The following is a set of reviews by people who tried the Zone Diet. Once again we are told that the Zone Diet is not a diet but a lifestyle. That Zone recipes are gaining popularity amidst the American community, that all foods are permitted in the Zone, that every zone meal is working wonders is very obvious from the reviews found below.

The zone has changed our lives! May 27, 2003
A few months ago, my husband was diagnosed with diabetes at 31. This was a huge wakeup call for us. I have been overweight and dieting since early childhood, and my husband has been overweight for most of his adulthood. We just finished our 16th week on the zone. In that time, I have lost 43 pounds and my husband has lost 58! Incidentally, after 2 weeks on the zone my husband's blood sugar was back within normal limits and the doctor changed his diagnosis from 'diabetes' to 'diabetes-prone'. My husband asked the doctor if the zone was safe for us, and the doctor said it seemed to be working for us and he had no hesitation. It amazes me that people will balk at the plan and point out that it's not healthy to eat protein at every meal, but aren't lots of people currently eating the triple cheeseburgers anyway? I never eat more than a chicken breast's worth of protein at a meal. I now am healthier because I don't eat egg yolks, and I eat lower fat meats and cheeses. Doing something is better than doing nothing, and we don't have to be perfect. I agree that the book isn't the easiest to read, but it's worth the effort! We probably eat more of the not-so-good carbs than good carbs, but of course we follow the portions, and we figure this is better than before when we ate super sized portions of bad carbs. We'll take small steps.

We find the plan very convenient. We have no trouble eating out. We make the best choices we can and forget about it. If I'm going to a friend's house I pack my own lunch (a small price to pay), and we have found ways to eat everything we like...pizza, mashed potatoes, sandwiches, ice cream, etc. It's amazing, too, that by reading labels I have found that sometimes just switching brands of a product would make it fit into the plan more easily, like bread, ice cream, and pizza sauce. I've heard people say that the plan is a quack because once you go off it you will gain the weight back. I wholeheartedly agree that this would happen...I became overweight because I overate. We have decided to make this way of eating a lifetime change. I have never been successful on other plans, and I've tried them all! I've never lost more than 20 pounds before and have never been able to stick to any diet. I have never felt hungry on this plan, and I don't get cravings that often. When I do, I have that food as part of my next meal or snack...in proportion. Overall, the zone has changed our lives for the better, and I can't recommend it highly enough! For us, it's not a diet; it's a lifestyle change...for the better.

The Zone - Short Summary February 13, 2003
Have you ever had one of those days when everything goes right? You wake up feeling alert, refreshed, and full of energy. You cruise through the day finding solutions to problems and tasks surrender to your clear, efficient, yet apparently effortless approach. You even have energy to spare into the evening.

You may not have thought of it this way, but you were probably in the Zone - the mysterious but very real state in which your body and mind work together at their ultimate best. In the Zone, the mind is relaxed, yet alert and focused. Meanwhile, the body is fluid, strong, and apparently indefatigable, almost euphoric.

Most athletes, even those of us who are weekend enthusiasts, have experienced this state at least once, and the experience is unforgettable. But there is nothing mystical about the Zone. The Zone is a real metabolic state that can be reached by everyone, and maintained indefinitely on a lifelong basis.

Anyone looking for better health through an improved relationship to what they eat should try the Zone Diet Plan.

What is the Zone? It's the metabolic state at which the body works at peak efficiency. Life in the Zone creates significant health benefits. The little illnesses that plague us all - colds, flus, allergies - seem to happen less often. When they do hit, they're not as severe. And some of our more serious chronic diseases - heart disease and cancer, for example, become less likely to strike. And if these diseases do occur, in the Zone their treatment is more manageable.

So how do we reach the Zone? There are no magic potions, pills, herbs or mantras. The truth is that every time you open your mouth to eat, you're applying for a passport to the Zone. To get that passport, though, you must treat food as if it were a drug. You must eat food in a controlled fashion and in the proper proportions. Learning how to control the body's hormonal responses to food is your passport to entering and staying in the Zone. This is achieved by balancing one's intake of protein, carbohydrate and fat at every meal.

The trouble is that most of us are using the wrong eating rules - eating the wrong foods, or just as bad, eating the right foods in the wrong proportions. So our access to the Zone is being constantly denied. But follow the rules and your entrance is ensured. It's science.

To get a new perspective on food, here's some information you need to know:
· Eating fat does not make you fat.
· It's hard to lose weight by simply restricting calories.
· Diets based on choice restriction and calorie limits usually fail.
· Weight loss has little to do with will power.
· Food can be good or bad.
· The biochemical effects on food have been constant for the last forty million years.

