'Biggest Loser Couples' Hope To Inspire Americans To 'Million Pound' Weight Loss

"The Biggest Loser" giving you two for the price of one

Only two weeks removed from the confetti falling on Season 4 of the hit NBC television weight loss reality series "The Biggest Loser" where Bill Germanakos was declared the big winner, the show is coming back in a two-hour season premier tonight with Alison Sweeney, Bob Harper, and Jillian Michaels again ready to help another group of contestants just in time for New Year's resolutions. You'll watch them invest lots of blood, sweat, and tears for their chance to change their lives forever as they pursue that $250,000 prize and a healthier life! And this time America will join the contestants on this journey to shed the pounds and get healthy, too.

MSN Health & Fitness and "The Biggest Loser" are teaming up beginning today for what's being called "The Biggest Loser" Million Pound Match-Up. Starting January 1, 2008 and running through March 11, 2008, a public challenge has been put out to people who live all across the United States to cumulatively lose 1,000,000 pounds! You'll be paired up with a buddy, get updates on your fitness goals, receive messages from the trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels, and become eligible for some really cool daily prizes.

This challenge is FREE and will allow anyone who uses Windows Live Spaces to document their weight loss, hook up with fellow contestants who are participating in your area to support each other in your journey, and have a chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to Los Angeles, California for the grand finale of "The Biggest Loser Couples" in a few months! Additionally, the winning team will receive a luxury fitness trip for two as well as their very own personal trainer for one year. WHOA!

So don't just watch this new season of "The Biggest Loser" featuring couples wanting to shed the pounds--do it yourself too and the payoff will be so worth it! Don't forget to sign up at the official "Biggest Loser" Million Pound Match-Up web site for all the details. And if you live in or around the cities of Chicago, Houston, Miami, Wichita, Kansas, and Mesa, Arizona, then be looking for representatives from this challenge raising awareness about what they are doing to tackle obesity!

So who are these couples vying to compete against each other in the new and exciting season of "The Biggest Loser?" Let's meet them now:

PINK TEAM: BETTE SUE and ALI



Bette Sue joins her daughter Ali both from Mesa, Arizona to see if they can collective shed the pounds and get back into shape again. Ali was an world championship swimmer as a teenager representing the USA in competition, but she now hopes "to wear sleeveless shirts" again. Likewise, mom Bette Sue wants to let that big personality of hers be the only thing large about her as she pursues having "only one chin."

BROWN TEAM: CURTIS and MALLORY



Husband-wife team Curtis and Mallory from Los Angeles have three daughters and they both want to live long enough to see them grow up. Curtis lost his father to heart disease when he was only 52 years old, so he knows the pain that obesity can cause. He's been fat his entire life. Mallory picked up some of Curtis' bad fast food eating habits and is now ready to get back to living healthy again.

YELLOW TEAM: PAUL and KELLY



A Florida native and 43 years old, Paul is trying to break a trend in his family--his father died at 47, his grandfather at 49, and his great-grandfather at 51. Not wanting to face that inevitable fate is his major motivation for being on the show. He's teaming up with--GET THIS!--his EX-wife Kelly who is a nurse desperately wanting children. Could their experience together on "The Biggest Loser" rekindle the flames of love?

BLACK TEAM: JAY and MARK



Brothers Jay and Mark from New Bedford, Massachusetts will be ones to watch this season. Both are in their 30s and have a whole lotta weight to lose. But Jay already admits he HATES exercise (hoo boy, don't let Jillian or Bob hear him say that!) so this might be an uphill battle. Even still, The Big Boned Brothers as they like to be called might have enough to be this season's "Biggest Loser" champions.

GREEN TEAM: LYNN and JENNIFER



The father-daughter team of Lynn and Jenni from Ohio will be a fun one to watch. Like Jerry from Season 4, Lynn is 62 years old and ready to do this with his 31-year old daughter.

Father and daughter Lynn and Jenni will make up this season's green team. Lynn is the oldest competitor on the show this season, at 62 years old. He spends so much time taking care of others that he has forgotten about himself. His 31 year old daughter, Jenni, is hoping that this experience will ultimately define who she is. A former college wrestling champion, Lynn hopes to get back into shape for the twilight of his life. Meanwhile, Jenni hopes to fight her depression by melting the fat.

