Gaining Stunning Health Improvements Because Of Low-Carb Living

It is always important for us to share about people who are gaining stunning health improvements because of low-carb living. For all the talk about low-carb diets that happens, the subject is generally exclusively focused on weight loss while bemoaning the long-term health effects of this way of eating. But it's hard to argue with real life stories of positive changes.

That's why I am always interested in hearing YOUR low-carb weight loss and health improvement stories so I can feature them at my blog. You'll recall a couple of months back I penned the post "Testimonies Of Real Life Stories Of Low-Carb Transformation" with a few of these stories. Now today I have a lot more encouraging health stories of livin' la vida low-carb to uplift you and get you excited about this amazing way of eating.

Hi Jimmy,

I have been low carbing for about 6 months now (you linked to my blog at one point – thanks!) and just got my cholesterol numbers checked, and compared them to last year.

Last Year
Total: 187
HDL: 103
LDL: 65
Triglyceride: 94

This year
Total: 217
HDL: 97
LDL: 107
Triglyceride: 67

Of course, my doctor told me since my total is over 200 and my LDL is over 100, I should eat less saturated fat, and get tested again in a year. I didn’t have a breakdown of my LDL to tell me what size my LDL particles were. I’m wondering if I should have this done. Also, I’m not sure if my HDL going down is bad, or unimportant.

But I was happy to see my triglycerides down, even though they weren’t terrible before. I feel like I was pretty healthy when I wasn’t low-carb, but now I’ve gotten healthier. I definitely feel better overall! I haven’t lost any weight since I started, but I’ve been lifting weights for the past 2 years and I think I’ve gained muscle, so perhaps I’ve lost fat. But my triglycerides going down tells me I’m doing something right!

The only thing I’ve noticed is now that I am low-carb, I never really feel hungry, which is good, but my face and neck does start to tingle if I haven’t eaten in a few hours. Have you ever experienced that? I’ve had my thyroid tested and they said my levels were normal. So that’s the only disconcerting thing I’ve noticed after going low carb.

Love your blog!!!
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Hi Jimmy,

This article was on the front page of Yahoo this morning and I thought it was good. I read your blog everyday and am inspired by you. I am down 24 pounds livin' la vida low-carb. I still have 64 pounds to go but I know this is the way to do it. My boot camp exercise class instructor is blown away by my progress.

Have a great weekend!
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This is the first time I send an email to a blog and I cannot thank you enough for your blogs and YouTube videos. They have helped me tremendously to keep going on my weight loss. I have been doing Atkins for a little more than two months and I have lost so far a total of 50 lbs. I now weigh 316. I have 121 more lbs. to go. Please continue what you do and thank you for being around.
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Jimmy,

You have really helped me. After being on low-carb for only 6 days I already feel so much better. I am not lying around in a fog, depressed and feeling hopeless. I am diabetic and my blood sugar had been pretty bad but now it hasn't been over 100 since my 2nd day. Also, I take water pills twice a day because my legs and feet swell so much that every step gives me excruciating pain. Now, my legs have not been swollen in 3 days, I can walk so much better!! and I stopped taking the water pills (don't worry, under Dr. supervision).

I was able to walk to the family room and sing karaoke with my children. This might sound like a small thing, but I couldn't walk more than 50 feet and haven't been to the family room in months! Anyway, could these changes REALLY be because of the low carbs? I am soooo excited!!! Thank you Jimmy. You are a blessing.
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I work in health care and the other day a coworker (nurse) offered me a "healthy" whole wheat bagel. I politely said no and proceeded to eat my hard boiled egg. She asked why not? I said "I don't eat wheat products." She said "oh my god, you are not one of those weirdos that does low-carb are you?" I said "yes i am, thank you very much." From that point she proceeded to lecture me about the evils of ketosis and how I am ruining my kidneys and health.

I took a good look at this woman and she was overweight. She had the overextended belly and puffy face that I used to have before i went low carb. Dark circles under her eyes and thin dull hair and dry skin. She continued to lecture me as i ate my hard boiled egg. I finally grew weary of her comments and offered her an egg. I told her that the fat from the egg was good for her dull skin and the protien would help her thinning lifeless hair. She sad that "Well, honey you are considerably younger than I am. How old are you 30? At my age 42 this is as good as it gets." I told her I was 44. She got up and left.

