True Lemon Should Not Be 'Clumpy' And The Company Will Replace It If It Is

My latest sponsor, True Lemon, stands ready to serve you

Starting on January 1st, I was very proud to introduce you to a brand new sponsor at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog called True Lemon. This company creates some pretty amazing crystallized lemon, lime and orange substitutes that contain ZERO calories and ZERO carbs along with NO artificial sweeteners in them whatsoever. As I am quoted as saying in the banner ad at the top of my blog, this product really is "a low-carber's dream come true" since you're not allowed to have those citrus fruits on your low-carb lifestyle. And I'm very proud to be affiliated with True Lemon.

Whenever I share with you about a new product like True Lemon and partner up with a company like them in telling you about their products, one thing I demand of them before they're even considered becoming a sponsor here is a 100% commitment to customer service to YOU. That's been my underlying philosophy from day one here at my blog to provide my readers with the information they need in a timely manner with a smile on my face doing it. It's the very least you deserve for allowing me to play a small role in your life day in and day out. I guess it's all those years of working in retail and marketing having that customer service message hammered into my skull hard that I just EXPECT it now from whoever I work with.

Thankfully, I'm proud to say that True Lemon is indeed devoted and committed to their new "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" customers because they have immediately addressed some concerns that a few of you have expressed to me about the quality of their product after purchasing it at your local store (it's literally found EVERYWHERE in grocery stores and Wal-mart usually next to the Splenda).

The following e-mail is an example of the problem that was shared:

Hi Jimmy! I have a question about the True Lemon. I bought some but it's all clumpy and stuck together in the packets. Is it supposed to be that way or did I get a bad/old batch?? I made your cheesecake recipe with it and it tasted fine to me so i just wanted your input since you've used it for a while. Thanks so much!

Interestingly, this same issue was echoed by a few others and I've even got a box of True Lime with the "clumpy and stuck together" products right now, too. See for yourself:



As my reader pointed out, this does not impact the flavor of the True Lemon products in any way (although if you bite into one of the clumps, it's one of the most intense flavors you'll ever put on your tastebuds--I found out the hard way!). But even still, that's not the way the product is supposed to look like and True Lemon stands ready to take care of anyone who has "clumpy" product that they purchased.

Company Vice-President Heidi C. Carney said their stand behind the quality of their products fully with a complete customer satisfaction commitment.

"True Lemon, True Lime and True Orange should always be free-flowing crystals. While the True Lemon you bought is completely safe to use, it's not at it's best," Carney reported to the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog. "We always have a 100% guarantee of satisfaction so I would be happy to send anyone a replacement box. As a small company, we really appreciate having you as a customer and your complete satisfaction is most important to us."

If you have any True Lemon products that are of poor quality like me and several other readers have experienced, then please do the following:

1. E-mail True Lemon at customercare@truelemon.com.
2. Provide the name of the store where you purchased True Lemon.
3. If you still have the box, provide the embossed numbers under the UPC code.
4. Give you name and mailing address where they can ship replacements.

Plus, just for doing that, you'll receive some complimentary True Lemon coupons as well as FREE samples of all three flavors--True Lemon, True Lime, and True Orange. I appreciate your enthusiastic response to these truly amazing products for your low-carb lifestyle and encourage you to continue using them to enhance the foods and beverages you consume while livin' la vida low-carb. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns about True Lemon or any of my sponsors. THANK YOU for your continuing support for me and the sponsors who make the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog possible!

Dr. Jonny Bowden's Virtual Book Tour Coming February 19

Dr. Bowden recently released "The Most Effective Natural Cures On Earth"

One of the most highly respected and celebrated health experts of our day who is actually friendly towards livin' la vida low-carb is none other than Dr. Jonny Bowden. He is a board-certified nutritionist and a longtime beloved weight loss coach inspiring many with his one-of-a-kind writing and speaking style. Currently he serves as a contributing writer for America Online and is involved in a myriad of other opportunities to share the positive message of healthy living with the masses. I named him among my Top 10 Low-Carb Movers & Shakers Of 2007 and he is someone we can all look up to as a leader for low-carb living.



Jonny has written one of the most outstanding books about the low-carb lifestyle that's ever been penned entitled Living The Low-Carb Life and followed that masterpiece up with a fabulous book on Fair Winds Press last year called The 150 Healthiest Foods On Earth that listed many delicious and nutritious low-carb foods amongst the list of the most healthy morsels of goodness you can possibly put in your mouth.

Well, Jonny's back again with a follow-up to that bestseller now called The Most Effective Natural Cures On Earth: The Surprising Unbiased Truth About What Treatments Work And Why and I am in the midst of reading it as we speak. Fans of The 150 Healthiest Foods On Earth will absolutely eat this one up because the format nearly identical as Jonny goes through some of the most gripping health ailments of our day and finds an all-natural cure for each of them. You'll be happy to hear that livin' la vida low-carb is prescribed for a whole lotta things, including polycystic ovarian syndrome, high cholesterol and weight loss, for example, so stay tuned for my review of that book as well as an interview with Dr. Jonny Bowden on my podcast show coming very soon. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, check out these two free chapters from The Most Effective Natural Cures On Earth and see for yourself what this new book is all about. Then head on over to the Dr. Jonny Book Tour web site to learn about this event that is set to take place virtually on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 8:00pm EST. Jonny will be interviewed by veteran interviewer and marketing wizard Alex Mandossian about his new book! You WON'T want to miss this chance to hear about one of the best new health books of 2008 from this diet and health giant!



Interestingly, Jonny's publisher will waste no time with delivering another follow-up book on July 1, 2008 called The Healthiest Meals On Earth: Recipes That Fortify, Protect, And Nourish You featuring full-fledged recipes that incorporate the foods from the first two books in the series to create some of the most delectable meals on the face of the Earth! Jonny is a busy man and I personally don't know how he fits it all in. But he, like me, enjoys staying active and involved, so let's support him in his efforts to educate people to start living better than they ever thought possible!

'Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show' Episode 108: Former 630-Pounder David Smith Drops 400 Pounds

David Smith from 630 to 229--a 401-pound weight loss!

Sometimes all we need to get us going on our personal journey to better health is to be inspired and motivated by others who have already done it. It's why so many people are attracted to my 180-pound Atkins weight loss success story and I'm all-too-eager to share with anyone who will listen how livin' la vida low-carb has changed my life forever! In fact, I always LOVE sharing other weight loss success stories with you as well and have I got one for you today!

In Episode 108 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" you get to hear about a remarkable man named David E. Smith. This guy used to weigh nearly ONE-THIRD OF A TON and was able to shed nearly two-thirds of his body weight en route to losing over 400 pounds!!! You've probably seen him featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, but we'll tell you all about his eye-popping weight loss success on today's podcast.

Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear today's podcast:

"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 108 [12:17m]: LISTEN NOW | Download

Needless to say, David Smith was in pretty bad shape when he began his journey at 630 pounds. But thanks to the diet and exercise work of his personal trainer Chris Powell, David started a moderate exercise, lower-carb plan to shed those pounds off his body for good. If anyone thinks they're too big to start losing weight, then the turnaround that David has experienced in his life should prove to you that's dead wrong! Even the former "World's Heaviest Man" Manuel Uribe who started out at 1230 pounds has lost over 400 pounds and counting so far implementing the lower-carb Zone Diet strategies. You're NEVER too big and IT'S NEVER TOO LATE!

Stay inspired and motivated in your low-carb lifestyle by:

1. Listening at the official web site
2. Calling (818) 688-2763 to listen via Podlinez
3. Subscribing to the RSS feed
4. Going to iTunes--Click here to subscribe!

How about this 400-pound weight loss that David accomplished? Do hearing stories like this one get you fired up in your own weight loss journey? Has anyone been YOUR inspiration for losing the weight when you felt dejected and discouraged? We want to hear about it in the show notes section of Episode 108, so let's hear from YOU! Sometimes it only takes a small spark to light a fire within someone to FINALLY get serious about their weight. Let David E. Smith's weight loss success be that spark for you today!

THANK YOU for listening to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore."

Mr. Low Body Fat Interviews Jimmy Moore

Mr. Low Body Fat decided to make his first interview with me

I'm coming up on three years as a low-carb blogger and there have been quite a few brand new blogs created over that period of time dedicated to the message of livin' la vida low-carb. While I was certainly not the first low-carb weight loss success story to start his own blog to chronicle the amazing journey to becoming healthy, I'm grateful to hear when others tell me they were inspired to start their own blog as a result of reading my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog. What an honor!

Today I have one such blogger to tell you about and he goes by the name "Mr. Low Body Fat" (aka Muata Kamdibe). Muata has been an inspiration to many since he began his own low-carb journey beginning on January 1, 2003 (one year before I went on the Atkins diet) weighing in at 310 pounds. In just four years, he has been able to drop his body fat percentage from 44% to an astounding 6.5%. WOWsers!!!

After much prodding from yours truly, Muata decided to start a blog of his own in August 2007 called "Mr. Low Body Fat" blog dedicated to sharing how Muata did it and inspiring others to join him in their own quest for single-digit body fat, too. Just take a look at this progression of pictures showing the fat melting away. INCREDIBLE!!!

A few weeks ago, Muata asked me if I'd like to be his guinea pig for starting a series of interviews at his blog. Since I've conducted well over 50 written interviews as well as another 30 or so podcast interviews, he wanted my input about how to go about doing it. Of course, I was more than happy to tell him what I do and he was quite grateful for my advice.

