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Friday, June 13, 2008
Scores Of Low-Carb Stuff To Talk About (And Nary A Moment To Do It!)
Here I am sitting behind my computer yet again with more low-carb and health headlines than I can shake a stick at (what does that phrase mean anyways?) and I'm just covered up in busy-ness. I hate that because I really enjoy being able to crank out the blogs and go into greater detail about the subjects that make you think about why you are livin' la vida low-carb.
Nevertheless, life beckons and it's been a very busy week. My wife Christine and I have been working the audio/visual at our church's Vacation Bible School (VBS) this week for the "Outrigger Island" program. It's been a lot of fun, but has taken up about four hours a night of time I usually spend working on my blog. With that said, tonight is the final night of VBS and I'll be back on schedule again. But since I've fallen behind a bit on my blogging, here are scores of low-carb stuff to talk about (and nary a moment to do it!). ENJOY!
Even the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins said you don't really need to worry about calories on low-carb because they are not as important as controlling carbohydrates (a notion strongly repeated and reiterated by Dr. James E. Carlson in my recent interview with him). That's why I find this a rather peculiar issue to be bantered about by low-carbers right now.
But I can appreciate the varying opinions about low-carb and calories, including the I saw from the Eugenization blog where he details how an enzyme called Acylation Stimulating Protein (ASP) may be responsible for weight gain even when you are livin' la vida low-carb. Guess what it all comes down to according to him? Calories, plain and simple. This adds even more fuel to a fire that's already burning white hot.
From the "who really gives a rip" files comes a new study from the American Heart Association that put 18 people on the Atkins diet, South Beach diet and Ornish diet for a month to see what happens to their various health markers. The LDL of the Atkins dieters went up by 7 percent. OH MY GOD!!! These people are gonna die!!! OH MY GOD!!! Somebody call the wahhhhhmbulance already! What about their triglycerides? How about their HDL good cholesterol? I'd be willing to bet after just one month of livin' la vida low-carb they were GREATLY improved. But where was that in this story?
These people at the AHA would FREAK if they saw that my LDL cholesterol is 246 and I have no reason to go on a statin drug to artificially lower it. The fact is most of that LDL is protecting me from cardiovascular issues because it is comprised of mostly the large, fluffy particle size that you want to have plenty of.
For a supposedly respectable health group like the AHA to participate in such silly scaremongering about LDL resulting from being on the Atkins diet (described by their lead researcher as "the worst"), I can't imagine anyone taking them seriously anymore. When they resort to publishing a so-called "study" like this while spreading even more negative and hyperbolic innuendo about saturated fat with their preposterous Bad Fats Brothers propaganda, the irrelevance of the AHA is becoming more and more apparent each and every day.
I came across this YouTube video that succinctly explains the process behind how and why livin' la vida low-carb works in only about a minute. This is an excellent resource for you to point people to who are confused about low-carb. It reiterates this study I highlighted last year about a hormone called FGF21, the hormone responsible for the fat-burning that happens on a low-carb diet. Save the link to this video and forward it to anyone who is confused by all the negative things they have read about the low-carb lifestyle.
You wanna know why I like to blog so much? Stories like this one absolutely drive me bonkers because they are leading people down a path of destruction for their health. This little list of foods designed to make you "more alert, think more clearly, have more energy, even be more creative" is some of the most unbelievably irresponsible nutritional advice I've seen in a very long time.
This registered dietitian named Elizabeth Somer wants people to eat (this is NOT a joke!) a "spoonful of sugar," a whole wheat (oooo, that sure makes it healthy!) bagel, soy (OH YUMMY--WRONG!), and so much more to wake yourself up right in the morning. On what planet is this even remotely considered healthy eating?! Come on, lady! Get with the program. I'll be sticking with my eggs and sausage in the morning and I do just fine!
Well, imagine that! I never would have guessed livin' la vida low-carb would be the ideal diet for an overweight diabetic. But that exactly what this Reuters story says citing a study conducted by Dr. Jorgen Vesti Nielsen in Sweden. I told you about him in my recent podcast interview with Per Wikholm about the low-carb momentum happening in Sweden this year (I'll be posting another update about more recent events on the low-carb front in that country real soon!).
Limiting their carbohydrates to just 20 percent of their total caloric intake, these 16 obese diabetics have been following this diet for 44-months (read the study published in the Nutrition & Metabolism journal) and the comparison between their results and the high-carb, low-fat control group are absolutely remarkable. Blood glucose levels dropped almost immediately after starting the low-carb approach and have remained down ever since. Of course, we knew that would happen! :)
This old man doesn't know when to shut his trap! Bryant Stamford from "The Body Shop" column recently penned a column entitled "Two things to avoid: saturated fat, simple sugar" where he gets it half right. He called us low-carb bloggers out by stating his column will produce "another outcry from the few Atkins, high-fat faithful still clinging to the belief that eating bacon cheeseburgers, sausage balls and prime rib is good for you." Well, actually, they are!
While I can appreciate his disdain for simple carbohydrates like sugar, Stamford's ignorance of the latest research on saturated fat is quite glaring. Perhaps you'd like to educate the good professor by e-mailing him at stamford@hanover.edu about your experiences eating saturated fat as part of your healthy low-carb lifestyle. I know he'd just LOVE to hear from you "silly anti-carb hyperbole" spreaders!
Have you heard about the "miracle fruit" berries that can make beer taste like chocolate and lemons like candy? It sounds sci-fi freakish, but apparently it is true. The West African "miracle fruit" effect can last about an hour and works by utilizing a protein called miraculin where it binds with the taste buds and acts as a sweetness inducer when it comes in contact with acids. FASCINATING!
There are even "flavor tripping parties" where this "miracle fruit" is served or you can order some for yourself by inquiring at supreme@flavortripping.com. This certainly sounds appealing to me since I don't consume sugar at all. It'd be a neat experiment to see what low-carb foods taste like under the intoxicating power of super-revved up sweetness! Could there be a new artificial sweetener in this? Who knows, but if the hype is true I'm sure somebody's working on it!
You gotta admire a low-carb legend like Dr. Richard Bernstein. The man has been around since Moses walked the Earth promoting a low-carb diet as a means for controlling diabetes. But it is only just now getting the recognition that it has long deserved as this Diabetes Health column points out.
A Spanish study published last year in The Internet Journal of Nutrition and Wellness entitled "Arguments in Favor of Ketogenic Diets" by Dr. Joaquín Pérez-Guisado, gives scientific evidence in favor of livin' la vida low-carb. Namely, this diet is most effective for weight loss, preserves muscles mass, controls appetite, promotes a healthy lipid profile, effectively reverses the effects of Type 2 diabetes, and has been widely deemed as safe.
This is old news to you and me, but a great introduction to those diabetics who have been fooled into thinking that low-fat, high-carb diet they were on was somehow helping their disease. The change in thinking is gaining momentum all the time and we must never grow tired of repeating why livin' la vida low-carb works so well. There will ALWAYS be people who are just beginning to understand and we must stand ready to share the details with them when they are ready.
A reader sent me this column on the "Low-Carb Myths And Truths" that was published sometime in the Reader's Digest. Although I usually like what I see in that publication, this was just over the top for me because the conclusions you get left with about livin' la vida low-carb after reading it are that it's not for long-term weight maintenance, it will damage your heart, you'll eat too many calories, and eating low-carb requires a whole bunch of "junk" food. Ooooooookay, where do you start?
Long-term weight loss? Um, what about all those low-fat diets? How well do THEY work at long-term weight loss, hmmmm? The latest studies show NOT VERY WELL at all! So why is low-carb held to a higher standard than the holy grail of a so-called "healthy" diet? Just wondering.
Damaging to your heart? WRONG! This Harvard study put that notion to rest when they found there was no increase in heart health risks associated with low-carb diets over a 20-year period. It's just more ignorance by those who have an agenda against livin' la vida low-carb and I'm gonna call their bluff every single time I see it!
You'll eat too many calories? So what? Much of the discussion of calories within health circles these days centers on the QUALITY of those calories--in other words, how can you get a bigger nutritional bang for your buck. Well, it STARTS with eliminating all the culprit carbohydrates to control the insulin release. Once you do that, any increase in calories that happens as a result of eating more fat (which has 9 calories per gram compared with 4 calories per gram of protein or carbs) is passive as it relates to weight loss. That's the metabolic advantage we talk about so much with low-carb. So calories, schmaleries!