This is the typical response i get from people who consider themselves educated.
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Hi Jimmy,

I gave up yo-yo dieting over 7 years ago, and have been living the low-carb lifestyle ever since. I went from a size 14 to a size 6 and have been that size for 7 years. I still have to maintain at a pretty low level of carbs. I enjoy every meal that I eat, and when I had my cholesterol level checked, my doctors told me that my cholesterol is perfect. Before low-carb, I had quite a problem with it.

I was terribly disappointed when the FDA and ADA did not acknowledge the effectiveness of low-carb living. But, I am very thankful for sites like yours where I can feel connected with people who understand the truth, and have been doing the LC plan long term.

My daughter who is 25 has been doing the diet with me for several years, and she is also very healthy and a size zero. Thanks for having the web site. I am going to be exploring it a lot this summer while I am on vacation. (I am a teacher, and during the school year, I am usually buried!).
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Howdy Jimmy,

I got my first lab work for the year. This is after stopping all medications and going on the Atkins diet. This was my New Year's Resolution. I went in to see my doctor to get the lab results. This is a pet peeve of mine. People should be able to get their own lab work! Why do we have to make a doctor appointment to get a lab order? I should be able to write my own lab order. I just want to see my numbers and how I am doing.

The nurse said; "any change in medication?" I said; "yes I don't take any, that's a change!". The nurse said; "I'll say!". I should have said, I don't take that crap any more, it was doing more harm than good. It was also costing me a lot of money and making the Pharmaceutical companies rich.

I think the doctor was really pissed when he realized I stopped the medications he prescribed, but what could he say? My numbers were great! My A1C is 5.4! It has never been this low. This is low for someone without diabetes. Diabetics are considered great if you are under 7. Dr Atkins has cured my Diabetes! Thank you so much.

My Blood pressure is also lower than it has ever been. My cholesterol is good. My weight is 155. I still have more to lose for my target weight of 150. The doctor did begrudgedly admit my numbers were great. He had nothing good to say about losing over 30 pounds. So in his book I guess losing weight did not help improve my health. I think it did. I think the weight loss is the biggest factor in improving my health.

Now get this. My doctor still thinks I need medication! For what? I guess that's all they know how to do. He said the Avapro( blood pressure medication ) does more for you than just lower your blood pressure, it also protects your kidneys. What??? First off this crap did not lower my blood pressure! So what the hell was it doing for my kidneys?! I brought my blood pressure down into the normal range with diet and exercise.

I am sure he would also say the Statins do more for you than lower your cholesterol. Hell in my book they don't even do that! He could not bring himself to say, Wow you're doing great! How did you do it? He didn't say it and doesn't want to. He doesn't want to know how I improved my health. Being a doctor you would think he would. He refused to say; You are much healthier today than you were the last time I saw you. He won't
say this but my numbers say it loud and clear.

I need help in finding a low carb doctor( your new blog )in my area! I live in Maryland, the DC suburbs This is serious It is a matter of life and death. My doctor is trying to kill me!
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Hey Jimmy,

I just wanted to update and let you know I am still going strong. I am now 48 pounds from my weight loss goal, and super excited!!! I have to credit you, and SparkPeople for my success. Without the information, education, and support, I would have given up long long ago! I have had some ups and downs, and not lost as much as I would have liked to, but the main thing is we can never give up! This is a life long journey, not a short trip around the park.
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The most important thing I have learned over the past year is that I must watch the amount of my intake as well as what I eat. In brief, what Mike Eades asserts is that you can eat all the low-carb food you want and not gain weight. But to lose weight, you must eat only low-carb and create a caloric deficit as well. I can live with that as long as I get results.

