The low-carb blogging community has grown by leaps and bounds over the past couple of years as I often highlight the literally HUNDREDS of brand new ones that have been created by people just like you who have gone on a low-carb diet and seen extraordinary improvements in their weight and health that they can't wait to talk about. That's the beauty of this way of eating--you try it, you like it, you see results from it, and then you can't shut up about it! :D That's the power of livin' la vida low-carb, baby!!!
In Episode 42 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I talk about why it is important for low-carbers to start their own blogs and/or YouTube videos in our society hellbent on erroneously portraying the healthy low-carb lifestyle as a dangerous "fad" diet that is gonna kill you. The reality is the government-recommended high-carb, low-fat diet is wreaking more havoc on the weight and health of average, everyday people who think that's the ONLY way to healthfully shed the pounds. We know better and it's high time we share our experiences with others so they can learn the truth about low-carb living. What better way than writing a blog or recording some YouTube videos, right?
Find out why YOU should have your own low-carb blog in today's video:
When I decided to start writing about my experiences on the Atkins low-carb diet in April 2005, I had no idea if anybody would ever actually read what I had to say. That really didn't matter to me as much as having an outlet for simply sharing my experiences with others so they can see what was happening to me. As the readership began to grow and grow, I realized just how important being active in this new media really is in a society where blogs, podcasts, and YouTube videos are where people are getting their information. YOU can be a part of all of that, too, and it's so super simple to sign up for a FREE blog.
If you wanna see a comprehensive list of most of the low-carb blogs out there, then go to my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Links" blog and look down the right-hand side panel. There you will find more low-carb blogs than you could ever visit in a lifetime! But these are the trailblazers in my mind because they have chosen to put themselves out there for all the world to see their progress on the low-carb lifestyle. With a united front of low-carb bloggers, we can show that livin' la vida low-carb is indeed here to stay because of the enormous impact it has had on our lives. And that's what low-carb blogging is all about!
Do you have a low-carb blog that you'd like for me to know about? I regularly post links to brand new low-carb blogs that I find while surfing around the Internet, but I don't always catch them all. Send your low-carb blog's URL to me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net and I will make sure it gets mentioned in my next low-carb blogs update coming soon. And the same goes for low-carb YouTube videos--put yourself out there like these people have and you'll be astonished at the feedback you will get. Let's start a new low-carb revolution and be world changers in the process! :D Who's with me?!
Christine and I appreciate you watching our "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" videos and welcome your feedback and ideas at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Check out our previous YouTube videos and join the more than 500 people who subscribe to our YouTube videos so you will never miss a single episode. We appreciate your dedication to the work we are doing and want to THANK YOU for the special uplifting and encouraging notes you send us in e-mails and in the comments section of our videos. YOU ARE THE BEST!!!
By the way, how do you like my new blond hairdo as well as Christine's blond highlights? :)
I'm running a little behind on my low-carb blogging since returning back from my recent travels. But that doesn't mean there isn't any good information about livin' la vida low-carb out there. Here are some outstanding blog posts and columns that I think you'll enjoy checking out:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 48 [12:17m]: Play in Popup | Download
In Episode 48, you get to hear how being a contestant in a radio weight loss contest helped keep me on my weight loss plan because I wanted to win it more than anything. It was my primary catalyst for sticking with the plan and I encourage anyone who wants to attain weight loss success to tell the whole world of their desire to shed the pounds.
Want more ways to check out my podcast? You can by:
Have you tried livin' la vida low-carb in your own little shell and wonder why you haven't been successful? Or have you shouted it from the mountaintops and even created a blog or something to show everyone you are serious about losing weight for good? Tell us how that's working for you and whether you think it's been a good strategy.
Don't miss Monday's podcast when I pay tribute to the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins and the lasting legacy he has left on our culture as it relates to carbohydrate restriction. It's gonna be a goodie! SEE YA THEN! :)
When you put yourself out there as a regular and consistent daily blogger and build up a sizeable audience of readers like I have, then it should not be surprising to learn that your readership is quite an eclectic group of people. Sure, we all have a common bond around the subject of livin' la vida low-carb here, but that doesn't mean we all think and believe the same way. Thank God!
