Manuel Uribe turned 43 on June 11 with a special birthday wish
The extraordinary low-carb weight loss success story of a former 1200+ pound man from Monterrey, Mexico named Manuel Uribe, aka "The World's Fattest Man" according to the 2008 Guinness Book Of World Records, continues to inspire literally millions upon millions of people around the world who struggle with obesity and feel like it is next to impossible for them to shed the pounds without going to great extremes. But "Meme," as Manuel is affectionately referred to by his friends and family, is proving it CAN be done and, more importantly, without the use of any surgery, diet pills, or other dangerous methods.
So far, Manuel has lost a grand total of 518 pounds in just 27 months by following the lower-carb nutritional plan created by Dr. Barry Sears called The Zone Diet. At 717 pounds, he still has a long road ahead of him in the coming years to get down to some semblance of a "normal" weight. But none of that would have even been a remote possibility had he not found his answer in livin' la vida low-carb. And the great part about it is Manuel is absolutely LOVING his low-carb lifestyle and sharing with others about how it is radically changing his life for the better.
What exactly is Manuel eating on his low-carb diet, you ask? GREAT QUESTION! Currently he is consuming a 2,000-calorie diet in lots of small meals (about six a day) consisting of egg-white omelets, fresh salads, chicken fajitas and fish filet in a bed of spring greens, for example. And despite the fact he is still an extremely large man, Manuel is healthier than most of his fellow Mexican countrymen according to Dr. Sears.
"Manuel's ability to lose more than 500 pounds without resorting to weight loss surgery is a remarkable accomplishment," Dr. Sears remarked. "His success can be attributed to the fact that he's never hungry because his all-star medical team is stabilizing the hormones that control hunger through diet and high levels of omega-3 fish oil with EPA and DHA."
Dr. Sears enthusiastically reports that Manuel is not at all at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, his blood pressure is astonishingly stabilized and normal, and his triglyceride levels are right where they need to be. SIMPLY AMAZING! Also, Manuel's resting heart rate is about 62 beats per minute, a level usually reserved for trained athletes. It's a testimony of the positive changes low-carb has made for him.
Although he's still very large, Manuel is getting thinner!
Despite still being somewhat confined to his own living quarters as he has been since 2002 because of his humongous size, that didn't discourage Manuel from celebrating his 43rd birthday yesterday with a few of his friends and family members who were there cheering him on to keep his weight loss going. One of the physical challenges that has prevented Manuel from getting out are his severely swollen legs that are immovable at this point because of some 220-pound tumors that have developed since a botched liposuction damaged his lymph nodes and nearly took his life.
But Manuel did express one birthday wish he hopes will come true very soon--to be able to stand beside his fiancee Claudia Solis on their wedding day.
"It frustrates me a little, because it is not easy to get out," Uribe told the AP. "We are in love, and this year my birthday wish is to be able to stand when we get married."
Although no wedding date has been set yet, Manuel is hoping to tie the knot with Claudia sometime before his next birthday. I'm sure it is frustrating for him to have the desire to get up and get out, but think about just how far he has come in such a short amount of time. It's pretty miraculous!
Manuel looks lovingly into Claudia's eyes on his birthday
Manuel would agree that this entire weight loss experience has been a HUGE gift from God who he has come to know as his Lord and Saviour through this experience over the past two years.
"It's a miracle I've got this far," Manuel admitted to Reuters. "I was going to kill myself two years ago when my wife left me, but God sent me excellent doctors."
Now a committed born again Christian who believes in the saving power of Jesus Christ, Manuel Uribe hopes to use this experience shedding the pounds to tell others about the free gift of salvation as well as the healthy benefits of low-carb living. Right now, though, he's focused on the job at hand--continuing to lose weight through healthy eating and moderate exercise that he can handle. His ultimate goal right now is to get down to 285 pounds by the year 2010 to give him a grand total of 950 pounds lost.
"I get lots of e-mails from people saying they are inspired by my progress and I want to get the word out about healthy eating," Manuel exclaimed about his weight loss experience. "I'm not against people who sell junk food, but you've got to be informed not to eat it."
Look at them guns despite his severe exercise limitations
The world record for weight loss by a female is 907 pounds by Rosalie Bradford and for a man is Jon Brower Minnoch who lost 924 pounds. So if Manuel can indeed reach his goal weight, then he will go from "The World's Fattest Man" to the "World's Biggest Weight Loss Champion." That would be quite a feat to accomplish and Manuel is just happy to have this opportunity that he never would have dreamed could happen just two years ago.
And none of this would have been EVER been possible had it not been for the generous time that Dr. Barry Sears has invested in Manuel Uribe putting this former half-ton man on his lower-carb Zone Diet program. And Manuel readily acknowledges this point.
"The Zone has saved my life, and I'm motivated to reach my goal weight by making the right choices about my health," Manuel stated.
GOOD FOR YOU, Manuel! Having a steadfast resolve to make better choices for your health is much more effective and long-lasting than some fleeting willpower. YOU CAN DO THIS and you've got tons of people cheering you on to great success, my friend. CONGRATULATIONS on the incredible turnaround in your weight and health and we'll keep watching you as you approach that goal of getting below 300 pounds.
Check out this amazing YouTube video featuring Dr. Sears talking about what it has been like to treat Manuel Uribe (and even seeing him throw in a dance move or two!), what exercise Manuel has been engaged in to help with fat loss, and how The Zone has been instrumental in his stunning success:
Stay up-to-date on all my blog posts about Manuel Uribe by clicking here.
Manuel Uribe has now lost over 500 pounds since January 2006
If you were to hear that someone weighs 750 pounds, most likely you wouldn't be cheering and applauding that person in regards to doing something about their health. But when your name is Manuel Uribe and you were once dubbed "The World's Fattest Man" weighing in at a hefty 1257 pounds, you can't help but smile at seeing the scale flash 7-5-0!
Yes, this former half-ton man has been working hard using a low-carb lifestyle and nominal exercise plan to shed the pounds and save his life. He even set up a web site for people to track his progress and to be inspired by his amazing story.
In March 2007, about one year after starting on the low-carb Zone Diet by Dr. Barry Sears, Manuel had already shed over 400 pounds off of his body and has been pursuing breaking another world record distinction by this time next year--the most weight loss ever! As I reported last month, he's still at it and going strong in 2008 and has just passed another remarkable milestone--500 pounds lost!
Manuel has set for himself a goal weight of 265 pounds which seems a whole lot more plausible NOW than it did when he started this journey. He's prepared to take four more years into the year 2012 to lose the remaining weight--about 125 pounds a year. It's certainly not an unreasonable goal especially seeing how well the low-carb lifestyle is working for this man from Monterrey, Mexico who is getting a second chance at making a life for himself.