Finally, "junk" food? Yes, there are some garbage low-carb products out there that are low-carb impostors. But they're not all bad for you. Plus, keep in mind that livin' la vida low-carb can be done without the use of ANY products whatsoever if you choose to do it that way. Of course, these numskulls will probably say the saturated fat in the meats, cheeses, and nuts you consume are "junk," but that's another story. The bottom line is low-carb is healthy whole foods eating for the most part. :)
Countering this ignorance in major media publications like Reader's Digest is essential to reeducating people about why low-carb is right for them. I always stand ready to tell the truth in the midst of such outlandish and ridiculous journalism.
The June 23, 2008 issue of Time magazine has a series of articles on the subject of childhood obesity, including this one which blames excessive calories for the weight gain, this one that examines all the other reasons besides genetics for kids getting fat, this one blaming school lunches and snack machines for the problem, this one lamenting the future health problems that await hefty children, this one tracking the eating habits of a typical teenager in America, this one looking at the family environment and its impact on weight, this one glorifying the ability to be "fit at any size," and this one with tips about how to get your kids to begin exercising.
Although childhood obesity has been ignored by government and health leaders before, they're paying attention to it now. But their answer to this problem is creating a kids Food Pyramid that once again advocates low-fat/low-calorie eating and exercise. Come on already! Can't we see that hasn't worked very well?! What we need is to advocate the use of low-carb as a healthy alternative for kids to use for weight and health management.
We've already seen how schools that go sugar-free reduce obesity and that should be a sign for these lawmakers on Capitol Hill to move in a low-carb, sugar-free direction with childhood obesity policy. We keep scratching our heads wondering why we can't lick this problem when the answer to it keeps staring us right in the face while the powers that be continue to ignore it. Sigh. Will we EVER learn?
In stark contrast to that Reader's Digest column I highlighted above is this one in Muscle & Body Magazine penned by low-carb researcher Dr. Jeff Volek from The University of Connecticut. In a mock trial where low-carb diets is put to the truth test, Dr. Volek does quite a Perry Mason job of not just defending, but vindicating livin' la vida low-carb. YOU GOTTA SEE THIS!!!
One of the amazing things that has happened since the September 2007 release of the blockbuster health and nutrition book entitled Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes is the open conversation of topics that were once considered taboo. Consider this column that discusses whether red meat is healthy or not. With all the anti-meat propaganda that tends to dominate most media accounts of diet and health, it's refreshing to see an open and civil discussion of the BENEFITS of consuming meat. With the paperback version of Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health coming out September 23 2008 with some updated material, I expect to see even more of these kinds of columns--let's keep the conversation going!
Stop the presses everyone because this story will likely turn everything you ever thought about weight gain on its head! A new study published in the June 4, 2008 edition of the scientific journal Cell Metabolism says the nervous system may have more to do with it than once thought. Of course, studies like this on roundworms aren't a perfect comparison to humans, but it does open the door for further research into this. The problem is they make the claim that a DRUG needs to be created to help with weight loss--ARGH!
An El Paso, TX-based trainer Ian Appling goes off on an anti-low-carb rant with this column and it's so insane considering the ridiculous headline they gave it--"Low-carb diets lead to chemical imbalances." Is this proclamation based on some new scientific research? Nope. It's just an opinion of someone who obviously doesn't like low-carb diets. What is laughable is that some of what he says is PRECISELY what livin' la vida low-carb is. These people are incredible in their lack of accurate data about this way of eating. That's irresponsible in this information age we live in.
Reading this Los Angeles Times column about a new weight loss surgery called a vagotomy, it makes me very glad to be livin' la vida low-carb. THANK GOD! :)
My friend and fellow low-carb blogger Christin Sherburne penned a fabulous post this week called "Turkish Delight" that tells a stark story of the reality of falling for a fast weight loss diet scam like the Kimkins diet. The brutal honesty of this dear woman who is still trying to find her way is such a change of pace from what you usually see. I've grown to know Christin quite a bit over the past year and there is no one more sincere and selfless than her. We cheer you on as you work through this difficult period in your life right now, Christine. Don't give up hope and rest assured you'll figure out what to do.
Amy Tenderich over at the uber-popular diabetes blog Diabetes Mine has an intriguing post entitled "Top 8 Low-Carb Fake-Outs." When I read this one, I just had to scratch my head a bit at these foods Amy describes as "low-carb." Ummmmm, I didn't know rice cakes, light Ranch dressing, and peanut butter, for example, are low-carb staple products. All of those are more for low-FAT diets. But she does make some great points that low-carbers should be reminded of.
Leave it to the trustworthy and reliable Laura Dolson at the About.com Low-Carb Diets blog to come up with a fabulous post featuring 10 perfect convenience store snacks for those of you who are traveling on vacation this summer. Whenever I stop at a convenience store, these are precisely the food items I look for. THANKS Laura!
Daniel Davies at the "Crooked Timber" blog offers up his theory that fad diets are allowed to continue primarily because of the personal experiences shared with others who feel a connection with the individual who lost weight. Not surprisingly, Daniel puts the Atkins diet in that category of "fad" diets saying it only works for controlling calories because it is "inconvenient and unpleasant" as a way to eat. Daniel, Daniel, Daniel--what are we gonna do with you? What do you think about this notion that enthusiasm for a diet that works for someone else perpetuates suspicious dietary approaches? It's good food for thought.
Vegetarian blogger Mark Warren Reinhardt from the "On or Off the Mark" blog gets in his digs at those of us who are livin' la vida low-carb with this blog post mocking being a low-carb supporter. I'd say Mark is "off the mark" this time around because he hasn't got a clue why those of us who love low-carb living are so enthusiastic about this way of eating. It's great that he enjoys being a vegetarian, but disrespect for people who low-carb is so not cool.
Can you imagine the next President of the United States--Barack Obama or John McCain--in January 2009 making a State of the Union address stating that beginning immediately there will be a requirement for all Americans to have their waistlines measured and if it is larger than a predetermined size you will be asked to lose weight within a few months or your employer will face financial penalties? Preposterous, you say? Well that's exactly what is going on in Japan right now. They have decided to take such an aggressive approach to treating obesity to try to get a handle on the rising health care costs. Would that fly in America where two-thirds of the population is currently overweight or obese by government definition? Whaddyasay?
Finally, it has been proposed that part of my recent weight gain this year may have to do with excessive stress which releases the fat-storing hormone known as cortisol. Yikes! It's possible that is part of it since my low-carb diet is about as good as it can be. So how do I reduce this stress that I don't necessarily feel? The tips on this web site were helpful, but I welcome any additional feedback for reducing stress. This could help a lot of people!
Is that enough low-carb news and updates for you? WHEW! There's so much going on and I'm happy to get you current on all that is happening. Send me any low-carb news and information anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. THANKS so much for reading the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog!
Gary Taubes sat down with me in Phoenix, AZ to discuss low-carb
One of the most influential voices in the diet and health arena this decade isn't a doctor, researcher, clinician, dietitian, fitness buff, or any of the other so-called "experts" that we usually hear from as it relates to this subject. Nope, it's none of them and instead is, of all things, an American journalist named Gary Taubes. Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year, then you should be very well aware of Taubes and his bestselling book about the unique role of carbohydrates as the root cause for obesity and most diseases called Good Calories, Bad Calories which continues and expands upon the ideas he wrote about in his infamous 2002 New York Times op-ed piece "What If It's All Been A Big Fat Lie?"
Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 139:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 139 [24:59m]: LISTEN NOW | Download
Gary Taubes has been traveling around the nation giving a rather succinct lecture on the basic tenets of what he wanted to convey with his book. If you haven't seen the lecture, then you really should check it out for yourself because it is well worth the 72-minute investment of your time to listen to what this man has to say. As he revealed in today's segment, Taubes hopes to convince his publisher to allow him to create a more user-friendly book out of that lecture for the sake of clarity and understandability by those of us who are not medically inclined (which was the primary audience of Good Calories Bad Calories).
