This low-carb food pyramid kinda defines what low-carb means
Before you can enter a debate of ideas about anything, it's generally a good idea to define exactly what you mean when you say certain terms. One word that is lazily thrown around like everyone KNOWS exactly what it means (kinda like "love" is these days) is "low-carb." But you and I both know the definition of that word can vary greatly from one person to the next. It's part of what makes explaining livin' la vida low-carb to somebody that much more difficult. And let's not even get started on the marketing of "low-carb" products these days.
Find out what the word "low-carb" really means in today's video:
We already know that low-carb is the most nutrient-dense way to eat there is despite repeated claims by the media that the faddish low-carb "craze" is a whacked out way to eat. But you and I both know better because we live this lifestyle change day in and day out with amazing results. Anytime somebody questions my low-carb life, all I have to do is point to my weight loss and vastly improved health--shuts 'em up every time! How can they argue against positive personal experience? They can't!
Interestingly, people ask me "What is livin' la vida low-carb anyway?" all the time. Some wonder if it's a low-carb diet I came up with or what. I smile and say it's my way of expressing how the low-carb diet has radically changed my life forever. We all have our own little tweaks to make it work for us, but the basics are still there--keep your total carbohydrates (yes, even the so-called "healthy" whole grains) to a minimum, make sure you are eating enough fat for satiety and fuel (and whatever you do, don't mix low-carb with low-fat), and consume moderate amounts of protein at EVERY meal (again for satiety and weight loss). That's the template for a genuine low-carb diet that just plain works!
Watch any and all of our previous YouTube videos to get caught up on what we've done before. Make sure you also subscribe to our videos to join the hundreds who have become bona fide fans of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube." Let us know what you think and how we can improve our videos by e-mailing us your thoughts at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. We look forward to bringing you some fun videos from the ASBP conference in Phoenix next week. SEE YA!
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!
Dr. Hamish Meldrum under fire for comments, but he's spot on
It's not often that I find myself in agreement one of the leaders of a major health organization since most of the time they get it all backwards, but I have nothing but great admiration and respect for the head of the British Medical Association right now because of his response to the growing trend by obese people in the UK to pop a pill to deal with their weight problem rather than taking the appropriate actions to change their diet and health through lifestyle changes.
After reading what Dr. Hamish Meldrum was quoted as saying in this This Is London column, I just about jumped up out of my seat and cheered him for having the courage to say what needed to be said. Although he's getting railed by everybody and their momma for being insensitive and cruel towards fat people, I think he was simply stating what most people are already thinking but were too afraid to say out loud.
Dr. Meldrum has been disgusted by the trend he sees dieters using to seek out the next miracle "magic bullet" in the form of a pill that will help them lose weight. I've blogged about this many times before whenever the latest obesity pill is released and marketed to the public--Acomplia, Obestatin, Relacore, and most recently the over-the-counter weight loss drug called Alli.
The dirty secret behind these pills (in case you haven't heard and/or figured this out for yourself yet!) is you have to eat a low-fat, low-calorie diet in order for them to be effective. Jeepers creepers! If I have to do THAT in addition to taking these risky medicines, then I think I'll just stick with livin' la vida low-carb thank you very much!
Dr. Meldrum agrees that this constant obsession over the issue of obesity is very likely what is leading the overweight and obese to abdicate their responsibility to do something about it. Describing this issue as a disease has given doctors a license to treat it medically with drugs rather than insisting on their patients to try implementing effective lifestyle changes.
AMEN TO THAT! People don't like hearing the truth about their weight problem and then lash out at doctors who are forthright about it. That's why many doctors are turning a blind eye to their patient's obesity because they don't want to risk the scorn and even potential legal liability of confronting their patients with this (remember this Florida police chief who got fired for creatively trying to motivate his pudgy officers into shape?).
The bottom line, Dr. Meldrum says, is the medical profession is going about treating obesity in all the wrong ways without addressing the real problem.
"We are saying, 'This patient has a hyper-appetite problem' rather than, 'They are just greedy,'" he contended.
He added that obesity is not a medical issue, but rather a "societal" problem (that needs to be addresed by the individual) that will not go away just because of the creation of risky new pharmaceuticals which only serve to hide the symptoms of the bigger problem.
"We are in danger of over-medicalizing," Dr. Meldrum continued. "The evidence of anti-obesity drugs is not good. The evidence for effective intervention in primary care for obesity is very weak."
Then why is this the primary way we treat obesity in 2007? You see more news stories and attention given to anti-obesity drugs and gastric bypass surgery than you do the promotion of dietary changes and natural lifestyle interventions. There needs to be more confronting of obese people with these options rather than the more "extreme" measures that are currently considered the norm.
With self-imposed goals to reduce the number of obese people in the UK, doctors are trying to fudge the numbers artificially to make the cut. Dr. Meldrum is disgusted with this and says it is the wrong way to bring about changes.
Over a million obesity drug prescriptions were written in the UK last year raking in 47 million pounds in 2006 alone for the drug companies. This represented a sharp increase of 16 percent and those numbers are still on the rise.
The only thing that will work is lifestyle change and these medicinal responses have an "effectiveness...under dispute," Dr. Meldrum contended. Especially for children, simple changes in diet and physical activity could be all that's needed to bring about the necessary reductions in weight needed to live a long, healthy and productive life well into adulthood.
Lest his concerns are misunderstood (which they were!), Dr. Meldrum reiterated that he is open to all methods for treating the obese.
"I am not saying we should not look at how we can medically treat people who are very obese," he asserted. "But to me it is obviously an issue where prevention is better than cure."
I could not be more proud of Dr. Hamish Meldrum from the British Medical Association than I am right now for saying what needed to be said. We need even more fearless leaders in leading positions of health authority willing to speak out on behalf of the truth like this even when it is unpopular. That's the only way we'll ever see meaningful changes come about in regards to obesity and health.
THANK YOU Dr. Meldrum and NEVER stop talking about this issue!
Share your comments with Dr. Hamish Meldrum using this BMA contact page and be sure to share your gratitude to him for being so forthright on an issue of grave importance. Perhaps his American counterparts could follow suit? Yeah right, who am I kidding?!
65-Year Old Atkins Dieter Says He Must Always Confront His Addiction To Carbs
Whenever I receive an e-mail from someone who talks about their long-term success on the low-carb lifestyle, I am beaming with pride. From a decade-long Atkins dieter to these two prime examples of livin' la vida low-carb, the truth is clear whether you hear about it from the media or not--lots of people are losing weight and getting healthy eating a low-carb diet.
And it ain't just temporary either! Why?
Well, this study explains that when you decide to begin implementing a long-term lifestyle change over at least an 18-month period rather than simply beginning a diet (which means you'll "die" to a "t"!), you are more likely to succeed at weight loss.
It's like I always say--find a plan that works for you, follow that plan until you reach your weight loss goal, and then keep doing that plan FOREVER! It really works if you make it work for you. Weight management is not easy, but it IS possible.
Take it from a 65-year old reader of the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog who has been on the Atkins diet since 1998. This gentleman had tried the highly-recommended low-calorie diets and they just didn't work for him.