Wouldn't life be pretty drab if all of us were exactly the same? UGH! I think I'd lose my mind if it weren't for the variety that life tends to throw my way from time to time. Of course, that drives my wife Christine nuts because she loves the stability of predictability. But give me the ebb and flow of life any day of the week, baby!
With that said, sometimes the changing tide can get a little more intense than I would prefer it, though. For example, a major company in the United States had someone contact me at 11:00pm on Friday night (yep, when the phone rings that late, it can't be good!) requesting that I remove a blog post I had previously written or they will contemplate forcing me to do so with legal action.
You heard me right--they threatened to sue me! This was the second time this has happened to me since I created my blog two years ago.
Okay, whatever, it's no big deal to me...I'll just remove the post. Sheeeez! And so I took the time to take it off of all the web sites I write for and gladly so. Again, it's no skin off my back one way or the other.
It is not and has never been my intention to cause harm to any business or individual with the columns I write about here at my blog. I only seek to stir up debate about issues that merit further discussion by taking a firm stance on what I believe is important. That scares some people and apparently some businesses, too.
It's kinda funny that this particular company seemed to think my column about them was some sort of viable threat. Sure, I reach over 100,000 readers in a month, but this is one of the most widely recognized brand names in the entire world sending their legal eagles after me over a blog post.
What are they thinking? Do I really wield THAT much influence that this multi-billion dollar company would come after an innocent individual for simply expressing an opinion about them that they disagree with? I wonder what they would do if I took their threat to a major news outlet like the New York Times or NBC News? Talk about your David vs. Goliath story!
I guess I should be flattered that I have a blog that even some of the biggest names in corporate America (and believe me, this is most certainly one of them!) takes notice of and feels threatened by what I write here. If I felt they were doing something that goes against what I believe, then I wouldn't hesitate sharing it with you and refusing to back down. That wasn't the case in this instance, so I pulled the post.
Freedom of speech and press is a precious constitutional right in the United States of America and I don't believe any company is beyond reproach from criticism. That' why I'll keep writing the way that I do and share my concerns when issues arise. Even still, this incident was nearly enough to make Christine have a heart attack!
Was it a full moon last night or what?! Oi!
Despite the distress that brought on my family late last night, then I got the following e-mail from one of my readers about what he thinks of me personally:
god are you an idiot
Ooookay. Aside from the fact that God should be spelled with a capital "G" since He is the creator of the universe and everyone already knows I'm an idiot (just ask Christine, she calls me that all the time! LOL!), what's your point? Some people just have way too much time on their hands these days.
Here was my cordial response back to him:
Why, THANK YOU! I appreciate your very kind compliments and hope you continue finding what you are looking for at my blog. Take care, my friend!
Not content with leaving good enough alone, I received a quick follow-up e-mail from this person with even more personal attacks against me.
Well I did discover something amazing when I read your blog. You could find someone to marry you. That is more amazing than the amount of lard you lost.
WOW, what a freakin' ritard! I wonder who peed in his Corn Flakes to have him go off on me in such a personal nature like that? But, you gotta love it because at least he's sharing what's in his heart of hearts. I think he actually has a crush on me and wants a date, but he's really not my type. Too boorish a man for me! :D
In the midst of all this negativity, though, came a singular ray of sunshine that is actually quite typical of the kind of e-mails I regularly receive from many of my wonderful readers. I don't know if it was because of those two back-to-back crazy experiences or what, but the following e-mail made me smile from ear to ear because this is what blogging is truly all about for me.
Hi,
Your Web site is fantastic! Thank you so much for providing all this really valuable information! You're inspiring. It's really nice to see that other people have interest in this. I know it takes lots of time and money to provide this information--you're doing a good thing for health in our country and our world, thank you! Your site is very organized and your writing style is easy to read, concise, informative and engaging. Keep it up and thanks for sharing your stories, your life, your research!
All I can say to all the naysayers and haters of what I do here at my blog after reading an e-mail from one of my devoted and faithful readers like this one is go take your angst elsewhere. The "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog is all about providing an encouraging, uplifting, and positive safe haven for people desiring weight loss and better health.
It beats all I've ever seen to think ANYONE in this world would be opposed to such a noble and sincere mission, but indeed there are those who would like nothing more than to see me crash and burn. As long as there are hurting people looking for hope and inspiration to help them get through another day, then I'll keep on keeping on doing my best to edify and raise up their spirits any way that I can.
