Australia, Who's Gonna Be YOUR Biggest Loser?

Bob Harper & Jillian Michaels take "The Biggest Loser" to Australia!

The hit NBC reality television show "The Biggest Loser" featuring personal trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels has been wildly popular in a country known as "the land down under" -- AUSTRALIA!

Because of the immense enthusiasm from the fans in Australia, "The Biggest Loser" is coming to the television airwaves and will feature both Harper and Michaels with overweight and obese Australian men and women. I kinda wish they'd show the Australian version of "The Biggest Loser" in the United States, but that probably won't happen. :(



Nevertheless, the format of the show will be just a tad bit different than what we have here in America. The show will be on the air for FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK over an 8-week period and will feature 12 weight loss contestants competing for a grand prize of $200,000 and a home fitness studio. Not a shabby prize PLUS the added bonus of weight loss!

Just like the U.S. version of "The Biggest Loser," the contestants will be split into the Red and Blue teams and will compete in various challenges, food temptations, and, of course, that HUGE scale!

While American comedian Caroline Rhea has done an excellent job hosting "The Biggest Loser" here in the United States, the Australian version of the show will feature another comedian, but she has a story that makes her the PERFECT choice to host "The Biggest Loser."


This is the beautiful AJ Rochester in 2006

AJ Rochester is the inspirational leader of a very successful Internet weight loss club for Australians called The Healthy Body Club. Can you believe this woman used to weigh a whole lot more than she does now?

The pictures don't lie:



WOW, what a transformation! Kudos to the producers of Australia's "The Biggest Loser" for choosing the best person to host this show. She will undoubtedly inspire and motivate even the most lethargic contestant to acheive the success they desire.




So, who are these 12 Australian contestants for "The Biggest Loser?"

I'm introduce them to you now:

Catherine “Cat” White


A 27-year old "larger than life" woman who desires to lose weight so she will look good when she marries her long-time sweetheart. She blames her obesity on her occupation as a chef in the early part of her working life. This Melbourne-native hopes "The Biggest Loser" will help her change her life forever.

Fiona Falkiner


A 22-year old knockout has amazingly NEVER had a boyfriend (are the men in Australia CRAZY?!?!) because they all thought she was too fat. This Melbourne beauty is gonna make all those men who turned her down cry themselves to sleep when she sheds the weight on "The Biggest Loser." Hopefully, Fiona will find the true love she so deeply desires after this experience.

Kristie Dignam


This 32-year old mother of five from Perth is the epitome of a working mom -- she works TWO jobs (plus the HUGE third job of raising all those kids!) and stays busy juggling it all. Her dream is to lose weight in time for her husband's 20th class reunion in a few months and she wants to look good for him. She has turned to food for comfort, but wants to change that.

Ruth Almeida de Campos


A 28-year old woman with three very young kids who is deperate to lose weight. This Newcastle mother and wife of five years has had a stressful relationship being apart from her husband throughout their short-lived marriage. As a result, Ruth has turned to eating to help her manage the stress. She's a funny lady which makes her attractive no matter how much she weighs.

Tracy Moores


A 44-year old Sydney woman who has had a lot of competition for beauty within her own family -- they're all MODELS! As a "plus-size model" for many years, Tracy knows it is time to take control of her weight and health. She enjoys life with her husband and three kids and realizes she's "not getting younger." She hopes to walk the catwalk again -- as a regular model!

Jo Cowling


Jo is a 33-year old, in-your-face real estate agent residing in Sydney. She's been big her entire life and has done the rollercoaster ride of dieting like so many of us have. She has excused her lack of exercise because of time constraints with her job, but that's all about to change with "The Biggest Loser" experience that awaits her. She wants to do this for her health.

David Hilyander


In a striking resemblance to Matt Hoover, "The Biggest Loser" winner from Season Two in the U.S., David is a 33-year old beer guzzling party animal from Sydney who enjoys being involved with rugby. But his weight has prevented him from playing a more active role and has been derogatorily compared with hefty actor John Candy. These insults and his ever-increasing waist size have led him to become depressed despite having a positive outlook on life.

Big Wal (Vladimir Milberg)


Hailing from Townsville, this burly 42-year old father of two is a fireman who has been given an ultimatum -- lose weight or lose your job! His slow reaction time when the fire alarm sounds has his superiors concerned he's not fit enough for the job anymore. Big Wal eats a whopping EIGHT meals a day and believes he'll EASILY lose weight on "The Biggest Loser." We'll see.

Harry Kantzidis


A Melbourne father of two whose emotions got the best of him at "The Biggest Loser" audition. The 35-year old said his son was so embarrassed to be around him that he has to drop the 7-year old off a couple of blocks from his school so nobody would see him. A former athlete and bodybuilder, Harry eats because it makes him happy. He will now learn that he can eat HEALTHY and be happy, too!

Shane Giles


Shane is 38 years old man from Ballarat who says his weight problem makes him gunshy about approaching any woman he finds attractive. Ever since a tragic accident killing his brother rattled him a decade ago, he has turned to food to help him cope. This former AFL football player-turned-musician would like to get back down to his playing weight again.

Adro (Adriano Sarnelli)


The "bald guy" of the show who goes by the name of Adro, he wants to lose weight to be a daddy for a long time for his precious little girl. This 26-year old Newcastle man grew up in a large family both in numbers and in weight thanks to the hearty Italian meals they ate every night. Plus, his mother wouldn't let him play sports because she was afraid he would get hurt.

Artie Rocke


Last but not least, there's Artie -- a 42-year old Hervey Bay single gay man who hopes to attract the man of his dreams with his weight loss on "The Biggest Loser." As someone who is "eating constantly," he has always loved food and is an avid cook. A recent negative incident riding a bicycle convinced him that losing weight is something he needs to do.

There you have it, Aussies! Those are YOUR contestants for "The Biggest Loser" in Australia. I REALLY wish I could watch these shows. Maybe somebody there could tape them for me and ship them to the U.S. for me to watch! LOL!

Check your local listings for when the show will air in your area. For more information about "The Biggest Loser" coming to Australia, click here.

Low-Carb Is Not Necessarily For Everyone

As a strong advocate of the low-carb lifestyle, most people just automatically assume that I think livin' la vida low-carb is for everyone. Let me be very clear from the start: LOW-CARB IS NOT NECESSARILY FOR EVERYONE! Gasp!

I know it's hard to believe with the kind of posts I write about at my blog, but I realize low-carb living doesn't work for everyone. It is merely one way that people have found to attain permanent control over their weight. Others (God bless 'em!) think that eating a low-fat diet or restricting their calories is the way to improved health and stabilized weight and I say MORE POWER TO THEM!

But if you haven't even TRIED the low-carb lifestyle to see if it works for you, you can't exactly know if it's for you or not.

A co-worked called me this afternoon and asked for my "expert advice" (on dieting? LOL!) about why he is not succeeding at his low-carb program. He said he lost a considerable amount of weight the last time he was on "Atkins" for a month, but then gained it all back when he went on a pizza binge and let the low-carb lifestyle slip away from him.

He said he started back again two days ago, but his ketone strips weren't showing him in ketosis and he has even gained a pound.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" he asked me.

I assured him that it was probably too early for him to be concerned about ketosis as it sometimes takes as much as two weeks in some people to get into that state. I also told him that not everyone shows purple or even pink on the ketone strips although they can be releasing excess ketones and burning fat.

When I asked him what he ate, he responded "salads and stuff." When I asked him what the "stuff" was, he admitted he had raisins as part of his "Atkins" (I put this in parentheses because it was apparent to me he's never read the book) plan. That's a problem, especially during Induction when you need to keep your carbs at around 20g per day.

I encouraged him to put away the scale, put away the ketone strips, and carefully watch his carb intake for the next two weeks. When that time is up, step on the scale, check your ketone strips, and get ready to be pleasantly surprised by what you see.

I encouraged him to make this his permanent lifestyle change or no amount of low-carbing is going to help him lick his weight problem for good. Which is worse for you: doing the Atkins diet for the rest of your life or remaining obese with all the health consequences that goes with that? The answer is too obvious.

We'll see how my co-worker does with my suggestions. But I also got an e-mail from one of my blog readers who recently bought my book and wondered if low-carb would work for her or not.

Here's what she wrote to me.