"The reason reduced calories wasn't even an option for me is that even when my calorie intake was far too high, I was still starving," he explained. "There was no way that I would be able to reduce my calories for any length of time."
He added: "I tried many times and failed badly!"
Man, is he ever right?! One of the things that attracted me to the Atkins diet is the fact that you don't have to count calories like those food-obsessed low-fatties would have you believe! Calories do count, but you don't have to count them if you are eating proper amounts of protein and fat when you are livin' la vida low-carb.
This doesn't mean low-carbers are gorging themselves on these macronutrients, but rather consuming enough protein and fat to satiate their hunger and provide them with the energy to live their life. And if you look up the definition of "diet," then this will close resemble what that word REALLY means.
My reader was spot-on when he commented how utterly clueless most people are about helping someone overcome their addition to carbs.
"The reason well-meaning people will never help anyone regain control of their eating over the long-term is that they know absolutely nothing about addictions," he contended. "I'm not being disrespectful when saying this, but simply stating the obvious!"
It's so obvious to those of us who are living it, that's for sure. I can't tell you how many people just assume I'm keeping my weight off easily now that it's been a few years since I shed 180 pounds in one year. Not hardly. I tell them it is still a daily battle to keep myself focused on eating healthy.
My reader says these people need to walk a mile in our shoes which they cannot do unless they've been obese and then beat it.
"They do not understand the mind of an overeater and I will prove it," he said. "Unless they can personally relate to the following story, they are NOT qualified (even a little) in the area of eating disorders."
Here's his story:
"We had a birthday party recently and were served pizza. Under normal circumstances I would never eat a grain product of any kind. Grains, whether fully processed or not, set off my eating disorder just as badly!
But my lovely wife assured me that after being on Atkins for almost eight years at the time, I should now have complete control over my eating addiction. She suggested that I have two large slices and walk away.
Well, guess what? Ten slices of pizza later (and they were very large pieces, too, I might add!), I walked away from that party even hungrier than before I even started eating!"
Whoa! Now that is one powerful example of the strong grip that food can have even on those of us who have been low-carbing for a while. If somebody can't relate to that experience even in the slightest, then they DEFINITELY don't know how to help someone who is fighting food addiction.
Sadly, my reader concluded, most of the so-called "experts" and even semi-educated lay people would say to him that he need "more willpower" to stop at two slices. But...
"This would be the exact same thing as telling an alcoholic to walk away after only six drinks," he contended. "And Dr. Atkins understood this!"
Yes he did which is why people like me and you have been able to confront our addiction to carbs directly and win that battle. If more people could just realize that effective weight control is about eating low-carb, then perhaps obesity could become a thing of the past.
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 62 [16:52m]: Play in Popup | Download
While I did not agree with everything Dr. Kennedy shared in my interview with him (namely his promotion of portion control as the key to weight loss and his description of obesity as a "disease"), he certainly has a niche with his focus not on the diet but on the personal habits. If people could get this aspect of weight loss down, then obesity could quite possibly be obliterated.
Check out these five ways to listen to the podcast (#5 is COOL!):
Dr. Kennedy is a really interesting obesity doc with a perspective on weight loss that's one-of-a-kind. His dietary philosophy isn't so much about specific diets or exercise regimens, but rather your perspective and mindset. What do you think about this? Is he being short-sighted by ignoring the diet or is this the next wave of treatment for obesity? Share your comments about Dr. Kennedy and let's hear your opinions.
If you missed my Episode 61 podcast on the new weight loss drug Alli, then you should go back and listen to this instant classic which attracted quite a bit of attention from some first-time listeners! That was so much fun--I still laugh at it after listening to it SEVERAL time! :)
Dr. Kurt Kraft helps his patients understand the "lifestyle change" concept
My next interview from the obesity conference sponsored by the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) in Nashville, Tennessee about a month ago is with bariatric physician Dr. Kurt Kraft. Although he's not an ardent believe in the low-carb lifestyle as a starting point for weight loss and disease management, he does use an Atkins low-carb dietary approach with his patients who are "carb sensitive." Listen to my interview with Dr. Kraft NOW:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 56 [17:36m]: Play in Popup | Download
As you can tell, I enjoyed my conversation with Dr. Kraft because you could tell he honestly cares about seeing his patients get healthy. He takes great pride in and is energized by the success that he sees his patients experiencing. We need more doctors who take such a vested interest in their patients as Dr. Kraft does.
He chooses to use the "healthy" approach with his patients when he first starts them off on their new lifestyle change--which means they eat a low-fat diet. But Dr. Kraft also emphasizes removing the sugar and refined carbohydrates from their diet to help get their blood sugars under control. Many patients continue to eat low-fat while others are placed on a low-carb diet. It's an individualized plan for the person losing the weight--not a one-size-fits-all program.
Get more of Jimmy Moore and his low-carb podcast show by:
Dr. Kraft is certainly a doctor with a positive and jovial outlook on obesity treatment. What do you think about his methodology? Is the low-fat diet the right starting point for an effective and healthy weight loss plan? Tell me what you think about that and anything else Dr. Kraft said in my interview with him.
Amy lost 40 pounds in just 3 months on a low-carb diet
Plus, at the beginning of this podcast, I introduce you to an amazing new low-carb video cooking show called "Eating Low." It's from fellow low-carb success named Amy who in less than 100 days lost an incredible 40 pounds. Now she's sharing her deliciously healthy low-carb, low-fat, low-cal recipes with the world. Check 'em out!
Darleen Says Low-Carb 'Brainwashed' Her Into Getting Healthy
Darleen went from 212 to 136.5 pounds--looks and feels fantastic!
Hearing personal stories about livin' la vida low-carb success NEVER gets old. How much more invigorating does it get than to hear how real people have been able to shed the pounds quickly and permanently with a healthy nutritional approach?
Such is the case with a 58-year old woman named Darleen. She's that remarkable woman at the top of this post who used to be a miserable 212-pounder with all the aches and pains that come from being obese.
"I was feeling it big time," Darleen recalled. "It was not all that uncommon for me to be out of breath at the slightest exertion, have rashes in the folds of my skin, and a bunch of other health issues were cropping up."
When you are going through all of these kinds of health problems due to your obesity, it's very difficult for people who haven't been in this situation themselves to understand why you would stay there. But it happens until something finally clicks in your head to wake you up and shake you back to reality. For Darleen, it happened one day after work.
"Since I had no energy, I spent the evening munching on corn chips and bowls of ice cream while reading books and thought to myself, 'Is this all there is to life?'" Darleen exclaimed.
Soon thereafter, Darleen put some feet to her desire to lose weight and get healthy by joining the popular gym called Curves and then read several diet books including Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution and The South Beach Diet. Additionally, she supplemented her knowledge with articles about eating more protein and less starchy foods.
Darleen had tried Weight Watchers and their low-calorie weight loss plan in her 20's, but she described it as "torture."
"I was hungry all the time and lost 1/4 pound a week or nothing," she remembered. "I didn’t want to go through that again. I love food too much!"
But she had to give up many of her favorite foods she had always loved.
