One of the most fascinating things I have noticed since I began blogging about the healthy low-carb lifestyle back in 2005 is how amazingly diversified the low-carb community is about the "proper" way a low-carb diet should be done. The definition of "healthy low-carb living" varies depending on who you talk to. In fact, if we had a room full of 100 low-carbers I would bet you'd have at least 50 or more different versions of livin' la vida low-carb. And that's okay because individualization of the diet is what makes it work in the long-term.
Some people believe you should only eat whole foods all the time. And for the most part, that's a good philosophy to live by. In fact, if you look at my low-carb menus then you will see that's precisely what I eat the vast majority of the time. Of course, I also like to add in some chocolate and other treats from time to time to enhance my low-carb lifestyle. It's what helped me lose 180 pounds in 2004 and I've been doing it ever since.
However, with my recent 30-pound weight gain in 2008 that has pretty much sustained for the past six months, I've been looking at ways to bring that weight back down. I now know that I'm dealing with an erratic blood sugar issue that is tied to an unusual insulin response even after a low-carb meal. Frustrating doesn't even begin to explain this process, but I'm certainly not giving up.
After interviewing Dr. Keith Berkowitz in June (and I'll be having a follow-up interview with him coming the first week of August) about his "reactive hypoglycemia" theory, I decided to implement a strategy of eating more often with lots of small "meals" throughout the day and I saw some success. But then the weight started going up again and I cut back on my protein intake to slow down gluconeogenesis. Again, good progress, but then the weight came back up yet again. I even cut out all of my favorite low-carb products a couple of months back for two weeks--DIDN'T LOSE A SINGLE POUND! UGH!
So, imagine my discouragement to see the following recommendations for getting my weight to reduce from my low-carb doctor this week:
1--no low-carb "treats" or substitutes for otherwise high-carb food (although sugar-free Jello and other desserts such as we allow our patients would be okay in limited amounts) 2--foods should be chosen from those listed on the "No Sugar, No Starch" guide we give patients 3--adequate protein (as determined from lean body mass) should be consumed, but care should be taken not to exceed protein requirements 4--portion-control and calorie-restriction should be implemented, as determined by BMR
No "treats" at all are allowed right now for me, including my chocolate bar, low-carb wraps, bars, or anything. NONE! I'll skip the Jello thank you very much, but I'll make some cheesecake out of cream cheese, heavy cream, and other REAL foods. I'm well aware of what's good to eat that is non-sugary, non-starchy, so that won't be a problem. Getting that "adequate protein" is the tricky part for me right now, although I've done well with it as of late. Controlling portions and calories goes against everything I've ever done with livin' la vida low-carb, so that's gonna be hard.
But I'm game for it and starting today I'm doing all of this. I'm gonna go low-carb product-free as an experiment and see if it makes a difference in my weight. I feel fantastic right now health-wise, but the sustained weight hovering around 260 is getting old quick. Even my stepmom Faye said to me during my visit to Tennessee earlier this week, "Oh no, Jimmy, you're not gaining back all that weight again are you?" What a slap in the face when I'm busting my butt trying to figure out what's going on. I'll be blogging more about this soon.
In the meantime, you can track my progress on this new diet experiment to see what if any impact cutting out the low-carb products will have. Based on my previous experience, it's not gonna do anything to help with this issue I have now. I've eaten these things throughout my 180-pound weight loss and ever since, so why would it suddenly be impacting me now? I don't understand that logic at all.
Here we are, though. I'm doing it and you can see what I'm eating at my low-carb menus blog. I'll share how my weight is doing each day along with the meals I am eating. I'm not convinced this is the answer, but nothing else has worked yet--WHAT THE HECK! :)
Getting to know about chiropractic neurologist Dr. Peter Jo
If anyone can relate to the intense amount of negative feedback that people who support livin' la vida low-carb receive, then it has to be chiropractors. These outstanding professionals working in the field of alternative medicine have been mocked, ridiculed, and scorned by the traditional medical establishment. And yet anyone who has ever gone to see a chiropractor like I have been off and on ever since I was in a car accident in the 1990s will testify how AMAZING you feel after seeing one. Today I have a special two-part interview with a nutritionist and chiropractor from Bellevue, Washington.
Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 160:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 160 [21:50m]: LISTEN NOW | Download
I had only planned to go a total of 20 minutes with the interview, but Dr. Jo was so enthralling I kept him on for 45 minutes! You can access Part 2 of this interview with Dr. Peter Jo in Episode 161 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" by clicking on the links below. :)
Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 161:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 161 [25:33m]: LISTEN NOW | Download
Dr. Peter Jo is so well-versed in low-carb nutrition that I'm surprised I had never heard of him before now. I have no doubt there are more physicians out there just like him who espouse these same views--they just need to be given a platform like my podcast to be heard. One thing Dr. Jo brought up in the podcast was the relationship between the hormone insulin as well as the less-talked-about stress hormone cortisol on weight and health. I'd never quite heard anyone pinpoint BOTH of these before, so it was good to hear Dr. Jo talk about this. He provided some amazing and unique nutritional tips for controlling insulin and regulating cortisol, too. DON'T MISS THIS PODCAST!!!
Discover low-carb experts like Dr. Peter Jo anytime by:
What are your reactions to Dr. Peter Jo? Does what he said about healthy living make sense? I was thoroughly impressed by everything he had to say and I invite you to discuss your thoughts in the show notes section of Episode 160 for Part 1 and Episode 161 for Part 2. Visit Dr. Jo's web site at BellevueChiroNeuro.com and send him your appreciation for the positions he holds on healthy nutrition through his contact page. This was an extraordinary interview and I'm so glad to have been able to share it with you.
Don't miss next week's podcast shows because I'll be sharing interviews with two of the moderators at my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Discussion" forum--Charles Washington is up first on Monday to discuss what it's like to eat a zero carb diet while running marathons (his Zero Carb thread is the most popular one at my forum!) followed on Thursday with Christin Sherburne who was the Kimkins diet cover girl in Woman's World magazine last June updating us on all the latest information regarding the class action lawsuit and actions being taken against Internet diet scam artist Heidi Diaz. Tune in! :)
Post-Low-Carb Meal 5-Hour Glucose Tolerance Test Produces Rather Odd Results
My arm had so much blood sucked out of it for these tests
I just returned late on Thursday from my 3-hour trip up I-85 North to Durham, North Carolina to spend some time with the Triangle (and Beyond) Low-Carb Meetup group there as well as seeing a great low-carb doctor from Duke University named Dr. Eric Westman to conduct some tests and talk about my recent blood sugar woes and pesky 30-pound weight gain in 2008 that won't come back down again no matter what I do. It was a good time away although I missed blogging and updating you about the healthy low-carb lifestyle. And I'll be leaving again on Tuesday to go see my brother Kevin in Pensacola, Florida for at least a week where I will have ZERO Internet access besides my iPhone (and, no offense, but I ain't up for blogging on that thing with the hunt and peck typing!), so I'll be trying to squeeze in as many posts as I can before then. It's gonna stay busy for me the next couple of months.
But so many of you have been wondering about how my visit with Dr. Westman went that I wanted to make sure I provided an update, especially with the results from my five-hour glucose tolerance test (GTT) following a low-carb meal which was conducted on Monday. If you thought my home testing of my blood sugars was interesting enough, just wait until I tell you what happened during the GTT. Unbelievably crazy! I'll share more about that in a moment.
First, let's look at the bazillion other tests Dr. Westman ran for me to see if there are other culprits going on with my health. A few of these I requested done because Dr. Keith Berkowitz (who I will be sharing a special two-part follow-up podcast interview with the first week in August about this answering your questions), who espouses the "reactive hypoglycemia" theory for long-term low-carbers, suggested I have them run.
Here were the results:
Vitamin B-12--529 (normal) Cortisol--8.9 (surprisingly normal) Homocysteine--6.7 (normal) 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3--42 (normal) HbA1c--5.0 (a little low, but normal) LDL particle number--1453 (borderline high) Small LDL particle number--30 (low is less than 600!)
