. That being said I would say that I incorporated The Zone Diet into my dietary habits and had great success with fat loss & changing my eating habits.

As Aldous Huxley said "There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self. " In this sense to make something work for you, you must to make it your own, a change in diet cannot be something temporary, to be effective it must be permanent. I am not a Medical Doctor, Nutritionist or trainer therefore you are free to ignore everything I say in this document. I am just a regular guy who implemented a dietary change, then made it work through hardwork and determination. As the above information demostrates I also got some great results. With any change or effort I fell down a few places along the way, but as life often teaches us it is not about falling down it is about getting back up. This document represents those corrections in the form of advice pertaining to my experience.
End Introduction

Why Zone? My Journey to the Zone.

I do not claim that all the scientific claims/benefits made by Dr. Sears about his diet are accurate but I do know from experience that it is an excellent tool for portioning your meals, restricting calorie consumption and provides excellent guidance on how to eat healthy. I have never been able to stick to any dietary change in my life, the Zone dietary concepts have truly worked for an extended period of time.

Furthermore, I find it easy to follow and to me it represents losing weight without hunger or cravings and most importantly a great way to reform your eating habits. What drove me to pursue a change in diet in the first place is a story unto itself. By the time I hit my early 30's after about 10 years of long work hours, tons of stress, graduate school, marriage, adjustment to adult life, the birth of 2 children and 3 home purchases I found myself 5'10" 260 lbs, with a 44 inch waist (belly button circumference) and a less than favorable blood lipid profile. I had always worked out and lifted heavy weights etc... but I consumed the standard American fare, I ate poorly at times and my sense of portion size was way off. Retrospectively, I ate too much of the wrong stuff. The funny thing is I used to think that I ate pretty good.

I searched high and low for advice and read a variety of nutrition/diet books in the spring and summer of 2007 and met with a nutrionist. I also read "The Zone: A Dietary Road Map" by Dr. Sears. Around the same time I discovered CrossFit and the CrossFit website. Despite my general skepticism about diets, I was attracted to the Zone dietary concepts. The fact that the CrossFit methodology advocates the Zone and some of the articles by Robb Wolf, I was convinced and solidified my decision; I choose to use the Zone as my diet plan of choice. For historical reference I should note that I had lost weight with marginal success by calorie counting before this point but I found it impractical and tedious.

By September of 2007 I formulated a simple plan. I resolved to follow the Zone dietary guidelines do the CrossFit WOD's straight off the site and continue strength training when possible. Everything changed, I started headlong on this plan on September 27th, 2007 by Christmas (12/25/2007) I had lost 40 lbs, my body weight went from 260 to 220. From Christmas until August 19th, 2008 I lost an additional 28 lbs. By November of 2008 only 15 months after following the dietary guidelines I weighed 190 lbs. Thanks to this diet and exercise campaign, as of June 2009 I weigh consistently between 180 and 182. Between 9/2007 and 6/2009 my body weight changed from 261 lbs to 180 lbs. As of 6/2009 I have completed 3 triathlons (I have another 3 planned for the rest of 2009), I am currently doing CrossFit and CrossFit Endurance type workouts. Here are some of my PRs from a human performance standpoint (personal records) 42 pull-ups in a single set, 46 dips in a single set, bench press 330 lbs, squat (at real depth) a meager 380, deadlift 470 and my PR in the 5K is 22:11. In addition to this I now have an excellent blood lipid profile a resting heartrate in the mid 40's and my blood pressure is consistently about 100/60. I can run 6 miles without any problem, bike 50 miles at the drop of a hat and swim 1 mile in open water and still have gas left in the tank. Needless to say this new fitness level has had a profound effect upon my life. While I am not sure that the Zone diet is "the answer" I do know some of the principles are great and if used properly it works for weight loss and changing eating habits. Additionally it is flexible enough to support the needs of an active lifestyle. As useless as anecdotes are for larger populations for much smaller populations ,namely myself, it is the diet portion of the diet + exercise combination that has worked with astounding results.
End section: Why Zone?

What is the Zone Diet?

The Zone method is a simple way of proportioning approximate macronutrient ratios. The goal as stated by the Zone books is control and balance of a variety of hormones, primarily the Zone books discuss insulin and eicosanoids being managed through blood sugar levels and proper diet. The claim in the books is that by managing these hormones through diet you create a cascade of positive biological changes in the body [1]. You can read more about this in the Zone books [1], [2], [3] or the Zone Diet website. The plan stresses portioning your meals in a balanced and sensible way. The Zone Diet encourages foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits and nuts, leafy green vegetables, sufficient lean protein consumption, and eight glasses of water everyday. Also the Zone Diet prefers monounsaturated fats as the fat of choice, says a big no to both processed foods and meals that contain too much salt. The rationale for monounsaturated fats according to Dr. Sears is they contribute is to a feeling of fullness and decreases the rate at which carbohydrates are absorbed into the bloodstream. Slower carbohydrate absorption means lower insulin levels which means less stored fat and a faster transition to fat burning. [2]

Dr. Sears describes a Zone meal as follows: "Eat as much protein as the palm of your hand, as much nonstarchy raw vegetables as you can for the vitamins, enough carbohydrates to maintain mental clarity because the brain runs on glucose, and enough monounsaturated oils to keep feelings of hunger away." CrossFit founder Greg Glassman who has implemented the Zone Diet with excellent results for fitness and athletic performance states it this way.... "Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar." [5]

The nutritionista are all over the board with their opinions on the Zone Diet. Critics say that many of the benefits touted by The Zone Diet creator Dr. Barry Sears are largely unproven. You can read more about Critiques of the Zone Diet below. As Bonnie Liebman, MS, nutrition director for the center's publication, Nutrition Action Healthletter has said. "If you ignore the scientific rhetoric, the diet isn't bad, You are getting carbohydrates from fruit and vegetables on the diet, but a lot of the science is bunk." I would say that this reflects my attitude toward the Zone. These are 4 pieces that I feel have merit:

1. The portioning/proportioning recommendations and techniques.

2. The recommended quality of foods to eat.

3. The concept of Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation.

4. Sustainability, I find it easy to follow and stay on course, as long as I am doing it right I do not feel deprived or hungry.

Just think of it as a way of portioning/proportioning your food intelligently and an excellent guide for how to eat healthy and feel good. As far as Zone books go I have read 3 cover to cover. The Zone, Mastering the Zone and The Omega Rx Zone. In would rank them thusly: 1. Mastering the Zone, 2. The Zone, 3. The Omega Rx Zone. The books are decent, many of the scientific concepts are very oversimplified based on other texts I have read but I was attracted to some of the concepts and found that as a practice it fits my personality. In my opinion Mastering The Zone is really all you need. The first 60 pages give you a great overview of how the diet works. In Mastering The Zone Chapter 7 is called "Adjusting Your Hormonal Carburetor" it is filled with a number of easy to follow guidelines and practical information. If you only want to get 1 book Mastering The Zone would be it. The bottom line ... Based on my experience using the Zone diet as recommended you end with a balanced diet where you eat tons of vegetables (more than I ever thought I would eat), adequate protein, and healthy fats at every meal. The dietary recommendations are easy to follow and personally I feel very satisfied, it is easy to stick with and frankly I feel better than I have ever felt. I never thought eating a heathly diet could be so easy.

The first premise of the Zone is to eat a specific balance and quantity of high quality lean protein, carbohydrates primarly from vegetables & fruits and heathy fats like raw nuts/seeds and olive oil. The other major premise is specific to portion size. For example, never eat more than 4 or 5 oz of meat at a time. I used to eat 12 oz steaks now that same 12 oz. might represent all the protein I eat at my meals (not including snacks) for the entire day.

The cornerstone concept of the Zone ideal is 40-30-30 nutrition. In otherwords when you eat you should consume 40% of your calories from Carbs, 30% from Protein and 30% from Fat. This ratio along with a particular quantity of food per day is theortically healthy and optimal according to Dr. Sears.

The implementation of the Zone diet occured for me in 3 steps or techniques. I still use all these methods for portioning and proportioning my meals. The first is what I refer to as the Zone plate eyeball method, the second is the Zone Block eyeball method and the third is the Zone Block measurement method. I use all three techniques. It all sounds very formal and difficult but once you start doing it and get results it is very easy. I do not even think about it anymore. As with most things success is motivating and begets more success.

     How does the Zone diet work?

There are mountains of conjecture and theories about HOW the Zone diet works... from my perspective it is very straightforward. If the calories you burn through metabolic processes are greater than the calories consumed through eating you create a caloric deficiency. A caloric deficiency leds to weight loss. Now what type of weight loss you get is another story all together, optimally you want to use the bodyfat as fuel to fill the caloric defiency. It has been my experience that the Zone is a very effective means of creating a caloric deficiency while burning fat and sparing muscle mass. There are a number of ways to tune your metabolism to do this, this concept is the premise of the entire multibillion dollar diet and fitness industry. Based on my experience the Zone Diet provides an easy and effective means to accomplish this task and allows proper adjustment to support the metabolic needs of someone who exercises and trains frequently.
End Section: What is the Zone Diet?

How do I get started? The Zone plate eyeball method.

