Confused about fat 3x, 4x, etc

Frank Menendez · 04-23-2006, 05:46 PM

I am a little unsure about what you guys mean by 3x,4x, fat intake...

does that mean 3 (times) amount of TOTAL fat i current take according to zone parameters?

say, 5 blocks x 5 meals (15 x 5 = 75g a day) x 3? (75g x 3 = 225g a day total)

or

i am trying to figure out how much I eat of fat and can't seem to figure it out.

thanks!

Garrett Smith · 04-23-2006, 06:10 PM

Frank,
That's a great question, one that I want to clarify for myself as well.

I worked the "original" Zone on the 7g PRO / 9g CHO / 3g FAT per block, and I now count the fat in each food--I don't use the "magic" 1.5g per block of lean protein number. I don't think that would work really well once one graduates to the higher fat levels.

So, at 3x fat (what I'm doing), I basically changed my "single" fat block to be 9g in a block (3g is the original fat block I worked with, so 3 x 3g = 9g per fat block). This seems to make my calculations much easier.

At 22 blocks a day (I'm trying to put on some lean weight), that's 198g FAT a day for me.

Your calculations are the same as mine. That's what I'm doing. My issue now is, I'm still maintaining my weight at my increased block intake (18 up to 22) and 3x fat! I wish I could understand that one...maybe I just need to go even higher on my fat? The "experiment" of one continues...

Chris Forbis · 04-24-2006, 03:04 AM

Frank, Garrett -

Zone is 1.5g of fat per block. So when you do 9g of added fat per block, that is really 6x fat... The 3g of fat in the "original" Zone comes from the assumption of 1.5g of fat being in your protein source.

I'm doing 5x fat (7.5g of added fat per block) and maintaining. That's 270g of fat total after fish and coconut oil are added in.

I could be slightly increasing in weight. I tend to gorge on the weekends so I'll see what I stabilize to later this week.

http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJ...wner=forbis316

Jesse Woody · 04-24-2006, 04:02 AM

The way I've always seen it, the 1.5g fat block only applies for your first group of blocks, the ones that are matching the protein's 1.5g and making 3g. After that, each block seems like it would be the full 3g, as the protein isn't multiplying too.

So, if you had 4 blocks total, to get 4 blocks fat, you would have 6 grams. At this point, you would be balanced. To multiply the fat, each successive fat block would be 3 grams, as you've already matched the protein.

Does that make sense?

Larry Lindenman · 04-24-2006, 05:41 AM

Jessie, that makes perfect sense. Chris your 4 block meal containes 12 grams of fat (4 X 3g), 6 from the inherent fat in protein, 6 from external fat sources. a fat block is really 3g, but there is so much in protein, that it had to be accounted for. When adding additional fat 3g = 1 Block.

Chris Forbis · 04-24-2006, 09:10 AM

Well, if that is how things are calculated, then I'm only at 3x fat.

Been Zoning for close to two years, and I still occasionally learn new things. :wink:

Garrett Smith · 04-24-2006, 11:13 AM

I figured it out originally from the 7/9/3 ratio:

9g CHO x 4 Cal = 36
7g PRO x 4 Cal = 28
3g FAT x 9 Cal = 27

For the sake of ease in calculations, those Calorie ratios pretty much come out to 40/30/30. So I figured one block of fat was 3g. Thus, the multiples of 3.

Chris, when you told me you were on 5x fat and I thought you were doing fat blocks like I was, I started thinking that you must be drinking oil straight from the bottle to get that much! :happy:

I have a bit of difficulty reaching my 3x fat daily--I'm not quite eating butter like Greg B. yet :crazy:.

I'm glad we're having this discussion to iron this out, since it is only given a short look in Sears' book, thus the confusion.

Chris Forbis · 04-24-2006, 11:36 AM

I have been known to drink oil straight from the bottle. Usually I take it by the spoonful though...

Ryan Kirk · 04-24-2006, 12:04 PM

Chris, I recall a previous post where you said that you don't count the fish oil supplementation in your fat blocks. Are you taking in 3x in addition to the fish oil?

I think that to track this properly you would have to include ALL fat intake. For me this means including CLO and Coconut oil in my fat blocks to get to the desired ratio.

Garrett Smith · 04-24-2006, 01:11 PM

I count all fats, including fish oil and/or CLO.

I believe Mr. Sears was trying to make sure that people on the "normal" Zone diet didn't skimp on buying his own brand of fish oil, so he said that "fish oil doesn't count". Just my opinion.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Confused and need help	Jeff Dawson	Starting	7	06-21-2007 05:35 AM
Now I'm just confused	William Winger	Nutrition	1	08-10-2006 06:27 PM
Confused about MSG!!!	Peter Queen	Nutrition	0	03-02-2006 10:33 AM
A little confused	Josh Brehm	Equipment	1	09-15-2005 02:12 PM
Really confused	Brent Hammond	Nutrition	8	03-25-2005 07:50 AM

04-23-2006, 05:46 PM	#1
Frank Menendez Member Profile: Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Miami Florida Posts: 808	I am a little unsure about what you guys mean by 3x,4x, fat intake... does that mean 3 (times) amount of TOTAL fat i current take according to zone parameters? say, 5 blocks x 5 meals (15 x 5 = 75g a day) x 3? (75g x 3 = 225g a day total) or i am trying to figure out how much I eat of fat and can't seem to figure it out. thanks!