By all accounts of these tests, I'm one extremely healthy guy! My thyroid function was all fine and so was my liver function. So it's good we can rule those out as culprits. I was quite frankly shocked to see my cortisol levels in the good range considering all the stress I've experienced lately, but this just confirms my body handles it all very well apparently. The A1c number was also encouraging since it is so spectacular and out of the diabetic range completely (although Dr. Berkowitz thinks it is a little low--a sign of the reactive hypglycemia according to him).
My LDL and total cholesterol are higher than normal as I've previously blogged, but look at the particle number of the dangerous "small" LDL--a measly little 30! That's just 0.02 percent of my total LDL particle number...in other words, quite negligible and protective considering over 95 percent of my LDL particle size is the large, fluffy kind. :D I'm not at all worried about my lipid profile with my HDL at 65 and triglycerides at 77. That's an HDL/triglycerides ratio I'd put up against anybody else's every day of the week.
Alright, so what the heck is going on with my blood sugars? And, more importantly, what is happening with my insulin levels when my blood sugar drops even after a low-carb meal? Inquiring minds, myself included, sincerely want to know. Here are the results of my GTT after eating a low-carb breakfast consisting of eggs and cheese with a chicken breast from Chick-Fil-A:
Fascinating test, huh? And it's just about what I expected was happening. My fasting glucose and insulin levels are perfect, but within a half hour of eating even a low-carb meal I'm seeing a TRIPLING in my insulin levels to keep my blood sugars in check. This would be a typical response if my insulin then came back down again within the first hour or two, but it doesn't.
As you can see, the insulin sustains at that higher level for two hours lingering at 13.7 then slowly dropping to 11.1 and then hitting 9.0 before dropping back down significantly in the third hour to get closer to baseline. During this time of elevated insulin, my blood sugar falls below fasting down about 10 points before rising back to where it started once the insulin comes down again. A normal response would show blood sugars going up quickly and then falling quickly, but not for Jimmy Moore. Lucky me, eh?
So what am I to make of this and what plan of action does Dr. Westman and his colleagues suggest I implement to limit this insulin response so that maybe I can get my recent weight gain to come back down again? I wish I could tell you it's a pretty cut and dry "do this and all will be well" solution, but it's not. The reality is I need to tweak this slowly by only changing one thing at a time. That one thing for me will include eating LESS protein than I have been and watching my specific portions of protein and overall intake just to see if it makes a difference.
Yes, I know cutting portions and even counting calories is almost taboo to talk about within low-carb circles and I'm not interested in that debate right now because I'm not fully convinced of it. Only time will tell. I haven't once counted calories or measured out my portion sizes in the past four and a half years of livin' la vida low-carb, so this is a tough sell for me. But I'm certainly game for doing something different to get my weight to come back down again, especially that little bit that has come back to my midsection.
Interestingly, Dr. Westman suggested I cut back on the amount of protein I have been consuming because it is possible that my body through gluconeogenesis is converting much of the dietary protein I have been consuming into glucose/sugar/carbs which COULD be the reason why I haven't been able to get my weight back down again. And this theory certainly has some merit since I consciously increased my protein intake when I started lifting weights for the first time in December 2007 shortly before my weight gain.
Sure, I also took creatine in the first six weeks and that may have had some impact on the weight gain. But consuming more protein-based foods in an effort to help with my muscle growth could have sabotaged my weight maintenance efforts somewhat. Although I have experienced quite an increase in the amount of muscle on my body after six months of training, it's not implausible that upwards of half of that weight gain is indeed muscle mass. The rest of the 15 or so pounds of weight I have put on over this period of time may be the result of excess glucose from protein.
Beginning yesterday, I started adding in more fat and deliberately trying to eat less total protein (not as a percentage, but overall) to see if it makes a difference. One way I'm doing this is to make sure any protein source I am eating is offset by an addition of more fat. For example, if I'm eating a chicken breast that is basically all protein and little fat, I'll slather it in butter and add cheese on top. Cheese in the form of brie or other fatty ones as a meal will also be a way to increase my fat while decreasing my protein. Cooking eggs in butter and adding cheese also will help with this. Nuts, coconut oil, heavy cream, and other high-fat foods will become more and more prevalent in my low-carb menus.
Since I already eat most of those foods anyway, this shouldn't be difficult to implement. Simply cutting back on protein could be as simple as eating half a steak or only one burger patty or chicken breast. Making sure I contribute fat and fiber to my meals will keep that ratio of fat to protein at the 3-1 ratio I am hoping to attain. Carbs, of course, will remain reduced to basically non-starchy, green leafy veggies.
What do you think about all of this? I'd love to know what you think about the results of my GTT. I'm also frightened to think what would happen if I did a traditional GTT with a glass of sugar water--EEEK! My insulin would go even MORE berserk! Your thoughts as always are welcomed. :)
Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 156:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 156 [25:40m]: LISTEN NOW | Download
Dr. Allan E. Sosin is a big believer in the use of carbohydrate restriction, especially refined carbohydrates, to control diabetes, obesity, and other chronic lifestyle illnesses of the day and has his own opinions regarding the heart disease link to cholesterol, what diabetic children need to do to improve their disease, and a specific set of supplements that don't get near enough attention for controlling health. We may not agree on everything, but Dr. Sosin is certainly on our side.
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Did you like what you heard from Dr. Allan E. Sosin? Share what you thought about what he said in the show notes section of Episode 156. Come back on Thursday as I interview a Christian radio DJ named Cindy Swanson who was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes last year and turned to livin' la vida low-carb to help her overcome it. Hear her amazing story of success and be encouraged in your own journey to better health! THANKS so much for listening!
I've been working on an ambitious project lately that I've been wanting to do for a very long time. It's been a lot more work than I thought it would be and it is not as easy as it might seem. But this is too important a resource to not try to get out there sooner rather than later.
Over the past few months, more and more readers have been contacting me to help them in their search to find a low-carb doctor in their area. Here are just a few of these e-mails:
Jimmy,
Your site is fantastic. Would you know how to find any low-carb doctors in Southern California? I live in Orange County, but L.A. would be OK. ********** Hey Jimmy,
Thank you for continuing to share the low carb lifestyle. I lived the life for a while and it did such wonders for me that I need to get back in action.
Jimmy, do you know how a person can find a doctor who's pro-low carb? Just thought I'd ask you as you're a man of vast information. They have searchable doctors for everything else but pro-low carb that I can find. ********** I can't find any doctors here who are low-carb friendly. The most I can hope for is that they won't be totally antagonistic. ********** Jimmy:
Do you happen to know if there are any listings of doctors who are friendly with the low-carb theory? My personal doctor is nearing retirement and I'd like to replace him with someone who accepts the low-carb theories already or is at least open-minded about it. ********** Jimmy,
I have a question that I hope you can help with. Naturally, some of the people I've known for a long time, and especially if they haven't seen me for awhile, ask about how they can do what I did. I'm sure you get the same thing.
I refer them to Protein Power, Jonny Bowden's book (which I loved, especially for the way he addressed low-carb myths), etc. But I would love to be able to refer them to a doctor who does low-carb (in the Los Angeles area). This is especially important for those who are very overweight and/or are already diagnosed with diabetes.
I know what an uphill battle it will be for them otherwise with just about any doctor they do see, including their primary care physician or diabetes specialist (how crazy is that ADA stuff for Type 2 especially, notwithstanding their recent small movement!!?). It's hard enough to resist family and friends, but it takes a special person to do battle with their own doctor telling them they'll have a heart attack from eating that Atkins bacon and butter stuff.
Do you know of any resource to find low-carb friendly doctors? Have you found any resources to find doctors? ********** Hello Jimmy,
I am having one heck of a time finding a local doctor who can support my decision to go low-carb. I was thinking that having a thread or some sort of resource where people can recommend doctors would be fantastic. Do you know of any list that already exists?
