By Dr. Davide Marciano
To take the right amounts of macronutrients, Dr. Sears has designed two different systems:
- the palm system
- the block system
Palm System of the Hand
It is the least precise method but it allows even the most "listless" and all the people who eat outside the home for various reasons, to stay in the area without too many problems.
Each meal should consume as much protein (fish or meat) as the palm of one's hand (thus excluding the fingers), such as extension and thickness. Finally, the meal will be concluded with a quantity of fruit equal to the volume of two of its own punches.
If you don't want to give up pasta or bread, decrease the amount of vegetables and replace the fruit with a quantity of pasta or bread equal to the size of your fist.
Block system
Here we divide the macronutrients into blocks:
| 1 block of carbohydrates | = 9 g of carbohydrates |
| 1 block of proteins | = 7 g of protein |
| 1 fat block | = 3 g of fat |
These blocks represent the 40/30/30 percentages and must always be taken in the ratio 1: 1: 1, that is a block of carbohydrates (9g) + one of proteins (7g) + one of fats (3g).
How to start the area
To "enter the area", follow these steps:
1) Calculate the percentage of fat (also through a simple plicometry) and subtract it from the total weight to estimate the lean mass.
TOTAL WEIGHT -% OF GREASE = LEAN MASS
2) Calculate, based on the lean mass, the protein quota through an index of physical activity:
| 1.1 | Pure sedentary |
| 1.3 | Quiet work, without training or regular sporting activity |
| 1.5 | Work more low-intensity fitness activities; obese subjects |
| 1.7 | Stressful jobs; subjects who train at least three times a week or systematically practice a sport |
| 1.9 | Work and daily aerobic or weight training |
| 2.1 | Heavy daily training |
| 2.3 | Training for competitive purposes |
3) Based on the daily protein content, you will calculate the protein, carbohydrate and fat blocks.
Suppose your protein quota is 120 g, then:
120g ÷ 7 (grams of protein per block) = 17.2 which we will approximate to 17 blocks, therefore ALWAYS respecting the ratio 1: 1: 1, we will have:
17 blocks of protein + 17 blocks of carbohydrates + 17 blocks of fat. They will therefore be divided up throughout the day, for example into:
| Breakfast | 4 blocks of proteins, carbohydrates, fats |
| Snack | 2 blocks of proteins, carbohydrates, fats |
| Lunch | 5 blocks of proteins, carbohydrates, fats |
| Snack | 2 blocks of proteins, carbohydrates, fats |
| Dinner | 4 blocks of proteins, carbohydrates, fats |
Six weeks to "enter the area" »
Recommended external links: zone diet
examples of protein blocks
