Posts by Susan Flores25

So, I figured I’d share my experience with you all.
I live in Cleveland and I’m 37 years old. I’ve been dealing with psoriasis for over a decade now, specifically on my palms and the skin around my finger joints on the outside. About ten years ago, I went to see a dermatologist using a referral from my insurance. She just gave me some Locasalen and called it a day. She did the usual check—head, elbows, knees, back—and then just gave me the standard "don't get stressed, watch your diet" speech.
Fast forward to a few days ago. I searched online for a dermatologist and found a few options here in Cleveland. Through a process of elimination, I ended up right back in front of the exact same doctor. I actually thought to myself, "Hey, maybe since everything has gone private lately, the patient care will actually be different." Well, boy, was I wrong. First off, the vibe while I was waiting was just terrible; the office itself hasn't changed at all, you can hear everything happening in the waiting room, and they still have those old metal beds and privacy screens made of worn-out sheets. And of course, it’s the same doctor. One thing that annoyed me even back then was how she spoke to me using "you" in that overly casual, disrespectful way—though, I suppose I was younger then, and I look pretty exhausted regardless of being nearly 40. She immediately grabbed a notepad and goes, "Okay, we have this revolutionary new product now—Zorro. You'll be using that along with Belmond." It felt suspicious right away because I hadn't read much about it. So, I told her straight up that I didn't want the Belmond and that I was skeptical about the Zorro; I mentioned I’d read quite a bit about Psoriasis and asked what she thought about that instead. She just completely ignored me, insisting that Zorro is great and she'd write the prescription. She kept talking down to me, acting all condescending, like, "Oh, well, look, I have this treatment available that costs $15,000! But who would I even recommend that to?"
I mean, excuse me, but why does she even care?! Why won't she just tell me what all our actual options are? Aren't doctors supposed to HELP us? The first thing I read online once I got home was that Zorro shouldn't be used if a woman is pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding, because the retinoids could harm the fetus or the baby. Given how intimately she was addressing me with that casual "you" and how she already asked for my date of birth, wasn't it common sense to ask if I was pregnant or planning to get pregnant, considering my age? I've been trying to conceive for six months now, and it's obviously one of the reasons my condition has flared up, because, well, the conception isn't happening. 😬 🙄 So I'm under constant stress.
I told her again, "Look, I've been reading about Psoriasis, what do you think about that? I'd rather try that; I read online that you can order it through a pharmacy in Chicago." But she just played dumb and said, "I don't know, you could try a private pharmacy if they want to make it."
Anyway, to make a long story short, I managed to order the Psoriasis treatment without too much trouble because that pharmacy handles orders without a huge ordeal (you just need a private prescription and to pay a deposit). This doctor clearly knew that all along, because as soon as I brought it up again, she immediately called the pharmacy and told them exactly what they had told me! I had to go back to the office for the private prescription and then head back to the pharmacy, even though she could have handled the whole thing IMMEDIATELY the first time.
I am so incredibly disappointed. I honestly don't understand how someone can be so indifferent and just breeze through patients without actually asking anything—aside from the standard "mom, dad, job, stress, diet" questions—to really understand a patient's life, their needs, and their circumstances before trying to determine a therapy.
Now I'm just waiting for the Psoriasis stuff to arrive in two weeks. In the meantime, I'll use the Belmond for ten days as recommended, since my skin is in pretty bad shape, and then I'll see how the Psoriasis treatment works out. I'm not sure what the deal is with it regarding pregnancy, as I couldn't find that specific info anywhere. Maybe it won't help, but I truly believe it's worth a shot.

Megan Morales5 said:It isn't 😳 😁

So I guess you're one of us after all, 😬
Magicna, maybe you're actually our long-lost sibling or something?

Kenneth Price8 said:I'm curious, where do you guys actually fit exercise into your schedules?

Nowhere. I don't work out because, quite frankly, I absolutely loathe any kind of physical training. I guess if you want to count my actual activities, it’s mostly just cooking, eating, listening to music on my commute to and from work, and then on the weekends: hooking up, biking to the local pub and right back (which takes all of a minute, really), and maybe picking asparagus.