GRAY TEAM: ROGER and TRENT



A strong brotherhood is formed when you become college football teammates and that's exactly what happened to Roger and Trent. But that was nearly two decades ago and time has certainly packed on the pounds. These former athletes are ready to hit the weights again to get their weight and health back in order. I wouldn't count these guys out when it comes down to the final players this season.

PURPLE TEAM: MAGGIE and JENN



How'd you like to be a young 20-something weight loss camp counselor in New Jersey and suffer from obesity yourself? Well, that's precisely what both Maggie and Jenn are which is why they hope "The Biggest Loser" can whip them into shape so they can serve as an example for the people they talk to. Overcoming their emotional eating habits so they can attract boyfriends is a major motivating factor for them.

ORANGE TEAM: DAN and JACKIE



This Frankfort, Illinois mother-son duo Jackie and Dan expect this experience on "The Biggest Loser" be a family affair that they can take back into their regular lives later on. Helping needy kids through her non-profit organization, Jackie knows she has to change her lifestyle to continue the great work she is doing. As for Dan, he's an aspiring country/rock singer who could possibly get his big break if he loses the weight.

WHITE TEAM: NEILL and AMANDA



The husband-wife team of Neill and Amanda from Oklahoma City will test their marriage like nothing else they've ever done to become the mother and father for their 2-year old son they need to be. In fact, Amanda says her motivation for being on the show is "to get thin before my son realizes I was fat."

BLUE TEAM: BERNIE and BRITTANY



How'd you like to be teamed up with a complete stranger for the first-ever "Biggest Loser Couples" season? That's what they did with Bernie and Brittany. Bernie is a 27-year old teacher from Chicago who is scared of dying young. Brittany is the 22-year old "pretty girl" who now wants to become "steamy hot" (she reminds me of Hollie from Season 4).

There they are! Your contestants appearing on "The Biggest Loser Couples" are ready for you to get to know them a little better over the next few months. I'm sure this will be an exciting season to watch and I wouldn't be surprised if the producers of the show have a few tricks and twists to share along the way to make this well worth watching every single week. I know I will be! Will THIS be the season we finally see a woman crowned "The Biggest Loser?" We shall see!

By the way, I have been working very hard behind-the-scenes to put together a series of interviews with at least 10 of your favorite contestants from "The Biggest Loser" Season 4, including the big winner Bill as well as his brother Jim who won the at-home consolation prize of $100,000. I'm still working on sending questions to them, but I hope to begin running those interviews beginning very soon. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, check out all my "Biggest Loser" posts if you are a fan of the show! Don't miss a single episode if you want to see real people changing their lives forever. :)

Jimmy Moore's 'Help The Teachers' Challenge To Low-Carb Supporters

Here's your chance to help some truly needy kids and teachers

Earlier today, I was being interviewed by a New York University science journalism graduate student who is writing an article about the impact of people who are trying to shape the debate within the realm of health and nutrition and she asked me all sorts of questions about the work I am doing online. I especially remember her asking me a rather loaded question that goes much deeper than the two-minute response I gave her.

Here's what she asked:

"Why did you decide to start a blog?"

The context of that question was, of course, referring to the subject of promoting the low-carb lifestyle in our culture, but in retrospect I believe the answer runs much deeper than that to something that means a lot more than getting people to go on a low-carb diet. It's about wanting to make a genuine and lasting difference in the lives of other people.

With literally thousands upon thousands of visitors coming here to my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog each and every day (THANK YOU!), I have been privileged to be the inspiration, motivation, and catalyst for seeing some truly remarkable changes in so many of you that I could go on for days, weeks, and months talking about all of you who have shared your incredible stories with me about how this blog has positively impacted your life.

What a blessing it is time and time again as you pour out your innermost feelings to me in e-mails and comments. It never gets old and my dear wife Christine keeps every single one of them in a scrapbook for me to look at so we can show our grandkids someday what a difference one person can make when they dedicate themselves to something greater than themselves.

And that's what I want to talk to you about today. Livin' la vida low-carb is my catchy little phrase for talking about this amazingly healthy and permanent lifestyle change that has rocked my world for the past four years. Yes, it's about weight loss and health first and foremost, but there's another component to it as well. To me, it's also about giving back to the community with our time and resources.

