Columnist Claims No 'Intelligent Human Being' Would Begin 'Ghastly' Atkins Diet

One of the things I enjoy doing at my blog is helping educate misinformed newspaper columnists as it relates to livin' la vida low-carb. You know, I'm sure these people are well-meaning in their own sick, perverted way thrashing the Atkins diet, but I for one will not allow the ignorance to go unchallenged. It's the least I can do as a public service to society. :)

I've seen columnists who are jealous of how well the Atkins diet works, a low-fat diet apologist, what I would describe as a low-carbophobe, and even a Jewish man who claims he did the Atkins diet (no, he didn't!). My favorite ones are those know-it-all college journalists who rant and rave about low-carb diets when they're still learning how to pull their britches up!

Ah, these people never cease to amaze me with all the ways they try to bring down this healthy lifestyle change that millions of us have made our one and only way to eat for the rest of our lives. And yet they STILL do as I noticed in this East Hampton Star column from a woman named Laura Donnelly. She wrote about the subject of diet in her column this week and had to get in her digs on the Atkins low-carb diet.

Let's take a look at what she wrote, shall we? Lamenting about the "conflicting information" about diet and health that exists in our society, Donnelly said she prefers to implore "basic, common-sense guidelines" in her recommendations for a healthy way to eat and live. First on her list is "eat in moderation."

HA! What a freakin' joke, Ms. Donnelly! This whole "eat in moderation" mumbo jumbo is silly because it is so subjective that it means nothing to the average person. It kinda like telling people to eat a "healthy diet"--but even that isn't so clear to most people as you admitted at the beginning of your column.

My low-carb lifestyle gives me all the "balance" in my diet that I need to eat the most nutrient-dense meals I possibly can. That's why livin' la vida low-carb has become the permanent weight loss solution for so many people, myself included.

But then Ms. Donnelly turns her attention to our cherished and beloved Atkins diet and didn't hold back her angst and fury over this healthy alternative to the low-fat diets. Here's what she wrote:

"Look at the success of the ghastly Atkins diet: How any intelligent human being could think that a diet recommending crumbled fried pork rinds as a substitute for bread crumbs is logical is beyond me, but this diet did appeal to lots of menfolk. And everyone I know who tried this diet has gained the weight back. Again, let me preach: Everything in moderation."

I decided this was just a wee bit over the top for my blood, so I wrote a letter to the editor to the East Hampton Star responding to that one paragraph alone in Ms. Donnelly's article. This was my response exactly as I submitted it to them:

Dear Editor,

I was disappointed by your columnist Laura Donnelly in her recent column entitled "The East Hampton Diet" where she describes the Atkins low-carb diet as "ghastly" and shares her utter ignorance of what this way of eating is all about in her rant about "everything in moderation."

The most absurd statement she made was the following: "And everyone I know who tried this diet has gained the weight back." Well, guess what, Ms. Donnelly? Now you DO know someone who has lost weight on the Atkins diet and then KEPT it
off over the long-term. That would be me.

In 2004, I lost 180 pounds after reading "Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution" and today I am, as I like to describe it in my book, blog, and podcast show, Livin' La Vida Low-Carb!

This truly is the most remarkable nutritional approach I've ever seen in my entire life because it transformed me from an extremely unhealthy morbidly obese 410-pound man on a one-way ticket to an early grave into a physically fit 220-something man with more energy, vitality, and love of life than he ever thought possible!

People who have never read any of the books about low-carb (as is clearly the case with Ms. Donnelly and her obvious ignorance of what low-carb is all about) have not walked a mile in my shoes to know what it is like to live life as a fat person in America. If the Atkins low-carb diet is helping people like me get their life and health back, then why discourage others from trying it, too?

My philosophy is for people to find what works for them, follow that plan exactly as presribed by the author of the plan, and then keep doing it for the rest of your life. Whether that's low-fat, low-carb, or yes, even low-carb, let people decide what's best for them and stop your scaremongering already. That's a lesson that would serve you well, Ms. Donnelly.

Sincerely,

Jimmy Moore

I have no idea if they will publish my letter or not, but I encourage you to submit a letter about your low-carb success as well to inform Laura Donnelly that people really do lose weight and keep it off on a low-carb diet. Send your letters to letters@easthamptonstar.com.

