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Saturday, June 28, 2008
The Real Deal On Low-Carb Living From Real People In Real Life...REALLY!
It's one thing to tell people about how much livin' la vida low-carb can change their life because it is backed up by solid science that shows it is the preferred way that humans were meant to eat for maintaining their weight and health. It is yet another thing altogether for that simple, yet profound message to sink into the minds of people who have become so disillusioned about what is healthy and what is not by all they've "heard" about it over the years.
One of my readers named Alejo posted his theory about why the low-fat diet hypothesis continues to dominate popular health thinking despite the very clear lack of scientific evidence in support of it compared with low-carb living in response to this blog post about Dr. Atkins I wrote this week. He compares low-fat diets to religion by describing it more as a religious BELIEF rather than relying on what the facts from science say to the contrary. This is a notion that Dr. James Carlson promoted in my podcast interview with him earlier this month.
So with so many people following low-fat diets based on their heart telling them it's the way to go because they must suffer for the sins of their obesity (depriving themselves of their favorite foods, feeling hungry, not eating as much, exercising for hours on the treadmill everyday), Alejo contends that all the evidence in the world in favor of low-carb from the research world is virtually meaningless. Until you can change the hearts and open up the minds of those who are caught up in the latest low-fat demagogue to spout off such nonsense (need I name names?), it's gonna be an uphill battle.
But I think that's where blogs like "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" and others can play a major role. The fact is that real people who are living real life on the low-carb lifestyle come here on a daily basis and have a story to tell. Their lives have been changed for the better and I highlight these testimonies of transformation for all the world to see what livin' la vida low-carb is REALLY doing for people. This ain't no fad diet that's dangerous as you oftentimes hear in the media and from those self-proclaimed health "experts." Instead, this is the REAL DEAL on low-carb living and I'm gonna keep sharing it.
One thing that blogging does allow me to do that I would not otherwise have as many opportunities for is a public dialog about the benefits of low-carb diets. I have been criticized for being too hostile against low-fat diets while propping up low-carb ones. While I don't disagree that I share livin' la vida low-carb in a much more positive light than low-fat diets, I am all in favor of people finding what works for them to lose weight and get healthy. But even if you disagree with my chosen way of eating, I have no problem answering any questions about it to those who contact me.
Such is the case today with some recent e-mails I've received from readers wanting to know more about the low-carb lifestyle and how it can help them. I literally receive hundreds of e-mails a day and I really do read and answer all of them as quickly as I possibly can. I don't always have all the answers that people are looking for, but I try my best to get the information needed from people within my circle of influence who DO know the answers. Please don't hesitate to e-mail me anytime. :)
Here are the e-mails:
I have always had a terrible time losing weight no matter what diet. I do like the Atkins program because it is the only diet that I am not famished on (I needed to go below 1,000 calories to lose weight and it's not pretty). Still, I never had that super weight loss on Induction or any other time on Atkins. I also never can get off Induction without a complete stall or even weight gain.
If I want to lose weight I must go under 20g carbs. I am so bored of this and now even this stalls me out. I am worried about nutrition because my carbs must be so restricted. I am also worried about the future. I lost 26 pounds (took me a year!) but regained 7. First I regained 3 pounds going on a vegan diet. Then when I switched back to low-carb I actually gained 4 more!!!
I am very depressed right now. I am still 60 pounds overweight--not obese, but on the high side of overweight. I walk about 6 miles a week and I’m not diabetic or on any medications. I am a 41-year old woman with three kids. It has been so upsetting to see posts where people lose 8, 10, or 14 pounds on Induction and I only lost 4 rotten, stinkin’ pounds. Many weeks I lost nothing. If I was lucky I'd lose one measly pound.
Any advice to help me keep my sanity would be truly appreciated.
THANK YOU so much for writing to me today and I can certainly sense your frustration about not being able to lose weight. This is something you don't hear talked about much in the world of weight loss, but there are other issues going on that can impact your ability to lose weight even when you are doing everything correct. In fact, I recently blogged about this very thing happening to me.
It can be discouraging and upsetting to compare yourself to what others are being able to accomplish. But don't do that to yourself. You are you and not those other people. They probably don't have the issues that you do metabolically so it would not be fair to measure your success against theirs.
Hey, 4 pounds is 4 pounds, so don't let it get your down. And also remember that livin' la vida low-carb is more about improving your health first and foremost and then weight loss is merely a side effect of eating better. I encourage you to get back to the basics of the Atkins diet by reading the book, following the plan as prescribed, and not worrying so much about your results. Some people it just takes longer, so DON'T GIVE UP! Watch my YouTube videos on Induction for helpful hints.
If you need to be on 20g or less for the rest of your life, then join the club. I'm one of those people too as are many I know. There's certainly nothing wrong with eating that few carbs as long as you get lots of fat for fuel and energy and moderate protein at every meal. Go check out my menus blog to see what I eat on a daily basis.
I've blogged about stalls and lack of weight loss many times before because this is something people need to realize is serious business. It's not the end of the world as you might think. Here are those posts that I hope will encourage you in this journey:
KEEP AT IT! Get involved at my discussion forum for support as you go through this experience. There are several people there who have been stuck and can't figure out why they're not losing either. It could be any number of things and the people there can help support you through this.
My issue was a condition called reactive hypoglycemia which a physician who worked with Dr. Atkins named Dr. Keith Berkowitz identified and helped me with. Here's my podcast interview with him about this and it may be what you are dealing with. I'll be doing a follow-up interview with Dr. Berkowitz soon to talk more about the questions people having regarding this condition.
If nothing else, I hope all of this gives you hope as you pursue weight loss and better health. It can be challenging going through this, but it is NOT impossible to beat it. YOU CAN DO THIS! I'm here for you anytime, so don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or comments. NEVER GIVE UP!!!
I was looking around the web in an attempt to find new ways to clean up pictures for my photo site (mostly bird pictures) and ran across an article written by you. I noticed a couple of links concerning your weight loss and decided to check it out.
I am 50 years old and do not live a healthy lifestyle. I drink as many as 10 sodas a day and eat unhealthy food constantly. I have purchased good food (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) at the commissary (I live and work in Germany) and I bought a steamer but they just sit there until the food goes bad and the steamer gets so dusty I need to wash it again. I've tried to stop drinking the sodas in the past but when I do I get excruciating migraine headaches and nothing seems to alleviate the pain. I'm told it's from either the caffeine of the sugar but it makes it very difficult to stop. I also enjoy the taste and when I drink water it just doesn't seem to do the trick.
I know all of this stuff is not healthy and I really do want to change since I've had some health problems and weighing between 230 and 300 pounds at various times doesn't help. I'm also not very active mostly due to a back problem. I had part of my spine removed and there is constant pain which is probably exacerbated by the extra weight I'm carrying around.
I love rice and broccoli as well as cauliflower and other veggies but I also like eating various types of bread and cheese which I've been told is a real no-no. It seems I'm stuck in this cycle and don't know how to get out of it. From what I read on your biog it seems you became motivated and worked hard at changing your life style. I was wondering if you had any words of advice.
I know you probably get this all the time and I apologize for bothering you but at my age I'm wondering if it's even worth it to try and change things but deep down I know it would help.
Thanks for reading this and I'd appreciate any response.
THANKS so much for writing to me and I appreciate your fragility about your current circumstance. It's exactly where I was a little more than four years ago when I began my own weight loss journey at 410 pounds. I was drinking Coca-Cola like it was going out of style and didn't think anything of it at the time. In fact, my addiction to sugary soda (and that's exactly what it was!) had me drinking upwards of 16 cans of Coke a day! EEEEK!