He's 42 now and Manuel is even engaged to be married to a woman who is supporting his efforts to lose weight and get healthy. It's a heartwarming story that you can't help but feel good about because he is proving that quite literally ANYONE--even "The World's Fattest Man!"--can make weight loss happen if they simply commit to a plan, follow that plan exactly and then keep doing that plan. For Manuel, the Zone Diet has him well on his way to enjoying a long and fulfilling life. Can you imagine the stories he'll be telling his grandchildren some day if he sees this thing through to the end? WOW!
Manuel told AFP, "I feel great. The doctors say I'm healthier than ever."
Indeed you are, Manuel, indeed you are! You're the world's healthiest 750-pounder ever! Keep at it buddy and don't let anything deter you from making this a permanent lifestyle change that will keep you around for many years to come. We're all cheering you on to the great success you deserve in weight loss and in life. GO GET 'EM!!!
See all of my previous blog posts about Manuel Uribe by clicking here.
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!
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:
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!
Now that 2008 is here and everybody is thinking about weight loss and health, I thought I'd update you on a very heartwarming story about a man once dubbed as "The World's Heaviest Man" who decided to start livin' la vida low-carb about two years ago to shed the pounds and save his life. He is Manuel Uribe from Monterrey, Mexico and what an awe-inspiring story of dedication and determination to transform himself from a 1200-pound one-way ticket to an early grave into what he hopes will be a normal weight man within the next two years.
As of March 2007, Manuel had already lost 400 pounds--an INCREDIBLE one-third of his starting weight! He was hoping to lose about 200 pounds a year, but livin' la vida low-carb greatly accelerated this total. For a man of his size, the quicker he can lose it, the better!
He's lost a total of around 500 pounds so far and part of his routine besides his low-carb diet includes as much exercise as his morbidly obese body can handle right now. Here's a YouTube video showing a little bit of what Manuel does:
Anyone who says they're "too big" to exercise needs to watch what Manuel is doing. Sure, it looks like he's just wiggling around in the bed, but those pull-ups, twists, turns, and spinning work will build muscle, burn calories, and help him reach his eventual goal. I'm proud of Manuel and he's even willing to make fun of himself during this journey.
Watch these segments from the late night talk show "Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!" to see what a good sport he is because he's now doing something about his massive weight problem:
And here's my favorite one of all:
At least he's having a sense of humor about all this. And I couldn't think of a nicer guy for this to be happening to. YOU KEEP AT IT, MANUEL!!! We'll be cheering you on at you work your way down below 700, 600, 500, and beyond! GO GET 'EM!!!
When you've been tagged with the distinction of being "The World's Heaviest Man," it's not something you go around wearing as a badge of honor. Identified in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most morbidly obese man walking the face of this planet last year was a gentleman from Monterrey, Mexico named Manuel Uribe.
But he's been doing something about his weight over the past year that may win him another Guinness record--for the largest-recorded WEIGHT LOSS in history!
For those who don't know about Uribe's story, he sent out a desperate cry for help in early 2006 for someone, ANYONE to help him get his weight under control. Weighing in at a "how-can-he-possibly-be-alive" weight of 1,235 pounds--yes, that would be OVER a HALF TON!!!--Uribe was ready to begin his ambitious quest to lose 1,000 pounds to get his life back.
He was helped by none other than one of the most brilliant nutritional minds of our generation, Dr. Barry Sears and the low-carb diet he created called The Zone. Uribe was excited about livin' la vida low-carb and started sharing his story with the entire world through his web site available in both Spanish and English. The media has LOVED covering this story!
The most remarkable and encouraging part of this story is that the LOW-CARB DIET IS WORKING--VERY, VERY WELL! :D
In just one year, Manuel Uribe has proven his critics wrong and has already shed over 400 pounds--well on his way to reaching that lofty weight loss goal that now looks to be more probable to happen than not. WOO HOO! You go, Manuel!
If you check out the 2008 issue of the Guinness Book of World Records, then you will see Uribe's infamous fat boy picture in it. But don't be surprised to see Uribe popping up in the 2009 edition as the man who actually lost more weight than anyone. Wouldn't that be a hoot to see the "World's Fattest Man" become the "World's Slimmingest Man?" HA!
His weight loss as of July 2007 stands at 440 pounds and Uribe is almost halfway to his goal weight. The Guinness editor says he will be very interested in observing his weight loss progress over the next year to include Manuel Uribe in his book again--this time for the weight loss distinction.
The entire world is watching this story unfold and it's exciting to see a man like this taking the principles of low-carb living and putting them into practice wiith almost unbelievable results! We're still cheering you on, Manuel! DON'T GIVE UP, buddy, JUST NEVER EVER GIVE UP!
David E. Smith lived a miserable existence at 630 pounds, but...
The three primary objectives of my blog are rather simple: to educate, encourage, and inspire those who are looking for a life-changing experience when it comes to their weight and health. So many of you have written to me over the past few years thankful that I have shared my story of triple-digit low-carb weight loss success and I'm truly humbled by the awesome responsibility that have been given to me.
But today I have what I contend is the most inspiring weight loss story I've ever seen in my life! Except for the unbelievable weight loss journey being undertaken right now by Manuel Uribe, formerly "The World's Heaviest Man" when he weighed in a 1235 pounds in January 2006 and who has shed well over 400 pounds on the low-carb Zone diet, the amount of weight loss produced by an Arizonian named David E. Smith is unprecedented.
Have you heard about this guy yet? He is like Jimmy Moore--TIMES TWO!
It may be difficult to fathom what 630 pounds looks like, but here it is:
Seeing David walking around with no shirt on when he was well over 600 pounds brings back a lot of painful memories for me. Although I was "only" 410 pounds at my highest weight, the body image he had was similar to mine along with the wack-wack-waddle-waddle sauntering about trying to catch your next breath. Seeing those images of himself on video are probably what prompted David to finally get serious about his weight and health for good.
What David has gone through since he finally got serious about losing all of that weight over the past few years runs so parallel to my own experiences following a massive weight loss. It's kinda eerie hearing him talk about his struggles because they almost exactly mirror some of the same thoughts, emotions, and issues that I have or am going through as well. I would be willing to bet these are common themes amongst all of us who have lost more than 100 pounds.
According to his Bodybuilding.com page, this 6'2" tall man has been overweight for his entire life and was "written off by everyone, even myself."
"All of a sudden I woke up it seemed from my despair and I realized feeling sorry about my life wasn't going to solve my problems," David recalled. "I decided to change my existence."
David had a lot of reasons for his obesity, not the least of which was being molested by a friend he trusted when he was only six years old. Then the constant teasing and ridicule from being a loner caused David to sink deeper into his pit of despair that led him to eat just to cover up the pain. This is something that happens under such a cloud of secrecy as People magazine's January cover girl Mary Smith (no relation to David) has shared about her weight issues.
So David sought assistance for his dismal situation and reached out to a local television program called "Good Morning Arizona" to help him do just that. They implored the services of a personal trainer and weight loss coach named Chris Powell who was eager to help David take on the biggest challenge of his life! And the GREAT NEWS is David overcame his demons and HE DID IT!!!
From blubbery to absolutely buff, David has changed his life forever!
