Posted on 12/07/2001 7:24:26 PM PST by Partisan Hack
It is the best diet on earth because it teaches you how to eat a balanced diet....no total restriction on anything as long as it is in moderation.
LOL, My favorite dessert, could you post your recipe here........ PLEASE.
Gee, what more can you ask for. :-}
Barry Sears' "Zone Diet" and Atkins' "Ketogenci Diet" are two very different things. One puts you in a state of ketosis through severe carbohyrdrate restriction (Atkins) and the other simply reduces the amount of carbs as an overall percentage of caloric intake (Zone). The Zone Diet limits calories quite a bit while Atkins places no formal restrictions (knowing that a Ketogenic Diet seriously inhibits hunger anyway).
The Zone Diet addresses excessive carbs as a problem and was developed for athletes (Olympic Swimmers, Football Teams), but may not fully address the problems experienced by those of us who are exceptionally sugar sensitive. It may not restrict carbs enough for those of us with a unique metabolism to truly experience a reduction in cravings and a shift to greater fat burning.
The Zone may work for some but not for others. Atkins would probably work for anybody, but may not be tolerated by everybody. Note with Atkins however that most people mistakenly see his two week induction diet as the whole thing, when in reality you eventually shift back to eating a greater level of carbs than you do in the initial stages.
I should note that Sears does get it wrong in his original Zone Diet book when he incorrectly states that Ketone bodies are the result of unhealthy protein breakdown while in a state of ketosis. This is patently wrong. Ketone bodies are formed as fuel through the breakdown of stored body fat to provide an alternative and healthy fuel for the brain in the absence of glucose. Many confuse normal ketosis with Diabetic Ketoacidosis, where ketone levels are 10 times higher WITH the presence of high blood glucose levels as well, something experienced only by diabetics without the ability to clear glucose through insulin secretion.
LOL :)
My impressions are this, although others may disagree:
I think it works better for people who need to lose a LOT of weight. I don't think it makes sense for someone trying to lose 15 lbs or something. Read the book, and decide if this is something you can do, more or less, for the rest of your life. For me, I was worried about giving up 3 things I didn't know if I could live without: Pizza, sandwiches,and potatoes. I like cookies and sweets OK, but the thought of not having them didn't worry me too much. I don't think I can explain how much bread was a part of my life.
I never cheated once, and found that I ate less and was satisfied sooner. For example, I replaced two hearty sandwiches at lunch with just the meat and cheese rolled up, and ate less meat than I did on my sandwiches. When detractors say "It's not healthy to eat as much eggs/bacon/red meat/fat etc. as you want", the key is, you don't want as much as you used to. Still, I eat portions well in excess of the "deck of cards"-sized pieces of meat you need to stick to in a low-fat diet.
I think I have a high tolerance for mototony in my eating, and that helps. Eggs and bacon most days for breakfast. I drink an unbelievable amount of water, but I always have, and I think that helps. I'm talking probably 20+ glasses a day, plus a couple diet cokes.
The best part, is that now as I approach maintainance, I have bread back in my diet in a reasonable way. With the help of a bread machine my wife got me for Christmas, I make some damn good bread with a reasonable amount of carbs. I make hamburger rolls and pizza dough as well. It would be too much carbs for induction, but fine for maintainance. It takes me 10 minutes to make it, but it is just inconvenient enough to make me ration how much bread I eat so I only have to make it once a week. Now I eat French Toast for breakfast a couple days a week. I never actually really missed potatoes, suprisingly, but I've added the occasional small baked potato back into my diet.
As far as nutrasweet, it never bothered me, at least in Diet Coke. As far as nitrates, I've been eating a lot of salami and pepperoni the whole time with no ill results. As far as constipation, yes, it has been an issue.
There are a lot of helpful low carb products out there if you know where to find them, but they are very expensive. I would not plan on depending on them, but I have used them until I could figure out a way to approximate them myself. Low carb bread crumbs for example, help me make some of my favorite things. I will have a bar now and then when I can't make myself a meal, since fast food is not much of an option.
These things make you an excellent candidate to do well on the diet and stay on the diet long term, IMHO:
1. If you don't have an very bad sweet tooth. I make low carb macaroons and peanut butter cups which satisfy me, but if you really can't live without cookies/pies/etc, its going to be difficult.
2. If you don't want/need to eat at restaurants a lot, unless you can afford steak, etc. If you depend on fast food a lot, it'll be tough.
3. If you like to cook/experiment in the kitchen. There are tons of recipes on the internet of varying quality, but I have found some that really make the diet all that more satisfying, like breads, waffles, pancakes and so forth.
Bottom line, I wish I had discovered this years ago. I do understand that if I ever go back to indiscriminate eating, the weight will come back. But right now, the desire for the few things I really can't have is not nearly as strong as my enjoyment of the change in my appearance and how I feel (oh yeah, I stopped having chronic indigestion and headaches).
I have scads of research about the effectiveness and health benefits of this diet. I have been on it for 3 years and lost 40 pounds. It corrected my low blood sugar and dramatically improved my cholesterol. It will increase your HDL and reduce your triglycerides. High triglycerides and low HDL are both high risk factors for heart disease and are both direct RESULTS of a low fat/high carb diet.
Anyway, don't listen to the many urban myths that are floating around [most originated by the manufactured HIGH CARB food industry] just stick to the science and verify it yourself.
You will hear the most preposterous myths about the diet, so just be prepared. The number one myth is that it causes liver and/or kidney disease despite the fact that there is not a SINGLE documented case or study that shows such damage from protein. Protein will harm an ALREADY diseased kidney or liver but will not cause it - they just reversed the logic on that little myth.
I hope that you love the diet as much as I do. My doctor is thrilled with the results.
Anyone have comments or experience?
I have added the occasional yogurt to my diet and haven't noticed any change.
5 months -- 41 lbs.
I was able to eat those pretty regularly with no affect.
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