And the (b)Eat Goes On…

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The more I think about my first blog post (I’m Melting! I’m Melting!), even more diets I tried came flashing into my head.
I tried the South Beach diet. There was nothing south about my weight loss. My butt was as big as ever. I dabbled in The Zone. Same story. Almost the same diet as far as I was concerned.
Then there are the diets I didn’t do.
Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Seattle Sutton. Anything that required me to buy pre-packaged food, frozen, shrink-wrapped and shipped to me in boxes was out of the question. I figured with those, that as soon as the boxes quit coming, and I had to go back to regular food, the weight would come back I also wrinkled up my nose at eating thawed food. I’ve never been much for microwaved food. Food from a box seemed like leftovers. That’s because I never cooked it in the first place. And I abhor leftovers. Having been one of seven children, I felt like I had eaten my lifetime allotment of leftovers before I left for college.
This thought process seems really stupid in retrospect. I was willing to eat powdered shakes and no food, rather than prepacked, mystery food. Most would consider boxed food a step up. Not me.
I never tried LA Weightloss. Anything with the word LA in it turns me off. I don’t like LA. I don’t even consider it a city. It’s a giant suburb… and the driving! Don’t get me started.
I never had surgery. I vowed I’d never “go there” unless a doctor told me death was imminent. So there.
So what’s left? Pills you order from the back of a magazine? I’m allergic to caffeine so that rules all that out. Have you ever read the back of one of those boxes? They’ve got enough stuff in there to send me to the top of the highest building and they’d find me doing pirouettes on the ledge. The only way that would end my dieting woes would be a permanent splat. Not my idea of success.
I never gave up on my dream of being thinner, though. I’ve always thought there was a diet out there for me. I found my husband where I least expected, so I figured it was worth my investment to keep my eye out for the perfect diet; or at least one that worked. There had to be a better way. A better diet.
Cheers,
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Smash Burgers
ZS-5 Ingredients or Less,ZReboot,Featured Posts,ZSpecialties,Recipes
Smash burgers are all the rage. Step into a brew pub and you’ll likely find a smash burger on the food menu. These are NOT the huge, 8oz burgers we’ve been fed in the past. These are a thinner burger…
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Who Invented St. Patrick’s Day?
I always knew I was of Irish descent, but I never really knew HOW Irish I was until I got my 23 n Me results back.
Kitchen Hacks for Enjoying Lower Carb Pasta Meals
Enjoy your pasta; just don’t do it too often. Follow hints like this and you’re much less likely to gain weight.
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Great and so true of so many of us who fight the battle. Thank you.
I am not going to call it a “DIET” but a new way of getting my body back to where it was before I had kids! 🙂 The information is Phenomenal!!!!
thank you for such a nice compliment! Zola
Now that you’ve dropped one shoe I must ask…where DID you meet your husband?
I met my husband at a radio convention. I was a new radio sales manager. In my contract negotiations I insisted they find a consulant I could work with to get up to speed fast. My eventual husband was the guy hired to help me. There were 1200 people at the convention. Only 4 women and one of them was my boss. i never expected to fall in love with my consultant — that’s for sure. The rest is a long story…. Z
I’m on ZReduction day 12, and it appears I have hit my first plateau…gained 0.6 lbs overnight. I had lost 17 lbs up till then. My wife said no sweat, everyone plateaus, hang in there. 17 lbs in 16 days? Unbelievable, where did my belly go? Thanks, Zola.
I’m enjoying this diet, I have lost 15 pounds since I started the Z by Zola plan. I’M getting closer to my goal. Thank you. I haven’t been down this weight for a long time.
I’m on zreduction day 12 an I’ve lost 24.9 lbs. I like this diet and I’ve tried everything diet out there. This
diet really works! Thank you!!
This is day 13! I go from 9-10 pounds lost! The potty is an issue! Has been all my life. I started the Smooth move Tea 2 days ago. The 1st morning………Success! This morning…………Some, but I feel pretty miserable. Kinda that knotted up feeling! Any suggestions? I’m determined that this is gonna be the last Diet ever! Sue
I have tried many diets too and gained all the weight back once I went off of them. Today is day 13 for me and I have lost 13.2 pounds. I stalled on day 9-12, but today I lost 1.8 when I weighed in this morning. I have been eating an extra 2-5 breadsticks when I feel I am going to blow it and it has also been very hot an humid so I am hoping I will get back to losing a pound or so a day. It took me two to three months to lose 10 pounds on nutrisystem.
Hi Jean.
Great work in those 13 days, for sure! Stick with the plan–don’t eat the extra breadsticks unless you have been cleared by Zola to do so. Otherwise you could wind up taking in more calories and carbs than you should at this point in the program.
Keep us posted!