To even think about doing that now just makes me shudder. One can of soda has so much high fructose corn syrup (SUGAR!) in it that there are more carbs in that one drink than I eat all day now. Whenever you ingest one of these soda pops, think about this--you are putting 45 grams of sugar into your body or about 12 teaspoons! Multiply that number times the cans you drink in a day and it really adds up.
I came up with a mantra that helped me overcome my sugar addiction. Here it is: SUGAR IS RAT POISON! In fact, I loved using that so much that I named it as one of the chapters of my book about my low-carb weight loss. And there's even a study that came out verifying that the strategy I used linking sugar to rat poison has merit.
It sounds like you already like many of the foods you can eat on a low-carb diet, including broccoli, cauliflower, and even cheese (yes, you can eat cheese in limited quantities when you are livin' la vida low-carb). You should also check out my recent YouTube videos on Induction so you can see exactly what you eat on a low-carb diet especially in the early going.
If you watch those and grasp the concepts my wife Christine and I share about the basics of low-carb, then you will be well on your way to success. YOU CAN DO THIS, Eric!!! You are NOT too old to shed the pounds. Check out these stories of people who are OLDER than you who did it, too:
THANKS again for writing and now I urge you to do this with all of your might and GO FOR IT!!! You'll be so glad you did. :)
Hi Jimmy,
Life really throws us some surprises, doesn't it? Not all good ones, either.
I'm 60 years old, way overweight (almost 300 pounds), diabetic (with several other fat-induced ailments) and I'm just not having much success with the American Diabetes Association's high carb "high fiber" recommended diet.
So I'm ready to try the high protein way of eating when--BAM!--I get served with divorce papers. Maybe that's not the bad news, because this toxic relationship hasn't been helping me achieve any level of healthier living (even so, it is very painful). But the real bad news is that now I find myself financially devastated. I still have a truckload of canned and dried beans and other stuff from the diabetic diet, and I really can't afford to toss all that stuff and buy all new food.
So why am I writing to you? Well, I'll bet I'm not the first little old lady who has found herself in this position. I'm hoping that you have a reader or two who can offer some hope and encouragement, and maybe a tip or two about how to make the dietary transition since I can't just go totally LC tomorrow. I'll be starting job #2 tomorrow, and that extra income will eventually allow me to get in the full swing of the high protein life, but right now things are a little bit tight.
I've just discovered your site and you have a huge archive of material for me to work through, so I haven't had a chance to read much of the material yet. If you can direct me to any existing blogs or threads that I can read, I sure don't mind doing my own research. I'm not expecting anyone to rescue me or to provide my education in the LC eating plan, but there's an overwhelming body of work to get through and a little direction for where to start would sure be appreciated.
I am so inspired by your personal story, as well as the stories of several others who have lost huge amounts of weight by reducing or giving up carbs, and I'm feeling very hopeful that I can do it too. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting out such a wealth of factual information and the experiences of others who have had success. Sometimes the stories are just as important as the dietary guidelines.
You'll probably never know (on earth, anyway) how many lives you have changed or even saved. But as a fellow believer in Christ I can tell you my life experience is that people get new information and direction when they are ready to actually use it. Things don't look that great for me right now, but check back in a few months and see if things are not different. Jesus never fails those who believe in Him.
Jimmy, I look forward to any advice you or your readers can provide to help me jump start my new lifestyle. Thanks again for being there.
THANK YOU for writing to me today and I am so sorry to hear about your pending divorce. As the child of divorced parents, I can somewhat relate to what you are going through. I pray that the Lord grants you the grace and mercy to get through this difficult time and rise triumphantly on the other side as the woman He desires you to be. :)
Yes, I have written quite a bit about eating low-carb on a budget, so check these out:
You can find GREAT support for your low-carb lifestyle by joining my forum to meet real people who are living the low-carb lifestyle, too. Hearing their stories and learning from them will get you started and keep you going the right way. I am confident you will SUCCEED at this! DON'T YOU GIVE UP!!! I'm here for you anytime, so don't hesitate to contact me.
Hi Jimmy,
It's so weird that I feel this way. I've followed the low-carb lifestyle before, but didn't actually make it a lifestyle. I'm restarting Induction tomorrow, re-reading my book, and I've joined the gym. No need to take it one step at a time. I want to do it all in one whop.
So what is my fear--that I'll lose the weight and get healthy? If you could find some time to share your thoughts on this and leave me with some valuable tips, then I'd appreciate it.
The fear of failure has a VERY strong pull on our psyche when we attempt to lose weight. Sometimes that fear can become so REAL in our lives that it totally encompasses us and we become consumed with guilt and shame over a single bite of anything off plan. This is no way to live.
When I started livin' la vida low-carb, I made up my mind at that very moment that this was the lifestyle change I needed, that I needed to be dead serious about it, and no matter what others might say to me I was gonna DO IT! It wasn't some willpower or anything like that, but a steadfast resolve to make better choices for my health.
And the results for me were phenomenal. You gotta believe the same can and WILL happen for you, Lynisha! And when you get there, it'll be the most glorious experience of your life--especially if you have been overweight or obese your entire life like I was before my weight loss. Life DOES change for you and it's mostly for the better. I did a recent YouTube video about all the changes that have happened since my weight loss in 2004.
Embrace this lifestyle, never let go of it, and become that woman you were always meant to be. Your confidence will skyrocket, your quality of life will greatly improve, and nothing will be able to stand in the way of whatever you put your mind to in the future. The REAL YOU is just BEGGING to come out and show the world what she's made of. Are you ready to unleash her? :) Let me know about your progress and I'm happy to help anytime. Take care!
Got a question or comment for me? I LOVE hearing from my readers and you WILL hear back from me if you do. E-mail me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net and give me the distinct privilege of hearing from you about whatever is on your mind. Whatever you do, just keep on livin' la vida low-carb! :)
Creating a menu of food choices on the Induction phase of the low-carb lifestyle can be somewhat of a challenge to the newbie. We've all been there wondering what in the world we're gonna eat with those 20 grams of carbohydrates in our meal budget. It can be intimidating if you're not used to eating this way, but with a little guidance about what you CAN eat will make this process a whole lot easier. :)
In Episode 41 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I finish up with our dos and don'ts of Induction series we started in Episode 38, Episode 39, and Episode 40 by giving some last minute tips and reminders summarizing all we've shared over the past few weeks. Then we give you some easy-to-follow Induction-friendly menu planning for people who aren't sure what they're supposed to be eating on this important starting phase of livin' la vida low-carb. This will get you started off right!
Get help with your low-carb Induction menus in today's video:
The main point you want to remember in your menu planning is to eat fat and protein at each meal and keep your carbs to a bare minimum primarily from non-starchy and green leafy vegetables. If you do that, then there's no reason why you can't be a phenomenal weight loss success and experience vast improvements in your health that go beyond anything you could have ever hoped or imagined. Trust me, it WILL happen if you do this right. MAKE IT HAPPEN for yourself and reap the benefits of healthy low-carb living.
THANK YOU for watching our "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" videos and we'd love to hear your video ideas and feedback anything by e-mailing us at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Access our archive of over 40 previous YouTube videos and be sure to join the nearly 500 people who subscribe to our YouTube videos so far. There are brand new viewers each and every week, so I hope you become a part of that growing community. You guys are the best and make the work I do such a pleasure. God bless you! :D
Basics, basics, basics! If you don't even know the bare-bones information about the Induction phase of livin' la vida low-carb, then you can never fully experience all the wonderful benefits this way of eating can afford you. It's one of the reasons why I have been dedicated to sharing this information in my latest YouTube videos. While this doesn't replace what you can learn from Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution or Protein Power, for example, hopefully it will get you started the right way.