For me what worked was starting with the Zone plate eyeball method. I did this for about 6 weeks before deciding to actually count out Blocks and all that business. I highly suggest you do the same for 4 primary reasons 1.) This will gradually introduce the change into your eating habits, the first few weeks can be an adjustment. 2.) You will not always have a Block List and scale with you. 3.) It will help develop your portion estimation skills and reorientate your perception of portion size. 4.) You will develop a more solid sense of how many vegetables and the types of carbohydrates you should be eating. Obviously if your diet is already pretty solid the last 2 points may not resonate. However, if you have portion issues like I did, I think this step is vital to success.

I had great results with the plate method and furthermore I still resort to it when on vacation or at a restaurant. The first few weeks of the Zone diet were an adjustment, if I had to measure everything right out of the gate I do not think I would have stuck with it. By doing the simplified plate method you are avoiding the measurement aspect of the diet and frankly success begets success, once I had a little success with the plate method I got really motivated. My problem when starting was portion control. I simply ate too much. The plate method corrects this problem if followed honestly. Below is what I refer to as the plate eyeball method [7](aka Zone Diet Quick Start) .
1. Eat a Zone meal or snack within one hour after waking.
2. Eat every 4 to 6 hours after a meal or 2 to 2½ hours after a snack, whether you are hungry or not.
3. Assess your hunger level and mental focus before every meal or snack. Lack of hunger and clarity of mind are signs you are staying in the Zone (translation: Your blood sugar/ hormone levels are not out of whack).
4. Drink 64-ounces of water a day or more.
5. Start every meal or snack with low-fat protein. Next add low glycemic-load carbohydrates (i.e. vegetables and fruits - NO REFINED SUGARS) and good fats (i.e. olive oil, raw almonds). Remember, a typical serving of low-fat protein fits in your palm of your hand and is no thicker than your hand (about 3 ounces for most females and 4 ounces for most males) A typical snack contains 1 ounce of protein for both women and men. At first, a kitchen scale may be helpful for measuring. Don t worry. You ll be able to eyeball it in no time. If your plate looks like this, you re on the right track:
6. Don't beat yourself up for straying here or there. Your next meal or snack can get you right back on track.

Once you have done this for a while, depending on your current eating habits you will more than likily see benefits. If you want to take it to the next step it is time become a blockhead. For me I did the "plate method" for about 1 1/2 months and still do it frequently when in a pinch. Once I started doing this it became very clear to me that in my former eating habits I was eating waaaayyyyy too much. While I was doing this I lost about 10 lbs in about the first 2-3 weeks. During one of these weeks I recorded the caloric values of everything I ate and it came out that I was eating ~ 2,100 calories a day. I was still eating "moderately favorable" foods like whole grain bread (which I have since abandoned) and had great weight loss success on the Zone early on.
End Section: How do I get started?

How to become a Block Head. The Zone Block/ Block eyeball method.

The ultimate way to "Zone" is to dial in your consumption and food quantity with the Block method. To first do this we must understand what a Zone Block is.... The detail behind the blocks are as follows.

1 block of Protein = 7 grams of Protein
1 block of Carbs = 9 grams of Carbs
1 block Fat = 1.5 (3 really) grams of Fat ** (There is an assumption that there is about 1.5 grams of fat in each block of protein, so the total amount of fat needed per 1 block meal is a total of 3 grams, so you only need to ADD 1.5 grams of fat.)

The theory is this balance of caloric ratio between Carbs, Protein and Fat is optimal for health and wellness. I am not saying I completely buy this sales pitch from a empirical scientific standpoint, but it has allowed me to lose fat, maintain muscle mass and improve athletic performance. I would also say that I personally find it very easy to follow.

If we calculate out the approx caloric values we see this.

9 grams of carbs (4 cals/gram) = approx. 36 calories (39.56%)
7 grams of protein (4 cals/gram) = approx. 28 calories (30.77%)
3 grams of fat (9 cals/gram) = 27 calories (29.67%)

These are very close to the golden ratio of 40% carbs: 30% protein: 30% fat. So what the Zone diet creators attempted to do was create a simple way of portioning out your macronutrients and balancing your meals, since it is much easier to count estimates through blocks than it is to count calories (as we shall see soon enough). As a note most women require 10-12 blocks and most men fall in the 15-17 range [6].
End Section: How To Become a Blockhead?

Block macronutrients and calorie estimate equivalence. The Zone Block Indeterminance Factor...

This section represents a small "research" project of sorts I did early on when I was having great success with the Zone and wanted to understand the diet better. It is worth mentioned so you can understand the mechanics of the Zone Diet.

The table below shows block and calorie estimate equivalency. So if you eat a 4 block meal it will roughly equal 364 calories. I exhaustively tracked exact calories consumed using this calorie guide versus blocks for about 2 months and my block to calorie comparision had a 10%-32% up swing, the mean was about 25%. So in otherwords the actual calorie content of my dietary intake was 10% to 32% MORE than the block estimate. Obviously this is because individuals foods contain other macronutrients than just the Macronutrients you are counting, more of this is discussed in Zone Block List section below. For example if you eat 2 blocks of almonds this only counts towards your fat blocks not your protein blocks even though almonds contain protein and carbs. Hence the 10%-32% up swing. So essentially the 364 calorie meal is really somewhere between 400 and 480 calories.

So to take this out futher let's say your Zone plan calls for an estimated 17 blocks and you are a medium sized male that is 1547 calories in straight block to macronutrient calculations. If you add in the Zone Block indeterminance factor (ZBIF) of 10%-32% that comes to 1700 to 2042 calories and the mean is about 1950 calories (125% of base) of planned consumption. This still qualifies as calorie restriction according the USDA. (Similiar information is available here.) Personally I wouldn't get too excited about this ZBIF thing the Block method offers enough precision to work very well in my experience, if you want to count all your calories and grams to get out exact blocks be my guest but in my opinion that dietary practice is not sustainable. If you want to get real crazy with this method you can start counting blocks using Net effective carbs also. Other may have different opinions about how inaccurate the Zone Block method is but it works very well as an estimation tool. As stated in CrossFit Journal 15, "We’ve found that the Zone prescription offers an accurate and precise model for optimizing human function." [8] Additionally if ZBIF is indeed higher or lower than 25% it is about right based on 2 months of tracking and when considering the whole I am only using it as a tool to understand and explain the dietary plan better. We are not trying to split the atom here or define the unified field theory we are talking about eating.

Blocks 1 2 3 4 5
Carbs 9 18 27 36 45
Fats (total fat : fat in blocks) 3 : 1.5 6 : 3 9 : 4.5 12 : 6 15 : 7.5
Protein 7 14 21 28 35
Calorie Estimate (block) 77.5 155 232.5 310 387.5
Calorie Estimate Total 91 182 273 364 455

The table above is extremely useful for estimating the block equavalency from a food label. Let's say for example you buy some whole grain, high fiber tortilla's that have 28 grams of Carbs per tortilla great for 4 blocks of carbs in a breakfast burritos (if that is your thing). You know from the above list that this roughly equals 3 carb blocks, add a little guacamole and 3 oz. of Chicken and you have a 3 block meal, see how easy that is? So how do you know if a food counts towards your carb blocks or your protein blocks? Apply the food toward the block based on the primary food type in the food item. The tortilla above is a perfect example. Obviously the tortilla is predominately a carb source even though it contains protein and fat. Since it is predominantly a carb source apply it to your carb blocks for that meal. Also, my advice is to not worry about the calories except when calculating from a packaged food source you will only drive yourself crazy.
End Section: The Zone Block Indeterminance Factor

How many blocks should I eat?

Here is how it breaks down.

1. Figure out your body fat percentage and weight.
2. Define your activity level.
3. Estimate/calculate your block assignment.
4. Eat Eat Eat.

Once you decide how many blocks you eat you consume those blocks per day, the recommendation is to consume the same number of blocks of each macronutrient at each meal or snack. For example if you figure out you should be eating 18 blocks, you need to consume those blocks throughout the day in the form of meals and snacks. Maybe something like this... 4 blocks for breakfast, 2 blocks as a mid morning snack, 5 blocks for lunch, 5 blocks for dinner, 2 blocks for a late night snack.

There is quite a bit of information out there about optimal times for eating and such but personally I just break up my Blocks in the form of meals and snacks in a myriad of configurations. For simplicity sake let's just call each time you eat a meal. Here are samples of some of the ways you could break up 17 blocks, this is common sense but it underscore the flexibility of the Zone. The first line represents the format I follow most often and find easiest but I have experimented with all these format. The only rules I follow consistently is I never have more than 5 blocks of protein at 1 meal, and I always preceed my workout sessions with a 1-2 Block meal. Obviously if you are some huge dude and you are eating like 50 blocks these rules need to change a bit.

Comment Meal 1 Blocks Meal 2 Blocks Meal 3 Blocks Meal 4 Blocks Meal 5 Blocks Meal 6 Blocks
Most used 4 2 4 2 4 1
Early morning workout 1 4 2 4 4 2
Format 3 4 4 4 4 1 -
Format 4 4 2 5 4 1 -
Format 5 4 2 4 4 2 1


The hard and fast rules say always consume equivalent values of each macronutrient when you eat, so when you eat 4 blocks of protein, eat 4 blocks of carbs and fat; exceptions to this are discussed in the adjustment considerations below. It sounds complicated but once you implement it is extremely simple and effective. There are 2 ways to determine your block "prescription". You can estimate & experiment or measure & calculate. The heart of the matter is this you need to determine how many grams of protein you need to consume, your block perscription is based upon this number.