Hear interviews from REAL experts like Gary Taubes whenever you'd like by:
So what do you think so far? Gary Taubes could literally talk on and on for hours about this subject which encompasses so much of his life right now and we need more people like him out there vocalizing what you and I have seen happen in our own lives since we started livin' la vida low-carb. This isn't some dangerous "fad" diet which we've been led to believe by the media and the "experts"--it's a life-changing event that could literally save the lives of millions more if it weren't so vilified. That's why Taubes wrote his book and is lecturing about this so fervently.
Talk about what you heard in Part 1 of the Taubes interview in the show notes section of Episode 139. If you happened to miss any of my blog posts about Gary Taubes and Good Calories, Bad Calories, then you can see them all in one place by clicking here. You can also provide us with your audio feedback about this interview by calling (206) 202-6516.
A special CONGRATULATIONS to Justin Wallraven, Maya, and Steve Whitley for being my three winners of the hit Canadian low-carb documentary called My Big Fat Diet. Last Monday I conducted a giveaway during Episode 137 by requesting a brief essay explaining how a high-fat, low-carb diet has transformed and changed your life forever. There were lots and lots of entries, so THANK YOU to everyone who tried to win. Keep listening for more chances to win FREE STUFF in the future. I appreciate your support! :)
Obesity doc Yoni Freedhoff wonders about low-carb long-term
We hear it all the time from people who have genuine concerns about low-carb diets: Can you sustain it over the long-term? It's a fair question and I can appreciate that people who work in the medical community want to be thorough with the information they are providing their patients. Not every doctor asks that question with the best of intentions, but I think the one I interviewed for my podcast show today does.
In Episode 131 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore," you'll hear from Dr. Yoni Freedhoff in Ottawa, Ontario Canada as he talks about how he got into bariatric medicine, what he does in his office to help the obese, what he thinks about the low-carb diet as a sustainable lifestyle change, and why he believes the pharmaceutical answer to obesity isn't necessarily the primary answer for people desiring weight loss. I think you'll enjoy hearing what Dr. Freedhoff has to say. ENJOY!
Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 131:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 131 [22:02m]: LISTEN NOW | Download
Dr. Freedhoff is a very articulate physician who sincerely wants to help people beat their obesity through the use of a calorie budget--whether it is low-fat or low-carb--and trying to keep within their individualized parameters. It's an interesting strategy to give overweight and obese people "guidance" rather than shaming them into losing weight. I was pleased to hear him say that he understands fat and protein are filling (that thing called satiety) and are great for weight loss.
Get in on the fun with Dr. Yoni Freedhoff and others anytime by:
Are the concerns by Dr. Yoni Freehoff about the sustainability of low-carb diets over the long-term justified? What do you think about his philosophy for people dealing with obesity? Let's discuss it in the show notes section of Episode 131. Check out his blog "Weighty Matters" as well as his Bariatric Medical Institute web site for more information from this fascinating doctor who is helping his Canadian patients lose weight and get healthy again.
Come back later this week when I'll be sharing an outstanding interview I conducted with a man named Doug Kaufmann. One of my blog readers told me about Doug and his "Know The Cause" program which zeros in on fungus as a primary role in obesity and disease. I know, it sounds gross and a little crazy, but I can assure you this will be one podcast you will NEVER forget! That's what I have coming up for you on "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" on Thursday.
One woman is 19, the other is in her 40s--can you tell which is which?
I feel pretty, Oh, so pretty, I feel pretty and witty and bright! And I pity Any girl who isn't me tonight.
Those are the famous lyrics from hit Broadway show "The West Side Story" and are apropos for what I have to share with you in today's podcast show. Normally a discussion of a topic like "beauty" is waaaaaaaaaaaay out of my league, but thankfully I know some people who aren't just experts who simply talk the talk about it, but they have personally walked the walk as well. That's why I'm excited to share my interview with beauty and lifestyle expert Kat James today.
Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 127:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 127 [25:37m]: LISTEN NOW | Download
As a highly-sought after beauty expert to the Hollywood stars, Kat James knows a thing or two about looking good. But the amazing thing about Kat, who has a fabulous web site called InformedBeauty.com, is that she understands the dietary component to beauty that is often ignored by those who don't get the connection between sugar and carbohydrates and how you look. Whether you care about beauty or not, isn't it good to know that this way of eating we are engaged in is precisely how to look your very best?
Have you struggled with beauty issues because of your obesity? Are you convinced by Kat James that livin' la vida low-carb is a way to take care of both? Share your thoughts about Kat James in the show notes section of Episode 127. Be sure to come back on Thursday for Part 2 of my interview with Kat James.
By the way, that picture on the left at the top of this blog post is Kat James at 19 years old and the one on the right is Kat James in her forties. AMAZING!!!
Can it REALLY be? A television show about a low-carb diet? YEP!
With popular weight loss reality television shows like "The Biggest Loser" in the United States, Australia, and around the world, it was only a matter of time before a television network was gonna be willing to give the low-carb lifestyle an opportunity to be featured and displayed prominently in its very own program. And now it's here for all the world to see for themselves the life-changing impact of healthy low-carb living!
Have you heard about the new Canadian show called "My Big, Fat Diet" which premiered on the CBC on Tuesday night at 10pm? Oh my gosh, if you are a fan of livin' la vida low-carb, then hold on to your hats folks--they're actually putting the participants on a sugar-free, no junk food, high-fat, low-carb diet. WOW doesn't even begin to express how amazing it feels to see something like this on television.
Wanna see a sneak peek of the show? Check out these three YouTube videos:
Based in the Alert Bay area of British Columbia in Canada, the premise of the show is to get the people to return to the native diet of the orginal Namgis First Nation ancestors. With outside influences changing the makeup of the aboriginal community there, the negative impact on the weight and health of the people there has been undeniable with rampant obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes. It's a sad state of affairs which is why Métis physician Dr. Jay Wortman, who I have had the privilege of interviewing at my blog previously, took a strong interest in researching and developing a diet program which closely mirrors the one used by the people not that long ago.
Dr. Jay Wortman is passionate about the high-fat, low-carb diet
Most upsetting to Dr. Wortman and like-minded doctors in that area is that the typical diet and lifestyle intervention prescribed to people with the conditions that are being seen in the health of these participants is a high-carb, low-fat diet and hours of exercise. But Dr. Wortman knows better based on the studies he has conducted with his unique approach to improving weight and health issues through the use of a high-fat, low-carb nutritional approach. He blames the cultural influence of the United States on most of the problems the people of his country are suffering from today.
"Obesity, diabetes and heart disease were unknown in these populations until very recently," Dr. Wortman exclaimed. "No aboriginal language has a word for diabetes."
As a Type 2 diabetic, Dr. Wortman is keenly aware that he needed to make drastic, immediate changes in his diet when he was diagnosed with it four years ago so he could not only survive his disease, but thrive despite it.
"My immediate instinctive response was to stop eating any food that caused my blood sugar to rise," he added. "So I eliminated carbohydrates from my diet. Within four weeks, my blood sugar and blood pressure had normalized and I began to feel much better."
And he's STILL feeling better to this day which is one of the reasons why he wanted to be involved in this new television project following real people from the Namgis First Nation to see how they do giving up the culprit carbohydrates and replacing it with more fat. Wanna see what they are eating on this diet? Check this out:
- Wild salmon - Oolichan grease (wickedly EWWW!) - Bacon - Eggs - Cauliflower, broccoli, and salad greens - Beef, pork, chicken, fish or seafood - Cream (but not milk because of lactose--sugar!)
There was absolutely NO pasta, rice, potatoes, bread or sugar allowed. Dr. Wortman is convinced the introduction of these foods to the culture in the late 1800s is what led to the problems with health that exist today. Avoiding all starches and sugars was the key to the diet plan on "My Big, Fat Diet." It's a very unique concept considering the continued antagonistic attitude held by the media and health "experts" who believe the low-carb diet is a "dangerous fad" that can cause damage to your health over the long-term. I'm waiting for some pompous low-fatty health group to file a lawsuit against the CBC for daring to do such a television show about livin' la vida low-carb.
Directed by Mary Bissell, this Bare Bones Productions show follows the lives of six real Namgis First Nation people who willingly give up sugar and starch and replace it with fat over a period of a year with fantastic results. This program is sponsored by Health Canada and the University of British Columbia. Mixing a bit of historical culture influences with sound documented medical science is what makes "My Big, Fat Diet" the first such program like this in television history.
