Zone Diet "Delivery" in NYC

An Interview with AJ

Hi AJ,

Thank you for agreeing to share your experience with us! I think posting this on the Blog will help inspire others…

You’ve been training with me consistently for over a year. You look great! Tell us, what are the main things that keep you motivated?

Well, there are a number of things. I have always been into personal fitness and sports, but this year with you I feel like we have been making very strong gains --- so the success we have been having drives me to do even better. Secondly, my days at work can be very intense and training in the morning gets things on the right foot and helps keep me focused throughout the day.

One of the reasons I wanted to interview you is because of your experience with The Zone Diet. How long have you been on it, and what have the results been?

I have been on it for 3 weeks and I feel it has been a positive experience. Initially, I tried it out for 2 weeks to see how it was and I felt good about it in that I knew was consuming very balanced meals each day (they have 3 meals, 2 snacks). I ultimately feel that it is helping me achieve strong results in that it avoids me binging on a sugary snack during the day or ordering out dinner each night. I do feel leaner over the past 3 weeks and I think a lot of that has to do with the controls the diet sets in place. They give me two snacks a day so I don't feel like I need to stretch for other things.

What motivated you to make a commitment to The Zone? How did you get started, do you keep track of what you eat, what makes this program work for you?

Well, you and I have discussed that training is just one part of taking it to the next level. Ultimately, what I eat and drink plays a crucial role so I decided to give this a shot since cooking wholesome meals can be difficult given my schedule. I told ZoneManhattan what foods I preferred not to eat etc ( I don't eat beef or pork) and so they customized my meals to meet this criteria. Every morning (5am), they deliver the days food outside your door with a menu of what each contains, thus allowing me to keep track of what I eat everyday very easily. I can bring the cooler to work and heat up lunch very easily.

What do you eat on a ‘typical day’ when you have a training session with me?

Sample Menu; Zone Manhattan

Breakfast:
Cinnamon Waffles
With Roasted Apples and Turkey Bacon

Snack 1:
Smoked Salmon Roulade
With Lemon Caper Cream Cheese

Lunch:
Turkey Meatloaf
With Black Rice and Broccoli

Snack 2:
Orange Mousse with Strawberries

Dinner:
Lemon Curried Tilapia
With Truffled Beans and Roasted Vegetables

Tell us about your ‘cheats’. When are you most likely to cheat, and what do you like eat?

I don't get ZoneManhattan on weekends because I enjoy going out to restaurants. I'll usually cheat during dinner where I'll have some rich dessert or on Sundays when I order pizza with my friends while watching football! Otherwise, I like to think I am still pretty controlled over the weekend.


Thank you for All your help!
Paul

Another Success Story!

During a recent training session I commented to NL that she looked great, and what was she doing differently? She agreed to be interviewed for our Blog.


Hi NL,

Thank you for agreeing to share your experience with us! I think posting this on the Blog will help inspire others…

You’ve been training with me consistently for the past year. You look great! Tell us, what are the main things that keep you motivated?

You! I'm pretty indifferent about working out. I know that I have to do it, but I had never really gotten into a routine until last July. In our sessions, you push me but we have a pretty good time. Now I get a great workout and we sort of hang out at the same time so it's good for my body and good for my soul. It works!

One of the reasons I wanted to interview you is because of your experience with The Zone Diet. How long have you been on it, and what have the results been?

About 3 weeks. I can't say I am on the zone diet - I am just following some of the eating principles that you have "encouraged" me to implement. I've lost about 7 pounds. My waist is coming back. I've been getting more sleep and drinking more water so I think combined with eating better, I have also had more energy and wake up more refreshed (i.e. getting up before my alarm clock...which NEVER happens).

What motivated you to make a commitment to The Zone? How did you get started, do you keep track of what you eat, what makes this program work for you?