1. Estimate & Experiment

The way to estimate your block level without measurement is to use the table below as a guide. Apparantly the experienced CrossFit trainers can size you up and based on a few questions estimate you body fat percentage then assign your block prescription visually with a high degree of accuracy. Having never experienced this I personally cannot vouce for it but people in the know such as the very knowledgable Robb Wolf have discussed this [6]. If you have access to a resource like this you should take advantage of it. If you do not (like me) you can estimate your block requirement using the table below [5]. Most people might think that I personally fit into the large male or well muscle category since I am what you would as a bigger person. Truth be told through measurement that I am a Medium male. I weigh 192 (as of October 2008) about 12-14 % body fat with a 32 inch waist and 16.5 inch arms.

Total Daily Blocks Body Type
10 Small Female
11 Medium Female
13 Large Female
14 Athletic well muscled female
16 Small Male
17 Medium Male
19 Large Male
20 X-Large Male
21 Hard gainer
23 Large Hard gainer
25 Athletic well muscled male

Using the estimation method you will have to experiment to ensure your consumption level is meeting your needs. If it is too much dial it back (remove blocks) if it is too little dial it up (add blocks). You will have to gradually adjust your block plan, I would make gradual adjustments. This is how I first starting with Zone blocks.

2. Measure and calculate

The more reliable way to determine your block "prescription" is through calculations based on body weight, body fat percentage and your activity level multiplier. To calculate body weight simply use a scale first thing in the morning.

Body Fat Percentage

There are many ways to calculate your body fat percentage. The book Mastering the Zone has a simple way of estimating your body fat percentage based on some simple measurements. My experience with this method says that it leads to overestimation of leaness so you end up with too many blocks. Some other methods include electronic impedence, the various Anthropometric pinch tests and the gold standard hydrostatic body composition AKA the floation method. Others may have different experiences but if you are just starting out the method discussed in Mastering the Zone is probably adequate. Here is another simple body fat percentage calculator. based on measurements. Obviously if you have the means do a hydrostatic body composition test you cannot get more accurate than that. Otherwise I suggest the Suprailiac pinch test. The reason? a. You can do it yourself b. it has been proven to be fairly accurate and effective means of self estimation and c. it is relatively inexpensive for the level of accuracy.

As a simple exercise lets compare the Zone measurement method in Mastering the Zone to the Suprailiac pinch test. In the Zone method here are my parameters of interest:

  • 7.5 inch wrist circumference
  • 32 inch waist (circumference @ belly button - actually its about 31 in the morning)
  • My weight is btw 190 and 195 lbs

My measurements with the Zone method comes out as about 7% body fat (yeah right, I wish!). If you fill my parameters below of 192 lbs, male, 34 yoa, 10 mm Suprailiac pinch test I come out as 13 % (between 12 and 15%) this is much more accurate based on appearance alone. One important thing to keep in mind about the body pinch tests or any of these except the hydrostatic body floation method is you need to consider them with a grain of salt. Some people make a really big deal about body fat percentage. All of these are simply monitoring and estimation tools. If one of the methods says you 5% bodyfat and you cannot see your abs, there might be something wrong. Likewise if one of these methods says you are 28% body fat and you are a guy with a six pack and can run a mile in 5:00 you may need to reconsider the test. Don't make a big deal about it just use your judgement and try to use the same type of test consistently. If you use the same method consistently and honestly; if you see a change be it negative or positive you are tracking your progress which is really the importance of using body fat percentage as a tool. It is much better than BMI.

Suprailiac pinch test

In order to perform this test you will need calipers. I have the fat track II calipers. Basically take the calipers and follow the instructions posted here . The equations for the calculator are shown below:

Women: Fat % = 1.223 * (pinch test mm) - 0.0134 * sqrd(pinch test mm) + 0.124 * (Age years) + 6.07

Men: Fat % = 1.378 * (pinch test mm) - 0.0174 * sqrd(pinch test mm) + 0.213 * (Age years) - 5.84

Above 35 mm, calculate the result for 35 mm and then add 0.25% for every 1mm above 35. Assuming an accurate measurement the Suprailliac pinch test carries a inaccuracy of +/- 1.5%.

Weight (lbs)
Sex
Age
Suprailliac Pinch test (mm)
Body Fat (BF) %:
Lean Body Mass (LBM):
BF% Range:
LBM Range:
(Table defaulted to 6/2009 factors)

Activity multiplier

The activity multiplier is a number you use to adjust your protein/block requirements for how many calories your burn through activity. Almost invariably people overestimate this number. I follow the CrossFit 3 days on 1 day off microcycle pattern and sometimes workout > 1 times per day. I estimate my activity multiplier to be .72 to .75. Here is the standard set of activity multipliers recommended by the Zone.

Activity Description Multiplier
Little to no physical activity 0.5
Light activity 1-2x per week 0.6
Light to medium 2-3x per week 0.7
Medium to Hard 3-4x per week 0.8
Medium to Hard 4-5x per week 0.9
1+ hours aerobic 6-7x per week 1.0
Competitive Athlete 10-20 hrs/week 1.1
Competitive Athlete 20+ hrs/week 1.2

Block Calculator

Use one of the ways discussed above or your own, fill in the values below and hit calculate.

Weight (lbs)
body fat %
Lean Body Mass (LBM):
Activity Multiplier
Grams of Protein/ Day:
Block Estimate:

Block (X) Adjustment Gram/Calorie Estimator

Fill in the varibles and hit calculate below to gain perspective of Zone adjustment caloric values and gram calculation. If this is new to you it will make more sense after reading adjustment considerations . The purpose of the calculator is to see what effect increasing a particular X value of each macronutrient block will have on the total macronutrient ratio, since tweaking these macronutrient ratios disrupts the 40-30-30 balance. This is obviously useful if you are planning to adjust the ratio's and utilize the fat blocks adjustment discussed in adjustment considerations.

Block Estimate:
Carb X:
Protein X: 1x
Fat X:

Remember when considering this calculation that only the first block of fat is 3 grams of fat because of the protein compensation. Each addition X of fat is 1.5g of fat grams not 3 grams. Also you cannot really X protein grams, if you did your block estimate is different. By the nature of the beast protein is always 1x. ZBIF = The Zone Block indeterminance factor discussed above adds 25% extra calories not accounted for in the Block estimation method. ZBIF does not apply if calculating directly from a single packaged food source with a discreet listing of nutritional information.

Grams to Caloric Ratio Calculator

This simple calculator is useful for calculating the macronutrient ratios of a particular meal or package item. It will tell you how many cals of each macronutrient gram is in your food and what ratio that macronutrient is in relation to the whole. Simple.

Macronutrient Grams Calories % of total ~Num of Blocks
Carb:
Protein:
Fat (3g/block):

ZBIF = The Zone Block indeterminance factor discussed above adds 25% extra calories not accounted for in the Block estimation method. ZBIF does not apply if calculating directly from a single packaged food source with a discreet listing of nutritional information.
End Section: So how many blocks should I eat.

So when do I get to eat?


My suggestions to you is eat the foods that are labeled as Fav or favorable in the list below. With a little practice you will become a pro at identifying these foods. When you quickly looks at the list it should be pretty intuitive on why a Protein or Fat is labeled Favorable or not. For the Carbs essentially the low GI (Glycemic Index) Carbs are Fav or Mfv and the high GI foods are not favorable. The idea is we want carbs that will have the least effect on blood glucose and insulin levels. Think nutrient dense, high in fiber, low in calories: vegetables, berries and fruit, limit the grains & starches. .

As the CrossFit founder Greg Glassman says "Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar." [5]. it is really that straightforward.

Fav = Favorable choices
Mfv = Moderately favorable choices
NFv = Not favorable choices.


Each line = 1 Zone Block. So this is the heart of the block system, this is how you form your meals. Each food (except those considered mixed aka "Mixd" in table) only counts towards 1 type of macronutrient. i.e. black beans only count towards your carb values even though they contain fat and protein. For example

1/4 cup of Black Beans = 1 block of carbs

1 oz. of Chicken breast = 1 block of protein

2 Cashews = 1 block of fat

So a simple example of a 4 block lunch would be 4 oz. of Chicken Breast, 1 cup of Black Beans and 8 Cashews. Now isn't that easy? Use the table below to form your meals according to your block needs. Generally you always eat a balance of each block type. Therefore if you are eating 2 blocks of protein (EX. 2oz of Chicken breast) you will eat 2 blocks of carbs (EX. 1 apple) and 2 blocks of fat (EX. 6 almonds). Wow that was easy we just made a 2 block snack. There are exceptions to this rule discussed in the adjustment considerations section below but generally on the "basic" Zone Diet Protein blocks = Carb blocks = Fat blocks at eat meal or snack.

End Section: So when do I get to eat?

