My Low-Carb Product-Free Diet Experiment

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! :)

'Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Menus' Blog Shows You How One Man Eats Low-Carb

See what I eat at the new "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Menus" blog

You know, I need another blog like I need a hole in the head. I've already got "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog, "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Links," "The 30-In-30 Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge," and "The Quintessential Diabetes Links Resource." Add to this my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" podcast, "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" video series, a dLife column, as well as CarbWire, LowCarbNewsline, CommonVoice, and DietDetective. WHEW!

But here I go creating yet another new blog called "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Menus" that will chronicle exactly what I put in my mouth on a daily basis. I have backdated the entries all the way to December 14, 2007 so there's already well over a month's worth of daily menus for you to see (plus, you can see how I ate through the holidays--it IS possible to stay on low-carb!). Anyone who wonders what a long-term low-carber actually eats won't have to wonder anymore.

Now I realize there will be a small minority of people who will disagree with what I choose to put in my mouth and that's fine. It's my body and my life, not theirs. I have no problem eating the way that I do because for the first time in my life I am able to manage my weight and health while enjoying what I eat in the process. It's so liberating when you are able to FINALLY find what works for you and then executing that on a daily basis. That's what this exciting new blog will illustrate.

In addition to my diet, I've also included any cardio or resistance training exercise (which I have been doing for about a month) in the daily timeline as well. You'll be able to see exactly when I ate and how much exercise I participated in every single day and I encourage you to check it out often. At the end of each day's entry, I include a "NOTE" that provides some commentary about that particular menu. As you know, life can sometimes provide some interesting twists in what goes inside your mouth, so I tell you about that for context.

I'm pleased to offer this new blog for so many of you who have long asked me to share more menus. Well, now all you have to do is go to my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Menus" blog to check it out! Let me know what you think and if you have any other suggestions to improve it even more.