Hi
I'm very much interested in the Zone diet because it seems to me the best diet around representing the perfect balance between high-carb and low-carb between excessive meat consumption and vegan between extreme stricteness and wild indulgence between macronutrients-obsession and micronutrients-importance.

Not to mention that on the web there are a lot more success testimonials of people of all ages (including children) than all the other diets combined. However, for those of you who understand the Zone diet, I'm still confused by something.

I just turned 18 and I'm underweight and I'm male.
I'm also not very healthy and my main problem is fatigue and exhaustation, I'm always (especially after a meal) tired, sleepy, weak, spacey and often too tired to do anything. Anyway, I clearly need to gain weight muscle possibly.

The Zone diet just seem too low in calories.

Even for dieters!

People who need to lose weight are told to never go below the 1500 calories but the 11 blocks suggested by the Zone are just 900 calories!
Sears says that pregnant women needs to up their blocks to 14, but that's just 1200 calories while pregnant women may need even 2600 calories.

As for me, experts say that a boy may age that needs to gain weight needs on average 2500 calories. This is like 28 blocks!

There are other two important facts about the Zone.

1) The Zone is said to be achieved by respecting the radio of 40/30/30
2) The allowed carbs are fruits and vegetables

This is a problem because when you consumed 28 blocks or 2500 calories you are also consuming 200 grams of protein (which even considering the 1g per 1lb of lean body weight seems an awful lot) and also 252 grams of carbohydrates.

But considering that an apple is just 15 grams of carbs and a cup of broccoli is just 3 grams of carbs I would need to eat 84 cups of broccoli !!! or 20 pieces of fruits to get enough carbohydrates !!!

The other alternative is to consumed less carbs, less protein and more fat but that would result in a Zone diet which is 20/10/70 instead of 30/40/40 where carbs would be less than proteins and this is what Sears advises against.

So, what someone who wants the benefit of the Zone diet but don't want to lose weight and don't want to waste away must do to be in the Zone?

Thanks a lot