Food Selection for people in the real world

You can see the smiley next to the foods I eat frequently and consider staples. A key to my success has been eating a diet made of whole and natural foods. It has been my experience that it is best to use unprocessed foods, like fresh or frozen unprocessed lean meats, raw nuts and fresh fruits and vegetables. Packaged,canned and processed foods like lunch meat or frozen entrees can be loaded with junk, fillers & preservatives and can be high in sodium. I do use/buy frozen and canned vegetables just because they make planning very easy but I pay close attention to labels to make sure I am not buying canned veggies packed with high fructose corn syrup, sugar and preservatives. Traders Joe's for example has an excellent selection of high quality canned and frozen veggies that are both free from preservatives and fillers. You can do the Zone pounding 5 of those Balance or Zone Perfect bars a day, eating one of these bars might be ok in a pinch once in a while but it has been my experience that I feel better eating unprocessed whole foods that I prepared myself. Therefore I try to avoid all highly processed foods as much as possible. As hard as I think it is noble to be conscience of food quality but not kill yourself trying to be perfect. For example the Paleo diet which is extremely popular amongst the CrossFit crowd has excellent concepts but in reality when I attempted it I found it overly restrictive and hard to stick to... this is personal experience and probably has something to due with my complicated lifestyle with children, a demanding work schedule, commuting, training, etc... The key a successful dietary change is to find a happy medium to fuel your lifestyle. A dietary plan needs to be sustainable and practical. We need to concern ourselves with the quality of food we eat but not be overly pedantic and develop orthorexia with regards to food quality.

     Picking the right foods

In my opinion food selection and specifically carb selection is a very important factor in making the Zone work. It seems in the planning of my meals I have an easier time putting together the quality proteins and fats. For my proteins I almost always pick lean meats, and healthy nuts make the fats easy to figure out. I have stated this before but it bears repeating. For your carb sources think nutrient dense, high in fiber, low in calories: fresh vegetables, berries and fruit, limit the grains & starches. In Master The Zone [2] the recommendation is that 25% of your carbs should come from grains, pastas and starches, the rest should come from fruits and vegetables. Less than 25% sounds about right, simply from the perspective of practicality and sustainability it is unreasonable to say you will eliminate them entirely unless you have a food allergy or something. It is a matter of choice. I simply feel better on a diet with carbs comprised mostly of fruits, berries, veggies and some tubers. I do eat some legumes primarily in the form of black beans and tubers such as yams and sweet potatos but not white potatos. I also eat old fashion oatmeal and if I am baking I use the whole grain oat flour, there are a number of great recipes that are very healthy & Zone friendly that use the whole grain oat flour my favorite is Cream Hill Estates Lara's Whole Grain Oat Flour. I should add that the transition to this type of diet happened slowly for me. If before starting the Zone you were eating a great deal of grains, starches and bread, I suggest making the transition to eating mostly fruits and veggies gradually.

Additionally I highly suggest you mix together various carb sources at each meal. An example of a 4 Block serving of carbs would be some Strawberries (1 cup 1C), raw baby spinach (3 cups 1C) and an apple (2C). My experience has been that the more mixed the carb sources the higher the satisfaction level and the better you feel. Snacks are typically monocarb for me. Again these are my experiences and opinions your experience may be different. You need to figure out what works best for you. As a note to underscore the importance of carb selection by comparison the 1 cup of strawberries, 3 cups of raw baby spinach and 1 apple is the same amount of carbs in only 1 cup of cooked pasta (4C). From a volume perspective I can guarantee the strawberries, raw baby spinach and apple will keep you satisfied longer than the 1 cup of pasta.

Based on my experience I also suggest you eat the carbs that you are supposed to according to the diet. What has happened to me in the past when tracking closely is I find it easy to get my proteins and fats but I end up short on carbs all the time. If you do this long enough you are compelled to make leaving out your carbs a habit. Some of this has to do with planning some of it has to do with the shear volume of veggies you have to eat to meet your carb needs. What I have found is that if I start leaving out my carbs it leads to cravings and cheating. Again I have found that if I adhere to the guidelines as laid out by the Zone I feel great and I am not compelled to cheat. The mixing of carb sources (discussed above) and eating all your carbs will avoid these issues, based on my experience. The book Mastering The Zone [2] has some excellent recommendations, practical advice, charts and guidelines on how to tune the diet so you feel right.

End Section: Food Selection

Zone Block List


The format is slightly different from other lists I have seen, I find this one easier to use. This list maybe slightly different than others published on the web, however I know this one works just fine. How? I lost 70 lbs of fat using it. This excel spreadsheet contains a printable pocket list of the Carbs and Fats. I only listed the Carbs and Fats because frankly those are the pieces that are less straight forward than the proteins. The protein blocks are generally 1 oz. for lean whole meat/poultry, 1.5 oz for fish, ground meat and shellfish and 1 egg or 2 egg whites.