My daughter has lost 50 lbs following a low carb lifestyle after many failures on low-fat restricted diets. I myself lost 70 lbs on Dr. Atkins diet when it first came out in the 70’s. The doctors convinced me I would DIE if I stayed on it and so I abandoned it and regained the weight. The rest of my life was a series of diets and yo yo weight loss.

Then in 2000 I went to Weight Watchers and lost 65lbs and kept it off for 3 years. I truly believed I had licked my weight problem. Then we moved and I became very stressed and depressed. I began to gain weight. Seemed nothing would stop it. I regained 20 lbs over a year and that’s where I am today. I am 55 yrs old.

My daughter suggested I try the low carb lifestyle again. I did that and my “sticks” turned purple, but in this first week, I have lost nothing and have actually gained a pound.

Here’s my question: does low carb work for everyone? Have you come across knowledge in this area?

Thanks, Jimmy!

Sound familiar? Have you asked some of these questions yourself about livin' la vida low-carb? I'm encouraged to learn that she has already seen success with the low-carb lifestyle previously, so I think she could do it again.

To answer her question about whether low-carb is for everyone, I'd like to reference an excellent column from About.com Low Carb Diets editor Laura Dolson.

In the piece she wrote called Is Low Carb Right For You?, Dolson asserts that "no one diet that will work for everyone," including livin' la vida low-carb.

She lists some "things to keep in mind" when deciding whether a controlled carb eating plan is for you:

1. Your diet history - what was your experience on previous diets like?
2. Food and eating behaviors - why do you eat the way you do?
3. Medical history - what is the state of your overall health?
4. Commitment - are you willing to make this a lifestyle change?

Dolson says that last one is the KEY to whether you will be successful with ANY weight loss plan and that's what I would say to my co-worker or my blog reader wanting to know if low-carb is for her or not.

My suggestion is for people who feel that every other way of eating has failed them to give low-carb a chance to show you what it can do for you. For me, my life will never be the same again. I'll NEVER weigh 410 pounds again in my life!

Here's a five-step plan of action for you to jumpstart your low-carb lifestyle:

1. Buy a low-carb book and learn what this is all about.
2. Empty your cupboards and fridge of carb-loaded foods.
3. Stock up on high-quality, low-carb foods.
4. Be confident that this is the right thing for you to do.
5. Execute the plan as if your life depended on it (and it very well may!).

Is low-carb for everyone? Not necessarily. But it may be just the thing for YOU!

ImiTaters Are A Perfect Low-Carb Potato Pick

I can't tell you how many people have given me the excuse that the reason why they can't start livin' la vida low-carb is because they love to eat mashed potatoes too much to give them up forever. PUH-LEEZE! Well, it's high time we shoot that lame reason for avoiding the low-carb lifestyle out the window once and for all.

Let me introduce you to Imitaters from the Grand Prairie, TX-based company Heritage Family Specialty Foods, Inc. They launched this all-natural frozen potato alternative in July 2004 to help provide the market with a low-carb, low-fat, low-calorie, gluten-free, wheat-free and msg-free product for that growing group of "consumers moving toward healthy lifestyles."

"We've found that consumers are looking for a unique, delicious tasting, gourmet replacement in their diets, and ImiTaters fits this bill," exclaimed the President of Heritage Family Specialty Foods Daniel Brackeen, who just happens to be the creator and manufacturer of TCBY ice cream products. Now he's bringing that ingenuity to the low-carb market.

Let me tell you, this product delivers all of that and more for the low-carb community!

ImiTaters are made primarily from cauliflower and have an amazingly creamy consistency that is difficult to attain when you try to make it yourself at home. Believe me, I've tried and they don't taste near THIS good when I make 'em!

To complement the very low-carb cauliflower used in this product, ImiTaters also contain cream, cheese, salt, garlic and other spices to make them taste as good as they do. When my box arrived in the mail today, I couldn't wait to cook them up and try them for myself. I have to tell you, I wasn't at all disappointed with them! You'll never believe you're not eating real mashed potatoes!

As you can see when you visit the Imitaters web site, this product is low-carb, low-fat, and low-calorie, so it's not a bad option for everyone to eat regardless of which diet plan you have chosen to follow.

They come in four amazing flavors: Original, Savory Garlic, Smoky Chipotle, and The Works!

Dr. Sharon R. Price, author of the book Health & The Domino Effect said carbohydrate addiction is a very real problem that needs to be addressed and products like ImiTaters can help people overcome their obsession with overconsuming carbs.

"America is becoming addicted to carbohydrates," Price suggested. "Since the onse of the no fat, low fat craze, the average American has gained eight pounds, primarily through carbohydrate addiction."

She added that Imitaters and other carbohydrate-lowering food products will "help break the cycle" of addiction.

"With Imitaters, Heritage has created a frozen gourmet cauliflower blend that mimics real potatoes and satisfies the potato lover in anyone, without all the carbohydrates," Price concluded.

In terms of our obsession about fat in this country, Price said people are missing out on the healthy benefits of consuming fat while ruining their health by overeating carbohydrates and added sugars.

"Fat provides flavor and texture in food and to make fat-free foods more palatable, food manufacturers add more sugar (a carbohydrate), plus other additives," she notes.

I have harped on sugar, not fat contributing to obesity since I started this blog and will keep on banging that drum until people get it through their thick heads. Is it any wonder why obesity rates keep on moving upward year after year? When are we gonna understand that something we are doing is not working and it's this mistaken notion that fat makes you fat.

Price has hit the nail on the head with her comments. It took me a very long time to realize that my weight problem was more than just overeating, but it was actually about eating too many carbs. That's why my weight zoomed over 400 pounds in a very short period of time. THANKS to the low-carb lifestyle, I got that problem well under control before it was too late!

Some think livin' la vida low-carb is about eating ZERO carbs and that's just ridiculous! But most low-carbers will tell you that we eat LOTS of carbs. The only difference is we are not putting in our mouths the gargantuan amounts of carbohydrates we used to eat when we were fat and getting fatter every year. The permanent lifestyle change in people who eat low-carb helps them become carb conscious (as I talk about in Chapter 1 of my book) and never go back to their old habits of mindlessly eating carbs all day long like they used to.

In addition to being low-carb, low-fat and low-calorie, those of you who are using the glycemic index will be happy to know that ImiTaters rate very low on GI diets (that's a good thing!). Additionally, most contain 5g of fiber and 2g of protein per serving and each box has four servings. It feeds the entire family!

I'm not easily impressed by a low-carb product unless it is truly incredible and ImiTaters surpassed ALL of my expectations. I highly recommend ImiTaters and I think you will be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

To find a traditional retail store near you that carries ImiTaters, use the convenient Store Locator at their web site.

Also, you can order by phone by calling 1-800-MI-TATER or visit them on the Internet at ImiTaters.com. Be sure to let them know "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man" Jimmy Moore sent you! :)

I'd love to know what you think about ImiTaters if you decide to give them a try or if you have already tried them before. Post your comments by clicking on the link below.

Loving Each Other Enough To Low-Carb

I am always encouraged when I hear that people decide to make livin' la vida low-carb their way of life. We all have our own reasons for following this way of eating because we all come at it from different perspections. Most of us want to lose weight, improve our health, and get into shape NOW before our obesity overcomes us and leads us down a path like my brother is taking right now. That's not a fun place to be in for anyone.

A precious reader of mine sent me the following e-mail today to let me know both she and her husband-to-be have dedicated themselves to the South Beach diet since New Year's Day 2006 and have been encouraged by my blog. She and her fiance have lost a combined 20 pounds and are well on their way to looking great when the wedding bell chime on April 7th.

Here's her e-mail to me:

Hi Jimmy,

Just wanted to drop you a note to let you know that I'm so inspired by your website. My fiance, who previously lost 40 pounds on South Beach, sent me a link to your site shortly after I decided to do South Beach on Jan. 1. We are getting married April 7, and for a year I had told myself that I would lose weight. Well, that never happened. I was obsessed with bread, french fries, and everything terrible that you eat when you're addicted to eating out.

I am at least 60 pounds overweight and I'm only 25. My fiance also recommitted himself to South Beach. Together, over the last month, we have each lost just under 20 pounds. We have a ways to go, but we're so excited! We are eating tons of lean meat and vegetables, and are exercising regularly. It is so awesome to get on the scale and see the numbers go down and feel my clothes get looser and looser. I can only imagine how it must have felt for you!