-Efrem
jean: If you are going to overeat the LAST thing you wan to eat is carbohydrate. they are small and seem innocent but that will stall you out first!! If I had to eat something I’d have a bit more protein. Thaat is not to be interpreted that I am giving you permission to eat more. it’s cheating for sure. but if you are way too hungry you can do that… or take another dose of the ZR37 around 10Am or 3Pm when people get the munchies. It may mean you have to buy more ZR37 but it’s WAY better for you than extra carbohydrates. Dieters say anyone can make it 37 days. I know you can too. Zola
On Day 12 of Reduction and the cravings started, not stopped, at Day 10. I’ve lost 13 lbs. I’m okay during the day but after my evening meal I’m still really hungry, almost like I need more food for more strength; the craving feels physical. The last couple of nights I’ve had 2-3 more Melba rounds, and last night, had some crumbled blue cheese. I’ve also stalled for the last couple of days. I’m not trying to get permission to cheat, but what tidbit can I have to ward off the physical craving? I can resist the emotional ones, although that DQ offer on TV looked pretty good the other night! Today, too, muscles and body feeling heavy without strength. Advice?
Hi, Roberta!
You’re at day 12 so the stall is most likely the start of the “anticipated” stall that most of our dieters go through. Although, if you’re eating more Melba toast than you’re allowed, you could be taking in too many carbs as well. I’d advise not to eat more Melba toast. The crumbled blue cheese is a no-no either way on ZReduction.
Here are a couple of things to make sure you’re doing:
1.) Make sure you’re pounding down at least 70 to 90 ounces of water per day (or more, if your body can tolerate it).
2.) Get to bed a bit earlier to give your body time to heal and rebuild.
3.) Make sure you’re eating your full meal portions for lunch and dinner. That means 4 oz. (max) of beef or 6 oz. of chicken or fish. Eat a healthy portion of salad greens. Have your TWO melba toast rounds. Have a piece of (approved) fruit.
Anytime you deviate from the *exact* protocol that Zola lays out in the binder, your results will go off track.
One of the things I’m seeing more of lately is that a lot of people aren’t eating the full meal plan. There’s an insert in the front pocket of your binder that spells out in detail exactly what a lunch or dinner should consist of portion and content wise.
Let us know if you’re still feeling the hunger pangs after a couple of days.
Regards,
-Efrem
I am on day 13 and I am loving this Plan. I am having an extremely difficult time locating Worcheshire sauce with any sugar. Any suggestions as to where I might look?
Hi Melody,
It is quite challenging to find Worcestershire sauce without any sugar in it, but the little bit of sugar in the small amount that you use is not enough to stall your weight loss. A little bit is definitely ok to use. I hope that helps,
Thanks!
Jen
I have suffered from dry mouth for years. I need some suggestions to. i use to pop a mint or tictac in my mouth, but I know that is a “no-no”. I am drinking lots of water. I really like putting a cucumber in the water to change it up.
You can go to your local health food store and try WOW drops. Or you can get a link to them through The Zola Zone. Let us know if that doesn’t do the trick. Zola
Today is day 12 of z-reduce for me & I am down 8.4!!!! I am a slooow looser, so all in all I am HAPPY with this, though I wouldn’t mind a lb a day!!! That being said, I have had NO problem staying within my food range, sometimes I have to remember to eat!!! MENTAL Hunger is tough for me though, as I prepare meals for my husband & watcn him snack while watching the T V, but I AM doing it!
Thanks, ZOLA, for all your help! HUGS!
Today for me is day 12 and I have lost 13. Yes this is even after cheating a little on Thanksgiving (that added 1 lb). If anyone would have told me a month ago that I would actually follow a diet of under 1,000 calories I would have laughed. I have tried many diets in the past and I was always hungry. I even, like Zola went the UW Weight Loss Clinics and lost 25 only to have everything comeback plus a little extra.
I don’t know for sure, but I rationalize that getting rid of all the added sugar and most of the artificial sweeteners has helped my hunger issues. No cola is a huge change for me. I have lost almost all my cravings that have defeated most diets I have been on in the past. The other night at the UW Badgers basketball game I volunteered to work a concession stand for a charity I support. I scooped over 300 dishes of some of the most excellent creamiest luscious super premium ice cream you could ever imagine. Ben & Jerry’s and Häagen-Dazs don’t hold a candle to Babcock Hall Ice Cream. I was planning to try to resist the urge of having just one spoonful, but I assumed I would fail. But thinking about it when I got home, I didn’t even have a craving to even try a little of the ice cream. That is an absolute first for me.
The food recipes are great. Every recipe seems to be better than the one before. I like the fact that I can do this for the 40 days and then go to the next phase before going back to the next reduction phase.
So far I am very very pleased. Previous diets with losing 1 or 2 pounds a week never could keep me motivated, nor could all the tasteless food. Things are different with the Zola program. Great support and a great plan. I assume I will hit one of the plateau time you hit with every diet. The continuous help from program I am sure will help me through, when and if I plateau. I will need several reduction phases to get to the “mini me” that I want to be. I started in 2011 and I will finish in 2012.
Well, I am tickled to hear about so many huge successes on the reduction phase of z-diet. I am a bit frustrated as I am on day 24 of reduction and only lost 11 pounds. I follow the diet to a “t”. I do tend to have constipation problems although I take the fiber and stool softeners each morning and after each meal. Smooth tea works but is crampy. Perhaps age is a factor here, as I will turn 70 in October?! I have about 25 more pounds I would like to lose, but doubt I will see that in this first reduction phase. Glad to have lost the 11 pounds anyway.