The list is ordered by food type, rating and Food Desc
Food Type Rating Food Desc
Carb Fav *Rich in EPA Tossed salad (3 cups shredded lettuce, ½ raw green pepper, and 1 raw tomato)
Carb Fav Acorn squash ½ cup
Carb Fav Alfalfa sprouts 10 cups
Carb Fav Artichoke 4 large
Carb Fav Artichoke Hearts 1 cup
Carb Fav Asparagus (12 spears) 1 cup
Carb Fav Bamboo shoots 4 cups
Carb Fav Bean Sprouts 3 cups
Carb Fav beans Kidney 1/4 cup
Carb Fav Beans, black 1/4 cup **
Carb Fav Beans, green or wax 1 cups
Carb Fav Beets, sliced ½ cup (I have become a HUGE fan of the beet)
Carb Fav Blackberries 3/4 cup
Carb Fav Blueberries ½ cup
Carb Fav Bok choy 3 cups
Carb Fav Boysenberries ½ cup
Carb Fav Broccoli 3 cups
Carb Fav Broccoli 4 cups
Carb Fav Brussel sprouts 1 ½ cups
Carb Fav Cabbage 3 cups
Carb Fav Cabbage. shredded 4 cups
Carb Fav Cauliflower 4 cups
Carb Fav Cauliflower pieces 4 cups
Carb Fav Celery, sliced 2 cups
Carb Fav Cherries 8
Carb Fav Chickpeas 1/4 cup **
Carb Fav Collard greens 2 cups
Carb Fav Cucumber, sliced 4 cups
Carb Fav Eggplant 1 ½ cups
Carb Fav Endive, chopped 10 cups
Carb Fav EsCarole, chopped 10 cups
Carb Fav Fruit cocktail (light) 1/3 cup
Carb Fav Grapes ½ cup
Carb Fav Green or red peppers, chopped 2 cups
Carb Fav Hummus 1/4 cup
Carb Fav Jalapeño peppers 2 cups
Carb Fav Leeks 1 cup
Carb Fav Lentils 1/4 cup
Carb Fav Lettuce, iceberg 2 heads
Carb Fav Lettuce, romaine, chopped 10 cups
Carb Fav Mushrooms (boiled) 2 cups
Carb Fav Mushrooms, chopped 4 cups
Carb Fav Oatmeal (slowcooking) (cooked)** 1/3 cup
Carb Fav Oatmeal old fashion(slowcooking) (dry)** ½ oz. or 1/6 cup ** (I eat it dry I prefer it that way)
Carb Fav Okra, sliced 1 cup
Carb Fav Onions, chopped (boiled) ½ cup
Carb Fav Onions, chopped 1 ½ cup
Carb Fav Radishes, sliced 4 cups
Carb Fav Salsa ½ cup (great for spicing up foods)
Carb Fav Sauerkraut 1 cup
Carb Fav Snow peas 1 ½ cups
Carb Fav Soybeans, boiled ¼ block
Carb Fav Spaghetti squash 2 cups
Carb Fav Spinach 3 ½ cups (great in salads)
Carb Fav Spinach Salad (3 cups raw spinach, ½ raw onion, and 1 raw tomato)
Carb Fav Strawberries 1 cup
Carb Fav Swiss chard 2 ½ cups
Carb Fav Tomato Sauce 1/2 cup
Carb Fav Tomato, cherry 2 cups
Carb Fav Tomato, chopped 1 ½ cups
Carb Fav Turnip greens 4 cups
Carb Fav Turnip, mashed 1 ½ cups
Carb Fav Water chestnuts 1/3 cup
Carb Fav Water cress 10 cups
Carb Fav Yellow squash 2 cups (great for cooking in a variety of things)
Carb Fav Zucchini 2 cups
Carb MFv Apple ½ (an apple a day)
Carb MFv Applesauce (unsweetened) 1/3 cup
Carb MFv Apricots 3
Carb MFv Bagel, small ¼
Carb MFv Banana 1/3
Carb MFv Beans fava 1/3 cup
Carb MFv beans Lima ¼ cup
Carb MFv beans Pinto ¼ cup
Carb MFv Biscuit ½
Carb MFv Bread crumbs 1 oz.
Carb MFv Bread, whole grain or white ½ slice
Carb MFv Butternut squash ½ cup
Carb MFv Cantaloupe ¼ melon
Carb MFv Cantaloupe, cubed ¾ cup
Carb MFv Carrot 1
Carb MFv Carrots, shredded 1 cup
Carb MFv Carrots, sliced 1 cup
Carb MFv Corn ¼ cup
Carb MFv Cranberries ¾ cup
Carb MFv Cranberry ¼ cup
Carb MFv Cranberry sauce 3 tsp
Carb MFv Fruit punch ¼ cup
Carb MFv Grape ¼ cup
Carb MFv Grapefruit ½
Carb MFv Grapefruit 1/3 cup
Carb MFv Guava ½ cup
Carb MFv Honeydew melon, cubed 2/3 cup
Carb MFv Kale 2 cups
Carb MFv Kiwi 1
Carb MFv Kumquat 3
Carb MFv Lemon 1
Carb MFv Lemonade, unsweetened 1/3 cup
Carb MFv Lime 1
Carb MFv Mango, sliced 1/3 cup
Carb MFv Nectarine ½
Carb MFv Orange ½
Carb MFv Orange 1/3 cup
Carb MFv Orange, Mandarin, canned in water 1/3 cup
Carb MFv Papaya, cubed ¾ cup
Carb MFv Parsnips 1/3 cup
Carb MFv Peach 1
Carb MFv Peaches, canned in water ½ cup
Carb MFv Pear ½
Carb MFv Peas ½ cup
Carb MFv Pineapple ¼ cup
Carb MFv Pineapple, diced ½ cup
Carb MFv Plum 1
Carb MFv Potato, baked ¼ cup
Carb MFv Potato, boiled 1/3 cup
Carb MFv Potato, mashed ¼ cup
Carb MFv Prunes, dried 2
Carb MFv Raspberries 1 cup
Carb MFv Sweet potato, baked 1/3 cup
Carb MFv Sweet potato, mashed ¼ cup
Carb MFv Tangerine 1
Carb MFv Tomato 1 cup
Carb MFv V8 ¾ cup
Carb MFv Watermelon, cubed ¾ cup
Carb NFv Alcohol
Carb NFv Apple cider 1/3 cup
Carb NFv Barbecue sauce 2 tbsp
Carb NFv Barley (dry) ½ tbs.
Carb NFv Beans, baked ¼ cup
Carb NFv Beans, refried ¼ cup
Carb NFv Beer, light 6 oz. or ½
Carb NFv Beer, regular 4 oz. or 1/3
Carb NFv Breadstick, hard 1
Carb NFv Breadstick, soft ½
Carb NFv Buckwheat, dry ½ oz.
Carb NFv Bulgur wheat, dry ½ oz.
Carb NFv Cake 1/3 slice
Carb NFv Candy bar ¼
Carb NFv Catsup 2 tbsp
Carb NFv Cereal, dry ½ oz.
Carb NFv Cocktail sauce 2 tbsp
Carb NFv Cookie, small 1
Carb NFv corn 1
Carb NFv Cornbread 1 inch square
Carb NFv Cornstarch 4 tsp.
Carb NFv Couscous, dry 1 oz.
Carb NFv Cracker, graham 1 ½ squares
Carb NFv Cracker, saltine 4
Carb NFv Cracker, Triscuit 3
Carb NFv Croissant, plain ¼
Carb NFv Crouton ½ oz.
Carb NFv Dates 2
Carb NFv Distilled spirits 1 oz.
Carb NFv Doughnut, plain 1/3
Carb NFv English muffin ¼
Carb NFv flour ½
Carb NFv Granola ½ oz.
Carb NFv Grits, cooked 1/3 cup
Carb NFv Honey ½ tbsp
Carb NFv Ice cream, premium 1/6 cup
Carb NFv Ice cream, regular ¼ cup
Carb NFv Jam or jelly 2 tbsp
Carb NFv Melba toast ½ oz.
Carb NFv Millet, dry ½ oz.
Carb NFv Molasses, light ½ tsp
Carb NFv Muffin, blueberry, mini ½
Carb NFv Noodles, egg, cooked ¼ oz.
Carb NFv Pancake, fourinch
Carb NFv Pasta, cooked ¼ cup
Carb NFv Pita bread ½ pocket
Carb NFv Plum sauce 1 ½ tbsp
Carb NFv Popcorn, popped 2 cups
Carb NFv Potato chips ½ oz.
Carb NFv Pretzels ½ oz.
Carb NFv Raisins 1 tbsp
Carb NFv Relish, pickle 4 tsp
Carb NFv Rice cake 1
Carb NFv Rice, brown, cooked 1/5 cup
Carb NFv Rice, white, cooked 1/5 cup
Carb NFv Roll, bulkie ¼
Carb NFv Roll, hamburger ½
Carb NFv Roll, small dinner ½
Carb NFv Sugar, brown 2 tsp
Carb NFv Sugar, confectionary 1 tbsp
Carb NFv Sugar, granulated 2 tsp
Carb NFv Syrup, maple 2 tsp
Carb NFv Syrup, pancake 2 tsp
Carb NFv Taco shell 1
Carb NFv Teriyaki sauce 1 tbsp
Carb NFv Tortilla chips ½ oz.
Carb NFv Tortilla, eightinch
Carb NFv Tortilla, sixinch
Carb NFv Waffle ½
Carb NFv Wine 4 oz.
Fats Fav Almond butter ½ tsp.
Fats Fav Almond butter ½ tsp.
Fats Fav Almond oil 1/3 tsp.
Fats Fav Almonds (slivered)
Fats Fav Almonds (whole)
Fats Fav Avocado 1 tbsp.
Fats Fav Cashews 2
Fats Fav Guacamole 1 tbsp
Fats Fav Macadamia nut 2
Fats Fav Olive oil 1/3 tsp.
Fats Fav Olives 3-5 depends on size
Fats Fav Peanut butter, natural ½ tsp.
Fats Fav Peanut oil 1/3 tsp.
Fats Fav Peanuts 6
Fats Fav Pistachios 3
Fats Fav Sesame oil ½ tsp.
Fats Fav Sesame oil 1/3 tsp.
Fats Fav Tahini ½ tsp.
Fats Fav Tahini ½ tsp.
Fats MFv Canola oil 1/3 tsp.
Fats MFv Cream cheese 1 tsp.
Fats MFv Lard 1/3 tsp.
Fats MFv Mayonnaise, light 1 tsp.
Fats MFv Mayonnaise, regular 1/3 tsp.
Fats MFv Sour cream ½ tbsp.
Fats MFv Sour cream, light 1 tbsp.
Fats MFv Vegetable shortening 1/3 tsp.
Fats MFv Walnuts, shelled and chopped ½ (~3 halves) tsp.
Fats NFv Bacon bits, imitation 2 tsp.
Fats NFv Butter 1/3 tsp.
Fats NFv Cream (half and half) ½ tbsp.
Fats NFv Cream cheese, light 2 tsp.
Fats NFv French fries 5
Fats NFv Soybean oil 1/3 tsp.
Mixd Fav Yogurt, plain ½ cup
Mixd MFv Milk, lowfat (1%) 1 cup
Mixd MFv Soy milk 8 oz.
Mixd MFv Tempeh 1 ½ oz.
Mixd NFv Soy Flour 10 grams
Prot Fav Bass (freshwater) 1 oz.
Prot Fav Bass (sea) 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Beef (lean cuts) 1 oz.
Prot Fav Beef (range fed or game) 1 oz. (This is the best when I can get it)
Prot Fav Bluefish 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Calamari 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Catfish 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Chicken breast, delistyle, 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Chicken breast, skinless 1 oz.
Prot Fav Clams 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Cod 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Cottage cheese, lowfat ¼ cup
Prot Fav Crabmeat 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Egg substitute ¼ cup (I love egg beaters)
Prot Fav Egg whites 2
Prot Fav Fruits
Prot Fav Ground beef (Less than 10% fat) 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Haddock 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Halibut 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Ham, Iean 1 oz.
Prot Fav Lean Canadian Bacon 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Lobster 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Protein powder 7 grams, 1/3 oz.
Prot Fav Salmon* 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Sardines* 1 oz.
Prot Fav Sausage, pork 2 links
Prot Fav Sausage, pork 2 patties
Prot Fav Scallops 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Shrimp 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Snapper 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Swordfish 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Tofu, firm or extra firm 2 oz.
Prot Fav Tofu, silken 5 oz.
Prot Fav Tofu, soft 4 oz.
Prot Fav Trout 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Tuna (steak) 1 oz.
Prot Fav Tuna, canned in water 1 oz.
Prot Fav Turkey bacon 3 slices
Prot Fav Turkey bacon 3 strips
Prot Fav Turkey breast, delistyle.1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Turkey breast, skinless 1 oz.
Prot Fav Turkey, ground 1 ½ oz.
Prot Fav Turkey, skinless, dark meat 1 oz.
Prot MFv Chicken, skinless, dark meat 1 oz.
Prot MFv Corned beef, lean 1 oz.
Prot MFv Duck 1 ½ oz.
Prot MFv Ham, delistyle 1 ½ oz.
Prot MFv Lamb, lean 1 oz.
Prot MFv Mozzarella cheese, skim 1 oz.
Prot MFv Pork Chop 1 oz.
Prot MFv Pork, lean 1 oz.
Prot MFv Ricotta cheese, skim 2 oz.
Prot MFv Soy burger ½ patty (look at label)
Prot MFv Soy Canadian bacon 3 slices
Prot MFv Soy hamburger crumbles ½ cup
Prot MFv Soy hotdog 1 link
Prot MFv Soy sausage 1 patty
Prot MFv Soy sausage links 2 links
Prot MFv Soybean hamburger ¾ patty
Prot MFv Veal 1 oz.
Prot NFv Bacon, pork 3 ½ slices
Prot NFv Beef, fatty cuts* 1 oz.
Prot NFv Beef, ground (>10% fat) 1 ½ oz.
Prot NFv Cheese, lowfat 1 oz.
Prot NFv Cheese, nonfat 1 oz.
Prot NFv Hard cheeses 1 oz.
Prot NFv Hot dog, beef or pork 1 link
Prot NFv Hot dog, chicken or turkey 1 link
Prot NFv Pepperoni 1 oz.
Prot NFv Salami 1 oz.
Prot NFv Whole egg 1
** These food items that are a.) carb dense b.) have a low GI and c.) are easy to transport. From a planning perspective I sometimes have a hard time getting the right amount of carbs particularly post-workout. When I have tried to eliminate them from my diet in the past it has lead to hunger and the tendency to get off track and leds to cheating. Therefore they are in there, everyone is different you need to find what works for you.
End Section: Zone Block List

Measurement Conversion Chart


This table will simplify food measurement.