Being overweight or obese is hard enough emotionally that you merely want to connect with someone who understands what you are going through. When I weighed 410 pounds just three years ago, I would have LOVED a blog like the one I have here to learn about low-carb, read inspiring stories of weight loss success, find recipes and resources to help me on my lifestyle, and have open access to someone who has already been through the journey I am taking.
Hopefully, this blog is all of that for you and more. I stand ready to help you anytime you have a question or comment about the low-carb lifestyle and I will respond as quickly as possible to your inquiry. E-mail me anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.
This just goes to show you that blog readers can most certainly come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Everyone is welcome to visit, interact, and learn (from the largest companies right down to that guy who lives out in the boonies!). It's what blogging is all about...even if the crazies tend to come out the woodwork from time to time! EEEEEK!
Well, this isn't exactly true for some, but it can happen!
When I saw that cartoon above, I couldn't resist using it.
I suppose it is the irony of all ironies for someone like me who has lost nearly 200 pounds to start up something like a blog. Think about it! What did I do to lose all that weight to begin with? A structured low-carb plan (Atkins) combined with regular cardiovascular exercise helped by an iron-will determination to do this once and for all.
But then I got the notion that I wanted to start blogging about my experience, providing commentary, research, news, encouragement and inspiration on a daily basis. Quite a daunting task, but one I have willingly and thankfully undertaken for nearly two years.
So, my life consists of getting behind a computer screen type, type, typing away in response to e-mails, writing columns for my blog, and everything else that I do in my day sitting in a chair. Not exactly conducive for fitness and exercise.
Ideally, I'd love to be walking slowly on a treadmill like Mayo Clinic obesity researcher Dr. Jim Levine does. He burns so many calories in his daily activities on the computer and for basically little to no energy expenditure. When I can get the money to set it up, then I'll be doing that.
In the meantime, am I getting fatter blogging? No. Could I be more fit if I wasn't blogging? Questionable since I do fit in time for the gym even with my ruthless schedule. But my advice to anyone who blogs is to take frequent breaks and don't let it consume you completely.
Otherwise, that cartoon at the top of the blog will come true!
I would like to congratulate you on your podcast show, as far as I can see it is the longest more frequent low-carb podcasts around and I do have to say the format is very good. What I like the most is the information you provide. It seems to me it is for the listener to take whatever it is useful and to see if it can be applied to their own lifestyle. Keep up the good work.
THANK YOU for listening to my show and for understanding that my mission with it is to act as an extension of what I do here at my blog to give people information they can use for their own personal situation. That's EXACTLY what I try to do with each and every episode. You are an astute listener and I appreciate your fantastic feedback!
Today's Episode 17 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" is ready for listening right now--just click on the PLAY IN POPUP link below (no need to download unless you want to save it on your hard drive or upload to your iPod--but remember, you don't need an iPod to listen):
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 17 [12:53m]: Play in Popup | Download
Episode 17 gives me the chance to tell you the REAL reason why I started blogging, podcasting and writing books about livin' la vida low-carb. You may think you know, but wait until you hear it from my lips. It might just surprise you!
I encourage anyone who wants to lose weight the low-carb way to start their own blog and/or podcast show for accountability. You will recall I told you about Marc Sage's new low-carb podcast show last week and new low-carb blogs are popping up all the time. Send me an e-mail if you have a blog or podcast show about livin' la vida low-carb you would like to share. I'd LOVE to add it to my links blog.
Don't forget to share your comments about this show in the show notes section of today's episode and tell us what you thought about the show. Or, you can call our listener comment line at (206) 203-4192 to tell me what you have to say.
Tune in to the podcast (YOU DON'T NEED AN IPOD!) in any of these ways:
Are you a low-carb podcaster or blogger and want to share your experience having one of these as it pertains to your weight loss and weight maintenance efforts? Share your feedback here and let us know how it has worked for you. Do you feel more motivated and accountable having a blog or podcast since you know people are watching you? Do tell, do tell.
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" will be back on Thursday with an episode about whether the Atkins diet is really as healthy as it claims to be. You won't want to miss it!
