The Zone Diet Meal Plans

The Zone Diet gets its name from the term athletes use when mind and body are working together at peak efficiency. Founder Dr. Barry Sears claims this diet gets you "into the Zone" and gives you less body fat, a healthier heart and lower cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

Into the Zone

The Zone Diet reverses the idea that eating less fat and more carbohydrates takes off pounds. According to Dr. Sears, the way your body responds to carbohydrates is how you gain weight, not the amount of fat or calories you eat. In his book "Enter the Zone," Dr. Sears explains that when you eat too many carbohydrates, they convert into fat stored in the adipose, or fatty, tissue. This causes the pancreas to secrete insulin into the bloodstream, another fat builder. It also takes you out of the Zone, says Dr. Sears.

Calorie Intake

To get into the Zone, Dr. Sears prescribes a calorie ratio of 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent proteins and 30 percent fat.

Protein

The Zone Diet begins with determining your daily protein requirement and spreading that amount throughout the day among three meals and two snacks. This involves multiplying your lean body mass by your "activity factor," as Dr. Sears explains in "Enter the Zone."

Recommended protein sources include skinless chicken breast, lean pork, fish, egg whites, tofu, protein powder and low-fat cottage cheese.

Carbohydrates

Add to the protein level a slightly higher amount of carbohydrates, preferably those with a low glycemic index, which measures the effect on your blood sugar. Favorable carbohydrates include most fruits and vegetables, with corn, potatoes and fruit juices as exceptions.

Fats

Fats make food taste better and help you become satiated, says Dr. Sears, who advises avoiding egg yolks, liver, cold cuts, fatty red meat and whole-fat dairy products. Good fats include olive oil, macadamia nuts and avocados.

Examples

A one-day meal plan might include a breakfast of 1 1/3 cups oatmeal with 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese or a 4-egg-white omelet with 2 cups strawberries.

For lunch, recommendations include 4 oz. turkey breast or tuna with 1 tsp. mayonnaise and two pieces of whole-rye bread.

For dinner, you might have 4 oz. chicken breast, 1 cup cooked broccoli, an orange and a salad with 1 tbsp. oil-and-vinegar dressing.

Snacks could include a cornbread muffin, a chocolate malt, 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt or even a high-carbohydrate Snickers accompanied by the protein from 3 oz. sliced turkey.

Considerations

The American Heart Association reports that most Americans eat more protein than they actually need and advises against following the Zone Diet to lose weight. According to Bodybuilding.com, the Zone Diet may be beneficial for losing weight and maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, but its limited amounts of carbohydrates may adversely affect endurance for athletes.