So he sent me a list of 10 questions (as I suggested) and even included one "HOT SEAT QUESTION" that really wasn't that difficult. You can read the interview he conducted with me in its entirety by clicking here. Muata asked me about my low-carb weight loss success story, the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" concept, my YouTube videos, my love for "The Biggest Loser," my interviews with the "experts," the Kimkins diet scam, my new resistance training commitment, and my new "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Bar."

I certainly appreciate Muata giving me an opportunity to share about my low-carb experiences at his blog and I encourage you to visit the "Mr. Low Body Fat" blog early and often. This man has quite a bit to say and I HIGHLY recommend his blog to anyone needing inspiration as you shape and mold your body into that lean, muscular machine you've always wanted. If a former 300+ pounder can do it, then SO CAN YOU!!! :)

Quickie One-Liner Responses To My E-mails

If you have ever written an e-mail to me, then you know I ALWAYS respond with a fairly detailed answer to your questions about the amazingly healthy low-carb lifestyle. I feel duty-bound to do this and have committed myself to being there for you as you go through this lifestyle change for yourself. You need not feel lonely or discouraged while on low-carb because I am here for you whenever you need me.

With that said, I wanted to share with you some recent e-mails from your fellow "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog readers, but in a unique format. Although I've already provided an answer to all of these e-mails in my typical thorough fashion, today I'm gonna shoot for a quickie one-liner response to each of them. Some of these will be very hard to do that with, but I'm gonna try. :)

So, without further delay, here goes with a boatload of e-mails:

Dear Jimmy -

Here's one I don't know if you've heard before. It's about women's stuff, so if you're shy, be forewarned!

So I have a checkered past when it comes to fertility. Between the ages of 30 and 40 I had several ectopic pregnancies (the fertilized egg remains in the tube, never completing it's journey into the womb) which are quite dangerous, so when I hit 40 I got a tubal ligation (tubes tied). At that time I was mom to my beautiful daughter, adopted from Korea.

Also at that time my marriage broke up and I met my current husband, who is 14 years my junior. He and I have been parenting my daughter for the past eight years, but have talked from time to time about having a second child together. We've toyed with the idea of IVF - using his sperm and a donor egg which I would then carry. Then, two years ago, I was diagnosed with fibroid tumors and had uterine fibroid immbolization, which basically means they kill off the blood supply to the tumors in your uterus in order to shrink them, avoiding hysterectomy.

Well, when I had the procedure, I was 46 years old and the doctor told me I'd lose my period for about 3 months, then it would return. After 5 months, nothing. I went for a check up and the OB/GYN told me it happens sometimes, maybe I'd never get it back. Virtually nothing for two years, maybe some light spotting now and then. We put away any thought of my carrying a pregnancy.

What does this have to do with low carb? Get this. Around Christmas time I bought Gary Taubes' book (GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES) and began adding fat back into my diet while limiting carbs. I've really been enjoying how I feel -- more even moods, sleeping better at night, no more constant hunger like I had on my low fat regimen (which I've followed for years, knowing it wasn't working). Three days ago I got my period.

Could this have to do with my new diet? Don't know, but I got on line and Googled "fertility and low carb." I learned there are fertility treatments, specifically for women who don't ovulate, that entail high fat/low carb diets with plenty of protein! Apparently this way of eating balances hormones and women begin to ovulate regularly. Who knew? No one ever told me, that's for sure.

So, don't know what the future will hold for us, but I wanted you to know about my experience so other women who struggle with having regular periods know to ask their doctors about diet related treatments. Fats are so important!

MY ONE-LINER: A little more than I wanted to know, but I'm so glad to hear livin' la vida low-carb with a high-fat intake did the trick for you!

So I have been taking cough syrup for the last two days and haven't lost a pound, Then I realized it might be the cough syrup, does it knock you out of ketosis and if so will I have to start all over with the headaches that I went through the 1st week?

MY ONE-LINER: Yes, the sugar in the cough syrup probably kicked you out of ketosis, but just get right back on plan again after your cold and you'll be just fine (next time, get SUGAR-FREE cough syrup instead!).

Hello Jimmy,

I just found you on the Internet. Great, I need encouragement. I am starting Atkins induction today. About 5 years ago I was diagnosed with diabetes. I probably had the
disease for at least 10 years. I had a friend tell me, no doctor ever told me this, that if I lost 50 pounds, the symptoms would go away. To this day no doctor has ever suggested I lose weight (the best way to treat diabetes), they only want to give meds.

So I did Atkins along with exercise and lost 60 pounds and eight inches on my waist. The diabetic symptoms did almost go away. My cholesterol numbers were also great. Over the last five years I have let my weight creep up and my health numbers (cholesterol, blood glucose) have also gone up. I have put about half the weight back on. So now I'm back to the low-carb life. I commute by bicycle. I get a lot of exercise. Exercise alone isn't enough.

Two weeks on Induction and I'm already down 16 pounds! The best thing is my blood glucose numbers got great right away. I stopped taking all my meds; diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol. I could never see any results from them anyway. I monitor my numbers for these conditions and on Induction they all are great. I am going to stay on Induction until I hit my target weight.

Six years ago I lost 60 pounds on Atkins. I was very healthy. I have gained half that weight back and was rapidly getting unhealthy. Since then I have been eating low-carb because of my diabetes, but cheating. A little cheating goes a long way in wrecking your health. All of my health problems are due to carrying around too much fat. I am now in a correction phase.

MY ONE-LINER: This time around, how about staying on the low-carb lifestyle for the sake of controlling your diabetes and managing your weight over the long-term, hmmm? :)

Hello Jimmy,

I’ve never contacted you before but I’ve read many of your online articles. I was diagnosed with Type 2 (insulin resistant) diabetes just over 4 years ago at the age of 46. Up to that time I had been on every diet known to mankind, all with my doctor’s supervision and encouragement, and all without any luck. After diagnosis he said "hey, maybe we should try you on a low-carb diet.” Well that was it. I was down 7 pounds after the first week, and another 6 the week after that. In the span of just over 15 months I lost 155 pounds and have been happy at my current 200 pounds. The biggest improvement was of course to my blood sugars-–down from an hbA1C of 9.8 at diagnosis to a very respectable 5.0 now.

I started then, and continue to this day, walking 2.5 miles in the morning five times a week. But the most significant improvement in my health has come from lifting weights. That’s why your article caught my attention. I had of course great motivation (we’re talking about my life here!) to educate myself on everything diabetes related. I soon discovered that here were two kinds of truth: the “accepted” truth; and the “real” truth. The later being much harder to find and takes a concerted effort to uncover. One of those truths is that weightlifting is as essential to a type-2 diabetic as the oxygen we breathe. And it doesn’t take much either!

When I first walked into my local gym it was the first time I EVER walked into a gym. I explained to the owner what I needed to do and he suggested that I get a trainer. He recommended a few and the one I eventually ended up with understood exactly what my goals were and what I needed to do to reach them. To that end he went out to the library and read up on the correlation between weightlifting and insulin resistant diabetes. Neither he, nor anyone else at the gym had a second thought about my low-carb diet. They just thought "well, yeah, what else but low-carb?"

There are two other diabetics in the office I work with. One well controlled and has quizzed me constantly about what I do, the other is more typical ”my doctor says you need carbs to live and to cut down on all the fat.” He and his doctor are “happy” with his dangerously high 7.2 A1c. No matter what, he doesn’t want to change anything about the way he lives or eats. He won’t listen. I’ve promised to play my bagpipes at his funeral.

Sorry for the length of this Jimmy, but something has to be done about motivating diabetics to take action! How do we get through to them about all the things they can do to ward off, and possibly eliminate the complications? They need to be spoken to with the real truth and not the convenient, acceptable, readily available truth.

Thanks for listening, and all the best. And remember--everything IS better with bacon!

MY ONE-LINER: I think you just articulated why diabetics should be livin' la vida low-carb by sharing from your own personal experience with it better than anything the so-called "experts" could ever say!

Hi there, I've been reading your blog for years, and have developed a better understanding of this diet associated issues that are often misrepresented by the media and even so-called mainstream low-carbers. I like the work, and often follow your web site along with Second-Opinions.co.uk--Dr. Barry Groves' web site. I often email Barry with questions about the low-carb diet, but I thought I'd ask you a few questions about ketosis.

You see, while my weight issue is quite the contrary--too low. I've used the low-carb approach as a means to keep myself energized, and with substantial protein intake. You see, I have always wanted to avoid gaining weight, or getting sloppy on the traditional carb diet. In fact, going low-carb has helped regulate my hunger and reduce my actual body fat content while I worked on my body toning.

All of the routine has gone well, and I've been doing this diet for a year--in my case, no real results, probably because I am lean as we speak, which is okay. So long as there isn't any non-lean tissue gain, I am fine with the routine. However, I never bothered to test myself for ketosis. Now, I'm in a bit of shock after getting these testing sticks known as Ketostix.

Oddly, my ketosis reading is usually very low. The color on the strip is rarely ever a light red--mostly plain--and far from the purple that is often desired. It's usually clear in the mornings, and barely light red during the later parts of the day. I would like to know why I am not getting into ketosis. Do I need to eat more fats? Do I need to break down my meals into smaller portions and spread them across the entire day?

Your insight will be greatly appreciated.

MY ONE-LINER: Being in ketosis is like being pregnant--you either are or you're not; regardless of what the Ketosticks show you, if you are eating less than 30g carbohydrates a day, then you ARE in ketosis.

Hey Jimmy,

I listened to Episode 103 of your podcast show today and it totally resonated with me! I've been struggling with some recent weight creep (my holiday time-off lasted about 6 weeks) and the more I focus on the weight and scale the worse I feel and the harder it seems to get back into a groove. My personal trainer has always stressed to me that if you focus on a number you will NEVER be satisfied because even if you hit it, the daily struggle to stay there will get old real fast--whereas if you focus on a fitness
event (the gym I go to is very into that) you will always have more to strive for.