Check out this video following David's amazing weight loss:
And then this updated video following some skin removal surgeries:
Is it just me or are these news people who interview those of us who have lost large amounts of weight just plain dopey?! That reporter in the second video who asked if David confronts obese kids on the street now that he's lost his weight could not possibly be serious! Yeah, kid, you're fat, I was, now I'm not, you should lose weight, too. See how well that works for ya!
Ever since I lost my weight, I have had a strong desire to help people who want to lose weight. But you can't compel people who aren't ready. Talking to kids or even adults for that matter and telling them they are fat does nothing for them. However, when they are ready, these kids and adults will know who they can come to for help because they're watching you. David will be thrilled to give it to them, too, as do I.
I'm happy that David used a personal trainer during his weight loss and I'm getting ready to do that myself since I'd like to make my body a little more muscular than it is now. My legs are very strong, but my arms and upper torso need to be "pumped up" like that picture of David at the top of this post. He's done a fantastic job!
Interestingly, Chris only had David exercise three days a week to "prove weight loss could be done without a lot of it." How about that? So, his diet became an important aspect of this journey. What exactly was the diet?
It's something developed by Chris Powell called the STAX Nutrition System. This program is neat because it stores all of your food for the day in a convenient little carrying case with stackable containers of all the proteins, carbs, veggies, and fat you need to consume with a handy little timer that let's you know when it's time to eat. COOL!
See if any of these acceptable STAX foods look familiar:
protein powder, salads, eggs, cheese, almonds, walnuts, blueberries, spinach, butter, polish sausage, olive oil, cream, and even Ezekiel low-carb bread
Hey, that looks like livin' la vida low-carb to me! A closer examination of the meal plan reveals it is a moderate-fat, high-protein, lower-carb plan designed to remove the junk out of your diet. It's portion-controlled, but you eat a lot of meals throughout the day. If it worked for David as well as it did, then obviously it can work for many others, too! Find that plan that will work for YOU!
Losing 400 pounds has a rather unique side effect to it
But, just as I have blogged about quite extensively following my nearly 200-pound weight loss, David has some rather icky looking "loose skin" that makes him feel uncomfortable about going shirtless in public. He even said that he can't feel skinny until all of the skin is removed.
Boy, I couldn't agree more! It's been three years since my initial weight loss on the Atkins diet and I am stuck looking at the drooping and disgusting blob of skin that hangs from my tummy and inner thighs every single day. It CAN be discouraging, not matter how many compliments you receive from people about how good you look. I love to swim, but I can't go shirtless without feeling fat. That's somewhat disappointing.
For the most part, though, I've been able to deal with it because my financial situation does not permit me to have the skin removal surgery like David had. Granted, his problem was MUCH worse than mine as you can see in that picture of him, but I'd like to get that tummy tuck and thigh tuck done myself someday to complete the new me. It would probably make me more excited about resistance training so I can see the results I am producing underneath all that skin. Someday...
Today, David radiates with confidence and is humbled by all the attention he has garnered following his weight loss. He's obviously a shy man who is just now coming out of his shell to take on life in a way he never thought possible. This former morbidly obese 600-pounder is now working at the gym that helped him get his life back and he will now begin helping people who were just like him take their life back, too.
Paying it forward, sharing not just his knowledge but also his invaluable life's experience to give others hope for a better tomorrow. What an incredible triumph of the human spirit that deserves all the recognition and accolades that come the way of David E. Smith. You are my hero, buddy, and I wish you all the best in your long-term weight management and newly radically-transformed life!
Check out David Smith's MySpace page and be looking for his as-yet-untitled book about his weight loss experience. This man is set to inspire so many people that it is NEVER too late to get started on your weight loss plan. He's living proof that it CAN be done...you just gotta DO IT!
Manuel Uribe is a much happier man now thanks to low-carb living
Remember when I blogged about the tragic story of the 41-year old half-ton man named Manuel Uribe last year? YES, I SAID A HALF-TON MAN! You may have even seen him featured on television shows and in magazine articles about obesity over the past few months because he has been doing unbelievably well in his weight loss efforts--and he's livin' la vida low-carb to do it, too! HA!
In fact, this former 1230-pounder, who was once dubbed "The World's Heaviest Man," has his weight moving at a rapid pace in the right direction and has dropped an eye-popping 400 pounds in one year--losing over a pound a day and has already lost ONE-THIRD OF HIS STARTING WEIGHT! WOW, now that is truly amazing!
I've been keeping an eye on his official web site periodically and have been so proud of Manuel for getting his weight and health under control while he still can. Although he's not out of danger yet still weighing in at just under 850 pounds, the fact is he is doing something about it and learning there are healthier and more satisfying ways to eat and live. That's an unheralded message of livin' la vida low-carb that far too often gets lost in the debate over diets.
If all the doom and gloom about low-carb diets beyond one year that have been bantered about by various low-carb opponents these past few days in all the media accounts about this remarkable nutritional approach are indeed true (they're not, but follow the logic for a moment), then I suppose there's not much hope for Manuel Uribe to reach his ultimate goal weight of of 265 pounds sometime in the next few years. He should just give up now and call it a day for giving it the old college try.
How absurd! Obviously, livin' la vida low-carb is working to help him lose weight and get healthy when just one year ago he felt there was no hope left in the world for him at all. But look at what is happening for Manuel Uribe NOW--with assistance from friends and family, he was able to get out of his house for the very first time since 2002 on Wednesday and it was an event worth celebrating!
You can sense the gratitude he has for life now:
"The sky is beautiful and blue and what I want is to enjoy the sun," he told reporters. "My goal is to leave the house on my own but I know that will be a long process."
You WILL do it, Manuel, because you've found a plan that is working for you and you are making it happen!!! CONGRATULATIONS and here's to another 400 pounds lost in the next year! Keep at it, buddy, and NEVER EVER GIVE UP!
The answer is obvious to everyone--OF COURSE HE IS!
I'm pleased to hear Manuel is getting ready to use his newfound worldwide fame to start a foundation dedicated to giving overweight and obese people financial assistance for medical care as well as classes on what a healthy diet looks like. How much you wanna bet it won't be a low-fat diet?! It's livin' la vida low-carb instead, baby!
**READ UPDATES ON MANUEL URIBE'S LOW-CARB WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS, INCLUDING BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES, BY CLICKING HERE**
I'm well on my way to my biggest month of traffic ever at the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog expected to shatter 100,000 pageviews for the month of January 2007 before the end of this week. WOO HOO! THANK YOU to everyone who has visited my blog day in and day out over the past few weeks for this commemorative moment.
It's exciting that I will very likely surpass 1,000,000 pageviews by March 2007, less than two years since I began this little blog about my low-carb weight loss. WOWsers! What a moment that will be and I'm looking to celebrate in a big way. More on that later.
As has become a regular feature lately, I'd like to address a series of this and that low-carb tidbits that have caught my eye in the past week. THANK YOU to everyone who has shared just a piece of your life with me and I read every single e-mail that comes my way. Feel free to join the action by e-mailing livinlowcarbman@charter.net. You WILL hear from me with a personal response if you do.