Up until now, no such web site existed that lists low-carb physicians all in one place. That was unacceptable to me, so I decided to create it myself. It's still a work in progress, but it's finally here!
If you want to see if there is a low-carb doctor in your area, then keep checking this blog early and often. I am still doing research, adding new doctors all the time, and I welcome your suggestions, too. E-mail me the name and address of any low-carb doctors in YOUR area that I can add to this list.
I hope this becomes an invaluable resource for people in their quest for a doctor who understands the importance of livin' la vida low-carb. Feel free to post your comments about any of the doctors listed that you already know about. Scroll along the right-hand side of the page to see if there is a low-carb physician in your state. They are listed in alphabetical order by state.
THANK YOU to everyone who has written to me asking about a low-carb doctor list. Ask and you shall receive. :D Don't lose hope that you CAN find a low-carb friendly face in the medical community who can help you lose weight and improve your health with a controlled-carbohydrate nutritional approach. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!
When You're Low-Carbing Perfectly And Producing No Weight Loss--What Gives?
I've been guilty of it and now I realize it was just plain wrong.
Here's the scenario: somebody sends me an e-mail and says, "Jimmy, I'm doing everything exactly as I am supposed to on my low-carb lifestyle and I'm just not losing weight." Okay, the first inclination that most of us, myself included, have is to suggest that person seriously evaluate what they are eating to look for hidden carbs and sugars, reminding them to follow their chosen low-carb plan exactly as the author prescribes, and then to determine if they are doing anything differently since the scale stopped moving downward. This should do the trick.
It certainly sounds like good advice, right? Well, maybe not.
Certainly, there are people who allow some old habits to slip back into their routine again and they experience the dreaded "carb creep" that has haunted many an unsuspecting low-carber as they live this lifestyle over the long-term. It's usually easily remedied simply by bringing your carbohydrate intake back down again to a level where you can still maintain or lose weight. I went through this myself a couple of years ago and it happens. But you get right back on plan again and all is well.
And I should know. It's exactly what's been going on with me this year and I'm baffled as to why it is happening. As my regular readers are already aware, I started lifting weights for the first time in my life beginning in December 2007 and was excited about getting stronger and firming up areas of my body that were still plagued by loose skin from my 180-pound weight loss. A trainer friend of mine suggested I start taking creatine to supplement my resistance training in the first couple of months to help get me going. He warned me that I'd gain some weight taking it, but that the weight would come back down again after I come off of it.
After loading up for a few days on the creatine, I religiously took that stuff daily for about six weeks. When I started working with my personal trainer in mid-December, my weight was 235 pounds. Six weeks later, I weighed 260 pounds--A 25-POUND INCREASE! Holy cow! My trainer friend sure wasn't kidding when he said I'd gain weight on creatine. It was at this point that I decided to come off of the creatine in early February since that weight gain was sorta freakin' me out a bit. I fully expected the weight to come back down some (but not all since I was building up some good muscles especially in my upper body).
But it didn't happen and it hasn't happened. In fact, although my diet didn't really change from what I was doing before I started lifting weights (except for maybe a little more protein since I was trying to grow muscle mass), I have been hovering around 265 pounds for nearly four months in a row. It has been so disconcerting to me that I went to see a low-carb doctor earlier this month about it to see what was going on. What was I doing wrong, if anything, and how can we get the weight to come back down again? I was adding muscle to my body, yes, but my waist has also increased by a few inches. What gives?
Of course, when I started sharing about this recent weight gain at my forum and at my menus blog, the typical responses started pouring in from people trying to offer their own guidance about what I should do: you're eating too much food, your calories are way too high, you consume too many low-carb "products," you aren't eating often enough, you don't exercise enough, yadda yadda yadda! I know everyone means well and I sincerely appreciate their suggestions for my diet. But I wasn't convinced I was doing anything at all wrong with my low-carb lifestyle and I still don't. Nevertheless, I'm stuck.
That's why I went to see this low-carb doctor. Perhaps he could pinpoint exactly what's going on with my weight. He ran a series of tests on me, examined my dietary choices, looked at the supplements I am taking, and asked me about any changes I have made since the weight gain took place. I told him about the weight lifting and adding more protein to my diet. I also switched brands of fish oil since then as well as adding cinnamon to my daily vitamins.
His proposal for me was to put me back on a very strict Induction diet for two weeks and to cut out all of my supplements as a temporary measure of seeing if they are the reason for my inability to lose these 30 pounds. Additionally, I reduced my diet soda consumption voluntarily to make sure that wasn't a culprit as well. The two-week Induction period began on May 7th and ends today. Wanna know the grand total of the amount of weight loss I've experienced since cutting out all the low-carb "Frankenfoods" (which have never been a MAJOR part of my diet, just some chocolate and the occasional treat), eating strictly low-carb Induction for the past two weeks, and never wavering or cheating at all during that time? Zip, zero, nada! That's right--NOTHING!
And, in case you are wondering what I ate these past two weeks, see for yourself:
My diet could not have been more perfect following strict Atkins Induction. I did it even more strict this time around than I did in 2004 when I lost my weight the first time. I checked my ketosis levels using Ketostix every single day and I was DEFINITELY excreting ketone bodies. My carbohydrate intake remained at or below 20g daily and I basically did everything exactly right. I didn't even have any one bite of my low-carb chocolates during this time which was a BIG sacrifice for me. The net result of this effort was NO weight loss. COME ON!!!
It's at this point that most people would be ready to just throw their hands up and give up on this stupid low-carb diet thing. I mean, you follow it like you are supposed to and this is the reward you get for that dedication?! AAACK! But I'm not looking at it that way. The way I see it, even if for some odd reason the weight NEVER comes back down again (I know it will, but let's just pretend it won't), the low-carb way of eating is so incredibly healthy that I wouldn't dare think of eating any other way.
Remember, even if the scale isn't moving, your healthy is still improving. I'll be sharing some exciting numbers with you about my health soon that will both shock and inspire you as you continue down this journey to better health the low-carb way. Even my low-carb doctor was amazed at my numbers, but he said I am exactly where I need to be to keep my risk factors for cardiovascular disease at bay. That's a sweet sound to hear especially in light of my weight concerns! :)
So what now? Beginning this afternoon at 6pm, I will begin something that I swore I'd never do again--the intermittent fast. If for some reason I am consuming too many calories even on my low-carb lifestyle as some have proposed, then this should do the trick. The last time I did it, I lost 4 1/2 pounds in a week although I hated it. But if we can get those few stubborn pounds to start moving again, then it'll be worth it. I'm ready to figure out what's going on and I'm certainly doing everything I can in my diet to make that happen.
My doctor says there may even be a non-diet related reason for my weight gain which intrigued me. Yes, some of the weight is indeed muscle as my biceps, triceps, shoulders, neck, chest and legs are all noticeably bigger now five months after beginning my weight lifting, the fact my stomach has gotten bigger is the greatest concern. There may be an underlying internal issue going on that could be the culprit in my abdominal weight gain.
Even before my low-carb lifestyle began in 2004, I have had trace amounts of blood in my urine during routine physical exams. I've been to see a urologist before, they've performed an IVP (shooting dye through me) as well as a very expensive 30-second cystoscopy test only to be told there is nothing wrong with me, and to take an antibiotic. After I take the antibodies, the blood goes away for about six months and then it comes back. When I go back to the urologist, they want to do another IVP and cystocopy followed by antibiotics again. UGH! Obviously, something is going on, but heretofore nobody can tell me what it is.
That blood in my urine may indeed be the reason why my weight is increasing. I'm aware of two other prominent low-carbers who have been through similar strange and unexpected weight gains over the past couple of years. I won't share their names because of privacy concerns, but one gained about 50 pounds and ended up eating just chicken and pickles for a year trying to get the weight back down again. It turns out, there was a cyst pressing up against the pancreas causing constant insulin to be released. And we know what that does! Since the cyst has been removed, the weight has come back down again in short order.
