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A Week in the Zone: A Quick Course in the Healthiest Diet for You – Burn Body Fat, Fight Disease, and Increase Energy Without Hunger
A national bestseller for more than three years in hardcover, The Zone has introduced millions of people worldwide to a breakthrough approach to dieting based on Novel Prize–winning scientific research. Treating food as the most powerful drug available, The Zone plan shows how food, when used unwisely, can be toxic. Used wisely however, it will take anyone into the Zone, a state of exceptional health familiar to champion athletes. Now the benefits of Barry Sears߲evolutionary program can be experienced in just one week! With A Week in the Zone , everyone can start on the path to permanent weight loss and learn how to burn body fat, and keep it off – without deprivation or hunger. They'll also discover how the Zone helps to both increase energy and fight heart disease, diabetes, PMS, chronic fatigue, depression, and cancer.
192 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2000
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103 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 5, 2012
“No one can honestly believe that Americans are healthier today than they were 20 years ago.” Dr. Barry Sears.
Anyone who knows me can testify that I am no health nut. I enjoy ice cream way too much, and have been known to over indulge in fatty foods like hamburgers, hot dogs, and potato chips. With that said, I am taking steps (baby steps) toward healthier decisions, virtually all fast food is in my past, I have switched my beverage choices to include less diet pop (that’s diet soda for you from the east) and more water. In short, I am thinking more about what I eat. It is my hope that books like A Week in the Zone will help me as I decide on each new step.
Dr. Barry Sears emphasizes that the Zone is not a diet – although not very consistently in the book. From my way of thinking, any strategy applied to food choices is a diet. Some diets focus on weight loss or control, some on physical health, and the most common on epicurean delights. Mostly, Dr. Sears doesn’t want the Zone seen as a weight loss program because it is his aim and belief that the Zone fits into the healthy lifestyle category.
The Zone plan focuses on hormone control through balanced meals and an emphasis on what he defines as “good” foods. He identifies good and bad protein, good and bad carbohydrates, and good and bad fats and points out that a hormone healthy diet requires the inclusion of all three components, protein, carbohydrate, and fat; naturally, the “good” ones. Dr. Sears is not a fan of high protein, high carbohydrate, or low fat diets and presents in the book what he considers to be the scientific evidence and research that supports his claim. He is pretty convincing.
The book includes a Zone menu for 7 days. Imagine that in a book entitled A Week in the Zone. He also includes a number of Zone friendly recipes to help get you on track. I was taken back by the volume of food the program calls for at breakfast. It might be just as honest to say that I was overwhelmed by it and have a difficult time picturing myself living in the Zone. Fortunately, Dr. Sears claims that every Zone meal provides you a benefit, and that the program will reward you based on your application of it. Live it 75% of the time and get 75% of the benefit. If that is true, I can see myself stepping more and more in that direction. Sort of sliding into the Zone.
I found the book very interesting as it describes how the body reacts to various foods, good and bad, and the role that hormones play in the overall process. Even though I may never walk the straight and narrow zone, and I don’t buy into the demonization of sugar and fat, I don’t want to fool myself into thinking that what I eat is anything other than what it is. I am an adult and can make those decisions, but I should know what those decisions mean. Dr. Sears book helps in that regard.
Anyone who knows me can testify that I am no health nut. I enjoy ice cream way too much, and have been known to over indulge in fatty foods like hamburgers, hot dogs, and potato chips. With that said, I am taking steps (baby steps) toward healthier decisions, virtually all fast food is in my past, I have switched my beverage choices to include less diet pop (that’s diet soda for you from the east) and more water. In short, I am thinking more about what I eat. It is my hope that books like A Week in the Zone will help me as I decide on each new step.
Dr. Barry Sears emphasizes that the Zone is not a diet – although not very consistently in the book. From my way of thinking, any strategy applied to food choices is a diet. Some diets focus on weight loss or control, some on physical health, and the most common on epicurean delights. Mostly, Dr. Sears doesn’t want the Zone seen as a weight loss program because it is his aim and belief that the Zone fits into the healthy lifestyle category.
The Zone plan focuses on hormone control through balanced meals and an emphasis on what he defines as “good” foods. He identifies good and bad protein, good and bad carbohydrates, and good and bad fats and points out that a hormone healthy diet requires the inclusion of all three components, protein, carbohydrate, and fat; naturally, the “good” ones. Dr. Sears is not a fan of high protein, high carbohydrate, or low fat diets and presents in the book what he considers to be the scientific evidence and research that supports his claim. He is pretty convincing.
The book includes a Zone menu for 7 days. Imagine that in a book entitled A Week in the Zone. He also includes a number of Zone friendly recipes to help get you on track. I was taken back by the volume of food the program calls for at breakfast. It might be just as honest to say that I was overwhelmed by it and have a difficult time picturing myself living in the Zone. Fortunately, Dr. Sears claims that every Zone meal provides you a benefit, and that the program will reward you based on your application of it. Live it 75% of the time and get 75% of the benefit. If that is true, I can see myself stepping more and more in that direction. Sort of sliding into the Zone.
I found the book very interesting as it describes how the body reacts to various foods, good and bad, and the role that hormones play in the overall process. Even though I may never walk the straight and narrow zone, and I don’t buy into the demonization of sugar and fat, I don’t want to fool myself into thinking that what I eat is anything other than what it is. I am an adult and can make those decisions, but I should know what those decisions mean. Dr. Sears book helps in that regard.
January 10, 2010
changed my body and my life.