You can always try to run faster, farther, try a new sport, etc. I am really trying to focus on my daily healthy actions as opposed to the results (i.e. the scale) because that is something that I can tangibly be held accountable for. Currently there are a bunch of us from Amy's forum site training for a half-marathon, where we will be meeting up on Whidbey Island (in Washington State) to participate in April. Now that is a much better goal to work towards!

Just wanted you to know I'm glad the podcasts are back! AND...I cannot wait until we get a chance to catch up in person one of these days. Hope all is well. Take care!

MY ONE-LINER: Remember to always put the focus on your health first and the weight loss will naturally follow when you are livin' la vida low-carb.

Hi,

Love your blog and want to lose weight. I am 46 and absolutely hate vegetables and always have. I can tolerate lettuce but I don't like it. Hate yellow vegetables. The only veggies that I like are crowder peas,black eyes, and brown butter beans (but I hear that these are really not good for you.) Love fruit, all potato product (except sweet potatoes), and meats. Love rice and pasta.

My question: it it possible to have a low carb diet if you absolutely hate veggies regardless of the spices and sauces that I have tried to use to mask their taste?

MY ONE-LINER: I know plenty of people who choose to live the low-carb life eating a primarily meat-based diet, although I bet you'd enjoy a spinach salad, mashed cauliflower, or grilled broccoli if you gave it a chance!

Hello Jimmy,

I’'m 38 years old, a Type 2 diabetic (that I treat solely with insulin), and I weigh about 360 pounds. –That'’s because I’'ve lost about 40 pounds the last year or so. I have read so many great things about your book that I think I’'ve finally decided to order it. I’'ve read my gamut of weight loss books –Atkins, The Zone, Fit for Life, Lean for Life, Sugar Busters, Suzanne Sommers, various food addict books. You name it, I’'ve read it and tried it.

I’ve had a weight problem all of my life, but never as out of control as it has become since my father died. I suffered from post-traumatic shock finding him myself. He had passed away in the middle of the night from a massive stroke. I think I feed into the guilt of being there with him that night and not hearing him so I could do anything about it. I turned to food as my trusted crutch. I must have weighed in about 220 pounds then. That was 4 years ago now.

My world is small. I am a prisoner of my own making. I refuse to see friends because I have not accepted the fact that I have let myself become so obese. It has been years, and I’m lucky they’re still seeking me out, but the thought of having to see them this way is brutal. Somewhere along the way my life split off on that day that I found my dad, and I’ve been in this dark place since.

I never imagined I would be prisoner to my food addictions. I live with my mother and I’m 38 years old. I keep saying, I’'ll start tomorrow, or I’'ll start Monday, or I keep waiting for that bolt of lightening from above to strike down on me and hit me solid into snapping out of my food spell.

I used to have such a passion for living. I still feel that inside, but I'’m too ashamed to be seen in public. I’'ve developed severe panic and anxiety attacks since too. I can’'t just go anywhere in public without the worry of finding a place to sit, or if I will fit. I can’'t go anywhere without the scrutinizing looks in general. I used to love going to the movies, but since I can'’t fit into regular seats or because of my knee problems I can’'t really walk much distance without feeling winded or injured.

When I think about what I weigh, and how much I have to lose –it just seems hopeless. I do have my small moments of inspiration, but they are fleeting. I fall off the wagon and that’s it. I forget about any progress made and go back into my constant mode of thinking about food, obsessing about my next meal.

The truth is, I can remember as far back as 12 years old when the mall in our small hometown had just opened. I remember making a Christmas list for my brother and I to go shopping for, but it wasn’'t without all of the food places we could catch in the mall first –Chick-Fil-A Corny Dog –you name it. It has been a lifelong addiction.

I didn’'t used to have this food addiction to this degree. At the time I had switched the addiction with something more lethal –alcohol. I was only about 170 pounds when I turned 30, but I could fit into a pair of 501’s, and I felt great about my body. I was an alcoholic on the weekends, but I was closer to my ideal weight. One vice for the other.

In 1994 I let my weight balloon up to 240, at the time that was my highest weight. I lived on my own so it was easy to stock my fridge with the foods I wanted. This was during all of the Susan Powter Low Fat craze going about then. I remember getting my first student loan check and going out and buying a mountain climber, a bench step, a weight bench and a scale. There was no question in my mind I was going to lose my weight. I cut out soda’s, drank only water, got home from class and made two skinless, boneless Shake N’ Bake chicken breasts while I did my 30 minutes of bench step with my “space suit” on. I felt great. I was losing weight quick.

Every time I took off my space suit after a cardio workout, I could just feel the fat melting away. The more I lost, the more focused I became. At that point in time I had never read a diet book, or taken a nutrition class before in my life. I just used common sense. I got my weight down in less than a year to about 160 pounds. I kept my weight loss for about 8 years or so until I moved away from Austin. I stayed between 160 and 170 during that time.

It seems like the more I have read, the more conflicted I've become as to a solid approach on weight loss. One book can be completely contradictory to the next and it’s confusing. The thing is I used to know how to lose weight when I wasn'’t a diabetic, when I could get on a bench step and do 30 minutes of aerobics after my night classes, but now I don’t know. The more I know, the less I know.

Right now I'’m looking more for inspiration. I have more lows than I do highs. I'’m still coming out of the gates so to speak. For the most part the past year I’'ve dropped a little weight by just cutting back, but God –do I still have my downfalls. I know for certain since I am a diabetic that I need a low-carb diet so I won'’t have the sugar spikes. I know I can’t be completely low-carb because my kidney’s can'’t stay in ketosis for long because of my diabetes. I don’'t know how to live without the insulin and I can’'t seem to get a straight answer to this one simple question –can I still lose weight on a low-carb diet and still take inject my insulin? I’'ve asked doctors, looked online, read book after book and I can’'t find that answer. It’s discouraging Jimmy. So discouraging.

This week I have been on-track. I wake up, have 2 eggs, two sausages for breakfast with about 32 ounces of water. I’m eating salads with ranch dressing for lunch. I also have a question on Ranch dressing –is it a low-carb food I can indulge in and feel okay about? For dinner I’'ve been pounding out a skinless, boneless chicken breast or two and roasting thick slices of cauliflower, or grilling egg plant or fresh mushrooms. I make ham rolls with cream cheese and will snack on pork rinds if I’'m hungry late at night. I feel better. I feel I’'m still eating too much, but I am finding I’'m eating these amounts to keep the hunger away. I make sugar free pudding and Jello. I have granola bars in case I want something more substantial, but those aren’'t too low-carb.

I don’'t know Jimmy. There’'s my story and a sample of my diet. I try to keep my mom on it too, but she cheats a lot at work. My mom and I enable our food addictions. When we’re not on the same page, it’'s hard to do this. She’'s also a diabetic and turned 60 this year. We were allowing ourselves this past year, every Saturday night in fact, a dinner of fried chicken from Church’'s chicken. –That was our “bad meal” for the week that we allowed ourselves. She’s lost about 25 pounds or so, but our weight loss is hardly but a drop in the bucket.

It would be a dream for both of us to get healthy together. And as soon as I can afford to get your book I’'m ordering it. I'’m looking for inspiration, something to get me through the fight and struggle I have everyday. As far as working out, I have a knee injury –possibly a tear in my ligament. I broke my ankle about 6 months after my dad died and it still bothers me. I have a double-stack universal weight bench in my room, with a pec-dec, squat-rack, and cable rows –it basically has everything. I just haven’'t used it. I haven’'t been able to sleep on a bed in over a year. I sleep on a recliner –mostly because of my knee, and because I feel like I’'m crushing my chest under the weight of my body when I sleep on my side. My mom is an RN and she tells me I have sleep apnea too.

I know. I’m a horrible mess. What would be a godsend from you would be your opinion on my meal plan, maybe some helpful tips on snacking, how you stayed on track and how in the world do you get over the number you have to lose? Did you ever allow yourself any meals off? Or anything you feel that will help me at this point of desperation. I do thank you Jimmy in advance for your time and taking the time to read this.

MY ONE-LINER: Be encouraged that if you follow the low-carb lifestyle plan of your choice exactly as prescribed by the author, then it will work for you--BELIEVE IT!!!

Here was her response a couple weeks later:

Dear Jimmy,

It's just a drop in the bucket, but both my mom and I are "Livin' La Vida Low Carb!" I am down 29 pounds this morning and my mom is down 19 pounds. We didn't start until after the Thanksgiving holiday, and we allowed ourselves Christmas Eve and Christmas day off, but we're doing it and actually seeing results!

I'm not experiencing the sweet cravings I used too. We're eating filling breakfasts, having our salads with ranch for lunch and at dinner I might make a steak or chicken breast with low carb veggies. If we're having a sugar free vanilla Coke float or something to that effect before bed we forego the veggies at dinner time.

I've also added a white kidney bean extract to help aid in blocking carbs too. I'm drinking more water than I can handle sometimes--I need a restroom close by, but I am feeling so much better. I'm still not able to work out. I've tried. I have a knee that feels like it pops out of place and I also have a wrist fracture from before the holidays that's still healing in a splint. As soon as I am able bodied--I am ready to start working my body out. I'm so anxious for it.

We are both down significantly in the amount of insulin our bodies needs to control out diabetes. You have no idea how many units I used to inject a day! Sometimes close to 300 units a day. Now it's between 20 to 40 units per day. It's so dramatic!

