ZONE DIET HELP

Options
greenhumanclay
greenhumanclay Posts: 402 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I recently started looking into the zone diet in hopes of lowering my body fat and having more balanced meals. I am however starting gradually since it takes quite a bit of calculating and measuring.

My question is do you still count calories or mainly follow macros and blocks? Im a shorty but the 2 block diet is not enough food and 3 seems to fit better and thats what I have been incorporating into my diet these last few days.

Also has anybody has success in lowering body fat? not interested in losing weight just trying to lower the bf% and and still be able to eat and maintain this long term. I was currently eating 50/30/20 but Im such a carbie, and notice Im eating less carbs now so thats why Im gradually trying out the zone in hopes I dont get frustrated. Any info helps thanks, I also have looked into "Enter the Zone", for more 411!!

Replies

  • DatMurse
    DatMurse Posts: 1,501 Member
    Options
    err normally losing weight and decreasing bf % go hand in hand unless you are bodybuilding.

    calories reflect macronutrient intake. I don't know how the zone diet works you will have to wait for someone else. I am sure its just macronutrient allocation but w/e
  • JulesAlloggio
    JulesAlloggio Posts: 480 Member
    Options
    I Personally don't count calories (hence the red diary numbers) I just keep track of my macros. It has helped me maintain muscle growth and fat loss.

    Good luck with what you want to accomplish =)
  • greenhumanclay
    greenhumanclay Posts: 402 Member
    Options
    Not necessarily, Ive lost body fat % and gained weight just a few pounds but all muscle, thanks for your input!
  • greenhumanclay
    greenhumanclay Posts: 402 Member
    Options
    I Personally don't count calories (hence the red diary numbers) I just keep track of my macros. It has helped me maintain muscle growth and fat loss.

    Good luck with what you want to accomplish =)

    Thank you Im definitely leaning more towards that focus!! :)
  • aelunyu
    aelunyu Posts: 486 Member
    Options
    No matter what diet you choose to follow, it will always be bound by an minimum calorie intake (for weight gain) or a maximum calorie limit (for weight loss).

    The zone diet is no different. You set the required proportions of macros within the overall caloric goal. If you eat the "right" amount of macros, they just mathematically naturally stay under your calorie allowment. If you eat too many, obviously you're still going to go over.

    You can count macros, which is the same exact thing as counting calories. Since carbs = 4 cal, protein = 4, fat = 9, alcohol =7, you're just counting grams of nutrient by a coefficient of the calories they contain per gram.

    So let's say my zone plan is a 40/30/30 and the weight loss macros are 200 carbs, 150 protein, 50 fat.

    200 x 4 = 800 calories
    150 x 4 = 450 calories
    50 x 9 = 450 calories

    If you just randomly start eating macros like:

    400
    300
    100

    you will be eating 1600+1200+900 = 3700, making this diet completely useless.

    So 40% of total intake (800 calories) = carbs, 30% (450 calories) from protein, 30% (450 calories ) from fat

    But they still total 1700.

    You can either count 1700 calories, or count macros leading up to 1700 in these designations.

    Hope that helps.
  • aelunyu
    aelunyu Posts: 486 Member
    Options
    I Personally don't count calories (hence the red diary numbers) I just keep track of my macros. It has helped me maintain muscle growth and fat loss.

    Good luck with what you want to accomplish =)

    I'm not quite getting the logic here. By this reasoning, as long as I eat within the correct percentage proportions of carbs to protein to fat, no matter how much I eat, I will not gain weight?

    You cannot let the number go red. you set macros within the green to those proportions.
  • DatMurse
    DatMurse Posts: 1,501 Member
    Options
    I Personally don't count calories (hence the red diary numbers) I just keep track of my macros. It has helped me maintain muscle growth and fat loss.

    Good luck with what you want to accomplish =)

    I'm not quite getting the logic here. By this reasoning, as long as I eat within the correct percentage proportions of carbs to protein to fat, no matter how much I eat, I will not gain weight?

    You cannot let the number go read. you set macros within the green to those proportions.

    herp derp
  • DatMurse
    DatMurse Posts: 1,501 Member
    Options
    Not necessarily, Ive lost body fat % and gained weight just a few pounds but all muscle, thanks for your input!

    how are you sure that's all muscle? and over what period of time?
  • greenhumanclay
    greenhumanclay Posts: 402 Member
    Options
    No matter what diet you choose to follow, it will always be bound by an minimum calorie intake (for weight gain) or a maximum calorie limit (for weight loss).

    The zone diet is no different. You set the required proportions of macros within the overall caloric goal. If you eat the "right" amount of macros, they just mathematically naturally stay under your calorie allowment. If you eat too many, obviously you're still going to go over.

    You can count macros, which is the same exact thing as counting calories. Since carbs = 4 cal, protein = 4, fat = 9, alcohol =7, you're just counting grams of nutrient by a coefficient of the calories they contain per gram.

    So let's say my zone plan is a 40/30/30 and the weight loss macros are 200 carbs, 150 protein, 50 fat.

    200 x 4 = 800 calories
    150 x 4 = 450 calories
    50 x 9 = 450 calories

    So 40% of total intake (800 calories) = carbs, 30% (450 calories) from protein, 30% (450 calories ) from fat

    But they still total 1700.

    You can either count 1700 calories, or count macros leading up to 1700 in these designations.

    Hope that helps.

    This is perfect, thanks for breaking it down makes perfect sense!
  • greenhumanclay
    greenhumanclay Posts: 402 Member
    Options
    Not necessarily, Ive lost body fat % and gained weight just a few pounds but all muscle, thanks for your input!

    how are you sure that's all muscle? and over what period of time?

    Being measured by a trainer and over a year or so
  • DatMurse
    DatMurse Posts: 1,501 Member
    Options
    Not necessarily, Ive lost body fat % and gained weight just a few pounds but all muscle, thanks for your input!

    how are you sure that's all muscle? and over what period of time?

    Being measured by a trainer and over a year or so
    fat calipers are extremely inaccurate forms of measurement best to follow off of pictures
  • greenhumanclay
    greenhumanclay Posts: 402 Member
    Options
    Not necessarily, Ive lost body fat % and gained weight just a few pounds but all muscle, thanks for your input!

    how are you sure that's all muscle? and over what period of time?

    Being measured by a trainer and over a year or so
    fat calipers are extremely inaccurate forms of measurement best to follow off of pictures
    They can be, but was measured with hand held sensors
  • alissadough84
    alissadough84 Posts: 95 Member
    Options
    I have been eating The Zone since January, I have lost 18.5 inches (and counting) and 27 pounds. I eat around 11 blocks a day, sometimes 10.... I also eat clean so it averages around 1200 calories. Typically, I just count my blocks and worry less about the calories. I know my meals are pretty balanced. You can check my diary if you want, just try to ignore the days I cheat lol.

Categories