Back in the Zone

The first week of December I re-injured my shoulder, and spent two solid months in physical therapy and out of boxing. I became the cardio mistress (wore my thigh-high leather boots, carried the whip) but the intense PT schedule meant I had to give up some of my regular workouts. I got sloppy with my diet and ate depressively and now I’m five to seven pounds past the weight I like most to be.

I have a plan: move less, eat more.

Wait! No, I remember, it’s move more, eat less. (The funniest part of that Mad TV vid: “Bullcrap, you don’t know me!”)

And to that end, I’m picking up my workout schedule and writing out my meal plans again. As you may already know, I typically follow The Zone (by Dr. Barry Sears), which controls weight by controlling insulin. It’s not a low-carb or a high-protein diet, but rather a protein-carb-fats balanced diet. I used to use the one-third / two-third rule: eating one part protein (lean meats) and two parts low-density carbs (fruits and veggies) with a sprinkling of good fats (mostly monosaturated, like you find in olives and almonds).

But I got sloppy about it.

Now I’ve decided to work with the “blocks” that Sears outlines in his books. In the back of each of the books I own there’s an index of sorts that lists lots of healthy foods and tells you how much of that food equals a block. Most women want to plan meals with 3 blocks of protein, 3 blocks of (low density, which equals fruits and veggies) carbs, and 3 blocks of good fats. Guys can do 4, 4, and 4.

I invested in a scale so that I can actually figure out how much 3 ounces of something is, and I’m measuring everything until I get a sense of the amounts again.

So, here’s my meal plan for my first day back in the Zone:

Breakfast

• 2/3 cup (cooked) steel-cut oats = 2 blocks carbs
• 1 cup raspberries = 1 block carbs
• 2 soy sausage links = 1 block protein (can’t bring myself to get 3 blocks)
• 3 tsp slivered almonds = 3 blocks fats

Snack

• 1 graham cracker = 1 carb
• 1/2 tsp peanut butter = 1 fat
• 1 mozzarella cheese stick = 1 protein

Lunch

• 3 oz chicken breast = 3 protein
• 3 cups broccoli = 1 carb
• 2 cups fresh sliced strawberries = 2 carbs
• 3 tsp almond slivers = 3 fats

Before boxing snack (one set of blocks from my dinner)

• half a Zone bar (gawd, I love these, esp the peanut butter ones) = 1 carb, 1 protein, 1 fat

After boxing dinner

• 1/2 Zone bar (in car, on way home) = 1 carb, 1 protein, 1 fat
• 1/4 cup black beans = 1 protein
• 1/2 cup hot salsa = 1 carb
• 1/3 tsp (a drizzle) olive oil = 1 fat

This outlines a pretty stringent Zone day, and as you saw, I didn’t quite get the breakfast balanced. But for me the really tough part about this plan is the period between lunch and boxing. The best way I know to do it is to eat lunch about 1 or 2 pm, so that I’m not perishing for food by 6, when I’ll tuck into my Zone bar.

But I’m resolved to get on the plan once again. I’ll keep you posted.

Related posts:

1. Five Forbidden Foods
2. In the Zone!
3. See You Later, Turkey.
4. 5 ways to Eat Fast Food and Still Cut Carbs
5. Twilight Zone Episode “Steel” to be Made Into Futuristic Boxing Movie

Tagged as: diet, injury, meal plan, recovery, snacks, stress, Zone