We're both excited Jimmy. As I mentioned, it is only a drop in the bucket of all the weight my mom and I both have to lose, but finally we are seeing results on something that we feel can live with long term. It is a lifestyle and not a diet. That is how we've approached it. I can't thank you enough for your complimentary book. I will be ordering your paperback book soon though. I printed out the e-book and it's in a huge 3 inch thick binder that's kind of big and bulky, but that is how I read your book the first time.

I have to admit. There have been some tough times, especially when we're visiting my family out of town, but I take that big binder with me for inspiration. I read your words for inspiration, look at your photos and I get back on track. I really have to print out your before and after photo's and keep those in my wallet. I just wanted for you to know I was thinking about you and what kind of blessing you have been in our lives. Thank you so much Jimmy!

MY ONE-LINER: WOW, now that's what I call the POWER of livin' la vida low-carb, baby!

Hi Jimmy and Christine! Nice to find and meet you. I am a 38-year old female weighing in at 238 pounds at 5'4" with a degenerative hip filled with arthritis. Exercise is out of the question unless it is swimming, doctors orders and I have no pool here in my area. I can do upper body weight training but am restricted other wise. I am starting to take my "low carb DIET mentality" to a "low carb lifestyle". I have been researching recipes and ideas and motivation on the web, and I can say I'm very excited to begin the rest of my life healthier and happier (not to mention thinner).

I have had success to varying degrees on low-carb diets, but I always fell back into bad habits and regained the weight. The reason befuddles me because I enjoy low-carb eating more than any other diet I've ever followed. I'd rather have a juicy steak, and mushrooms fried in butter with asparagus than the biggest plate of pasta. My biggest drawback was working in a bakery for the past twenty years. Any the irony is that I just got a job in a butcher shop, so what better time?

I would love to watch your videos on YouTube but I have dial-up connection and just using your web site with the pictures is a long and frustrating process, but very well worth it I have discovered. I was wondering if you have transcripts available anywhere on your site, or anything like that, where I wouldn't miss out on the information you are providing during your podcasts?

I can't tell you how motivating your posts are and I really enjoyed the pictures of your dining choice at the casual dining restaurants. How much more satisfying they looked compared to the usual sides of fries and hashbrowns. I was wondering what your opinion is for aspartame, and Crystal Light? I do have quite an addiction, I drink about 32 oz. of water but about 1/2 gallon of crystal light a day (wonder how I have time and room to even eat?).

I have been trying to search on your blog but it keeps timing out. I would greatly appreciate any info you are willing to provide. I know you are very busy but I will be patient and very appreciative of a reply. Thank you for sharing your story and help.

MY ONE-LINER: A full transcript is provided for all of my non-interview podcasts (I'm looking for someone to transcribe the interviews for the show) and I try to avoid drinking anything with aspartame--aka NASTY-tame--in it if at all possible.

Dearest Jimmy,

Hope your holidays were as special as you are. Since Dec. 17, 2007 (when I started) I'm down 3.6 more pounds, AND this is over the Christmas holidays ! (3 parties!) I have more energy than I've had in years, and the best part is I'm NEVER hungry (unlike low-fat diets when I was about half starved all the time). Thank you, thank you, thank you!

MY ONE-LINER: Way to go and keep on livin' la vida low-carb!

Good evening,

I just found your web site and I am slowly going through it. I have just started Atkins (today was my 7th day). I started for two reasons. The first was to get my blood sugar under control. The second to lose weight. I need to drop 65 to 70 pounds to, hopefully, get off some of the 9 meds I take every day. Do you have any tips or words of encouragement to someone who is not good at sticking to diet plans? Thank you for your time.

MY ONE-LINER: Yes, my advice is to stop dieting and start living like your health depended on it--and it very well may.

Jimmy,

First of all, God bless you for what you do. I recently found your blog and the information and inspiration contained there undoubtedly helps many people along the road to better health. Salute!

I've been a "big guy" since my teens, but a few years ago I stepped on the scale one day (at my wife's urging) and looked down with shock and shame at 366. I knew I had gained weight (I had weighed in at about 260 when I was married in 1992, up from 230 when I graduated college in 1990), but people always told me that I "carried it well." After doing some research, I settled on the low-carb diet. In 8 months, I had lost 80 pounds, was exercising, and felt better than I had in many years.

Then I just stopped.

I don't know why. There were no tragic events, no emotional triggers, no real reasons for my change in behavior. Even a therapist told me that she didn't feel I was eating for emotional reasons. I just stopped eating healthy and exercising and started justifying and rationalizing. "I'm healthy as long as my doctor doesn't ask me to
lose weight" became my mantra.

And that worked, until two things happened.

First, my doctor put me on a low-dosage blood pressure medication, telling me that if I wasn't going to lose weight he felt he'd be derelict in his duty if he didn't do something to protect me. Even that only had a slight effect on my attitude towards my ever-increasing weight. The catalyst for change was actually something seemingly less serious than a grim diagnosis from my doctor.

My wife had LAP-BAND surgery two years ago. Since then, she has lost over 140 pounds, dropping from 300 pounds to just under 160. To put it quite bluntly, she looks HOT. She has never really nagged me about my weight, telling me instead that she loves me for who I am but that she wished I would lose weight so we will have more time together (quantity and quality) as a family. She fears losing me and our kids losing their father at a young age.

Anyway, this past December my wife and I attended a Christmas party with friends, and the hostess of the party took a picture of my wife and me in front of their Christmas tree as a memento of the party. When she showed me the picture on our digital camera, I was embarrassed and ashamed. I was so big, my belly covered half my wife in the picture. She was smiling big in the picture, I was forcing a grin. I was so ashamed I wouldn't even let my wife print the picture.

I decided that since low-carb was the only "diet" I had ever done successfully, I would try it again. But this time, I decided that instead of calling it a "diet", I would work towards making this a "way of eating". I stepped on the scales the Sunday before Christmas (the day after the party) and saw that I weighed in at a whopping 391 pounds, the heaviest I had ever been. Standing there on the scales in my bathroom I actually said out loud, "enough is enough!" I started eating low-carb that day with a breakfast of a 4-egg ham and cheese omelet and large glass of ice water.

I bought another copy of Dr. Atkins' book and low-carb cookbook. I loaded up my iPod and started walking again (I'm up to 40 mins a day now, working my way up to one hour a day). I even bought a new gas grill for preparing the steaks, chicken, pork chops, fish, and grilled veggies I was eating. Since the Sunday before Christmas (about 4 weeks), I'm down 39 pounds and still dropping. I feel better than I have in years. My clothes are starting to get baggy. I'm on the last notch on my belt. And I'm pricing treadmills and weight station machines. Needless to say, I'm proud of myself and my family and friends are proud of me too. Thought I have a long way to go (my goal is 210 lbs), I feel I'm on my way to being another low-carb success story.

Thanks for listening, it's nice to know that there are folks out there that understand where the current and former "big folks" are coming from.

MY ONE-LINER: Amazing story and all I can add to it is to KEEP IT GOING and NEVER GIVE UP even when the weight loss phase is over--when you get there, you're work has only just begun!

People who are over 300 pounds never learned to eat like "normal" people and a diet of 800 calories or less is not eating like normal people any more than eating 8000. And that, my friend is the worst lie of all about the Kimkins plan (setting aside for a moment that the woman is a pure sociopath liar and should be locked up). No abnormal substitution for an abnormal history of eating will work. Only slow steady healthy weight loss.

Something that I wonder about--that there is such a strong and active denial mechanism that kicks in when one needs to buy two airline tickets for one person, or when there are no clothes in stores that will fit, or when doing simple things that we all take for granted like carnival rides and turnstiles at the market and what about tying shoes or personal hygiene? Every day the morbidly obese are confronted with their weight and denial makes it possible to go on. Maybe a new version of denial kicks in when the unfortunate one encounters a site like Kimkins.com and the lie that this is going to work and be good for you in the bargain.

MY ONE-LINER: Things that make you go, hmmmmmmmmmm.

Hi Jimmy,

I really like what you have done for the low-carb community. I am a faithful reader and now you have started a new menu blog. It's great!! I have been on a plateau for several months and I now realize I eat way too little food!! Thank you for letting me know what amount of food it takes to get back on track. What I really need is a way to Internet journal. Some journalizing sites don't favor low-carb as much and emphasize low-fat and high-carb foods. Ugh! Do you know of a good journalizing site? Thank you for all you and Christine do for us out here on the internet. Happy eating "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb!"

MY ONE-LINER: The best way to journal is to either start your own blog (I use Blogger, but Typepad is good, too!) or join a low-carb forum like mine and journal your low-carb experience there. :D

Jimmy,

Hello, I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your YouTube videos. I lost 80 pounds 4 years ago doing the low-carb life. Then I got pregnant with my second child and still had 35 pounds to lose. Anyway, as of 2008 I am back on Induction again. I thought I knew everything about low-carb and then I found you. Thanks for all the wonderful info and keep up the great work!

MY ONE-LINER: You betcha and keep up the fabulous work on your low-carb lifestyle!

I started living the low-carb lifestyle beginning in late 2003. I have always been heavy from a toddler until the present time. I was generally taller than most kids my age, so I was able to hide my weight a little. I have always been self conscious about being heavy. I think the straw that broke the camel's back was a trip to Sea World in Florida, and I was too big to sit in the chair for a rollercoaster ride. They had a chair set up outside the ride for you to get in, and I couldn’t--how embarrassing! I did not realize how big I had gotten.