Kenneth Price8 said:Hey everyone, I was wondering if anyone here has actually tried the Zone diet, and if so, could you please share your experiences? I've been reading this book by Barry Sears and, honestly, it seems pretty solid—everything follows a logical pattern and is laid out very clearly.
I'm curious if any of you are currently eating according to the Zone guidelines and how it's working out for you. Is it a massive headache trying to balance all those meal blocks, and how much time does it actually take before the whole thing becomes second nature...
Basically, anything at all regarding this topic would be great! Thanks so much!🙂

I haven't even bothered buying the original book by Barry Sears because, frankly, I find it way too Americanized. It feels like they just want to push their own branded Zone products! So, I just picked up this local cookbook for the Zone that has everything conveniently broken down into portions. Even though I've been doing this for almost a year now, I guess nothing has truly become a routine yet. I still find myself constantly pulling out those charts and doing the math.

Kenneth Price8 said:That’s just awful. Personally, I absolutely, positively love having bread for breakfast.

Look, it isn't like you have to give up everything in life, I guess. It really all depends on what your specific goals are. When I was trying to drop some weight, I followed the rules pretty strictly, I suppose. But honestly, if you just have one tiny little slice of toast in the morning with some cheese and lean turkey, it probably won't be some massive disaster. I mean, the real issue is making sure that one single slice doesn't somehow turn into two slices, and then a pastry, and then you're there tearing into a warm loaf of sourdough with your bare hands on the walk home from the bakery. 😁

Kenneth Price8 said:Excuse me?!😲 Pencil thickness? For heaven's sake... That just can't be right, please tell me you're joking. 🙂

Actually, I suppose it is true. I mean, obviously, you could only ever manage to slice pieces that thin if you were using some stale, rock-hard crust, because there is absolutely no way you'd get that from a fresh, warm, fragrant loaf straight from the oven. And what’s even more infuriating is that such bread is so utterly tasteless and pathetic that I only ever touch it during those rare, desperate moments when I have a leftover slice of pizza that would be a total sin to eat without some bread—especially when it comes out of the microwave all soft and steaming.

I have to say, I’m feeling pretty frustrated with this whole zone concept because, frankly, some of the dishes I’ve tried making following the rules just don't taste nearly as good as when I prepare them the traditional way (or when I eat them elsewhere). Take beet goulash, for instance—or whatever the correct spelling is supposed to be. I attempted to make it strictly by the zone guidelines, and the result was honestly pretty unpalatable; it turned out sort of dry and completely tasteless. No matter how much seasoning I threw at it, I just couldn't salvage the overall experience. I haven't ventured into desserts yet, but I am almost certain I'll face even bigger disappointments there. Especially when it comes to pancakes, which I absolutely adore in their original, carb-heavy, buttery glory—particularly when I sit down with my magic sister and we have this ridiculous ritual where we bite eye, nose, and mouth holes into them, wear them on our faces like masks, and then just eat them plain afterward (well, I suppose that might be a little hard for you all to picture right now).
I’m really not sure if anyone else is running into these same issues, though it seems to me that the people actually sticking to the zone who try to cook anything more complex than a basic scrambled egg :-) aren't really speaking up, but in my opinion, this is a massive flaw in the system.

Kenneth Price8 said:Now, what I really want to know is this: for you ladies who have actually tried the knowledge zone; how long did it take before you started seeing any real results? Did it just melt away the fat on your stomach and hips, or was it a total body transformation? I'm trying to deal with cellulite too, so I'm wondering if the zone helps with that at all 😕

I managed to drop about 11 pounds over roughly three months. At the start, I was being incredibly strict about sticking to five meals a day, I avoided alcohol for about three weeks, and I didn't touch anything but low-carb options. I didn't lose much of the fat around my midsection, and since I haven't had much of a backside since birth, there isn't much to speak of—though I don't have cellulite either. I do have large breasts, though! :-) It seems like everything shifted, but most of the weight loss showed up in my face. I went from about 132 pounds down to 121 (at 5'3"). Honestly, I suspect that no diet, unless you literally stop eating for months, can truly get rid of stubborn belly fat, hips, or glutes; it takes exercise. And personally, I absolutely loathe any kind of activity like that (gym sessions, aerobics, and all those other horrors). The only movement I get is biking 20 minutes each way to work and doing some cycling on the weekends. If I actually exercised, I probably would have lost the extra fat elsewhere too.

