A Week in the Zone

A friend of mine reccomended this book to me and has raved about the zone. I tried the zone and did not experience all of the good things so many other readers have. I was constantly hungry. The food was overly bland and unsatifying. I almost gagged trying to eat some of the recipes because of the strange combinations and textures (...asparagus and egg white omelet). I still use some of the recipes (smoothies, a couple of salads, etc.) but this style did not fit me or my lifestyle. I did the full two weeks (my husband only made it for a couple of days) and still felt hungry constantly, still craved bread and carbohydrates, but I did lose a couple of pounds. It is a difficult regimen and takes all of the flavor out of food. It includes many vinegary, sharp tasting foods that just did not suit my appetite. Maybe it will work for someone else, but it did not work for me for the long term.

I hope the information dispensed by Dr. Kotz is better than what she expounds on the Atkins website. Her advice on that site suggest that you read the label of regular brewed beers for carbohydrate information.

A 12-ounce can of beer contains about 12.5 grams, but you have to read the label since carbohydrate content varies from brand to brand, says the doctor.

Unfortunately, carbohydrate counts are NOT given on regular brewed beers. Makes you wonder if shes ever drank a beer in her life if thats the kind of accurate info she pens. Equally suspicious is the fact that shes contributed as an expert to Weight Watchers, The Zone, Slim-Fast, and Atkins. Suprised she hasnt jumped on the South Beach Diet bandwagon too.

Buy this book....even if, for no other reason, to dismiss it. Its worth challenging. While Ive since read all of the Zone books, this one was the cheap introduction I needed. My doctor recommended this insulin-management diet specifically because of my family history of diabetes, high triglycerides, my being a little overweight, and my recently higher blood pressure. After reading this book and starting (loosely) on this dietary program, I started to have more consistent energy and lost any hunger between nearly all meals. Since then, I have read the other Zone books (and other nutritional books) and learned quite a bit about how to manage body relative to my family history of both heart disease and diabetes. Whats more, this doesnt take religion, it involves a balance of healthy foods and MOST foods (unlike Atkins, for example), so its not a strict diet. You can go off-the-wagon for a meal every now and then, etc. I follow the hand-eye method in the book, meaning I only estimate the measurements of food. Some of the recipes in here are awful, which is unfortunate, but as long as youre not addicted starch, you can find alternative recipes to accomodate. My wife and I did. Ive found it unproblematic to center our meals and recipes around lean meats, cheese, green veggies, most fruit, salad, oats, omlettes, yogurt, olives and olive oil, etc. Believe me. Its not that hard. Ive been doing it for 5 months and have no regrets or desire to change. Results. I feel better now and with more energy than Ive had in 15 years and my temperment is more calm now. My muscle/fat composition is noticeably improved and I reduced my waist size by over 2 inches. Ive lost 13 pounds and Im now within 2 pounds of the ideal weight for my height recommended by my doctor. (And, I havent even increased my exercise yet.) My wife is experiencing similar results. You will spend more money on food because its generally better food and fresher food. We have very little cheap processed starchy stuff in our cabinets anymore. I can live with that. Well worth the tradeoff. After reading this book, you can come to your own conclusions about whether the tradeoff is worth it for you.

Im not a fad dieter, but after gaining back a good part of the weight that I lost on last years low fat diet, I decided to try The Zone. Within two days, I noticed a increase in energy -- I was able to complete my daily 4 mile run without feeling fatigued. The theory behind the diet is explained clearly and without excessive prostelytizing, the block method of calculating the amounts of food to be eaten in each category -- fat, protein, carbs -- is easy to follow, the recipes are simple and delicious (even my 11 year old liked the spiced lamb and veggie stew), and the results look to be very good. Ive lost two pounds in five days. Plus, Im never hungry. This one may really work.

In Nov 00 I made the choice to change my life. Since that time I have lost 40no. and I have notices tons of other healthy changes. The doctor said that I am healthier now than I have ever been. I checked-out the hardbound version of The Zone and it was full of great information. I ordered a Week in the Zone and found it lacking info that I found in the first book--but it was a good outline of the program. I didnt go on the Zone diet but adapted some of the info to my Low-carb life-style. Since I was planning a life-time of change, I thought the Zone would require too much effort and I would return to my old ways of life, so with my doctors help we came up with a plan that included some of the Zones ideas. So far I found that I could live with it and its working out great.