The other person had another strange issue with the development of a fibroid in the stomach. Although the body was normal elsewhere, this person's belly was protruding out. When the doctors found the fibroid, this person was relieved that nothing was seriously wrong. Of course, the naysayers pointed to this well-known low-carber and claimed that they can't seem to follow their own advice. You get that when you put yourself out there, so you learn to ignore it. This person now faces a pretty major surgery to remove the fibroid and is putting it off until the end of the year.
And that's the other issue with all that's going on with my weight right now. I've become more self-conscious about how I look again. Are people looking at me judging that I must be letting myself go again since I've gained weight? Do people nervously say to my face that they're happy to see I'm still keeping the weight off after all these years while simultaneously thinking, "Oh boy, here he goes gaining it all back again! I knew it would happen eventually!" These psychological games are virtually impossible to ignore, although I'm trying very hard to do just that--IGNORE THEM! It just adds another layer to this developing story.
What exactly is happening to me right now, I don't know. I wish I did so I could help others going through similar circumstances. We're getting closer to knowing than we did before and that's a good thing. Rest assured you will know when I know and I covet your thoughts and prayers as we try to figure this all out. I'm not worried at all because I know I have a plan of action that will put me in position to lose the weight I've put on since December.
I am very pleased that my weight has NOT increased since February. I've been right around 265 for the past three months although my muscles continue to get bigger and bigger. So, in essence, I have been losing some weight while gaining the muscle, but it has been offset. That's encouraging and I wouldn't mind seeing my muscles continue to grow in size as long as my weight remains where it is. A 6'3" man with big muscles could easily weigh 265 pounds, right? :D
Let this be a gentle reminder that low-carb living is always a work in progress and we should assume anything about anyone who is following this lifestyle. There are just too many underlying issues at work to make judgments about someone who is not losing weight while following low-carb. Yes, some are preventable...but others like me are not. This has opened my eyes to a new level of appreciation and compassion for anyone who is struggling with their weight and health and concerned about what to do. You are NOT alone.
THANK YOU again to everyone who has offered advice and support during this time and I will report back to you my progress on my intermittent fasting experiment for the next two weeks. It certainly can't be worse than what I've experienced the past two weeks on strict Atkins Induction. You can see what I'm eating at my menus blog and provide your continued feedback. I will likely add back in some low-carb chocolate again on the days I'm not fasting and staying low-carb the rest of the time. Let's see what happens!
Christine's Triglycerides Plummet 55% In Just Six Weeks On A Truly Low-Carb Diet
My wife Christine should be smiling with this great news
It's one thing to share with you the latest research and scientific studies that highlight the healthy benefits of carbohydrate restriction. But today I am overjoyed and jubilant to report to you the amazingly fast health improvements that are happening for the love of my life, Christine. This is absolutely incredible!
You'll recall less than two months ago when I reported to you that despite eating a lower-carb diet, which helped Christine drop 35 pounds last year, her triglycerides actually rose to 293 in March 2008 and opened her eyes to the damaging effect that carbohydrates were having on her health despite the fact her weight had gone down. It was a great reminder that livin' la vida low-carb is not just some quick fix weight loss regimen as it has often been portrayed by the media and those ever-so-present health "experts" out there who think they know how we're supposed to eat. Instead, it is a permanent lifestyle change that will improve virtually every single aspect of your health forever.
And Christine is living proof of that! After seeing nearly 300 for her triglycerides, we put together a solid plan of action to combat this problem head-on. She immediately gave up the M&M's, breaded meats, French fries, and buns she had been eating and replaced them with Atkins bars, low-carb wraps, cheese, and other delicious and nutritious low-carb alternatives to these foods she loves. It was a difficult transition at first, but now she's coasting along well (of course, it doesn't hurt to have a hubby to keep her on the straight and narrow). :D
Nearly two weeks ago, Christine and I went to see Dr. Eric Westman in Durham, NC to have our blood drawn to evaluate our lipids. I was especially anxious to see what impact in just six weeks had been made to Christine's triglycerides. Additionally, her insulin level in that March blood test was at 13--considered on the low end of high. Would there be any measurable difference in her triglycerides and insulin levels in such a short period of time?
Lemme tell you--YEP, YEP, YEPPERS!
Hold on to your hats, people, because this will blow you away. After putting Christine on regular liquid fish oil supplements and requiring her to eat a truly low-carb diet which even included a few "products" that helped keep her away from the real stuff, the results were UNBELIEVABLE!
Check this out:
MARCH 2008--Triglycerides--293 MAY 2008--Triglycerides--132
That's not a misprint! Christine's triglycerides fell sharply by a total of 161 points--that's a mind-boggling 55 percent in only six weeks! Let me reiterate, this does not include the use of any drugs, just diet and fish oil supplements. Her dietitian recommended she exercise by walking as well, but she hasn't done a whole lot of that yet. I do have her doing some light resistance training which she surprisingly loves. I'm so proud of her progress!
Wanna know what's even more amazing about these changes--there was no significant weight loss associated with it. That's right! Christine has only lost about two pounds over that period which is statistically no change. So, despite all the chants from those illustrious health "experts" out there about improving your health just by "losing a little weight," the fact is that's not necessarily true when you implement the appropriate dietary changes into your routine. YEAH LOW-CARB!!!
As for her insulin levels which were previously at 13, they were cut nearly in half falling to 6.7. It was yet another tell-tale sign that livin' la vida low-carb was working to improve Christine's health and the results were immediate. When she saw these numbers for herself, you would have thought she'd just won the lottery she was so happy. And, in a sense, she did win the health lottery by correctly choosing the method that would restore her health to where it needed to be using a simple change in diet to make it happen.
Oh, I have to share with you the story about what happened when we returned to see the dietitian with these results. This was bent-over-in-pain hilarious!
The dietitian said to Christine, "Well, I guess my recommendations are working for you." That's when my dear wife chimed in and said, "No, I'm eating a low-carb diet and taking fish oil." The dietitian stammered a second and then said, "Oh...(awkward pause)...well I guess it's working." Uh, YA THINK?!
When her dietitian asked about exercise, Christine said she's not walking much, but she's lifting some light weights since I was helping her with that. The dietitian replied, "Well, your numbers will drop even more if you just go walking more." UGH! Nevermind the HUGE change in your triglycerides and insulin levels, you had better listen to me (because I know more than you) and exercise. These people seem to be on automatic mode sometimes! ARGH!
Hopefully this story about Christine will encourage you to keep at it with your low-carb lifestyle even if the scale isn't exactly cooperating for you right now. It's all about your health first and foremost and then the weight loss will come. Be encouraged my friends and NEVER GIVE UP! This is a lifelong journey that will includes some bumps along the way. It's not always an easy road, but it is one you'll never regret.
Send your congratulatory notes to Christine at muzikgirl@charter.net. She loves getting e-mails and will be thrilled to read your encouraging comments for her today.
For those of you who are wondering about my blood work, I'll be blogging about it very soon. I can tell you this--it will be shocking to some who believe in the traditional hypothesis regarding cholesterol, but it is right in line with what is considered healthy by the latest research on lipids. As soon as I get the final report with the particle size breakdown of my cholesterol strands, I'll share with you my numbers, too. Get ready to watch the low-fatties faint when they see my numbers!
We visited Duke University on our recent Durham, NC trip
Last week Christine and I were in North Carolina for several days in Durham area to meet some truly fabulous low-carb supporters, speak with people who are interested in the healthy low-carb lifestyle, and observe in action an amazing low-carb researcher-turned-clinician who is changing the weight and health of people using a controlled-carbohydrate nutritional approach to help his patients do just that. In case you missed it, click here for a recap of our amazing visit including stories and pictures from our three days in Durham.
In Episode 36 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," we show you even more pictures and video footage we took of our meeting at Rio Churrascario in Cary, NC where we met up with about 18 enthusiastic low-carbers who are part of the Triangle Low Carb Cooking Meetup group, my talk to Dr. Eric Westman's patients from the Duke Lifestyle Medicine Clinic, and then took a tour through what a real low-carb doctor's office actually looks like. It was a great adventure that I'm excited to share with you today in our latest video.