In Episode 40 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I yet again continue what we started in Episode 38 and then in Episode 39 discussing some more of the dos and don'ts of low-carb Induction. In this episode, we discuss the beverages you can drink during Induction, what vitamins you should take during this phase, whether alcohol is permitted or not, and how much food you are supposed to eat. Whether this is brand new and old hat to you, let this be a great refresher course about low-carb Induction.
See even more dos and don'ts of low-carb Induction in today's video:
We'll be sharing some more tips and advice about low-carb Induction as well as menu planning ideas for Induction in our next YouTube video. Let us know what you'd like to see in future videos in our "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" series by e-mailing your ideas to livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Check out our previous YouTube videos and subscribe to our YouTube feed. We are thankful for your support of our videos, so THANK YOU for watching! :D
Understanding the basics of low-carb Induction is essential to your success on a carbohydrate-controlled diet. This minimum two-week period where you are transforming your body from a futile carb-burning pariah into a supercharged fat-burning powerhouse is arguably the most important facet of your entire low-carb lifestyle. If you can figure out Induction and do it well, then there's no reason at all why you can't be success livin' la vida low-carb for life!
In Episode 39 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I continue what we started in our previous video discussing the Induction phase of low-carb living. Getting down these basic dos and don'ts of low-carb are essential to your eventual progress in both weight loss and improved health. Today's video is merely Part 1 of a series of upcoming videos we will be conducting on this subject. If you get this, then YOU GOT IT! And when you truly "get it," there's no stopping you! :D
See some of the dos and don'ts of low-carb Induction in today's video:
This video shares some excellent low-carb Induction snack ideas to complement your low-carb meals, explains what the most important macronutrient to restrict is, shows you which fats and oils are preferred, details how to make a great low-carb salad, and reveals which sweeteners are best when you are livin' la vida low-carb. You should reference these videos about Induction over and over again whenever you need a quick refresher course. Coming up in our next video, we'll talk about what you can drink, vitamins, fish oil supplements, alcohol, and SO MUCH MORE!
Watch all of our previous YouTube videos and be sure to join the ever-increasing group of subscribers so you'll never miss the new episodes of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" when we upload them. E-mail us what's on your mind anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net and be sure to tell everyone you know about our videos. We love making them, so share 'em with others! :D
Anyone who is considering livin' la vida low-carb absolutely needs to start with at least a two-week period of what the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins called Induction. Too many people underestimate the importance of this initial period of low-carb where you are trying to get your body into fat-burning mode, aka ketosis. But it is more valuable to your success than you even realize. So, what do you eat on Induction?
In Episode 38 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I attempt to answer that question with practical advice for anyone who is considering or wants to be refreshed on the basics of low-carb Induction. It sounds easy to just keep your carbs low by eating meat, eggs, and cheese all day, but Induction is so much more than that as you will find out in this informative video we made for those who would like to begin Induction.
Look at all the food you can eat on Induction in today's video:
I get so many e-mails from people who just don't know what to eat on their low-carb lifestyle. Part of the reason for this lack of knowledge is they haven't read any low-carb books to know how to do this way of eating correctly. Let me reiterate it here: READ THE BOOK!!! It's okay to have a basic understanding of livin' la vida low-carb, but why limit your education to a few bits and pieces here and there?
Get Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution for all the details about the Atkins diet. Or you can choose a book like Dr. Jonny Bowden's Living The Low-Carb Life if you are unsure of which low-carb plan you want to choose. With all low-carb plans, the Induction phase is VERY important, so don't neglect it! We'll be expanding on the subject of Induction again in our next video on YouTube, so be looking for that coming soon.
Our YouTube videos continue to attract new viewers each week, so you can see them all by clicking here. We are quickly approaching 500 subscribers to our videos and you can join that group by subscribing to our videos for yourself and see the new episodes of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" within minutes after they are uploaded. As always, e-mail us your feedback anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. THANK YOU for your support! :)
When You're Low-Carbing Perfectly And Producing No Weight Loss--What Gives?
I've been guilty of it and now I realize it was just plain wrong.
Here's the scenario: somebody sends me an e-mail and says, "Jimmy, I'm doing everything exactly as I am supposed to on my low-carb lifestyle and I'm just not losing weight." Okay, the first inclination that most of us, myself included, have is to suggest that person seriously evaluate what they are eating to look for hidden carbs and sugars, reminding them to follow their chosen low-carb plan exactly as the author prescribes, and then to determine if they are doing anything differently since the scale stopped moving downward. This should do the trick.
It certainly sounds like good advice, right? Well, maybe not.
Certainly, there are people who allow some old habits to slip back into their routine again and they experience the dreaded "carb creep" that has haunted many an unsuspecting low-carber as they live this lifestyle over the long-term. It's usually easily remedied simply by bringing your carbohydrate intake back down again to a level where you can still maintain or lose weight. I went through this myself a couple of years ago and it happens. But you get right back on plan again and all is well.
And I should know. It's exactly what's been going on with me this year and I'm baffled as to why it is happening. As my regular readers are already aware, I started lifting weights for the first time in my life beginning in December 2007 and was excited about getting stronger and firming up areas of my body that were still plagued by loose skin from my 180-pound weight loss. A trainer friend of mine suggested I start taking creatine to supplement my resistance training in the first couple of months to help get me going. He warned me that I'd gain some weight taking it, but that the weight would come back down again after I come off of it.
After loading up for a few days on the creatine, I religiously took that stuff daily for about six weeks. When I started working with my personal trainer in mid-December, my weight was 235 pounds. Six weeks later, I weighed 260 pounds--A 25-POUND INCREASE! Holy cow! My trainer friend sure wasn't kidding when he said I'd gain weight on creatine. It was at this point that I decided to come off of the creatine in early February since that weight gain was sorta freakin' me out a bit. I fully expected the weight to come back down some (but not all since I was building up some good muscles especially in my upper body).
But it didn't happen and it hasn't happened. In fact, although my diet didn't really change from what I was doing before I started lifting weights (except for maybe a little more protein since I was trying to grow muscle mass), I have been hovering around 265 pounds for nearly four months in a row. It has been so disconcerting to me that I went to see a low-carb doctor earlier this month about it to see what was going on. What was I doing wrong, if anything, and how can we get the weight to come back down again? I was adding muscle to my body, yes, but my waist has also increased by a few inches. What gives?
Of course, when I started sharing about this recent weight gain at my forum and at my menus blog, the typical responses started pouring in from people trying to offer their own guidance about what I should do: you're eating too much food, your calories are way too high, you consume too many low-carb "products," you aren't eating often enough, you don't exercise enough, yadda yadda yadda! I know everyone means well and I sincerely appreciate their suggestions for my diet. But I wasn't convinced I was doing anything at all wrong with my low-carb lifestyle and I still don't. Nevertheless, I'm stuck.
That's why I went to see this low-carb doctor. Perhaps he could pinpoint exactly what's going on with my weight. He ran a series of tests on me, examined my dietary choices, looked at the supplements I am taking, and asked me about any changes I have made since the weight gain took place. I told him about the weight lifting and adding more protein to my diet. I also switched brands of fish oil since then as well as adding cinnamon to my daily vitamins.
His proposal for me was to put me back on a very strict Induction diet for two weeks and to cut out all of my supplements as a temporary measure of seeing if they are the reason for my inability to lose these 30 pounds. Additionally, I reduced my diet soda consumption voluntarily to make sure that wasn't a culprit as well. The two-week Induction period began on May 7th and ends today. Wanna know the grand total of the amount of weight loss I've experienced since cutting out all the low-carb "Frankenfoods" (which have never been a MAJOR part of my diet, just some chocolate and the occasional treat), eating strictly low-carb Induction for the past two weeks, and never wavering or cheating at all during that time? Zip, zero, nada! That's right--NOTHING!