This book addresses health issues which to me is more important then weight loss. It teaches you how to control your insulin leaves which will lead to better health in every aspect of life. It also discusses realistic weight loss over time. I have tried a lot of different diets to loss weight and become healthier. The Atkins (high Protein) diet actually decreased my health, even though I loss 40 pounds in the first 3 months (I gained it all back within a year.) My energy levels were all over the place -highs and lows- until the first day I tried this change in my eating habits as opposed to a diet. The book shows how to eat correctly in the EASIEST ways. I didnt know how to cook, I dont know biology, or what types of foods did what. After reading this book for 3 days I set out to try it. The very first day my energy levels were high and consistent through out the entire day and night (my girlfriend was pretty excited about that) Anyway, if you want to live longer and still eat all types of foods (in the correct proportions) this is a life changing book.

This is THE diet if you really want to lose weight. If you follow the diet exactly and exercise regularly you will see the weight and inches come off very quickly, especially in the first two weeks. However, the portions are small and not often satisfying. It will teach you how to eat right, especially if you are like me and dont know how to cook dinner without pasta, rice or bread. The book is very easy to follow, the lists of good and bad foods are very helpful, and I liked that he recognizes the difference in metabolisms by suggesting different portions for men and women. I can see why this diet is so popular in Hollywood, you almost need a personal cook to prepare what Dr. Sears recommends for breakfast. There is no way anyone who works 9-5 has the time to prepare some of the suggested breakfasts. I would reccomend this book to anyone, but I would never give anyone the impression that you would enjoy anything about this diet other than losing the weight.

After struggling with understanding the Zone for months, this book finally put things into perspective for me. It is easy to understand and has simple recipes and easy-to-follow meal plans. After shopping for the suggested foods, I now look forward to putting meals together that are satisfying and healthy. The book makes it all so sensible.

A friend lent me her copy of A Week in the Zone, and now, five months later, I have lost 36 pounds and feel great.

I noticed one reviewer mentioned high cost of the plan, I experienced that also in my first week or so, but once I realized that I did not need to buy lots of exotic foods, my food costs returned to normal.

Please read the book for details, but as I read Sears writing, essentially, you eat protein (lean meat, fish, soy, etc.) at each meal. That serving should be no bigger than the palm of your hand, and about the same thickness. Also, each meal should include carbohydrates, about twice as much carbos as protein. The carbos should be fruits or vegetables for the most part. Also thrown into each meal is a smidgen of fat. And thats it.

Sears also encourages two snacks a day. I seldom feel hungry on this plan and it is simple to follow. What more can you ask.

I have followed Dr. Sears program for about 2 weeks and have lost about 4 lbs and 2 inches off my waist and my hips. I love this program. I see that some people say that it is a lot of work, too difficult to do, and too time consuming, in their reviews. And, I will agree that a lot of time goes into preparing food, but lunches (which I make the night before) dont take any longer than standing in line at McDonalds during the lunch-hour rush, when you think about it. And, Ive been on many other diets that require just as much, if not more work to eat a meal. So, thats just a cop-out. And, as far as the portions. theyre huge. Half the time I cant finish my meal. My boyfriend just started thee program and he says the same thing. Im not hungry between meals anymore, and I have tons of energy. Im not losing weight as fast as Id like--but, then again, dont we all want to be at our goal weight overnight This is the best program Ive ever been on, and anyone who thinks differently isnt following it correctly. It isnt all that difficult when you add up the benefits. .)

With marriage you get a royalty of 15 pounds. Id say that is what I miss more about my singlehood -my 32-inch waist-.

I wanted something to work rigth-away but at the same time be an all out healthy instrument, something I could live by without obssesing about diets and fads.

Then one day watching TV I learned about the Zone diet. I got interested in how it was backed by solid scientific research, and how it appealed to all sorts of people (both sedentary and athletes alike). It is molded to a real lifestyle -eating at home, business dinners, family luncheons, travel, even fast food.

