Orato.com Gives A Voice To Low-Carb Man

Heather Wallace from Orato interviewed me about my weight loss

One of the fun parts about being somebody who used to be really, really fat and then lost a whole bunch of weight are all the media inquiries that come my way wanting to know how I was able to do it. I never get tired of sharing my story because I'm all for giving people hope, encouragement, and inspiration about what worked for me.

I've been privileged to tell my story this year to Dr. Fitness & The Fat Guy, Mark Sisson's Daily Apple, and WSPA-TV in Greenville/Spartanburg, SC, with many others in the previous two years.

Now we can add another one to 2007.

Last week while I was on vacation in the Smoky Mountains with my wife Christine (I'll be blogging about that REAL soon!), I received a telephone call from a woman named Heather Wallace from the Canadian web site Orato.com. I had never heard of this online publication, but Heather said she is the Senior Editor and wanted to interview me about my thoughts regarding gastric bypass surgery.

Um, sure!

I later found out that Orato.com takes "True Stories from REAL People" and tells it in the first person. This was a rather unique format that gives readers a more intimate feel for the stories rather than the same old drib-drab third person accounts we read in newspapers all the time.

These real people help to "put a human face on the news by showcasing vivid, first-person stories from individuals involved in current events," according to the site.

Why was the site created in the first place?

"We are journalists, designers and news junkies who want more from the media than headlines and sound-bites. We think today's news machine doesn't do justice to the issues or the people involved in them. And we love a good story. That's why we've built a home for true stories from real people."

So, building on this theme of citizen journalism, Heather took my interview with her, which lasted about 25 minutes and was very pleasant, and turned it into a story about my low-carb weight loss, what it was like being obese growing up, and how I was able to finally overcome my inner demons to lose 180 pounds and get healthy.

You can read the entire column appropriately titled "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" which includes lots of pictures of me as well as my own words from the interview. Here are a few excerpts:

"Some people tell me they just don’t think they have the willpower to stick with the Atkins diet. I wouldn’t attribute my success to willpower. Yes, I’m a strong-willed person, but it wasn’t really about willpower."
*****
"It’s funny, the plan doctors get you to follow after gastric bypass is a low carb diet! The foods are high in protein, higher in fat and ones that will keep you satiated on less amounts. If people just ate that way anyway, they wouldn’t need gastric bypass surgery!"
*****
"Nowadays, there doesn’t seem to be much concerted effort as a nation as a whole to educate people about it. We don’t teach parents. If parents don’t know how to eat, how can we expect kids to know how to eat?"
*****
"Obesity is the last acceptable form of discrimination in America. The pain of being discriminated against just feeds the cycle. People eat away their pain. People start eating, then start feeling bad about what they’re eating, so they eat some more."
*****
"I never would have thought weight loss would change my life as much as it has. Everything has opened up for me."

Please go read the entire column and then give it a rating up to 5 stars (of course, 5 stars would be GREAT!). :P Additionally, you can leave a comment about the column as well.

Special thanks to Heather Wallace for featuring my story at Orato.com. It was a privilege to share my thoughts about this important subject and I welcome the opportunity anytime.

You can show your appreciation to Heather and Orato.com for giving a voice to "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man" by using this contact form. THANKS so much!