And, in case you are wondering what I ate these past two weeks, see for yourself:
My diet could not have been more perfect following strict Atkins Induction. I did it even more strict this time around than I did in 2004 when I lost my weight the first time. I checked my ketosis levels using Ketostix every single day and I was DEFINITELY excreting ketone bodies. My carbohydrate intake remained at or below 20g daily and I basically did everything exactly right. I didn't even have any one bite of my low-carb chocolates during this time which was a BIG sacrifice for me. The net result of this effort was NO weight loss. COME ON!!!
It's at this point that most people would be ready to just throw their hands up and give up on this stupid low-carb diet thing. I mean, you follow it like you are supposed to and this is the reward you get for that dedication?! AAACK! But I'm not looking at it that way. The way I see it, even if for some odd reason the weight NEVER comes back down again (I know it will, but let's just pretend it won't), the low-carb way of eating is so incredibly healthy that I wouldn't dare think of eating any other way.
Remember, even if the scale isn't moving, your healthy is still improving. I'll be sharing some exciting numbers with you about my health soon that will both shock and inspire you as you continue down this journey to better health the low-carb way. Even my low-carb doctor was amazed at my numbers, but he said I am exactly where I need to be to keep my risk factors for cardiovascular disease at bay. That's a sweet sound to hear especially in light of my weight concerns! :)
So what now? Beginning this afternoon at 6pm, I will begin something that I swore I'd never do again--the intermittent fast. If for some reason I am consuming too many calories even on my low-carb lifestyle as some have proposed, then this should do the trick. The last time I did it, I lost 4 1/2 pounds in a week although I hated it. But if we can get those few stubborn pounds to start moving again, then it'll be worth it. I'm ready to figure out what's going on and I'm certainly doing everything I can in my diet to make that happen.
My doctor says there may even be a non-diet related reason for my weight gain which intrigued me. Yes, some of the weight is indeed muscle as my biceps, triceps, shoulders, neck, chest and legs are all noticeably bigger now five months after beginning my weight lifting, the fact my stomach has gotten bigger is the greatest concern. There may be an underlying internal issue going on that could be the culprit in my abdominal weight gain.
Even before my low-carb lifestyle began in 2004, I have had trace amounts of blood in my urine during routine physical exams. I've been to see a urologist before, they've performed an IVP (shooting dye through me) as well as a very expensive 30-second cystoscopy test only to be told there is nothing wrong with me, and to take an antibiotic. After I take the antibodies, the blood goes away for about six months and then it comes back. When I go back to the urologist, they want to do another IVP and cystocopy followed by antibiotics again. UGH! Obviously, something is going on, but heretofore nobody can tell me what it is.
That blood in my urine may indeed be the reason why my weight is increasing. I'm aware of two other prominent low-carbers who have been through similar strange and unexpected weight gains over the past couple of years. I won't share their names because of privacy concerns, but one gained about 50 pounds and ended up eating just chicken and pickles for a year trying to get the weight back down again. It turns out, there was a cyst pressing up against the pancreas causing constant insulin to be released. And we know what that does! Since the cyst has been removed, the weight has come back down again in short order.
The other person had another strange issue with the development of a fibroid in the stomach. Although the body was normal elsewhere, this person's belly was protruding out. When the doctors found the fibroid, this person was relieved that nothing was seriously wrong. Of course, the naysayers pointed to this well-known low-carber and claimed that they can't seem to follow their own advice. You get that when you put yourself out there, so you learn to ignore it. This person now faces a pretty major surgery to remove the fibroid and is putting it off until the end of the year.
And that's the other issue with all that's going on with my weight right now. I've become more self-conscious about how I look again. Are people looking at me judging that I must be letting myself go again since I've gained weight? Do people nervously say to my face that they're happy to see I'm still keeping the weight off after all these years while simultaneously thinking, "Oh boy, here he goes gaining it all back again! I knew it would happen eventually!" These psychological games are virtually impossible to ignore, although I'm trying very hard to do just that--IGNORE THEM! It just adds another layer to this developing story.
What exactly is happening to me right now, I don't know. I wish I did so I could help others going through similar circumstances. We're getting closer to knowing than we did before and that's a good thing. Rest assured you will know when I know and I covet your thoughts and prayers as we try to figure this all out. I'm not worried at all because I know I have a plan of action that will put me in position to lose the weight I've put on since December.
I am very pleased that my weight has NOT increased since February. I've been right around 265 for the past three months although my muscles continue to get bigger and bigger. So, in essence, I have been losing some weight while gaining the muscle, but it has been offset. That's encouraging and I wouldn't mind seeing my muscles continue to grow in size as long as my weight remains where it is. A 6'3" man with big muscles could easily weigh 265 pounds, right? :D
Let this be a gentle reminder that low-carb living is always a work in progress and we should assume anything about anyone who is following this lifestyle. There are just too many underlying issues at work to make judgments about someone who is not losing weight while following low-carb. Yes, some are preventable...but others like me are not. This has opened my eyes to a new level of appreciation and compassion for anyone who is struggling with their weight and health and concerned about what to do. You are NOT alone.
THANK YOU again to everyone who has offered advice and support during this time and I will report back to you my progress on my intermittent fasting experiment for the next two weeks. It certainly can't be worse than what I've experienced the past two weeks on strict Atkins Induction. You can see what I'm eating at my menus blog and provide your continued feedback. I will likely add back in some low-carb chocolate again on the days I'm not fasting and staying low-carb the rest of the time. Let's see what happens!
Is Ketosis Necessary On A Low-Carb Diet? Let's Ask The Experts!
One of the most asked about aspects of livin' la vida low-carb has got to the issue of ketosis. There is so much misinformation about there about this very natural state that the body goes through when you are on a low-carb diet (primarily confusing it with a serious condition that diabetics must be careful of called ketoacidosis--NOT the same as ketosis). As such, there may be confusion that lingers out there among my readers who are just learning about this way of eating.
In this recent blog post where I provided some "quickie one-liner" responses to some e-mails, I made the following statement:
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.
One of my readers named Charles Fred decided to respond to my statement which he disagreed with and it gets to the very heart of this issue about ketosis. Here's what he wrote:
Your statement reflects today's informed opinion, but my article in work, Unified Physiology of the Metabolic Syndrome, has given me an unusual perspective which for the sake of brevity I'll state dogmatically.
Ketosis need not and should not be part of low-carb eating. Low-carb diets should never be labeled as ketogenic diets. Ketosis appears to be an Induction phase of low-carb eating, but in fact it is a last ditch response to inadequate glucose. As such it is either temporary or avoidable.
Low-carb eating is the evolution-derived diet of humans (unlike other primates). Humans are carnivores, hunters, because human evolution happened pre-fire and pre-agriculture when very few carbs were edible. For carnivores, gluconeogenesis in the liver supplies all necessary glucose.
But if someone abruptly switches from high carbs to very low carbs, gluconeogenesis will be inadequate to supply enough glucose - causing weakness, dizziness and ketosis.
Well if gluconeogenesis is supposed to be adequate, why does it fail? When you eat carbs they are stored as glucose (glycogen) in your glucose fuel tank - your liver. When you manufacture glucose from protein via gluconeogenesis it is stored in that same fuel tank, intermingled with those dietary carbs.
Enzymes, including gluconeogenic enzymes, are expressed only as needed. If your glucose storage is kept full by dietary carbs, expression of gluconeogenic enzymes is reduced. Eventually your gluconeogenic machinery becomes atrophied, inadequate to supply 100% of your glucose requirements.
So, contrary to usual practice, the proper way of switching from high-carb to low-carb is to gradually reduce dietary carbs over the course of about a month, inciting gradual rebuilding of gluconeogenic machinery. Then all those Induction woes which convince many that low-carb is not for them are avoided - as is ketosis.