"No breads, rice, potatoes, pasta or any sweets," Darleen quipped. "Geez, that was my entire diet!"
Even still, she was also a big fan of meats, cheeses, eggs, fruits and vegetables, so livin' la vida low-carb "didn't sound too bad" either. She especially liked the fact that you didn't have to keep track of calories or portion sizes when you first start eating this way because low-carb naturally regulates these for you.
Because of her new low-carb diet, Darleen was never hungry and ate until she was "comfortably full." This kept the cravings at bay so she wouldn't "grab bad stuff to eat." She also knew to take vitamins and fiber supplementation to make sure she was getting adequate nutrients that her body needed as she was losing weight.
Darleen ate lots of meals throughout the day as well as plenty of water.
"I sip on water all day long at work," she said. "Sometimes you think you are hungry but really you are just thirsty."
After 13 months of livin' la vida low-carb, Darleen lost a grand total of 75.5 pounds! That was about 5-6 pounds per month (just a little more than a pound a week!) that she credits her desire to stick with her commitment.
"Maybe it’s just being stubborn but I just read too much about the large numbers of obese people in the United States and I didn’t want to be one anymore," she revealed.
Today, Darleen says she views food "differently" than ever before.
"Reading the Atkins book about what all the processed foods do to your body scared me straight! How sugar/carbs affect your insulin, heart, blood really got to me. I almost shudder when I look at a doughnut now," she exclaimed.
Yeah, I know what you mean, Darleen! Me too! RAT POISON, RAT POISON! LOL! I especially liked the way she described what low-carb did to help her learn how to live healthy.
"I brainwashed myself into healthy eating habits and it worked," she said.
Now those new healthy eating habits have taken firm root in Darleen as her permanent lifestyle change. Life for her has been radically changed for the better with her stunning weight loss and improved health. Although counting carbs was important while she was losing weight, today she is more meticulous about the totality of her diet to make the best choices for her.
"I look at the total picture of food," Darleen noted. "During the losing part I focused on carbs. Now I look at the calories, fat and carbs to help decide. I’m still eating very little to no processed foods. Lots of meat and fresh veggies and fruit are still a part of my life every single day."
After her stunning weight loss success thanks to livin' la vida low-carb, Darleen went to visit her sister across the country to surprise her with her new look
"With my hair a different color and a much thinner body, my sister told me she would have passed me on the street and not known it was her own sister. Needless to say, I loved hearing that," Darleen remarked.
It's been three years and counting and Darleen is STILL livin' la vida low-carb. She's eating lots of fat and highly recommends it for anyone who wants to eat a healthy low-carb lifestyle.
"I know some people think it's gross, but I always eat the beef and pork fat that comes with my steaks and chops," Darleen shared. "I love it! Eat the chicken and turkey skin. Cook with butter and olive oil and have eggs frequently. I absolutely adore blue cheese salad dressing."
She added, "Of course, this is all the stuff the low-fat people cringe at."
Yep, they sure do. But the real proof is in the blood test results Darleen recently got back from her doctor. This is exactly the kind of bloodwork YOU can have if you start livin' la vida low-carb:
I might add that Darleen doesn't take ANY prescription medications at all and is as healthy as she's ever been in her entire life. And doesn't she look absolutely beautiful, too?
Her inspiring low-carb weight loss was the impetus for her husband's 60-pound loss and health improvements, too! He was in danger with his lipid profile and now "everything is normal." WOW! What an story, Darleen! THANK YOU so much for sharing it with me and my readers today. You keep at it girl, and keep on livin' la vida low-carb. I KNOW you will! :)
Are you like Darleen and have a low-carb weight loss success story to share? Send it to me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.
Low-Carb Diet Gets 'Frosty' Reception, Despite 'Great Success' By Many
It's no secret that livin' la vida low-carb is at a crossroads right now.
On the one hand you have those who are vehemently opposed to this way of eating because it goes against everything we've always been told about a healthy diet. To them, eating fat, especially saturated fat, is just about the worst possible thing you can possibly do while avoiding or severely limiting carbohydrate is considered "extreme" and "dangerous." Anti-meat organizations, led by radical vegetarians, hyperbolize the supposed dangers of livin' la vida low-carb to your health.
Yet, there is an ever-growing group of people like myself who are not only bucking the trend by managing our weight with a low-carb diet, but also encouraging many others around the world to do the same for themselves. While public acceptance of low-carb diets like Atkins is slow to come around, the science behind low-carb diets is moving forward at breakneck speed confirming everything we know to be true about this way of eating.
In the coming years, I fully expect there to be a revival of low-carb that will be even bigger and better than what happened earlier this decade. While I certainly don't hope for a repeat of all those awful "low-carb" products that attempted to capitalize on the trend, a serious paradigm shift in how we view livin' la vida low-carb is way past due. The beginning of this is already happening at this very moment.
We need to keep showing our government and health leaders that obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other obesity-related diseases are being eradicated or greatly improved thanks to this nutritional approach that calls for reducing unnecessary sugar and refined carbohydrate intake. Yes, it IS counterintuitive to everything we've ever known about diet and health, but that doesn't make it wrong.
One of my newest readers from the UK wanted to share her appreciation for my blog and podcast show as they have helped her on her low-carb lifestyle which she began in January 2007. Here's what she wrote:
Hi Jimmy,
I was delighted to stumble upon your podcast and have just listened to a few episodes while out on a jog. I found myself chuckling, nodding in agreement and generally getting completely involved in the topics you discussed (fortunately I live in a quiet village in the English countryside, so wasn't observed looking like a madwoman!) Although I haven't nearly climbed the mountain you have, I started my low-carb lifestyle in mid-January this year and have been really enjoying it.
After having four children, I wasn't obese, but certainly overweight and seriously lacking in willpower. Between my second and third pregnancies I did have some success with Weight Watchers, but on reflection was appalled by how much junk I could eat and still lose weight. It wasn't a healthy eating plan for me at all.
By contrast, although I still have a way to go in terms of optimizing the balance of healthy foods in my diet, I am eating far better than I have in ages thanks to Livin' La Vida Low-Carb.
I have recently started going to a personal trainer who expressed concern after reviewing my food journal. He, like so many others, is fixated by the whole fat consumption concept and lumps this way of eating together with so many other 'fad' diets.
I did explain that for me it is a way of life and I don't mind if I never eat another baked potato again, but not sure he's convinced. He is, however, delighted with the slow and steady weight loss I am achieving through my improved diet and exercise.
To date, I have lost about 8% of my initial weight and am happily carrying on, although I did have a bit of a blip at a Cinco de Mayo party last weekend, it was a planned one and I'm back on track. Like you, I am delighted to sing the praises of this way of living from the mountain tops, but the reception here in the UK is still somewhat frosty.
I understand that there are plenty of skeptics in the US, too, but there are equally a HUGE number of people who are enjoying great success with this lifestyle change. It's catching on slowly over here, but I do look forward to trips home (I'm a displaced American) to stock up on low-carb goodies.
Not sure there was any real point to this message other than to say thanks for your podcast and website. The encouragement and support are great and I now feel I have somewhere to turn if my resolve weakens.