Here's a little of what I've seen this week:
A regular reader of my blog read this blog post about my weight loss stalling out lately in my "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge felt compelled to encourage me. I most certainly was because she made some very good points about what I am doing by sharing these struggles. Check out out!
"I just read your blog entry about zero weight loss--hang in there, Jimmy Actually, I'm glad you're not losing weight. Guess why? Because that is so typical of so many of us on Atkins (don't stop reading--this will get better!).
Your 180-pound-in-one-year weight loss was great. But most of us get on the Atkins plan and don't lose anywhere near that much, and certainly not that quickly. The weight comes off in dribs and drabs and sometimes those plateaus look like we'll be stuck there forever. So why not cheat just a little bit? Or why not just forget the whole thing?
One of your great gifts, Jimmy, is that you are real. I know you will figure out how to reach your goal, and in the process, bring along a host of other people for whom Atkins is a challenge, but a doable challenge. Thanks for being there!"
THANKS so much for those inspiring words. One thing I try to do here at my blog and in my book is be very honest about my own experience--sometimes brutally so. That's intentional and I wouldn't have it any other way. People need to know what they are getting themselves into and I don't mind sharing the good, bad, and ugly with them from my perspective.
That's just who I am and I won't change just to try to make livin' la vida low-carb more artificially attractive. There's enough positive about this lifestyle that people don't need me to embellish it in any way. The results speak for themselves!
Speaking of positive, there's an excellent column about sticking with your New Year's resolutions over the long haul in this Los Angeles Times, but it is somewhat ruined by the following ridiculous quote from a psychotherapist named Jonathan Alpert who wrote the column:
"Though promises of dramatic weight loss via the Atkins diet or diet pills are enticing, they don't speak to the moments when decisions are made — the times of stress, loneliness or boredom when one is most likely to reach for the Pringles or Häagen-Dazs."
There are real people out there who are hurting and looking for answers. Look at what this person wrote to me in a desperate plea for help.
Hi,
I am 100 pounds overweight and I don't know what to do. I have no willpower at night and dread each day in this body. It takes a lot of energy to be "fat." Only, I don't lose the weight and just cannot believe this is ME.
I used to take good care of myself and am now getting concerned for my life. Can I share my daily diet dilemma with you?
Please let me know.
I wrote this person back encouraging her to please share her story with me further and that I'd be happy to help. So far, she has not responded, but I am hopeful she continues to reach out to do something about her weight and health while there is still time. If that person is reading this right now, PLEASE DON'T DELAY! Start livin' la vida low-carb TODAY! It'll be the best thing you could EVER do.
One of the most popular topics of interest at my blog is the subject of loose skin. After I blogged about it again this week, the response was quite eclectic.
Here was a PRO response I received:
Hi Jimmy...
I've been reading your blog for quite some time and really enjoy it. While I don't adhere to a strict low carb diet, I do watch the overall carb intake. When I was in my late teens (18/19 yrs old) i weighed 325 lbs. :-( Through diet and exercise I lost 200 lbs and have kept it off for 5 yrs now.
Anyway, just like you I have the loose skin issue to deal with now. It's really upsetting actually. I would love to have surgery but I can't afford it--that is the only thing holding me back otherwise i'd get it done in a heartbeat. My extreme weight loss was definitely worth it but now I feel like a deflated balloon - it's been so hard on me emotionally so I can definitely relate to your latest post on your loose skin.
For me, it's been like 5 years and while the skin on my upper arms has tighted up and I no longer have the Bat-Wing look going on, my tummy and thighs are saggy...it's horrible to be a 25-year-old woman with the body of an 85 year old! Arrrrrgh. I know I'll get surgery one day...even though now it seems like it'll never happen.
Anyhow, congrats on your weight loss and thank you so much for your blog. Its informative and i like reading the personal stories too. :)
THANKS for the note. But, there were some CON responses:
Hi Jimmy,
Please don't get surgery done. It's dangerous.
I'd just like to tell you that the loose skin DOES firm up. I'm about your height (6'3---give or take) and when I was at 220, I had the loose skin on the inner thighs/stomach/etc.
Fact is: unless you've got an unusually high amount of muscle...220 is still too heavy for guys our height. I'm about 202 now and the issue is greatly reduced.
Have faith. Drop some more weight and it will tighten up. With your iron discipline, it should be a cinch.
I'm still not buying it, but I am trying to lose another 20 pounds. So the jury is still out. I'm not holding my breath that things will change much because the skin just hangs and droops with stretch marks. EWWW!
Switching gears a bit, some of you have concerns about soy, but have you seen the latest research about it reducing the risk of ovarian cancer? Here's the study:
A study published in the January 8, 2007 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology finds that soy foods may lower the risk for ovarian cancer. Dietary factors and incidence of ovarian cancer were analyzed among 97,275 women from the California Teachers Study cohort. Those who consumed 3 milligrams of isoflavones (a phytoestrogen found in soy foods) per day had a 44 percent lower risk than women who consumed less than 1 milligram. There was no significant evidence linked to any other foods or nutrients with ovarian cancer risk.
What do you think about this? I know soy is quite controversial among low-carbers. So, does this new evidence strengthen your support for it or change your mind if you opposed it? Why or why not? I'd love to know what you think!
On a lighter note, one of my readers had an idea for me he enthusiastically wanted to share. Here's what he wrote:
Here's an idea for you--maybe a "Best Of Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" articles collection? What do you think? Keep up the good work, Mr. Moore!
Actually, it's funny I got this e-mail because I had been thinking of making this my second book in celebration of my millionth pageview. While it sounds like an easy book, it would still take compiling the best of the 1,500+ blog posts I have written over the past two years and adding some background information to make the book worthwhile to my readers.
I suppose my questions to you are: 1) Would you buy a book like this and find it useful as a reference tool?, and 2) How many posts should it include if I do decide to do this book? I was thinking maybe the top 100 posts and I'm willing to take your ideas for which ones should DEFINITELY be included among that list. Feel free to e-mail me your feedback at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.
Getting back to the e-mails, here's an intriguing one from a very regular reader.
I have taken antidepressant medication (SSRI's or SNRI's) for 20 years now with great success (geez, can it be this long? since they invented Prozac, ca. 1987). There are no apparent side effects with this medication (EffexorXR 150mg/d) as far as daily life is concerned, though the psychiatrist who dispenses them to me explained that the drug is likely responsible for the last 30-40lbs. of weight gain I incurred about seven years ago – and also explained that the drug can make weight loss quite difficult.
The medication is not in question here, but my tendency to be depressive is. Yesterday I started back on Induction to get control over my sloppy low-carb pattern during the past few months. This morning in church some depression and anxiety fell upon me during the service, a situation that normally feels supportive and uplifting, and is continuing with me this afternoon.