Did you get all that? You'll recall I've explained gluconeogenesis before and it's a beautiful metabolic process that allows your body to make its own carbs (glucose) for the body's needs from the protein you consume through the liver. So, therefore, there isn't a real need for dietary carbohydrate at all.
But Mr. Fred believes eating too few carbohydrates to the point that your body is in a state of ketosis is harmful to your body and that a more gradual progression to lower and lower levels of carbohydrate is needed to keep the body from going through the "shock" of what many describe as the Induction flu. As someone who has gone through this experience and appreciated the benefits of making that "sudden" change, I could not disagree with him more.
What do the low-carb experts have to say, though? I decided to pose this theory put forth by Mr. Fred to several of America's most respected low-carb diet authorities and have them respond:
Not everyone who suddenly moves from a high-carb intake to Induction will get symptoms. Many make the transition very easily. My educated guess is that at least 50% make the transition easily. Others have only mild symptoms. A few have more severe symptoms that can be managed. I think the transition would be easier for more people if they read the book completely so they know what to expect and how to deal with symptoms.
After years in clinical practice I have only had a few patients that required a slow transition because of such severe symptoms. The Induction phase is important especially to those with a severe carb addiction. It is the fastest way to stabilize the blood sugar, control hunger and cravings and improve many diet related symptoms quickly. It is amazing how many people feel better once they are in ketosis by the 4th or 5th day.
Secondly, the mindset of the dieter is they want progress ASAP to stay motivated especially when having to give up some of their favorite foods. Induction provides that. By slowly lowering carbs many will give up too soon and miss the opportunity to find out how effective low-carb can be.
For people with severe health risks, rebalancing the body with a very low-carb intake can lead to rapid improvements in blood sugar, blood pressure, triglycerides and high insulin levels. Until insulin levels improve some of the other benefits of low-carb can't happen. I have seen many severely disordered insulin and blood sugar results that would take far too long to improve with even 60 or 70 grams of carbs.
Just as one diet does not fit all, one level of carb restriction does not fit all. We are all different. The level of carb intake needs to be the level that works for each person based on what we know about them. Dr. Atkins didn't always start in the Induction phase--some people didn't need it, yet many did and would not have been as successful without it.
Unfortunately, many are still stuck in the mindset that having ketones from fat burning is abnormal and undesirable. We know it is not. Dr. Veech, an NIH researcher, agrees that the negatives about dietary ketosis are misunderstood.
Humans are omnivores--able to survive as carnivore, but thrives as omnivore.
Gluconeogenesis isn't solely a metabolic process induced by carbohydrate restriction; it is a normal homeostatic process to maintain blood glucose, so even those consuming a high carbohydrate diet will utilize it as needed (usually when engaged in high levels of activity or during the period of sleep).
The idea that if you don't use it, you lose it, is an incomplete view--yes the enzymes will be made in lesser amounts if one doesn't rely on gluconeogenesis to fully supply glucose, but to claim "atrophy" sets in is a bit over the top.
Some people do find this approach to be a gentler way to restrict carbohydrate--slowly lowering their intake over a period of time; others do better just going "cold turkey" and reducing carbohydrate below 40g. Both reach the same endpoint--persistent state ketosis and utilization of gluconeogenesis. The idea that one will not induce ketosis (burning fat) doing the former is physiologically not possible--if your carbohydrate is below a particular threshold, you're going to make ketone bodies.
The result of reducing carbohydrate slowly isn't a lack of ketone bodies being produced, but less of them wasted, thus the less likelihood a person will register ketosis on Ketostix. Those who restrict carbohydrate below 40g initially make more ketone bodies than necessary, so they "spill" the excess in urine, saliva and sweat. But someone reducing carbohydrate slowly is also making ketones--just less likely to be spilling excess ketones.
With time the person who reduced carbohydrate below 40g and stays there will also begin to not see any measurable ketones on the Ketostix as they get more efficient at making ketones for energy. There is less wasted ketones, thus less to see on the sticks, as time passes. But, if one is keeping carbohydrate below 40g, they're burning fat for their primary energy source, which means they are making ketones whether they register on the sticks or not.
In most medical terminology, "osis" implies "the abnormal condition of"--like onychomycosis means "abnormal nail fungus," halitosis means "bad breath." Perhaps this is one reason why people unfamiliar with low carb approaches jump to the conclusion that "ketosis" is harmful. If you have no insulin in your body, as in Type 1 diabetes, a potentially life-threatening condition called diabetic "ketoacidosis" can occur. My Duke colleague Will Yancy published a paper looking at the pH in the blood of people on two diets (low-carb vs. low-fat) and did not find low blood pH ("acidosis"), but because the blood bicarbonate was lowered below the normal range we called it a "compensated metabolic acidosis." Another published study by Brehm showed the average level of blood ketones goes down over time.
In our clinic, some people always have ketones in the urine, others never do, other fluctuate back and forth. Dr. Atkins used the phrase "benign dietary ketosis" in his books. I have wondered if it would be better to say: "ketosis without acidosis" or "ketonuria" instead of "ketosis." "Ketonemia", which means "ketones in the blood" "ketonuria", which means "ketones in the urine."
I don't agree with Charles Fred's point of view. You can see why there might be confusion. If you said "if you are eating less than 20g of carb per day then you are burning fat, or in the fat burning zone, or the 'ketone zone'--apologies to Barry Sears and the Zone Diet--rather than "in ketosis," then this might be technically more correct.
This does not make a lot of sense to me. Ketone production and utilization and ultimately blood and urine levels vary along a continuum. So to suggest it is an absolute yes or no is not accurate. There is also a diurnal variation and many other factors that influence their metabolism other than diet (e.g., exercise). There is also a lot of individual variation in regards to the level of carbohydrate restriction required to see significant accumulation of ketones. So I don't see it as black and white.
Gluconeogenesis is more than adequate to supply obligatory glucose needs. How else would you explain the aboriginal hunting and fishing cultures (e.g., Inuit of the Arctic and First Nations groups in Canada) who survived for millennia with little if any identifiable dietary carbohydrate intake? I guess I'm not quite understanding the point of it all.
There is a continuum of ketosis. In fact, one of the features of ketone bodies is that, unlike other fuels, glucose and fatty acids, they can be present in plasma over a wide range of concentrations. What is true is that Ketostix measure ketonuria which may or may not give you an accurate view of plasma ketone bodies. If ketone bodies are used as fast as they are made, you may never see ketosis. Also, I personally think there may be more aspecs of normal ketone body metabolism than we know about now. There is the idea, for example that glial cells may supply ketones as fuel for neurons:
Ketone bodies make an important contribution to brain energy production and biosynthetic processes when glucose becomes scarce. Although it is generally assumed that the liver supplies the brain with ketone bodies, recent evidence shows that cultured astrocytes are also ketogenic cells. These findings support the notion that ketone bodies produced by astrocytes may be used in situ as substrates for neuronal metabolism, and raise the possibility that astrocyte ketogenesis is a neuroprotective pathway.
This theory from Mr. Fred seems to assume that ketosis is somehow foreign or not part of normal metabolism. It is true that it may take some time to adapt to it but there is no reason to assume that it is inherently undesirable. Human evolution probably had a lot of starvation. The function of ketone bodies is to keep gluconeogenesis from having to supply all necessary glucose because it can be a drain on body protein.
I don't think gluconeogenesis fails. There is just some period of adaptation. If there is evidence for Mr. Fred's theory, then I would be interested. Practically, it may feel better to adapt to low-carb slowly--I think it depends on how much carbs you start out with--but the idea you can be on very low-carb and not be in ketosis has to be tested. I personally doubt it but I don't know.
