How Does the Zone Diet Work?

Rarely do people feel satisfied with their weight. While there are people who wish they could pack on some more pounds and bulk up, the majority of weight-conscious people out there want to shed their excess pounds in pursuit of physical fitness, good health and a better looking body. Diet plans come and go, but one that has stuck around for more than a decade is the Zone Diet. This diet plan promises to shed body fat with simple diet adjustments.

But how does this seemingly miraculous diet plan work? The answer, according to the Zone Diet creator Barry Sears, lies in insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps us control our blood sugar levels and is vital to being healthy. The Zone Diet operates on the theory that excess amounts of insulin make the body fat and make it harder for the body to efficiently burn the fat, and by controlling the amount of insulin in our bodies, we can facilitate weight loss.

What this boils down to is that those following the Zone Diet need to monitor their consumption of three different things - carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. More specifically, if you aim to follow the Zone Diet, you should avoid starchy carbohydrates, load up on proteins, and moderate your intake of fats. Reaching the perfect balance of these three things is called being "in the zone."

The Zone Diet is very similar to some popular diets of today, namely the Atkins Diet, in that they both encourage you to eschew carbohydrates and load up on proteins in order to shed the excess weight. The Zone Diet gives a specific ratio of caloric intake from the three aforementioned substances that should be followed, which some refer to as the 40:30:30 ratio. 40 percent of calories should come from carbs, 30 from protein, and 30 from fat.

Although this is departure from what scientists recommend as a healthy ratio of caloric intake, advocates of the diet swear by the weight loss, which is said to be five pounds in the first two weeks and then 1 to 1.5 pounds each following week. Following the Zone Diet exactly by the book is rather difficult and complex because it is tough to split meals up exactly how it recommends. But when you boil the Zone Diet down to its barest parts, which basically means avoiding carbohydrates, moderating fat intake, and embracing proteins, it is simple to understand.

In addition to fixing your own meals on the Zone Diet, you can also purchase pre-packaged meals and snacks that go along with the diet for your convenience. You can learn more about the Zone Diet by reading Barry Sears' books or visiting the Zone Diet website, where you can find meal plans, recipes, testimonials and forums to talk to other dieters.