I don't remember if I felt this during previous induction initialization periods, but my guess would be that going back on induction might well reduce my serotonin levels in a "new" environment of reduced carbohydrate intake. It's been a while since I invoked a strict Iduction period. The body does have to adjust, doesn't it? (and the mind as well, I suppose). It may be several days before I feel full of energy with normal mood, right? If nothing else, I can tell I'm already in mild ketosis through the feel in my mouth. That didn't take long!
Who knows, as a naturally depressive person, maybe the reason I've tended to be fat since I was 6 is my attempt to self-medicate with carbohydrates in the same way an alcoholic self-medicates with alcohol to mediate psychic pain. Just thinking...
Since I have never suffered from depression myself per se (my wife Christine take Paxil for her condition), I can certainly see how some people are more susceptible to it than others. We're all wired differently, so naturally our bodies react in different ways to various circumstances.
I encouraged my reader to seek natural ways to improve his serotonin levels like eating dark chocolate (like the delicious sugar-free ones from ChocoPerfection) and other stress-relieving techniques. It certainly doesn't hurt to do what you can to make your low-carb lifestyle as comfortable as you can until your body gets used to it. Again, I don't fully understand depression, but acknowledge it exists for some. Be encouraged that YOU are not alone. :)
It seems one of my newer readers just discovered this blog post I wrote a few months ago asking whether I looked like an obese man since my BMI shows that I am. Here was her shocking e-mail to and about me (you're not gonna believe it!):
Erm, you DO look overweight, Jimmy. Those pictures of you with your shirt off show the droopy skin. But front to back and side to side, you look overweight. My husband, who is a physician, experiences this all the time in his office. Parents come in worrying that their kid is too skinny, but by the charts the child is normal weight or slightly overweight. We've just gotten so used to Americans being fat that we no longer see what we're seeing.
My husband (the doctor) doesn't listen to his own advice and now has diabetes. It's not a good condition to have. Your body doesn't care how fat every other American is. It cares how fat YOU are. Jimmy, you already know how to lose the weight. Please quit rationalizing and just do it. Please?
OUCH! You know I had to respond:
WOW, that's what I call brutal honesty! LOL! Hmmm, pondering over your comments, I'm quite intrigued. I agree that people's perceptions about themselves are skewed downward in America, but if you saw me in person I think you would have a different take.
My arms are very skinny and you can see the bones in my hands! EWWW! My collarbone couldn't be more visible and I feel FANTASTIC!
All of that notwithstanding, I acknowledge I need to lose some more weight which is why I started my "30-In-30" and have set a goal to get down to 199. Is that gonna be low enough for my 6'3" body, Marilyn? Should I keep pushing for the recommended "normal" BMI weight of 165-170? That seems extreme to me.
I ask all of this truly out of sincere curiosity about what you think. So, if I'm "fat" now, then what weight will I no longer be fat? :) THANKS for the engaging conversation.
Here was her response back to me:
A little known truth--even a fat guy looks good in a good suit! But those pictures of you with your clothes off (eeek!) tell the story. Your arms may be sticks, but what counts is the fat around your belly.
When we lose weight, we don't do it uniformly over the whole body. In women, the last areas to release their fat are usually the hips and thighs. That presents no particular problem other than appearance. In men, however, the last area to release its fat is the abdomen, and that IS a problem. The technical term for it is truncal obesity.
Do a Google search for truncal obesity. Two of the articles you will find are here and here. There is quite a bit of medical terminology to deal with in these articles, but the take-home message is that you have an elevated BMI, kind of squirrelly bloodwork, and the type of fat distribution that puts you at risk for cardiovascular disease and Type II diabetes.
How much weight should you lose? If you're a female nurse and have a BMI of 25, you have 5 times the likelihood of developing Type II diabetes than if you're a female nurse and have a BMI of 21. If you're a female nurse and have a BMI above 30, your risk of developing Type II diabetes is 28 times higher. At a BMI of 35, it's 93 times higher. (Weight Gain as a Risk Factor for Clinical Diabetes Mellitus in Women, Annals of Internal Medicine (1995), Volume 122, Issue 7, pages 481-6)
There are all sorts of issues with the validity of BMI. There are all sorts of issues with cholesterol levels. And since you're neither female nor a nurse, the statistics in the article I just cited don't apply to you. But I'd suggest that you read the truncal obesity articles and think about them. Only you can decide what weight is right for you. But I'd like to know that you've considered all the factors before you decide that losing 20 more pounds plus some loose skin will be enough.
Shoot, I don't know. Reaching a BMI of 25 certainly isn't going to hurt you. Even if you get that loose skin removed, you won't fall below a BMI of 18!
You might measure your waist-to-hip ratio, check out what is a good level of risk that you could live with, and then lose weight to whatever that measurement is. It would be nice if "spot reduction" worked, but it doesn't!
There is obviously a lot of material for you to absorb from that PDF article and a lot of risk factors for you to consider. And you now have contacts in the nutritional/medical community to help guide your thinking.
Not a simple answer or a simple number, but I've given you enough blogging material to last for a very long time!
That you have and I'm listening to what you have to say. Let's just put it this way. If I lost the 20 pounds I am trying to right now to reach 199 AND get the tummy tuck surgery removing another 20-25 pounds or so of skin, then I will weight about 175-180 on my 6'3" body. That would be WELL within what ANYONE would consider "normal" (or even BELOW normal in the perception of most people!). I'll hit that 1-9-9 and then we'll go from there.
My reader wrote me one more time (long conversation we had!):
All of these would suggest that a weight of 185-195 for a 6'3" man is probably a reasonable number. Not that far from your goal of 199 pounds. I think the concern I expressed previously arises from a feeling that you have convinced yourself that it's okay to hover between 220 and 240 and are relying on a dream of surgery to take you down to 199. I could well be wrong about that, though.
Yep, you are. I have and will continue to strive for 199 and then will consider the skin removal surgery. We'll see how all this progresses in 2007.
I have noticed quite a bit of new visitor traffic lately from people who found my article about Manuel Uribe, the man who used to weigh over a half ton who is now livin' la vida low-carb. His story has been featured prominently in the media over the past few weeks and my blog post is at the top search results when you do a Google search for "Manuel Uribe."
Here's what one reader wrote to me when he found me:
Hello,
I was so intrigued by your blog you wrote regarding Manuel Uribe.
I have a doctor who tells me that my health problems are from being overweight. However, he doesn't suggest any change or help me in any way.
I am 431 pounds and I want so much to "live again". I'm only 54 this year and I have been on disability for almost 9 years. My left knee is almost gone and my right knee is starting to really give me trouble.
Can you give me a suggestion as where to start so that I can shed at least 200 pounds? I have been thinking Lap Band surgery but I don't know if Medicare will cover that. Thank you for your time! God bless you.
It's a sad commentary that many doctors are overlooking obesity and simply want to treat the conditions that arise out of weight issues rather than the source of the problem itself. All that does is lead people like this to feel helpless and hopeless like nothing will ever work for them. It's such a shame people like this look to LAP-BAND and ignore livin' la vida low-carb.