I don’t know my exact starting weight; I am guessing 410 pounds, because I could not find a scale big enough to weigh my morbidly obese body. I had been living the low-carb lifestyle for 2 to 3 months before I finally got weighed and at that time I was weighing 396 pounds. Since I have been living low-carb, I have found out that I had a serious problem with food. I would eat to solve boredom, pain, depression, anger, and I would eat for every reason except for hunger. There was no such thing as portion control.

For a family of 3 we would have to order 2 large pizzas and breadsticks, going to the buffet required 3 trips to the buffet table, whether I was full or not. Leftovers what were leftovers, I would eat till there was none left. After studying the low-carb lifestyle, I got even more inspiration to live this way. Diabetes runs in my family--granddad had it, dad has it, and my older brother has it. I knew at my weight I would be next. Thanks the Lord I don’t have it, and if I continue this healthy way of eating then hopefully I will not get it.

The biggest enjoyment I get out of losing this extra person that I used to carry on my back is being able to help others learn this healthy lifestyle. I love being a motivator and inspiration to others. I now weigh 179 pounds; still want to lose 4 more pounds. This is such a wonderful way to live and feel that it is hard to explain and put into words. I have never been skinny, even when I look in the mirror I still see a heavy person looking back at me, even though others don’t see that person anymore.

I have learned that being addicted to food is a disease, and by living the low-carb lifestyle, I am able to have a better handle on this disease. There are times that it is hard, and I still want to eat that large pizza by myself, but all I do is remember where I was and where I am now, and I like the present much better than I like the past.

I know that this is a lifestyle that I can live with for the rest of my life. There are so many false ideas about the low-carb way, that people think it is all meat and cheese. They are just so misguided. I now eat more veggies than I ever did when I was obese. I have lost about 230 pounds in about 4 years which that is just a little over 1 pound a week, which in my beliefs that is a very healthy weight loss plan and lifestyle.

MY ONE-LINER: Oh my gosh, CONGRATULATIONS on such a lifechanging weight loss experience and I encourage you to keep doing it for the rest of your long and healthy life!

Hi Jimmy,

I just checked out your new menu blog and I just about laughed my behind off at how much cheesecake and chocolate bars you eat! That is so awesome! And twice in one day many times!!!

My husband and I own two bagel shops and I'm in partnership with my niece in a gourmet chocolate business. Talk about temptation! I'm constantly creating new recipes and ideas for the chocolate business and now I try and create low-carb stuff. They have helped me lose 20 pounds since June and now I'm only five pounds away from my goal weight. Thanks for all you do for the low-carb community, I really appreciate it!

MY ONE-LINER: Who says you can't enjoy decadent food on the low-carb lifestyle, hmmm? :P

Jimmy,

I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm hoping for some feedback and I value your opinions. I re-started low-carb on Jan 14th. I've done the low-carb diet in the past (last year) and always have lost weight, a lot, right away. This time I'm only down 2 pounds in 10 days. That's CRAZY. :(

I've been strict in counting my carbs, and writing down what I eat. Here is a typical day:

Breakfast
2 egg omlet w/1 slice swiss cheese and 1 slice of turkey or ham, few cups of coffee w/heavy cream

Lunch
Assorted salad greens, cheese, ham or turkey slices, cucumber, tomato and a few olives, olive oil and vinegar dressing, lemon water or Diet Pepsi

Snack
Atkins bar/coffee w/cream or pistachio nuts

Dinner
Chicken, fish or beef w/ salad, same as above, mashed cauliflower or a mixture
of zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, onions cooked in olive oil and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, sugar free Jello mixed w/2 TBS cream cheese, lemon water or glass of white wine

I drink anywhere from 32-64 oz of water a day and have walked 2 miles 6 out of the last 10 days. I'm just not sure what is going on. I was testing my urine for ketones and I did have a high amount on the 6th day, but it has dropped to a low now. I was so psyched to start this, for the rest of my life after reading all of your blogs. I know I can do it and trust me, I'm not stopping just because I'm not losing weight, but the weight loss would be a great bonus. I have about 120 pounds to lose.

If you have a moment and any advice I sure could use it!! Thanks bunches for all the inspiration.

MY ONE-LINER: Try eating a little more fat and a little more often while putting the scale away for the next month to see what happens (I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!).

Dear Jimmy,

I came across your blog when I went to the dLife web site for some controlled carb recipes and you got me hooked! I have seen all 23 of your YouTube videos and have gone to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" and your blog, of course. Thank you for all the excellent work. You mentioned in your broadcasting of an interview with Jonny Bowden that you would be "updating" Livin' La Vida Low Carb and also writing two other books that would hopefully be out later this year. Will these books be available a retail stores as well as over the Internet?

MY ONE-LINER: I am actively shopping for a major publisher for my book, but regardless my first book and any future ones will be available from Amazon.com and can be ordered by your local bookstore.

I am a 56 year old woman with cerebral palsy--I alternate between a walker and wheelchair. Could you recommend any exercise resources that I could use? Thanks for all you do.

MY ONE-LINER: Move whatever part of your body you can until your heart rate goes up and you start to sweat a little--add some weight to increase the resistance and build muscle while burning fat.

Jimmy,

Love reading your website. After a few false starts, I am going to start low-carb tomorrow. I do have a question for you. After you lost your weight, did your shoe size go down? I have heard of it happening to people that have lost a lot of weight. I currently weigh 350 pounds at 6'8" and wear a 16 shoe. These are starting to feel tight and I am hoping to get back to a comfortable 16 or even a 15, as this is more readily available. Keep up the good work!!

MY ONE-LINER: As funny as it sounds, believe it or not I DID lose weight in my feet which is why I started getting blisters on the bottom of my feet when I was exercising because my foot was too loose in my tennis shoes!

Hi Jimmy, I have been dieting since third grade and since I am going on 57 years old that is a long time. I just wanted to say that I tried low-carb with Dr. Stillman ages ago and Dr. Atkins when his first book came out and lost weight but always gained it back because of no support with my family, friends or the media about this way of eating. Even when I was in my 30's and went to a weight loss specialist and she even told me to eat protein and fats because certain people like me just didn't have the metabolism or body make up that could tolerate carbs, I never really listened.

Then I came across you and your wonderful book and web site. You are so real and human rather than scientific that I can really believe you and relate to you. After reading your book I was so inspired that I lost 6 pounds the first week. Well, then the Christmas bills came in, I lost my job and we were really struggling financially and I had not really gotten rid of all my high-carb foods since my husband can tolerate eating carbs and I had been giving him rice and potatoes and biscuits and bread. I was frightened about lack of money and had no money to shop so I started eating the carbs.

Well, I have gained back those 6 pounds and more in just a couple weeks. So even if I have to live on eggs and whatever meat I can pick up in the reduced meat section of the store along with the low carb veggies, I am back and this time for life. I just have to. They always say it gets even harder the older you get and now I know what they mean. Thanks for all you do for people like me. I look forward to reading your blog site every day. I am not very good at computers so I hope you get this letter. God bless you and your lovely wife--I feel like I really know you both. Keep smiling. Your friend and devoted reader forever!

MY ONE-LINER: I admire your tenacity and dedication in the midst of financial hardship--you are an inspiration to us all to double up our efforts on the healthy low-carb lifestyle.

I have a quick question: I have been a binge eater, consuming massive amounts of carbohydrate calories most of my life. Five years ago I joined Overeaters Anonymous and Weight Watchers, lost 20 pounds, and have maintained that weight ever since. I weigh 128 and have counted calories (and been hungry) for the last 5 years. I eat the typical "healthy" almost-no-fat high-fiber low-calorie diet, although I haven't eaten many refined carbs in the past 5 years.

My question is this: I just read GOOD CALORIES, BAD CALORIES by Gary Taubes and I am becoming a low-carb believer, but if I don't count calories or something, how will I know when I've had enough? Just saying "eat until you're full" hasn't worked for me. Occasionally I know I'm full and do not want any more food, but that feeling is rare. Do you have advice for me?

MY ONE-LINER: Remember this--you can't eat too much fat because your body will reject it before you do; but if you keep your carbs to a minimum, then your body will naturally regulate your caloric intake through satiety from the fat and protein you consume.

Hi, I don't know how I ended up on the blog site of Jimmy Moore but I AM SO HAPPY I DID! There is so much to read about I don't know where to begin. Thanks for caring enough to do this for all of us out here.

MY ONE-LINER: It is my honor and privilege to share with you just a small part of the miraculous change that has happened in my life because of low-carb living.

Hey Jimmy! I've been reading your blog and listening to your podcast. Thank you! I feel very encouraged. I followed the Atkins program faithfully and was thrilled with my results until I got pregnant and had a baby. She is now old enough to tell me I'm fat and give me the reasons why. :)

I started back one week ago (yeah!) and the first two or three days I was also going low-fat (until I heard your Kimmer podcast). Now, I am living it the good way (high-fat) and it is delicious. I have Ketostix, a scale with body fat monitor and I am tracking things on a spreadsheet. I lost 4 pounds the first week. I started checking with Ketostix after every meal, exercise, whatever to make sure I was doing the right things.

My question to you is, if I am in ketosis do I need to worry about anything else? Is that the telltale sign that I'm doing this the right way? Are there are other things I should be looking for or doing?

MY ONE-LINER: If you are low-carbing the right way, other things to look for include your hunger will dissipate, your HDL will rise above 50, your triglycerides will drop below 100, and you should lose body fat even when the scale doesn't move an inch.

I have been living low-carb for almost 10 years. I so appreciate your blog, I can't even tell you. I keep trying to get the message out to everyone I know. My youngest son who recently started weight training, as you have, was getting crappy nutritional advice from a trainer who told him that he needed carbs for energy and to eat low-fat. But I think I have finally gotten him to understand the science behind the low-carb way of eating and how beneficial it will be for his workouts.