People are always asking me why I devote so many long hours (most of the time, it's about 14-16 hours a day) to the various projects I engage in and the answer is simple: I've been given an incredible miracle in my life thanks to the Atkins diet, so the least I can do is give my very best effort to help as many people as possible find their pathway to a healthier, better life, too. And that's what drives me.

To that end, I want to share with you an unbelievable opportunity for YOU to make a real difference in the life of some underprivileged children and the courageous teachers who have been entrusted to work with them as they are growing up. To me, teachers are the REAL heroes in the United States, right alongside policemen, firemen, and the men and women who comprise the armed forces of this great country we live in.


DonorsChoose.org is making a difference in the lives of kids across America

There's an organization called DonorsChoose.org that encourages teachers who have some legitimate financial needs to share those on their web site to give individuals like you and me the opportunity to fill those needs. It's an amazing concept that I'm so happy to not just share with you today, but to also give you the opportunity to become a part of.

I've created my own challenge to the readers of this blog called "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Help The Teachers Challenge" and I've set a respectable goal that I think we can reach if everyone does what they can--$10,000. Just $1 from every person who visits here in a month would net a quick $200,000, so this goal should be a cinch if we all make even a nominal contribution.

You'll notice on my challenge page at DonorsChoose.org that there is a list of proposals I have provided in this challenge that fit within the mission of what I do--educating, encouraging, and inspiring others to live healthier than they ever though possible. Please browse through those for yourself to get an idea of what your dollars will be invested in.

This is a very worthy cause that will make you feel good about your decision to take back control of your weight and health while passing on and instilling those same values into the future generations so they won't struggle with the same problems we did growing up and into adulthood. Education is the key as we move forward with spreading the message of healthy living to our most precious commodity--our kids!

Wanna be a part of my "Help The Teachers" challenge? Here's how:

1. Go to the challenge web site.
2. Take a look at the various proposals I have chosen for this challenge.
3. Think and pray about what you can donate towards the challenge.
4. Click on the "Fund Now!" link to your favorite proposal.
5. Feel good that you made a lasting difference in the life of a child.

Are you ready to pay it forward for all the amazing improvements you have seen in your own weight and health as a result of your low-carb lifestyle? Then why not join me in the "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Help The Teachers Challenge" and share just a small token of your appreciation with some students and teachers who could really use a hand of compassion now more than ever. THANK YOU for participating in this challenge!

Study: McDonald's Branding Has Strong Power Over Young Minds

Dr. Thomas Robinson says the cultural influence of McDonald's unmatched

If anyone ever doubted the enormous impact of the marketing blitz undertaken by the world's most famous fast food restaurant on the most vulnerable members of our society--CHILDREN--then I would simply refer you to a brand new study that should scare the living daylights out of anyone who cares about the subject of health. This is just plain frightening if you ask me.

Lead researcher Dr. Thomas N. Robinson, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and of Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and his fellow researchers wanted to examine the "effects of cumulative, real-world marketing and brand exposures" on toddlers to see what effect, if any, consumer branding would have on their food preferences.

A total of 63 children between the ages of 3 and 5 from low-income families from the from government assistance Head Start program in San Mateo County, CA were give five pairs of identical foods and beverages--hamburgers, chicken nuggets, French fries, milk or juice, and carrots--that were packaged in wrappers stating they were from McDonald's and another in plain packaging. Each of the study participants were asked to tell the researchers if the foods tasted the same or if they had a preference for one over the other.

The stunning results? The children almost universally preferred the food and said it tasted better when it was wrapped in McDonald's packaging than the plain packaging. Remember, IT WAS EXACTLY THE SAME FOOD!

We've seen what they think is "healthy" in recent marketing efforts and it's a far cry from what it could be. While the new R Gym concept at McDonald's to encourage exercise is a pretty good start, there seriously needs to be a better effort on their part to get the menu choices even healthier for those precious little ones who are the future.

It's amazing how you just call something McBLANK and the kids go hog wild for it like it's the best thing they've ever tasted. That's powerful and absolutely blows my mind. Years upon years of indoctrination through unrelenting marketing by McDonald's has given them such a branding foothold on the competition. Nobody else in the restaurant industry even comes close.