So I decided to go ligth with the rigth-away A Week in the Zone which I recommend. Not only you will hit the floor running but you get rigth away into it. By ligth reading other chapetes, you quite understand how food works on you and how you can take advantage of it. How you can customize it like if you were a pro-diet expert and understand food combinations which get you into the Zone..

So basically, I have not gotten yet to my -15 pound objective, but I am getting there (Today is my 7th. day on the zone). My body is re-shaping, I feel great, I actually eat more, recipes are gourmet-like. The book includes tools like tips at restaurants, supermarket lists, and best of all, this is by no means a crash diet. You actually feel healthy.

I then recommended it to my wife, she is now in her seventh day, and has lost three full pounds of fat. And although it may not sound like much for somebody looking to loose more, it is not in the weigth were you see the difference, but rigth in your appeareance (so you know that when you loose three pounds, you are loosing pure fat, not water, not soil).

In one line this book is. Your induction to a lifelong health-project, Yourself.

I dont know if there is a hardback version, but I recommend the paperback, so you can take it with you whenever you go.

I do highly recommend it.

I have so many friends succesfully doing The Zone, but I felt it was just too complicated andamp. I didnt have the time to study it. This book clears all that up. Easy to follow, exciting because I know it will enhance my health ie. Life. NOW I too know what all those pro-zoners are talking about andamp. even more important doing that is making them such go getters, with energy to spare. If youve been discouraged in the past with the the Zone books, this is well worth a look. I think youll be as pleased as I am. Slainte (to your health)

This book is all you really need to try Barry Sears Zone Diet. If you want all the details, see his other books (Ive read two of them), but this one explains the diet in a straight-forward way. The diet is moderate, not an extreme, hard-to-follow fad diet (despite the look of the cover of the book). Its fairly easy to follow. Ive experienced less hunger with this plan than other low-carb plans, and dont spend my whole day thinking about food. But as Dr. Sears says, it isnt really a high-protein, low-carb diet. It simply keeps carbs, fat and protein in balance, resulting in better health and the loss of excess pounds. The only reason I dont give this book five stars is that it contains several typos and small errors (corrected on Dr. Sears website, www.drsears.com --it should have been proofread a few more times before going to press.

After some recommendations and research of my own, I went out and bought this book. As I started the plan I found that I could study for greater lengths of time without getting fatigued and was not hungry the entire time (especially helpful for college students around finals time). Along with my regualar exercise regimen the weight came flying off. I have so much energy and my health has improved greatly. I reccommend this book to everyone that is williing to commit to a better way of dealing with food.

Anxious to enter into the Zone, I read this book in less than a day and started the diet immediately. Ive had amazing results --in less than a month I lost 3 of my hips and 2 off my waist, am no longer tired and dragging (this coming from someone who was very fond of napping), and feel healthier than ever. Throw away everything youve ever read about dieting, the Zones principles are a lifestyle change. The books very easy to read, is straight to the point, and gives you everything you need to know to get started right away. Although it takes some planning and effort for your meals at first, once you are familiar with the Zone basics, it really gets easier to calculate portions.

This is a book that really helped my husband and I start eating well balanced meals, eliminate excess sugar and starches and lose weight. We have lost 7 pounds each and feel great. We dont miss the excess sugar and now everything sweet tastes sweeter because we arent eating so many sweets. We would recommend A Week In The Zone to anyone who is serious about changing their eating habits for the better. It is a life style change and takes a little work at first but it is worth the effort. Thanks Dr. Sears.