The influence of blogging and those handful of people who are behind the blogs are actually making a genuine impact on modern culture as evidenced by Time magazine collectively naming them the 2006 Person of the Year. But blogs are not just about people's personal lives, politics, entertainment, and sports anymore. Weight loss has gotten in on the act, too.
That's the premise behind this Galveston (TX) Daily News story about the rise of blogging as an effective tool for losing weight. Sally Squires from The Washington Post wrote about weight loss blogs and whether they really work in a column in July.
Blogs have received a bad rap from much of the established media because they tend to look down on those of us who choose to make writing about what we are most passionate about because we are only mere amateurs in their eyes. To be honest, though, bloggers don't care about acceptance by the mainstream because blogging has never been about that. Instead, it has been a way for those of us who have struggled with our weight to be held more accountable so we can be successful.
With that said, there are at least SOME media outlets recognizing the work of health and weight loss blogs to educate and encourage the public. One of the highest honors my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog received in 2006 was being named one of the Top 10 health blogs on the Internet by FOXNews.com. I was totally surprised by that, but appreciated the recognition for the efforts I had put into this "amateur" web site. :D A recent Pew Research poll confirms that blogging is a trend that's here to stay.
In the Galveston newspaper story entitled "Bloggers take dieting online" written by Sara McDonald, she discusses the rise of weight loss blogging as a tool for people who want to lose weight. Thanks to my friend Connie Bennett from the SUGAR SHOCK! blog, I was interviewed extensively by Sara for this story as was Connie. Sara cites both of us--LOW-CARB BLOGGERS BY THE WAY!--in her story. Sweet!
Here's a little of what Sara wrote in her column:
[Jimmy] Moore, the dieter behind the blog "Living La Vida Low Carb" lost 180 pounds in 2004 and began writing columns about his weight loss journey for another online publication.
When he reached his goal weight, he started the blog to offer support to other dieters trying to do the same, offering support, tips and feedback.
That alone has helped him keep the pounds off.
“It’s kind of hard, when 100,000 people visit your blog, to gain it back,” he said. “Now that I’m helping people, it’d be hypocritical to gain it back. So far, it’s worked.”
But Moore warned dieters not to jump on the blogging bandwagon if they aren’t serious about being held accountable.
“Only do it if it is a 100 percent commitment,” he said. “Otherwise, you’re wasting your time and other people’s time.”
Sara quoted me a couple more times in her column and was extremely receptive to everything I talked about regarding weight loss blogging in our interview on Thursday afternoon. You might even want to check out what Connie had to say about Sara's column at her blog today, too. I think it's pretty amazing of all the literally tens of thousands of weight loss bloggers that Sara could have chosen to include in her story that she selected two low-carb ones out of the bunch! YOU GOTTA LOVE IT!
Send Sara McDonald a note of appreciation for writing this story by using this contact page link. Creating positive news stories about livin' la vida low-carb is something worthy of praise, so let Sara know about it, okay? And be sure to share her fantastic column with others who need to lose weight in the new year!
12-31-06 UPDATE: Connie Bennett from the SUGAR SHOCK! blog sent me the following e-mail about the story written by Sara McDonald that featured our blogs.
Jimmy,
Congrats on being featured extensively in Sara's article on blogs helping dieters. Glad she followed up on my lead!
It's always interesting to me to see how we present two different takes on the same topic--in this case, Sara's great article. I always enjoy reading your point of view, too.
Have a happy and sweet new year--the same goes to all of your readers, too!
THANK YOU, Connie, for helping spread the word about how devastating sugar is to the weight and health of millions. Have you checked out her new book SUGAR SHOCK! (read my review) since it arrived the day after Christmas? If not, then go order it at Amazon.com RIGHT NOW! :) You'll be glad you did!
Thanks to my blogging friend Suzique from the "Waisted In The Wasteland" blog as well as the "Low-Carb Lab" blog (who I recently named one of the Top 10 Low-Carb Bloggers of 2006 on my podcast show), I am now officially a part of an active game of blog-tag! Since it's Christmas weekend and I'm game for having a bit of fun, I'll gladly take Suzique up on this.