CONGRATULATIONS on making livin' la vida low-carb your permanent lifestyle change...for the BETTER! :)
I appreciate your kind comments and sentiments about low-carb living. I'm happy to see low-carb is being embraced by the UK, although it's still an uphill climb in the US. What's amazing is this is all in the face of some pretty compelling evidence in favor of low-carb diets as I said before. Hold on to your hats because it's coming sooner than later.
If you go back to the archives for my "Fact-Filled February" podcasts, I focused just on the research to underscore what science says about this way of eating and it's encouraging and reassuring that we are on the right track. Lots more studies are coming which you will hear about here at my blog when they release.
Don't worry about that trainer's concerns. Get an adequate amount of protein and a low-carb plan is perfectly fine (Dr. Jeff Volek and Dr. Stephen Phinney are the research leaders on this topic--stay tuned for more GOOD NEWS!).
THANKS for writing to me and feel free to come to me anytime you need a boost of encouragement in your low-carb plan. YOU GO GET 'EM, GIRL! Keep be informed about your progress. I LOVE success stories and want YOU to be one of them...soon! YOU CAN DO IT!!!
One of the major criticisms about the low-carb diet is that it was just some passing fad that has no basis in sound nutrition and health principles. So, to illustrate what a REAL fad diet is, I decided to highlight just a few of them in Episode 44 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" today. Take a listen to these truly fad diets that are absolutely nuts:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 44 [10:51m]: Play in Popup | Download
After hearing about these authentic FAD diets, I think it's safe to say that livin' la vida low-carb is NOT the "fad" diet that the media and the so-called health "experts" make it out to be. Instead, it is the way of life that so many of us have made our permanent lifestyle change because it allows us to eat delicious foods, lose weight, get healthy, and then stay that way forever!
Have you tried any of the fad diets I mentioned in Episode 44? I'd love to know how they worked for you and what led you to start livin' la vida low-carb!
Can't get enough of this low-carb podcast? Check it out by:
Tell your story about being on a fad diet and what brought you back to your senses. I've never understood what makes people think these ridiculous and sometimes dangerous fad diets actually work. Perhaps it's because they view it as a "diet" rather than a new way of life. Therein lies the difference with livin' la vida low-carb.
One of the best parts about having a blog dedicated to low-carb and weight loss is the constant flow of brand new, ongoing, and long-term success stories of people who have made livin' la vida low-carb their permanent lifestyle change. As more and more people learn the unbridled truth about this "diet," the momentum just keeps building and building in a positive direction for the low-carb cause.
My cup runeth over with compliments in my e-mail inbox and it's humbling to think my nearly 200-pound long-term weight loss on the Atkins diet has helped others in their own journey. But nothing energizes ME more than to read positive accounts of other people who have made the Atkins low-carb diet automatic in their lives like I have.
Because these kind of e-mails are such an encouragement to me, I'd like to share just a few of the best ones I have received in recent weeks from people who are quietly living a healthy life. Prepare to be uplifted, encouraged, and inspired!
Here's a reader who found out about low-carb from her chiropractor:
Waaaaay back in 1999, I was working two jobs, was depressed, bloated, my skin broken out, etc. All the regular MDs told me there was nothing wrong with me. I went to a chiropractor who asked me about my diet. At the time I was doing the low fat thing, very little meat or protein. He handed me a copy of the Atkins Diet.
Of course, I lost weight that I really didn't need to lose during Induction and in my greed stayed on it too long. I didn't add back the carbs, and I didn't eat the right foods. However, I felt much better.
I cringe when people call Atkins the "bacon and brie" diet. I don't know. My copy of the book didn't want people to eat lunch meats, nitrites (only nitrite free bacon) and tons of cheese. I seem to remember olive oil, salmon, chicken, and nuts being mentioned.
However, nobody does that. They go right for the bacon and the butter. It really IS a whole foods diet if you do it properly. If you do it properly and actually DO what the good doctor said to do, you CAN eat whole grains, even pasta, but just don't over do it.
A new reader is also new to low-carb and already seeing results:
I just happened to run across your writings on the low-carb diet gig--nicely done! I have only just started the Atkins diet and am beginning week two. I started one week ago weighing in at 220 and in seven days have dropped 10 pounds.
I’m 5'10" tall and having serious knee problems from osteoarthritis. I face having my knees totally replaced with prosthetic joints. My doctor said losing weight would help and he was absolutely correct.
After losing just ten pounds, I am already feeling significantly less pain in my knees. My goal is to get down to 170 pounds--that’s 40 more pounds for me to take off.
The Atkins diet has been a piece of cake (no make that a hard-boiled egg). I’ll let you know how it goes.
Finally, an accidental diabetic finds a safe haven in the low-carb lifestyle:
I'm diabetic from pancreas damage caused by misdiagnosed gallbladder disease. I have a kidney transplant. The kidney disease is from a minor birth immaturity that damaged my kidneys and ultimately lead to kidney failure. In 2005, I had abdominal surgery. The surgical wound became infected with staph, I had septicemia, I was in a coma, my kidneys failed and I stopped breathing.
My family was actually planning my funeral, but somehow I survived. I spent 6 months on dialysis and then had the transplant. Afterward, I was given Prednisone and promptly gained 60 pounds. I was horrified. I've always had a weight problem (obese child and teen, trouble controlling as an adult) but had had the wieght under control for several years.
After a year of this, one Doc convinced (coerced) the other Doc to take me off the Prednisone, and my weight loss journey began. On my doctor's advice I did the low-fat, low-calorie diet. In 9 months, I only lost 15 pounds. Now, I'm really desperate.
Then I remembered the Stillman diet and the Drinking Man's diet. Low carb. Kind of scary with a new kidney and all the hype about how low carb may cause kidney damage. I started low carb after a lot of thought. I'd been given a second chance at life and I wasn't fully living it. Maybe low carb was the answer.
I'm very happy to say that it was.
Low carb gave me great food, effortless blood sugar control and I lost the other 45 pounds in short order. This way of eating is now the way of life for me. Because of the transplant, I have blood work done every month.
I see the proof of what low carb can do right before my eyes in the results of my blood tests and by checking my blood sugar. My kidney function is perfect. One doctor looked at my lipids profile, proclaimed I'm going to live forever and jokingly asked for a transfusion.
BTW, all my doc's (endo, neph, PCP and transplant surgeon) know I'm doing Atkins For Life and ALL of them approve. I know that's hard to believe, but they've all seen the wonderful results.
So, if you hear from people scared of low carb because they're diabetic or have a kidney transplant, be sure to tell them about me. By the way, your blog and sites are a great resource and I'm really glad you're out there.
WOW, what inspiring stories for us all! Do YOU have a low-carb story to share with the world (oh, okay, maybe not the WHOLE world, but at least the world of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb")? Then send it to me anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. I'd LOVE to hear from you!
Should You Switch To A Low-Calorie/Low-Fat Diet After Low-Carb?