If you have a weight problem, bad eating habits, or feel like the food you eat gives you more problems than its supposed to, then this is the book for you. I had problems with my weight, very poor acne-prone skin and very low energy levels since I was fourteen. I tried every program and diet I could find, and the most weight I ever lost, without downright starving myself, was about 10 pounds over a period of four to six months. I was always depressed and anxious over dieting, and most diets worked horrors for my immunological system, energy, skin, hair and nails. By following the Zone as explained in this book, although making my own Zone recipes, I have lost eight pounds in two weeks and feel better than ever. I havent gotten sick, my energy levels are soaring, and Im eating the foods I like without ever being hungry. The condition of my skin, hair and nails is at an all-time best.
The Zone is a very easy to follow eating plan, (I was used to it by the third day) based on combining different foods in the proportions that add up the amount of proteins, carbohydrates and fat you should consume at each meal. By making use of meal timing it insures proper delivery of the nutrients to your body, and by including a couple of Zone balanced snacks between meals, it minimizes carbohydrate cravings and hunger.
The book is very easy to understand. It thoroughly explains, backed by scientific research, the ways different foods and nutrients impact your body and the reasons why some foods are good for us while some are bad. The eating program it promotes is very easy to follow and it works even if you follow it only 75pct. of the time. Its results are almost instantaneous, and you start to notice them as soon as the second day. If you want even faster results, you should also include a 30-minute daily workout in your schedule.
Buy this book, get started on the program, and customize it to fit your needs, soon youll start enjoying a healthier life in a healthier body. Weight loss will be an added benefit and you will thank yourself later.
I also recommend buying the Zone Food Blocks book as a tool, it contains around 12,000 foods converted into Zone balanced proportions, including prepared meals and items from known Fast Food Restaurant menus. As another tool I recommend visiting Dr. Sears Website at www.drsears.com.
Buy this book and discover the amazing benefits that a well-balanced eating program can give you.
--Reviewed by Maritza Volmar

have wanted to be in The Zone for a long time and already own Mastering the Zone (very confusing) and the Daousts 40-30-30 book. I was still unsure and not 100pct. clear on how exactly it worked. This book makes it all so very simple. It has a shopping list, which is a huge help, and its small enough to fit in your purse/bag. It also dispels the myths of high protein diets, and why they just arent healthy for you. I would highly recommend it. This book ties up all the loose ends.

Absolutely an eye opener. I had previously attempted to lose weight solely on the basis of low-fat / low-calories...bought this book 22 days ago, curious about this nutrition program, and am coming up on a 10 pound loss (194-184 lbs.) This surprised me and seemed too much too quickly, but I feel great and am rarely hungry. What has particularly pleased me about the program is my perception that there has been a much greater fat loss than corresponding loss of muscle.

The book is essentially a short version of the larger Zone book. It describes in shorter fashion the biochemistry behind the diet, and contains a number of recipes to get you started. The focus of the book is definitely as an intro to the Zone. you may want to read other complementary sources to gain a fuller picture.

Learning about McCanns slow-cooked Irish oatmeal (with a egg-white omlette and olive oil for breakfast) has alone more than paid back the books . Ive also faithfully taken a purified fish-oil supplement (Coromega)for these last 22-days and believe that it has played a part as well in the weight loss and feeling of general good health. Additional reading can include the 40/30/30 Phenomenon by Gittleman.

Excellent, down-to-earth book with all the how-tos a busy person needs to get started right away. I saw a friend who had lost an enormous amount of weight and asked her how she did it. She said the Zone Diet, so I went out the next day to the book store and bought this book. I selected it because it has interesting menus for an entire week of meals AND a shopping list. After buying the book, I went right to the grocery store and bought the foods in the shopping list. I have been on the diet now for six weeks and intend to stay on it until I lose another 25 pounds. Also, I have lots of energy and I dont feel deprived. Great simple book.

Losing weight used to mean losing calories. Not according to the author. Losing weight now means controlling your hormone levels, mainly your insulin level. According to the author, insulin is responsible for telling the cells to store fat and keep it. The way to reduce insulin levels is by reducing your intake of grains and complex carbs. However, your diet should still be mostly carbs, but the types that do not stimulate insulin release as much such as fruits and vegetables. Carbs are considered anything that grow on the ground. Protein and fat are considered good because the former releases glucagon which tells cells to release stored energy and the latter slow down the absorption of carbs into the bloodstream.

How to lose weight.

-Shop in the peripheries of the supermarket. This is where all the fresh fruits and vegetables and lean protein-rich foods such as fish and chicken are located.

-Eat only monounsaturated and omega-3 fats fromnuts, olive oil, avocados, and fish.