Listen to me and Christine recollect on our Durham visit in today's video:
We'd love to come visit your area as well, so let us know if you'd be interested in having us speak to your group. Feel free to contact me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net if you'd like to set it up. This was an incredible experience and we will DEFINITELY be coming back to Durham again in the future. :)
If you've missed any of our YouTube videos, then get caught up now and also be sure to subscribe to our videos so you'll always be the first to see the new ones. E-mail us your show ideas, suggestions, and feedback anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. THANK YOU for watching "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube."
Dr. Jeffrey N. Gerber is a real physician who loves low-carb living
In Episode 126 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore", I had the distinct privilege of interviewing a medical doctor named Jeffry N. Gerber who has experienced a dramatic turnaround in the way he thinks about low-carb nutrition after seeing so much real life success in his patients. Now he shares his enthusiasm about livin' la vida low-carb not just with his patients, but also out in his local community in the Denver, Colorado area in featured talks. For those of you looking for a low-carb doctor, let the example of Dr. Gerber encourage you in your search. THEY DO EXIST!!!
Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 126:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 126 [23:50m]: LISTEN NOW | Download
I especially enjoyed hearing from Dr. Gerber that it's not the patient's fault they are in the weight and health condition they are in. While people certainly make the choices that get there them, most patients are simply going on the "conventional wisdom" that they've always heard about health. But in light of the latest research, these old axioms just don't cut it anymore which is why physicians like Dr. Gerber are coming around.
Listen to doctors like Jeffry Gerber extol low-carb anytime by:
I issued a 30-Day Satiatrim Challenge where I encourage you to try the product and see how it works for controlling your hunger while livin' la vida low-carb with a delicious beverage that really works. If you don't like it or don't see the benefits that I've been talking about within the 30 days, then Satiatrim will refund your money with their special 30-day money back guarantee. But I'm SURE you're gonna LOVE IT!!! :)
Coming up next week, I'll be bringing you two more very special interviews with some amazing people working in the diet and health arena that I am confident will encourage you to keep doing what you are doing in your healthy low-carb lifestyle. It has been such a pleasure bringing these interviews to you and I can't wait to attend the Nutrition & Metabolism Society symposium in Phoenix, AZ next week for even more from the people working behind-the-scenes in the research labs examining this awesome way of eating we love and enjoy. THANK YOU for listening to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore."
My Wife Christine: The Perfect Example Of Why Low-Carb Isn't Just About Weight Loss
How can this beautiful face be anything but healthy?
When most people talk about the low-carb lifestyle, the subject usually centers around weight loss. And naturally so! After all, books like Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, which totally changed my life forever for the better in 2004 when I lost a total of 180 pounds that year, are marketed as "diet" books. And bookstore shelves are absolutely LOADED with author after author touting this plan and that plan to help you lose the blubber.
But when we talk about "diet" in the full context of what that word really means, we're not just referring to weight loss. The simplest definition of a "diet" in my mind refers to "the way you eat." That's it! So, for people on any of the various low-carb diets like Atkins, Protein Power, South Beach, or The Zone, for example, the focus is on the mechanism that happens inside the body when you reduce your carbohydrate intake. And that is what produces the ever-elusive weight loss.
Yes, eating low-carb does indeed result in some rather spectacular weight loss. But the thing that amazed me more than anything about livin' la vida low-carb when I first started on it were the massive improvements in my health. I was taking prescription medications for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and breathing problems. Within nine months of my low-carb way of eating, I no longer needed those prescription drugs. And I've never taken another pill from a pharmacist since.
People e-mail me all the time wanting to know why they haven't lost weight on low-carb because the scale hasn't moved as fast as they were hoping. My response back to them is usually to remind them that at least they are losing weight and that their first and foremost priority when livin' la vida low-carb is NOT weight loss, but rather it should be their health. This is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of the low-carb life that is simply ignored by people who don't think it's necessarily something they need for their life.
Take, for example, a normal weight person. Most people would look at that individual and conclude that a low-carb diet is unnecessary for them because they're not overweight or obese and, thus, are healthy, right? Welllllll, not necessarily. And the same goes for an overweight or obese person. Just because they are carrying around a few extra pounds doesn't automatically mean they are unhealthy. Of course, the extra weight can lead to health issues in the long run, but it's not a perfect indicator of current health problems.
With that said, I wanted to share with you some rather startling results from a recent physical that my dear wife Christine had at her doctor. She started on a reduced-carb dietary approach about a year ago after her triglycerides had risen to a slightly-elevated 250. Her HDL was over 50 at the time and her LDL was over 140. Of course, the doctor was very concerned about this and wanted to put her on Lipitor, but her husband (that's me!) advised against it. That's why we tried low-carb for her.
In just a few short months, Christine dropped 35 pounds and was feeling a lot better by quitting sugary sodas and eating less carbohydrates than she was. Keep in mind that she has a much higher carb tolerance than I do. I have to keep my carbs below 50g daily or I gain weight whereas Christine can eat around 150g before weight starts to creep up on her. It's the difference in our metabolism and I'm cool with it (although watching her get away with eating more carbs is a bit frustrating...but I get over it!).
Since she got her weight back down by livin' la vida low-carb, Christine has allowed a few bad habits to creep back into her diet again--eating French fries (one of her favorite foods!) when we eat out, having breaded meats, eating sandwiches with the bun, and eating her favoritest candy in the whole widey-widey world--M&M's! Yes, old habits are hard to break, but as long as her weight was in check there wasn't a reason to panic.
Or was there.
Today we got the results of her blood work and one number stuck out like a sore thumb among all the others--HER TRIGLYCERIDES!!! While Christine's HDL rose slightly to 58 and her LDL plummeted to 94 without the use of that statin drug her doctor wanted to put her on, her triglycerides actually ROSE to 293. HOLY COW!!! Needless to say, she was quite upset by this and couldn't understand why her cholesterol improved, but her triglycerides didn't. And here's the crux of why I decided to write this blog post.
Christine is the perfect example of why low-carb isn't just about weight loss. Despite all her best efforts to reduce her sugar and carbohydrate intake from the levels she used to eat and the weight loss success she experienced as a result of doing that, her health in the form of her triglycerides did not see a benefit. Sure, her lipid profile was a positive, but what happened with her triglycerides?
Christine is looking at an anomaly of sorts. On the one hand, her cholesterol numbers are fabulous and keep her from ever having to consider the "s" word to lower them (not that she would!). But on the other hand, now her doctor wants to put her on a risky prescription drug called Lovaza to bring her triglycerides down. Christine got a big bag full of samples for her to try (HOO BOY!) and I am always curious to read the fine print about these wonder drugs.
Check out these disclaimers for Lovaza:
Before you take LOVAZA you should take these steps to control your very high triglyceride levels: modify your diet (YA THINK?!), lose weight if you are overweight, increase exercise and reduce alcohol use. Treatment with LOVAZA has not been shown to prevent heart attacks or strokes (EEEEEK! Then why would you want to take this drug in the first place?!). Burping, infection, flu-like symptoms, upset stomach, a change in your sense of taste, back pain and skin rash are LOVAZA’s most common side effects, but there are others.
Oh, is that all? Sheeez! Reading off all these potential side effects of medications designed to help improve your health is enough to make me nauseous (do they make a pill for THAT?!). As someone who has suffered with the negative side effects of statin drugs, if I can find a way to "modify" my diet to lower my triglycerides, then I will. And that's what we're gonna try with Christine instead of Lovaza.
Starting right now, she is on a strict low-carb diet. No more French fries, breaded chicken sandwiches, or M&Ms until we can get the triglycerides down (and hopefully after that, too!). It's not a weight loss thing...it's a HEALTH thing! And Christine now realizes that her lack of weight gain gave her a false sense of comfort with the way she was eating. How many others are walking around out there thinking they're okay when very clearly they are not? That's the question we should be asking about rather than what diet is good for weight loss.