Find out more about the results of this fascinating study and what it means to those of us who are advocates for healthy living by clicking here.

Self-Sabotage Is Your Greatest Diet Enemy

In the past week, I have received two similar e-mails from people who have decided to start the low-carb lifestyle in earnest, but...

Don't you just love how we take that little word "but" to justify how we feel. That's exactly what both of my readers did when they went on a low-carb diet. They were all gung ho and excited about what this lifestyle change can do for them until their short-term expectations regarding weight loss didn't match the reality.

Here's the first e-mail:

Hi Jimmy,

I am 25 and after my 2nd and final child I am trying to get my body back into shape and gain some energy. My mom lost over 100 pounds on the Atkins diet and I thought what better way.

Atkins to me is a no-brainer you don't have to think a lot since you don't weigh your foods or count calories. It's very appealing for my lifestyle. Well, I started out at 219 and started Induction gung-ho and yesterday was 2 weeks. My husband is doing this with me so we keep each other motivated.

We both weighed and he had of course lost 14 pounds. However, when I went to weigh I was sure I had lost as much if not more than my husband because I had stuck to it a lot more then he had. But when I stepped on the scale, imagine my disappointment when I only weighed 216.

Aaaaack! What did I do wrong?!

I did do the shakes for breakfast because I'm not a breakfast person but I drank all my water and even pre-cooked meat for lunches. I didn't overeat!

This so disgusted me that I got off the scale and walked to kitchen to eat what was left of my son's chocolate ice cream and I had my favorite chip and dip with triscuits. UGH!

Where do I go from here? Is it okay to start again tomorrow and go back through Induction and try to just stick to meat, lettuce and 3 oz of cheese daily? I start the gym tomorrow I am just so upset with myself that I have done something wrong.

We were eating a lot of zuchinni before and I'm going to cut that out as well as tomatoes. I'll stick with eating just lettuce for my veggies and maybe some celery. So can I start Induction again and lose like I would if I was starting for the first time?

I'm not a quiter and I hate setbacks. I ate that junk out of frustration but I have made peace with my lower than expected weight loss and would like to proceed to try again to get better results. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. At least I didn't gain, but I told myself I just know I should have lost more!

Whew, did that strike a nerve anyone? How many of us have engaged in this kind of self-sabotage because we put the bar so high that we quite literally set ourselves up for failure? That's why I created The "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge to give people a modest goal of a pound a week for 30 weeks. You don't feel pressured to lose 10 pounds a week and are encouraged to just do the plan.

Click here to read the second e-mail I received as well as my response to this idea of giving up on your low-carb lifestyle when your expectations don't match your reality regarding weight loss. I'm gonna step on some toes here, but this message is too important to be missed.

'30-In-30' Weight Loss Challenge Open Anytime

After a lot of thought and contemplation about the future purpose of the "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge blog, I have decided to stop keeping tally of the weeks in the challenge.

WHAT?! Are you quitting on us, Jimmy? Say it ain't so?

Well, it AIN'T so! But the more I looked at what has happened with this challenge with brand new people joining each week, it only makes sense to scratch the hard dates over the 30-week period. While I am in Week 25, someone else is in Week 19, another one is in Week 4, and for some this is their first week. That gets REALLY confusing for people to follow.

So, henceforth, I will no longer refer to the week we are in for "30-In-30" challenge because it is different for everyone. But the mission to lose 30 pounds over 30 weeks remains. Regular Tuesday weigh-ins with encouraging and uplifting messages will continue to be provided for those who are desiring weight loss.

Click here to learn more about this change with the "30-In-30" challenge and how YOU can join NOW to lose a pound a week, too!

Indiana's '10-In-10' Weight Loss Challenge Sounds So Very Familiar To Me

Gov. Daniels and Smith want Indiana to lose 10-In-10

As I was browsing around the Internet this week when I came across a brand new weight loss initiative in the state of Indiana similar to the "Shrinkdown" campaign that is happening in my home state of South Carolina. But imagine my surprise when I saw what they were calling it:

The 10-In-10 Challenge

Hmmm, I wonder where they could have gotten the idea for this? LOL! While I suppose the Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, "The Biggest Loser" Indiana representative Pam Smith, and former Indiana Pacer George McGinnis could have come up with the "10-In-10" Challenge on their own, it sure sounds a whole heckuva lot like my "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge.