04-23-2006, 06:10 PM	#2
Garrett Smith Member Profile: Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 2,264	Frank, That's a great question, one that I want to clarify for myself as well. I worked the "original" Zone on the 7g PRO / 9g CHO / 3g FAT per block, and I now count the fat in each food--I don't use the "magic" 1.5g per block of lean protein number. I don't think that would work really well once one graduates to the higher fat levels. So, at 3x fat (what I'm doing), I basically changed my "single" fat block to be 9g in a block (3g is the original fat block I worked with, so 3 x 3g = 9g per fat block). This seems to make my calculations much easier. At 22 blocks a day (I'm trying to put on some lean weight), that's 198g FAT a day for me. Your calculations are the same as mine. That's what I'm doing. My issue now is, I'm still maintaining my weight at my increased block intake (18 up to 22) and 3x fat! I wish I could understand that one...maybe I just need to go even higher on my fat? The "experiment" of one continues...

04-24-2006, 03:04 AM	#3
Chris Forbis Member Profile: Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Joplin Missouri Posts: 922	Frank, Garrett - Zone is 1.5g of fat per block. So when you do 9g of added fat per block, that is really 6x fat... The 3g of fat in the "original" Zone comes from the assumption of 1.5g of fat being in your protein source. I'm doing 5x fat (7.5g of added fat per block) and maintaining. That's 270g of fat total after fish and coconut oil are added in. I could be slightly increasing in weight. I tend to gorge on the weekends so I'll see what I stabilize to later this week. http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJ...wner=forbis316

04-24-2006, 04:02 AM	#4
Jesse Woody Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Orange Virginia Posts: 914	The way I've always seen it, the 1.5g fat block only applies for your first group of blocks, the ones that are matching the protein's 1.5g and making 3g. After that, each block seems like it would be the full 3g, as the protein isn't multiplying too. So, if you had 4 blocks total, to get 4 blocks fat, you would have 6 grams. At this point, you would be balanced. To multiply the fat, each successive fat block would be 3 grams, as you've already matched the protein. Does that make sense?

04-24-2006, 05:41 AM	#5
Larry Lindenman Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Chicago Illinois Posts: 2,769	Jessie, that makes perfect sense. Chris your 4 block meal containes 12 grams of fat (4 X 3g), 6 from the inherent fat in protein, 6 from external fat sources. a fat block is really 3g, but there is so much in protein, that it had to be accounted for. When adding additional fat 3g = 1 Block.

04-24-2006, 09:10 AM	#6
Chris Forbis Member Profile: Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Joplin Missouri Posts: 922	Well, if that is how things are calculated, then I'm only at 3x fat. Been Zoning for close to two years, and I still occasionally learn new things. :wink:

04-24-2006, 11:13 AM	#7
Garrett Smith Member Profile: Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 2,264	I figured it out originally from the 7/9/3 ratio: 9g CHO x 4 Cal = 36 7g PRO x 4 Cal = 28 3g FAT x 9 Cal = 27 For the sake of ease in calculations, those Calorie ratios pretty much come out to 40/30/30. So I figured one block of fat was 3g. Thus, the multiples of 3. Chris, when you told me you were on 5x fat and I thought you were doing fat blocks like I was, I started thinking that you must be drinking oil straight from the bottle to get that much! :happy: I have a bit of difficulty reaching my 3x fat daily--I'm not quite eating butter like Greg B. yet :crazy:. I'm glad we're having this discussion to iron this out, since it is only given a short look in Sears' book, thus the confusion.

04-24-2006, 11:36 AM	#8
Chris Forbis Member Profile: Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Joplin Missouri Posts: 922	I have been known to drink oil straight from the bottle. Usually I take it by the spoonful though...

04-24-2006, 12:04 PM	#9
Ryan Kirk Member Profile: Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Denver CO Posts: 48	Chris, I recall a previous post where you said that you don't count the fish oil supplementation in your fat blocks. Are you taking in 3x in addition to the fish oil? I think that to track this properly you would have to include ALL fat intake. For me this means including CLO and Coconut oil in my fat blocks to get to the desired ratio.

04-24-2006, 01:11 PM	#10
Garrett Smith Member Profile: Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Tucson AZ Posts: 2,264	I count all fats, including fish oil and/or CLO. I believe Mr. Sears was trying to make sure that people on the "normal" Zone diet didn't skimp on buying his own brand of fish oil, so he said that "fish oil doesn't count". Just my opinion.