He now eats plenty of beef, wild Alaskan salmon, eggs, cheese, olive oil, avocados--in other words, all the right stuff. I've been trying to educate my co-workers, but that's a whole other Oprah! I have one co-worker who has tried every diet under the sun but will not try low-carb (I am assuming because of all the bad press it has gotten over the years). But I keep trying to let her know how much better she will feel (she's always complaining about being soooo tired) and that she will actually be able to lose weight without being hungry and cranky. We shall see!!!

Thanks again for your blog. I have learned more than I ever thought I would and it has led me to many wonderful web sites along the way.

MY ONE-LINER: Keep sharing and BEING THE EXAMPLE for all the world to see about livin' la vida low-carb!

Dear Jimmy:

Thanks ever so much for your great blog! I love it! I haven't totally committed to a low-carb lifestyle yet, but I HAVE cut down quite a bit. I do feel much better, and I have lost a few pounds.

I found your blog a while back while Googling for "weight loss and loose skin"--one of my fears. You posted a few different articles on loose skin after weight loss. If I recall, someone had written in to you to say that loose skin was really still fat and that dieting could eventually take care of it. You pondered this for a bit, but I think you decided it just wasn't so. And, of course, plastic surgeons tell us we HAVE to get surgery to remove this "excess skin."

Almost everyone in the Internet community seems to agree: it's not fat, it's excess skin, and if you have too much of it and can't stand it you HAVE to get surgery or you're stuck with it for life. But...hope springs eternal. I found this web site in my searches. It seems like this man really DOES just have the loose skin and no fat beneath it. He claims that the skin will eventually disappear. And it looks like on him it very well just might do so! I see no fat at all!

I was wondering what you thought of this. I respect your opinion because I have read your blog and know just how much of yourself you have committed to the low-carb and thin lifestyle. I know how far you have come and how much work you have put into this. But...if it's possible, wouldn't it be great?

Surgery is so expensive, and even if I could get it, I'm terrified of it! It sure would be nice if we COULD get rid of that excess skin without surgery. Or am I just fooling myself here? I'd really appreciate your opinion. I have nothing whatever to do with that web site, and I don't know the man at all. I'm just asking for peace of mind because I trust your opinion. Thank you so much for your time and for your awesome blog! Crossing my fingers!

MY ONE-LINER: I don't think when you have lost nearly 200 pounds and endured a lifetime of losing and gaining weight like I have that the "loose skin" will ever tighten up for me--but I'm weight training now to see what I can do to improve it as best as I can so we'll see what happens!

Hey there! I have been following the No Flour, No Sugar plan by Dr. Gott and I have been faithful. BUT, I haven't lost anything. I am thinking my PORTIONS are probably the cause. BUT, could it be too that I am not eating enough veggies?? What do you think??

I am beginning my 3rd week...We weigh in tonight, but my scales here are pretty accurate to what they will be there. Last week, I gained a 1/2 pounds. Granted I did exercise a good bit but this week I've been to exercise 3 times.

I want to stick with it. I have tried Atkins way before, but I cannot do it. This No Flour No Sugar has seemed to work pretty good. This one does allow for potatoes, rice and maybe I should keep them in moderation--to a minimum. You know what it's like to have someone tell you YOU HAVE TO DO something because it totally turns me off. So I haven't really mentioned it to anyone because I don't want to hear what they have to say. But I figured I would ask you anyways--maybe reading it through e-mail wouldn't be so bad. LOL!

PORTIONS though may be the culprit but still I am scratching my head. I would have thought cutting flour and sugar I would have at least lost something!!!!!!! These past 2 weeks have been a TOTAL improvement over my eating habits! Again, I've got to add more veggies. Your input is WELCOMED--just this once! Haha!

MY ONE-LINER: If you wanna be serious about your weight loss and health efforts, then you have to cut out the starchy carbs like potatoes and rice and only eat veggies that are non-starchy as well as green, leafy (broccoli, cauliflower, spinach leaves, green beans, squash, kale, and so much more!).

Hey Jimmy,

I am not sure why I feel the need to bother you with this, but I do. We haven't really had a chance to get to know each other, but I feel like you're a friend.

I fell off the wagon, already. I just hate myself. I was doing pretty good, but then people having carb foods around me just was too much. I'm not saying it's their fault, just that I couldn't take it. And once I slipped, my mind said, "you may as well slip big time." What a stupid thing to think, I know.

I thought I was doing pretty good. I was eating some eggs for breakfast, usually some sort of meat and salad for lunch, and then meat and some form of veggie for dinner. I was trying to get my water in, but I couldn't take fiber, as it wasn't having the proper effect, and actually made "things" worse. In the evenings, I might have some cheese or something like that for a snack. I was getting lots of fat, in the way of butter mostly. My calories were usually running anywhere from 1300 to around 1800, I think.

But even though I lost 4 pounds the first week, it didn't do anything the second, and I actually gained a couple pounds. I didn't consciously think it, but maybe part of me thought it wasn't working, and decided to quit. I do believe in the low-carb lifestyle.

Oh, that made me think of a question. I was looking at your menus, and wondered if those are considered Atkins Induction friendly? I didn't know if you were still trying to lose, or if you're maintaining now, which, I think, would let you eat different foods. If it's different, I'd be interested in knowing what you ate at the beginning of your weight loss journey. :-)

Ok, well, I'll let you go. I just had to get that stuff off my chest. Now to get my butt back in gear. Bad girl! Bad bad girl!!!! Please tell Christine hi!

MY ONE-LINER: You've not been bad, just get right back on it and NEVER GET OFF AGAIN--the menus I post at "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Menus" blog are how I eat now in maintenance (I've shared what I ate during my weight loss often here at my blog as well as in my Livin' La Vida Low-Carb book).

The one-liners are done! That was a lot of fun, although much more challenging than the more thorough answers I wrote back to each of them. I get a lot of e-mails, but I LOVE hearing from anyone and everyone who has a story or question to ask me. You can share YOUR e-mail with me anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.

Isabeau Miller: 'The Biggest Loser' Is Not 'A Woman's Game' To Win

Interviewing "The Biggest Loser" 4 finalist Isabeau Miller

Get ready fans of "The Biggest Loser" because I've got a whole buncha interviews with the contestants from Season 4 coming at you over the next few weeks. At least thirteen of the 18 contestants from last season have already agreed to be interviewed by me and I asked them all sorts of questions about behind-the-scenes stuff on the popular NBC weight loss reality show as well as what is happening in their own lives as a result of this opportunity they were given to lose weight and become household names.

After sharing with you Part 1 and Part 2 of my podcast interview last week with the winner of "The Biggest Loser" in last Fall's Season 4 grand finale Bill Germanakos, today I have another one of the four finalists from The Black Team who was also in contention for the $250,000 prize. But as you will see in my interview with Isabeau Miller today, that didn't materialize and quite frankly she's not at all surprised by it.

Catch up with Isabeau and find out how "The Biggest Loser" changed her life in so many more ways than simple weight loss. Everything about her has become like a new person and now she feels a personal mission and purpose for her life (that's what happens when you lose triple digits!). Get ready to be inspired by a beautiful young woman (both inside and out!) who has unlimited potential to be and do whatever it is she desires for the rest of her long and healthy life.

It's time to meet the brand new Isabeau Miller!



1. When you're a 21-year old woman with high aspirations of breaking into the ultra-image-conscious music industry, you quickly discover it takes a whole lot more than an amazing singing talent to get your big break. That's something Isabeau Miller knows a lot about. Prior to appearing as a contestant on Season 4 of the NBC-TV reality show "The Biggest Loser," she had been working hard to get her music career off the ground living in one of the most renowned cities in the world of music--Nashville, Tennessee! But there was one really big thing standing in her way and that was her weight.

When she began her journey on "The Biggest Loser" as the youngest contestant ever (21), Isabeau also set another dubious all-time mark for the hit weight loss series by becoming the heaviest female contestant ever when she topped the scales at 298 pounds. Welcome to the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog today, Isabeau.

Tell us what went through you head when you saw that big 2-9-8 staring you in the face for the first time. Was that shocking to you or were you totally expecting that number or higher? What do you think the primary reasons were that you allowed yourself to become so obese and what was it that made you want to change that trend?

When I saw I weighed 298 pounds, I sadly can’t say that I was surprised. I knew that the way I was living was unhealthy. After all, I grew up with a DOCTOR as a dad!!! I KNEW what I was doing to my body was wrong, but for some reason I could not cut the emotional ties I had to food. I loved food more than I loved myself at that point in my life.

I have ALWAYS struggled with my relationship with food. Growing up, childhood obesity wasn’t a prevalent issue in society like it is now, so when my parents noticed my weight obviously getting out of control, they treated my problem like you would with an adult. They did all they could to help--weekly weigh-ins with me, non-food related “rewards” when I DID lose weight, enrolling me in sports, and cooking healthy meals. But, unfortunately for me, this set into motion a horrible pattern of rebellion that continued into my adulthood.

Really, I’ve always been a pretty straight-edged person--I don’t smoke, I don’t do drugs, or drink excessively, so eating became my drug and the way I could say “screw you” to what my parents wanted. In some ways, I wish I had just been a “normal” kid and gone to parties--I think that would have been much easier to quit. Even now, there are moments I sit back and ask myself before I eat something if I’m REALLY hungry or if there’s some kind of emotion driving my want for food.

