Mastering the Zone: The Next Step in Achieving SuperHealth and Permanent Fat Loss
by: Barry Sears
Topics include:
From Booklist Last year, Sears wrote The Zone, which promptly became the latest in a long line of best-sellers telling people why they are fat. The book's complicated premise has to do with insulin production and its effects on mood and weight loss. Even Sears admits in his preface to this new volume that despite the earlier book's sales, "I realize that many readers of The Zone still find it difficult to apply the concepts . . . to their daily lives." Well, isn't that lucky for Sears. He can write another book that allows him to explain "the zone" yet again, and this time out, he provides menus, which make up about three-fourths of the book. The recipes look interesting enough, but it's even money whether this explanation of the zone is any easier to grasp than the last one. Still, it's a sure bet that readers, always looking for that elusive way to make the weight disappear, will be eager to fill their plates with a second helping of Sears' advice.
Reviews:
This is certainly a program that can be made difficult. Some of the other zone books have recipes that would require you to be a math whiz or an expert chef, and have tedious measuring. This book helps and mostly makes it simple. For me it is life changing. I have ALWAYS had late evening sugary, breaded, fatty junk food cravings like ice cream and chips an all kinds of overpriced sugar-laced worthless garbage foods. (and always in super large abnormal quantities) And for years I usually gave up and just ate anything I wanted. (I'd be willing to wager that most of you reading this knows exactly what I mean to just "give up" when it comes to food) And gained lots of weight. Then I found this book. To me it is like what methadone is to a heroin addict. (for those that don't know, methadone is a drug to take the edge off of the withdraws from heroin without the euphoric high) And for those fellow sugar/carb addicts, you probably know what I mean. If you follow this plan correctly, it REALLY WILL take away those terrible binge cravings. It may take a little patience, and possibly some time (usually one to three days), but it will work. This is not easy unless you make it simple for yourself. Getting started is a bit difficult because it usually requires a change of eating habits, which is not easy, To make it easy for me I had to pick out about 5 or 6 recipes I could EASILY make in a short amount of time. This book has some that I like and they are simple. The zoneperfect site also has some recipes that are easy to make as well. (those are FREE!) For the days that I just don't want to fix anything, I have bought a whole bunch of the zone prepackaged bars and meals and other foods. At first, they were not the best in the world and a bit pricey, but I really wanted this thing to work and after a while I started to like them. The great thing is after about 2 or 3 days I really look forward to the afternoon snack and the zone bars and everything else and it's working great. The energy is amazing. It gets easier and better the longer you follow it. And you can add some other recipes if the others get old. I DO NOT have any more late cravings or afternoon sugar binges. And that is worth almost anything to me. I think it comes down to how bad you want it to work. After I started to read the book, I began to believe what the author was saying because it just made sense. I have tried many other diets, and this program really isn't a diet and isn't extreme like a lot of those other fad diets. This one just seemed right. When I began to visualize craving free evenings and wearing 34 pants again, I just decided to do whatever it takes to MAKE it work for me. The thought of being in a swim suit comfortably outside in a large crowd just really started to overcome all of the barriers. ALL WITHOUT the hunger pangs. Thanks to Dr. Sears, I have gone from 44 pants to 40 and am 100% confident I'll be wearing those old 34 silver tabs that I wore many years ago. (I have them out for motivation)
It isn't always easy to prepare menus and cook food ahead of time, but if you can do it, then you're on your way to healthier eating. Dr. Sears explains his "diet" better to non-medical people in this book. This isn't a high-protein diet or a no-carbs diet as some of the other controversial diets are and some critics claim this to be. It really is a healthy way to eat. I work for a doctor whose specialty is type 2 diabetes mellitus, and limiting those refined carbohydrates is proven to help those with all forms of insulin sensitivity. Limiting refined sugars and increasing intake of fruits and vegetables, adding the heart-healthy HDL cholesterol via monounsaturated fat, and eating sensible amounts of low-fat protein will help anyone maintain or lose weight, control blood sugar, and stay healthy with more energy. I lost 20 lbs., with 4 inches reduced from my stomach, and I didn't even have to exercise. Imagine if I had added some walking or other activities! Dr. Sears's suggestions I try to incorporate into my daily life, even those times when I am not as strict as I should be. I would highly recommend this book for anyone struggling with a weight problem or just anyone wanting to be healthier.