But I reached back to this person with some hope:
THANKS so much for writing to me today. Let me tell you how proud I am of your courage to admit you are in a spot you don't want to be in. That's an all-important first step to getting the weight gone and getting healthy.
I used to weigh an unhealthy 410 pounds in 2004 and as able to lose 190 pounds by following the Atkins/low-carb approach. While Manuel Uribe and myself have found success on this way of eating, I certainly encourage you to do what you feel like you can stick with over the long haul.
Go read a book about low-carb first and learn what this way of eating is all about. That's a vital first step before you try implementing any changes. Then follow that plan exactly as prescribed. Finally, keep doing that plan for the rest of your life.
YOU CAN DO THIS! It's not too late to do something about your health and I urge you to make this commitment serious and GO FOR IT! It will change your life forever just like it has for me. God bless you, my friend.
Please contact me anytime you have any questions or concerns. Take care!
Finally, I was thrilled to see the following comment from a regular reader of my columns posted at my sister site CarbWire:
Hey Jimmy, been following you via Carbwire now for quite some time and today is the day I decided to finally do something about my weight. I'm going to join the low carb revolution! Ireally enjoy your podcasts too! Keep up the good work!
YIPPEE! YAHOO! WHEEEEE!!! That's so awesome! Can you tell I'm excited?! :D This is a remarkable way to live a happy and healthy life, I can't imagine why EVERYONE wouldn't at least try it once to see how it could improve their life like it has mine. CONGRATULATIONS on making this fateful decision to begin low-carb!
That's all for now from my e-mail box, but I'm always here to offer a listening ear or a helping hand to you as you are livin' la vida low-carb! Please don't hesitate to e-mail me your questions and comments and I promise to respond as soon as possible. So let me hear from you, okay? Talk to you soon!
1-22-07 UPDATE: The feedback to this post has been flooding in. Here's just a little:
Hi--great blog!!!
One comment on the whole soy issue--as a breast cancer survivor, I've researched many supplements and foods that are healthy for women. It is unclear, but very possible, that soy consumption increases the effects of estrogen levels which causes breast cancer in many cases (including mine).
Both soy and flax are among those supplements that might increase estrogen's effects (especially for women on birth control pills or taking hormone replacement therapy). Women wanting more info can visit BreastCancer.org.
Just thought I'd throw that out there as a caution. Keep up the great work and healthy blog :)
THANKS for the info! Another one of my readers agrees that I've still got fat to lose and that I should avoid having the skin removal surgery that I want to have done. Here's what she wrote:
Dear Jimmy,
I hate to be brutally honest, but I'm afraid I have to agree with the doctor's wife who made so many brutally honest comments about your excess skin. I've seen lots of shows on the Discovery Channel of people who have had the surgery to have excess skin removed after losing 100 or more pounds. One woman had lost about 400 lbs after having a stomach reduction, and she had a tremendous amount of "excess skin" on her trunk, legs and arms.
I put the words "excess skin" in quotes, because when they cut into her "skin", they had to keep cutting, down, and down and down. About 4 inches deep, the doctor says "When we get down the the fascia, we'll see how much weight she's really lost". (The fascia is the thin membrane that separates your skin layer from the organs underneath) Now, we already know how much weight she'd lost - somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 lbs. What he was trying to avoid saying on camera, since he knew she'd be watching it later, was more along the lines of "We know she's lost 400 lbs, but when we get through all the subcutaneous fat that's still here, we'll be able to see thorugh the fascia and know whether her organs are still surrounded by pockets of fat".
He ended up taking a strip of "skin" off of her that was about 6 or 7 inches thick. I'm sorry, but that wasn't all skin! You could SEE that there was a thin layer of skin as he cut into her, but the yellowish stuff he kept cutting down through to get to the fascia was fat.
Try this little experiment. Using your fingers, pinch up the skin on the back of your hand. It's maybe an eighth of an inch thick, right? That's how thick actual skin IS, pretty much over your entire body. Now, pinch the skin on your belly. Can you even get ahold of a thin layer on your belly like on your hand? If you can pinch more than that on your belly, or your legs, you're not pinching just skin, you're pinching fat too. To be fair, there's actually a thin layer of fat under the skin on your hands too. No matter how thin your hands are now.
If you had as little fat under the skin on your midsection as you do on your hands, you'd be literally nothing but a skeleton with muscle and a few organs under your skin. We all have some fat under the skin, it's just a matter of how much there is. Remember the old "pinch an inch" commercials? How much do you pinch when you pinch your belly skin? Unless you have a very odd pocket of air around your midsection, that is indeed fat on there. You're not going to get rid of ALL of it no matter how much weight you lose, unless you literally starve yourself to death.
As brutally honest as it may be, and as sorry as I am to have to agree with the doctor's wife, what you have around your midsection isn't just skin. I hope you don't take this as some sort of "Let's bash Jimmy Moore" rant. On the contrary, you've done a tremendous job of losing a huge amount of weight, and you've even managed to lose more of it in the last few months. Both accomplishments are very worthy of commendation - you've done remarkably well! Congratulations!
But like the doctor's wife, I have to agree that you still need to lose more. I don't know so much about the stuff she was quoting about your continued risk for diabetes and heart disease at that particular BMI, especially given your low carb diet that isn't likely to ever raise your blood sugar high enough to qualify you as a diabetic and the blood workup that showed you had fluffy LDL, but there is still more there that you could lose. Getting down to the 185-195 range might be a little too low though, I don't know. I think mostly the BMI and ideal height-weight charts have figures that are far too low for anyone who has an ounce of muscle on thier bodies.
Speaking of muscle, I know from reading your posts that you do time on the elliptical machine or treadmill just about every day. But what about resistance training? You say your arms are downright skinny, which indicates to me that you don't have a lot of muscle in your arms and possibly not in your shoulders, judging by the photos on your site, but that may depend a lot on how large your frame is--if you're small framed and actually have a lot of arm and shoulder muscle, please forgive me for speaking of that which I know nothing about.
But that's not really what it looks like to me, so I'll continue on, just in case it does apply. You know of course that muscle takes a lot more energy to maintain than fat does--I don't mean just maintenance time on the resistance machines, but as far as how many calories it uses. (even though we don't count calories on low carb, it's still somewhat of a factor in our weight loss)
You're a guy too - and guys find it a lot easier to build lots of arm and shoulder muscle than females do. So in theory, it should be easy for you to stick to the low carb eating plan you've been using for the last few years, and lose a lot of the weight around your middle just by building up your upper body muscle. This may cause you to actually gain weight initially (muscle weighs more than fat), but as you build muscle, it'll maintain itself on the protein you eat, and body fat will need to be converted to glycogen to cover the rest of your caloric needs.
You're probably thinking that your legs are strong enough and you don't need to build up your leg muscles, but treadmills and elipticals only go so far to build leg muscles. Depending on your walking style, the treadmill and eliptical may actually build buttock muscles a lot more than leg muscles. So you could even do some of the leg muscle building resistance machines, if you don't already, because the more muscle you can build on your body, the more calories your body will take to maintain that muscle, hence the more calories it will need to take from fat stores to keep you going.