I’ve kind of put in place “the 10-minute rule.” If I want to eat something, I make a promise to myself to wait 10 minutes, think about it, and if in 10 minutes, it still sounds as good, I’ll have it--in moderation of course. In depriving ourselves, especially with me, it just reinforces the idea that something “isn’t allowed” and we’re “rebelling” by eating it. I don’t believe in living like that anymore.

2. Ooooh, I like that "10-minute rule," Isabeau! As an aspiring singer, getting the opportunity to appear on national television and to start making a name for yourself in the public eye had to be a major impetus for wanting to be on "The Biggest Loser" along with the potential for winning a whole lotta money. But with tens of thousands of people applying for a mere 18 slots, you had to somehow make yourself stand out from the rest of the pack to get the casting agency to notice and ultimately pick you over the others. Talk about the application process that you went through, how long it took before you heard from 3 Ball Productions about being considered for the show, and why you believe they ended up giving you a chance to be among the show's final group for Season 4.

You know what’s funny, is the idea of fame HONESTLY did not even cross my mind as far as "The Biggest Loser" was involved. Nothing against the show or its past contestants, but most of them don’t go on to some jet-setting, luxurious lifestyle afterwards. I didn’t expect "The Biggest Loser" to make me famous, but I expected it to give me “the missing piece” of the package--I had the voice, the ability, but KNEW as soon as I walked into meetings with people in the industry, the first thing people saw, through no fault of their own, was my weight.

I wish larger people weren’t judged like that, but life is not fair, and the industry is even MORE unfair. That being said, my audition process was quite short compared to the majority of the contestants who ended up appearing with me. Some had been applying for years, or had went through several call backs, etc. I sent in my application about a week after the Season 3 finale, and was called 3 weeks later to meet with casting assistants. From there, the ball kept rolling, and although it was an incredibly stressful process, wondering where you stood in the eyes of the casting “gods,” I’m thankful that mine took only a few months, which was on the shorter side for most people. No one can really say FOR SURE what 3 Ball was looking for, but I think they were looking for genuine people who really wanted to lose weight, and of course, had the potential to be even more attractive as slim people.

I forget who said it, but at some point, during our preliminary casting, we had a photo shoot, and it might have been Neil or Ryan that said “This is the most attractive group of overweight people I’ve EVER seen.” And it was true! From day one, you could take one look at Amy, or Hollie, or Julie, or ANYONE for that matter and say “I can totally see them on the cover of a magazine,” which is probably why you did (the contestants were given an opportunity for a photo shoot with Prevention magazine midway through the season)!!



3. Some critics of "The Biggest Loser" say the show promotes hours upon hours of tortuous exercise with little regard to diet and public humiliation for the contestants having to expose their flabby bodies for the whole world to see week in and week out (I don't subscribe to these opinions, but I've had many e-mails from people stating as much). As one of the contestants who made it all the way to the final four players and appearing on the show to the very last week, what is your response to this kind of criticism and do you think it has any merit at all? Why or why not?

Of course the show promotes hours of exercise!! I hear it all the time from people “So, HOW DID YOU DO IT?” and then they wait with bated breath for me to slip them some magic pill. That’s just not the truth. I think, honestly, most people who have hundreds of pounds to lose want to hear that you can do it without diet, without exercise, and most importantly, without looking at yourself squarely in the mirror, and the truth is, that is just impossible. You NEED to change your eating habits--not just to lose weight, but to decrease the chances of dying from obesity-related illnesses.

You NEED to exercise for SOOO many reasons, but above all, you NEED to have the “wake up call” where you look at yourself honestly and say “Wow, I need to do something about this...REALLY!” For me, it was absolutely liberating to know America would see the things I have spent a lifetime trying to hide. For 21 years, I had never shopped with my friends so they’d never know what size I wore, I had never told anyone what I REALLY weighed, I had never EVER changed in front of someone, or let someone see me in my bra and underwear. To get to expose me, at my worst, to America, knowing that from that point on, I would NEVER go back there again, it felt like a huge weight off my shoulders (excuse the pun).

I felt like for the first time, I was being honest with myself and everyone around me. As far as the criticism for the show goes, there are parts that are painful, unbearable, stressful, gut-wrenching, tear-jerking and absolutely tortuous--but it is ABSOLUTELY necessary. And knowing that I wouldn’t ever be able to do those things on my own, I’m so grateful for what the show gave me a healthier lifestyle, yes, but more importantly, coping skills. I think everything I ever take on from this point on will pale in comparison to the amount of work "The Biggest Loser" was.

4. Backstage at the grand finale, you said that Jillian Michaels was the exact trainer you needed to help you become the successful weight loss and health winner you are today. After watching the dominating performance of the entire Black Team in Season 4 with all of the final four players--you, Hollie, Julie, and Bill--as well as the at-home winner Jim, there's little doubt in anyone's mind that SHE was the major reason for that.

Why do you think the kick-butt-now-thank-me-later approach that Jillian uses is so effective? What makes her fitness methodology so much better than the ones used by the other trainers on the show? Did you ever THINK about switching trainers in those early days on the show because you thought working with Jillian was gonna be too hard? What kept you going despite the pain and agony of being pushed to your limits?

I think if I lived to be 200 years old, I could not thank Jillian Michaels or the kind of woman she was to me throughout my Biggest Loser experience. I think, as Jillian has said many times, her strategy is effective because she makes you show YOURSELF just how strong and capable you really are physically, which really does transcend into EVERY area of your life. I think all the trainers have their own “schtick” but I dare say that Jillian is a fitness and life pioneer.

Some people “think outside the box” but Jillian doesn’t even know there IS a box--she just feels something, and does it. Watching Jillian train, to me, would be comparable to watching Michelangelo paint, or hearing Beethoven play--she is a master of her craft, and has a true intuition and compassion for people, but is still continually improving herself. The woman reads and studies more than most people that have PhDs in exercise science do! She’s really incredible.

As far as switching trainers, I NEVER seriously considered what life on "The Biggest Loser" ranch would be like with Bob or Kim. As nice as they were, I think it goes without saying that Jillian’s in a league of her own. You kind of HAD to push yourself because she believed in you so much. I didn’t want to challenge her belief that I could do anything she asked me to--and when I did, she only pushed harder. And for that, she WAS the perfect trainer for me. She referred to me as “The great negotiator.” If she said, “Sprint for a minute” I’d say "How about 30 seconds now, rest 30 seconds, then another 30 seconds?” She was perfect for me, cause she saw through my bull, and punished my bad habits, which eventually taught me to retrain my thinking and push through the discomfort.



5. As a result of your incredible total body transformation losing 113 pounds from day one all the way to the grand finale in December, you have now become a certified personal trainer to give back to others what you have learned from Jillian so they can change their lives, too. People don't believe me when I tell them that losing triple digits releases some kind of trigger in your head to go out and do things you never thought were possible before.

Is this the kind of thing that is happening to you right now and is there an insatiable desire deep inside of you to do whatever you can to help overweight and obese people get fit and healthy? Do you think this is now something you HAVE to do because of the amazing miracle you have been given in your own life?

Honestly, after going through my experience on "The Biggest Loser," I feel a sense of being invincible--a brand new kind of life. You just feel as if you’ve already DONE the impossible, so why not keep doing it? I have set post-Biggest Loser goals for myself that I NEVER would have otherwise set--I’m training to compete in a half marathon in April, and then a marathon in the Fall, as well as a triathlon. I’m joining a recreational sports leagues, rock climbing, adventuring--I have NEVER been a thrill seeker, but now everything is different.

My training, though, is the love of my life right now. Being trained by Jillian was a gift because I feel like I was given an apprenticeship with the best in the business. I know I’ve faced quite a bit of criticism from some people on various message boards questioning my “ability to be a trainer” so quickly, and at 185 pounds. First, if you count the time I was on "The Biggest Loser" GETTING healthy, I have been immersed in fitness for almost a year. As soon as I stepped off the campus, I got my personal training study packaged, and a month later, took my exam to get my certification. I had to get certified just like ANY other trainer.

And as far as being 185 pounds when I know the typical female trainer is probably at least 40 lbs less than that, I would challenge ANY person thinking they're in “good shape” to go through one of my workouts. I run a boot camp class with a group of women, varying in sizes, shapes, ages, and even the youngest, fittest, most athletic participant with a “perfect” body struggles through it (which as a trainer makes me ecstatic!!). But beyond that, I feel like, yes, "The Biggest Loser" was a tremendous blessing in MY life, but I believe above all, it was the stepping stone, and the catalyst for me to find my “meaning” in life.

In music, I’m a songwriter in hopes that my songs inspire others, but in fitness, I REALLY get to inspire others, and it’s such a gift. Plus, my clients know I’ve been where they ARE. This gives me (and them) a huge advantage because they can’t make excuses with me that I haven’t tried to make and had to push through myself. Regardless of the number they see on the scale, my clients run, they do REAL push ups, they lift weights--I try to enforce the idea that weight is just a number, not a definition. And we can use it to “take stock” of where we are, but it can’t rule WHO you are.

I have clients that are over 300 pounds who I consider “fit”--they can run miles, they can workout 7 hours a week. Plus, being a trainer is inspiring to ME and keeps me active which is the only way I ever want to live. I’m running a summer fitcamp this year (for more info go to RockHardBodySoul.com) where people from ALL over the country are coming for 2 intensive Biggest Loser-style weeks, and I’m so excited to get the message of fitness and wellness across the country and help people put their goals into action!

