[stylingal]

Well, I'm excited and wanted to share...I figure this post will also keep me on track and committed. Hopefully it'll also help someone else.
My biggest diet dilema is "what to eat". I work at home and usually do not eat until I'm hungry, by that point I have no patience and usually choose the junkiest and easiest thing I can find. I posted a while back asking for a truly personalized diet site, as opposed to 1 that spit out menu plans, and left little choice for substitutions http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=86795. I had tried ediets, but didn't like the way they handled substitutions (erased entire meal).
I posted the "below pros" in another thread, but wanted to start a new 1 because I notice that there is not a ton of info on this site regarding The Zone. I've heard that Zoning works (Jennifer Aniston made it big a couple years back), and my BFF has been urging me to look into it. But quite honestly, my excitement doesn't come from "Zoning", from what I've read weight loss boils down to calories in vs calories out. I'm more excited about finding a site that creates a healthy/tasty menu of foods I actually enjoy within my target calorie range. I actually have control over my choices, and can sub ingredients as opposed to entire menus or meals. Eventually I will study and adapt The Zone principles for a better lifestyle, but right now weightloss is my main goal.
I found a great site called FORMULAZONE.com ($25 for 3 mths). It's devoted to those followig the Zone diet, but it really applies to any dieter. It's been a week and half and I've lost 5lbs already (tho my goal was only 2) with limited/no exercise. What I liked/why I joined:
- 7 day money back gaurantee - WeMD didn't offer that- so I could test to see if it was the type of interface I as looking for...
- Even tho it's the Zone ( 40-30-30 Low glycymic etc), you can set your preferences to track calories, as opposd to protien, fats instead. So it'll design a (zone) menu that is in your calorie target.
- Main reason I like it: If they suggest a menu or meal you don't want you can change just that particular meal (as opposed to the whole menu), further if you like a meal, but maybe don't like 1 ingredient in the meal it presents you with at least 25 different choices (still zoned, still correct calories) for that 1 ingredient. Example if you do want to have a pizza recipe, but can't stand mushrooms, it'll present a list of substitutions for mushrooms. Furher you can choose from a large list of recipes and add them to menu if it sounds like something you'd like, so you are never stuck eating something "just because you're on a diet".
- You can plan menus up to 4 weeks in advance and customize to you, or you and partner or the whole family.
- The recipes are great! I can't believe the stuff I've been eating! It's been so yummy (all sorts of different pizza's, burritos, wraps, muffins etc)!!! There is something like 2000 member recipes, but dieters are encouraged to stick to "low" glycyemic recipes only until the weight drops.
- And yes it spits out shopping lists, printed menu plan, progress charts etc like the other sites...
I know that having a menu of foods I actually like, recipes that were tasty and a little bit of flexibilty would be the key to a successful start. I really wanted meal delivery, but can't afford the cost. For me preparation is the key to sticking to something, but I'm also lazy lol. So I did the following things:
- I put containers of chopped tomatoes, onions and peppers etc in the fridge.
- Made a batch of (zone) "Blueberry" muffins, placed them in a large ziploc and froze them.
- Cooked (grill) chicken breast, weighing them at 2.5 oz and putting them into ziploc snack bags. Then putting all the snack bags into 1 large ziploc, labelling it and freezing it.
I did the same with ground turkey 2oz, turkey sausage 2oz, black beans 3 oz and turkey bacon.
I look at the following days menu, take out the correct snack baggies and let it thaw out overnight in the fridge, ready to use for the next day or 2 menu. I think this method would help anyone prepping for any diet. My problem was not knowing what to cook, the measurements and when I'd need to use them.
Anyways, I just wanted to post this for anyone looking for an online calorie or zone based menu. I also wanted to let others know that so far Zone based menu's seem to work for weight loss.
Cheers!!