Kenneth Price8 said:And yeah, one more crucial question: HOW BIG IS A SLICE OF BREAD? Are we talking a slice of "Pinčice," or that crusty sourdough style, or maybe a French loaf... What?! 🤔 It’s honestly so confusing...
Maybe just give it to me in grams 😁

Well, it depends entirely on the type of bread and its overall weight and such. Personally, I don't eat bread at all, except for a little toast every now and then. I usually just buy some local sliced bread wrapped in plastic. It’s incredibly heavy and dense. One single slice might be about as thin as a standard pencil, and the size of the slice is roughly half the size of a CD :-) That counts as 22 grams, or 1 unit. Unfortunately, that bread is far too much for my needs, so I end up tossing more than 3/4 of it because it just gets stale.

TETE A TETE said:This is completely insane...

Weighing food?

Carbohydrate blocks!!!!

But honestly, what can you even say? You have to let every idiot have their little moment of joy, I suppose. There are some of us out there who actually find this stuff useful, though. If I actually had the capital, I’d probably just open my own restaurant, the knowledge zone.

nimbledriver81 said:I actually lived in Germany for a while, so I managed to track it down over there. Honestly, though, I had to practically force myself to finish the whole container. I’m really not much of a pastry person, so I ended up just mixing the powder into my yogurt or some kind of sauce... 🙄

So, you're saying you can actually taste the powder, then?

Kenneth Price8 said:I’m honestly feeling a bit lost on this one again: I tried putting together a three-block combination for lunch today, and I just couldn't finish the whole thing. I actually scaled everything back to a single block, but even then, it was just way too much food. I had veal, some spinach, and a tomato and mozzarella salad drizzled with olive oil, and now I feel like I’m literally about to burst! This is actually the very first time since I started eating within the knowledge zone that I've felt this stuffed.

I mean, how much veal and mozzarella did you actually end up eating? If you were trying to combine those two protein sources, then I guess you should have been eating very little veal—maybe around 29 grams per block—alongside just one single ball of mozzarella, assuming one ball of Kraft Heinz mozzarella counts as about two blocks of protein? Or perhaps it was more meat and less cheese. Honestly, it’s entirely possible that your total protein combination ended up being way too high in the end.

Kenneth Price8 said:But how on earth are you supposed to track your carb blocks if you don't have a scale handy or if you aren't at home? Are you just relying on that hand measurement rule?

Look, you really can't just rely solely on the palm method; I mean, that might be fine if you're grabbing a quick bite out at a restaurant or something, but for anyone actually serious about meal prepping within the knowledge zone, you absolutely HAVE to own a scale. Ideally, you’d want a digital one to get those precise measurements, though I suppose it's not strictly mandatory. Personally, I don't even have one yet—I'm still stuck using this old white Whirlpool wall scale until I can scrape enough cash together to buy a proper digital setup. Because honestly, how are you going to accurately measure out the ingredients for a spring medley—which happens to be what I'm having for lunch today with some turkey—without a scale? Unless, I guess, you're buying everything at a farmer's market by the exact gram, which sounds like a massive headache and probably isn't the smartest way to live (like, how am I supposed to weigh out exactly 200g of green beans, 15g of peas, 300g of lentils, 180g of onions, 135ml of tomato sauce, and then some leeks and cauliflower, just to hit exactly 9 carb blocks by the end)?

briskgull82 said:First off, Kyle Martinez11, thanks a ton for those menus... 👍

Regarding the zone, I suppose it’s actually a pretty solid way to eat. I work a lot, so I don't really have the time—or frankly, the expertise—for any major culinary displays; my husband would prefer we just eat "normally," but "normal" usually just means something frozen or a quick microwave meal, though we might try a bit harder on the weekends.

Well, Kyle Martinez11 is exactly why I didn't write earlier about how this zone isn't quite as simple as people make it out to be. And it isn't. Let's just set aside all those BMI measurements and whatever else, which I don't even understand to begin with.
The real issue is this—most people simply don't have the luxury of time to plan and prep meals, especially lunch. If you aren't planning ahead, sticking to the zone is going to be an uphill battle. I mean, sure, the easiest part is grabbing fruit and veggies at a farmer's market or picking up some yogurt and cheese at a grocery store. But that's fine only if you actually know what to pair them with. It gets incredibly tedious after a while when you're eating nothing but a tuna or mozzarella salad for lunch every other day. Or, for instance, you can't just eat three carb blocks worth of cauliflower, because you'll practically explode from the sheer volume of cauliflower. You need a little veg, then maybe a little fruit in one meal. People will say, "So what? I'll just grab a slice of bread since I can fit in up to 25% unfavorable carbs anyway to hit my quota." But honestly, that's not right either.
Fortunately, I cook just for myself; I live alone, I enjoy cooking, and it doesn't feel like a chore to whip up tomorrow's lunch at 7 PM, prep breakfast ingredients, crunch the numbers, and dedicate an hour to the whole process. I don't know—or perhaps I do know—what that looks like if you have a family and all. It's incredibly difficult because it demands so much time. You can't exactly prep everything in advance and just throw it all in the freezer.

