Are You in the Zone?

After hearing me whine for a few weeks about being stressed and eating everything in sight, my buddy Ryan (the personal trainer, don't I complain to the right people?!?!) got me some Zone Diet paperwork and started coaching me on getting back into a healthy lifestyle. He hit me at just the right time, too. After inhaling a yummy taco salad and an order of fried ice cream (and don't forget the margarita...oh, I'm drooling right now!) for our anniversary dinner yesterday, I'm just feeling sluggish and loathesome, and prepared to reach out for a solution.

Today was D-day.

Okay, I'll be the first to tell you that the Zone Diet isn't easy. It's complicated, especially for a math-challenged individual such as yours truly. Much like Weight Watchers, you have a tendency to obsess over what to eat, what's it's value (blocks instead of points), plus the added bonus of having to eat carbs, proteins, and fats with every meal. Luckily, I'm one of those detail-oriented people who thrives on this type of thing.

So I've been calculated to have 12 blocks per day. That's broken down to 3 for breakfast, 2 for lunch, 2 for snack, 3 for dinner, and 2 for late snack. And, to make it even more confusing, those 3 blocks for breakfast is actually 3 protein, 3 fat, and 3 carbs. You see what I mean? And I'm not even talking about calculating block value of foods not included on their list (which is pretty short).

The good news? Eating clean for a few months is a great launch into Zoning. It's far easier to block clean foods than processed foods. And you get more volume eating clean.

So today was a good day. I have new incentive to NOT lick the pizza cutter at work (don't worry, guys, that's a figure of speech...though I'm guilty of picking off the errant topping from the cutter). And I've stuck to the plan as I understand it. I'm really looking forward to getting into "the Zone", which the website promises after the first week or so. But, at the same time, I'm a little apprehensive about what this is going to do to our grocery budget. There, again, Ryan manages to inspire me, the man eats everything out of a can...green beans, potatoes, tuna, and he makes it work!

So I'll get back with you in a week, to let you know if the renewed energy is fact or crap. You're also supposed to notice changes in your clothing within the first week. We'll see.