The Zone diet is a low-carbohydrate type of eating plan created by Dr. Barry Sears. The Zone diet is different from other diets in that it emphasizes a specific balance between and ratio of each of the macronutrients; protein, carbohydrates and fat. Many people have been able to successfully lose weight by following the Zone diet because its principles are nutritionally sound. The Mayo Clinic explains that low-carbohydrate diets like the Zone diet can reduce hunger and help you to eat fewer calories overall. Although the Zone diet is not easy to follow and requires extra time and planning, you can lose weight for good if you have dedication and persistence.
Step 1
Determine how many calories you need to eat each day to lose weight. You can use the weight maintenance calculator from the Mayo Clinic by logging onto mayoclinic.com. If you want to lose one pound per week, you need to eat 500 fewer calories than that number each day, according to the National Institutes of Health. If you'd like to lose a pound every two weeks, you can eat 250 fewer calories than your required caloric level for weight maintenance, each day.
Step 2
Plan your meals ahead of time and divide your calories into 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent fat and 30 percent protein. A nutritional database or carbohydrate counter book is essential in planning your meals and finding out how much of each macronutrient a food has. For example, if you eat 1,800 calories a day, you need about 180 grams (g) of carbohydrates each day, 135 g of protein and 60 g of fat each day.
Step 3
Eat at least five times a day so that your metabolism stays strong and you never feel hungry. The Zone diet recommends that you eat a minimum of three meals and two snacks a day, and that you never go as long as five hours without eating something, according to Northwestern University. It is also recommended that you eat something within one hour of waking each morning to jump-start your metabolism.
Step 4
Choose low glycemic foods instead of foods with high glycemic indexes. The University of Columbia's Go Ask Alice health answering service states that foods with a high glycemic index like potatoes, white pasta, raisins and candy tend to spike blood sugar levels quickly, making you feel hungrier. Foods with low glycemic indexes like brown rice, spinach, chicken, fish and eggs make you feel fuller and keep blood sugar levels stabilized so that it is easier for you to lose weight.
Step 5
Drink eight glasses of water or more every day to facilitate adequate digestion of the extra protein you are eating. The University of Columbia's Go Ask Alice health answering service states that the Zone diet is considered to be a high protein diet since foods like chicken, fish, turkey and eggs are emphasized for their blood sugar stabilizing properties. The University of Columbia explains that when you eat extra protein, your body needs more water to digest the protein and stay hydrated.
Things You'll Need
- A nutritional database or carbohydrate counter book
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