I have been moving in this direction for the last several months. I have a mild gluten/ wheat allergy which I had never addressed (opting instead for stomach aches here and there) and have worked to really limit the amount of wheat that I eat. One day a few weeks ago, I was about to head to the grocery store and decided that it would be more efficient if I made a list. I was kind of at a lost for what I wanted - I was feeling healthy so I did an internet search on zone diet grocery list and lots of suggestions came up. I picked out some of the stuff that I like to eat and that is quick to prepare and headed to the grocery store. So I wasn't really planning to start eating differently, it sort of happened.

What do you eat on a ‘typical day’ when you have a training session with me?

Typical...Is anything that I do typical? This has been my recent diet:
Breakfast: Greek Yogurt (Love Fage, but my grocer doesn't carry the lower calorie option, so I usually get Chobani), half grapefruit, green tea
Lunch: Chopped salad with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, grilled chicken breast, sprinkle of cranberries and feta with Annie's Organic Dressing with Sparkling Water
Dinner: Grilled Salmon with Sauteed Spinach with garlic
Snack (2): Almonds and Apple or Cranberries

Tell us about your ‘cheats’. When are you most likely to cheat, and what do you like eat?

I am a late day eater. After 3pm, I get kind of ravenous and I love to graze - snacking into the evening. I like popcorn and chips. I like dip. I also like french fries - so when I am out if someone at the table has french fries...I want them. I think the Almonds and Cranberries have been working well because it's pretty filling, it's a snack...I think it's pyschological and it's got the salty, crunchy, sweet thing going on.

Thank you for All your help!
Paul

An Interview with our client "KM"

Paul- Hi KM, Thank you for agreeing to share your experience with us! I think posting this on the Blog will help inspire others…

You’ve been training three to four times per week for the past year. Twice with me, and the other days on your own doing cardio and strength training. You look great! Tell us, what are the main things that keep you motivated and so consistent?

KM-I had a vision in my head of what I wanted to look like…..a ‘cool drink of water’. I am looking at this not only from an immediate visual perspective, but future health perspective as well. I want to be agile and strong in years to come. Once I started training and saw some cardio and strength improvements I was totally motivated to continue the level of training and intensity. The cross fit training has been very motivational for me. In the beginning I was not confident with my ability both from a cardio and strength point of view. I have come to realize that the entire cross fit exercise is built on my cardio and strength accomplishments. The training has built up my confidence not only with workout activities at the gym but also in other areas in my life.

Paul- One of the reasons I wanted to interview you is because of your experience with The Zone Diet. How long have you been on it, and what have the results been?

KM-I have been doing the zone diet for 7 weeks. I have lost 6 lbs and have become leaner. I have 4 lbs to go. My goal is to keep continue to stay eating the zone way as I am nutritionally satisfied.

Paul- What motivated you to make a commitment to The Zone? How did you get started and how do you keep track of what you eat?

KM- I have been working out so consistently for a very long time and have seen great results; however, I knew that to achieve my vision I needed to change my eating habits. For the past 4 months I had been doing somewhat of the zone diet but not 100% committed. I decided to give it a 3 week trial run. It took 2 weeks to see results. I lost ½ pound the first week and a 1 ½ pound the second week.

For the first 3 weeks I measured everything I ate. I also keep a diary of my daily meal intake. This has been a good reference tool as well as a motivational tool.

Paul- What do you eat on a ‘typical day’ when you have a training session with me?

KM- A ‘typical day’ looks like the following:

Before I train with Paul:
½ apple
1 slice cheese

After I train with Paul:
½ apple
1 t peanut butter

Breakfast:
4 hardboiled eggs
4 inch cucumber
½ cup tomatoes
½ cup raw carrots
½ snap peas
½ cup red pepper
½ apple
Coffee with ½ and ½

Lunch:
Salad with:
4 oz grilled chicken
½ cup chick peas
½ cup broccoli
½ cup radishes
½ cup tomatoes
½ cup green pepper
2 cups lettuce
6 black olives
Olive oil

Dinner:
4 oz baked chicken
1 cup green beans
1 kiwi
½ blueberries
½ raspberries
9 pecans


Paul- Tell us about your ‘cheats’. When are you most likely to cheat, and what do you like eat?