I truly believe it's immensely taxing to coordinate all these food combinations, the shopping, the measuring, and the prepping, especially when you're juggling kids' schoolwork, a baby that needs feeding and putting down for naps, or a husband who can't handle the zone because he'll only touch potatoes for carbs and steak or chops for protein (heaven forbid he eats tuna, eggs, or turkey). I suspect our Dr. Grbac Gredelj is a woman in a stage of life where she probably isn't dealing with young children and their activities anymore, and she and her husband have embarked on this together. Honestly, to pull off the zone, you need time, and let's face it, money too. Plus, you need a constantly stocked fridge, which is a tall order for anyone living solo.

nimbledriver81 said:I’ve tried some of those protein powders before... and honestly, they are just revolting... I'd much rather just eat cheese. If you get that grainy, low-fat kind—one little 7-ounce serving is basically equivalent to four protein blocks.

I guess I actually would love to find a decent powder somewhere, mostly because I could mix it into muffins or rolls so I don't have to rely on cheese and ham every single time I want to bake. Or, say, if you're craving a fruit yogurt but it's loaded with way too many carbs, maybe you could just stir in some protein powder to balance things out.
And that grainy cheese is actually pretty good; you can even eat it on its own, which is a huge step up from that watery, tasteless cottage cheese (at least in my opinion), even when you try mixing it with fruit.

briskgull82 said:Could one of the more dedicated members of the Zone write out a typical daily menu so I can maybe use it as a template?
Thanks

Here is what my day looks like; I'm not going to bother with exact measurements right now because, frankly, I just can't be bothered:

Option 1.
1. Breakfast: smoked turkey breast slices—the kind you get at Whole Foods, whole pieces that look like little Easter hams in netting—cheese, a protein shake, an orange, and some almonds (the turkey, cheese, and shake account for 3 protein blocks, though the shake is a combo food so it also adds 1 carb and 1 fat block)
2. Lunch: turkey breast with mushrooms and curry. Depending on how many mushrooms I use, I'll supplement with either fruit or tomatoes in a salad. Fats are included.
3. Snack: cheese and an apple (obviously keeping the ratios in mind)
4. Dinner: scrambled eggs with asparagus, onions, or maybe mushrooms if I didn't have them for lunch, plus some wine.
5. Snack: cheese and wine.

Option 2.
1. Breakfast: a hard-boiled egg, turkey deli meat, cheese, an apple or an orange, and almonds.
2. Lunch: beef stew served over pasta.
3. Snack: a protein shake.
4. Dinner: mozzarella with mushrooms and some wine.
5. Snack: cheese and wine.

Option 3.
1. Breakfast: cottage cheese (I'm bending the rules slightly here because I buy that Kerniger cottage cheese since it’s actually edible, unlike that disgusting regular stuff), some fruit, turkey deli meat, and almonds.
2. Lunch: cauliflower salad, chicken breast, and roasted peppers.
3. Snack: a protein shake.
4. Dinner: tuna, salad, and an apple.
5. Snack: cheese and wine.

A few other ideas for lunch:
1. Turkey "stew" with curry and the thinnest spaghetti you can find.
2. Turkey (or chicken, beef, veal) rolls—that's when I don't have enough meat for 3 protein blocks, so I roll a slice of lean ham or bacon around it before pan-searing it in sauce.
3. Stuffed artichokes (for those who consider themselves slightly more adventurous cooks) with smoked turkey and parmesan.
4. Any number of Chinese-style dishes (though unfortunately, I haven't been cooking much Chinese lately because I bought the most pathetic wok in existence; the "Teflon" coating literally peeled off onto my food, so once I save up enough cash, I'll grab a better one).

And that's really it; I just rotate through them. Lunches are where I get most creative because I cook them when I get home from work in the evening. Breakfast is always the hardest part to decide on, so I end up eating the same thing constantly. But I just picked up all the ingredients for various muffins, scones, and pastries, so once I get a mixer, I'll start baking savory and sweet treats for breakfast and snacks to break up the monotony.