Here's how it works:
1. Come up with 5 little-known facts about yourself 2. Post a blog with those nuggets of truth 3. "Tag" others to join in the fun
So, here's my chance to reveal some deep dark secrets about Jimmy Moore. HA, as if! No, I don't have too many things you DON'T know about me because my blog is a virtual open book into my life and gladly so. If it's helping people change their lives by permanently losing weight, then my mission has been accomplished.
Okay, so what can I share with you about me? Hmmm...
1. I had perfect attendance in school from 7th-12th grade. Not one sniffle, cough, fever, sneeze, or puke. TMI, I know, but I didn't get sick. Achoo! At least not enough to stay home from school. Yes, I was a nerd! Go figure that one!
2. I graduated college in three years. Less than a month after graduating high school in 1989 just a few months after my 17th birthday, I stepped on to the campus of the University of Tennessee at Martin to begin my college experience right away. Again, I was a NERD, so I craved knowledge (and still do!). Taking a full load of classes (22 hours of classes in one semester!) and working as much as 70 hours a week in various restaurant jobs straight through, including summers, until May 1992, I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and English (yes, a DOUBLE major) at the ripe old age of 20. I was the youngest graduate in my class and didn't have a single dime of debt because I worked my own way through. My mom was so proud because I was the first person in our family with a college degree (my sister Beverly would become the second one just three years later!).
3. When I was in the 8th grade, my advanced English teacher announced the annual school poetry contest to the class. As soon as I heard about this, my mind kicked into high gear as she began lecturing that day on Shakespeare or something. Within 15 minutes I had finished the rough draft of my poem and by the end of that class, I turned in the polished version of my poem entitled "The Cheetah." Guess what? That poem not only won a prize, it was named the GRAND PRIZE winner as the BEST POEM in the entire school that year!
I remember it well because I got to attend the district poetry contest dinner with my mom where for the very first time I got to try filet mignon. I didn't know bacon wrapped around a slab of steak could taste so good, but it did! No, I didn't win anything at that competition, but I never forgot the experience.
Incidentally, my 8th grade English teacher wasn't impressed with my writing skills. She recommended that I be placed in a regular English class when I got to high school. UGH! I was so bored in that class that the teacher (Ms. Huhn) asked me if I would like to be in her advanced English class. Um, do pigs like wallowing in mud? You bet your sweet bippy! I remained in advanced English classes throughout high school and then got a degree in English with a 3.9 GPA in college. Do you think I was out to prove a point with that 8th grade English teacher? That old hag didn't know who she was messing with. :D
4. I've been through seven marriages. Yep, it's been quite an experience in life with all the weddings and divorces. What's that? Oh no, silly, NOT ME! I'm talking about my parents. Ah, yes, I grew up in the typical "dysfunctional family unit" that the media loves to talk about so much. Let's see if I can track for you those seven marriages I have been through in the course of my life.
My mom and dad got married one month before they were supposed to graduate high school (#1), but then divorced when I was less than 2 years old. They both then remarried to different people. My mom's second husband Jerry (#2) raised Kevin and me as well as his daughter (my half-sister) Beverly for most of our childhood. Meanwhile, my dad's second wife Dora (#3) had a son (my half-brother) Nathan who went on to be one of my inspirations for starting the Atkins diet after his success on it in the late 1990s. Less than 10 years after their second marriages, both my mom and dad had divorced their spouses. Are you still with me?
A few years of experimenting with new potential mates, they both landed new ones--Faye (#4) for my dad and Frank (#5) for my mom. Frank got upset about something and divorced my mother, but then came back to her (#6) wanting a second chance which she gave him. I'm happy to announce that both my mother and father have now been married for over 20 years to their current spouses which is longer than any of their previous marriages lasted combined. WOO HOO!
What about marriage #7, you ask? Well, that's the one and only marriage that I'll EVER have in my life with the beautiful and lovely Christine. We are in our 12th year of wedded bliss and have no intentions of letting the "d" word come into our vocabulary. In fact, when we got married, I told her that I had seen enough divorce in my life that it will not be an option and we cut that word completely out of every dictionary we own. So far, so good!
5. And finally, in honor of Suzique who "tagged" me for this game, let me tell you what happened when my family went to the Mardi Gras in Nawlins' (that's New Orleans for those of you who don't speak Southern!) when I was about 7 years old. We were up on a tall ledge as the floats were coming by with beads, coins, rubber snakes, and more flying through the air. If you've ever been to the Mardi Gras, then you know what I'm talking about.