Questions about livin' la vida low-carb abound from so many brand new readers interested in learning more about this remarkable lifestyle change that is quite literally turning everything we've ever known about diet and health on its head! As someone who has personally been eating this way since 2004 and losing close to 200 pounds in the process, I am more than happy to share my experiences with others so they too can radically change their life for the better!
Most of the questions people ask me in my e-mail box have already been addressed in some form or fashion in my archives of 1700 blog posts over these past two years. One of the best ways you can find the answers to your questions about livin' la vida low-carb is to use the fantastic Google or Yahoo search engines. Enter "livin' la vida low-carb" plus some keywords you are looking for.
For example, let's say you want to find the columns I have written about "Induction," then simply do a search on "livin' la vida low-carb" and "Induction" to find the results you are looking for. That's a lot better option than trying to use the search box in the upper left-hand corner of the blog and I very highly recommend using the search engine. If I've written about it, then you'll find it that way. :)
Nevertheless, I'm always glad to hear from anyone who has a question for me, so feel free to send an e-mail to livinlowcarbman@charter.net.
I recently received the following e-mail from a man who wanted to know if at some point he needed to switch from his Atkins low-carb diet to a low-calorie/low-fat diet to "keep the weight off." Read what he has to say and then I'll provide my comments:
Hi Jimmy:
I stumbled upon your web site and read with interest your comments on low-carb diets. My brother-in-law lost 50 pounds on the Atkins diet several years back, but eventually put it back on plus many more pounds to spare. I'm sure some of this was due simply going off the "Atkins Lifestyle" and most was due to actually overeating tremendously, not exercising, and eating a lot of carbs.
I am concerned, however, that almost everyone I know who has done the Atkins diet has eventually regained their original weight. Some even continued to restrict their carbs in a modest fashion, yet still put all their weight back on.
My primary question to you is: Can a person use the Atkins diet to lose the weight that they want to lose and then switch to a moderately low calorie and low fat diet (without a lot of refined carbs) and still expect to keep most of the weight (fat off)?
Other questions if you have time:
1) It's generally thought that overeating by 3500 calories will cause one to gain a pound of fat. Does this equation still apply to a person who has gone off the Atkins diet or is there some kind of "rebound effect" when upping carbs that causes people to put on more than a pound per extra 3500 calories. I ask this because I have seen some people put on weight rapidly after going off the Atkins diet when they weren't overeating grossly.
2) I enjoy weightlifting and working out and would like to avoid losing muscle. Some claim that they have lost a lot of muscle and strength on the Atkins diet. What are your thoughts? Is much of the weight lost muscle?
My own experience with the Atkins diet was about a 9-pound weight loss in about six weeks on the diet. Much, I believe was water. I didn't care for the restrictions much, but would certainly try it again if I thought the results would be better with a longer try. I suspect that I did not eat enough fat.
I sure would appreciate your response--especially to the first question.
Awesome questions and I'm pleased to address each one.
First, let me say THANK YOU for finding my blog and I hope you will find lots of information and encouragement for you as you continue to implement permanent healthy lifestyle changes in your regular routine. Getting on the Atkins diet and staying there has meant the difference between morbid obesity and the best shape of my entire life.
Regarding your brother-in-law who gained back his weight, he's exactly what I was talking about in this blog post. It completely baffles my mind how people who lose weight on the Atkins low-carb diet and then start eating gobs of carbs again claim the diet failed them. No it didn't! YOU failed if you didn't stick with it. And not everyone who tried low-carb failed. I'm living proof of that!
I eat virtually the same way now that I did while I was losing weight, including a high amount of fat and moderate protein with very few carbohydrates. My primary sources for carbs include non-starchy green leafy vegetables, low-glycemic fruits like berries, and healthy fiber (which I subtract from the total carbs for my net carbs).
To answer your question about switching from a low-carb diet like Atkins to a low-calorie, low-fat diet, my question would be WHY? If livin' la vida low-carb helped you lose weight, then why wouldn't you want to dance with the one who brung ya, hmm?
But if someone has found success on a low-carb diet, then that means their body can not just lose weight but also keep it off for good using that nutritional approach. When you start trying to tinker with the basic tenets of low-carb living, you are simply asking for frustration and eventual failure in your efforts. There's a reason why low-calorie, low-fat diets fail and low-carb succeeds. Don't mess up a good thing!
As for your question about calories, you might want to read this blog post about a study debunking the whole "calories in, calories out" theory regarding weight loss. Although I have never counted calories on low-carb, that doesn't mean they don't count. Most successful low-carbers listen to their body and only eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. There's nothing complicated about doing that. Welcome to how I live my life now. :)
On your question about muscle and strength on a low-carb diet, it's another myth. Noted researcher Dr. Donald K. Layman from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign said in my interview with him last year that as long as you are eating an adequate amount of protein in your low-carb diet so your body can naturally produce the glucose from the amino acids you consume (though a process known as gluconeogenesis, your muscles can and will remain intact.
You might want to read this, this, and this for more information about this important subject. Also, be sure to check out Anthony Colpo's bodybuilders forum to see real people who are livin' la vida low-carb pumping themselves up!
Finally, you stated that you believe your weight loss on the Atkins diet was mostly water, but that's yet another myth about this way of eating that we keep hearing from those so-called health "experts." Read what Atkins expert Jackie Eberstein had to say about this (she worked directly with Dr. Robert C. Atkins for three decades) as well as my own detailed thoughts about it. I'll give you a hint...I don't think I'm drowning in the nearly 200 pounds I have lost!
Your assertion that you "didn't care for the restrictions much" on Atkins clearly tells me you didn't read the book closely enough. People who follow Atkins by the book know there is much more flexibility in what you can eat than just trying to make it up on your own. If I had only one thing to say to people who want to start livin' la vida low-carb, it would be this--BUY THE BOOK and then FOLLOW IT EXACTLY for the REST OF YOUR LIFE! You can't help but succeed if you do that.
THANKS again for the questions and I hope it helps you keep on livin' la vida low-carb for a long, healthy, and happy life!
My e-mail box has been rockin' and rollin' lately with lots of outstanding questions and comments from people who are livin' la vida low-carb to lose weight, improve their health, and radically change their life for the better. That's exactly what it did for me and I am happy to provide a place of refuge where people feel comfortable enough to ask questions that will help them get to that same place in their own life.
As I have stated many times, though, I am not a doctor or a nutritionist (although I am looking into trying to become a trained dietitian--if only there were a program that was "low-carb" friendly to teach people like me the ins and outs of it all). So the information I provide here is from two perspectives. First, it is from my own empirical research and investigation into this amazing lifestyle change known as low-carb living. And second, it is from my own personal experience losing a ton of weight and improving my health with this remarkable nutritional approach.
With that said, I sometimes receive a much more complicated question from a reader desperate for an answer that I have no idea how to respond to it. That's okay because I never pretend to have all the answers. But I do know a few people in the low-carb community who DO have the knowledge and experience to accurately provide answers to the tough topics.
Here's the difficult e-mail I received late last week:
Dear Jimmy,
Thanks so much for your blog. I am enjoying and learning so much. Personally, i have been pregnant and/or nursing for the past 11 years, so my weight has been all over the place and low-carb living during the past 4 years has helped me so much with all of the typical issues.