I'm becoming increasingly confident that I can maintain this healthy way of way of life permanently.But sometimes, I feel discouraged when people ask me about South Beach and then act like I'm an idiot for doing it. I feel like no one will ever get over the whole "must eat low fat" thing. But then I read blogs like yours and I feel encouraged again. So from one low-carber to another, just wanted to say thanks! :)

It looks like these two are on the pathway to success and they should be proud of what they are doing for themselves. They are establishing for themselves the groundwork for a long-lasting and healthy relationship together.

Here was my response:

THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing your story with me. I KNOW it's hard, but you can do this. I am proud that you and your future husband are getting this beast under control now so that you can leave a lasting legacy of health for your future children together.

Hearing you talk about how you get discouraged by people who don't like the weight loss plan you have chosen reminds me of an entire section of my book where I provide the most common objections to low-carb and how to respond to them. The whole purpose of my book was to encourage, inspire and motivate people to make weight loss a priority before it is too late.

Although you are in your mid-20's, NOW is the time to make this happen for yourself and I am so very proud you two for getting your priorities straight. Never, ever, ever forget the prize that awaits you at the end of this journey. It is so worth it in the end -- no matter how hard it gets! Trust me on this.

I pray God's blessings upon you both as you enter this exciting new chapter in your lives. I am sure this shared experience with only strengthen the bond you two have for each other and will draw you even closer together as you commit yourselves to each other in holy matrimony in just a few short months. You will look FABULOUS!

Be sure to send pictures of the wedding and I'll post them at my blog! And CONGRATULATIONS to you and that lucky man you are marrying. I wish you two many years of happiness together. You should be applauded for loving each other enough to low-carb together. It's an investment that will keep you together for as long as God intended. Take care!

Incredible Low-Carb Toll House Cookie Recipe

This scrumptuous cookie recipe has JUST 2 NET CARBS -- WOWsers!

I just received in my e-mail box from my local low-carb retailer Elaine at Low-Carb Connoisseur this absolutely yummy new recipe for those of you who love freshly baked Toll House cookies. Mmmmm. My mouth is watering already.

These cookies are made with Carbquick, a low-carb version of Bisquick, which is available from various low-carb retailers across the Internet and in brick-and-mortar low-carb stores across the country. These look like they would be great hot out of the oven on a cold, winter day to bring a smile to your face without the worry of adding pounds to your belly!

A special THANK YOU to Elaine for sharing this delicious recipe with us today:

CARBQUICK TOLLHOUSE COOKIES (Nestle who?!)

Servings: Approx. 30 cookies
Net Carbs Per Serving: 2g
Total Preparation Time: 9 to 11 minutes

2 1/4 cups Carbquik (note, start with 2 cups and add additional as needed to form a nice cookie dough)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (12-ounce package) TOLL HOUSE Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels or your favorite sugar free semi-sweet morsels
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks, 1/2 pound) butter, softened
3/4 Splenda
3/4 cup packed brown sugar twin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup chopped nuts

Combine Carbquik, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, Splenda, brown sugar twin and vanilla in large mixer bowl till butter is well creamed.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in Carbquik mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake in preheated 375ºF oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

The ingredients for this recipe are located at the bottom of the recipe page. Cookies anyone?!

Let me caution you about overindulging in these cookies. Please be responsible about how many you eat because it is tempting to eat the whole batch (they're THAT good!). But if you limit yourself to no more than 2 cookies, you should be fine sticking to your low-carb lifestyle.

Friends don't let friends eat too many cookies. That would be livin' la vida looney! LOL! ENJOY!

Biggest Loser Becomes Big Disappointment

Dina Garcia becomes upset when "The Biggest Loser" audition is nixed

NBC's hit-television show "The Biggest Loser" has created such a demand for weight loss contestants that one audition on the West Coast had to cancel due to safety concerns for those who showed up.

This NBC San Diego report about the tryouts that were to take place for Season Three of "The Biggest Loser" reveals that it quickly turned ugly when the Mission Valley, CA-based Dave and Buster's restaurant couldn't handle the 1,000+ people who showed up.

The unexpectedly large crowd grew restless waiting for the doors to be opened, but the restaurant owner abruptly cancelled the event in conjuction with the production company holding the auditions because of a lack of control over several disruptive applicants in the crowd as well as a lack of outdoor restrooms.

But that didn't sit well with many of the people who showed up, including Dina Garcia who said she drove 1,200 miles to be at this audition.

She claims she "took time off to come down here, and [the audition was] canceled for no reason, no good explanation, no nothing."

Garcia added: "Where's our chance to be skinny?"

Oh please! I hate to break it to you, lady, but there ain't no television show on the air today that is going to replace the basics for getting your weight under control: eat the right kinds of foods, exercise regularly, and take care of your body. There's nothing special about what the contestants on "The Biggest Loser" do to lose weight. They just work their butts off...LITERALLY!




That's one of the reasons why I think the show may be creating some unreasonable expectations for weight loss. People think this show is their ONLY hope to lose weight and that's just silly. Put in the effort and execute the plan you choose to see the results you want. It can happen for YOU!

Of course, the thrill of being on national television is alluring enough, but don't needlessly give up on weight loss and your "chance to be skinny" just because you might not be on the show. Does this lady even realize how ridiculous she sounds?

Representatives from Dave and Buster's released this statement about why they canceled the audition:

"Providing a safe environment for our guests and team members is always Dave and Buster's first priority. Unfortunately, the situation this morning was not safe despite out very best efforts to make it so. We regret that the event had to be canceled."

The last thing you want in a situation like this is a riot with a thousand hungry contestants trying to get on a weight loss show for a chance to win a whole lotta cash. LOL! Just kidding. But I guess this is a nice problem to have for NBC and "The Biggest Loser" because it shows the interest in the show is not diminishing at all.

A special hotline has been set up the those who showed up to the casting call in San Diego. For more information about the rescheduled dates, please call (310) 727-3307. Another casting call is expected to take place in Los Angeles, CA on February 11.

You can also apply to be on Season Three of "The Biggest Loser" by clicking here.

Achoo--Look Out, You Might Get Obese!

Just when you think you've heard it all in regards to the reasons why we have an obesity epidemic that is getting worse around the world, along comes a story like this one from Reuters which blurs the line between sensible and absurd.

Researchers at The University of Wisconsin-Madison, led by American Obesity Association President Dr. Richard L. Atkinson, claim that the sharp rise in obesity rates is attributed to a virus, according to a new study they conducted on chickens.

The human adenovirus Ad-37 is apparently the culprit in making obesity contagious in chickens, Atkinson says, and he believes additional research will find this to be true in humans as well. Adenoviruses can be transmitted through direct contact and in coughing or sneezing.

Talk is already underway to begin developing an antivirus to combat this up-and-coming threat to our waistlines. Two other related viruses, Ad-36 and Ad-5, have already been found to cause obesity in animals according to the researchers.

They conclude that the rise in obesity rates over the last three decades is faster than any other chronic disease in the United States and worldwide. The researchers say the sudden simultaneous increase in obesity cannot be explained by changes in food intake and lack of exercise. That's why they believe these viruses are the root cause of obesity.

"The nearly simultaneous increase in the prevalence of obesity in most countries of the world is difficult to explain by changes in food intake and exercise alone, and suggests that adenoviruses could have contributed," the authors state.

The study found that the chickens injected with the Ad-37 virus had higher concentrations of visceral fat and body fat compared with the control groups despite eating the same amount of food over a three-week period. Additionally, the Ad-37 group weighed more than the other groups, but not significantly more. The researchers concluded that the virus was what made the chickens fatter which is why they want to conduct more research on this theory.

"The role of adenoviruses in the worldwide epidemic of obesity is a critical question that demands additional research," the authors concluded.

The study was published in the January 2006 issue of the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.

Okay, reality check for just a minute. Is anybody buying this bill of goods about obesity being contagious like a cold? Can anything be more outlandishly absurd than this?

When I wrote a CommonVoice column that said obesity is not an illness, but a choice in the midst of my weight loss in July 2004, this kind of study is EXACTLY what I was afraid was going to happen to the subject of obesity. When it is looked at as a disease that needs to be treated medically with drugs, then we have gone too far.

Obesity is, has always been, and will always be about people eating too much of the wrong foods while slacking off on their physical activity. The increased prevalence of sugar and it's evil twin high fructose corn syrup in most foods today as well as the heavy promotion of the low-fat diet over the past 30 years certainly can't be overlooked as factors in the rise of obesity.