KM- The amazing thing is that I really do not crave sugar at all…not even an office little ‘mini chocolate bar’. SO my cheats are really having wonderful dinners on weekends @ a restaurant including a piece of yummy bread. I limit my wine to 2 glasses 2 x per week. The big splurge would certainly be home made guacamole and chips with a great margarita.

Paul- Thank you for All your help KM!

As I have always stressed, reaching your goals is a function of the commitment you make to;

1) Exercise
2) Nutrition
3) Rest and Recovery

If you're not putting the same energy into 2 & 3 as you are to 1, you are selling yourself short.

Check out these great resources for nutrition information;

The Zone Diet.com

The CrossFit Journal - Issue 21 - Zone Meal Plans

FrontRange CrossFit Nutrition Package

Easy Zone-friendy Dinner

Welcome to Wednesday and my recipe of the week!

Tonight I made the most delicious meal and it only took about 20 minutes to prep and cook.

I made broiled Lamb Steaks with Broccoli and Red Bell Peppers;

(Ok, so I'm not the greatest photographer... but I promise to work on my skills!)

I bought boneless leg of lamb steaks at Whole Foods ($10.99/lb) seasoned them with dried rosemary, a little kosher salt and pepper, put them on a baking sheet, and then under the broiler on high for 6 minutes per side.

While they were cooking, I rinsed the Broccoli and Bell Peppers and put a pot of water with a steamer insert on the stove to heat. I chopped the Broccoli into 4" spears and chopped the Bell Peppers into 2" dice.

After I flipped the Lamb Steaks over, I put the veggies into the steamer and covered the pot. When the Lamb was done I took it out of the oven and turned the heat under the veggies off, but left the lid on

Next I mixed 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of dried rosemary, some kosher salt and pepper in a small bowl. I put the hot veggies in a large glass bowl and poured the olive oil mixture over it, stirring to lightly coat.

My portion pictured, plus the apple I had for desert was approximately a 5 block Zone meal - really delicious!

In order to make the most of the time I spent shopping and cooking, I made 4 additional portions which I put in tupperware to enjoy later this week.

If you make this at home, please leave your comments - let me know what you think!

Zone Meal, or Splurge?

Delicious Zone Friendly Meal

I wanted to share one of my current favorite meals with you... My friend, and fellow Personal Trainer Dana Paoli told me about this, and it's amazing!

Ricotta cheese, blueberries, honey, and walnuts.

In order to make one of my standard 4 block Zone meals, here's what I do; Put 240 grams of ricotta cheese into a bowl, add about 20 grams of honey and mix. Next I add 20 grams of walnut pieces and top it off with 140 grams of blueberries. If you're using frozen, you have two choices. Add them frozen and you get a semi frozen, sorbet like finished product, or thaw the blueberries first and you get a parfait.

My version equals approx; 37 grams Protein, 48 grams Carbs, 30 grams Fat.

A half size version would make a really great Zone snack, too!

Zone Breakfast

Breakfast of Champions?

In addition to our workout routines, I plan to post a nutrition article once per week. For the first entry I thought I'd show you what I eat for breakfast several times a week... it's basically a 4 block Zone meal; 4 whole eggs (Protein) 1/2 cup Ezekiel sprouted grain cereal (Carb's) w/1/2 cup 2% milk, 1/2 an Avocado (Fat) and a cup of coffee w/ 2tbs half 'n half.

Some mornings I switch it up and have McCanns Steel Cut Oatmeal, or the Ezekiel 'english muffin w/almond butter. But I pretty much always have the eggs. If I'm not eating the Avocado, I take 1 tbs of Flax Oil - great, healthy fat!

More to come... What are you eating for breakfast these days?