Alas, this e-mail question is not about me, though--it's for my husband.
He has had extremely high cholesterol/triglycerides issues (total cholesterol is about 400 and triglycerides are over 1200). About 3 years ago he did the low-carb thing and lost about 30 pounds (was still overweight but no longer obese) and his numbers went way down to normal or almost normal (while taking the drug gemfibrozil). After resuming normal American eating habits again, he gained the weight back and was switched to another drug and the numbers are through the roof again.
I also have a question about another issue he has--kidney stones. These have been determined to be made from uric acid. In my research one of the recommendations for improving this is to avoid eating meat and even chicken. My husband wants to go back to his low-carb ways, but how do we know if this low meat thing is for real or if it is the standard government scare tactic that "saturated fats are bad" line?
So I suppose my general question in the end is when it comes to diet recommendations for specific medical conditions, where can I get reliable information that is "low-carb friendly?" Thanks for all your work in the low-carb world!!
WOW, where do you start with an e-mail like that?! I've never heard of cholesterol and triglycerides being that high, but it is obvious livin' la vida low-carb would SUBSTANTIALLY reduce both numbers as it has in the past. If it worked so well before, then why would this person subject themselves to the "normal American eating habits" again?
That's why you constantly hear me talk about making this way of eating a permanent lifestyle change. People sometimes look at me like I'm some kind of alien when I declare to them that I am still on the Atkins diet. What?! Why would you keep doing that "extreme" diet long after you have gotten your weight and health under control? My answer--precisely because I want to KEEP my weight and health functioning the very best it can for the rest of my life. Period. End of story.
Call it "extreme" all you want, but it's working EXTREMELY well for me. :)
Regarding my reader's question at the end about where to find reliable "low-carb friendly" medical advice, it is available from a couple of outstanding sources that I very highly recommend to you. I have previously discussed them here at my blog, but I'll share them with you again--the "Ask Dr. Vernon" blog from low-carb practitioner Dr. Mary C. Vernon (who helped me out with this e-mail today which I will share with you in a moment) and "The Salerno Strategy" blog from Dr. John P. Salerno who used to work directly with Dr. Robert C. Atkins at his Atkins Center for Complementary Medicine a few years back.
Additionally, there are people like Regina Wilshire from the "Weight Of The Evidence" blog, Protein Power author Dr. Mike Eades and his fantastic blog, Adam Campbell from "The Fitness Insider" feature at Men's Health magazine, and so many others. I know most of these people personally and rely on their many years of collective low-carb wisdom to guide me when I am stumped about how to answer an e-mail like the one I shared in this post.
Thankfully, Dr. Vernon stepped up to the plate to answer this one for me:
This is a common problem. Here's why-
Elevated triglycerides are a marker for abnormal glucose metabolism. I'd argue that evidence exists to show that the high levels of insulin tell the liver to make fat--that is, to synthesize triglycerides.
Get a 3 or 5 hour glucose tolerance test with insulin levels at the baseline (fasting) and 2 hour draw. Best is a 5 hour GTT with insulin drawn at every blood draw. The insulin and glucose normals are described in Atkins Diabetes Revolution. I have seen many patients completely normalize their triglycerides and cholesterol levels by using carbohydrate control.
Now, about the kidney stones--
The kidney stone formation is linked to the underlying metabolism with the high insulin levels just like the trigylcerides are. It's not the protein, it's the carbs that cause the kidney stone formation in susceptible people. The Atkins diet gets blamed, I think, because if you cycle on and off of it, as your husband did, then you might form stones when you are off of the diet.
When you begin to control carbs enough to lose weight, usually one loses the extra water that high insulin levels pull into your body. This causes increased urine production and "washes out" the stone. So it seems to happen on the diet, but really happened before. I've followed lots of patients and I have only had one patient with "new" kidney stones in all these years!
OK, so let's hypothesize that my data and I are both wrong. What if some folks do form kidney stones on the diet? Potassium citrate can be used as a preventative. I discuss this with anyone who has a history of kidney stones because I want my patients to be healthy and feel good. Passing a kidney stone does not feel good.
So, check out the glucose tolerance test, get your husband to discuss potassium citrate with his physician, and keep the carbs controlled. Patients with the metabolic response to carbs like your husband has will always have it. Losing the weight doesn't make the tendency to have this problem go away. So make the changes lifestyle changes.
He is at risk for blood vessel damage based on what you have told me--so if he has chest pains take them seriously and get medical attention immediately.
Hope you find this helpful.
Mary Vernon
I learned a lot from Dr. Vernon's response and I appreciate her willingness to provide an answer to this very complex question by my reader. You can send your own questions to Dr. Mary C. Vernon anytime by visiting her "Ask Dr. Vernon" blog anytime. She may feature the answer to your question in a future post, so give it a try!
As always, I am happy to field your question about livin' la vida low-carb anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Of course, with over 1650 blog posts, it is possible I have already blogged about the issue you are concerned about (most of the time I have). If you do a Google search of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" and then the subject matter of your question, then most of the time you'll find my columns. If not, then give me a shout, okeydokey! SEE YA!
The popular radio talk show mogul boasts of quick weight loss
Losing weight is hard enough for the tens of millions of average, everyday Americans who are either overweight or obese in the United States today. But can you imagine how much harder it is for someone who lives in the constant public spotlight as a well-known celebrity?
Well, just ask radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh whose popular weekday program still dominates the airwaves with a robust 20 million listeners weekly. The most readers I've ever gotten at my blog in one week is 35,000, so I'm certainly envious of Limbaugh's ability to attract an enormous audience with his politically conservative message. But I'm gonna catch up to you someday, Rush. Start quaking in your boots, buddy! :)
Regular listeners of Limbaugh's nearly two-decade long mid-day radio show airing on over 600 radio stations from coast to coast have heard him talk about losing weight yet again recently. Fans of the controversial Republican mouthpiece are all-too-familiar with the constant fluctuations in Limbaugh's weight throughout his career.
I first noticed Rush Limbaugh's weight had really gotten up there yet again recently when he appeared on the new Fox News Channel political satire comedy show called "The 1/2 Hour News Hour." Here's a two-minute opening clip from the inaugural episode featuring Limbaugh as the president of the United States:
As you can see from this clip taped back in January 2007, Limbaugh has gotten rather chubby and noticeably so in the face. But you can't blame him since the man has endured some rather huge life changes in recent years--drug addiction, divorce, a stint in rehab, loss of hearing, etc.--that have very likely led him to use food for comfort. This is what I was referring to in this blog post earlier this week regarding change and its impact on your diet.
But Limbaugh proudly announced in the opening moments of his three-hour radio show on Friday that he has now lost a total of 30 pounds in just the past 40 days. Thumping his chest and exclaiming how proud he is of sticking with this mysterious quick weight loss plan he is following, Limbaugh reported that his friends have been asking him what he is doing to lose the weight.
Avoiding any specific mention of the plan he is using, Limbaugh did state in his opening monologue that he visited a restaurant last night and was offered an alcoholic beverage which he politely declined because it is prohibited on his new diet. He said his dining guests were appalled that they would have to do without alcohol if they wanted to follow Limbaugh's diet.