She goes on to push exercise so you can "earn your strawberry shortcake" as a reward. UGH! Will these people EVER learn? I guess we'll have to keep setting them straight when they get it wrong. And they WILL keep getting it wrong as long as they continue to NOT educate themselves about the low-carb lifestyle. Don't worry, though, I'll keep an eye on them. :D

Disabled Senior Drops 100 Pounds On Low-Carb

Tana proves you CAN even lose weight on low-carb in your 60's

Excuses, excuses.

We all have 'em when it comes to doing something about our weight problem. But if anybody had a legitimate reason to have a pity party about her obesity, it would have to be 60-something year old Tana. She's been through a lot of physical problems that have impacted her health over the past couple of decades.

When Tana got remarried in 1987 when she was in her mid-40's, her weight was a very healthy 135 pounds. But then life kicked in and her grueling medical night shift job which most of the time lasted 10-12 hours a night took its toll and "the pounds just kept adding on."

"I worked for many years in the medical field, first as a 911 dispatcher for about four years adding even more pounds as I ate because of stress," Tana recalled. "I later started doing sleep studies, requiring a 12 hour shift again."

Besides adding on weight, Tana got some very unpleasant news about her health beginning in 1999. It began with a ringing in her ears with a condition known as tinnitus followed by some episodes of vertigo and vomiting. EWWW! In fact, this debilitating concern made Tana have to quit her job.

Then it got even worse for her.

In the next few years, Tana lost her hearing on one side as well as her balance. By 2003, she was officially diagnosed with Miniere's Disease, an inner ear medical condition that can have an effect on balance. Obviously, this was all quite upsetting to Tana and she fell into deep depression which only packed on the pounds some more.

"The inability to do many of the daily routines of a normal life only led to further weight gain," Tana recalled. "It took almost a year for me to be able to walk without falling, unless I was going along a wall."

The uncertainty about when the next anxiety attack would hit had Tana constantly on edge and she withdrew even more from hanging out with her friends. It was a miserable existence and she knew something had to change about the quality of her life for the sake of her own sanity.


Tana tried hiding her growing weight problem behind the flowers

That's exactly what happened in June 2006 when she decided to "take charge of my health and obesity" by going on a low-carb diet. Her weight had ballooned up to 232 pounds, but she knew what she needed to do to get it under control.

"I had done the original Atkins diet (the 1972 version) in the past and had some success with it," Tana said. "I was tired of being obese and wanted to lose a good portion of it quickly."

Over the next five months, Tana was able to drop an unbelievable 68 pounds to get down to 164 pounds in very short order by dropping her fat and calories slightly as part of her low-carb plan. Needless to say, she was stoked about the weight loss but wanted to slow down the weight loss just a bit.

"This was the fastest and quickest loss ever in my life," Tana reported. "But now that I was looking fairly normal, I wanted to slow it down and hopefully not have too much excess skin."

Ah, yes. The dreaded "loose skin" problem. Yep, it's real and there are concerns about losing weight too fast that Tana was concerned about. So, she went out on the Internet and found information about adding more fat into her diet from this blog and other low-carb web sites.

Tana was feeling so good by December that she began walking at the mall with the assistance of a shopping cart to help with her balance problems.

"I would walk for maybe an hour, albeit at a fairly slow pace. I tried to do this at least three times per week," she stated.

The weight loss continued through April 2007 when Tana reached her goal weight of 129 pounds--a 103-pound weight loss in ONE year! WOW WOW WOW! Way to go, Tana! Starting off this journey wearing size 22W and 42DD bras, she now wears a very petite size 4 and a size 34C bra. As a guy, I'm not sure what that means, but it sure sounds impressive!

With her obesity under control now, Tana's doctor has her on some physical therapy to help with the balance retraining so she can begin walking better and lowering her risk for falling down.

"Hopefully, I will be able to walk around my neighborhood without having to depend on my husband to go with me," she remarked. "I also will be getting my German Shepherd puppy next month, and will be self-training it for hearing alert and balance assistance."

I'm so proud of you, Tana! You are an inspiration to anyone with a physical disability or entering the golden years of life. You had every reason in the world to just coast through life and settle for the cards you've been dealt. But you didn't and instead rose triumphantly over your trials.

"I tell these things to show there is hope for everyone to win this battle against obesity," Tana encouraged. "If I can do this at nearly 62 years old, then anyone can."

CONGRATULATIONS, Tana! Keep shining the light of truth on livin' la vida low-carb. You're LIVING this as your permanent lifestyle and I have no doubt you'll be doing it for the rest of your long and healthy life.