Cooking Conversion
1 tablespoon (tbsp) =
3 teaspoons (tsp)
1/16th cup =
 1 tablespoon
1/8th cup =
 2 tablespoons
1/6th cup =
 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
1/4th cup =
 4 tablespoons
1/3rd cup =
 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
3/8th cup =
 6 tablespoons
1/2 cup =
 8 tablespoons
2/3 cup =
 10 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
3/4 cup =
 12 tablespoons
1 cup =
 16 tbsp or 48 tsp
8 fl oz =
 1 cup
1 pint(pt) =
 2 cups
1 quart(qt) =
 2 pints
4 cups =
 1 quart
1 gallon (gal) =
 4 quarts
16 ounces(oz) =
 1 pound (lb)
1 milliliter (ml)=
 1 cubic centi (cc)
1 inch (in)=
 2.54 centimeters(cm)

Capacity
1/5 teaspoon =
 1 milliliter (ml)
1 teaspoon=
 5 ml
1 tablespoon=
 15 ml
1 fluid ounces=
 30 ml
1/5 cup=
 47 ml
1 cup=
 237 ml
2 cups (1 pint)=
 473 ml
4 cups (1 quart)=
 .95 liter
4 quarts (1 gal.)=
 3.8 liter
34 floz;4.2 cups.26 gal=
 1 liter
2.1pints;1.06 quarts=
 1 liter

Weight
1 gram =
 .035 ounces (oz.)
100 grams =
 3.5 oz.
500 grams =
 1.10 pounds (lbs)
1 kilogram =
 2.20462262 lbs or 35 oz.

End Section: Measurement Conversion Chart

A trip around the Block. Zone block implementation


So now you know your blocks, you know how many you should eat and you know how to break your blocks into meals and snacks throughout the day. You are probably thinking, "Man I have to weigh everything?". The answer is in reality you have 2 options and with a little bit of committment both will work if you are honest and committed. The 2 methods are the Block eyeball method and the Block measurement method.

Block eyeball method

The block eyeball method is exactly what it sounds like. You estimate you portions of your Protein, carbs and fats without measurement using a measuring cup or scale. In some cases like in the case of almonds the measurement is simply counting. Once you are doing the block thang a little while you will have many of the block measurements for the foods you frequently eat committed to rote memory so the eyeball method can become quite realiable. The issue of course is making sure that you keep yourself honest. That is where the the measurement method comes into play. As a point of reference if I do not weigh and measure sufficiently my portion sizes tend to drift upwards in my fats and proteins, go figure.

Block measurement method - the gold standard

If you pick all favorable foods that are weighed and measured for your block prescription against the block list above you are doing the Zone in an ideal fashion. Obviously this method is not 100% sustainable or convienient but for best results it is necessary. The whole practice of weighing and measuring keeps you honest and really for me anyway it is not that big a deal calorie counting is much more difficult, the block method makes that math and counting very simplified. If you are committed and like to cook I suggest you invest in a good kitchen scale, this is the one I have. It is probably the most accurate method of food measurement out their aside from pedantically counting calories which I consider exhausting.

I weigh and measure more than not but I go full weeks without weighing and measuring. The best advice I think is to simply weigh and measure as much as possible (within reason), with a little planning you will quickly realize that the more you weigh and measure the better your Block eyeballing skills will become.

End Section: A Trip around the block

A Zone by any other name... adjustment considerations


The first thing to understand that the "base" zone which is discussed above is primarily for fat loss or maintenance. So the question is what should we do when our goals are an increase in athletic performance, gain in muscle mass or you are simply drained after a heavy workout or physical output and need additional energy.

In this section I am going to discuss some of the Zone tweaks that I have toyed with. Probably one of the best Zone "tweaking" discussion I have seen would be 42 Ways to Skin the Zone by Robb Wolf. Likewise as required reading regarding Zone tweaks I highly suggest The Golden Ratio by Robb Wolf. I highly suggest you purchase & read these articles. Far be it from me to discuss all the techniques in those articles here but I can discuss the techniques that I have used or at least attempt to point somebody in the right direction.

The Zone for athletic performance

      What do the Zone books tell us?... well not much

Zoning for athletic performance is discuss specifically in Mastering the Zone and The Omega Rx Zone. In these books Dr. Sears discusses anecdotes about working with various athletes include the Stanford Swim team, The Los Angeles Rams, Dara Torres (Olympic Swimming the oldest swimmer ever 41 yoa at the 2008 Olympics), Sinjin Smith and Alvin Harrison. In Mastering the Zone he essentially says we can increase our fats for athletic performance and he is surprisingly vague. Essentially that athletes require more protein and "much more fat than the average person." [2] (p 306) But in the Omega Rx Zone the prescription is different albiet more precise. [3] In the section entitled "How to build a better athlete" he first discusses how an increase in dietary fat gives endurance athletes an unfair advantage by increasing intramusclar fat an optimal fuel source for muscles [3] p 213-214. He then goes his a few steps and dietary guidelines for enhanced Athletic performance.

1. Maintain insulin control by following the dietary recommendations of the Zone (40-30-30)
2. Determine you fish oil prescription in your Triglyercides/HDL (TG/HDL) ratio is < 2 supplement your diet with 2.5 grams of long chain omega-3 fatty acids per day. If you TG/HDL ratio is more than 2 use 5 grams of long chain omega-3 fatty acid supplementation per day for 30 days then reduce to 2.5 grams / day.
3. Take a supplement of about 10 mg of GLA / day.
4. Check your TG/HDL ratio every six months, keep it between 1 and 2. Mine is 0.68 so what does that mean?

Out of all of these the one that is probably the most accepted and proven through research is the Omega-3 fatty acid supplimentation. The medical research community is abuzz researching the various uses and applications of this Omega-3 fatty acids. Here are a few choice links. 1.) Fish consumption, 2.) Details and discussion about various applications . So take your high quality pharmaceutical grade fish oils just make sure you know what they are for, they are not a miracle drug but they are certainly beneficial. Additionally the GLA supplementation is discussed in this document and this one here. Personally I do advise taking supplements (beside a multivitamin) since the nutritional supplement industry is highly unregulated and many products are of questionable quality and efficacy. The thing I do find interesting about GLA is it is converted from an omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid. Presumably to increase this you need to consume omega-6 fatty acids, something that Dr. Sears is somewhat against in other portions of the Zone doctrine since we want to increase our omega-3 to omega-6 consumption ratio.

      The CrossFit tested method

When considering Zoning for Athletic performance one needs to look no further than the CrossFit recommendations. Their approach to tuning the Zone diet for athletic performance is based upon years of blackbox experience, tweaking and tuning the diet to make the most of it for their athletes. By blackbox I mean essentially that the CrossFit community experiments with different theories and ideas, what works get incorporated into the training design, what does not work gets discarded. The guideline from CrossFit HQ is that when the bodyfat percentage for Men falls below 10% and approaches 5% (extremely lean) "... the majority of our best athletes end up with X blocks of protein, X blocks of carbs and 3x or 5x blocks of fat." [5] Basically the message is to ratchet up the fat to provide more calories and energy to accomidate the increasing needs of the high performance athlete. This is certainly more inline with the Zone recommmendations. With this increase in fat comes the need to tune the Zone diet fat blocks somewhere between 3x and 5x to find a the best balance to control leaness and increase athletic performance. [5] [7]. The recommendation is to do this one block at a time. If you are interested in this I highly suggest the following articles: CrossFit Journal 21, CrossFit Journal 15 and the Performance Menu article 42 Ways to Skin the Zone by Robb Wolf.

      Building muscle and getting bigger

In January of 2008 I wanted to get stronger, I committed to a more lifting intensive regimen and simply increased my Zone blocks and at a little more fat probably 1.5x, because as many of you know to get bigger & stronger if you are trained you need to eat more calories. Increasing blocks is a simple way to increase caloric consumption. I experimented and went up to 21-23 blocks from 18 blocks, I did not put on a substantial amount of fat and I did get stronger. My squat max went from 360->380, deadlift went from 425->460, bench press went from 310->330. I followed a simple ramping 5x5 or 5x3 (setsxreps) regimen with some lower rep Olympic lifting thrown in over a 12 week period. I know these numbers are not ridicious in terms of strength gains but it underscores the point that I had been completely stagnant in my lifts and with a slight change in diet and exercise I got stronger. More lifting + more calories (Zone blocks) + time & recovery = some strength gains. Obviously strength gaining nutrition and training is far more complex than this, but this was my experience with Zone priniciples and getting stronger. Enough said. A number of mass building techniques using some Zone principles are discussed in Mass! Training & Nutrition for Functional Mass Gain By Robb Wolf & Greg Everett. There are many ways someone can accomplish this and once I have some real longer term experience and success implementing the Zone concepts for strength/mass gains I will expand this section.