I was watching all this stuff flying over our heads where a gathering of kids my age were scooping up all the good stuff. My mom said I could go down there as long as I stayed behind where they were. So I enthusiastically ran down there and was making out like gangbusters. I even got a rubber snake! COOL!
When the parade slowed down a bit, I looked up and didn't see my mom. Where'd she go? So, I looked around and nothing was familiar to me. In my quest for gathering up the good stuff that went over the heads of the people on the high rise, I had apparently lost where my family was. What does a 7-year old do when he loses his mommy? You guessed it--I started bawling like a baby! WAH WAH WAH!
But, even at that age, I had the presence of mind to go to the only person I could trust at the time to help me out--the police. We were staying with a New Orleans police officer and I immediately recognized the uniform when I saw a man directing traffic. I went up to him, tugged on his shirt, and said, "Mister, I want my mommy." He dispatched a police car to come pick me up (I thought I was being arrested!) and they took me down to the station.
While I was there, I told them about the man we were staying with who they recognized from my description and they immediately contacted him. He was able to get in touch with my mom so she could come pick me up. In the meantime, the officers at the station were super-nice to me, fed me lunch and let me look around the place. This was way more fun than the Mardi Gras was...until my mom arrived.
I can still see the look on her face to this day (I have nightmares about it sometimes--hee hee!) as she walked up to me saying, "I don't know if I should hug you or whip you, so I guess I'll just hug you for now." That was the best mommy hug I ever got! And this experience makes for a great story to tell some 30 years later.
That's it, no more revealing secrets about ME! But now it's YOUR turn. If you read through this post about me, then consider yourself "tagged" if you are a blogger (and even if you don't have a blog, this gives you a reason to START one!). It's kinda fun when you think about all the things that your readers may not know about you. Believe me, there was a LOT more I could have written on my list.
So what about you? If you decide to play, then let me know! Send me the URL to your post and I'll put it here. This was so much FUN, so give it a try.
TAG, YOU'RE "IT"!!!
12-23-06 UPDATE: Apparently, blog-tagging is chic these days. Check out this Salinas, CA-based KSBW column by staff writer Rick Ellis. He gets in on the action and even reveals the genesis of the explosion in popularity of blog-tag came when Jeff Pulver started this thing about two weeks ago! Again, if you read my blog, then consider yourself tagged. E-mail me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net if you play the game! Don't forget to tag others in your post. :D
12-23-06 UPDATE: My regular reader Calianna decided to play along with the blog-tag game today at her "Calianna's Cottage" blog. THANKS for joining in on the fun and opening yourself up a bit in the process. Anyone wanna join me and Calianna in blog-tag? You're gonna LOVE it!
12-23-06 UPDATE: Now Wanda has gotten in on the action. So you liked the idea, EH Wanda? Hockey, really? I can't get into that sport too much, but I suppose it's more of a Canadian thing than American. THANKS for playing along. Isn't this a neat idea? :D
There are all sorts of web sites on the Internet today that are centered around the subject of diet and health. If you've ever done a Google search on those terms, then you know what I'm talking about. But I want to tell you about a web site you will DEFINITELY want to become more familiar with if you like to track the nutritional info about the foods you are eating (and if you don't like to do this, then now's the time to START!).
It's called CalorieLab and features various news and information about calories to educate people who are interested in both the calories consumed and the calories burned.
In fact, here's a search box for you to use to find the nutritional information about any food product you are interested in. Go ahead, give it a try for yourself and see what you find:
That's a pretty neat little gizmo, eh? I thought it was and could literally spend hours typing in all kinds of foods to see not just the calories, but the other important nutritional info including carbohydrates. :D
In their News section this week, I noticed an article they posted at CalorieLab entitled "Low-carb blogging is contagious" which obviously piqued my interest since I am a low-carb blogger. Well, lo and behold, it was an article about ME and MY BLOG as well as my friend Low-Carb Dave and his popular low-carb blog. This was a TOTAL surprise because they didn't let me know they were doing this.
