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The Zone Diet Plan
This diet is based on a book written by a doctor by the name of Barry Sears. It requires people who are on the diet to consume a balanced diet of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. The Zone Diet Meal Plan asks that you follow a 40-30-30 model which means you eat 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent fat, and 30 percent proteins.
Does The Zone Diet Work?
In general, and if followed correctly, yes the Zone Diet works. When you are on the Zone Diet you should expect to lose around 10-12 pounds in a little over a month. Just make sure you stick to your guns and stay with it. There’s nothing more useless than a diet that’s not followed correctly!
Zone Diet Basics
The diet was developed in 1982 by Dr. Sears and he first released a book, entitled “The Zone,” in the year 1995. Sears asks the dieters to follow the 40%,30%,30% model by taking their plates and dividing them into three sections. These three sections are where dieters will place the different percentages of food. So it would break down like this: 2/3s of the dieter’s plate would be vegetables, 1/3 of the plate would be a lean protein, and the remaining portion of the plate would be covered with a healthy fat.
The Barry Sears Zone diet is structured to last around six weeks. The first two weeks of the diet are used to introduce the dieter to the program and get them acclimated. The second part of the diet is to allow the dieter to adjust to the changes in their menus.
One of the reasons for the popularity of this diet is the fact that many celebrities follow it. Jennifer Aniston, Madonna, Sandra Bullock, Ben Stiller, Cindy Crawford, Rene Zellwegger, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Demi Moore.
How To Follow The Zone Diet
This zone diet meals feature a balanced eating plan that will show you how to go without simple sugars while you consume the correct carbohydrates so that your body doesn’t swell up like a balloon.
The best way to do the Zone Diet is to divide your plate into the percentages I mentioned earlier. Making sure that you consume the right ratios of food is vital to the success of this diet. But don’t fret, if you mess up and eat a meal that’s not “Zone Friendly” you can simply make up for it by making sure your next meal is “Zone Compliant.”
Zone Diet Food List:
Proteins
Your lean protein that makes up 1/3 or your meal plate should come from healthy sources like lean beef, chicken, fish (tuna, trout, Tilapia, cod, etc.).
Carbohydrates
Your carbohydrates that make up 2/3 of your meal plate should include vegetables (celery, broccoli, eggplant, zucchini, cabbage, peppers, cabbage, mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower, onion, artichoke, green beans) and fruits (various berries, apples, apricots, grapes, kiwi, tomatoes). Some of the carbohydrates that are NOT recommended (but can still be eaten in smaller portions) are pasta, papaya, mango, banana, dry breakfast cereals, bread, bagels, tortillas, carrots, all fruit juices, and brown rice).
The grain and starch sources that are considered “favorable” for this diet include barley products and oatmeal.
Healthy Fats
The fats that Dr. Sears recommends on this diet are monounsaturated fats. These fats have positive health benefits and have recently exploded in popularity due to their ability to target belly fat. Some of these fats include nuts (almonds, macadamias, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts), avocado, certain oils like olive, canola, safflower, and walnut, and olives (black, green, or tapenade – learn how to use olive oil for weight loss).
The Zone Diet requires that you section off your dinner, lunch, breakfast, or snack plate and then add the foods. Start with the lean protein which should be roughly the size or your open palm. Now cover another 2/3s of the plate with the recommended fruits and vegetables and then the remaining area should be covered with the healthy fats.
These meals should not be HUGE. Don’t pull out a serving plate to use or anything like that. If you follow this diet you’ll want to use smaller plates because you’ll be eating these types of meals every 4 to 6 hours.
The Zone Diet Program does allow snacks and recommends 2 per day in between the meals.
I hope this Zone Diet info helps out. If you have any questions or comments don’t hesitate to leave them in the comment area below. Also, make sure you consult your doctor before attempting any new diet or workout routine.