-Fresh frozen produce are usually better than non-frozen ones because the nutrients are kept intact.

-Eat your carbs, proteins, and fats in a 3.2.1 ratio for each meal.

-Eat 5 meals a day to stablize insulin level.

This diet is based on information taken from hardcore Nobel-prize winning research. We have all been in The Zone at one time or another. It is one of those days where you feel full of energy and everything seems to flow right and the challenges, that do come up are easily dealt with because you are feeling in top physical form. This diet is a tool to reach that success on a daily basis.

The Zone introduces us to a diet that is healthy and balanced and certainly no fad. The premise is found in the fact that the body needs a healthy balance of carbohydrates, low fat protein, and monosaturated fat at each meal, and this book puts it in its simplest form to get you started. The author sets it forth in an easy how to manner with grocery lists so you can fill your cupboard with the staples that will be a part of your everyday.

Simply put the biochemistry is based on the fact that the intake and over-consumption of simple carbohydrates lead to surges of insulin in the blood and this in turn makes us sluggish. Over a lifetime it leaves us at risk for conditions such as heart disease and cancer. Low fat protein releases glucagon, which helps to mobilize fat as opposed to insulin, which works to store our excess calories. The result is an increase in weight if the balance is off.

Sears has written six other Zone books that explain things at length, but for the person who wants to jump in quick this was the book I found to be the most helpful. After a week in the Zone I am amazed at how sharp my thinking is and how much energy I have. The most incredible effect is the lack of cravings I have for carbohydrates, that in it self is truly a miracle. Kelsana 7/06/01

Finally, Barry Sears has gotten around to writing a how-to book on the Zone Diet. All of the previous books were somewhat technical, and aimed at medical professionals or personal trainers.

This book, his first paperback, is written in a clear, concise and easy to understand style. By the end of the first 20 pages, you will have a good idea of what the Zone Diet is about, its benefits and how it works.

Then, the rest of the book gives Sears simplest yet version of the diet (for example, instead of 40-30-30 the new restatement uses 1-2-3).

The Zone Diet, by the way, is primarily a health diet, although it is also effective for weight loss. The idea is to keep your blood sugar and hormone levels as even as possible, by balancing what you eat in each meal. The result is a number of health benefits, especially in the areas of diabetes (demonstrated by a clinical study) and heart disease (Sears started the research due to the high mortality in his own family tree), but also in other areas like allergies, joint pain, headaches, stomach acid, and many others, all of which are aggravated by our modern unnatural eating habits.

Unlike almost all other eating plans, this diet is based on an investigation of how food affects our bodies mechanisms, and the result is simply better functioning.

In brief. the Zone diet works. Please note.

1) This is *not* a crash diet.

2) This is *not* a starvation diet.

3) You get to eat *normal* food. On the down side, you *do* have to give up certain dishes (pasta, rice, and breads, for example)... but on the other hand you get to eat plenty of chicken, beef, turkey, cheese, eggs, bacon, tuna, salmon, cod, as well as plenty of vegetables and fruits. (And for you veggies out there, you can do the Zone diet, too. Just substitute soy protein for the meats and fishes, and take your vitamins, and youre in the club.)

4) The Zone diet is easy to follow. Sears book is filled with sample recipes for meals, but really, you dont need to follow them. Just flip to the end of the book where he lists all the recommended Zone foods and combine them to make up your own recipes.

Heres how the diet works. There are three categories of foods that you need to eat at every meal. proteins, carbohydrates, and fats (all listed in the back of the book). If youre a man, pick 4 choices (called blocks) from each category. If youre a woman, pick 3 choices (or blocks) from each category. Then combine them anyway you choose.

Example. guys, for breakfast, three strips of turkey bacon equals 1 protein block. One egg also equals 1 protein block. So have two eggs for breakfast with three strips of turkey bacon and thats 3 blocks right there. Now add one ounce of low fat cheese (1 protein block) and youve met your protein requirement for that meal.

Now add an apple (2 carbo blocks) and an orange (2 carbo blocks) to your bacon and eggs breakfast and youve met your carbo requirement for that meal.