Christine will go meet with a dietitian on Friday afternoon and I'll be sitting in the room with her during this conversation. We're bracing for the low-fat lecture, but I was encouraged to see on her chart that a 1600-2000 calorie diet consisting of low-glycemic foods with 35 percent fat was recommended alongside a moderate exercise routine. Considering her fasting insulin levels were also slightly elevated, this may be a plan for success. I'll be anxious to hear straight from the horse's mouth on Friday what she thinks about Christine's condition and hopefully it won't have anything to do with taking prescriptions of any kind.
We'll be meeting some of the best and brightest minds in the world of low-carb research next month in Phoenix, Arizona for a Nutrition & Metabolism symposium, so you bet we'll be asking them for their opinion about what Christine should do henceforth. But I open the floor to you my readers to share your comments about this and any personal or professional experience with what Christine is going through. I'm just surprised her cholesterol improved so much and her triglycerides did not. Any thoughts?
Christine had two embryos implanted inside of her today
Since I last updated you on our IVF/ICSI process one week ago, so much has happened that was both unexpected and critical in this process that Christine and I have embarked upon to have a baby. THANK YOU to everyone who has been praying for us and supporting our efforts over these past few weeks as we've gone through this emotional and physical challenge. Knowing that so many people are thinking about us and rooting us on in this whirlwind journey has been very comforting.
Last week as she began taking the follicle stimulation shots, Christine's ovaries got bigger and bigger as those follicles, which hold the eggs, grew as well. Virtually going to the doctor for a vaginal ultrasound every single day to make sure they were growing properly, it led to the big day of retrieval on Thursday morning.
The long shots began for Christine this week when she had the hCG shot with an intramuscular needle on Tuesday night preparing for the egg retrieval and then the Progesterone hormone shots began on Friday morning. We had a friend from our church who has experience giving shots administer the hCG shot and she did awesome. But then on my first attempt to duplicate that same motion, I made Christine jump through the roof! EEEEK!
I already cringe just at the sight of a needle, but it makes it worse when you know you're causing pain to someone you love. Instead of trying to jab her, I decided the slow and steady approach would be best. And other than that initial pinch of the needle going in, Christine said it's not so bad. The hormone has to be in an oil-based form which makes it that much more difficult to get it inside of her. And she's got about two more weeks worth of this, too. I'm in such awe that she's willing to put herself through this just to have our baby. WOW!
We were anxiously awaiting how many eggs Christine produced and were very pleased when our reproductive endocrinologist said we had eight eggs after her surgery on Thursday morning. Christine was a little upset by this in the moments after the surgery, especially when she heard the 20-something woman on the other side of the curtain tell her husband that she got 27 eggs! Sheez, rub it in, why don't ya?! :)
But I assured Christine that eight is a good total number and we'll just see what happens from here. Well, out of those eight total eggs, six of them were viable for doing the ICSI process of placing the sperm in the center to see if they will fertilize. Because of my low quality sperm count, this was the only way we would even have a chance at making a baby together. And we were hopeful for the best!
On Friday, Christine got a call from the doctor midday while I was at the gym working out and he gave us the somewhat grim news--out of the six embryos, four didn't fertilize and were rendered useless while two of them fertilized. Because there were so few embryos that survived, the doctor moved up the transfer of the embryos inside of Christine to this morning (it was supposed to be Sunday morning at the earliest for a 3-day transfer and Tuesday at the latest for a 5-day transfer). But the thinking is Christine's womb is the best place for the embryos to continue to grow if they are going to. And so that's where they are right now.
In fact, that picture at the top of this blog post is of our two little ones that we hope will be growing inside of Christine real soon. The top one you'll notice has not split yet which makes it a Grade 4 embryo and less likely statistically to become a baby, but the bottom one has already split which makes it a Grade 2 embryo and fairly likely it will do what it has to do to grow and make Christine pregnant.
At this point, it is the waiting game. All of these shots, drugs, doctor visits, poking, prodding, and the like has led up to this moment--and we've got 12 days to think about it. Of course, we're already prepared if things don't work out like we hope. But we're staying positive knowing that God is in control and can make it happen in His will for our lives. He knows we want kids, but we're leaving it in His hands now and trusting in what will happen.
Although the money we are spending to do this has been a bit harrowing, we know the financial sacrifice will be worth it either way because of the peace of mind we will have. And ever since we announced our "Beads Of Hope" fundraiser recently, the response has been incredible. In fact, Christine wanted me to share with you a necklace, watch and earring set she made for a reader named Deborah.
Check it out:
Speaking of the bead jewelry, one of my readers suggested Christine make something we hadn't thought of. Here's what she wrote in an e-mail:
Hey, Christine:
I ready Jimmy's blog about your beading business, and I wanted you to know I'm wishing you success in the business and sending prayers for your IVF journey. I was looking at the samples of your work, and I think what I'm looking at are the watch bands, the pieces with a "hooking" clasp on both ends: I wanted to tell you those make fantastic Medic Alert bracelets. I've bought them in Cracker Barrel and Hallmark stores, and hooked the ends onto my Diabetes medallion. They turn a sterile-looking metal item into a fashion statement. All the best to you and Jimmy!
WOW, what a GREAT idea! So now you have that option for Christine to make as well to add to any orders you place with us. THANK YOU to this reader who made such an excellent suggestion.
She's so thrilled to take something she loves like bead jewelry-making and be able to bring in some extra income to help us pay for this. We will be continuing this fundraiser well beyond Christmas, so feel free to place an order anytime by sending an e-mail to Christine at muzikgirl@charter.net. Let her know your name, mailing address, what you would like to order, the color scheme of the jewelry, the sizes, and the quantities of each piece. Special thanks to everyone who has placed an order already, sent us beading materials, and even mailed donations to us because you care about us and want to help us as we continue on with this IVF cycle.
Christine preparing for the embryo transfer
That pretty little lady right there is my hero. She has literally put herself through so much over this past month and I can never tell her how much I love her for her selflessness through this entire process. We've become closer through this journey which is probably rare compared to the norm. But I think we've prepared ourselves for whatever happens so our marriage will remain rock solid whether she gets pregnant or not. The thoughts and prayers of those who love us has helped.
The next big date for us is Thursday, December 20, 2007 at 8:00am. That's the day we go back to the doctor for a blood pregnancy test. In the meantime, Christine will have a regimen of Progesterone with a long needle daily, a Medrol pill and two Doxycycline daily through December 12th, a Vivelle dot patch every other day, and a baby aspirin daily. We'll see if all these efforts work to produce a pregnancy just before Christmas. What an incredible present for 2007, eh? :D
For now, Christine is resting. She's got her beads out arranging them in order by shape and color ready to make some jewelry for presents and anyone who orders in our "Beads Of Hope" fundraiser while watching the Sci-Fi and Discovery Channel. She's been ordered to take it easy today and tomorrow, so that's what she's gonna do. I'm waiting on her hand and foot right now and taking care of whatever she needs (yes, I even made a pizza for her to eat--YIKES!).
Pray for us, wish us well, and hopefully my next IVF update will be a great big celebration that we're pregnant with at least one child. It'll be here sooner than we think, but the waiting is gonna be the hardest part of this entire process, especially for Christine who naturally likes to worry anyway (is that a girl thing or what?). Anyways, that's where we are for now.
If you missed the Newsweek article this week entitled "How Diet Affects Fertility," then be sure to check it out and then read Regina Wilshire's stern response to it. There's a whole lotta misinformation going on out there about how diet impacts your ability to have a child. It's interesting reading nonetheless.
Here's a little bit from my e-mail box over the past week:
Jimmy and Christine, I just wanted to lend my support and prayers to you during your IVF experience. God Bless you both and give you the desires of your heart. ********** Hey, Jimmy --
I saw the post about the IVF process on your blog. I realize we don't know each other well, but if you don't mind, I'd like to pass along something that worked for us after nearly two years of trying.