6. Throughout the season, you and other female contestants often talked about wanting to become the first woman to be crowned the winner of "The Biggest Loser." Although Julie came close by being within 8 pounds of making that happen, Bill Germanakos pulled out the win against her, you, and Hollie at the finale. Why do you think men seem to have an advantage over the women on this show? What do you think it's gonna take for a girl to finally beat out the guys for a chance to win the $250,000 grand prize in future episodes of "The Biggest Loser?" Do you think it would be more fair if there was a male winner and a female winner at the end of each season or should the format stay just the way it is?

Man, I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t wish one of us chicks won the grand prize, although I think we were all very happy for Bill and his wonderful family. Here’s the thing: We had 8 months from start to finish. For Julie, she came SOOO close but I don’t know WHERE that girl could’ve lost anymore weight from. She was teeeeeny tiny at the finale--even more so than it looked like on TV. She just had nothing left, and rightfully so--she started out the smallest female of the season.

On the other side of the fence, there was me. I SHOULD have been able to win, but the reality is, there were a couple factors working against me--#1, I’m a woman. And to lose 150 pounds (50% of my starting weight) in 8 months, I would have had to CONSISTENTLY lose 4.5 pounds a week. There were some weeks ON CAMPUS where I lost only 3 or 4 pounds, and that was without all the distractions of real life, and having Jillian to work my butt off 4-6 hours a day. I knew it would be hard once I got home, but I never anticipated the plateaus I faced, and how long they would last. A woman just does not have the metabolism of a man.

Also, I had spent about 15 years of my life qualifying as “obese,” and toward the end, was lugging around a good 15-20 pounds of loose skin. Gross, I know, but I knew there was nothing I’d EVER be able to do about that before the finale, so I kind of had to swallow my pride, and be happy with the tremendous weight loss I had achieved as well as the fact that I had accomplished all of my PERSONAL goals: to wear a size 10 and to run a road race. Plus, I hadn’t been 185 since I was 11!!! Half a lifetime ago.

So it was definitely a difficult thing to come in 4th out of 4, but personally, I had some huge achievements. Honestly, I don’t think "The Biggest Loser" is a woman’s game. It happened in the UK, but the producers need to do one of two things--either get guys that don’t HAVE 50% of their body weight to lose, or get women that DO and then give them at LEAST a year to do it in. Eight months just is not enough, and had I had an extra 4 months, I think I could’ve pushed through my plateaus and gotten at least CLOSE to 150--although now I really don’t care WHAT that number on the scale ever says as long as I can always wear my “goal jeans” and run 5 miles without thinking about it.



7. YOU GO GIRL! I LOVE your attitude. You know, your boyfriend Jonathan is one lucky guy to have you as both his best friend and the love of his life. After this amazing journey you have been on in 2007 appearing on "The Biggest Loser" and with limitless potential to do things you never thought possible, have you two discussed things like your career, marriage, kids, and your long-term future together? How has your relationship grown with Jonathan as a result of your lifechanging weight loss success? Do you feel more worthy to be loved by him now that you're no longer embarrassed about the way you look? Have you noticed men staring at you now who wouldn't have thought twice about looking at you when you weighed 300 pounds?

Jon has to be the most amazing 23-year old man in the entire world. From the time "The Biggest Loser" first came up, he encouraged me to do what I wanted to do. I don’t know many men his age that would allow their girlfriends to go off on a reality WEIGHT LOSS show, meanwhile taking care of the house, the bills, the dogs, and just keeping life together. He was (along with my parents) my rock, and I am definitely the lucky one.

We’ve definitely discussed the future--mostly because it just seems so bright right now. We’re so excited to live every day together. (My favorite thing to do is put HIM through my workouts--he doesn’t last 15 minutes! LOL!). We’ve talked about marriage, and will definitely be parents SOMEDAY, but I promised Jillian I wouldn’t have babies for some time.

Jon NEVER said anything that made me feel less than beautiful, but I felt less than beautiful on my own. No matter how many times he told me how much he loved me or thought I was perfect, or sexy, or gorgeous, all I saw when I looked in the mirror was how unhappy I was with myself. I think we’re both grateful not just for my weight loss, but for my self-esteem changing. He doesn’t need to spend the whole night “reassuring me” that I am something I don’t feel I am, and I feel like I’m finally the girlfriend he DESERVES--besides feeling like I’m the “hot” girlfriend, I also feel like we’re such better partners now because now we BOTH walk our dogs, we go for runs together (even did a road race together!), and we cook healthy dinners together.

It’s been a whole different kind of love--one much more equal and deep. Honestly, this might sound sad and a little mushy, but I honestly don’t really notice any other men!! I’m totally in love with the one I have (and a little oblivious as well), but Jon says he sees guys “checking me out” whenever we go out--which makes me feel great! Not that other guys like what they see, but knowing how proud Jon is to be the one that’s with me when other people want what HE has. After all he’s sacrificed for me to have such an opportunity, I feel like that’s the LEAST he should have!!

8. I suppose you're ready to kickstart your music career into high gear now and you've already got some amazing vocal MP3 cuts for sale on your popular MySpace page where your list of friends is now well in excess of 3100 and counting! I think my favorite song written and performed by you is "My Own" because it sounds like an autobiographical tune about your "Biggest Loser" journey. The following lyrics cut right to the heart of the journey you've been traveling:

"Everyone's got opinions for what you should be. But when you look in the mirror, what do you see? And I never knew how high the sky could stretch until I made that climb on my own. And learned to speak my mind...they never heard my voice, until I found...My own."

WOW! Strong lyrics and sung with the intense emotion that I would expect from someone who has been through all that you have over these past few months. Did you write this song before, during, or after your appearance on "The Biggest Loser?" Do you have any other songs like that one swirling around in your heart and mind inspired by the changes you have experienced?

I wrote “My Own” with one of the most talented writers in Nashville, Will Champlin. We had been working on another song all night, and something just wasn’t “gelling”--it just wasn’t honest enough for me. I’m one of those writers, where I need to be inspired. I know a lot of people (especially in Nashville) believe in writing as a job--you just push through until you “find” something. But I think for me, that something needs to get into my thoughts somehow.

So we took a break, and I went to the piano and started writing “My Own.” When Will came back downstairs, it was already half written. I had come back from "The Biggest Loser" a couple months before, and at that point, it was pretty evident I wasn’t going to win, but I felt the need to convey to myself, and the world, that whatever that final number said on the scale, I had found who I WAS through the process of "The Biggest Loser." Yes, the weight loss was incredible and I don’t know that I could have ever done it on my own, but more importantly, I figured out who I was, and more importantly who I wanted to be.

I literally changed my ENTIRE life--I lost weight, I bought a house because I wasn’t afraid of taking that risk, I quit my “day jobs” and became a trainer which I am in love with, I signed up for races I couldn’t quite run yet because I had faith that I COULD--and I did. I think above all, I learned I am capable of anything I put my faith into. I came into "The Biggest Loser" not having a lot of faith in anything (just ask Julie!!) but now, I find I am more aware of myself, physically, emotionally and spiritually than I ever would have been. I WILL pursue my music career as a songwriter, but I gotta say--I don’t care if I ever find fame with my music. I feel like I had a “taste of fame” with "The Biggest Loser" and as grateful as I am for the people that write to me, or are inspired, there’s a really bitter taste that comes with being “on” all the time. If a record deal fell in my lap, I don’t think I’d say no, but I’d much rather spend my life writing music and living more anonymously. Plus, no matter what happens with my music, I think I will always continue training as well.



9. Your web site IsabeauMiller.com has recently come online with updated information constantly being added as you travel down this next step in what looks to be a promising future as a professional recording artist. Have you heard from any record labels interested in giving you and your band a recording contract yet? What do you think about trying out for a spot on another reality show "American Idol" (like your fellow contestant "B" did a few years back) now that you've got the looks to go along with that powerful voice? Do you think you'd have a good chance getting on that show?

Ha! No, I don’t think American Idol will be in my future, but then again, I didn’t think "The Biggest Loser" would be either, so I guess I’d never say never. But “B” is a totally different musician than I am--he is SOOOOOO talented. I think I’m more of a writer than I am a singer, but I’m exploring different avenues. No matter what, music is part of who I am--it’s in my roots, in my blood. For me, music is an every day thing just like taking a shower or eating dinner for most people.

Whether I’m ever paid to make music, I will always do it and it will always be a part of our household (my boyfriend Jon is also a drummer AND personal trainer!!). Sad to say, I am pretty bad about updating my web site especially since the launch of my training company’s website: RockHardBodySoul.com. But once things quiet down a bit more, I am going to work on recording some of my new songs and release a CD this summer!! Maybe even a collaboration with "B?" You down with that, "B?" Ha ha!

10. Isabeau, THANKS so much for sharing some quality time with me and the readers of the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog today. It never ceases to amaze me how "The Biggest Loser" just keeps improving the lives of so many good, hard-working people who are just like the rest of us just living in the day to day. CONGRATULATIONS on all of your success and I wish you well as you follow your dreams in this thing called life. Is there anything you'd like to say to encourage people who feel like their obesity is who they are and nothing will ever change that?

Jimmy, first of all, thank YOU! I know what you do touches so many people, and I feel blessed to have this platform to inspire others as well! To everyone else out there--as I said, there is NO magic answer, but it IS possible!! Don’t be afraid to reach out for help and take charge of the person you WANT to be! Sometimes you have to “fake it till you make it,” so start believing right now, this second, that you are stronger, you are more capable, and you are wiser than you think you are, and then put it into motion! Set small goals EVERY day and when they get easy, make them harder. And remember this: I’ve never EVER left the gym regretting that I went, but I have gone to bed on my “lazy days” where I wish I HAD gone to the gym. You’ll NEVER regret the choice to be healthy!! Thanks again Jimmy and everyone out there reading this. ;)