Ketone body production is under the control of many factors: glucose, insulin, fatty acids, level of oxidative metabolism, etc. I think there is also a time factor. Many people eat one meal a day, are quite happy with it and they may be in ketosis at some point during the day. So, it may be useful for some people to get into low-carb slowly but I don't react well when somebody tells me didactically the proper way to eat. "Proper" usually means the way they do it.
I don't agree with this man at all. Your body still produces ketones from all the extra dietary fat, and it gets better at doing that and using the ketones as time goes on. In our work at the University of Connecticut, with three months of following a weight loss ketogenic diet all subjects had a decline in urinary ketones over time even though they were eating the same foods and had the same caloric restriction.
What's happening is that the body is getting better at taking up the ketones--maybe ketone receptor unregulation. Also, they all still had ketones in their blood after three months and this was higher than baseline and much higher than those following a low-fat diet. Your body does not have enough metabolic machinery to produce enough of it's own glucose to support all organs (i.e. your heart).
Yes, it's true gluconeogenesis goes up, but most organs don't use it anyway. That's why blood glucose tends to drift up over time.
Now that the experts have weighed in on Charles Fred's hypothesis, why not share YOUR thoughts based on your own experience following a low-carb diet. Did you ease into livin' la vida low-carb and have excellent results doing it that way? Or did you do like most of us did, myself included, and go from a high-carb to a low-carb diet overnight? Did you see measurable results doing it that way despite having some temporary unpleasantness? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Special thanks to all the experts I quoted in this post for sharing their knowledge about this subject of ketosis. On behalf of me and my readers, THANKS SO MUCH! :)
We're just days away from millions making resolutions for 2008
It's coming in just a few weeks, so you had better get prepared for it RIGHT NOW! What is it? New Year's Resolutions, baby! That's right, it's the one time of the year when people feel like they have a clean slate, everything in the past is over and done with, and today is a new day to begin anew.
Of course, there's nothing magical about January 1st because you can start whatever you want to do anytime you want to do it. You don't need the calender to dictate when you should be going after something that you so desperately desire. And that includes weight loss and living a healthy life.
Sure, those of you who have read my book know all the dirty details about my own personal weight loss journey beginning on New Year's Day in 2004 where I went on to lose 180 pounds in that year alone. While probably 99.9% of people who have good intentions about losing weight in the new year never stick with it long enough to be successful, I did and it is something that I believe ANYONE can do if they simply apply the same concepts that I did to shed the pounds nearly four years ago.
In Episode 16 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I share with you 10 effective tips for how YOU can get started the right way on the healthy low-carb lifestyle. There's nothing mysterious or mindboggling about any of these ideas, but perhaps hearing them from someone who's been there before will be just the spark you need to DO IT this time.
You don't have to wait for New Year's to begin implementing the following:
Here are some links to blog posts and previous YouTube videos with some of the suggestions and advice we presented in Episode 16:
Of course, nothing replaces the lessons you learn from the low-carb book you choose to follow. So don't just use these suggestions in our video--do your own reading and research and find what works for you. Then implement it and make it happen like you're life depended on it. And it very well may!
Share your own tips and ideas at Episode 16 on YouTube and let us all know what helped you get going in the early days of livin' la vida low-carb. Any tricks or advice you have may help someone struggling to get started on this amazing way of eating! Or if you're new to this way of eating, what are the questions and concerns you have about going on a low-carb diet?
Congratulations to Mertiebelle for being the BIG WINNER of the Cal-Carb Clicker from our contest in Episode 15. She left a comment and her name was chosen among the many that were left for that episode. THANKS for watching and participating in our video contests. Stay tuned because we'll have LOTS MORE COMING SOON! :)
Can't get enough of our YouTube videos? Watch 'em all from the beginning:
- Promo video--A half-minute promotion of the new video series - Episode 1--Introduction of Jimmy & Christine Moore - Episode 2--What kind of fruits can you have on a low-carb diet? - Episode 3--What kind of veggies can you have on a low-carb diet? - Episode 4--What does a low-carber do for something sweet? - Episode 5--Why is fat so healthy for you on the low-carb lifestyle? - Episode 6--Which restaurants can you go to on the low-carb lifestyle? - Episode 7--What are the best new low-carb books you need to read? - Episode 8--Why should you be eating a lot more eggs? - Episode 9--If you're gonna do Atkins, do it by the book - Episode 10--What supplements should you take while low-carbing? - Episode 11--What are some of the foods you eat on your low-carb diet? - Episode 12--How should you respond when you weight loss stalls? - Episode 13--What can you do to survive the high-carb holidays? - Episode 14--Is it okay to ever splurge on your low-carb diet? - Episode 15--What are some really good low-carb gift ideas?
THANK YOU so much to everyone who has subscribed to our videos so you can watch them as soon as they are uploaded to YouTube. We just passed 200 subscribers and over 5,000 channel views. We are in awe of the warm reception these videos are receiving on YouTube as we take the message of livin' la vida low-carb outside the friendly confines of the blog. Your feedback for us about how to make the show even better as well as any topic ideas are welcomed anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Keep watching and sharing our videos with your friends, family, and co-workers who need to hear the positive message of the healthy low-carb lifestyle. SEE YA!
In Episode 79 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore," let's take a closer look at the Atkins diet and determine whether it gives you more energy than you ever thought possible or completely drains you. Which is it for you? Hear both sides of this topic by click on the "Play In Popup" link below:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 79 [13:48m]: Play in Popup | Download
When you go on the Induction phase of livin' la vida low-carb, you could suffer from some of the symptoms of "Atkins flu." Many mistake this TEMPORARY state of transformation going on inside of your body in the early days of your lifestyle change as what life is like for the duration of your low-carb experience. We all go through this, so NOPE! It gets MUCH better.
The debate over whether the Atkins low-carb diet invigorates or deflates you presses on. What has been your experience? If you've only been on it for a few days, then you haven't been low-carbing long enough. I want to hear from people who have been on low-carb for at least a month.
Share what life has been like for you on a low-carb diet. Are you more energized than you have ever been before or has your life come to a virtual standstill because of your low-carb diet? I really want to hear your feedback!
Hey everyone, I'm back from vacation--albeit VERY tired right now from an early rise and long drive. But I just had to blog about an e-mail I received from a new low-carber who had some questions about her carb intake that you may find intriguing.
Rather than me explaining the obvious answers, let's see how well my very knowledgeable readers can do to respond to this. There's so much flawed in this person's rationalization of livin' la vida low-carb that it should be pretty easy.
Here's what the reader sent to me in an e-mail:
Hi Jimmy,
I've gotten past the Induction period and have been doing very well with keeping my carb intake below 20 grams per day with the exception of this evening's dinner when I ate 2 1/2 wings, 2 drumsticks and a biscuit from Popeye's which totals about 51 carbs for one meal.
I read the blog post you provided about some people eating 50-60 carbs in a day and still lost weight, but what happens if I eat 51 carbs in a day but all at one meal? Does this kick my body off of ketosis? And will it take 2-3 days to get back to ketosis or 2 weeks more of Induction?
Thanks very much for your help.
I already responded to the reader, but let's have some fun. What say YOU?
Your weight and/or health is in dire need of help, so you decide to start livin' la vida low-carb on the advice of a medical professional or even on your own. The first couple of weeks are going along well for you helping you lose weight and feel better than you have in a long time, but then WHAMMO BAMMO--SCREEEEECH!!!--the weight loss just suddenly stops on you.
At this point, you decide to throw your hands up in the air and say to yourself, "Why the heck should I keep doing this crappy diet if I can't even lose weight?" Frustrated and discouraged, you stop this diet and start stuffing your mouth with carbs, carbs, and more carbs which puts the weight you lost back on your body and then some.
Stupid diets!
If that story is funny because it reminds you of yourself, then welcome to the club. We've all been there allowing mind games to take over where rationality has been thrown completely out the window. We know livin' la vida low-carb is healthy for us and yet somehow we think the scale has to constantly show a loss or we think we've failed.