Here's how they opened the story they wrote:
"Low-carb living is popular but controversial. The bloggers showcased today have found success, motivation, and passion through living a low-carb lifestyle. In turn, they use that passion to help motivate others while attempting to dispel myths about the low-carb diet.
Then they write a very flattering feature about my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog and my book as well.
"People looking for low-carb information will find a bountiful supply of facts and figures, along with information on fellow low-carb bloggers."
When they talked about Low-Carb Dave, they discuss his 100-pound weight loss success following the low-carb lifestyle and that he uses his blog to track his journey to try to reach "the hearts and minds of fellow bloggers and dieters by describing success on the Atkins-style diet."
CalorieLab added that low-carb blogging "seems contagious" and notes that Dave was inspired by my blog. What an AWESOME story and I'm thrilled to see the continuing impact that my weight loss and blog have made on so many people. Many of those blogs you see listed among my "Blog Friends" to the right are from people who have started livin' la vida low-carb and using the blogging format to help keep them accountable.
What a joy it is to blog about something as incredible and lifechanging as the low-carb lifestyle! So many of you have been inspired to start losing weight and even blogging about it because of my current "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge. Way to go and keep up the great work with your weight loss and frequent blog updates. We will continue to show them that low-carb is here to stay forever and ever, baby!
Special thanks again to CalorieLab for their fantastic feature story. Click here to leave a comment at their blog on behalf of me and Dave for their mention of our blogs. THANKS!
The latest Washington Post column from health and nutrition columnist Sally Squires debates the pros and cons of whether people who want to lose weight should go public with their intentions or not.
While I have warned you to be wary of any "expert" advice on weight loss, Squires brings up a worthy topic of discussion that I have a definite opinion about that leans to one particular side of the issue.
Squires referenced the world's most famous dieter Kirstie Alley and other Hollywood stars as evidence that coming out in the open about having trouble with their weight has been a positive thing. You also have the contestants from NBC's hit show "The Biggest Loser" and other such shows that literally shine the spotlight on people as they are in the midst of doing one of the hardest tasks of their entire life -- losing weight permanently!
For me, I decided going public with my desire to lose weight was going to help me become the eventual success I wanted to be. That's why I entered a local radio weight loss contest just one month after I started livin' la vida low-carb. You can find out more about my experience in this contest (which I won, by the way!) by reading this FREE chapter of my book. It's a pretty funny story actually.
I can remember calling into the show every few weeks giving an update to the radio listeners about my progress and what I was doing to shed the pounds off of my formerly 410-pound body. You want to talk about accountability, that's one way to do it. There was no way I was going to be ashamed of my performance in that contest and I gave it everything I had to win it. In the end, all of that hard work paid off.
But it does make me wonder, would I have been able to lose 180 pounds in 2004 had I NOT had that weight loss contest? There's no way to know for sure because we can't go back in time and repeat history (nor would I want to!). If I had to answer that question honestly, I would probably say that my weight loss in that one year probably would not have been as high as it was. The motivation for me was to lose as much as possible within the nine months of the weight loss contest.
The same could be said for the contestants on "The Biggest Loser." Their #1 goal is to lose as much weight as they can. For fans of the show, you know there are weeks that can be challenging, including the week Season Two winner Matt went through when he lost nothing as well as a week he actually GAINED several pounds. And yet he STILL ended up winning the contest. If he wasn't playing for all that money, would his weight loss result have been the same? Maybe, maybe not.
Squires noted that having a wide-open weight loss can help some people "thrive." You can certainly put me in that category for sure because I don't mind sharing with the whole world what I'm going through. While I didn't start blogging until after my weight loss, my blog has served as a way to keep me accountable in my weight maintenance. I have even shared quite openly about my slight weight gain struggles this year which allows me to hook up with people who care about me enough to see me continue to succeed. That's what it's all about (by the way, the weight is coming back down...slowly).
One of Squires' "experts" in her column said some people don't do well getting their weight business out in the open because they allow others to begin criticizing their efforts. People who are sensitive to this kind of thing are who I describe as weight loss wimps.
I call it the "American Idol" effect. You know what I'm talking about. Here are these 12 young people who have the pipes to make a professional recording contract today and yet they've got 30+ million people all critiquing, analyzing, and casting scorn and doubt about their ability to sing on that single missed note or "pitchy" performance. What right do they have to do this when most of these millions of dopes couldn't even carry a tune in the shower?!