Interestingly, on the official web site for "My Big, Fat Diet" at the bottom of the page there is a big disclaimer that I couldn't help but laugh at when I saw it.
"The research in this study is still being evaluated. Anyone taking medication for diabetes or high blood pressure should consult their doctor before starting a low-carb diet."
Isn't it funny how we NEVER see these kind of warnings against a high-carb, low-fat diet because we all KNOW how healthy they are. HA! Just you wait and see the outrage that comes when there is so much positive improvement in the weight and health of the people on this show. How will people like Dr. Dean Ornish and his ilk explain away results that speak for themselves? Oh, they'll downplay it as anecdotal and say there's no evidence to support this for others. And yet the lives of these people, like mine and many others who read this blog, SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES!!!
I will have the distinct pleasure of meeting Dr. Jay Wortman at an obesity conference taking place in Phoenix, Arizona in April and will try to interview him for my podcast show about his work with the First Nation people and this exciting new television show "My Big, Fat Diet." I've met him once before and he's a really funny guy for a researcher who has turned out some very serious studies on the efficacy of low-carb living. Be looking for that podcast in the next few months.
In the meantime, if you live in Canada, then you HAVE to watch "My Big, Fat Diet" and see the remarkable turnaround that happens in the lives of the diet participants. I only wish we could see this show in its entirety in the United States. But you know what? They need to do something like this in America. Why not have a "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" weight loss reality show, hmmmm?
We could get a group of experts like Dr. Eric Westman from Duke, Dr. Richard Feinman from SUNY Downstate, Dr. Jeff Volek from the University of Connecticut, and Dr. Stephen Phinney from the University of California to head up the nutritional plan with consulting from Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades, Dr. Barry Sears, and others. Then implore the training assistance of people like Fred Hahn and his "Slow Burn" workouts along with inspirational messages from Dr. Jonny Bowden who could actually host the show and you've got a real recipe for a ratings winner in my book! Sure, I'm dreaming but wouldn't you love to see a show like that one!!! I SURE WOULD! How about it ABC, CBS, NBC or FOX? Do you have the guts to take a chance on a controversial, but very unique television show idea?
If you'd like to learn more about Dr. Jay Wortman and the work he is doing with low-carb diets in Canada, then you might want to check out his new blog. You can find out anything you want about "My Big, Fat Diet" as well as get in touch directly with Dr. Wortman. Like I said, he's a very personable guy who is open to helping people understand how living the low-carb life can radically transform your life for the better. It happened to him and now he wants others to experience that same gift.
3-12-08 UPDATE: There's more good news about low-carb featured on television happening in the UK. According to this The Sun column, a 6-part series on Channel 4 entitled "The Diets That Time Forgot" will feature the low-carb diet created by William Banting.
"But which diet plan is the most effective? Is it the 1863 phenomenon the Banting Diet (which is essentially the Atkins diet)."
WOO HOO! If you live across the pond, then be sure to tune in to Channel 4 at 9pm beginning on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 for "The Diets That Time Forgot." Could we be getting closer to programming like this coming to the United States? Cross your fingers!
It's been a little while since I've updated you on the latest Gary Taubes news and that's because there hasn't really been anything of significance to report. But after Taubes presented a rather comprehensive talk about the concepts and hypotheses he shares in his bestselling Good Calories, Bad Calories book while lecturing at the Hoboken, New Jersey-based Stevens Institute of Technology on Wednesday, February 6, 2008, I decided to bring it to you today here at my blog.
The following video of a lecture called "Big Fat Lies" is Gary Taubes at his best passionately expressing the very principles that we believe in so strongly as believers in the low-carb lifestyle. He sets up the history of how we got fat, discusses why the solutions that have been provided to the overweight and obese have been decided ineffective, gives evidence why fat is healthy and the heart disease hypothesis is just plain wrong, and why carbohydrate in your diet raises blood sugar as well as releases insulin which causes damage to both weight and health.
If you want to better understand the purpose of diet in health, then I highly encourage you to make a 72-minute investment to watch this lecture with Gary Taubes from start to finish. It's a little technical at times, but Taubes has done his homework and knows what he's talking about. You'll be more informed about diet, weight loss, and health than about 99% of the population today, so view every bit of it if you can.
It's a lot to digest, but well worth your time. I'm so excited about seeing this lecture from Taubes and the latest research on carbohydrate restriction live in April when I attend the Nutrition & Metabolism Society Symposium in Phoenix, Arizona as part of the 2008 Western Regional Obesity Course (PDF download of the speaker schedule) sponsored by the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP). Dr. Eric Westman, Dr. Richard Feinman, Dr. Patty Tarino, Dr. Jeff Volek, Dr. J. Bruce German, Dr. Donald Layman, Dr. Barbara Howard, Dr. Mary Vernon, Dr. Jay Wortman, and Dr. Steve Phinney headline this amazing conference on the very latest research regarding saturated fat and health. Christine and I will be there to report on the latest science, interview the people on the frontlines of the research, and even record some video footage for our YouTube series. Coming in mid-April! WOO HOO!
The positive impact of Good Calories, Bad Calories is still happening in people who have read the book and fully grasped what Gary Taubes wrote. Here is an e-mail I received from someone who read the book and then watched a previous video I shared with a similar lecture that Taubes gave at Berkeley last year. The light bulb moment happened and now it just all makes sense. Here's what he wrote:
Holy Wah! I just watched the entire webcast and let me say it was an hour plus well spent and much easier than reading the book. Gary provides scientific support to your (and now my) Livin' La Vida Low Carb lifestyle. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. When it was over I was so excited I ran to the kitchen and cooked up a cheeseburger!
On a side note: I've been livin' la vida low-carb for 82 days now, have lost 61 pounds, and my doctor just called with my latest cholesterol numbers: every component has improved, some quite significantly. All are now in the desirable/optimal range. I was told to keep up the good work, to stay on my low-fat diet, and to limit eating eggs. Jimmy, I didn't have the heart to tell him I eat eggs almost every day and still love bacon. I'll just let the numbers speak for themselves.
OUTSTANDING! And this is precisely why Gary Taubes wrote his book. This is real life stuff here and should be taken much more seriously than it is. Unfortunately, until our medical community and the powers that be who dominate the information distributed to doctors, nutritionists, and even patients start to accept the truths that are shared in Good Calories, Bad Calories, nothing meaningful is gonna be done to curb the obesity tide that is happening all across the United States and around the world. WAKE UP PEOPLE! The evidence is right there, so stop ignoring it!
Special thanks again to Gary Taubes for putting his entire career on the line to stand up for the solid science that is behind livin' la vida low-carb. It's easy to fall in line with the high-carb, low-fat diet dogma, but that would be dishonest based on the latest data. Taubes and others who seek to educate with the truth should be hailed for their willingness to put it all on the line for what they believe in.
"Hairspray" star Nikki Blonsky stars in "Queen Sized"
Psssst! Come in closer because I've gotta big secret I'm just dying to share with you today. It will probably make me the laughingstock of the entire male population, but I can't hold it in any longer. This is something I have been meaning to talk about for quite a few years and now I'm ready to reveal it at last to the entire world right here right now at my blog. What is it? (GULP!) I'm a HUGE fan of the movies on the cable network channel Lifetime.
Yep, you can call me a head-over-heels, super-excited metrosexual man because I absolutely adore the quality of the content found among the Lifetime network films. I think they do an amazing job bringing greater awareness to important societal issues that primarily concern women, but also have real application in the lives of men, too. Such is the case with one of the latest movies on Lifetime released in 2008 that my wife Christine and I watched on our date night last Friday night called "Queen Sized."
I was flipping through the Charter On Demand movie selection on Channel 999 and decided to take a peek at what was available from Lifetime On Demand. When I saw the title of this movie, it intrigued me immediately since it sounded like it might deal with the obesity issue. And sure enough, the preview explained that it was about an obese teenager who gets nominated to be homecoming queen at her school as she deals with teasing about her weight from her fellow classmates. I looked over at Christine and said, "We gotta watch this!" And so we did.
What a truly outstanding movie and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who is concerned about issues of weight, health, emotional distress, fear, dieting, and peer pressure. All of these and more are tackled and addressed in an incredible way through "Queen Sized." By the time the movie was finished, I got that warm fuzzy feeling that you're supposed to get after watching a Lifetime movie. It was well worth reliving some painful moments in my own life to remind me why I never want to go back there again.