Obviously if you are powerlifter, weightlifter (as in Olympic weightlifter) or some sort of Bodybuilder your will have your own plan about nutrition. I used to be more of a recreational bodybuilder type and followed the more traditional body splits/cardio regimen at one point and look where it got me. Obviously it did not serve me well as a sustainable life style. I was subscribing to the 1 g/pound of LBM (lean mass). I was in good shape and very strong at various points but this method of eating large quantities of protein and shakes did not bode well to my life when I could not workout any time I wanted. Hence I got fat. This was my experience and yours may be different. Obviously your diet is your diet and you need to adjust it to meet your goals.

      Heavy physical exhertion days

Another example where you may need a shift in your Zone diet is when you have a ton of physical exhertion i.e. a 10k run, 3k swim, 10k row, 15K run or a 10 mile hike w/ 3000 foot elevation, or spreading 15 yards of mulch in your backyard, painting for 16 hours straight. I have had all these experiences while Zoning and on those days I simply needed more energy. There are 2 techniques I have used.

      A little goes a long way

Simply put sometimes you need to eat a little more energy. I suggest some more fat blocks. Just keep the food high quality. Out of all the techniques this is probably the one I employ most. I typically will add a little more fat and usually everything is alright. I find adding 2x to 5x fat typically in the forms of high quality nuts like almonds (my fav) really increases the satisfaction level after heavy physical output and keeps everything on track. This is not to say that you couldn't simply add blocks or carbs, it is just not something I have done.

As an example in June I was in Montana and did a pretty aggressive hike, it was about 10 miles with a 3000 elevation during the hike. On the way up some people turned back. I brought a bunch of nuts and a granola bar with me for energy just in case I bonked. I had some nuts at one point during the hike other than that I was ok.

      The shell game

Another technique one can use is shifting your nutrients around. The things I have done specifically are to shift my carb or fat blocks to my post or pre output meal. This is also discussed in 42 Ways to Skin the Zone by Robb Wolf. In otherwords since I was doing so much physical exhertion and needed the Energy I simply moved the nutrients to another meal in the day. Let's say I am eating a 4 block meal for lunch and a 5 block meal for dinner. Maybe I will eat 7 blocks of carbs with lunch and 2 blocks of carbs or fat with dinner. So lunch would be 4 blocks Protein, 4 blocks fat, 7 blocks of carbs and dinner would be 5 blocks of protein, 5 blocks of fat, 2 blocks of Carbs.

In this way I shifted my nutrients around to meet my needs while still staying on track calorically. There are no rules that say you can't do this. This is your diet you need to make it work for you. Dr. Sears is not going to send the Zone hit squad out after you if you change his diet a little bit.

End Section: Zone Adjustments, A Zone by any other name

On being human. Cheating and how to deal with human nature


If you are human like most people (I will let that sink in)...... you will have cravings at one time or another or your mother makes you an awesome red velvet cake for your birthday... or your wife make French silk pie from scratch. Whatever the reason it is going to happen you will be attempted to stray, to assume that it doesn't happen is just crazy talk. I believe any successful eating plan must include a plan with how to deal with these situations.

Case 1: I have a craving to pound a bag of potato chips or some ho-hos

First off as discussed in Mastering the Zone and above in the carb selection section if you are having cravings that may be a sign that your diet is not tuned correctly. As a practical matter I suggest you review what you were doing that led to the cravings. In the mean time my advice is... have a Zone snack, add a block to meal or eat some almonds/walnuts/peanuts/sunflower seeds add a little fat to a meal. Honestly add some favorable blocks of fat or carbs and you should be ok. The worst thing you can do is give into the craving and the 2nd worst thing you can do is completely ignore it. You need tools to deal with it. I suggest you plan on eating your craved item on a planned cheat meal and avoid giving in to crazy urges.

Case 2: I just ran a 10K and I am starving I want to eat a pizza.

Add some favorable and healthy carbs/fat to the meal. Personally I like to eat a little extra fat like 2x blocks or so after a big physical effort, I find that most satisfying. This is addressed above in the a little goes a long way section.

Case 3: Plan to cheat. Today I am eating _______ (Circle one: a Big Mac, a bowl of ice cream, a slice of my birthday cake).

First off planning your cheats is a decent way to keep them to a minimum. What has worked best for me is to "cheat" in the form of a meal. Typically I have a cheat meal every 7 to 10 days. This might be pizza, a big bowl of ice cream, a greasy Gyros whatever... I want, I don't really think about it. I suppose the important thing is this type has cheating a.) has not slowed my progress b.) has not effected my health in any measurable way. Some people prefer to have cheat days. A The whole day is just too much for me and I find it hard to get back on track. You need to find what works for you.

A HUGE caveat to this is how this technique can insidiously cultivate a poor relationship with food. It is part of common belief and parlance to use food as a reward. You often hear people say "Well I have been good I can I have a piece of cake." or "It's ok that I have an extra piece of Pizza I went to the gym today", "Hey let's go get a 1/2 caf, double decaf mocha frappachino with whipped cream, no big deal I am going to do the ellipical later." ... on and on.... I hear this ALL the time and work or from other people and it makes me cringe. Based on my experience I can tell you that this is the exact mentality that led to my eating problem in the first place. Using food as a release, relaxation technique or a reward is highly destructive and sets up a whole change of self destructive behavior. If you going to cheat and plan your cheat days that is fine, just don't put an emotional investment into your cheat or act as if it is a pay off for some accomplishment such as a week of eating good. I used to do this and this is how I developed a 44 inch waist.

Case 4: The witching hour 7pm to 11pm, the "late-night-binge-syndrome".

I am not sure what happens between 7pm and 11pm at night but this is when I am usually compelled to get off track. Maybe it is boredom or I get tired, I am not sure... Before I ever began my campaign to get back in shape it seems like I could eat good the entire day then kill a small carton of Ben & Jerry's and a bag of potato chips without even thinking about. You need to have to plan to stop this behavior if you suffer from late night binge syndrome. My plan is simple. I always put a 1 or 2 block snack on the tail end of the day and PLAN to eat it about 7pm or 8pm. This was my solution for changing this behavior and it has worked.

End Section: Cheating

Critiques of the Zone If you care...


Due to my success and attraction to the Zone principles I am looking at a life long committment to these dietary practices and considering the long range implications of such a lifestyle decision. Therefore one must consider the opinions of skeptics and detractors.

The primary accusation is that Dr. Sears largely overstates the benefits of the Zone and the claims for curing/preventing disease are almost completely unproven. Particularly that there are no direct studies to verify his conclusions. Another knock is that he vastly oversimplifies complex physiology. As stated here "The scientific literature is in opposition to the purported benefits of adopting a Zone Diet for improved health." ... You are not going to get a huge argument from me that all the benefits claimed by Zone creator Dr. Sears are true. However to stay within Zone parameters and guidelines you quickly realize that you are obliged to eat tons of nutrient rich low calorie vegetables, an adequate balanced amount of lean meats, fruits and healthy fats. I cannot see how this is unhealthy.

      "That much protein will destroy your kidneys!"

One of the major accusations is that the Zone is a "high-protein diet" and therefore will rack your kidney's. Robb Wolf specificially spars with this topic in a cursory fashion [6]. Let's take a real look at the numbers and see what the facts bear. The recommended ratio that is widely accepted by the nutristionista and establishment is 55% carbohydrate, 15% protein and 30% fat, versus the Zone which is low calorie and 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 30% fat. Using the widely acceptedKatch-McArdle formula let's calculate my BMR and caloric needs.

BMR = 370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg)

According to the calculations; 1 kilogram = 2.20462262 pounds, using 192 and an LBM of 166 according to the information above let's do a comparison and see if the Zone diet is going to destroy your kidneys because it is too high in protein.

If you fill in the values 192 for weight, 13% body fat, and activity factor of 1.55.
  • If you are Sedentary - little or no exercise
    Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.2
  • If you are Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week)
    Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.375
  • If you are Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week)
    Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.55
  • If you are Very Active = BMR X 1.725 (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/week)
    Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.725
  • If you are Extra Active (very hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training)
    Calorie-Calculation = BMR X 1.9

Weight (lbs)
body fat %
KM Activity Factor
Lean Body Mass (LBM):
BMR:
Total Cal Recommendation:


My total caloric needs would be about 3100 Calories/day. On the Zone this translates to 17 blocks or 1547 calories / day with a total of about 1950 if you include the 25% Zone Block Indeterminance Factor discussed above.

To round out the analysis, 15% of 3100 = 465 calories or about 116 grams of protein/day (465/4).