Even if they did get the idea from me, I think it's awesome what they are doing encouraging the people of Indiana to do something about their weight. Losing 10 pounds in ten weeks is most certainly attainable as I have shown with my "30-In-30" Challenge--TIMES THREE! Perhaps these participants will keep going with their pound-a-week goal. I hope they do.

Sponsored by the government-sponsored INShape Indiana, the 10 week challenge to lose 10 pounds is set to begin on January 15, 2007. Indiana Health Commissioner Dr. Judy Monroe is excited about this challenge.

"This is the time of the year that many people devote to making healthy changes in their lives," she noted. "The 10 in 10 Challenge is a great way to help those who have resolved to change their eating habits and exercise more, plus stop smoking along the way."

Smith, 25, appeared on NBC's hit reality weight loss television show "The Biggest Loser" as the Indiana representative in their special Season Three twist featuring people from all 50 states. She lost 40 pounds on the show and another 28 since coming back home. Now this "Biggest Loser" wants to help her fellow Hoosiers do the same for themselves.

"Losing weight was hard, and I still struggle with it, but I decided to take charge of my life and set the example for my children," Smith exclaimed. "I've not only lost 68 pounds, but I've gained inner peace and self confidence for the first time ever. That is the most priceless gift a mother can ever give her kids. I remember that every time I want to skip a workout and go get fast food!"

GOOD FOR YOU, PAM SMITH! I'm so glad to see she is using her experience on "The Biggest Loser" to impact her fellow citizens in the state of Indiana. Even those of us who have lost over 100 pounds STILL struggle with the weight loss thing, Pam, so don't feel bad. It's a neverending battle, I always tell people.

Right now, they are registering people in Indiana to begin the challenge starting next week when the participants will receive an e-mail outlining ways they can prepare themselves for the challenge like keeping a food diary, taking inventory of the food they should purchase, and other weight loss tips. Weekly advice from a professional trainer and nutritionist about how to lose that one pound will be sent to their e-mail as well.

At the end of the ten weeks (around the beginning of April), the participants will report back their weight loss. Isn't this just GREAT?!

Well, I have mixed emotions about it. While it is indeed admirable that the governor has put this thing together to help the people of his state lose weight, what are they going to recommend to these people to start living a healthier lifestyle? Let's take a look.

On the Nutrition page, you see the government-indoctrinated Food Pyramid is HIGHLY touted as the healthy way to eat for a "well rounded diet" which means the same old nutritional advice to cut your fat, cut your calories and reduce your portions. Sigh. Can't we have just ONE of these programs tell people about the healthy low-carb alternative to this dietary lie? It's a question I asked in my own state.

Best wishes to everyone in Indiana who begins the "10-In-10" Challenge. But I encourage you to come join us at "30-In-30" when you start to feel the pain of being on a weight loss plan you REALLY don't see yourself doing for the rest of your life. That is a key concept in being the success you so desperately want to be.

Just Because It's Thanksgiving Doesn't Mean You Have To Pig Out

It's the week of Thanksgiving as we check in for Week 16 of the "30-in-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge. Did you do well this week? Here's my current progress in the challenge:



That would be NO CHANGE in my weight last week (still at my lowest weight of 215, though!), but that's a good thing headed into Thanksgiving week. Millions of people will be stuffing themselves until they're full and beyond on Thursday and then grazing all weekend on the leftovers.

Sure, the turkey and ham are good for you to eat, but what about all the rest of that spread of high-carb foods like dressing, cranberry sauce, homemade pumpkin pie, and so much more that we Americans have become accustomed to on Thanksgiving? Food, food, and more food is EVERYWHERE!

DOES THIS DAY MAKE YOU GO ABSOLUTELY BONKERS OR WHAT?!

Don't worry because we're all in this thing together. Thanksgiving is an opportunity to prove to yourself that you have made this a permanent lifestyle change that you can and will live with for the rest of your life.

There's no use in trying to conform to societal standards when you are trying to lose weight, get healthy and stay healthy. Who cares that everyone else will be shoving food in their mouths so fast they can barely stop and savor the reason for this special day of gratitude.

Click here to read about what I do to resist the urge to overeat on Thanksgiving and why it's just not worth it in the long run.