I don't like making the cause of obesity something that needs to be treated with a vaccine. While I am sure the scientists involved in this study are merely trying to find the root cause of a growing problem, I don't need to do the research to realize that too many people are overconsuming carbohydrates and calories. That's why we have an obesity problem, not some virus found in a limited study on chickens.

Studies like this give people an excuse for not regaining control over the weight problem because they think to themselves, "Oh, I must have that virus inside of me making me fat!" I've got three words for you: NO NO NO! If you really believe a virus is what is making you obese, then I've got a bridge to sell you in San Francisco.

The bottom line is we all know HOW we became overweight and obese. And it wasn't from a virus. But there is still hope for you to triumph over your weight as I did thanks to livin' la vida low-carb. Regardless of the method you choose for losing weight, the important thing is for you to DO SOMETHING about it as soon as possible for the sake of your health.

Don't wait around expecting researchers like Dr. Atkinson to help you lose weight. You need to grab that bull by the horns and get to work on it yourself. With hard work and determination, you WILL succeed at losing that belly.

But, just in case, I'll be running in the other direction if I see an obese person with a cold! :-O

Dr. Richard Atkinson even has a web site about his theory that obesity is caused by a virus and can be e-mailed at obetech@obesityvirus.com. Feel free to look into this obesity-virus phenomena closer and ask Dr. Atkinson any questions you may have about his research.

Bowden Distances Himself From 'Low-Carb' Book

Author Jonny Bowden says he regrets writing "Living The Low-Carb Life"

If you have read my blog or my book, then you know what a big fan of certified fitness trainer and nutritionist Jonny Bowden I am. I named him one of my top 10 movers & shakers in the low-carb community in 2005 and happily introduced this incredible man to my readers in the early days of my blog last year.

But during last Thursday night's tele-seminar call with Connie Bennett's Fast-Track, Kick-Sugar Countdown program, Jonny started talking about how he wished he hadn't written his bestselling low-carb book, Living The Low-Carb Life.

Did I REALLY hear Jonny Bowden distancing himself from his famous "low-carb" book? I'm afraid so. The discussion during the interview was on the subject of low-carb diets and Connie referenced Jonny's Living The Low-Carb Life book and asked him to share his expertise in that area.

Within just a few seconds of Connie mentioning that book, Jonny said it doesn't matter to him whether people eat low-carb or high-carb as long as they eat healthy. He added that his affiliation with the book he wrote about low-carb living has unnecessarily pegged him as a "low-carb" advocate.

Uh, yeah. Isn't that to be expected? Whenever you write such a thoroughly researched and easy-to-read book on a specific subject, most people tend to look at you as an "expert" on that particular subject. As a result, the name Jonny Bowden is now synonymous with the low-carb lifestyle whether he likes it or not.

Nevertheless, I think I know where Jonny is coming from on this one. In fact, most of us low-carbers would agree that there are MANY different ways for people to lose weight and get healthy. But for most of us, too many of those other weight loss methods only led to frustration, disappointment, and weight GAIN! That's why livin' la vida low-carb has been such a lifesaver for us. There is nothing wrong with showing your support for a weight loss method that has worked for you can could help so many others.

My concern about Jonny trying to back away from his Living The Low-Carb Life book is that he really does believe the low-carb life has helped people like me change our lives forever. That's why he wrote his book and so generously wrote a quote for the back of my book. If he didn't believe it was a great way for people to change their lives, then why would he have written it in the first place?

Jonny just inked a new book deal last week and is busy working on a brand new book coming out this Fall about the most healthy foods you can eat (he mentioned blueberries are at the top of the list of the most healthy foods to eat -- they are low-carb, by the way!). You can't help but wonder if this new position Jonny is taking turning away from the "low-carb" lingo has ANYTHING at all to do with his relationship with his new publisher. If so, then that would be a shame.

The fact is we need leaders like Jonny Bowden to stand proud and tall in the face of the negative press about low-carb to explain what this lifestyle entails so we don't give the truth manipulators (aka the press) an opportunity to redefine the terms we use, such as "low-carb." The stigma that has been placed on livin' la vida low-carb will not go away unless people like Jonny are courageous and steadfast in their commitment to standing up for the principles they know are true and have worked. I don't believe he has abandoned those principles, but it concerns me that he wishes he'd never written the book.

I VERY HIGHLY recommend Living The Low-Carb Life in my book and at my blog as the MUST HAVE low-carb book for anyone wanting to cut through the muckity-muck about low-carb and learn the facts. Regardess of any regrets that Jonny may have about writing this book, it stands as the standard bearer for future books about the low-carb lifestyle.

Don't ever forget how important you are to the low-carb community, Jonny! We need you to keep shining the light about the low-carb lifestyle so that others can find their way out of obesity hell. It saved my life and is doing the same for many others.

Best wishes to you with the new book deal and I pray you will never forget those of us in the low-carb community who look up to you and the principles you believe in. Low-carb as a lifestyle will NEVER die as long as people are convinced this is the healthy, nutritious and delicious way of eating that you and so many others have said it is.

ChocoPerfection Bars Are A Hit With Low-Carbers

When I blogged about what I believe are the best tasting low-carb chocolate bars ever earlier this month, I had no idea there would be such an outpouring of support for the incredibly delicious and luxurious sugar-free, low-carb ChocoPerfection bars.

But Low Carb Specialties founder and owner Mary Jo Kringas reported swift sales following that post I wrote as many of you who were looking for a quality European chocolate bar without all the sugar that you have eliminated from your diet since you started livin' la vida low-carb decided to give it a try. ChocoPerfection certainly has delivered and in a BIG WAY!

Here is just one of the MANY testimonies Kringas received from my readers about the ChocoPerfection bars:

"I received my shipment yesterday, and I have to say WOW! FABULOUS! Delicious! Remarkable! Mary Benson is a genius and deserves the Nobel Prize for food (if there ever was one)!

I'm on a low-carb program and I can now enjoy chocolate at its very best. The bars are perfect: there's no grittiness, no artificial flavor, and the chocolate melts in your mouth like it's supposed to.

I still can't believe how fantastic these chocolate bars are. I ate 4 last week and still lost 2 pounds. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your amazing product."

Can you tell she's just a wee bit excited? LOL! Well, if you haven't tried these incredible chocolate bars for yourself yet, then you have no idea just how amazingly good they really are.

So, what are you waiting for? Mary Jo has a special sample 2-pack that will let you try one each of the dark chocolate and the milk chocolate flavors and there is FREE SHIPPING within the United States. But I KNOW you'll be ordering these bars over and over again to satisfy your chocolate sweet tooth without the guilt of eating tons of sugar. There's no excuse for not trying these bars!

Have you tried the ChocoPerfection bars and want to share with us what you thought about them, too? Click on the comment link below and tell us about your experience.

THANKS again, Mary Jo, for creating such a decadent dessert for low-carbers and diabetics to enjoy time and time again! You can place your order for ChocoPerfection bars RIGHT NOW by clicking here.

Have We Been Duped By Our Doctors?

Joel Kauffman exposes 11 common medical myths we think are true

Okay, admit it! You know you've done it and I don't want you denying it. We've all done it.

You're flipping through the television channels and you stop on a station with a man in a white coat talking about what he recommends for his own patients.

"Take an aspirin a day to ward off heart attacks and live longer."

"You need to take this cholesterol-lowering drug to prevent heart attack or stroke."

"This exercise equipment will give you the workout you need to live a long and healthy life."

Sound familiar? Isn't is strange how we rely so heavily on a slick 30-second spot we see on the boob tube to give us our surface knowledge about what is good and healthy for us? But what we don't know about how wrong some of these common medical myths are has led to 200,000 deaths a year in America and there is one man who has set out to help you protect yourself from becoming the next victim in this national marketing scam.

His name is Dr. Joel M. Kauffman and he has written a controversial eye-opening book called Malignant Medical Myths.

It is very similar to Kevin Trudeau's bestselling book Natural Cures "They" Don't Want You To Know About and will appeal to fans of that book.

But unlike Trudeau's book which requires you to visit his various web sites and pay a subscription fee to find out about all the medical myths he talks about in his book, Kauffman lays it all out there in his book and provides the scientific facts to back up what he claims are lies coming from the medical community, drug companies, the Food and Drug Administration, the American Medical Association, the United States Department of Agriculture, and even the National Institute of Health.

Revolutionary to say the least! But Kauffman is convinced Americans need to be aware of these things to protect themselves and their families from falling prey to the ignorance that pervades our society regarding common medical claims.