The author provides a food pyramid which emphasizes the following: - unlimited amounts of water - fruits and veggies in abundance - some monounsaturated fats - the eating of grains very selectively Many simple meal recipes are provided for implementation by dieters. The authors ask that we never consume more lowfat protein than approximately 5 ounces of skinless chicken. In addition, physical activity must become an integral part of the daily diet. Unfavorable food groups include grains, pasta and starch when eaten in quantity. The preferred proteins are fish, chicken, soybean, low-fat cottage cheese etc. The work provides a good regimen for emulation by a large constituency of dieters. In each case, you should consult with your physician or registered dietician prior to full scale implementation.
First, I'd like to play the foil to the foregoing customer review (12/12/03) wherein the writer opined that Barry Sears is not an effective narrator of the audio editions of his various Zone books. On the one hand, that reviewer had me duly chuckling at his exaggerated (?) "impressions" of Sears' vocal idiosyncrasies. Ol' Barry does indeed have an unmistakable way of (mis)pronouncing the word "fa(v)orable," for example, not to mention various other polysyllabic terms. ;-) Nonetheless, I continually enjoy auditing Sears' own spoken renditions of his books, and I hope that he will continue his delightful antics with all future publications (I see that he's done so with his latest tome, The Anti-Inflammation Zone, which is, to date, the only book of his that I haven't yet heard him perform). Why on earth would I ever want to listen to some glitzy, "flawless" narrator when I can hear The Truth delivered from the mouth of the man himself--flaws and all? ;-) As a matter of fact, I will go so far as to say (at least when it comes to "Zone" topics) that I downright prefer Sears' own idiosyncratic enunciations to those of the run-of-the-mill "professional" audiobook narrators (and, trust me, I've heard a zillion of the latter). Now, as for the book "Mastering the Zone," I would say that this 1997 sequel to "The Zone" (1995) made great strides beyond its best-selling predecessor insofar as it's much more easily digestible for the lay reader, who likely was somewhat overwhelmed by the plethora of "biochemical terminology" in the prior book. The sequel clearly was intended to serve better as a "primer" for the average citizen wishing quickly and easily to assimilate the fundamentals of the Zone lifestyle. However, in that regard, Sears mass-market paperback, "A Week in the Zone" (2000) is still better. Whereas "Mastering the Zone" comprises a plethora of meal recipes throughout the majority of its pages, the subsequent paperback manages a somewhat better overall balance of information. Moreover, the paperback is much more easily transportable, conceivably even to your average restaurant. [But, hey, given that you can nowadays possess either title "used" at a dirt-cheap price, take your pick--or get both.] Basically, what Sears wants you to do is to think of (virtually) all your food--for the rest of your life--as a "prescription drug". Everything you eat should be chosen on the basis of whether it's truly good for you, not merely whether it tastes good. But that doesn't necessarily mean that you can't enjoy your food at least as much as ever. In fact, there are all manner of perfectly scrumptious foods/recipes (discussed in the book) that you can (virtually) freely indulge in, while avoiding certain other foods that, alas, too many folks have become all too used to wolfing down. For example, instead of processed, high-sugar desserts (e.g., pies and cakes), why not substitute fresh, chilled plums, strawberries, blueberries, or oranges? In my experience, once you're actually munching on your favorite fresh fruit (assuming it's high-quality produce at the ideal stage of fully sweet ripeness), you will most assuredly NOT miss that accustomed slice of highly processed pie, cake, etc., with all that "refined" (!) flour, sugar, and/or fat. You will be eating REAL food, not manmade food, and your body--not to mention your taste buds--will thank you for it. Barry Sears (a "doctor of biochemistry" and NOT a doctor of medicine--despite the "convenient" new way his name is being inscribed on his most recent books!) is arguably the most entertaining and intriguing contemporary author in the area of diet, nutrition, and health. While I sense that he is endowed with a healthy measure of self-aggrandizement (as when he pretty obviously pushes his own brand of fish oil in recent books), that capitalistic trait is, for me, rather forgivable when you consider that his overall message is sure to improve the health of the majority of readers who take it to heart. [Besides, even at his repeatedly formulaic, self-promoting "worst," Barry Sears still comes across as the sort of "smart-but-sincere" person I'd enjoy having as a next-door neighbor!] In "Mastering the Zone", Sears reiterates (and