Absolutely Amazing! May 20, 2002
The Zone is an amazing diet plan. Imagine this: you are no longer hungry, you need less sleep, you have absolutely no cravings for pasta, bread, potatoes, etc., and you have almost endless energy, and find working out effortless. Well, it's possible if you enter the Zone. Some people may tell you that it is too hard to keep up with, or doesn't work. My sister is one of them. The Zone has changed my life. I was recovering from a fractured ankle, and got really out of shape. Now, I follow the Zone diet, which is simple, and find that I can work out as much as I need to without any discomfort. For example, breakfast in the Zone might be: 2 slices of Canadian bacon, 2 egg whites (or 1 egg), a slice of cheese, an apple, 1 cup cantaloupe, and 5 almonds: Tons of food, tons of micronutrients (protein, carbs, fats), hardly any calories. The Zone is not about calories. In fact, you can run on very few calories, and never be hungry. For it is about the micronutrient balances in your diet that help you live, not the amount of calories you take in. As long as you get what your body needs, you're okay. This diet could not be easier to follow, or have better results. However, if you do not have will power, or are not willing to forever change your life, I recommend you don't waste your time reading this book. Otherwise, your life literally depends on the Zone. I mean it.

An eating program that finally works! July 21, 1999
For the last 10 years, I've struggled with my weight, always needing to lose between 10-20 pounds of fat. About two months ago, I started eating more vegetarian meals. I did start to feel better and experienced reductions in sugar cravings. However, my weight wasn't coming off as quickly as I wanted even though I was exercising 4-5 times a week and was not eating that much "junk." Then I discovered the Zone. What a difference! My sugar cravings are gone (I still enjoy chocolate but don't eat much of it), and my energy levels have skyrocketed! I don't use a scale, but people have asked me if I've lost about 10 pounds, and this is only after two+ weeks on the diet. And I can lift heavier weights in the gym and exercise for longer periods of time! Best of all, I am no longer a slave to constant hunger; I am now in control. I will never eat a protein-free meal again. Just say no to pasta, bread, cereal, rice, and sugar-laden, refined foods!

For the first time in my life, I'm down to 5% body fat! June 9, 1999
Some people don't do well on a high carbohydrate diet, despite what many of the so-called experts say. If a low protein and high carb diet isn't working for you, consider opening your mind and giving this way of eating a try. Listen to how your body responds, since you are the best expert on how food affects you if you pay attention. After changing my eating habits to follow The Zone, focusing mostly on raw produce and healthy forms of protein such as powdered soy and whey, for the first time in my life I'm down to 5% body fat! I have a lot more energy and need less sleep. As a bodybuilder I'm continuing to make gains of about a pound of muscle a month, something I never was able to do on lots of carbs. Open your mind; give this way of eating a try, and watch that unwanted fat melt away.

Back to Basics May 17, 1998
The Zone continues to work for me. I'd given up on diets. This was exactly what I'd been looking for. After completing nursing courses in chemistry, physiology and especially nutrition The Zone made complete sense. I simply lower my carbohydrate intake and noticed a dramatic difference. I lost 14 pounds in one month. I took it more seriously and I'm down 30+ pounds and 3 dress sizes in 3 months. I don't have the sugar cravings, nor do I get hungry like before. When I think back to my weight gain, it all started when the high carb/low fat diet was the only way to eat. Well, my husband and I can attest to the fact that when I began to eat high carb/low fat I gain a lot of weight. I'm really eating like I did growing up, meat (poultry, beef, pork), fish and vegetables. I didn't grow up eating pasta or a lot of bread. Occasionally, we ate rice or potatoes with dinner and only bread for lunch (sandwiches). The only major change would be eating my fruit versus drinking fruit juice. The Zone is a way of life for me.

A refreshing way to look at health and eating! March 3, 1998
I note with amusement the nay-sayers need of "controls". If I try an aspirin and it works, I'll use it again. If I try a new eating regimen and it makes a difference, I'll stick with it. Controls are necessary for some things, like proving that some action will result in a marginal improvement. I had serious eating problems for decades that involved headaches, that wiped out feeling and various other aches and distractions. Over the years it also began to transform into an inability to digest many foods, most notably meats. A friend told me of a doctor who recommended the Zone diet for his wife with gratifying results. Trying the Zone diet for myself was like flipping a switch! After the first evening meal on the Zone, I was able for the first time in months to sleep without taking an antacid! I've been on the Zone diet for almost a year and I can say without question that I cannot go back to eating a "healthy diet" as espoused by the American Medical Association and the rest of our fat aware society. One last thing, I'm a retired research scientist who knows all about sampling and controls. It will take you less than a week to see if this diet will make a difference for you; don't let the odd-balls with the number 1 ratings dissuade you from what might be a dramatic improvement in your well being.

First diet, lost weight September 26, 2001
Following the Zone Diet was the first diet I ever tried. I lost 25 pounds in three months, bringing me down to what I thought was close to my ideal weight. It was fairly easy. I decided in advance that I wasn't going to strictly follow it... I ate a zone breakfast, and a zone supper, but ate out with the office crowd at lunch and ate whatever I wanted -- for morale reasons. Also changed from Coke to Diet Coke. Still lost 25 pounds! Unfortunately, I stopped taking it seriously, and you guessed it -- 15 pounds have come back. I watched the last 5 pounds tack on knowing that I was doing it to myself... yesterday I decided it was time to smarten up and get back on it. Got to make it a lifestyle change, or I will be a yo-yo....

More Zone Diet Reviews...