The '30-In-30' Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge: 15 Weeks Down, 15 To Go

This was Week 15 in the "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge which means we have officially hit the halfway mark! YEAH!!!

Despite some fluctuations in recent weeks with my weight, I am proud to say I have lost a total of 25 pounds so far:



My current weight of 215 pounds is my lowest body weight since I began my "30-In-30" challenge back on August 1 to lose 30 pounds in 30 weeks. Actually, I've never been this skinny as an adult!

At the halfway mark when I was hoping to lose 15 pounds, I have lost a total of 25 pounds. WOO HOO! Of course, I revised my goal to 199 pounds a few weeks back and I am only 16 pounds away from that goal now. To reach it, I will need to lose about 1.1 pounds per week--VERY DOABLE!

What's most amazing is that when I hit my goal of 199, it will be the first time I have been at that weight since the 5th grade! Yes, I was a very big boy as a child, but those days of the nerdy fat slob are long gone. B-bye to the old me and a hearty hello to the new one!

Won't you join me and the rest of that gang in the "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge, too? People everywhere are still flocking to be a part of this simple challenge and it's catching on even before the big January New Year's resolution push that comes every year. I'm so proud of the ones who are doing this now.

There are a whole bunch of us all sticking together to support each other through this journey and we'd love to have you be a part of the fun. My motto is that is is NEVER too late to start doing something about your weight and health!

Here's what you need to do to get started:

1. Commit in your mind to doing this 100%.
2. Read the low-carb book of your choice.
3. Follow that low-carb plan exactly as prescribed.
4. Check in on Tuesday at the "30-In-30" blog.
5. Share about your struggles and successes.
6. Most importantly, NEVER EVER EVER give up!

I am always available to offer encouragement, advice and answers to your questions to the best of my ability based on my own nearly 200-pound low-carb weight loss, so don't hesitate to e-mail me anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. YOU CAN DO THIS!

Post-Ornish Interview Challenge To Low-Fat And Low-Carb Supporters

Did you enjoy my four-part interview this week with low-fat diet advocate Dr. Dean Ornish? There was obviously so much more I could have asked him during the interview, but that transcript you read was actually less than 40 minutes long when I recorded it. Neither one of us wanted to spend four or five hours on this interview that would have taken a whole month to transcribe and then post the transcript! Nevertheless, it was quite revealing and I hope people learned something new about Dr. Ornish that they never knew before.

Perhaps Dr. Ornish would be willing to do another one again sometime and allow me to delve a little deeper into some of his beliefs and why people who support the low-carb lifestyle think they are grossly erroneous. He certainly seemed interested in coming together with low-carb advocates to help educate others about what they can do to get fit and live a healthier lifestyle. This interview was a very good start in that direction.

Just in case you missed my interview, here are all four parts:

- Extra Calories From Fat Makes You Fat
- HDL Cholesterol 'Garbage Trucks' For Fat, Cholesterol In Body
- Burden Of Proof On Low-Carbers For Supporting Studies
- Low-Carb Blog 'Powerful Force' For Educating On Diet, Health

Before I get into my analysis about what Dr. Ornish had to say during the interview, I thought it would be beneficial to let you know that he was extremely respectful and kind to me throughout the process of setting the interview up all the way to the last words he spoke to me on the telephone. Like him or not for what he believes, Dr. Ornish certainly opened himself up to me to do this interview with him without any pretenses or requirements despite knowing my obvious objections about what he believes. By the way, the words you read in my interview are EXACTLY what he said to me.


Dr. Ornish with his wife Anne and their son Lucas

You may not know this, but Dr. Ornish also got married over the summer to his beautiful bride Anne. When I originally attempted to set up the interview with him back in May, he personally wrote me back about his pending wedding and honeymoon and assured me that he would be very interested in being interviewed by me. After returning from his travels during the summer, we got together just as he promised we would on Tuesday, September 25, 2006.

It was sometimes difficult to hear him during the interview since he was talking on his cell phone with people talking in the background and he was walking and driving during it. Then he had to put me on hold a few times, but apologized profusely for taking time away from the interview when he got back to the phone. Like I said, Dr. Ornish gave me all the professional respect and credence that he would have given a New York Times reporter and I appreciated that very much.

