Zone meals snacks and workouts question

[Charles Bram]

I've been eating somewhat similar to the zone for the last couple of years. In essence I've been keeping my carbs complex and about 1/3 of calories and 1/3 for the other macro nutrients as well. The biggest difference is that I have been eating my initial snack mid morning and second snack mid afternoon. A couple of nights ago I switched to the zone recommended late night snack before bed (1 block sized). Results: I wake up with less head fog. That's a good thing.

In Zone speak, I am 5'8", 166 to 170 lbs and 18% to 19% body fat (waist at belly button measures 33" to 34" most of the time). I mostly eat 4 or 5 block meals and 1/2 block to 2 block snacks. However frequently my snacks are a medium apple or a handful of mixed nuts or raw almonds or raw walnuts. Weekends get off kilter with drinks and cookouts during the summer and thanksgiving to new years time frames. Up till recently most of my omega threes came from ALA (trader joe's flax seed oil). I just started taking fish oil from costco as a supplement as Zone was pretty convincing to make the switch and I've read that same thing here on this forum.

My workouts: fairly intense functional movement 3 days a week. Interval or general cardio training 1 to 3 days a week depending on how bad my eating has been. With solid eating, I am easily able to maintain my weight on 3 intense functional movement days separated by at least one recovery day. Due to my schedule, I frequently workout at different times of the day. If in the morning, most of the time I have nothing to eat before the workout. If evening workout, I would most likely eat dinner within an hour after the workout. I'm rehabbing my right shoulder now and within a few weeks should be able to go really hard again and hopefully pack on a bit more muscle and strength (goal would be to increase my deadlift about 40%).

After reading through several articles here and elsewhere, I am confused on a couple of Zone related eating issues.

1. Zone and Sears recommends up to 15g of fish oil a day depending on a number of factors. I see with my fish oil pills that each pill is 15 calories; 1.5 g of fat and 410 mg EPA / 274 mg DHA all molecular distilled (very similar to the recommended Zone Fish Oil pills - yes I am an engineer by training and have done my homework). So 1.5 grams of fat is a block of fat. But pretty much the fish oil pills are discussed everywhere as supplements and I can't find anywhere where the daily or weekly menu plans actually show fish oil pills as taking up a block of fat for a meal. NOTE: these pills don't dissolve until after leaving the stomach due to the coating so not sure how the fat would interact with slowing carb absorption.

So do we just take as much as we think we should based on Sears recommendations as a separate supplement or should we treat the pills as fat blocks?

If the pills have a enteric coating that slows the digestion of the pills significantly, what impact will this have on slowing carb absorption?

2. Sears recommends a small snack before and after a workout to optimize performance. I'm trying to figure out how to do that with my constantly changing workout times from before breakfast, to mid morning, to lunch time, to mid afternoon, to early evening and even right before bed.

So Zone says 3 meals, afternoon snack and late night snack. If we do the small snacks before and after the workout to get optimal performance as Sears says, are these snacks in addition to the regular 2 snacks? If not, should I get rid of the late night snack or the mid afternoon snack? I'm finding this very confusing as Zone says no more than 4 to 6 hours between meals. So If I work out in the morning and have two snacks around that time, I would miss both afternoon and late night snack, which means I may have 8 or 9 hours between lunch and dinner = I can't do that

If the snacks are in addition to the other snacks, do we make the meals smaller blocks to make up for the extra snacks?

Thanks for all your help,
Charles

[Larry Hotchkiss]

I dont beleive the fish oil suppliments count toward your daily blocks.

As for meal breakdowns and when you eat them, you will have to do what works for you. I can have a snack before going for a bike ride or doing basic weight lifting. I however can NOT eat before a CF wod without risk of cramps, nausia and reduced performance. I dont think Sears has subjected himself to a brutal WOD before so his words are just guidelines, not gospel. Do what works for you an if zoning is important to you then just make sure your meal/snack pro/carb/fat ratios are in line which is the most important aspect of the zone imho.

[Sean Dunston]

Charles - we're roughly the same size.
I have been following The Zone - 16 blocks, for the past 3 years. I added fish oil supplements this year, and do not count them towards my blocks.

my 16 blocks are broken down like this, roughly:

4 @ 6:30 am
2 @ 10-11:00 am
4 @ 1-2:00 pm
2 @ 4:30-5:00 pm
[my work out is usually from 6:30-7:30]
4 @ 8:00-8:30 pm

that just works for me - best of luck!

[Charles Bram]

Thanks guys. So I'm understanding that it will work differently or somewhat so for everybody. Please continue giving me different perspectives and ideas to try so I can zero in on what will work best for me while staying within the Zone and hopefully improving my performance!

Charles

[Larry Hotchkiss]

Originally Posted by Charles Bram

Please continue giving me different perspectives and ideas to try so I can zero in on what will work best for me while staying within the Zone and hopefully improving my performance!

Charles, the key to the "Zone" is simply having each meal and snack consist of the proper macro values (ie x block of pro/carbs/fat). After that its very individual based on lifestyle and schedule.

I dont have a fixed workout schedule myself so kinda play each day by ear. I generally eat lunch around 12:30. I usually do either a 4:15, 5:15, 6:15 WOD or 7:15 strength class.

If I am doing a wod that day at 4:15 I generally dont eat between lunch and the WOD and I will eat right after the wod and have a late evening 3 block snack

If I am doing a 5:15 WOD however I play it by ear and if I am getting hungry around 2 I will have a 3 block snack.

If I am attending a 6:15 WOD I generally have a 3 block snack around 3, and eat after the wod.

If I am going to a 7:15 strength class Im not doing any running and such so can eat a lot closer to class time without problems and on those days I may have a snack at 2:30 an another around 5:00, then a light dinner after the workout around 9.

Break your blocks up how ever they work for your schedule.