In Malignant Medical Myths, he questions the following medical myths, as he calls them, put forth by health and medical "experts":

1. Taking an aspirin a day will make you live longer.
2. Low-carb diets are unsafe and don't work for weight loss.
3. Using statin drugs to lower cholesterol will improve health.
4. People over 50 should take medicine for hypertension.
5. A drink a day keeps the doctor away.
6. Exercise! Run for your life! No pain, no gain.
7. EDTA chelation therapy for atherosclerosis is dangerous.
8. Radiation is dangerous except when administered by an oncologist.
9. Yearly mammograms extend life.
10. Cancer treatments have cure rates of 60%.
11. Fluoride in the water prevents tooth decay and is safe.

If you believe ANY of the above statements as medically accurate, then you need to get Malignant Medical Myths. Kauffman outlines for you his extensive research on each of these and explains to you the truth using scientific studies and information so you can be armed for battle when you come up against these myths again in the future.

There are several appendices in the back of the book that include additional resources for you to continue to learn more about these medical myths along with some more in-depth information comparing the low-carb diet programs (I especially enjoyed reading Kauffman's analysis of the various plans) as well as the chemical make-up of statin drugs. You will be amazed by what you learn from this book.

So the next time you're flipping through those channels and you see a man in a white coat who looks like a doctor making a claim, you might want to reference Malignant Medical Myths to see if the doctor is selling you a bag of goods or not.

THANK YOU, Dr. Kauffman, for sharing this important project with the world. It's high time the medical community stops monopolizing the medical information they want to distribute just to appease their own special interests. Malignant Medical Myths is hopefully just the beginning of the tide turning towards the truth.

NFL's Bettis: 'I'm On A Diet...Not The Atkins Diet'

Time Magazine interviews future Hall of Famer who disses the Atkins diet

One would think that an aging veteran of the National Football League who is very likely going to be playing the final football game of his career on February 5, 2006 in the biggest stage in professional sports would be focused on the game.

But in this Time Magazine interview released on Sunday, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis spouts off about a subject he obviously knows very little about.

In the column entitled "10 Questions for Jerome Bettis," Time Magazine reporter Sean Gregory asks a series of questions to the superstar NFL player in anticipation of Super Bowl XL to be played on Sunday in Detroit, Michigan.

Nicknamed "The Bus" and weighing in at 255 pounds, Bettis almost cost his team a chance at the big dance when he fumblerooskied the football a couple of weeks ago as time was running down in the game. A missed field goal by the other team save his rear end and gave him the platform he enjoyed for this interview with Gregory.

In the interview, Bettis is subtlely asked by Gregory about his eating habits and weight.

"How do you maintain that, er, physique of yours?" an obviously nervous Gregory asks of Bettis.

The response from the All-Pro running back who is the #5 rusher in the history of the NFL was dumbfounding.

"Well, let me say this," Bettis responded. "They don't call me the Bus because I turn down a lot of, ah, food opportunities. But I'm on a diet right now. I mean, it's not the Atkins diet or anything like that. It's watching the portions, maybe."

Okay, let's process this a minute. While Jerome Bettis did not make any direct negative references to the Atkins diet in his response, he certainly left the door wide open to interpretation. What we do know is he is "on a diet right now" and it's "not the Atkins diet or anything like that."

Why would he answer that question in that way? That's like me saying, "But I'm taking supplements right now. I mean, it's not steroids or anything like that. It's watching the kind of vitamins I take, maybe." It would be ludicrous for me to answer that way unless I had something against steroids (which I do!).

So, can we insinuate that Bettis has a problem with the Atkins diet and the low-carb lifestyle? If so, then what is it? Bettis now joins the likes of fellow sports personalities professional golfer Gary Player and NBA star Carmelo Anthony in their open disdain for the Atkins diet.

If Jerome Bettis does not want to be included among those who oppose the Atkins diet, then I believe he should make it very clear to everyone. You can e-mail him at his foundation by clicking here. Ask them to forward your concerns to "The Bus" about what he meant in his Time Magazine interview when he said "I'm on a diet...not the Atkins diet."

Let me know if you hear anything back from them about this.

GO STEELERS in Super Bowl XL, but Jerome's got some 'splainin' to do about his comments against livin' la vida low-carb!

AP Reporter Quotes Low-Carb Success In Column About Weight Loss Pill

As I blogged about earlier this week, I received a telephone call earlier this week from a reporter at my local newspaper who interviewed me for an article about what I thought about the new over-the-counter weight loss pill making headlines this week that will allegedly help people shed unwanted pounds quickly and easily.

Spartanburg (SC) Herald-Journal and Associated Press reporter Amanda Ridley wrote this excellent column that ran in Saturday's newspaper looking at what various people and experts thought about the weight loss drug.

The prescription brand Xenical will be marketed to consumers under the name brand Alli, which contains half the strength of the original fat-blocking pill. We are only MONTHS away from this pill reaching the market.

But even GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare admits in the column that you still have to eat a healthy diet and exercise for the pill to be effective for weight loss. Like I have said many times before, that's the dirty little secret about weight loss pills that you never hear about. If you're gonna have the diet and exercise to lose weight, then what's the point in taking a pill, hmmm?

One of the experts Ridley uses in her story is certified public trainer and LEARN Institute for Lifestyle Management Executive Director David Hager. I really appreciated his comments about the hopelessness that so many dieters face regarding weight loss and how vulnerable a position that puts them in to be sucked into the hype about the perceived grandeur of taking weight loss pills.

"[Drug companies] are taking advantage of those who are so desperate to lose weight that they will try anything," Hager told the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. "That's why this is a billion-dollar business."

The only real way to see permanent and lasting results, Hager says, is through lifestyle changes in diet, exercise and behaviors regarding food and fitness.

Amen, amen, and amen!

At the end of the story, Ridley writes the following regarding my perspective on the weight loss pill:

Spartanburg resident Jimmy Moore, who chronicled his weight loss success on the Atkins diet in his book, "Livin' La Vida Low Carb: My Journey from Flabby Fat to Sensationally Skinny," said maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a daily struggle.

The 33-year-old tried all kinds of diets and supplements to lose weight and failed.

That's when Moore realized he had to make big changes.

He weighed 410 pounds before he began monitoring his diet and exercising daily.

Today, he's lost more than 180 pounds.

"There's not a magic pill out there that's going to make you get on the treadmill or put the fork down," said Moore, who said he still faces the same challenges as before.

But now he knows that losing the weight takes time and sweat.

"If it's too good to be true, it usually is. I would apply that saying wholeheartedly to pills."

While the low-carb lifestyle itself is arguably one of the easiest diet plans to follow, I think it is wise for anyone who has ever lost weight to remain on guard about the possibility that you could gain it back. Without a conscious effort day in and day out to do the little things to help keep my weight under control, I very well could get back up over 400 pounds again.

By the grace of God and with the new habits I have implemented into my life, I don't see that ever happening. Livin' la vida low-carb HAS changed my life and I didn't need a pill, drug, or empty promise to help me get there.

If you are desperate to lose weight and to finally get your weight under control once and for all, then why not try the low-carb lifestyle for yourself? It's the best thing you could ever do for yourself and could transform your life just as it has mine.

E-mail me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net if you need a personal encouraging word to get you going. I know it's hard, but it can be done. I've proved it and now you can do it, too! GO FOR IT!

A special thanks to Amanda Ridley for writing this story. You can e-mail her at amanda.ridley@shj.com.

Weight Loss Stalls Are No Reason To Give Up

There's one word in the English dictionary that can be spoken to someone who has attempted to lose weight before that sends shivers down the spine like none other -- STALL!

Weight loss stalls are a fact of life for anyone who wants to shed some pounds. Even the most dedicated and consistent dieters will eventually go through a time period when the weight just doesn't want to go down for whatever reason. Too many people (myself included!) have let these stalls in our weight loss to completely discourage us from continuing on the pathway to a healthier life because we somehow think we have failed when we've stopped losing weight.

Yikes, can I get a witness on this one?!

For most of us, frustration can quickly set in on your weight loss attempts when you allow the scale to dictate your attitude about how successful you are being on your low-carb plan. That was a struggle for me when I was losing weight and can still be a struggle today.

But when you have seen success through livin' la vida low-carb, why should you worry about a weight loss stall here and there? For those of you who read my book, you know I went through a pretty horrendous weight loss stall in the midst of my journey. During this time I could have completely given up on this low-carb thing forever thinking it really wasn't working. What a mistake that would have been!