Starring Nikki Blonsky, whose breakout role came when she was cast in the lead role of the movie version of the Broadway musical "Hairspray" starring John Travolta (in drag, no less!), Queen Latifah (who she calls "my sister") and Michelle Pfeiffer, and veteran actress Annie Potts (best known for her role on the television show "Designing Women" opposite Delta Burke), "Queen Sized" centers around the character of Maggie Baker (Blonsky) who is an overweight high school senior just trying to survive until graduation (sound familiar anyone?). In the midst of dealing with the agony of not being like everyone else at school and simply trying to be invisible, some of the "pretty" girls decide to nominate Maggie to be homecoming queen as a joke.
But instead of allowing it to upset her as it was supposed to, Maggie decided to turn the tables on those who wished harm to her and remained on the ballot to represent all those who rebel against the same people getting chosen year after year. This quickly endeared Maggie to many of her classmates who felt a connection to her candidacy and they decided to vote for her. I won't spoil what happens next, but "Queen Sized" pulls the curtain back on some biting issues that all overweight and obese young people (and adults too!) have to deal with if they are going to survive this thing called life.
Here are a couple of interview clips featuring Blonsky and Potts, who plays two characters--"real" mom and "imaginary" mom--as they talk about their roles in the Lifetime Movie Network film "Queen Sized":
I think the most intriguing role in this movie had to be the mother played by Potts. WOW! On the one hand, you've got the "real" mother constantly reassuring Maggie that she is beautiful and that everything in her life is gonna be okay while encouraging her to get her weight and health under control. Meanwhile, the "imaginary" mother that only Maggie sees (contrived in her mind following the sudden death of her father to diabetes complications) is rude, condescending, and discouraging at every turn. Physically seeing this image of a mean mother personifying all the negative thoughts that fat people have to deal with sent shivers down my spine because it is so true.
When you weigh a whole lot more than everyone else around you, it's funny how your brain will play tricks on you and some extremely negative and vile thoughts consume you throughout the day. These demons inside your head will mock and taunt you relentlessly telling you how worthless you are, damaging your psyche, and preventing you from becoming that person you were always meant to be. I remember those days in my own life when I weighed 400+ pounds and feeling like it was my destiny to be that way for the rest of my life. Lemme tell you, it's no fun at all. But I overcame it and now try to live my life helping others beat it in their own lives.
"Queen Sized" is one of those movies where a large person is given a lead role with a positive message and we need to see more of that kind of thing showing up on the silver screen as well as on television. I'm very proud of Nikki Blonsky for being brave enough to take on this role and lend a voice to the millions of girls (and even boys!) who feel trapped inside their bodies wanting so desperately to lose weight but are simply left hopeless and helpless to do anything about it.
If you have Charter On Demand, then this movie is currently available for free until March 2008 to watch anytime. Otherwise, you can access and download "Queen Sized" for only $3.99 on iTunes (just type in "Queen Sized" in the iTunes store search box in the upper right-hand corner and you'll easily find it). It will be well worth your time to watch this movie and share it with parents of overweight teens as well as obese kids who think nobody understands what they are going through. Who knows, this may exactly what you need to open the door of opportunity to talk about the root causes of obesity in your own family and start the healing process so everyone can choose to start living healthier. That would be an AWESOME thing!
Be sure to tell Lifetime how much you appreciated this kind of programming by filling out this feedback form about "Queen Sized." Tell them as an advocate of overweight and obese people getting the help they need, you are grateful to them for adding depth to the obesity debate by taking on the various aspects of this difficult subject directly. It's hard to do it tactfully, but they pulled it off very well.
Have you seen "Queen Sized" and want to weigh in on how it impacted you? Feel free to share your reaction to it in the comments section below. Did you love it as much as I did? Or was there anything about it that you felt was inaccurate or lacking? Share your thoughts and let's talk about it. Feel free to post your feedback with Lifetime here as well so everyone can see how much this movie has meant to you, too.
Fat people no longer welcome dining out in Mississippi?
As someone with a Master of Arts degree in Public Policy and Government, I've come across quite a bit of dopey legislation on the local, state, and federal government level over my years of studying and examining many different proposed bills. But Mississippi House Bill No. 282 that was drafted by two Republicans and a Democrat and submitted to the Mississippi House of Representatives today might just take the cake for the most insane obesity-fighting legislation of all-time.
The "Three Blind Mice" of Mississippi: Mayhall, Read, and Shows
In an attempt to respond to the rising obesity crisis happening in the state of Mississippi right now where they earned the dubious distinction as the first state in the U.S. to surpass 30 percent obesity rates in 2007 (30.6 percent), state House of Representatives members W. T. Mayhall, Jr. and John Read, both Republicans, and Democrat Bobby Shows thought it would be prudent to LEGISLATIVELY require restaurant owners to discriminate against fat people wanting to eat at their establishment. I kid you not, that's what the bill says and they are DEAD SERIOUS (hat tip to Regina Wilshire for telling me about this one)!
The "Three Blind Mice" of Mississippi, as I have dubbed Mayhall, Read, and Shows, go on to propose in their bill that the Mississippi Department of Health in conjunction with Mississippi's Council on Obesity would set the criteria for establishing what the weight limit will be for patrons wishing to dine at a restaurant anywhere within the state borders (ostensibly using the overused and irrelevant body mass index to determine whether someone is obese or not). Strict compliance with this law will be required of the restaurants or else the state "may revoke the permit of any food establishment that repeatedly violates the provisions of this section." EEEEEK!
Have these state lawmakers completely lost their marbles?! Besides the obvious discrimination against the obese that is explicitly written into this legislation, this would also put restaurant employees in the sticky position of trying to determine if someone is too fat to be served or not. What are they gonna do, put a scale at the front door a la "The Biggest Loser" before you can walk through the dining room area to determine if you qualify to eat there or not?! Have the "Three Blind Mice" of Mississippi thought through all of the unintended consequences that such a law would pose on restaurant owners and their employees? Can you say LAWSUIT CITY?!
Think about it for just a moment, though. What's gonna happen to obesity rates in Mississippi if fat people are not allowed to eat in public places anymore? Do the "Three Blind Mice" of Mississippi think these people will go home and eat any better? HA! Not hardly with all the high-carb junk foods so easily accessible these days. Believe me, I know because that's how I ate when I was 410 pounds--Little Debbie snack cakes, Ramen noodles, Chef-Boyardee cans, potato chips, and soda, soda, soda! We can't lay the blame for obesity on restaurants. They're just serving a need.
How about all those restaurants which seem to keep growing as fast as the grass around my septic tank? If the demand wasn't there by people wanting to spend money to eat out, then they wouldn't be in business. But now you've got local lawmakers in Los Angeles who want a moratorium on new fast food restaurant development to deal with obesity. Punishing restaurants for making fat people is like pointing the finger of blame at schools for not teaching children (where is individual choice and accountability anymore, hmmm?).
According to House Bill No. 282, this law would be in effect for any food establishment, including restaurants, bars, bowling alleys, etc., within the state of Mississippi with at least 5 seats for customers to refuse service to "any person who is obese." The definition of that will be provided by the government in the form of "written materials that describe and explain the criteria for determining whether a person is obese." The restaurant management and staff will then need to "rely on the criteria for obesity in those written materials when determining whether or not it is allowed to serve food to any person."
If somehow this bill were to be passed and signed into law by Republican Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (I sincerely doubt it, but crazier things have happened!), then it would "take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2008." And it would then set a very bad precedent for any future legislation in other states or on the national level that would turn democracy and freedom on its head in favor of Communist policies that have led to the eventual failure of nearly every other country that has ever implemented such tactics on their people. I don't say something like that lightly, but this is harmful to what we as a nation of free people believe in!
We've already seen the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services attempt on the federal level to get restaurants to cut their portions and calories and cities like New York banning trans fats in the restaurants there. But people over the age of 18 are adults and can make decisions about what to do for themselves without the government stepping in to act as their "supernanny." We don't need the government telling us what we can do with our lives, where we are allowed to eat, and what we are permitted to put inside of our mouths. That's OUR personal responsibility and it is absolutely reprehensible that Reps. Mayhall, Read, and Shows are that ignorant about liberty in a nation that was founded on such principles.
