Success Story on the Zone
My name is Susan Rico-Ahrens. I am 32 years old and 5 feet, 5 inches tall. I gave birth to my daughter in September of 2001, and before I got pregnant, I weighed around 145 pounds and was a size 9/10. Before marriage (in my younger years) I was around 120 pounds and a size zero. After I had my daughter, my weight continued to rise, and I had a severe case of Acid Reflux disease. It was so painful that whenever it hit I wouldn't be able to move for an hour or two. Finally, in August of 2003, I became fed up with having Acid Reflux. I knew I needed medication but also needed to stop eating at McDonald's and fast food places every day. I was tired of being overweight and not feeling healthy. I was a size 16 at this point, weighing around 180 pounds. I contacted my uncle, Dan Rico, who is a nutritionist, and asked him to recommend a diet for me. He suggested The Zone lifestyle, that I buy A Week in the Zone, and that I check out Dr. Barry Sears's Web site."The weight flew off me!"
I ran this lifestyle change by my doctor to be sure it was okay for my one kidney (I had lost a kidney in a car accident when I was 20 years old). My doctor was all for it! So, at the very end of August, I started on The Zone, and within only a few months, I had lost 30 pounds. Over the next few months the weight came off slowly, but I definitely saw results and inches. I did moderate exercise - about three days a week of half an hour on the treadmill. In March 2004, my best friend started on The Zone, as did her husband, which motivated me to start working out more often. Now, on the weekend my dog and I walk no less than six miles a day. I also walk with my toddler, putting her in her stroller and breaking up the miles. One day I may do half of my walk with my daughter and the rest after dinner."I feel like a teenager!"
Today I am 119 pounds and a size zero again - my true weight and size. When I started the diet, I had 35 percent body fat, and that percentage is now down to 15 percent. Also, when I was younger, even though I was thin, I had a small belly bulge. It would never go away no matter how much I exercised. My doctors told me that some people just have a natural curve there. But now, mine is gone, even after having a baby and a C-section! I've lost 60 pounds to date and have never in my life had so much energy. I feel like a teenager!
"Everyone notices how good I look"
Several of my friends and family members have started The Zone based on my results, including my mother. One of them converted from the Atkins diet. Though she did lose a lot of weight on Atkins, she noticed that my weight loss made me look long and lean whereas she still had fat patches. The biggest difference she sees now is in her energy level. Helping my friends and family get on the Zone Diet makes me feel very good. I am proud of my accomplishment and that I lost weight the healthy way.Recently I had a school reunion, and everyone told me I hadn't changed a bit! But one of the most flattering compliments I received was from a friend who sees me every other month. She said, "Susan, something is different about you." My husband commented that I had lost a lot of weight, and she said she noticed, but that there was something else. She stared at me for a few seconds, and then asked, "Did you have Botox done?" Now that's a heck of a compliment!
Susan's Tips
My favorite recipes: I am not much of a cook and never really cared for cooking, but Dr. Sears has quite a few recipes that make it easy and quick. My favorites are Fruit Smoothie for breakfast, Spiced Pepper Steak for dinner, and Cheese and Grapes for snacks.Meal timing: I wake up in the morning and have 1 1/2 cups of coffee with skim milk and Splenda for sweetener. This is on mornings when I don't work out first thing. I make sure that I eat breakfast no later than 8 a.m. I am not hungry again until around noon, and my snack is usually from 2:45 to 3:15. I eat dinner anywhere from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., and normally have my snack around 9 at night, since I go to bed by 10 p.m.
What I eat before I work out: When I work out first thing in the morning at the health club or with my dog on walks, I don't eat. I usually start around 5:45 a.m., and I drink lots of water during my workout. On these days, I skip coffee and make sure to eat by 8 a.m. On days that I walk 10-12 miles, I will have an extra half Zone Bar or a Zone snack in addition to the other five times I eat that day.
How I keep exercise interesting: I have about three different routes in my neighborhood that I have mile aged and mapped out. If I'm not on a timed walk to train for the marathon, I'll take my dog with me. For timed walks, I'll take the hillier route to make it harder. Other days, I strap on my CD Walkman and listen to CDs I've burned, or I walk with a friend, which makes the time fly!
Nov. 5 2005. ___________________
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