"Then don't do it," Limbaugh exclaimed on his program on Friday.
So what could this new diet that Rush Limbaugh is on possibly be? He's losing almost a pound a day which sounds very familiar to those of us in the early days of livin' la vida low-carb. I lost 70 pounds in 60 days when I first went on the Atkins diet in January 2004 at 410 pounds. Eventually I went on to lose 180 pounds in one year and have maintained my weight ever since continuing to eat this way.
It's merely speculation on my part, but I think Rush Limbaugh is on some kind of low-carb diet. Avoiding alcohol is important in the early stages of a low-carb weight loss effort (although my friend and fellow author Bradley Scott Cailor may disagree) because alcohol has to be burned off just as carbohydrates like sugar and starch are.
"This is sugar! We're talking about sugar," Limbaugh exclaimed on his July 12, 2005 program. "We're not talking about a killer substance here."
But he did admit at the time that children seem to handle sugar consumption a whole lot better than adults do.
"A kid certainly can certainly drink three cans of Coke a day," he said at the time. "That's when a kid can metabolize. That's when a kid can do things."
Perhaps Limbaugh realized even then that he is now at the point in his life where consuming such high-carb garbage as sugary sodas and other carb-loaded food and beverages may not be the best thing for him as he approaches the big 6-0 in a few years. Livin' la vida low-carb may be EXACTLY what he needs to keep his weight under control while vastly improving his health.
Heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and worse are all very real possibilities for people like Limbaugh who have allowed their weight to get out of control and stay out of control for so many years. I sincerely hope that if he is indeed livin' la vida low-carb that he will commit to do it for the rest of his life as a permanent lifestyle change. Otherwise, it will all be for naught.
Whether you love him or hate him, you have to admire that Limbaugh is at the very least taking a step in the right direction to lose weight while he is still able. I know I have added many more years to my life because of low-carb living and it is my sincerest desire to see people just like Rush Limbaugh do the same for themselves.
If you are looking for a way to shed the pounds and get healthy just like me and Rush Limbaugh, then come join the millions upon millions of people who are living the low-carb life and lovin' every minute of it! It's the best thing that ever happened to me and I'll never stop sharing with others about the change that it brought me.
Is Rush Limbaugh on low-carb? If so, then he's at least got that much right! :)
But the mission is still the same--encouraging people who are following the low-carb lifestyle to stick with the plan in an effort to lose 30 pounds over 30 weeks. If you need to lose less than that or much more than that, then simply adjust your goal to lose X pounds in X weeks.
For example, if you need to lose 10 pounds, then try to do it in the next 10 weeks. Or for 50 pounds, attempt to shed the weight in the next year. Sounds easy, doesn't it? :) SURE IT IS!
Weigh in is still on Tuesdays we want to know how you are doing--good, bad, or ugly! It was a little disconcerting to learn that some people felt too ashamed to report their progress because their weight loss had stalled out or even gone in the other direction. It's hard to encourage you if we don't know what you're going through, so don't be a stranger. :) Go to the "30-In-30" blog to share your thoughts about your weight loss experience.
You'll be pleased to know I made ONE change in my diet this past week that will surprise the bejeebies out of you when I tell you what it is and I lost 5 1/2 pounds to get back down to 223 1/2. I'm not gonna tell you right now what it is, but be looking for my post about it very soon. I couldn't believe it when it happened, but it did. Stay tuned.
What's my role now in this new and improved "30-In-30?" The same as it has always been...providing helpful encouragement to YOU while you are going through this journey. Today I have a message that is a little deep, but could get you over the hump of your struggle to lose weight once and for all. Stick around, because this is gonna be a good one!
We all know the secret to lasting weight loss and weight maintenance success is implementing a permanent lifestyle change, right? For us, that's low-carb living! But saying it is one thing and doing it is another concept altogether.
Did you know that RIGHT NOW you have all the power and ability within that body of yours to be successful at WHATEVER you want to achieve? You REALLY do! All you have to do is want it so badly that you can taste it and invariably it will happen for you. That was my mindset when I lost 180 pounds in 2004 and it has served me well over these past few years maintaining that weight loss.
Wanna know a secret, though? Shhhhh. If you want to lose weight, then DON'T focus on LOSING WEIGHT! HUH?! Say what?! Have you gone absolutely nuts on us, Jimmy? Well, maybe. LOL! But stick with me on this point because it's gonna blow your mind.
Click here to read the rest of my commentary about what people should be focusing on if they want to learn the way to shed the pounds and get healthy for good. If you are stuck and think you'll never get into shape, then you don't want to miss this message I wrote especially for YOU!
If you're proud of your body after weight loss, then show it off!
Did you see the electrifying appearance of former "Cheers" star Kirstie Alley on The Oprah Winfrey Show on Monday? Seeing her flash that sexy body in a bikini in front of the millions of people who were watching was a breakthrough moment for Alley who has made a second career of sorts for herself around her personal struggles with her fluctuating weight on her hit autobiographical reality television series "Fat Actress."
But after losing 75 pounds as the spokesperson for the weight loss support system Jenny Craig, the 55-year old actress who portrayed the beloved character Rebecca Howe on the classic NBC comedy series "Cheers," made good on her promise to come back to visit Oprah wearing a bikini.
"I'm thinking this would be a really good challenge," Alley said several months ago when she appeared on Oprah. "If I don't make it, I'm really sorry. You can all come over to my house and see me in a bikini."
Well, she DID make it and strutted her stuff at her glorious reappearance on Monday. Alley said she mainly wanted to do it to inspire people of all ages to do something about their weight for the sake of their mental and emotional health more than anything else.
"We can decide to change anything -- at any age," Alley exclaimed. "What I hope for all women is they feel good about themselves, they look the way they want to look."
Amen! What an outstanding message for not just women, but men as well! One of the most depressing parts about being fat is the constant feeling of rejection, scorn and intense scrutiny by those who are supposedly "normal." Alley is living proof that you don't have to stay in that condition no matter what point you are in your life. It IS within your grasp to change!
Admitting she once downed a mind-boggling 8,000 calories daily when she "ate with wild abandon," Alley will now take her new-and-improved body and flaunt it some more in a series of television commercials and print advertisements for Jenny Craig. As well she should because the changes are utterly amazing!
A spokesperson for Jenny Craig said they will market Alley as an example of "empowerment for a healthy lifestyle and positive body self-image." CONGRATULATIONS to Kirstie Alley on her dramatic turnaround!
I always liked her on "Cheers." She was beautiful then and she's beautiful now. We need more actual examples in Hollywood that it's okay to have a problem with weight and then finding a weight loss method that works for you. That's the bottom line message of livin' la vida low-carb as well. Refuse to be tied down by the confines of what you are "supposed" to do and simply find what works for you.
If the Jenny Craig diet motivates you to get serious about your weight, then GO FOR IT! I'm completely in favor of people feeling 100% confident in the dietary method that they choose for themselves and to never stop doing those new habits for the rest of their life. Alley won't keep her weight off unless she continues on with the Jenny Craig plan. And I won't keep my nearly 200-pound weight loss if I ever stop livin' la vida low-carb.
