Rating: 
Summary: Inadequate and out-of-date
Review: "Sears proposes consuming meals combining foods high in protein but low in saturated fats with foods composed of complex carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables, while reducing the amount of carbohydrate such as pasta, and bread."What Sears doesn't realize is that the new terminology regarding carbohydrates has switched from "complex" and "simple" to using the glycemic index. There are many "complex" carbohydrates that are high on the glycemic index...the term "complex" is very relative. And now he's saying that pasta is not "complex"???? Pleeeease...don't buy this book. It is inadequate and out-of-date. Sears needs to simplify this book and market it to the people who really need this type of diet, not to athletes who need higher-carbohydrate diets.
Rating: 
Summary: Eh.
Review: "The Zone" is a good instructional manual for people who have extremely poor diets, but for the average person with a modicum of common sense, it's quite useless. This is the first diet "manual" I've read and no doubt it will be my last. I picked up a lot of good information reading "The Zone," and indeed, I did loose three pounds in about three weeks. Many of the recipes are tasty - if you have an hour to cut up eight cups of fresh broccolli, that is. But counting out the various "blocks" took an inordinate amount of time and energy from my already busy schedule. Once I replaced the time I spent planning Zone menus, grocery shopping, prepping my meals, and other minutiae with daily cardio exercise, *that's* when I started to notice results! Now I just follow a simple routine of limiting my caloric intake. One thing that was very misleading about "The Zone" is that the authors claim that the dieter should not feel hungry. Not so. Make no mistake: this diet hinges on portion control and calorie counting, and I, like many people I know who are on the Zone diet, was famished beyond belief, particularly during the first two weeks. Bottom line is, if one is healthy and fit, nixing carbs from your diet doesn't matter, 'cause ultimately, it's about how many calories you put in your body and how many you work off.
Rating: 
Summary: Changed My Life
Review: I found this book in a thrift store for $2, after hearing about it from an ex girlfriend. It takes a while to figure it out, but after like 2 weeks I mastered it. People who have problems understanding this, just are't trying hard enough. Anyway , I lost 20 pounds, and I'm at my ideal weight now. All this with barely working out. I have more energy throughout the day, and more importantly, a lot more confidence. There is sacrifice involved, but once you get to where I am, you really can't see living any other way. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: WORKS,BUT YOU MUST STAY WITH IT!
Review: I Lost 42lbs. in three months on the zone, but a person must not get out of the zone or the weight comes back! so if you want to lose, stay with the zone forever!
This is a really interesting book about how eating affects our health. There is a lot of useful information in here to provide much thought about what to eat. There are also interesting references for wellness products.
The author does suggest you go off coffee slowly before you start the plan. This would minimize headaches during detox. I couldn't wait to get started so, of course, did it all at once and had the most horrible awful headache for 4 straight days. I finally broke down and had a 1/2 cup coffee one day instead of taking aspirin and that did the trick...for the moment. Now I'm completely caffeine-free and don't miss it at all.
My doctor prescribed a wonderful replacement for coffee made from soya beans called "soyffee". I bought it online at www. S o y c o f f e e.com and cannot believe how good is the taste.
Rating:
Summary: Are we reading the same book
Review: Are we all reading the same book?
Dr. Sears DOES base his work largely aournd the glycemic index! So much so that there's an entire chapter early in the book discussing nothing but the glycemic index, where foods lie on it and how to mange your personal glucose levels.
Sears began his reseach over 30 years ago when his male relatives were suffering from heart problems at young ages. He realized his fate, and didn't want to go the same way. He doesn't simply propose a "diet", and if you are looking for a diet rather than an understanding of biology, then this won't be helpful.
Sears managed the diets of Olympic and college athletes and teams over the years, developing an understanding of what it takes to enable a body to perform at it's peak. Realizing that everyone is different, his advice is to understand the systems and then provide the appropriate nutrition.
If you want to understand what each type of food provides from a nutritional standpoint, then to develop an approach that is specific to your life, Sears provides an education about what you're really eating and a simpler way of choosing foods.
Rating:
Summary: Too complicated!
Review: OK, I know people seem to love the zone diet but I think it is too complicated. I didn't like this book at all. It has a lot of information I just do not think it is easy to understand. My doctor had recommended this diet, but I wound up just doing the Atkins Diet. I would suggest bypassing this.
Rating:
Summary: Never work for the long haul!
Review: First thing I want to say is this.... some of the reviews I read on Amazon seem like they are written by the employees of the publishers, or companies products trying to act like a real end user! Some are so obvious and others do a pretty good acting job ( should win an Oscar!) I am a 46 year old male. I am in good shape and I work out. I tried this when it first came out. Right after I tried Atkins before everyone else was doing it. My sister got a job at the Zone in Mass coincidently at the same time. There is so much marketing and sales there! Who can really eat like that. Counting blocks etc! It's ridiculous. It's way too tedious. I just read Body For Life and it is a pretty good book, but it pushes the supplements from the authors Company (EAS) and tries to make a cookie cutter approach to all people. However, For the most part, the book is the type of routine most people can use for the long haul. The long and the short of it I am concluding is to not do any type of EXTREME diets. Just watch your nutrition and calories for a few weeks by writing everything down until you are educated on what you are putting in your mouth. You will get the hang of it and you will not need to write things down once you have things memorized and know how to eat. You will be amazed at certain foods that you should stay away from and others that are wonderful. Actually Body For Life is a great starting point for this concept. You don't have to take any of the supplements they recommend since 98% of your problem is in the other stuff like eating and exercise. Take care of that 98%. The author gives a good road map and then you can tweak it to your own lifestyle. Get a personal trainer if you can afford it, even if you are experienced. I did, and it really motivated me after years of doing the same old routines. He also helped my with my nutrition questions. Bottom line is you have to have a slight caloric deficit ( you do not have to go around hungry all the time either ) , try to eat more than 3 times a day if your schedule allows. IF not then get some Protein Bars of fresh fruit (Yogurt, other healthy snacks) between meals so you don't get hungry and you keep your metabolic rate up. This is NOT rocket science. Sorry folks, there is no easy way out. You have to exercise, not just cardio, but some weight lifting if you want a nice physique and want to feel great.
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