The general rule of thumb when it comes to muscle building is that you work the same sets of muscles only every couple of days, not every day, but if you go more than 3 days without working those muscles, you're losing ground. A little bit of discomfort between workouts means that you've damaged the muscles, but that damage is a good thing, because as the muscle works to repair itself, it builds more muscle. A little damage to those muscles is a good thing, lots of damage isn't--I don't want you to be in serious pain!
Sorry this is so long, and I'm really not trying to be rude by agreeing with the doctor's wife. Just putting in my own 2 cents, based on the things I've seen.
With the greatest respect for someone who shows us daily what low carb is all about--THANK YOU!
Again, I can appreciate where all of these comments are coming from and rest assured I am already in the process of working on losing more body fat as I resolved to do at the beginning of the year and to increase my resistance training which I admit tailed off in 2006. THANK YOU for caring enough to share this with me. I'm a big boy, so I can take criticism. Bash away! :D
Speaking of that woman who said I had more weight to lose before I even think about having an abdominoplasty, she responded today as well:
Whoa! Lots of blogging done last night! So you are going to try to lose more weight? Great! This is ONE time I'm glad to be wrong! (Don't tell my husband I ever said that!!!) Happy Monday!
THANK YOU again for your comments because I'm taking them in the manner they were intended. If you didn't care, you wouldn't have said a word!
Finally, I got an awesome first-time comment from a new reader who has yet another perspective on this who obese vs. skinny debate. Check this out:
Dear Jimmy,
I have been reading your blog for the last three months since I started the low-carb way of eating. Not until today have I felt the need to talk to you, but I could not let today's post go by without comment. I refer to the email that expressed an opinion that you were still "fat."
Frankly, I don't think it is anyone else's business but yours. No one knows what it is like to be in your skin. No one knows how hard you have worked to lose the last 180lbs AND KEEP IT OFF!!!
You may choose to lose more weight, or you may not--it is entirely up to you. All I know is you are healthier today than you were when you carried all that extra weight, and what you have achieved you should be, and CONTINUE TO BE, proud of.
I have never been morbidly obese, but I have been overweight--20kg heavier than I am today. I am sure that the same person who pointed out your imperfections would probably think I could still lose some more weight.
Even though I am now in the "healthy" weight range, I still have visible fat on my hips and thighs. Others, of course, encourage me to eat all those processed carbs because I am "too skinny" now anyway. No one knows what it is like to be in my skin so it's no one's business but my own.
I want to shift those last 5 kilos so I have spent the last 4 weeks with carbs under 20g a day, calories around 1200 and exercising like a madwoman and for my efforts I have lost .6kg - I think that is ONE POUND!!!
But I take solace in the fact that the same happens to you and you never give up. You know what you want and you working towards it every day. I celebrate that the scales are at least going down without hunger and deprivation.
Life is an adventure, a challenge, exhilarating and disappointing. Our bodies belong to us, and we choose what we do with them. You and me Jimmy, we're doing the right thing!! Let's keep it up--and let THEM eat cake!!! All the best.
LOL! I LOVE this person's perspective on this. It's what I've said before--I AM healthier than I've ever been and I am VERY proud of what I have been able to do about my weight. Why else would I put myself out there day in and day out talking about this sensitive subject?
We need people to stop enabling the overweight and obese to continue in their same bad habits time and time again. If we can get people to at the very least to do SOMETHING about their obesity even if they don't get all of the fat off their body, then we would be doing a lot better as a country with this epidemic, don't ya think?
Just a little more to ponder as you start this new week. :) Oh happy day!
1-22-07 UPDATE: Carol at "Kudos For Low Carb" had a comment about strength building that contradicts what someone else had sent to me. Here's her comments:
Hi Jimmy,
I just wanted to make a comment on the following from a letter you received:
"The general rule of thumb when it comes to muscle building is that you work the same sets of muscles only every couple of days, not every day, but if you go more than 3 days without working those muscles, you're losing ground."
That part about going more than 3 days without working your muscles and you'll lose ground just is not true. I don't know who wrote that or what, if any, credentials in training that person might have but they are incorrect. I've read literally reams of material on weight training and muscle, not to mention putting what I've learned into practice.
Generally, if you're actively weight training on a regular basis of at least two 30 minute sessions a week and you're making progress, you can take a break of 3 to 6 weeks and not lose muscle strength or size. And I have the log book to prove it. I've had to take long breaks, (once four months during pregnancy,) due to illness or injury and came back to lift even heavier than my last session right out of the gate.
As long as you're healthy (have no muscle diseases), eat adequate protein and remain otherwise active, you won't lose ground if you take short breaks from strength training. Many people find their muscles need a longer recovery period between sessions than the usual recommendations of two or three days for maximum results.
I know you have issues with strength training. You're not alone, many folks dislike it. Some people seem to have an allergy to iron and steel. ;) You might want to consider some alternative strength training approaches such as isometrics, Pilates, or Bar Method, which build muscle without free weights or weight machines. Also, the book 'YOU: On A Diet' has an effective strength building program that involves no weights, no equipment, and you can do it in your living room or anywhere. Or mix one whole body free weight or machine session a week with one or two alternative methods. Variety helps stave off boredom and lack of motivation we all deal with from time to time. And muscle adapts quickly. You really need to mix up your routine at least every 8 weeks to make optimal progress.
Studies show even elderly people as old as 90 can build muscle and strength with as little as one or two 30 minute strength training sessions a week. You're young, you should be able to achieve progress with a few short training sessions a week, which is easier than you think. A lot of people read muscle magazines or get a gung ho trainer and think they have to work out like the bodybuilding pros. That's fine too, if you have the stomach for it. But it's not necessary for good results for the average person looking to get fit.
You also might want to check out HIT or high intensity training. The program advocates less reps at higher weights and rest periods between session are a minimum of five days. Mike Mentzer was the architect of this style and built an impressive physique with it that won him a Mr. Olympia title. I've tried it and prefer it to long sessions of high repetitions.
Okay, that was more than one comment! Blah, blah, blah. I do go on. Best of Luck with your goals!
Manuel Uribe, under a doctor's care, is changing his life
Ever since I blogged about 1200-pound Mexican man Manuel Uribe losing weight on a low-carb plan earlier this week, many of my readers have e-mailed me asking if he has a web site or blog where they can learn more about him and show their support for his efforts. After a lot of research and investigation, the answer to that question is YES!
Go to the English or Spanish version of his personal web site chronicling his amazing journey on The Zone diet to reach 260 pounds.
There are some really great childhood and early adult photos of Uribe on his web site, along with blood tests, physical activity schedule, and, of course his "new life in The Zone."
Additionally, there is a forum where you can discuss his progress and there's even a way for you to submit donations if you want to help Uribe towards his HUGE goal.
