Why Zone? Part I, by Tom

The Zone Challenge begins this week, Please RSVP for one of the two intro meetings! The following is Part I in a series by Tom, CrossFitter and Zoner, he started with us in January Enjoy, and be inspired, Mike

 Last January, I had been considering applying to Army Officer Candidate School when I learned that I was too overweight. This came as a surprise, as I had considered myself a healthy eater -- diet soda, non-fat and whole grain foods, fruit and vegetables every day, etc. -- and I rode a stationary bike occasionally. It's interesting to look back on what I considered "good health."

I started CrossFit in January 2010. As many of you have experienced, those first CrossFit OnRamp sessions were another wakeup call. I kept seeing mention of the Zone Diet in CrossFit materials, so I decided to try it.

Hitting "the zone" was a revelation. In the first two months I lost twenty pounds. Even after weight leveled off, body fat has kept changing. I didn't take my measurements when I started, but the picture below might illustrate. Also, my skin changed a lot. I seemed to hit that "wall" during workouts less quickly, and I felt like my progress in CrossFit increased significantly, even week to week. The Zone Diet refers to food as "medicine," and I now have trouble imagining trying to do CrossFit without that approach to eating.

This has been my personal experience. As always, consider talking to a doctor and doing your own research before starting a new diet. But whether you are looking to break through a CrossFit plateau or just lose some weight, I highly suggest giving Zone a look.