On the Zone my recommendation is 17 blocks or 17 X 7 = 119 grams of protein/day. Let's use the 1950 calorie (Zone Block indeterminance protein number) just to be fair, it still comes out to 146 grams of protein/day. Assuming we eat 1950 calories @ 30% protein (1950 * .30) / 4 = 146.

Let's review... the argument is a.) the Zone Diet is a high protein and b.) high protein diets cause nephrotoxicity or cause stress and damage to your kidneys. If premise a.) is false then the argument is false. 146 - 116 = 30 grams, the Zone dietary recommendations does contain more protein true (~26% higher) but the extra protein is about the same that is contained in a 4 oz Chicken breast. It seems inplausible to assume that if an active healthy 190 lbs man eats an extra chicken breast worth of protein / day he is going to damage his kidneys. Unfortunately this accusation does not pass the most basic sniff test.

      "You are just starving yourself eating that many calories is practically malnutrition."

Many experts say that the Calorie recommendations of the Zone block method are far too low. My recommended intake according to USDA standards is 3074, on the Zone I consume about 2000 cals / day. In spite of what others say when I have tracked my calories religiously following the Zone Block method as discussed above it comes out to a little less than 2000 cals/ day. I am consuming about 66% of the recommended calories, yet I can perform some pretty impressive physical activity at a fairly high performance level and I feel fine. One only needs to look at my fitness blog to realize this is true. I suppose the one might say that I have a slower metabolism or generally need less food and therefore the recommendations apply to most people but not all. However I would argue that you have a population of arguably some of the fittest/highest performing people on earth in the CrossFit crowd many of whom ascribe to the Zone Diet who can perform at an amazing level. One only needs to watch the video of Greg Amundson (a dedicated Zoner) doing the "Heavy Fran" workout on the "what is CrossFit" page to realize that the Zone diet recommendations with performance tweaks is more than adequate.

I would add if I am starving myself on this diet I sure do not feel or look like it. Most of the time my energy level is very high, I feel mentally aware, sharp and I almost never feel like I am hungry provided I follow the guidelines correctly. Following Zone parameters and guidelines you quickly realize that you are obliged to eat tons of nutrient rich low calorie vegetables, an adequate balanced amount of lean meats, fruits and healthy fats such as nuts.

      "...the diet is low in several vitamins..."

As this document demostrates I believe there is a huge lack of understanding of the Zone Diet that leds to much of the criticism. This document states.... "Low in several nutrients: Vitamins A, B6, D, E, thiamin, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium fiber. This type of diet also contains high amounts of total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Nutritional supplementation highly recommended."

Let's perform a small mental exercise and put together a 4 Block Zone Meal, by the way this was my dinner just the other day. You can reference these values either in my block list or from the Zone site they are the same

  • 6 cups of baby Spinach (raw)(2 Carb blocks)
  • 6 oz of wild caught Atlantic baked Salmon (4 Protein blocks)
  • 2 cups of Cherry Tomatos (1 Carb block)
  • 1 small Kiwi Fruit ~ 70g(1 Carb block)
  • ~1.5 Tsp. of olive oil (4 Fat blocks)
  • Balsamic Vinegar, salt & pepper to taste

Let's just look at the Vitamin A, the first nutrient on the list which the Zone diet is very low in according to the Northwestern University "fact sheet". According to NutritionData.com 1 cup of Spinach has 56% of your daily values of the vitamin A. With this meal I ate 336% of my daily recommended value of Vitamin A. Enough said, I think the author of the fact sheet needs to understand teh facts a little bit more before they publish information panning a dietary plan. Take a multivitamin, you should be doing it anyway.

      "Zone Diet we don't need no stinkin' Zone Diet"

My conclusion after extensive reading on the subject of diet and being extremely overweight is essentially it is very difficult for the medical establishment and nutritional "experts" to make specific dietary recommendations. Having met with a nutritionist who handed me a calorie chart, told me to consider Weight Watchers because it is "pretty good" and told me to eat 2400 calories/day I was disappointed and realized I needed to figure this out myself. The dietary establishment makes broad sweeping recommendations when even some of their most basic assertions such as the dietary fat-->heart disease link are questionable. One only needs to read Gary Taubes [0] to realize that the conclusion is far from clear on what constitues an ideal diet and that the establishment knows little about the whole story. Additionally those who pan a dietary concept out of hand without understanding its full capability are rather short-sighted.
End Section: Critiques of the Zone

Potpurri...

In this section I am placing other various info about diet and weight in general.

 
   BMI Calculator

Are you Obese? In the eyes of our government and insurance institutions you might be. Body mass index (BMI) is a very generic measurement of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women. You may think it does not matter but it does. For example, if you have life insurance many carriers use your BMI as the basis to calculate your relative risk and assess premiums. Therefore if you are a larger person (like me) you may be paying more because of a higher BMI. I am currently 5' 10" 192, my BMI comes out to 27.5, regardless of how fit I am, my current state of health or relatively low body fat percentage (13%) I fit into the "Overweight" category in the eyes of Insurance companies. As ridiculious as it sounds I would need to be 173 lbs to be considered "Normal" or about 4% body fat considering my LBM (lean body mass).

It seems absurb but people are sized by institutions (including the US government ) according to the antiquated method developed in the nineteenth century, by a Belgian statistician named Adolphe Quetelet who came up with the Quetelet Index of Obesity. Although the tables have been slightly altered since they were created they are largely the same. Therefore it is important to understand your BMI since if you are considered obese by the standards in this calculation in the eyes of many instiutions and the US government you are obese, plain and simple. Interestingly, regardless of this information people with a BMI between 25 and 30 who fit into the overweight category are found to be healthier those in the "Normal" category. Here is a link to the study, people in the overweight (not obese) categories were judged the healthiest by the standards of this test.

The calculation is simple:

BMI = weight in lbs * 703 / (height in inches)2
Category BMI range
Severely underweight less than 16.5
Underweight from 16.5 to 18.5
Normal from 18.5 to 25
Overweight from 25 to 30
Obese Class I from 30 to 35
Obese Class II from 35 to 40
Obese Class III above 40

BMI Calculator
Weight     
Height     

This is not of dire importance but it can make a difference in the life insurance premiums.

End Section: Potpurri

Conclusion

I hope this guide will help you if you decide to use the Zone Diet. I suggest you follow whatever dietary practice works best for you to meet your individual needs. It might be the Zone it might something else. Each person needs to define it for themselves. The Zone guidelines are the way I have implemented a positive change in my health and lifestyle, this change has allowed me to meet my health/fitness goals and most importantly feel great. Regardless of what the establishment nutritionista say you cannot argue with positive results. The final piece of dietary/health advice I have is this. I highly suggest you get regular physicals every year with blood work to monitor your health and make sure it is on track. After 10 months using the Zone + exercise my physical and blood chemistry profile is now "ideal" according to my Doctor. I suggest you find a Doctor you like who is open minded and willing to work with you to help you take your health into your own hands. If your current Doctor is unwilling to be flexible or is unable to consult you in a constructive manner find someone else. It is your fitness and you need to be in control.
End Section: Conclusion

References - Additional Resources

[0] Taubes, Gary (2007). Good Calories, Bad Calories . Knopf Publishers. ISBN-10: 1400040787 ISBN-13: 978-1400040780 . Probably the best book about dieting, weight control and disease ever written. Demostrates that the conventional wisdom of diets is practically junk science. Excellent book, so you think eating Saturated Fat is bad for you, think again!
[1] Sears, Barry (1995). The Zone: A Dietary Road Map. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0060987065. Sears's initial book on the Zone diet.
[2] Sears, Barry (1997). Mastering the Zone. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 006101124X. Sears urges substitution of raw vegetables for pastas, breads and refined sugars. More diagrams and flowcharts than in The Zone.
[3] Sears, Barry (2002). The Omega Rx Zone: The Miracle of the New High-Dose Fish Oil. Regan Books. ISBN 0060393130. Discusses "high-dose fish oil;" a newly introduced invented pharmaceutical grade fish oil that Sears touts as a medical miracle that will put the eicasonids in balance and reduce inflammation. Extra virgin olive oil is also promoted for its phytochemicals.
[4]Aceto, Chris (2001) Everything you need to know about fat loss., Nutramedia ISBN-10: 0966916867: ISBN-13: 978-0966916867 Great book that explains the mechanics and physiology of fat loss in simple terms. Highly recommended short read (170 pages).
[5] CrossFit Journal 21 - : Almost all you need if you do CrossFit and want to follow the Zone.
[6] Performance Menu Issue 2 - The Golden Ratio: A gem by Robb Wolf
[7] Zone Diet Quick Start Guide
[8] CrossFit Journal 15 - : Great discussion of responsible diet books according to CrossFit and the deadly quartet.
[9] Performance Menu - 42 Ways to Skin the Zone: Great article. Discusses various techniques and implementations of the Zone Block method.
[10] US Department of Health and Human Service, Public Health Service: The Surgeon General’s Report on Nutrition and Health. (Publication 88-50210). Washington, DC: Department of Health and Human Services,1988 .
[11] Great resource for looking up dietary information about different foods.
[12] Zone Eating Guide... The basics.
[13] Pollan, Michal (2008). In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. Penguin Press HC, ISBN-10: 1594201455; ISBN-13: 978-1594201455: Excellent book about dieting and eating in general.
End Section References
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