At the end of the interview, Dr. Ornish seemed very sincere in his desire to start working together more with low-carb advocates like me and others to share with people where we have common ground on diet and nutrition. While even he admits there are some pretty major differences of opinion about what a healthy diet is, there are areas where we do agree.

Here are 20 common areas that came out during the interview:

1. Weight loss isn't about low-fat or low-carb.
2. Sugar, white flour, and white rice are not good for you.
3. Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables should be consumed.
4. Take fish oil supplements for adequate omega-3 fatty acids.
5. Most people are eating too many simple carbs in their diet.
6. Sugar and refined carbs are nutritionally deficient.
7. No weight loss plan works for everybody.
8. Diet junk food is not as good for you as whole foods.
9. Dietary recommendations should be based on science.
10. People need a spectrum of dietary choices to choose from.
11. Eating something unhealthy does not ruin your diet.
12. Refusing to call a weight loss program a "diet" to begin with.
13. We must deal with the root cause of most obesity: depression.
14. Sugar substitutes are an excellent alternative to sugar.
15. We need healthier food choices available at restaurants.
16. America is exporting poor dietary habits to other countries.
17. People must be educated about healthy living.
18. Change in diet and lifestyle can make a real difference.
19. A constant goal to help people lose weight and get healthy.
20. Never losing the passion or desire to spread the message.

Granted, there were a lot of things Dr. Ornish said about low-fat diets, HDL, cholesterol, legumes and soy products, fat, heart disease, the Women's Health Initiative study, and saturated fat, among others, that are worthy of debating, but I think those of us who support livin' la vida low-carb should at least attempt to promote all of the things in that list compiled above as areas where both low-fat and low-carb advocates DO agree. That's not an unreasonable request, is it?

The benefactor of doing this is obviously Mr. and Mrs. Overweight and Obese out there who are desperately looking to dig out of their hole of despair and make themselves thinner and healthier. That's a noble cause worth pursuing, right? If so, then why don't we start working together to push these things more often in a combined effort with low-fat supporters? I know, I know, they have said some nasty things about livin' la vida low-carb and we've gotten in our digs, too. But the time for arguing is over because this nation and world is in an obesity crisis!

This is a public challenge to anyone who believes in the principles of low-fat or low-carb: starting today, can we at least agree that those 20 areas of agreement that I found between Dr. Ornish and I are a consensus between us about what a healthy diet should look like? Not to sound too Rodney King-like ("can't we all just get along?"), but we can make a much bigger difference in the lives of those who are so jaded by the infighting among health advocates by converging on the commonalities rather than clashing about our differences. Does anyone disagree?

Dr. Ornish, if you were sincere in your desire to see this change truly come about (and I don't doubt that you were), then I ask you as arguably the most recognized name and face in the low-fat movement to push for this among your supporters and make it a reality henceforth. Likewise, low-carbers need to be open and willing to do the same for the sake of those tens of millions who need to lose weight and get healthy.

Are low-fat advocates and low-carbers up for the challenge?

10-9-06 UPDATE: Well, one low-fat advocate has reached out her hand to my olive branch between low-fat and low-carb. Her name is Fiona Haynes from the About Low-Fat Cooking web site who wrote a fantastic post about my interview with Dr. Ornish.

Here's what she said:

After years of trying to lose weight on a low-fat diet, and failing, Jimmy Moore lost 180 pounds on a low-carb diet. Not surprisingly, he is a tireless and passionate supporter of all things low carb, and pulls no punches with anyone, especially an anti-low-carb media. Recently, Mr. Moore interviewed Dean Ornish, M.D., who is equally passionate about eating low fat as a way to reverse heart disease. Did sparks fly? Find out in Jimmy Moore's fascinating four-part interview with Dean Ornish, published in his Livin' La Vida Low Carb blog. This interview is a must-read for anyone interested in healthy eating and weight loss, regardless of dietary allegiance.

THANK YOU, Fiona, for recognizing that we can and should try to find the common ground so we can help others acheive weight loss and improved health. In the long run, this strategy will work so much better than the constant bickering and backbiting.

