Posts by briskgull82

briskfalcon15 said:Maybe I'll give it a shot by adding just two drops into my coffee... I might even try it with some green tea and see what happens!
It isn't even the bitter aftertaste that gets to me; it’s this aggressive, cloying sweetness. It reminds me of those moments when I take a sip of a cappuccino and hit an undissolved chunk of Nutraena sitting right there in the foam.🙂 )

I picked up some Steve's before heading into work this morning. I whipped up a quick cup of instant coffee, added a few drops, and gave it a taste test. After a quick trip to the restroom to pour out the rest, I decided to pass the bottle along to a colleague of mine who’s strictly following the Montignac way. 😁
I’ve finally transitioned to drinking my coffee black, and honestly, I’ve gotten completely used to it. These days, I rarely touch added sugar at all; even when I have tea, I take it plain or perhaps with just a tiny drizzle of honey.

Kyle Martinez11 said:I didn't even bother buying the original book by Barry Sears because it felt way too Americanized for my needs. Honestly, they have their own specific Zone products! That's why I just picked up this local Zone cookbook where everything is so beautifully broken down by portion. Even though, nearly a year later, nothing has actually become second nature yet. I find myself constantly pulling out those charts and doing the math.

I bought the Zone Cookbook tonight—and honestly, I’m feeling pretty proud of myself.🙂 I skipped the original book too; I have zero interest in reading lists of foods you can't even find in an American grocery store. Besides, in the Employed in Zone guide (which I've had for a while now and find incredibly user-friendly regarding how the Zone principles work), the food—fruits, veggies, grains—is categorized into single blocks (pieces and tablespoons), which serves as a great baseline, especially if you're eating out. But I can only imagine how much of a headache it is to cook according to the Zone (as Kyle Martinez11 pointed out, it's a lot more complicated than just making scrambled eggs🙂), having to count every drop of oil, every spice, and every vegetable... It's a lot.
I also picked up some protein powder at CVS and tried it with water tonight—you guys were right, it was absolutely vile. I think I'll take your advice and try mixing it with a spoonful of cocoa powder and milk instead.

I do my workouts in the morning as well—I just set my alarm a little earlier to squeeze in some squats, push-ups, and a few reps with light dumbbells. Then I walk to work, which covers the rest of my prescribed physical activity for the day...
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go consult the Cookbook.😉

Kyle Martinez11 said:Well, Kyle Martinez11 actually asked me why I don't just admit that this zone isn't nearly as straightforward as people make it out to be. And frankly, he's right. Let's just push aside all those complicated body mass measurements and whatever else—stuff that honestly goes way over my head.
The real issue here is that most Americans simply don't have the luxury of time to meticulously plan and prep every single meal, especially lunch. If you aren't planning ahead, sticking strictly to the zone is an uphill battle. ...

You hit the nail on the head—just like when Kenneth Hernandez67 argues that eating out or grabbing something on the go means you've completely left the zone behind.
I certainly don't have the bandwidth to turn my diet into what someone once eloquently described as a full-time job. That said, making an effort to align with zone principles as closely as possible is infinitely better than my previous habits, which, if I'm being honest, consisted of nothing but butter and jam on toast for breakfast followed by spaghetti and salsa for lunch (which, let's be real, didn't even include a salad 🙂). This is how I manage it: I try my best—I'm eating more yogurt and cottage cheese than I ever thought possible, pairing them with fruit, eating plenty of chicken and tuna, loading up on salads, snacking on cheese, avoiding bread, and if I can somehow manage to cut back on ice cream 😉 while reducing my intake of potatoes, pasta, or gnocchi when they happen to show up for lunch, then I consider it a win. For some people, this is already their baseline diet (as Kenneth Hernandez67 mentions they already cook and eat this way), but for me, it was a massive shift. The zone has "convinced" me to eat a better breakfast, have a light snack before bed, and actually stay hydrated. So, I’m perfectly content just hovering along the edge of the zone 😁 I realize I shouldn't expect the lightning-fast results the zone "promises" if I'm not being perfect, but hopefully, the closer I get, the better things will become...

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

I have one more quick question—I’m looking to pick up some of that protein powder Dr. Grbac Gredelj mentioned to help me win this little "war" against my protein intake. I checked at CVS (they have some powders that taste like drinks) and even stopped by a local pharmacy, but they didn't have anything useful. Does anyone have a specific brand recommendation, what kind of price range should I expect, and where is the best place to grab it around here in the States?

Anyway, regarding the zone, I actually think it’s a solid way to eat. My work keeps me slammed, so I don't have the time or the culinary expertise to pull off any major kitchen stunts; plus, my husband just wants us to eat "normally," but our version of "normal" usually meant grabbing something processed or heating something up in the microwave—we might put in a bit more effort on the weekends, but the rule was always speed over nutrition. Naturally, those stubborn extra pounds started piling up... So now I’m hunting for a balanced way to eat that lets me drop the weight and actually feel better—without living on nothing but fruit all day only to binge on pasta tomorrow and repeat that cycle for three months. I’m also not interested in some fancy fad diet involving "miracle" ingredients, rare tropical plants, exotic oils, or eating cabbage six times a day... As far as human nutrition and metabolism go, my expertise is basically limited to whatever I scraped by with in high school biology and the occasional deep dive into a health website, but the principles of the zone seem logical enough to me. If only I had a bit more grit and persistence... Oh well! 🙂

I’ve been attempting to follow the Zone for a while now because I actually really dig the underlying logic, but if I’m being brutally honest, I am absolutely terrible at executing it—I tend to wander off track far too often. I find managing the protein ratios for every single meal to be an exhausting struggle; honestly, it feels much easier to just grab something pre-balanced like milk or yogurt, which inevitably leads to me mindlessly guzzling a gallon of milk and half a liter of yogurt every day. It’s a disaster, frankly, considering I haven't even managed to drop a single pound yet. Could one of you seasoned Zonas please lay out a typical daily menu so I have something reliable to basically copy?
Thanks