A little background: we had friends who'd tried everything while going to specialists in LA. When they moved to New York, their new specialist told them (this was after $20,000 of treatments in LA), "You know, sometimes the woman is just a little too acidic for the little swimmers. Before we try anything expensive, I want you try mixing a teaspoon baking soda in a cup of water and douche with it about a half hour before you have sex." (Hope I'm not being too graphic here.)
So they did. Bingo, conception. So we tried it. Bingo, conception. Worked in bringing our second daughter in the world, too. We told another couple we knew who were having problems and ... yes, Bingo.
Anyway, I know how trying over and over can get frustrating -- I have a whole bit about in my standup routine -- so I thought I'd pass it along. You never know.
Best of luck. ********** I am praying so hard for both of you right now!!!!!
My friend went through this TWICE! Yes, TWICE. 10K+ each time. No, they are not rich either, but, the loans they took out, the perks they did without to have 2 of the most precious children was to them...priceless.
I have known them for years. In fact, for her 4th attempt (first 3 attempts failed) I went with her. I sat and massaged her head and sang Paul Anka's "Having A (my) Baby" using words that matched her and her husbands life. And she has a beautiful baby boy from that!!
Anyway, it is about you two, not anyone else. Right now you need all the positive energy and focus and that is what you got from, I am sure many more people that count and also, I believe from the man that matters most.
Having a baby--What a lovely way of saying how much love each other, Having a baby--What a lovely way of saying your thinking of the other--you can see its face a glowin'--we can see in your eyes you're happy to know it!
Keep it up, this is the most important thing in your whole life, and if I could I would pay for it ALL for ya. But, my prayers seem to carry some weight so you got those coming full force! ********** I'm not trying to be trite, but can I suggest that you both have your Vitamin D blood levels checked? If they are not around 40ng/ml that might be contributing to the problem. ********** Jimmy & Christine-
Good luck on the meds. I remember it well. And I'm sure with the proper guidance, Jimmy, you could do the shots for Christine.
The Progesterone shots are definitely no fun so tell your lovely wife to massage the area right after so the solution doesn't cause welts.
You'll get through it. Don't worry. ********** Best of luck with your IVF cycle. The Progesterone shots are the worst part of it -- I found that icing the area, and warming the progesterone in my hand, helped.
To the poster who suggested NaPro Technology, please don't spout off when you don't know what you're talking about. Their "technology" is just tracking your natural fertility signs and using ovulation predictor kits. This can be helpful for couples with relatively simple fertility issues, but does nothing at all for tubal infertility, complete failure to ovulate, or male factor infertility (which is Jimmy's diagnosis).
It'd be nice if there were a simpler, cheaper fix than IVF, but for many fertility problems, that just isn't the case. If you aren't thoroughly familiar with the underlying medical issues behind infertility, please let the couple be guided by their doctors, rather than offering useless "advice." ********** The "My Weight Loss For Life" blog wrote the following in a post this week:
Jimmy Moore has a great low-carb site. He's also detailing the progress of his and his wife's IVF treatments, so if you're interested in either, this is a great site to check out. If you like it, check out the link to buy his wife's handmade jewelry. They're raising money to pay for a $18,000 IVF bill. ********** As someone who finally became a father at age 45 and now has two adorable girls, I wish you all the luck in the world on the embryo transfer. Fatherhood is work, but it's also a joy. (The work is part of the joy, believe it or not. I think men thrive on having a purpose.)
12-10-07 UPDATE: Because so many people have requested a way to make a donation towards our IVF expenses, you'll now notice a "DONATE" button at the top of the right side of the blog. Participation is completely voluntary and we sincerely appreciate all of the kind gestures of generosity that have come our way during this process. We are still taking orders for Christine's homemade bead jewelry, too, so let us know if you'd like to have her make you something. She LOVES them beads! :)
An Enigmatic Quandary About Having An IVF/ICSI Baby
It's been a little more than a week since I've updated you on where my wife Christine and I are in our decision about what to do regarding having a baby. With terms like infertility, IVF, and donor sperm becoming a natural part of our lexicon these days, the exceptional response that so many of you have offered us has been tremendous. THANK YOU to everyone who has offered your opinions and we appreciate the incredible feedback.
Here's what has happened since the last update:
I went back to the reproductive endocrinologist for another semen analysis to see if there was ANY WAY POSSIBLE to have a baby using my sperm. The prospects were grim according to the two previous test results which yielded 4% and 0% quality sperm respectively. So I wasn't holding out much hope.
But imagine my surprise when the doctor said they found 8% motility (sperm that moved) which statistically is not that much different from the 4% since we are talking about MILLIONS of sperm. They like to see 50% motility for sperm to naturally do their thing and make babies naturally. While statistically it is possible since there are a little less than a million sperm that are motile, the likelihood of that happening is about as good as getting struck by lightning.
And yet there is GOOD NEWS in this now--the numbers are at least high enough that I can have MY BABY with Christine! Well, maybe. It will depend on that process called in vitro fertilization (IVF) and another specialized procedure called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) (where the good sperm is injected into the middle of the egg to see if an embryo can be created from a fertilized egg). Since my quality sperm is so severely low, this is the ONLY way outside of that very small chance that one of my swimmers will find a way to reach Christine's eggs. While physically possible, it is probably unlikely. So IVF/ICSI is basically our primary pathway for having a baby produced by both of us.
We've had all the tests done which include an infectious diseases panel, the Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) test (important blood test for measuring the follicles in the ovaries to determine if a woman can make babies--high AMH levels indicate a condition known as polycystic ovarian sydrome, aka PCOS, something livin' la vida low-carb has been known to help with), general hormone testing for Christine, semen analysis for me, a sonohysterogram to see Christine's ovaries on an ultrasound, and probably a few other one I just don't remember at this point. Each of these tests have been adding up the costs into the thousands of dollars already.
Now we face an enigmatic quandary about having an IVF/ICSI baby and WE WANT YOUR HELP. You've been such an amazing resource for us so far and we are facing a fast-approaching deadline for our decision (coming no later than November 14th!). If you have been through an IVF and/or ICSI cycle, whether you were successful or not, and would be willing to have us call you to talk about it, then please e-mail me your name and phone number at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. We have some very difficult issues to work through that only someone who has gone through before could possibly understand (it's back to that "shared human experience" thing again!).
The major issue right now is money. I know, it shouldn't be a concern when you are talking about the process of having your baby, but I'm trying to separate myself emotionally from this right now. It's easy to see how people get sucked into this without really thinking it through first. I don't have anything against reproductive endocrinologists who do what they do, but it's easy to manipulate helpless couples into making choices they probably shouldn't make.
With that said, the fact is this IVF/ICSI procedure is going to be VERY expensive. Because this is a specialized procedure and involves some highly sophisticated technologies, just doing this alone costs $12,000-15,000. That doesn't count all the drugs they put you on, these tests we've been doing, and then all the pre-natal care leading up to the birth that is quite costly, too. It's a lot to think about.
Worst of all, the money is due in full BEFORE they will even begin the process. I understand the reasoning for doing that because they want to make sure they get paid since there's no turning back once that wheel starts rolling since you can't take the baby away once it starts growing inside the mother. The doctor has to take care of his own best interests and that is completely understandable.
Our particular reproductive endocrinologist has something called an IVF Refund plan that we are considering as a possible option. You receive 3 IVF cycles and 3 Frozen Embryo Tranfers (FET) to try to get pregnant. They push this one hard to couples who are desperate for a child, but have been unable to do so yet. It is supposed to give you "peace of mind" about the decision, but I'm not convinced yet of that personally (so much for the "peace of mind" part).
Supposedly it gives you a 90% refund if you are not "pregnant" after those three attempts which is an incredible marketing tool for them. You know they HOPE you get pregnant on the first try so they can get more money out of you. I hate feeling this way, but I'm just naturally skeptical about these kind of things. The cost of the "guarantee" is more than double what one cycle would be--in excess of $25,000. So, basically, you pay for two IVF cycles and get one free if the first two don't work.