What would happen to a restaurant like Two Fat Ladies Glasgow if it were located in Mississippi? Would the owners have to steer clear of their own restaurants? And how about this: what about the obese servers, cooks, busboys, and even managers who work in Mississippi restaurants? Would they be allowed to work there if they are fat or would they be denied employment based on their weight (keep in mind most restaurant employees eat the food served by the restaurant on their break)? Have the "Three Blind Mice" of Mississippi even bothered to think this through?
You know, according to BMI, I'm officially an "obese" person. Especially since I've been lifting weights, my BMI has actually gone up a little with the extra muscle mass so I would be refused service at a restaurant in Mississippi if I attempted to dine there. But anyone who looks at me wouldn't think I'm fat. And the same goes for Michael Jordan and other athletes who are "obese" according to BMI but far from it! It's precisely why legislation like this is not just ill-advised, but created by people who are just plain ignorant. With all due respect to these Mississippi lawmakers, the people who elected you demand much better than this kind of crap!
One final thought: This one act of legislation would totally obliterate the highly-competitive restaurant industry in Mississippi because you've taken away a very large (no pun intended!) portion of their customer base. Sure, leaner people and the slightly overweight will still frequent restaurants to give them people to feed, but will prices have to go up in order to make the necessary margins to remain profitable? These "Three Blind Mice" of Mississippi don't have a clue about the restaurant business and should keep their meddling little hands out of it. It's not the government's job to tell ANY business who they can and can't serve.
Can we help the "Three Blind Mice" of Mississippi see the light?
Let's let W. T. Mayhall, Jr., John Read, and Bobby Shows know what we think about their insane bill to discriminate against "obese" people eating at restaurants. And ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, you need to contact them as well as Gov. Haley Barbour to express your concerns about this well-intentioned, but poorly executed legislation. Here's how you can contact each of these men:
Be courteous, but firm that this kind of legislation is unacceptable in the United States of America and that you will not tolerate such trampling of the rights of citizens and businesses in a country that is the very symbol of freedom for the rest of the world. They need to hear from tens of thousands of Americans who care about what this country stands for so the message will come through loud and clear that this kind of thing does not happen in a nation of free people--fat or otherwise!
Interviewing "The Biggest Loser" 4 finalist Isabeau Miller
Get ready fans of "The Biggest Loser" because I've got a whole buncha interviews with the contestants from Season 4 coming at you over the next few weeks. At least thirteen of the 18 contestants from last season have already agreed to be interviewed by me and I asked them all sorts of questions about behind-the-scenes stuff on the popular NBC weight loss reality show as well as what is happening in their own lives as a result of this opportunity they were given to lose weight and become household names.
After sharing with you Part 1 and Part 2 of my podcast interview last week with the winner of "The Biggest Loser" in last Fall's Season 4 grand finale Bill Germanakos, today I have another one of the four finalists from The Black Team who was also in contention for the $250,000 prize. But as you will see in my interview with Isabeau Miller today, that didn't materialize and quite frankly she's not at all surprised by it.
Catch up with Isabeau and find out how "The Biggest Loser" changed her life in so many more ways than simple weight loss. Everything about her has become like a new person and now she feels a personal mission and purpose for her life (that's what happens when you lose triple digits!). Get ready to be inspired by a beautiful young woman (both inside and out!) who has unlimited potential to be and do whatever it is she desires for the rest of her long and healthy life.
It's time to meet the brand new Isabeau Miller!
1. When you're a 21-year old woman with high aspirations of breaking into the ultra-image-conscious music industry, you quickly discover it takes a whole lot more than an amazing singing talent to get your big break. That's something Isabeau Miller knows a lot about. Prior to appearing as a contestant on Season 4 of the NBC-TV reality show "The Biggest Loser," she had been working hard to get her music career off the ground living in one of the most renowned cities in the world of music--Nashville, Tennessee! But there was one really big thing standing in her way and that was her weight.
When she began her journey on "The Biggest Loser" as the youngest contestant ever (21), Isabeau also set another dubious all-time mark for the hit weight loss series by becoming the heaviest female contestant ever when she topped the scales at 298 pounds. Welcome to the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog today, Isabeau.
Tell us what went through you head when you saw that big 2-9-8 staring you in the face for the first time. Was that shocking to you or were you totally expecting that number or higher? What do you think the primary reasons were that you allowed yourself to become so obese and what was it that made you want to change that trend?
When I saw I weighed 298 pounds, I sadly can’t say that I was surprised. I knew that the way I was living was unhealthy. After all, I grew up with a DOCTOR as a dad!!! I KNEW what I was doing to my body was wrong, but for some reason I could not cut the emotional ties I had to food. I loved food more than I loved myself at that point in my life.
I have ALWAYS struggled with my relationship with food. Growing up, childhood obesity wasn’t a prevalent issue in society like it is now, so when my parents noticed my weight obviously getting out of control, they treated my problem like you would with an adult. They did all they could to help--weekly weigh-ins with me, non-food related “rewards” when I DID lose weight, enrolling me in sports, and cooking healthy meals. But, unfortunately for me, this set into motion a horrible pattern of rebellion that continued into my adulthood.
Really, I’ve always been a pretty straight-edged person--I don’t smoke, I don’t do drugs, or drink excessively, so eating became my drug and the way I could say “screw you” to what my parents wanted. In some ways, I wish I had just been a “normal” kid and gone to parties--I think that would have been much easier to quit. Even now, there are moments I sit back and ask myself before I eat something if I’m REALLY hungry or if there’s some kind of emotion driving my want for food.
I’ve kind of put in place “the 10-minute rule.” If I want to eat something, I make a promise to myself to wait 10 minutes, think about it, and if in 10 minutes, it still sounds as good, I’ll have it--in moderation of course. In depriving ourselves, especially with me, it just reinforces the idea that something “isn’t allowed” and we’re “rebelling” by eating it. I don’t believe in living like that anymore.
2. Ooooh, I like that "10-minute rule," Isabeau! As an aspiring singer, getting the opportunity to appear on national television and to start making a name for yourself in the public eye had to be a major impetus for wanting to be on "The Biggest Loser" along with the potential for winning a whole lotta money. But with tens of thousands of people applying for a mere 18 slots, you had to somehow make yourself stand out from the rest of the pack to get the casting agency to notice and ultimately pick you over the others. Talk about the application process that you went through, how long it took before you heard from 3 Ball Productions about being considered for the show, and why you believe they ended up giving you a chance to be among the show's final group for Season 4.
You know what’s funny, is the idea of fame HONESTLY did not even cross my mind as far as "The Biggest Loser" was involved. Nothing against the show or its past contestants, but most of them don’t go on to some jet-setting, luxurious lifestyle afterwards. I didn’t expect "The Biggest Loser" to make me famous, but I expected it to give me “the missing piece” of the package--I had the voice, the ability, but KNEW as soon as I walked into meetings with people in the industry, the first thing people saw, through no fault of their own, was my weight.
I wish larger people weren’t judged like that, but life is not fair, and the industry is even MORE unfair. That being said, my audition process was quite short compared to the majority of the contestants who ended up appearing with me. Some had been applying for years, or had went through several call backs, etc. I sent in my application about a week after the Season 3 finale, and was called 3 weeks later to meet with casting assistants. From there, the ball kept rolling, and although it was an incredibly stressful process, wondering where you stood in the eyes of the casting “gods,” I’m thankful that mine took only a few months, which was on the shorter side for most people. No one can really say FOR SURE what 3 Ball was looking for, but I think they were looking for genuine people who really wanted to lose weight, and of course, had the potential to be even more attractive as slim people.
I forget who said it, but at some point, during our preliminary casting, we had a photo shoot, and it might have been Neil or Ryan that said “This is the most attractive group of overweight people I’ve EVER seen.” And it was true! From day one, you could take one look at Amy, or Hollie, or Julie, or ANYONE for that matter and say “I can totally see them on the cover of a magazine,” which is probably why you did (the contestants were given an opportunity for a photo shoot with Prevention magazine midway through the season)!!
3. Some critics of "The Biggest Loser" say the show promotes hours upon hours of tortuous exercise with little regard to diet and public humiliation for the contestants having to expose their flabby bodies for the whole world to see week in and week out (I don't subscribe to these opinions, but I've had many e-mails from people stating as much). As one of the contestants who made it all the way to the final four players and appearing on the show to the very last week, what is your response to this kind of criticism and do you think it has any merit at all? Why or why not?