The same goes for weight loss. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, who hasn't experienced what it is like to be fat and overcome that can EVER EVER EVER provide any kind of constructive or destructive criticism with any merit behind it in my book. You have to walk a mile in someone's shoes to know where they're coming from and you can't possibly know what it's like to try to lose weight unless you've done it yourself. Period. End of story.
That's why I get literally hundreds of e-mails a month from people pouring out their heart and soul to me about their weight struggles. They do that because they KNOW I understand and can hopefully help them with their own issues to become the success that I did. I do my very best to at the very least encourage and edify EVERY SINGLE PERSON who e-mails me because that's the least I can do to give just a little back for this incredible miracle in my life.
I was thrilled to see Squires mention by fellow weight loss buddy Dr. Nick Yphantides who lost 270 pounds and went on a public tour of major league baseball parks in the midst of his weight loss which helped keep him accountable.
"On my own, I am still a 467-pound slob," Yphantides said.
Today he has a web site where he asks people to make their weight loss public to help them be successful.
Doesn't that just stand to reason? If you have a bunch of people observing you during your weight loss, then aren't you going to try that much harder to prove to them that you WILL do this? Wanna know something that might surprise you, though? PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING YOU WHETHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT when you are losing weight.
My friend from my book named Rodney, a personal trainer at the YMCA I visit, said he was watching me as I was losing weight for about six months before he said anything to me. He later revealed to me how much my dedication and commitment to getting my weight under control inspired HIM! WOW! Never lose sight of the fact that people WANT to see you succeed whether they ever vocalize it or not.
It sure is nice to hear the accolades for your weight loss, but you have to muster up your own kudos and accolades early on to keep you going. Most people didn't begin noticing my weight loss until after I had lost 100 pounds. Yoo hoo, look at me people! I'm shedding pounds and NOBODY'S taking notice!!! LOL! That all changed after I hit triple digits. Now EVERYBODY comments on my weight loss which helps me continue to keep it off. I even had a friend who I hadn't seen in a few years see me today and didn't even recognize me. That NEVER get old! :D
Squires' story said there isn't any scientific research on what impact going public with your weight loss has, but I would hypothesize that it makes a tremendous difference. If you keep it to yourself, then what's to say you're not gonnna get bored or discouraged with it and chunk your plans out the window? When others are watching, it's not as easy to just give up.
The conclusion of the Squires column is that it really depends on the personality of the individual trying to lose weight whether getting your weight loss out in the open is a good idea or not, but I strongly disagree. Whether you are very outgoing or meek and mild, a wide-open weight loss journey will only beholden success in my not-so-humble opinion. You need people who love and care about you to stand side-by-side with you through all the ups and downs that come with weight loss and letting others know about it can make the ride that much better.
Even now, I tell people to keep watching me to make sure I don't gain the weight back. I told them to PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep me on the right path and to chide me if they see me going astray. It has worked for me so far, in part, because I have empowered all of these people around me to discipline me if I stop livin' la vida low-carb for even a moment. But now I'm in such a habit of eating right and exercising that the accountability is almost unnecessary. That's just the way I like it, too!
With weight loss blogs (the ones run by bloggers that Squires describes as "mere amateurs") emerging as one of the ways people are using to lose weight, I think it is great that people want to have that support system around them which I wholeheartedly endorse as a key plank in any successful weight loss plan. Don't ever fall into the trap of thinking nobody around you needs to be bothered by your weight loss attempts. Believe me, many of them would be THRILLED to help you improve your health by losing the weight you need to lose.
Of course, I am always available here at my blog to be a source of encouragement and hopefully inspiration to anyone and everyone who wants to lose weight. And if you start a blog about your weight loss, then let me know about it by e-mail so I can send people your way who will keep you from going astray. Weight loss is definitely within your grasp if you first begin sharing your intentions with the whole world.
Is anyone brave enough to announce their desire to lose weight beginning RIGHT NOW by commenting to this post? I PROMISE you there will be nothing but loving support for you when you do. Let that propel you to become another low-carb weight loss success story just like me. YOU CAN DO IT!!!
RIGHT NOW! :) You'll be glad you did!