Then, my concern about this "guarantee" is in their definition of "pregnant?" It is quite possible that Christine could be pregnant by their legal standards, but then never have the baby itself. I asked our doctor about the number of successful IVF cycles that resulted in a baby at his office over the past year (the only REAL measure of success in my eyes) and he said it's about 50%. Our prospect for having a baby with this method is about as good as it is not. Is it worth taking out the equivalent of a luxury car payment loan to MAYBE have our baby?
The worst case scenario with doing this in my mind is getting stuck with a $600-700 monthly payment for the next five years for...nothing. No baby. No return on that investment. Nothing but heartache and more pain. And the vision of some doctor getting rich off the hopes and dreams of a couple who just wants to have a child of their own to hold, love, and cherish. The guy's probably a good man, but you can't help but think these kind of things.
By the way, why is this process so freakin' expensive anyway? What do all those thousands of dollars go towards paying? Where do people with modest to lower incomes go when they want to have a child, too? The answer is they don't have that opportunity. And our doctor's office says most health insurance companies won't pay a dime for it either! Sheez! This royally sucks!
On the other hand, the best case scenario is we have a beautiful baby (or multiple babies!) of our own and gladly pay that monthly payment for a child we can love and raise (we even started looking at names over the weekend). Christine and I have talked about the "cheaper" options like donor sperm and she is dead set against it since it is physically possible for us to have OUR baby.
So the only real decision we have on the table right now is this: Do we take the chance that we will have a baby using this method with the risk that we may not and be stuck with a monthly reminder into our 40's that we couldn't have a baby?
Again, it is very difficult for me to remove myself from this emotionally which I have tried to do as much as possible. But we earnestly want to hear from anyone who has been through this decision-making process to give us your wisdom and knowledge before we make our decision. Ultimately we will do what is right for us, but I trust and appreciate anyone who wishes to help us. Send us your phone number if we can speak with you sometime this week. This decision needs to happen no later than Friday, so time is of the essence.
Here are some more e-mails I received from my readers about our situation:
Jimmy,
I just read your blog post about the problems you and Christine are having with conceiving. I truly, in my heart, believe that there is a reason for everything we encounter in life. I am not good at putting into words how I feel about something but, here goes.
When I was 13 days old, my life began. I had been put up for adoption by my biological parents and that is the day my "real" parents took me home. Both of my sisters and I were adopted from the same place, The Edna Gladney Home in Ft. Worth, Texas. I believe today it is just called Gladney.
Had God not known what good, loving people my parents were, he would not have lead them down that path. It takes special people to take a child into their home that is not their biological child, and love that child as if they were their own. Many, many children living with their biological parents today do not experience that kind of unconditional love and sadly never will.
I know who my biological parents are. I know where they live, I know their phone numbers. I have not and will not make the call to either one of them. I am one of the seemingly few adoptees in today's society that honestly isn't even curious about them. God gave me the parents I had. The best parents that ever walked the face of the earth. The most loving, caring, attentive, willing to do what ever it took to give us a good life, people He could find for us. How special is that!? Even now, 16 years after the death of my father and 1 year after the death of my mother, I have no intention of making those phone calls.
I don't know you and Christine personally, but from what I have seen and read in the short time I have been introduced to the work you have done, you and Christine are cut from the same cloth as my parents. Your love of life, Christian beliefs and obvious love for each other flows outward from each and every post, pod cast, blog post and video you make.
If you cannot have children of your own, please don't forget that possibly God has other plans for you and Christine. There may be a child somewhere that desperately needs you to love them, care for them, teach them, grow with them and just be there for them. A child whose biological parents can not or will not. A child like I was.
God Bless you and be with you during this difficult time. *********** I was adopted at birth and want to make a good case for adoption. I was adopted by people who wanted me very badly and they gave me the best life they could. Though I found my natural family when I was 29 and I became close to my natural mother and brother and sister (my father could never bring himself to meet with me), my adoptive parents will always be mom and dad to me.
Jimmy, knowing you to the extent that I do, I'm sure you would love an adopted child as your own blood. So you may consider adoption as one alternative. The difficulty is that adoption isn't as easy as it was in 1949, and you may have to accept a child that doesn't come from the same socioeconomic background as you and Christine, or a child of a different race, indeed from a foreign country.
I think it is very wise, Jimmy, not to rush into anything, and particularly not out of any sense of desperation. Try to keep in mind and heart, as I try to and don't always succeed, that you and Christine are each complete, as you are, with or without children.
A little more on the matter of being adopted: I didn't mention that being an adopted child, as loved as I was, was not without its odd feelings of insecurity and curiosity from time to time. But kids have such feelings for any number of reasons. I was not athletic, whereas my adopted father was, for example.
Incidentally, I later found out that my natural parents were too young to keep me, had conceived me out of wedlock, but I believe that they wanted me, but my father's parents who insisted that I be given up. How ironic since after I was born and given up, they pushed my father and mother into getting married, whence I have a full blood sister and brother from that union. It was absolutely stunning to meet them when I was 29. ********** Many of my ‘infertile’ clients have conceived using the protocol listed below:
1) coenzyme Q10, which protects against reactive oxygen species in the spermatic membranes, significantly increases motility in infertile men, improves fertilization rates, and increases sperm count and motility; 600mg per day in divided doses
2) Arginine, a precursor of several compounds thought to play a role in sperm motility 3000mg (3 grams) per day in divided doses on an empty stomach
High dietary levels of arginine and/or ornithine may cause reactivation of latent herpes viruses in a few susceptible individuals. If this occurs, discontinue use. Herpes Viruses are also ‘cold sores’ that occur in and your mouth. So if you get these often, arginine is not recommended.
3) Carnitine, which plays several roles in the development of healthy spermatozoa and has been shown to increase sperm count and motility. 1500 mg (1.5 grams)per day in divided doses on an empty stomach
All of these will greatly increase sperm mobility and count. ********** Hi, Jimmy--
I have read your online book and am a low-carber. I am also an IVF nurse. After reading thru your blog I felt like I needed to respond.
First, let me say that I know how difficult the journey is, I live it with people everyday. Second, please know that there is a huge variation of advise and techniques available depending on what clinic you go to. Our clinic, for instance has a national/internaitonal reputation and we see patients from around the country and the world. Many have been treated elsewhere unsuccessfully before they reach us.
This is really not a sales pitch for my clinic. But as another writer observed, most men only need a relative few sperm of their own to be able to father a child using the latest techniques of recovery and fertilization but not all labs have the tools or the personnel.
I am not anti-adoption by any means, and it is a good choice for some people. But it is difficult choice to give up your own biology. Maybe you're not quite at the point where you have to give that up. ********** Dear Jimmy,
I recently discovered your blog from the writings of Dana Carpender. I am a long term low carber, been at it since 2002. I remember well the hoopla there was when Gary Taubes first wrote 'What's if it's all been a big fat lie'?; I remember waiting at my computer hoping that Dr. Atkins would recover from his ultimately fatal fall and I remember the low carb marketing mania of 2004. However unbelievably I just discovered you :)! I love your writing style and am in the process of trying to get through all your backdated blogs.
I was saddened to read about you and your wife's battle with infertility. I have PCOS and endometriosis so know what it's like to battle with an unwilling body. I am not currently trying to conceive but I chart my cycles. From this I can see that conceiving may not be the easiest for me.
As well as being a low carb diet fan I am also a big fan of alternative remedies and have found them to be very helpful for my own ailments. I found this website that features a doctor who is well known in the U.K. and Ireland and has had great success getting people pregnant by giving them megadoses of vitamins and overhauling their diet. She's more of a moderate carb, low saturated fat type but I do agree with her policies re: soy, caffeine, alcohol, organics and omega 3's.
Anyway I hope that things look up for you guys. I am from Ireland by the way and adore your Southern accent. It's my favourite accent in the world!
Keep the comments coming and God bless you guys for your loving support. We appreciate you more than we could ever tell you. :)