Rather than asking whether low-carb is working or if there is anything inherently "wrong" with us, the better question we should ask is, "What's the alternative?" Think about it...if you weren't eating a low-carb nutritional approach, then how would you be eating?
Low-fat? HA! Not on your life--I don't like being hungry and irritable.
Vegan? Riiiiiiight! NOT!
Slim-Fast? Couldn't stop pooping!
Lots of fruits and veggies? What makes THAT healthy? Don't they fatten up pigs by feeding them that most prevalent of all vegetables known as corn? EWWWWW!
One of my readers presented this exact dilemma regarding her low-carb experience in an e-mail this week. Here's what she wrote:
Jimmy,
Okay, here is my deal--I have put on 50 pounds in less than a year!!! This weight gain is crazy so I had my chiropractor who is also a good friend run blood tests on me. Well, he found out that my thyroid is not very good and suggested that I try the Atkins diet because I don't process sugars very well.
I said okay this sucks because I am not a big meat eater. Am I right that a low-carb diet mostly consists of MEAT?!?! So I went through the Induction phase of Atkins and lost 10 pounds. Now, well over 2 months into it I haven't lost any more weight. HOW DO I LOSE MY 50 POUNDS?!?!
Also I get very emotional and cranky on the Atkins diet. Is there a way of fixing that?!?! Let me know if you can help me!
THANKS so much for writing and sharing openly and honestly about your struggles. Let me assure you that livin' la vida low-carb can and will change your life forever if you stay focused on the big picture--50 pounds will soon be gone forever! Conceive it, believe it, then achieve it! YOU CAN DO IT!!!
If you're not a big fan of meat, that's okay. There are lots of vegetarian low-carbers out there. Just find the non-starchy veggies you can enjoy: cauliflower, broccoli, spinach leaves, green leafy veggies, green beans, and so much more. A full list of the approved veggies on your low-carb plan can be found in any major low-carb book, including Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution.
As for your Induction experience, CONGRATULATIONS on losing 10 pounds. But the fact that you STOPPED losing after Induction leads me to believe you increased your carb intake too much. How about sticking with Atkins induction for a little longer to see if the weight loss continues? This is arguably the most important time in your weight loss journey.
Finally, those feelings you claim are caused by your low-carb diet are only temporary during the first week or so (sometimes referred to as Induction flu). But the longer you stay on low-carb, the better you feel and look. The anger and rage you are experiencing is likely withdrawal symptoms from the sugar addiction. It will quickly pass and you'll never deal with it again.
I hope this helps! I'm proud of you for giving this another go. Start today on day one of your low-carb plan and MAKE IT HAPPEN! I'm always here to help anytime! THANKS again for writing!
It's 2007 now and everything seems to be coming back to normal again following the busy holiday season. With that in mind, I've been feeling like there was something missing lately and then it dawned on me--WHERE DID ALL THOSE EXCELLENT ATKINS VIDEOS FROM KENT ALTENA GO?
For those of you new to my blog, Kent is a fellow 200-pound weight loss success thanks to the low-carb lifestyle and released a series of incredible "how-to" videos for people starting the Atkins diet in the Fall 2006. In case you missed them, Kent addressed:
As you can see, Kent was quite prolific in the few months he was doing these amazing videos on YouTube. But since early November, there's been nothing but crickets. Dead silence. I chalked it up to the holidays, so I decided to contact Kent this week to see if he would be resuming his videos again.
It’s been awhile since I have posted anything on my blog. As I said to Jimmy Moore, the reduced sunshine, early sunsets, and everything that imples (like no opportunity to workout outside after work) saps a lot of the energy to do the extra stuff. Rest assured though, I haven’t lost the low carb energy or drive to exercise completely.
He went on to say how the half marathon really took a lot out of him, but now he's hitting the new year with a fresh set of legs and a new perspective about what is important to him in 2007. He plans on running in another half marathon this year and is shooting for his first full marathon at the Des Moines Marathon on October 21, 2007 which he hopes to finish in less than four hours (something he says will take "a lot of hard work"). YOU CAN DO IT, Kent! What an amazing accomplishment to shoot for as a former 400+ pounder. You make all of us low-carbers so proud!
Although his videos have been scant, that doesn't mean he has stopped educating people about the Atkins diet. He just finished presenting a speech about his success to a group of weight loss group called TOPS and was well received. Although it was only supposed to last about 30 minutes, it actually lasted three times as long because of all the enthusiastic questions people had for him. That's awesome, Kent! I experienced the same thing last January when I spoke at Low-Carb Central in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area (it's hard to believe it was one year ago this week I was there...man that was fun!).
Kent has promised to produce more of his sensational videos very soon and started off 2007 with a delicious low-carb cheesecake recipe video for everyone just starting off on the Atkins diet to enjoy!
KENT'S NO-BAKE LOW-CARB CHEESECAKE
In the most humble voice he could muster up, Kent said his cheesecake is "better than any no-bake cheesecake mix that you would buy in the store." Proud, aren't we, Kent? LOL! Just kidding. If this recipe is anything like your other ones, then I am sure you are RIGHT!
Here are the ingredients for the cheesecake itself: 1 packet unflavored gelatin 3/4 cup vanilla flavored sugar free syrup 24 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
And here is what you need for the crust: 3 ounces almond flour, 3/4 cup 3 tablespoons flax meal 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons butter, melted 1/3 cup granular Splenda or equivalent liquid Splenda
Wanna know how to make this cheesecake that has only 2g net carbs with the crust?! Then scamper right over to Kent's blog and read all about it! Be sure to leave him a message about his cheesecake recipe video and suggestions for future videos. I'm sure he'd love to hear from you!
Dr. Chow having a cow over so-called side effects that come from low-carb
When I read about studies like this one regarding people who go on what the media calls the Atkins/low-carb diet, it literally takes everything within me to keep from pulling my hair out because it is obvious the researchers don't have a clue what livin' la vida low-carb is REALLY about.
Lead researcher Dr. Chin Moi Chow, senior lecturer in the School of Exercise and Sport Science of The University of Sydney in Australia, claims that she observed 15 people on the Atkins diet over a THREE-DAY period and noticed that the study participants experienced more mood swings, fatigue and even extreme dreams allegedly as a result of being on a low-carb diet.
Dr. Chow said more of the Atkins dieters were able to sleep deeply (18 percent) than the control group on a normal diet (14 percent) because the higher fat intake supposedly stimulates the release of a hormone called cholecystokinin that makes them tired. But she was quick to point out the trade-off for this deep sleep includes vivid dreams and frequent waking up in the middle of the night as the body "struggled to break down hard-to-digest foods," apparently referring to the additional fat and/or protein consumed by low-carb dieters.
While only 20 percent of the study partipants on a normal diet remembered their dreams, 53 percent of Atkins dieters recalled how "unpleasant" their dreams were.
“Some people didn't remember much about their dreams but they definitely remembered that they were unpleasant,” Dr. Chow stated. ”Others reported being chased or experiencing nasty stresses related to their daily lives."
The negative impact of this manifested itself during the daytime for the Atkins dieters who were tired, moody, irritable, lacked concentration, and could not focus. In fact, Dr. Chow made the following grim conclusions about people who go on the Atkins diet.
"It might make you lose weight and sleep more deeply but the side effects are so bad that they seriously affect your life," Dr. Chow exclaimed. “So that's not good on your work situation or social situation, and if you have a lapse of concentration while you're driving that could be fatal."
She added that the Atkins dieters in her study were also suffering from low blood sugar levels and ketosis which she describes as "chronic starvation." Who would ever want to put themselves through something like this?!
