Just in case you are getting a bit confused, I thought I'd take a minute to clarify exactly what diet I am actually following! I mean, didn't I start off, way back when, telling you all about the Zone? But lately I haven't even mentioned it! And one minute I'm harping on whole foods, but the next minute I'm not even eating ANY foods. Maybe it is time I made some sense of this mess.
First off, I am STILL following the Zone diet. The beauty of the Zone is that it teaches you not just WHAT to eat, but HOW MUCH. This is crucial information if you are looking to lose fat. You need to know how much protein your particular body needs in order to protect and repair your muscle tissue, because you certainly do NOT want to lose muscle! The amount of protein, fat, and carbs that you consume at each and every meal or snack is based on your lean body mass. You want to eat just enough to fuel your activities, and maintain that lean mass but not more than that. Because as you know, every extra carb you consume will be stored as fat. So the Zone continues to be my underlying base. Every time I eat, I measure, mostly on my digital scale but sometimes with my eyeballs.
In addition to the Zone, I am following my own version of the Whole Foods Challenge. What this means for me is that I have given up processed sugar and all refined foods. I am not eating anything that contains refined sugar, honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, agave nectar, barley malt, brown rice syrup, or any kind of artificial sweetener. (I may have left out a few sugar sources, but I'm not eating those either.) I am not eating anything made out of flour, such as bread, bagels, crackers, tortillas, muffins, cookies, cake, donuts, pasta, pastries, chips, etc. I AM still consuming dairy products, the same ones I have been eating for years as part of my Zone diet. I AM still eating lean protein in the form of chicken, fish, beef, eggs, tofu, and dairy products. One of the biggest changes in my diet, besides dropping the sugar, has been adding more veggies to my meals. I always ate veggies for lunch and dinner (usually I have fruit for breakfast) but now I am also eating veggies for my final meal/snack of the day. My eggplant and ricotta terrine (see post of the same name for recipe) has become my go-to snack in the evening. I hope I don't get sick of it too soon, since it seems to be working for me. I find it just as delicious as a cheese cake!
All in all, I am now down five pounds since beginning this Whole Foods Challenge. I am back to a weight that I consider acceptable, although I hope to drop a few more pounds in the coming weeks. I'd like to end the month of September in a place where I feel light in body, light in spirit. I am very happy to say that it looks like this will happen! I am no longer craving sugary sweets of any kind.
To those of you who have also made changes this month, please do check in and share your experiences! I know readers would love to hear what is working well for you. Even if you are simply struggling, it is nice to know you are not alone.
First off, I am STILL following the Zone diet. The beauty of the Zone is that it teaches you not just WHAT to eat, but HOW MUCH. This is crucial information if you are looking to lose fat. You need to know how much protein your particular body needs in order to protect and repair your muscle tissue, because you certainly do NOT want to lose muscle! The amount of protein, fat, and carbs that you consume at each and every meal or snack is based on your lean body mass. You want to eat just enough to fuel your activities, and maintain that lean mass but not more than that. Because as you know, every extra carb you consume will be stored as fat. So the Zone continues to be my underlying base. Every time I eat, I measure, mostly on my digital scale but sometimes with my eyeballs.
In addition to the Zone, I am following my own version of the Whole Foods Challenge. What this means for me is that I have given up processed sugar and all refined foods. I am not eating anything that contains refined sugar, honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, agave nectar, barley malt, brown rice syrup, or any kind of artificial sweetener. (I may have left out a few sugar sources, but I'm not eating those either.) I am not eating anything made out of flour, such as bread, bagels, crackers, tortillas, muffins, cookies, cake, donuts, pasta, pastries, chips, etc. I AM still consuming dairy products, the same ones I have been eating for years as part of my Zone diet. I AM still eating lean protein in the form of chicken, fish, beef, eggs, tofu, and dairy products. One of the biggest changes in my diet, besides dropping the sugar, has been adding more veggies to my meals. I always ate veggies for lunch and dinner (usually I have fruit for breakfast) but now I am also eating veggies for my final meal/snack of the day. My eggplant and ricotta terrine (see post of the same name for recipe) has become my go-to snack in the evening. I hope I don't get sick of it too soon, since it seems to be working for me. I find it just as delicious as a cheese cake!
All in all, I am now down five pounds since beginning this Whole Foods Challenge. I am back to a weight that I consider acceptable, although I hope to drop a few more pounds in the coming weeks. I'd like to end the month of September in a place where I feel light in body, light in spirit. I am very happy to say that it looks like this will happen! I am no longer craving sugary sweets of any kind.
To those of you who have also made changes this month, please do check in and share your experiences! I know readers would love to hear what is working well for you. Even if you are simply struggling, it is nice to know you are not alone.
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