Low-Carb Tweak Makes 6.5-Pound Weight Loss Week

My weight loss MORE THAN DOUBLED this week on "30-In-30"

After seeing modest weight loss during the first month of my "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge which began on August 1, 2006, I tried something a little different from what I was doing to see if it would result in greater and faster weight loss. The results were nothing short of a miracle--6 1/2 POUNDS LOST IN ONE WEEK! WOWsers!

When I was losing weight on the Atkins diet back in 2004 starting off at 410 pounds, I regularly had weeks when I lost 6-10 pounds early on. But I had a lot to lose and it stood to reason that would happen. But this weight loss over the last week is much more significant because I've been low-carbing for nearly three years and haven't seen a jump like this happen at all. It's as if I released something inside of me that had been dying to get out and now it is free.

Just in case you are wondering, it's not counting calories (UGH!) or eating smaller portions, less fat or any of that other complete and utter nonsense that people try to tell you is the "secret" to losing weight.

In fact, do you wanna know what my average daily caloric intake was this past week? Would you believe it was 2350 a day?! My fat intake was 69 percent, protein was at 28 percent , and carbs at just 3 percent. How can this be with such a large weight loss in one week? I'm sure this will baffle all those low-fat/low-calorie/portion-control advocates out there for a very long time.

But I'm not done with this little experiment which I still can't tell you about yet. I'm going to keep going with it to see if the result I got this week will continue. If they do on my way down to 210 pounds, then you will hear about it in due time. Patience, my friends, patience.

The good thing is the scale is moving rapidly again and I'm enjoying the ride. Won't you join me on this challenge? Come visit the "30-In-30" blog!

BY THE WAY, don't forget about tonight's LIVE online chat at WeightLossBuddy.com starting at 8PM EST. SEE YA THERE!

9-5-06 UPDATE: Okay, no more secrets! CLICK HERE to read about how my weight loss got kicked into high gear this week. You are encouraged to try it, too, to see if it works for you. I'd love to hear your experience after trying it for a week. Let me know at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.

'Weight Loss Buddy' Features LIVE Chat With Jimmy Moore About '30-In-30'

MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW!!!

Tuesday, September 5, 2006 at 8:00PM EST

What's happening at that time? Well, I will be hosting my very first LIVE chat session at Weight Loss Buddy to talk about my "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge and YOU are cordially invited to attend this special event.

You may recall a little more than a month ago that I was asked to join them as one of their experts at Weight Loss Buddy and they even have a little blurb about me at their web site.

Beginning at 8:00PM on Tuesday night, I will be available for ONE-HOUR to talk with people who are participating in the "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge and answer any questions they might have for me. Of course, ANYONE and EVERYONE is invited to come to this chat session as well. This format allows you to "chat" LIVE all in the same room with other people, so it should be a LOT of fun! CLICK HERE to view the upcoming chat session schedule featuring some of the other experts.

So how can you participate? IT'S SUPER EASY!

Sometime BEFORE the chat session, go sign up for FREE:

1. Go to the Weight Loss Buddy web site.
2. Click on the "Join For Free" link at the top.
3. Scroll to the bottom and click on "Join Basic Here."
4. Enter the information requested and click "Submit" once.

Wasn't that simple?

Now, to enter the chat on Tuesday night, here's what you do:

1. Go to the Weight Loss Buddy web site.
2. On the left side of the page, click on "Chat."
3. A new window will pop up and ask for your log in information.
4. Enter your username and password and hit "Submit."
5. Choose one of the green avatars personalities.
6. Click on "Enter our virtual chat now."
7. Find the "Events" button and click on it to go to my chat!
8. YOU'RE THERE ready to chat with ME! YEAH!

I hope to see EVERYONE there who can make it for my debut chat session at Weight Loss Buddy. I've already been in the chat room a couple of times and its a lot of fun talking with people who have such varying ideas and opinions about the world of weight loss. For my chat session, we will focus EXCLUSIVELY on low-carb since that is the focus of my challenge.

If you have any questions about the chat session, then feel free to drop me an e-mail and I'd be happy to help! Hope to see you there!

And if you haven't joined Weight Loss Buddy yet, let me tell you how vitally important it is to be linked up with a buddy that can help you reach your weight loss goals. I'm so glad to see a web site like this out there because people need to be connected with other people who are going through the same struggles that they are. What a WONDERFUL opportunity to get matched up and help hold each other accountable. Sign up TODAY!