The zone diet is considered a fad diet created by a biochemist named Barry Sears. In reality it's not a fad diet in that it is not planned to only be consumed in short periods, but rather to become the normal eating habits for a person. The diet relies on balancing hormones, but is still a low carbohydrate diet even if less restrictive than diets like Atkins.

The zone diet relies on a 40 to 30 to 30 balance of calories from carbs, proteins and fats. Television studies have concluded that the diet can work. Some of the studies even showed an increase in muscle mass while on the zone diet. Many of the people in these studies also reported that of all the low carbohydrate diets, the zone diet was easiest to fit into an everyday lifestyle.

The result of the zone diet and its hormone balance is the body releasing anti-inflammatory chemicals like those found in aspirin, but without side effects. Sears also said the diet would help make the heart healthier. The body also becomes more efficient as a result of the zone diet, meaning it stops storing fat. Thus, with no fat stored, and with stored fat used as energy, the body loses weight. Later Sears added a Omega three and Omega six fatty acids to the diet, through such supplements as pharmaceutical fish oils.

A typical zone diet meal was described by its creator in the following manner. In every meal eat enough protein to fit in the palm of your hand, as many non-starchy raw vegetables as you can take, just enough carbohydrates to maintain mental clarity, and just enough oils to stop hunger.

The Zone diet boasts an amazing weight loss story to its credit - a man who once weighed 1200 pounds. After two years on the zone diet he lost nearly 1/3 of that weight, all that after trying everything he could think of including liposuction that had nearly been fatal. He now eats about 2000 calories a day, filled with foods recommended by the zone diet.

You may not need to lose 1000 pounds, but the zone diet could still help.