For fats, just add a 1 1/3 teaspoon of sesame oil to your eggs while youre cooking them, and now youve got 4 fat blocks.

And thats it. Youre in the Zone.

You can prepare all your meals that way. Dont feel you have to follow Sears recipes to the letter and end up scouring your supermarket for obscure items like cilantro, dried tarragon, and shallots (say what). So long as you only eat whats in the food lists and dont eat the *bad* foods, youll do fine.

5) Be sure to drink plenty of water. This is crucial for the diet to succeed. If you need a break from tap water (or Evian, for that matter), you can have decaf. Just dont add more than a teaspoon of sugar to your decaf, or better yet use a substitute. Sugars are the one of the *bad* carbo blocks that you need to keep to a minimum.

Also, though it doesnt say so in the book, you are allowed to *occasionally* have a diet drink like Coke or Pepsi so long as its sugar *and* caffeine free. (I got this last part from Sears web site, in case youre wondering.)

So while decaf and the occasional diet drink are OK, you should still make sure that most of your liquid intake comes from water. And lots of it.

5) Once youre on the diet, there *will* be a few times each day where youre feeling a little hungry. But a little hungry is one thing and famished is something else... and Ive said, on the Zone diet, you dont walk around feeling like youre starving.

For me, the rumble-in-my-tummy feeling usually kicks in about an hour before each meal. If lunch is at 12.00 P.M., my stomach will start grumbling around 11.00 A.M. Late afternoon, my stomach will start grumbling again, but the Zone diet allows me one late afternoon snack each day, so that tides me over till dinnertime. Then, before bedtime, my stomach grumbles one last time, but since the diet also allows me one light bedtime snack (say, a small piece of fruit and a slice of cheese), that tides me over until the next morning.

But for the most part, I dont walk around feeling hungry. In fact, after my first few days on the diet I already lost my cravings for fatty foods like potato chips and pretzels. So since I dont miss what I cant eat, thats what keeps me in the Zone.

Bottom line. the Zone diet is highly recommended to anyone interested in losing a few pounds without going stark-raving nuts. At the same time, its balanced enough that you can remain on it painlessly even after youve reached your ideal weight. How many other diets can claim that I plan to stay on it until Ive lost at least another ten pounds. After that, who knows

With clearly distilled science and a detailed eating plan for peak performance, The Zone could do for insulin awareness what the Pritikin diet did for low-fat eating.--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

-- Womans World
The hottest diet in Hollywood.--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Fitness consultant Teresa Olsen, in People magazine
Ive never had the progress with my clients that Ive had since theyve started doing the Zone. Theyre less hungry, less fatigued, and more productive. Ive seen it work.--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Book Description

Millions of people worldwide have discovered the power of the Zone. A breakthrough approach to dieting based on Nobel Prize-winning scientific research, the Zone treats food as the most powerful drug available. Used wisely, food will take you into the Zone, a state of exceptional health familiar to champion athletes. Youll not only burn body fat, youll keep it off. Youll also fight heart disease, diabetes, PMS, chronic fatigue, depression, and cancer. Discover the benefits of this revolutionary program in just seven days with A Week in the Zone.

Fundamentals of the Zone

How to eat in the Zone

How to shop in the Zone

A weeks worth of healthy, satisfying recipes including quick and easy Zone breakfasts, lunches, and dinners

The Zone for vegetarians

How to order in and dine out in the Zone

How to achieve maximum success in the Zone

A Week in the Zone also contains appendices on frequently asked questions, how to calculate your lean body mass, information on Zone food blocks, a list of resources, and more. Enter the Zone and experience the dietary program that has transformed the way America eats. Youll be glad you did.--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

About the Author
Barry Spears, Ph.D.,is a widely published scientist and researcher who holds thirteen U.S. patents in drug delivery and hormonal control technology. He is the author of The Zone, Mastering the Zone, Zone-Perfect Meals in Minutes, Zone Food Blocks, A Week in the Zone, The Anti-Aging Zone, The Top 100 Zone Foods, and The Soy Zone. His books have sold more than four million copies and have been translated into twenty-two languages in forty countries. He lives in Swampscott, Massachusetts, with his wife and two daughters.