Who would I be kidding, though? When my weight loss stall came, I had already lost nearly 100 pounds off my body thanks to the Atkins diet. That fat was OFF of me -- FOREVER! Celebrate the achievements you HAVE reached and stop dwelling on the ones you think you'll never meet.

That's the topic of this e-mail that I received from one of my readers on Saturday who has become quite frustrated with not being able to lose those last few pounds. Nevermind the fact that she has already lost 45 pounds and is in single-digit territory of reaching her goal. She's about ready to give up on her low-carb lifestyle forever as a result. But why?

Here's her story:

After losing 45 pounds on Atkins and needing to lose only 6 more to reach my goal, I have completely stopped losing. For 8 weeks (even through the holidays) I never cheated once and didn't lose any.

In January I even went back on Induction for 2 weeks and didn't lose either. Last week I tried Atkins shakes for breakfast and lunch and a balanced low-carb meal for dinner....no loss.

I'm staying about the same on exercise and it's all I have time to do. I've tried to up the intensity but still nothing. I'm getting desperate now. Did you stall? If so, did you do the fat fast, or try carbing up or what to get the loss started again? Any advice you have will be appreciated.

Note that she said she was getting "desperate" now and doesn't know what to do. My initial reaction was to celebrate the fact that she hasn't GAINED any weight during that time period when most people pack on 10-15 pounds. So, in essence, she has lost weight and doesn't even know it! :)

Additionally, she's almost reached the finish line on her weight loss. That's like the leader in a race deciding to slam on the brakes with just one lap to the finish line and victory lane! If you've put in 99% of the time, effort and energy to get to where you are today, then why throw all of that away to keep from having to go through the other ONE percent?! We've got a race to win, so stay in it!

Here was my response to her:

THANKS so much for writing! In my book, I write about my stall. Yep, I had one...one BIG one! Mine last for almost three months! Yikes!

Do you know what I told my myself during that time? I'm not gonna worry, I'm just gonna keep on doing this thing like it's working beautifully because it had up until that point. I encourage you to put away your scale for a month. Keep acting like the low-carb is working fine.

Don't CHANGE a thing! It's tempting to back off on fat or carbs and increase your exercise, but resist the urge. Your body is adjusting and it has to go through this process to reach the next level in your body's transformation. Don't let it discourage you because you are MUCH better off now than you ever were at your starting weight. Right? Right?

Hold your head up high and know that the plan is working. You'll be just fine. Write me back at the end of February and let me know how much weight you've lost since you put the scale away! You will probably even surprise yourself!

I KNOW this reader's concern about a weight loss stall is not uncommon among those of you who have tried to lose weight in the past. Sadly, too many people miss out on the blessing of added weight loss because they get spooked off by a little stall in their weight loss.

If you have seen success on your low-carb program and your weight stalls, then take that time to celebrate what you have been able to accomplish and let it propel you onward. Focusing on the perceived negative (no weight loss) experiences in your life will only lead to needless frustration and cause you to get back into your old habits again which will lead to weight gain and right back where you started -- AGAIN!

But you can allow the stall to MOTIVATE you to make this experience about a change in your lifestyle and not about your weight. After all, we are talking about permanent lifestyle changes in the way you eat and how you look at food for the rest of your life. If and when the weight starts coming down again, then you will be in the right frame of mind to continue on livin' la vida low-carb long after you've lost those last few pounds forever.

Keep your chin up and don't let a silly little stall derail your efforts to make a new you. You've worked too hard and worried for too long about how you could ever become that thin and healthy person you knew you could be.

Don't blow it by convincing yourself that you've failed now. You've got the victory in your grasp. Now you just need to hold on tight to what you know is true (that low-carb works!) and never, ever relinquish it. YOU CAN DO IT!

Inhaled Insulin Not A Solution For Diabetics

Exubera inhaled insulin -- is this the future of diabetes control?

This Washington Post column about a new inhalable version of insulin for diabetics is no reason for diabetics to celebrate.

The traditional way to administer insulin into the body for people with diabetes has been with a needle injection of the substance that will help them control their blood sugar levels. However, phamaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. has developed and the Food and Drug Adminstration has approved the sale of the inhaled insulin product known as the name brand Exubera, which will be available for consumers to purchase beginning in the summer.

But what are we doing to diabetics by offering them this less-invasive way to administer insulin into their bodies? Are we REALLY helping them achieve a permanent way to control their diabetes or are we simply making it easier for them to rely on a drug for the cure?

One of the people I was privileged to meet at the Nutritional & Metabolic Aspects of Carbohydrate Restriction conference last week was Dr. Mary Vernon, a diabetes and obesity expert from the University of Kansas-Lawrence.


Mary Vernon's infectious enthusiasm is evident when she speaks

She co-authored the groundbreaking book Atkins Diabetes Revolution and shared very openly during last week's conference about how a carbohydrate-restricted diet can help alleviate and sometimes eliminate the need for insulin in her patients with diabetes.

I really liked the following self-test Vernon recommends for people to do who are worried about becoming diabetic.

"For men, can you see your toes when you look down? For women, is your waist size larger than your bra size? If yes, then you are at risk for diabetes and other weight-related health concerns."

She's a very funny, but insightful lady who brings an intense passion for people who are battling diabetes and combines it with her genuine desire to see their lives improve. She has invested her life into finding ways to help diabetics turn the tide against this awful disease forever.

Recommending her patients go on a carbohydrate restriction diet as prescribed by the late Dr. Robert C. Atkins, Vernon has seen her patients with metabolic syndrome, Type II diabetes, and diabetes precursor states improve their glucose control and their cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

In one such clinical study revealed at the conference, Vernon conducted a three-month observation study of 122 patients who were placed in one of two groups: carbohydrate restriction and low-fat diet. At the conclusion of the study, the low-fat dieters had lost more weight, but the blood lipid changes were much more improved in the carb-stricted group.

Overall, the 66 carb-restricted study participants averaged 9.5 kg, or .63 kg/week for 15 weeks, while the 56 low-fat diet study participants lost an average of 14.1 kg, or .70 kg/week over 20.2 weeks.

But the carb-restricted group saw a greater reduction in their triglycerides and triglyceride/HDL ratio while simultaneously seeing a noticable rise in their HDL.

As if that study wasn't compelling enough, Vernon conducted another clinical study featuring 14 diabetics who were placed on a carbohydrate-restricted diet for two months. The average age was 49, all of them were Caucasian, and all but one of them had Type II diabetes. Follow-up was conducted after eight months to see how they were doing.

Seven of the 14 study participants had normalized their hemoglobin levels to non-diabetic levels despite the fact that many of them did not see a significant weight loss effect. Among the Type II diabetics in the study, total cholesterol dropped by an average of 14.3% while triglycerides took a nosedive down 50.3% on average. WOWsers! Additionally, the triglyceride/HDL ratio fell by 55.0% and the total cholesterol/HDL ratio dropped by 21.2%.

The best news of all from this clinical study: 13 of the 14 patients were able to completely ELIMINATE glucose control medications (insulin) from their diabetes treatment -- GONE FOREVER!

Vernon concluded in her studies that a carbohydrate-restricted diet had a favorable effect on weight, triglycerides, HDL, and most importantly diabetes control.

"If metabolic syndrome, Type II diabetes, and diabetes precursor states are expressions of hyperinsulinemia, then a carbohydrate-restricted diet may be the treatment of choice because of its insulin-lowering effects," Vernon explained.

So what about this new inhaled insulin from Pfizer? With the preponderance of evidence pointing to more natural ways of effectively treating diabetes, why should diabetics be looking to yet another fancy schmancy drug as the solution to their problem?

While many diabetics haven't been taking their insulin because of the pain involved with injecting themselves with needles, aren't we making it easier for diabetics to ignore natural treatments such as carbohydrate restriction to deal with their disease? To me, this is NOT a solution for diabetics and, in my opinion, will only prevent more people from adequately treating their diabetes in the best possible manner.

While Pfizer and the medical community will slobber all over themselves about this new drug as a novel concept in diabetic treatment, all it is going to do is line the pockets of yet another drug company to the tune of at least $1 billion annually. No wonder these companies are so eager to push their drugs on an unsuspecting public. It's big-time money and they want you to take if for the rest of your life rather than treating your diseases the natural way.

One daily supply of the dry powder inhaled insulin product Exubera is expected to cost about $4-5 compared with the $1-1.50 price of traditional insulin injections.

