South African Pleads For Weight Loss Help

My heart is genuinely touched every time I hear from someone who is struggling with obesity and wants to know what I did to finally beat that albatross that plagued me for so many years. I got an e-mail today from someone in South Africa who requested my help and encouragement about what to do about weight loss.

Here's the e-mail:

Hi,
 
I've read your BLOG and it's quite informative, and a very nice read... and can't wait for your book to be released (wonder how long it will take before it's available in South Africa).
 
I want to start doing Atkins, but at the moment I'm unable to as I'm in a foreign country, where everything is difficult and expensive to obtain. I'm currently weighing 286lb's and my goal is to lose 88-110lb's and to keep it of. I'm 27 years old now, and have always been obese.... and it's truly affecting me emotionally.
 
I was just wondering if you can give me an idea of the exercises you've done and an example of your meal plan you had during induction, and also the supplements you used. Believe me, I've tried quite a few "programs", even did Body-for-Life for 6 months, Have to admit that I lost 35lb on that program in the first 3 months, but then I hit a brick wall, and I didn't lose anything for the 3 months following the initial loss. As you can imagine, after that disappointment I gave up.
 
Well, thank you for being an inspiration to me.
 
Rgrds
Marcel Visagie
 
PS: Every person I inform that I'm planning to do Atkins has negative things to say about it, in fact, while typing this e-mail I received this message from a friend of mine with some more people busting the myth of low-carb eating.

Here was my response:

Hey Marcel,

THANK YOU SO MUCH for writing to me. I really appreciate your appreciation for my blog and people just like you are exactly why I created it. You deserve so much to have the same thing happen to you that I was able to experience by livin' la vida low-carb.

My book will be available from Amazon.com, but I don't know what their policy is about shipping to South Africa. You might check online to find out more about that. Your questions were quite interesting because I address ALL of them in my book.
 
However, when your options are limited regarding food, just try to eat the foods that you can obtain that are in the Atkins book. If you have not read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, then that is certainly your first step before continuing on. There are other low-carb books out there, but choose one and stick with that plan.

You can easily lose 100+ pounds and you are at a good age to be doing this. I lost 170 pounds when I was your age, but it was on a low-fat diet and I eventually gained all the weight back because I was always hungry. I know how this can play on your psyche and you need to be strong to endure in this journey.
 
Exercise is whatever you can do to get your body moving and make it sweat. Find a fun activity to do or just walk around your neighborhood. The key is to make it REGULAR and OFTEN. This is an important part of livin' la vida low-carb.

Supplementation should include a variety of vitamins, but let's get you started on a multi-vitamin to begin. You can add the others I detail in my book later.

Let me be honest with you. It doesn't matter which weight loss program you choose, there will be a time when you "hit a brick wall" and don't lose any weight. That's just a part of the process that you have to know will happen going in. My weight stopped for a while, too, but you press on. My book details how I got through that trying time. It wasn't easy, but it is a turning point where so many people fail.

As for the critics of this way of eating, they seem to be everywhere don't they? Again, I address ten common objections to low-carb that you will face and how to answer them in my book. These people will do all they can to discourage you. But don't let 'em. Laugh at them instead and you'll have the last laugh when you lose and maintain your weight.

Marcel, THANK YOU! Getting e-mails like your reminds me why I do what I do. I pray you will continue to take your weight problem seriously and do what you need to do to bring it under control. God bless you, my friend.

Jimmy Moore, "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man"
livinlowcarbman@charter.net
http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com

Marcel, hang in there! YOU CAN DO IT! If you would like to encourage Marcel in this exciting journey of livin' la vida low-carb, then feel free to post your comments below. The impact of your positive encouragement may give Marcel the strength needed to do this once and for all this time. KEEP ON LIVIN' LA VIDA LOW-CARB!