Of course the show promotes hours of exercise!! I hear it all the time from people “So, HOW DID YOU DO IT?” and then they wait with bated breath for me to slip them some magic pill. That’s just not the truth. I think, honestly, most people who have hundreds of pounds to lose want to hear that you can do it without diet, without exercise, and most importantly, without looking at yourself squarely in the mirror, and the truth is, that is just impossible. You NEED to change your eating habits--not just to lose weight, but to decrease the chances of dying from obesity-related illnesses.
You NEED to exercise for SOOO many reasons, but above all, you NEED to have the “wake up call” where you look at yourself honestly and say “Wow, I need to do something about this...REALLY!” For me, it was absolutely liberating to know America would see the things I have spent a lifetime trying to hide. For 21 years, I had never shopped with my friends so they’d never know what size I wore, I had never told anyone what I REALLY weighed, I had never EVER changed in front of someone, or let someone see me in my bra and underwear. To get to expose me, at my worst, to America, knowing that from that point on, I would NEVER go back there again, it felt like a huge weight off my shoulders (excuse the pun).
I felt like for the first time, I was being honest with myself and everyone around me. As far as the criticism for the show goes, there are parts that are painful, unbearable, stressful, gut-wrenching, tear-jerking and absolutely tortuous--but it is ABSOLUTELY necessary. And knowing that I wouldn’t ever be able to do those things on my own, I’m so grateful for what the show gave me a healthier lifestyle, yes, but more importantly, coping skills. I think everything I ever take on from this point on will pale in comparison to the amount of work "The Biggest Loser" was.
4. Backstage at the grand finale, you said that Jillian Michaels was the exact trainer you needed to help you become the successful weight loss and health winner you are today. After watching the dominating performance of the entire Black Team in Season 4 with all of the final four players--you, Hollie, Julie, and Bill--as well as the at-home winner Jim, there's little doubt in anyone's mind that SHE was the major reason for that.
Why do you think the kick-butt-now-thank-me-later approach that Jillian uses is so effective? What makes her fitness methodology so much better than the ones used by the other trainers on the show? Did you ever THINK about switching trainers in those early days on the show because you thought working with Jillian was gonna be too hard? What kept you going despite the pain and agony of being pushed to your limits?
I think if I lived to be 200 years old, I could not thank Jillian Michaels or the kind of woman she was to me throughout my Biggest Loser experience. I think, as Jillian has said many times, her strategy is effective because she makes you show YOURSELF just how strong and capable you really are physically, which really does transcend into EVERY area of your life. I think all the trainers have their own “schtick” but I dare say that Jillian is a fitness and life pioneer.
Some people “think outside the box” but Jillian doesn’t even know there IS a box--she just feels something, and does it. Watching Jillian train, to me, would be comparable to watching Michelangelo paint, or hearing Beethoven play--she is a master of her craft, and has a true intuition and compassion for people, but is still continually improving herself. The woman reads and studies more than most people that have PhDs in exercise science do! She’s really incredible.
As far as switching trainers, I NEVER seriously considered what life on "The Biggest Loser" ranch would be like with Bob or Kim. As nice as they were, I think it goes without saying that Jillian’s in a league of her own. You kind of HAD to push yourself because she believed in you so much. I didn’t want to challenge her belief that I could do anything she asked me to--and when I did, she only pushed harder. And for that, she WAS the perfect trainer for me. She referred to me as “The great negotiator.” If she said, “Sprint for a minute” I’d say "How about 30 seconds now, rest 30 seconds, then another 30 seconds?” She was perfect for me, cause she saw through my bull, and punished my bad habits, which eventually taught me to retrain my thinking and push through the discomfort.
5. As a result of your incredible total body transformation losing 113 pounds from day one all the way to the grand finale in December, you have now become a certified personal trainer to give back to others what you have learned from Jillian so they can change their lives, too. People don't believe me when I tell them that losing triple digits releases some kind of trigger in your head to go out and do things you never thought were possible before.
Is this the kind of thing that is happening to you right now and is there an insatiable desire deep inside of you to do whatever you can to help overweight and obese people get fit and healthy? Do you think this is now something you HAVE to do because of the amazing miracle you have been given in your own life?
Honestly, after going through my experience on "The Biggest Loser," I feel a sense of being invincible--a brand new kind of life. You just feel as if you’ve already DONE the impossible, so why not keep doing it? I have set post-Biggest Loser goals for myself that I NEVER would have otherwise set--I’m training to compete in a half marathon in April, and then a marathon in the Fall, as well as a triathlon. I’m joining a recreational sports leagues, rock climbing, adventuring--I have NEVER been a thrill seeker, but now everything is different.
My training, though, is the love of my life right now. Being trained by Jillian was a gift because I feel like I was given an apprenticeship with the best in the business. I know I’ve faced quite a bit of criticism from some people on various message boards questioning my “ability to be a trainer” so quickly, and at 185 pounds. First, if you count the time I was on "The Biggest Loser" GETTING healthy, I have been immersed in fitness for almost a year. As soon as I stepped off the campus, I got my personal training study packaged, and a month later, took my exam to get my certification. I had to get certified just like ANY other trainer.
And as far as being 185 pounds when I know the typical female trainer is probably at least 40 lbs less than that, I would challenge ANY person thinking they're in “good shape” to go through one of my workouts. I run a boot camp class with a group of women, varying in sizes, shapes, ages, and even the youngest, fittest, most athletic participant with a “perfect” body struggles through it (which as a trainer makes me ecstatic!!). But beyond that, I feel like, yes, "The Biggest Loser" was a tremendous blessing in MY life, but I believe above all, it was the stepping stone, and the catalyst for me to find my “meaning” in life.
In music, I’m a songwriter in hopes that my songs inspire others, but in fitness, I REALLY get to inspire others, and it’s such a gift. Plus, my clients know I’ve been where they ARE. This gives me (and them) a huge advantage because they can’t make excuses with me that I haven’t tried to make and had to push through myself. Regardless of the number they see on the scale, my clients run, they do REAL push ups, they lift weights--I try to enforce the idea that weight is just a number, not a definition. And we can use it to “take stock” of where we are, but it can’t rule WHO you are.
I have clients that are over 300 pounds who I consider “fit”--they can run miles, they can workout 7 hours a week. Plus, being a trainer is inspiring to ME and keeps me active which is the only way I ever want to live. I’m running a summer fitcamp this year (for more info go to RockHardBodySoul.com) where people from ALL over the country are coming for 2 intensive Biggest Loser-style weeks, and I’m so excited to get the message of fitness and wellness across the country and help people put their goals into action!
6. Throughout the season, you and other female contestants often talked about wanting to become the first woman to be crowned the winner of "The Biggest Loser." Although Julie came close by being within 8 pounds of making that happen, Bill Germanakos pulled out the win against her, you, and Hollie at the finale. Why do you think men seem to have an advantage over the women on this show? What do you think it's gonna take for a girl to finally beat out the guys for a chance to win the $250,000 grand prize in future episodes of "The Biggest Loser?" Do you think it would be more fair if there was a male winner and a female winner at the end of each season or should the format stay just the way it is?
Man, I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t wish one of us chicks won the grand prize, although I think we were all very happy for Bill and his wonderful family. Here’s the thing: We had 8 months from start to finish. For Julie, she came SOOO close but I don’t know WHERE that girl could’ve lost anymore weight from. She was teeeeeny tiny at the finale--even more so than it looked like on TV. She just had nothing left, and rightfully so--she started out the smallest female of the season.
On the other side of the fence, there was me. I SHOULD have been able to win, but the reality is, there were a couple factors working against me--#1, I’m a woman. And to lose 150 pounds (50% of my starting weight) in 8 months, I would have had to CONSISTENTLY lose 4.5 pounds a week. There were some weeks ON CAMPUS where I lost only 3 or 4 pounds, and that was without all the distractions of real life, and having Jillian to work my butt off 4-6 hours a day. I knew it would be hard once I got home, but I never anticipated the plateaus I faced, and how long they would last. A woman just does not have the metabolism of a man.