A staggering 21 million Americans have diabetes with 5 million of them requiring insulin medication each day. While inhaled insulin should certainly take away the excuses about using insulin, we need to get the word out just as clearly to diabetics that there are ways to treat diabetes without fattening the wallets of the pharmaceutical companies in the process.

Additionally, there are some very real questions about the long-term effects of Exubera on the lungs which Pfizer promises to look into. Don't hold your breath on that one, especially if this thing becomes the big-time moneymaker they expect it to be. They are encouraging people who take this drug to have their lungs checked every six months by their doctor, though. Gee, that's comforting.

If you have diabetes and want a way to get it under control WITHOUT the use of insulin, inhaled or otherwise, then you might want to check out Mary Vernon's Atkins Diabetes Revolution. It is chock full of excellent information to help you make the right decisions about treating your diabetes the right way.

This is something that was near and dear to the heart of Dr. Atkins and is now the heartfelt concern of his widow, Mrs. Veronica Atkins.



While the Atkins diet may be foolishly laughed at and ridiculed by the media and so-called health "experts" today as an unhealthy way of living, don't be surprised to see that mindset turn completely around in the coming years as these same "experts" realize just how right Dr. Atkins was. I can't wait for THAT day to come! It's coming...SOON!

How Do You Stop Low-Carb Weight Loss?

So many people are fascinated by how well the low-carb lifestyle works to help them lose weight when they are overweight or obese. I must admit I was one of them and still marvel at how eating the foods you are allowed to eat on a low-carb plan can cause your body to lose weight and keep it off for good.

But I got an e-mail from one of my readers on Friday that wanted to know how to STOP low-carb weight loss. To be honest with you, I never thought about it before. When my body reached a certain point that I felt was enough weight loss for me, I moved into the maintenance phase of the Atkins diet and have been there ever since.

Here's what my reader wrote in her e-mail:

Jimmy,

I have been low-carbing since April 2005 and have lost 58.5 lbs. Just 11.5 more pounds to go to reach my goal weight.

My question is, once you reach your goal, how do you maintain your weight and stop losing more? I have been a yo-yo dieter my entire adult life and have lost significant amounts of weight before, on both low-carb and low-fat diets. I always end up gaining the weight back, and then some.

I am afraid that if I continue low-carbing indefinitely, I will just keep losing weight. But if I add carbs back in my diet, I end up gaining weight. I don't understand how to maintain my weight living la vida low-carb.

Please explain how you maintain your weight loss, without losing or gaining weight. I appreciate you help! Thank you.

P.S. I faithfully read your blog every day, and love it!

Since many of you might have wondered about that question as well, I thought you might like to read my response to it:

WHAT A GREAT QUESTION!!! THANKS so much for writing and for your very kind comments about my blog. :)

So what you are basically asking is, "How do you put the brakes on your weight loss once you've hit your goal?" Right?

Here's how: Increase your carb intake (SLOWLY!) until you stop losing weight. It's that simple.

When I was losing weight, I ate about 30-40 carbs per day along with my regular cardio workouts. But I started adding back more carbs into my new lifestyle change (still staying away from the sugar, white flour and starchy foods) and with the increase in my workout length and intensity I found I could get away with eating between 100-125 carbs per day. That's what I do today.

Is that what YOU should do? Not necessarily. We are all different and our bodies will respond in various ways to the addition of more carbohydrates into our system. I would try adding back 10g carbs a week for those first few weeks to see if you are still losing weight. If so, then keep adding them back until you find the carb level where you can maintain your weight.

But even if you do lose a little more weight in the meantime, that's not such a bad thing. I believe the body responds positively to healthy eating and will shift and adjust as needed. I was amazed at the end of 2004 after I lost 180 pounds how my waist size had gotten down to a 46. But then one year later my weight was only slightly lower and yet my waist had shrunk down to a 38. WOW! How'd that happen?! The body is an incredibly resilient masterpiece, isn't it?

I can certainly appreciate your concerns about gaining it all back and don't you know I think about that every day of the week. But I KNOW livin' la vida low-carb works and have dedicated myself to this way of eating forever. If the scale starts creeping upward, then I know to get back into Induction to get it back under control before it is too late.

YOU CAN DO IT and I am so proud of your weight loss accomplishment. Keep up the excellent work and never forget this miracle you have been given because of the low-carb lifestyle. Share with others how your life has changed -- forever! Because it has and you will never be the same again.

The simple answer to the headline of this post is this -- ADD MORE CARBS! But the key is to be selective about the KIND of carbohydrates you consume and make the most out of them. Don't go pigging out on sugar, white flour, starchy foods, and processed junk. Stick with great-tasting whole foods, fruits and vegetables, and sugar-free delights. The result will be weight maintenance that will stay that way for the rest of your long and healthy life.

THANKS for the e-mail! Keep those questions and comments coming. You can e-mail me anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.

Low-Carb Weight Loss Is 'Water Weight,' Health Instructor Contends

Pauline Genter tells students low-carb weight loss is only "water weight"

This Minnesota State University Mankato Reporter story features a campus health educator and former dietitian who believes junk food is way too prevalent on college campuses today and contends that there are better, healthier choices available for students to choose from instead. I could not agree more with that and would even extend that ideology to American society in general.

But what MSU nutrition health instructor Pauline Genter mindlessly says about the low-carb lifestyle is simply inexcusable and I will not let her get away with it!

Genter's responsiblity at MSU is to help her students eat well and stay healthy while they are attending college. As a former college student, I can appreciate the incredible challenge that she faces trying to educate these busy young skulls full of mush about the proper eating techniques for a healthy body and mind.

I don't know about you, but eating "healthy" when I was in my late teens while attending college was just about the last thing on my mind. You are at the age in life when you feel like you are invincible and you don't worry about health problems like heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, or obesity at that age. Those are all problems for people who are OLD! Young people can be pretty ignorant (and I can say that having walked in those shoes just a little more than a decade ago) about such things, to say the least.

And yet, what happens after college? You get married, you have kids, you start a career and then LIFE happens. Those poor habits you picked up in college are now beginning to manifest themselves in the form of a jelly belly and thunder thighs along with your doctor telling you that your cholesterol and triglycerides are through the roof. You also notice your blood pressure rising and you are having trouble breathing. Most shocking to you is the fact that you can no longer weight yourself on a "normal" scale which means your weight has skyrocketed out of control!

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HAPPENING TO ME?!?!?!?! EEEEEK!!!!

Guess what? That was ME two years ago at the age of 32, just a little more than 10 years after college. While I was not a thin man in college, I certainly didn't let my weight reach the 410-pound mark it did as of January 2004. The fast-paced life of a college student unfortunately can carry over into the post-college years since old habits are very hard to break. So you are always eating on the go and never consciously think about what you are shoving into your mouth. It's a sickening life to life, don't you think? But, sad to say, it is "real life" for so many of us.

Gaining 15-20 pounds a year can quickly result in an enormous weight gain over the course of time, which is exactly what happened in my case. It's scary to think about what would have happened to my weight and health had I not started livin' la vida low-carb when I did. Let's not think about that nightmare scenario! It reminds me too much of what has happened to my brother (keep praying for him please!).

But, as you know, I started the Atkins diet on January 1, 2004 and I have never looked back. I lost 15 pounds the first week, 8 pounds the second week, a total of 30 pounds in the first month and yet another 40 pounds in the second month of my weight loss program. By the end of 2004, I had shed 180 pounds off of my body and resolved in 2005 to not gain it back. Last year, I lost an additional 10 pounds and am continuing on with the low-carb lifestyle as my healthy weight maintenance plan.

Unfortunately, people like Genter don't believe this way of eating is effective over the long-term and they are miscommunicating the healthy benefits of the low-carb lifestyle to young, impressionable minds.

Describing low-carb living as one of those quick "fixes," Genter said programs like the Atkins diet only lead to the loss of water and muscle weight rather than stored fat.

“I would say the low-carb phase is gone,” Genter told the MSU Reporter. “In the long term none of that works since you end up regaining water weight anyway.”

Oh really? Tell me something, Ms. Genter, are you really asserting that I lost 190 pounds of water weight? Is that what you are trying to say because that's what I interpret your comments as saying? When am I supposed to begin "regaining water weight" as you claim? My weight has not gone back up since I began livin' la vida low-carb two years ago and I've actually been able to stabilize and control my weight for the first time in my life.