It's all about making the right choices and letting them become a part of who you are. Settling into "diet" mode where you lose weight and then go back to eating like you used to is ridiculous. Do you think Kirstie Alley wants to gobble down 8,000 calories a day again! I don't think so!
Be encouraged by her sizzling weight loss success story and let it inspire you to begin taking your weight problem more seriously. Man, woman, boy or girl--THE TIME IS NOW TO LOSE THE WEIGHT! Don't wait until tomorrow, after the holidays, or next year. If you need to lose weight, start RIGHT NOW! Taking an interest in your health is not a luxury you need to play around with. Get your act together and never look back again. It's an experience like no other.
I really didn't know exactly what to expect when the fine people over at Grasshopper New Media approached me about doing my own weekly podcast show featuring the low-carb lifestyle from my perspective. Sure, I had done some Christian music radio work back in the 1990s while I was in graduate school and even hosted my own weekly Christian hit countdown show. That was a lot of fun and I have really missed doing that!
But podcasting is a little bit different from radio. There's not a LIVE audience you are broadcasting to when you are recording. Thus, there is no way to instantly interact with your listeners in an engaging way about the various topics you are talking about. I suppose you could call that a downside to podcasting, but I don't.
By the way, in case you've missed the first few shows, go check 'em out:
The ace in the sleeve of this cutting edge new format is the fact that people can STILL interact in an even better way (IMHO!) by leaving comments about the show. You can do that very easily at the official "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" blog, at the brand new MySpace.com page for the show, with the super-easy MobaTalk Comment System (located just beneath my picture on the show's web site--GIVE IT A TRY!), and at the iTunes store.
That last one, the iTunes store, is EXTREMELY important for several reasons. First, feedback left there shows other people there is a genuine interest in the show. Second, curious onlookers rely on feedback from fellow podcast listeners to convince them a new podcast is worth trying out for themselves. Of course, if you hated the show, you have a right to share that, too, but I haven't heard anyone say the show stinks...at least not to my face! :) Finally, it lets us know how we are doing and whether we need to make any improvements.
If you have access to iTunes, I would like to request you do one thing for me: leave SOME kind of feedback there and rate the show regardless of your opinions. I'm a big boy and can take it! If you hated it, then say why. If you loved it, don't be too shy to share. This may seem insignificant, but your feedback at iTunes could be all that's needed to move this show into the next level in a short amount of time.
I cannot begin to tell you how much this would help the show continue to ride the early wave of success it has already seen. My goal is for "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" podcast to reach far beyond the walls of the low-carb community and well into the mainstream of public health circles. Those of us who have made this way of eating our preferred method for eating already know that livin' la vida low-carb is an extremely healthy lifestyle, but there's still so much work left to do convincing the vast majority of others this fact. I'll never stop trying!
Even if you don't have access to iTunes, we'd still LOVE to read your comments in any of the other formats I mentioned previously. Some of the early feedback I have been receiving about the show has been helpful: They love hearing my voice, it's exciting to have a new format to learn more about low-carb, I'm talking too fast, the information provided is educational, the show is too short and ends just when it's getting good, and so much more! THESE are the kind of comments we WANT to hear from you and we are grateful for the constructive criticism as well as the compliments.
You can learn how to subscribe to the RSS feed for the show by clicking here and we even have an e-mail alert system to let you know when new content has been added to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" web site. Enter your e-mail address in the box located in the upper right-hand section of the page and you will be notified when the site is updated!
Ever since the podcast aired for the first time a couple of weeks ago, the overwhelming support I have received from the low-carb and weight loss communities has been utterly amazing to see. There is not a more loving or caring group of people than those of us who are seeking to help the overweight and obese lose weight and get healthy. This was clearly illustrated by the myriad of mentions my new show has received since its debut.
"Will anything stop this man? Jimmy Moore's enthusiasm for low carb seems unstoppable! I've listened to his show and it's very inspirational. You get that personal passion from his voice, that you cannot get purely from his writing."
"Wow, what an uplifting experience to be able to hear Jimmy's voice coming to you through your computer. It's like having your own radio tuned into your favorite channel. Now you can have Jimmy speak to you right from his website."
"For those who have had the pleasure of reading Jimmy's Livin' La Vida Low Carb blog, he's now going podcast! He's looking to be interactive with his listeners to better his show, so this could be a chance to work closely with a true success story and help him shape his future podcasts!"
"One of the things that impressed me about his first episode is how much of a natural he is in front of the mike. If anyone saw the rough cuts of my [how to do Atkins/low-carb] videos, they would know I am not necessarily the greatest ad libber in the world. Jimmy certainly does not have that problem in print with his prolific defense of the low carb lifestyle, and now it is apparent he does not have the problem orally either."
"I don't mind saying that I will only endorse those that I believe have potential. He's GOLD I tell you. I listened to the first podcast and not only felt motivated, but laughed and enjoyed listening. Best of all, it was less than 10 minutes long from start to finish. Yeah folks, you can get a weekly dose of carb-controlled, nutrient-dense, advice from a man who actually read and followed the Atkin's plan."
"Jimmy has earned his solid reputation as a low carbohydrate lifestyle advocate, and he deserves the low carb community's support after everything he has done to promote a healthy low carb lifestyle. This new podcast is an apt and entertaining format for getting the word out about low-carb. Please join Jimmy in this exciting foray into the ever-challenging diet world. No doubt you’ll be entertained and learn something of value."
"Jimmy proves, once again, that the power to change is in your hands. How you do it is up to you. Just do it. Drop in on Jimmy and check out his new show."
"Feeling alone with your low carb way of eating? Would you like a friendly voice in your ear saying “you can do it”, and informing you of the latest news and information about the “low carb lifestyle”? Check out Jimmy Moore’s Livin’ La Vida Low Carb Podcast, with similar themes as his blog and book of the same name."
"He once weighed over 400 pounds, then lost over 180 of those pounds following a low-carb diet and has never looked back. His strongest belief is that the power to change is in your hands and he hopes the podcasts will inspire. If you're trying to lose weight - how you do it is up to you. His experience is there to help you 'Just do it.' Take a moment and drop on over and check out his new show."
"The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show was ranked 20th in iTunes for Health-related podcasts. That’s amazing! I think it’s a testament to Jimmy’s audience and the community he and others have built around the low-carb lifestyle."
"We've encouraged you to visit his wildly popular blog and read his inspiring and motivating book about his extraordinary weight loss. Now it’s time to hear directly from the man himself who has taken the low-carb lifestyle to the next level. Prepare for a mix of controversy, in-your-face fun, entertainment and helpful guidance from Jimmy Moore."
THANK YOU to everyone who has helped me successfully launch this new medium for sharing about low-carb living to a world full of desperate people looking for a small spark of hope and inspiration that they CAN lose weight and get healthy. With "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" podcast, I fully intend to share that message loud and clear to anyone and everyone who will listen. Keep sharing with others about the show and don't forget to listen for new episodes each week!
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