As I stated in my previous blog post about him, I am so proud of Manuel Uribe for getting his priorities right and losing the weight. If he can overcome this and restore his health, then people will be chanting the name Manuel Uribe as the greatest example of "lifestyle change" in the history of modern man.
Most people would be thrilled to lose an impressive 200 pounds in less than one year. As someone who used to weigh over 400 pounds, lost almost that much weight and did it in a year's time, it literally changed my life for the better.
But for 41-year-old Manuel Uribe, aka "The World's Heaviest Man," that 200 pounds he has lost since February 2006 was only the beginning of a long journey back to any semblance of a "normal" life again. You see, he weighed an eye-popping 1,235 pounds when he finally cried out for help on Mexican television back in January this year.
You heard me right: ONE-THOUSAND TWO-HUNDRED THIRTY-FIVE POUNDS!
Wanna know what that much weight LOOKS like? Check this out:
This is no doubt a miserable existence that no human should endure
Just thinking about THAT much weight for a moment, that's the "old" Jimmy Moore when I weighed 410 pounds in January 2004 -- TIMES THREE! Yikeseroo! As bad as my weight problem was, I cannot even begin to imagine what living inside the body of well over a half ton person is like! How do you breathe? What about going to the bathroom? Is the floor strong enough to hold up that much weight? You can't help but think about these kinds of questions.
But that's exactly what Uribe has had to deal with which obviously left him immobile and unable to do even the most basic living tasks since 2001. His life has basically been laying down in his bed since that time which has led to the development of lesions and bed sores on his legs and other parts of his body. I can only imagine what his cholesterol numbers, blood pressure, and overall health is like at that weight. On second thought, I don't even want to THINK about it!
Wanna know how bad it had to get for Uribe before he wanted to change? He put duct tape over the lesions on his legs to help contain them from getting any more infected. He was stuck laying down flat on his back looking up at the ceiling all the time because the fat build-up in his midsection prevented him from even sitting in an upright position. He has been through the humiliation of having his family and friends feed him, bathe him, and change his clothes as if he were a baby.
When you've reach this point where your weight is paralyzing your very existence, it is WELL beyond the "breaking point." Uribe was desperate to do ANYTHING he could to lose weight and said as much when he appeared on the Mexican network Televisa pleading for help.
An Italian doctor rushed in and offered to do gastric bypass surgery on him, but Uribe received encouragement and hope from a very unlikely source in this day and age of counting calories and fat grams for weight loss -- a low-carb diet doctor!
Dr. Barry Sears, renowned author of the low-carb diet book "The Zone," said Uribe needed to lost weight more naturally by starting on a low-carb, high-protein diet to help him begin losing weight immediately. So far, he has lost 200 pounds in the first five months (an astouding 40 pounds per month average -- my first five months on the Atkins diet I lost an average of about 20 pounds a month) and hopes to lose another 770 pounds or so pounds to reach his ultimate dream weight of 260 pounds.
As someone who has gone through the process of losing weight (albeit not as much as Uribe, but still a large amount), each 100-pound mark that he reaches will propel him and motivate him to keep it going. When he gets down to triple digits again for the first time in a very long time, he'll see that 999 number and jump for joy ... well, figuratively speaking, that is. It's a great feeling when you reach these tiny milestones in your weight loss and I took full advantage of them to help me succeed.
While he used to eat a breakfast consisting of 4 eggs, rice, beans and tortillas, Uribe realizes he can't eat that way anymore if he wants to lose weight.
"Now, I'm learning to eat the right way," Uribe said in a press conference about his weight loss. "I feel better now. I can stretch and move a bit more."
The lack of mobility he has had for so long has undoubtedly taken its toll on him not just physically, but emotionally as well. He probably felt helpless, trapped, like a prisoner inside of his own body, strapped down to a bed that probably reeks of smells I don't even want to think about. People cannot fathom how and why someone could ever get to this point, but I could just have easily been like Uribe had I not found my out with livin' la vida low-carb. My brother Kevin is halfway there to where Uribe is at his current weight of 600+ pounds if it doesn't kill him first.
For Uribe, life is looking better now that he is on the downward trend with the scale although he still has a long, hard road ahead of him. The lesions on his legs no longer need any duct tape on them and have completely healed. He feels well enough to sit up and move around for the first time in many years. Over the past 14 years as his weight was rising and rising, Uribe's weight problem got so bad even as his doctors just acted like nothing was wrong.
"I saw a lot of doctors and did a lot of tests but they never found anything wrong," Uribe said.
THEY NEVER FOUND ANYTHING WRONG?!?!?!?! What about his OBESITY?!?!?!?! THIS is exactly what I was talking about the other day when I blogged about doctors needing to confront their patients about their weight problem more often. Can you imagine if Uribe's doctor stopped this reckless cycle of weight gain when he reached 400? 500? 600 pounds? It wasn't until he tipped 1,200 that HE even realized he needed to do something. What a sad commentary on our society!
How does a responsible doctor EVER EVER EVER allow their patient who they see on a regular basis reach a weight of over a half ton? Can ANYONE explain to me a good reason why a good doctor wouldn't say or do something to help a patient of theirs in this condition to stop the downward spiral? Don't give me this "we don't want to hurt their feelings" mumbo jumbo either because that's not gonna cut it! If you can't rely on your doctor to tell you when you have a health-threatening weight problem, then who CAN you trust to reveal this to you?
Dr. Sears noted that Uribe will need to keep on livin' la vida low-carb until about 2010 to reach his goal, but every 100 pounds he loses at this point makes him that much healthier and ready to take back control of his life again.
Weight loss surgery is still not out of the question, although the low-carb lifestyle seems to be working very effectively right now for Uribe. As long as it's working and shedding the pounds, gastric bypass or even the popular LAP-BAND surgery is off the table.
"For now, I'll keep doing the [low-carb] diet and if I get stuck I'll consider the surgery," Uribe explained.
That sounds like a great plan, man! CONGRATULATIONS to Manuel Uribe for realizing he had a problem, earnestly asking for assistance, and then following the advice he was given to change his life. He's not out of the woods just yet, but he is well on his way to making himself and his family very proud of what he has accomplished. I wonder if insurance would pay for his excess skin to be removed! LOL!
If he sees this thing through to the end and even gets down to my weight of 230 pounds, I do believe he will become the first human being in the history of the world to lose over 1,000 pounds! And he could say his did it by livin' la vida low-carb! Wouldn't that be AWESOME?!!! I'm cheering for Manuel Uribe and fully expect him to continue losing lots of weight the low-carb way.
Where are the headlines on this one? "Morbidly obese Mexican man dropping weight thanks to low-carb!" I know, I know, wishful thinking on my part. But it is truly one remarkable story that should make low-carbers everywhere very proud and cheer loudly for this miraculous way of eating helping yet another person restore his weight and health. WOO HOO!
**READ UPDATES ON MANUEL URIBE'S LOW-CARB WEIGHT LOSS SUCCESS, INCLUDING BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES, BY CLICKING HERE**