January 13, 2026
20+years ago I lost 125 pounds on the Zone and have kept most of it off by mostly eating “no white stuff” such as sugar, white rice, white potatoes and white flour products. This was a 2007 edition I just reread and much of what was true then still works now. Through the years I have experimented with various other diets: high fat, low fat, keto, high protein etc, but have always come back basically to this reasonable way of eating, with some adjustments. It was fun reviewing the explanations and recipes.
February 2, 2024
It's an old book by the time I read it. It includes some helpful information on protein-rich dieting techniques as well as some weeknight recipes. Short easy to read chapters. But this type of diet has come a long way since this book was released.
April 20, 2025
I love this one because it is a great summary and shorter read. It gets to the point and offers great examples and tangible actions to get in the Zone. I’ve read many others, it often recommend this first.
June 7, 2024
the only diet
Well writen and explained to details how this moderation of protein healthy monosat fats and healthy carbs of fruits and vegies can improve your life and safe your❤️
Well writen and explained to details how this moderation of protein healthy monosat fats and healthy carbs of fruits and vegies can improve your life and safe your❤️
February 5, 2024
Tiene demasiada información que considero se repite de un capitulo a otro y no es tan completa la información como los libros de Frank.
May 2, 2009
This food plan is all about insulin and keeping your insulin production 'in the zone.' Dr. Sears claims - and cites research - that insulin is the culprit in weight gain and fat 'maintenance' and in many of the more serious health problems, like heart disease. I was kind of excited by this theory - at first. This is NOT a high protein diet and I am surprised that it calls it a low-carb diet on the cover, because it is actually high carb, since he counts the carbs in fruits and veggies and what this really is is a high veggie diet :) My concern started when it appeared that basically all grain carbs were no-nos, except for long cooking, steel cut oats. If you combined this food plan with the glycemic index plan, it would probably be better. On a production note, there were some glaring typos that I can't believe made it to print - typos that said just the opposite of what he was trying to say! And in the back, explaining some food counts: a woman would eat 30 grams of carbohydrates at a meal - 3 or 4 cups of broccoli is 10 grams, so 9 to 12 cups of broccoli at a serving? Even if you divided up the carb count, that was still over kill and NONE of the veggie heavy meals had that much. Big oops, I think. Dr. Sears also ranted for awhile in one chapter about how the media refers to 'The Zone' as a high protein diet. Clearly it is not, so I can understand his distress, but publishing a whole chapter (well, not quite the entire chapter) to ranting seemed childish. Of all the Zone books he has published, this one was pretty easy to understand the hows and whys of the system. Even he says not to read 'The Zone' first, as that was written for doctors and is pretty scientific.
August 19, 2016
Luin kirjan suomalaisen kännöksen: Zoneviikko. Opus on kansantajuisesti kirjoitettu niin, että zone-dieetin periaatteet ja käytännön ohjeet tulevat selkeästi ilmi. Itse asiassa kirjailija ei puhu dieetistä vaan pikemminkin elämäntavasta. Hän panottaa myös, ettei tarvitse olla tiukkapipoinen, vaan kun lipsumista on tapahtunut, "elämäntapaa" voidaan taas jatkaa. Hän tuo myös sen selvästi esille, että kysymys ei ole proteiinidieetistä, kuten Atkinsilla, vaan kullakin aterialla on rasvaa, proteiinia ja hiilihydraatteja, joiden määrissä pyritään tiettyyn suhteeseen. Lukemisen arvoinen kirja jokaiselle. vaikka ei noudattaisi aivan kirjaimellisesti "diettiä" voi silti pyrkiä ruovaliossa Searsin periaatteita soveltamalla terveellisempään suuntaan.
March 23, 2008
Another great read to help you understand your body, how you body works and what you can do to get your body to do what you want. The recipes are okay in this book but after you learn the concepts you can easily change your favorite recipes and make them zoned. I love zoned recipes because you feel satisfied for hours and you don't have the urges to snack all the time.
January 22, 2011
A friend sent this to me as a source for nutrition information with regards to changing one's diet. I found it slightly useful, but I did not pay much heed to the actual "Zone" diet itself. Some of the information did supplement other reading and research I have been doing, but the book consists largely of recipes and information pertinent to the Zone diet.
July 24, 2018
Contiene todos los conceptos del libro original sobre la dieta de la zona, pero se complementa con recetas y consejos para poder aplicarla semana a semana. Bastante bueno si crees en la dieta y quieres usarla.
Yo lo leí porque mi esposa quería aplicarla, pero al final no le gustó. Aún así tomamos varios consejos sobre el equilibrio entre proteínas y carbohidratos.
Yo lo leí porque mi esposa quería aplicarla, pero al final no le gustó. Aún así tomamos varios consejos sobre el equilibrio entre proteínas y carbohidratos.
October 24, 2008
Dr. Sears dietary theories focus on low-carbohydrates to lose weight makes some reasonable recommendations. A sensible diet. His focus on disease prevention, blood sugar and insulin control and increasing longevity are worth considering.
February 5, 2008
I am at my best when I follow this plan.
April 1, 2011
Started, and finished today. Apparently THIS is how I am going to add back carbs into my diet after being without for 10 days. It makes sense.
July 29, 2011
Susan Schultz' favorite diet
September 2, 2011
very useful
May 17, 2012
Una manera sana y fácil de cambiar tu vida, con una regla básica de proteínas, carbohidratos y grasas ;)
October 9, 2017
Good day all well this is i faith a good book through chronic hunger god blees really.
January 15, 2020
Good energy, great weightloss for me. It's a CrossFit staple.
September 12, 2016
Interesting..
October 24, 2015
Works if you stick to it. I couldn't.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews