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Try Heller's Carbohydrate Addict instead
The Zone is really a low-calorie diet in a high-protein disguise. The reason you lose weight is because there's really only 1500 - 2000 calories per day, although Sears doesn't focus on that.
I tried it and found it too complex. I agreed with much of the concept - I'm hypoglycemic and know what the impact of high-glycemic foods has on me. But aspects of it didn't make much sense to me - and some of the science seemed a bit far fetched. I lost a little weight, but couldn't stay with it and never got past my carb cravings and hunger.
What worked for me was Richard and Rachael Heller's book on Carbohydrate Addicts. The approach is similar: balancing insulin & restricting high-glycemic carbs. But it's far easier to manage. My weight loss was slow and steady, but recognizable and encouraging. And most important, I seem to have gotten over the carb cravings and constant hunger.
If you find the Zone too difficult to manage (and many do) check out the Carbohydrate Addict series. Go with the most recent, they've refined their approach.