In fact, when I had my body fat percentage checked in October 2005, it had dropped from nearly 50 percent of my body weight when I started in January 2004 all the way down to just 11 percent! Are you still convinced low-carb only helps you lose water, Ms. Genter? Do you know how incredibly foolish that statement makes you sound? Where is your credibility when you make such broad-based statements on health and nutrition, subjects you are supposed to be well-versed in?

The process of low-carb is simple enough to understand. Stored fat is burned in the body when your body enters ketosis through intense carbohydrate-restriction for the first two weeks of the Induction phase. Once your body is in this fat-burning mode and you maintain a customized controlled-carbohydrate eating schedule for your body to remain in ketosis, your body WILL burn the excess fat for energy.

When I weighed over 400 pounds with a 62-inch waist, there was little doubt in anyone's mind that I had a TON (literally!) of stored fat to lose. THANKS to the low-carb lifestyle, my waist shrank down to 46-inch by the end of 2004.

However, something rather peculiar happened in 2005. Although I ended up only losing another 10 pounds of weight, my waist size shrunk an additional 8 inches! WHOA, how'd that happen?! Did some more water weight evaporate inside of me, Ms. Genter? Can you 'splain that one to me using your expertise as a dietitian? Just how much water is in my body weighing me down?

I think it is all too obvious to everyone reading this that livin' la vida low-carb helped me lose weight by burning lots and lots of stored fat and gives anyone desiring weight loss a healthy, nutrient-dense, and deliciously long-term way to manage their weight and improve their overall health. How long are the positive effects of the low-carb lifestyle for people like me going to be ignored by so-called "experts" like Genter before their blatant bias is exposed for all the world to see? You can't ignore me or the many others like me forever and we'll not stop sharing our stories of success anytime soon!

With about half of her students currently on a diet, Genter has a daunting task trying to help them eat well and maintain good health. She has seen a dramatic rise in medical-related issues resulting from her student's obesity, including Type-II diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension. With nearly three decades of experience treating these diseases, Genter is hoping to impart some of her years of wisdom on the students she has coming to her for nutritional advice.

But until she recognizes the potential benefits of livin' la vida low-carb for her students, Genter will probably never get to see the permanent "lifestyle changes" she desires to see implemented in them before they graduate from college. Perhaps someday she will open her mind and give her students a chance at changing their lives forever at a time when life is really just beginning for these young men and women starting out in their adult lives. We can only hope their health education from Genter does not lead them astray as they get older. Otherwise, these students will be in their early 30's facing many of the same issues that I did before I started livin' la vida low-carb.

You can e-mail your comments about the low-carb lifestyle to Pauline Genter by writing to her at pauline.genter@mnsu.edu. Encourage her to look at the science behind low-carb to see how it is revolutionizing what we know about healthy living and proper nutrition. Times are changing and it's time for people like Genter to get with the program if she genuinely cares about the health of her students.

1-30-06 UPDATE: Pauline Genter apparently has been hearing from many of you because she sent me this e-mail today stating she was "misquoted...several times" in the column by the student reporter which resulted in her getting "some rather unpleasant e-mails" from my readers. THANK YOU for voicing your concerns to her.

Genter attempts to clarify what she said in this e-mail:

Jimmy,

I am sorry if you were offended by the article. Unfortunately, the student reporter that interviewed me was taking hand written notes (not tape recording) and misquoted me several times. What I was trying to tell him is that often when people go on a quick-wt. loss diet or take a diet supplement, they will lose a lot of water at first and also some muscle mass. If weight loss is sustained over time of course fat is lost. I was mainly talking about the ads for "lose 11 pounds in 8 days" that are all over the internet. Many of our students want this quick fix before spring break. I did make the observation to the reporter that the number of people following these plans had declined over the past year and the popularity of "low carb" food products has waned (these observations are from published studies).

I know several people that have lost weight successfully using low carb programs such as Atkins and South Beach. Some have kept off the weight and, like so many other weight loss programs, some have regained all of the weight. I am very interested in the area of weight loss maintenance and have studied this extensively. I believe that there is no "one right way" to lose weight that works for everyone and I certainly support individuals to find something they can stay on long term, a lifestyle change.

I hope you will post this reply to your blog - I am getting some rather unpleasant e-mails.

Pauline Genter, MS, RD, LD
Nutrition Health Educator
Student Health Services
Minnesota State University, Mankato

There is no doubt in my mind that there are published studies showing a decline in the "low-carb craze" in the food industry. I don't argue that point at all. But that doesn't mean people who are livin' la vida low-carb is in decline, Ms. Genter. In fact, there are still millions upon millions of us who make this our lifestyle because it is the ONLY way that has ever worked for us to lose weight and keep it off.

Is this way of eating for everyone as the "one right way" for weight loss? Of course not. I too believe people should find what works for them and stick with that plan forever as their permanent lifestyle change.

If you were misquoted by the student in this story, then perhaps you should demand that a correction be printed to clear the air. Perhaps I should redirect my readers to voice their concerns to the paper instead about this.

The student reporter's name is Mike Hanzelka and you can send an e-mail to his editor expressing your concerns about this gross misreporting by clicking here. If the student got it wrong, then an immediate correction needs to be printed.

1-30-06 UPDATE: I heard back again from Pauline Genter regarding this article where she asserts she was "misquoted" by the student reporter. Genter claims the student reporter did not mean to ridicule low-carb. Then why did he, Ms. Genter? There was no need for the story to be written the way it was unless he meant to write it that way.

Here's her follow-up e-mail:

Thanks for your response. I know that the reporter did not mean to put down low carb diets. He did not have an "agenda" but was just doing an article about nutrition services offered at our university. I will contact the reported myself to clear up the misunderstanding. I don't think your writers need to do so.

Pauline Genter

Well, I still think the paper should write a retraction to set the record straight.

Water Breathes Life Into Low-Carb Living

Dr. Richard Feinman wants to know why low-carbers drink more water

One of the privileges of attending the Nutritional & Metabolic Aspects of Carbohydrate Restriction in Brooklyn, New York last weekend was the exposure to some of the greatest minds in the scientific and research community examining the science that makes livin' la vida low-carb work. One of those brilliant people was the event's organizer (with the administrative assistance from Regina Wilshire, of course) from SUNY Downstate, Dr. Richard Feinman.

Dr. Feinman has been one of the researchers who has connected the dots between the healthy benefits of low-carb to the negative side effects associated with metabolic syndrome.

However, he is also very interested in the anthropological aspect of the low-carb lifestyle which is why he took this survey of real-life low-carbers to see what they actually do on a low-carb diet. His findings were simply amazing.

In the survey, which will be released to the public in greater detail in a few months, Dr. Feinman asked what the items of greatest importance on their low-carb lifestyle were. Predictably, "avoiding sugar" and "avoiding starch" were the #1 and #2 responses, but the third response took him completely by surprise -- "drinking water."


During weight loss, I drank about four 1 1/2 liter bottles of water a day!

Interestingly, Dr. Feinman said this was an "unexpected" response and added, "We don’t know why this was so or what people had in mind and would be glad to hear any opinions." I told Dr. Feinman at the conference in Brooklyn, NY that I wrote an entire chapter in my book about why I drink more water now that I am livin' la vida low-carb and he bought a copy for himself. :)

But he does bring up a good question in relation to people following a low-carb program. Why should you drink more water when you are livin' la vida low-carb? Excellent question! And I have come up with my top 10 reasons for drinking more water to help you faciliate your low-carb weight loss strategy:

TOP 10 REASONS TO DRINK MORE WATER WHEN YOU ARE LIVIN' LA VIDA LOW-CARB

1. Curbs appetite
2. Flushes excess ketones and waste out of the body
3. Helps lose stored water weight
4. Washes down spicy and salty, low-carb foods
5. Relieves constipation
6. Allows the liver to metabolize stored fat
7. Prevents getting thirsty
8. Psychologically "cleans your insides"
9. Keeps kidneys functioning well
10. Generally considered "healthy"

There are more reasons to drink water, but those are my top ten. I do expand upon these further in my book if you want to get into the nitty gritty of my reasoning behind increased water consumption.

Maybe you have a few more you'd like to share with us and Dr. Feinman, too. You can click on the comment button below and submit your reasons for drinking more water. Or, you can send your comments directly to Dr. Richard Feinman at rfeinman@downstate.edu.

Tell us why YOU drink more water on your low-carb lifestyle!