sometimes expands upon) the most basic concepts introduced in his first book, including such things as: --Determining, respectively, the amounts (and types) of protein, carbohydrate, and fat you should consume per meal (and per day); --Why the (former) US-government-sanctioned "food pyramid" is "dead wrong"; --Why high-protein (or high-carb, or high-fat) diets are unhealthy; --Why using balanced, moderate portions from all three food categories--(lean) proteins; (high-fiber/low-sugar) carbohydrates; and (monounsaturated) fats--is the way to optimize your health and keep you "in the zone" (i.e., your crucial insulin level will continuously stay neither too high nor too low); --Why it's generally not fats but rather (high-sugar/processed) carbohydrates (e.g., bread, pasta, potatoes, corn, peas) that make/keep you fat. There is a "Frequently Asked Questions" chapter toward the end of the book. At that juncture, Sears deals with many additional topics that will surely interest the reader. A mere sampling of the questions from that chapter includes: --If I follow the Zone diet, does this mean I can never have rice, pasta, and bagels again? ["Of course not. But take them in extreme moderation-as occasional `condiments'"] --Should I be concerned about such a seemingly low daily caloric intake? [Nope. Sears points out that if you have any excess body fat, then all the calories you need are already stored in your body, etc.] --Doesn't ANY low-calorie diet cause fat loss? [Nay, says Sears. It depends on the particular balance--or lack--of proteins to carbohydrates to fats] --Why should I eat my scheduled meal or snack even if I'm not hungry? [Actually, that's an ideal time to eat.] Now, for the benefit of those souls who stumble onto this review (and, at the time of this writing, their number may be small, for, curiously, the lifelong, balanced, moderate Zone "diet" currently gets less media exposure--and, consequently, seems less "fashionable" to the common ruck than such "crash" diets as the "South Beach" or even the "Atkins"!), I also want to counter what some other readers have remarked about Sears' "Zone" approach being "too hard" for your average busy person to follow day-to-day. Having been "in the zone" for over two months, I can tell you that it's really downright easy. Space won't allow complete details, but, just for starters, let me advise NOT to take all the book's recipes too literally. Instead, just make sure you refer to the book's "Appendix B" regarding "food-block" sizes. For example, for breakfast (or lunch or dinner) the average male can have four times the weight of any given amount of a particular food listed there. Thus, since 1/2 ounce of dry (uncooked) "old-fashioned oatmeal" equals one (so-called) "food block", the average male could have approximately 2 ounces of such oatmeal for the "carbohydrate" portion of a given meal. Now, how difficult is it to simply pour about that much oatmeal into a bowl (I myself employ a cheap, digital scale for precision), add some water, and pop the bowl into the microwave for a very few minutes? Analogously, regarding the "protein" portion of a given meal, I've found that measuring portions of (skinless & boneless) baked chicken breast or canned salmon is easy and quick, especially if I remove the guesswork by simply setting the bowl of meat onto my kitchen scale momentarily. As for the "fat" portion of a given meal, how hard is it to use a "teaspoon" measurer (or merely your eyes) to allot your appropriate "fat block" portion per meal (again, referring to the simple chart in the book's "Appendix B" makes this easy for the beginner, not to mention that a bit of daily experience soon commits this to one's memory)? I've likewise found it plenty easy to pour part of a bag of frozen "Oriental" mixed veggies into a stovetop pan (along with a dash of olive oil and some precooked chicken-breast strips) to make for a delicious, "hormonally balanced" meal. For dessert, eating a fresh, chilled orange (or various other fruits) is quick, easy, and delicious. Finally, for those of us lucky enough to have access to those yummy "Zone Perfect nutrition (candy) bars", well, they can absolutely make life A LOT quicker and easier still! (Try to find them on sale--or free via coupons--whenever possible!) The "Zone" approach to eating and living is relatively easy to implement into your daily life, and--stressing, as it does, "balance & moderation" of all food components--certainly it's infinitely healthier than something like the "unbalanced" Atkins diet! Also: Make "mastering the Zone" truly easy for yourself by viewing a colorfully informative, supplementary VIDEO; just go to Amazon.com and "search" (under the "VHS" category/product heading) for a now out-of-print (and dirt-cheap!) "Zone Perfect Nutrition Program Made Simple and Easy" VHS videotape that will really make it ridiculously easy for the beginner quickly to understand and apply all the basic principles of staying "in the Zone"! Good luck, good health, and good eating!