Also, I had spent about 15 years of my life qualifying as “obese,” and toward the end, was lugging around a good 15-20 pounds of loose skin. Gross, I know, but I knew there was nothing I’d EVER be able to do about that before the finale, so I kind of had to swallow my pride, and be happy with the tremendous weight loss I had achieved as well as the fact that I had accomplished all of my PERSONAL goals: to wear a size 10 and to run a road race. Plus, I hadn’t been 185 since I was 11!!! Half a lifetime ago.
So it was definitely a difficult thing to come in 4th out of 4, but personally, I had some huge achievements. Honestly, I don’t think "The Biggest Loser" is a woman’s game. It happened in the UK, but the producers need to do one of two things--either get guys that don’t HAVE 50% of their body weight to lose, or get women that DO and then give them at LEAST a year to do it in. Eight months just is not enough, and had I had an extra 4 months, I think I could’ve pushed through my plateaus and gotten at least CLOSE to 150--although now I really don’t care WHAT that number on the scale ever says as long as I can always wear my “goal jeans” and run 5 miles without thinking about it.
7. YOU GO GIRL! I LOVE your attitude. You know, your boyfriend Jonathan is one lucky guy to have you as both his best friend and the love of his life. After this amazing journey you have been on in 2007 appearing on "The Biggest Loser" and with limitless potential to do things you never thought possible, have you two discussed things like your career, marriage, kids, and your long-term future together? How has your relationship grown with Jonathan as a result of your lifechanging weight loss success? Do you feel more worthy to be loved by him now that you're no longer embarrassed about the way you look? Have you noticed men staring at you now who wouldn't have thought twice about looking at you when you weighed 300 pounds?
Jon has to be the most amazing 23-year old man in the entire world. From the time "The Biggest Loser" first came up, he encouraged me to do what I wanted to do. I don’t know many men his age that would allow their girlfriends to go off on a reality WEIGHT LOSS show, meanwhile taking care of the house, the bills, the dogs, and just keeping life together. He was (along with my parents) my rock, and I am definitely the lucky one.
We’ve definitely discussed the future--mostly because it just seems so bright right now. We’re so excited to live every day together. (My favorite thing to do is put HIM through my workouts--he doesn’t last 15 minutes! LOL!). We’ve talked about marriage, and will definitely be parents SOMEDAY, but I promised Jillian I wouldn’t have babies for some time.
Jon NEVER said anything that made me feel less than beautiful, but I felt less than beautiful on my own. No matter how many times he told me how much he loved me or thought I was perfect, or sexy, or gorgeous, all I saw when I looked in the mirror was how unhappy I was with myself. I think we’re both grateful not just for my weight loss, but for my self-esteem changing. He doesn’t need to spend the whole night “reassuring me” that I am something I don’t feel I am, and I feel like I’m finally the girlfriend he DESERVES--besides feeling like I’m the “hot” girlfriend, I also feel like we’re such better partners now because now we BOTH walk our dogs, we go for runs together (even did a road race together!), and we cook healthy dinners together.
It’s been a whole different kind of love--one much more equal and deep. Honestly, this might sound sad and a little mushy, but I honestly don’t really notice any other men!! I’m totally in love with the one I have (and a little oblivious as well), but Jon says he sees guys “checking me out” whenever we go out--which makes me feel great! Not that other guys like what they see, but knowing how proud Jon is to be the one that’s with me when other people want what HE has. After all he’s sacrificed for me to have such an opportunity, I feel like that’s the LEAST he should have!!
8. I suppose you're ready to kickstart your music career into high gear now and you've already got some amazing vocal MP3 cuts for sale on your popular MySpace page where your list of friends is now well in excess of 3100 and counting! I think my favorite song written and performed by you is "My Own" because it sounds like an autobiographical tune about your "Biggest Loser" journey. The following lyrics cut right to the heart of the journey you've been traveling:
"Everyone's got opinions for what you should be. But when you look in the mirror, what do you see? And I never knew how high the sky could stretch until I made that climb on my own. And learned to speak my mind...they never heard my voice, until I found...My own."
WOW! Strong lyrics and sung with the intense emotion that I would expect from someone who has been through all that you have over these past few months. Did you write this song before, during, or after your appearance on "The Biggest Loser?" Do you have any other songs like that one swirling around in your heart and mind inspired by the changes you have experienced?
I wrote “My Own” with one of the most talented writers in Nashville, Will Champlin. We had been working on another song all night, and something just wasn’t “gelling”--it just wasn’t honest enough for me. I’m one of those writers, where I need to be inspired. I know a lot of people (especially in Nashville) believe in writing as a job--you just push through until you “find” something. But I think for me, that something needs to get into my thoughts somehow.
So we took a break, and I went to the piano and started writing “My Own.” When Will came back downstairs, it was already half written. I had come back from "The Biggest Loser" a couple months before, and at that point, it was pretty evident I wasn’t going to win, but I felt the need to convey to myself, and the world, that whatever that final number said on the scale, I had found who I WAS through the process of "The Biggest Loser." Yes, the weight loss was incredible and I don’t know that I could have ever done it on my own, but more importantly, I figured out who I was, and more importantly who I wanted to be.
I literally changed my ENTIRE life--I lost weight, I bought a house because I wasn’t afraid of taking that risk, I quit my “day jobs” and became a trainer which I am in love with, I signed up for races I couldn’t quite run yet because I had faith that I COULD--and I did. I think above all, I learned I am capable of anything I put my faith into. I came into "The Biggest Loser" not having a lot of faith in anything (just ask Julie!!) but now, I find I am more aware of myself, physically, emotionally and spiritually than I ever would have been. I WILL pursue my music career as a songwriter, but I gotta say--I don’t care if I ever find fame with my music. I feel like I had a “taste of fame” with "The Biggest Loser" and as grateful as I am for the people that write to me, or are inspired, there’s a really bitter taste that comes with being “on” all the time. If a record deal fell in my lap, I don’t think I’d say no, but I’d much rather spend my life writing music and living more anonymously. Plus, no matter what happens with my music, I think I will always continue training as well.
9. Your web site IsabeauMiller.com has recently come online with updated information constantly being added as you travel down this next step in what looks to be a promising future as a professional recording artist. Have you heard from any record labels interested in giving you and your band a recording contract yet? What do you think about trying out for a spot on another reality show "American Idol" (like your fellow contestant "B" did a few years back) now that you've got the looks to go along with that powerful voice? Do you think you'd have a good chance getting on that show?
Ha! No, I don’t think American Idol will be in my future, but then again, I didn’t think "The Biggest Loser" would be either, so I guess I’d never say never. But “B” is a totally different musician than I am--he is SOOOOOO talented. I think I’m more of a writer than I am a singer, but I’m exploring different avenues. No matter what, music is part of who I am--it’s in my roots, in my blood. For me, music is an every day thing just like taking a shower or eating dinner for most people.
Whether I’m ever paid to make music, I will always do it and it will always be a part of our household (my boyfriend Jon is also a drummer AND personal trainer!!). Sad to say, I am pretty bad about updating my web site especially since the launch of my training company’s website: RockHardBodySoul.com. But once things quiet down a bit more, I am going to work on recording some of my new songs and release a CD this summer!! Maybe even a collaboration with "B?" You down with that, "B?" Ha ha!
10. Isabeau, THANKS so much for sharing some quality time with me and the readers of the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog today. It never ceases to amaze me how "The Biggest Loser" just keeps improving the lives of so many good, hard-working people who are just like the rest of us just living in the day to day. CONGRATULATIONS on all of your success and I wish you well as you follow your dreams in this thing called life. Is there anything you'd like to say to encourage people who feel like their obesity is who they are and nothing will ever change that?
Jimmy, first of all, thank YOU! I know what you do touches so many people, and I feel blessed to have this platform to inspire others as well! To everyone else out there--as I said, there is NO magic answer, but it IS possible!! Don’t be afraid to reach out for help and take charge of the person you WANT to be! Sometimes you have to “fake it till you make it,” so start believing right now, this second, that you are stronger, you are more capable, and you are wiser than you think you are, and then put it into motion! Set small goals EVERY day and when they get easy, make them harder. And remember this: I’ve never EVER left the gym regretting that I went, but I have gone to bed on my “lazy days” where I wish I HAD gone to the gym. You’ll NEVER regret the choice to be healthy!! Thanks again Jimmy and everyone out there reading this. ;)