Does this sound like a weight loss plan YOU would want to do after reading a study like this? Heck, if I hadn't already lost close to 200 pounds on the Atkins diet already, then I'm not so sure I'd want to do it with the way Dr. Chow conducted her study. I have previously blogged about low-carb changing your mood, but that's not the whole story.
Let's throw a little practical reality into the picture right about now.
As my friend and fellow 200-pound Atkins diet weight loss success story Kent Altena recently explained in his video about Induction flu, there are some rather unpleasant TEMPORARY side effects to beginning a low-carb program because most people are addicted to carbohydrates--VERY ADDICTED! I know I was.
I personally wanted to kill myself on the first day of my Atkins diet experience because I felt so unbelievably weak, drained of any energy whatsoever, a massive headache from Hell...I think you get the picture. My wife Christine will tell you that she has never seen me get so sick as I did on January 1, 2004 when I embarked on this journey to lose weight on the Atkins diet.
But is this a reason to NOT start a low-carb plan? Heck no! It's VERY natural to make your body go through the sugar and refined carb withdrawals in those early days because it is a necessary step to getting to the best part of livin' la vida low-carb--WEIGHT LOSS, BABY! Had I given up after just three days, Dr. Chow, then I would never tasted the thrill of an enormous weight loss and vastly improved health. My life was RADICALLY changed for the better because of the Atkins diet.
Plus, what's with a study about the Atkins diet on just fifteen people for only three days, Dr. Chow? That's not the Atkins diet. It doesn't even take you through even one-fifth of ONE PHASE of the Atkins diet. Come on people, let's get real about what we are calling the Atkins diet here. This reminds me of that Georgia student who went on Atkins for two whole days. WOW, that must have been some plan. NOT!
If you are going to accurately look at the Atkins diet that was created by the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins, Dr. Chow, then you need to go at least two weeks to get through the Induction phase and then another 8-24 weeks to see how the dieter progresses from being controlled by carbs to taking control of their eating habits for the first time in their life.
Sure, it can be rough in the early days of Atkins and nobody in the low-carb community is denying that. But that's like leaving a movie theater five minutes after the movie starts because a character you liked was murdered. Does this mean the movie is bad because of this? Of course not. And neither does any pain or struggles that come early on in a low-carb plan.
Even Dr. Chow admits these side effects that she says happen on the Atkins diet have not been evaluated over longer periods of time, but rather she insists on making her three days indicative of ALL low-carb dieters at any point on the diet. That's just plain ridiculous, Dr. Chow, and you should be ashamed of yourself for putting that out there in the public realm as scientific fact. It's nothing more than a low-carb hatchet job and you know it!
My blogging friend Suzique from the new "Low-Carb Lab" blog made the following comment in this blog post about Dr. Chow's study today.
"If the people would get past the three-day mark they would see an amazing reversal of all this. Side effects are NOT from fat in the diet but the withdrawal from carbs. Yet studies like this keep the public at large ignorant of the real facts of this way of eating."
I couldn't have said it better myself, Suzique!
Wanna express your thoughts about this silly study with Dr. Chin Moi Chow herself? You can e-mail her at C.Chow@fhs.usyd.edu.au.
I am so glad to know there are people like my friend Jackie Eberstein (one of my 2005 low-carb "movers & shakers") out there trumpeting the cause of livin' la vida low-carb. She has admirably defended the lower-carb approach as the safe and effective weight loss plan that it is while continually setting the record straight about what the low-carb lifestyle is REALLY all about to a world who just doesn't understand.
She is truly perplexed how so many people have become completely jaded by what they hear in the mainstream press about livin' la vida low-carb and believe it to be the gospel truth regarding what low-carb is all about. It most definitely is NOT.
"The amount of inaccurate or even misleading information that is passed off as fact among many people regarding lower-carb lifestyles still surprises me," Eberstein wrote in her most recent column.
This Diabetes Health column from Eberstein deals with another oft-repeated myth about low-carb: it's only water weight that you lose.
Eberstein responded, "I’m sure many people who have lost 30, 40, 50 or even 150 pounds would have a good laugh at that statement."
Yeah, we sure do, Jackie. As someone who has lost nearly 200 pounds on low-carb in 2004, I suppose I could go swimming in those 200 pounds of H2O that must have just evaporated into thin air from my former 410-pound body. HA! I addressed my thoughts about this issue of water weight loss in great detail in this blog post. To me, that's just a huge crock of you know what and I am shocked that anyone would actually believe it to be true. But they do.
Just as a quick aside, but do you ever hear any other weight loss plan that produces incredible weight loss results being accused of only being "water weight?" Take, for example, this week's episode of NBC's reality weight loss show, "The Biggest Loser." Some of those contestants lost upwards of 20 pounds in one week. WHOA, that's a lot of weight to lose all at once, isn't it? Did you hear anything about water? Hello, anyone? The answer is NO you didn't because everyone was just so happy for that person that they lost weight. The same should be true for low-carb dieters as well!
Eberstein explains why livin' la vida low-carb actually burns stored fat after the first few days of Induction and continues to do so better than any other nutritional approach according to all the latest research.
The studies she reports in her column show:
- Fat begins to burn after 72 hours on 50g carb daily diet - Muscle mass INCREASES without exercise on low-carb - Diabetic women burn mostly fat on low-carb diet - Low-carb causes greater weight and body fat loss than low-fat - Water loss only accounts for a small percentage of weight loss
This correlates with this study that showed low-carb dieters burned TWICE as much fat as low-fat dieters without any measurable difference in activity level and this study showing muscle mass is preserved when you are following a low-carb plan. Another study has shown that you lose fat, not muscle when you reduce your carbohydrate intake and yet another study reveals the startling fact that eating a low-fat diet can actually make you FATTER! EEEK!
Eberstein said there is a very good lesson to be learned for all of this misinformation that still floats around out there regarding the low-carb life that millions of people enjoy with great success in 2006.
"Often people are frightened away from a lower-carb eating plan that could be the key to successful weight loss simply because of myths or wrong information. If you want the facts, do some of your own research, read the books and don’t believe everything you hear or read in the newspapers or on the Internet."
Amen, Jackie! That's what I try to do right here at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog day in and day out. Sometimes it seems so overwhelming when you feel like a lonely voice in this battle, but hearing people like Jackie talk about low-carb in such a positive light restores my hope and energy that we can get through to those people who are so misinformed.
I thank God for people like Jackie Eberstein, who worked with the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins for many years by the way. She has seen it all over the years and knows the constant uphill battle that defending this lifestyle really is. But her love and respect for what Dr. Atkins promoted for three decades still lives strong today and she remains just as vigilant in her support for livin' la vida low-carb as ever. I am honored to have her as a regular reader here and hope to share more from her in the future.
THANK YOU for all that you do, Jackie! You inspire me to keep doing what I am doing because it is all worth it to combat these constant lies and distortions about the low-carb lifestyle. We have a fight on our hands, but I for one will NEVER give up! And I know for a fact that neither will you. :)
9-25-06 UPDATE: Several of you asked about the study showing muscle mass increases without exercise. Jackie was nice enough to provide this information:
Jimmy,
The reference for this study is Volek, J.S., Sharman, M.J., Love, D.M., et al, "Body Composition and Hormonal Responses to a Carbohydrate Restricted Diet," Metabolism, 51 (7), 2002, pages 864-870.
To quote the study the authors hypothesize that "elevated beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations (AKA ketones) may have played a minor role in preventing catabolism of lean tissue on the carbohydrate-restricted diet but other anabolic hormones were likely involved (eg.growth hormone)."
I think this is an excellent example that there is more to weight loss and low carb than just calories in-calories out. Different foods have hormonal effects that are currently being studied.
That does not take away from the importance of regular exercise as a part of a healthy lifestyle.