So I'm at 226.4 today. My all-time high back in 2003 was 262. Never give up!
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I have been on the Atkins diet since November 21, 2007 and in the first week I lost 23 pounds. Huge weight loss. Then after I have been losing weight. I have lost a whopping 97 pounds in 9 months. I couldn't be happier. I have three children and with each child the weight just kept piling on over the years. I wanted to look good in swimsuit to. I love the new look. I have read so any things on the Internet about how it is bad. But when I was on a fat-free diet I starved to death.

With this diet I get less and I do watch my fat intake. But no carbs for 3 weeks then I allow myself 12 carbs every three weeks, it has changed my whole life, as I'm sure it has changed yours. I feel so great when I get out of bed. And when i see people eating chocolate or whatever it does not bother me. People don't understand this diet, they think that people on this diet eat a tub of butter, that certainly is not the case. Once you are on it you tend to change eating habits and get better with the diet.

But this diet is for me finally there is a diet that is suited for me. And I don't miss any of the food I once ate. I have lost 8 pants sizes my husband can't keep his hands off me!! So I know that you are just glowing with your weight loss. It changes your life.

Thank you for your story. Glad to know there are more people that this diet has changed.
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I am 58 years old and have used low carb eating over the years. I have always had success when eating this way, I always felt better etc. However unfortunately I listened to the experts and in my efforts to be healthy I went to a diet of high grain, granola, fruits, and low fat. My health progressively worsened, physicians told me to eat less – you know the routine.

At 56 I discovered that I had type 2 diabetes, my sugar was over 600, every vital reading was out of the norm. If it should have been high it was low and vice a versa. At a visit with my physician he sadly informed me that he could not give me any medicines, but insulin, due to my readings, but that somehow we had to get the sugar under control.

I chose not to go on insulin, but began a systematic diary of my sugar readings before and after meals, and after 2 weeks it was painfully obvious that sugar, starches, fruit juices, etc were the culprit. I began following a low carb way of eating and today my HbA1c is 5.0, all my other readings are now normal. Weight loss has also been a wonderful side effect that I have received also.
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My doctor has been trying to push Lipitor, Crestor, etc. on me for the past 4 months, due to my "hereditary" cholesterol. (She doesn't look at my ratio, just my total cholesterol.) I'm never taking a statin! I'm going to prove to her that I can lower it on my own. I am Type 2 diabetic, following a very low-carb diet, exercising daily, my blood pressure is normal, my blood sugars are normal, and my lipid profile gets better and better every time I have lab work done. No statins for me! Ever!
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Dear Jimmy,

I am a walking talking experiment for the effects of alcohol consumption while watching my weight. For the last two weeks I have omitted alcohol during the week days. I loved a few glasses of wine while cooking. I am a Pilates instructor. Very fit. I also incorporate 120 minutes of cardio each week and some weight training.
I was feeling bloated at times as well as the last inch of fat covering my six pack wasn't moving. I went on the scale and to my astonishment I lost 2 pounds after two
weeks. I am very careful about what I eat. My six pack is showing through nicely. It has made a difference. I kept wondering if it was in fact the alcohol, but I kept counting it in terms of my total calories for the day, and not aware of the fact that it stalls fat burning. Thanks for your site.
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Dear Jimmy,

I emailed you about 5 weeks ago due to extreme weight loss frustration. I do have some good news. Since my first email to you when I gained the four lbs., I lost the four lbs. plus 2 more lbs. Prior to that I was up and down 2 lbs., the same, rotten 2 lbs. and I felt like I was trapped in a cage.

What I have done is to try out some stuff you recommended on your site as well as what I read from other people. First, I stick to 18/19 carbs per day, period. Second, I have really cut out dairy (read: cheese), although I still have some cream in my coffee :). I also have INCREASED my fat intake. I really think this is helping me a
lot. I no longer feel guilty to add some mayo to a lettuce "sandwich" or butter to my veggies. I now eat macadamia nuts or deviled eggs for dessert instead of "low-carb" treats which I think mess me up. I try to stick with the same foods that I know work for me. If I add something and I gain or stall, I make a note of it & cut it out.

One "biggie" for me was going under 170 lbs. I had done it several months ago only to become very sad when I went over again. Happily, I am now down to 168. I am trying to be very, very careful. Amazing how that stupid scale can make or break your day!!!

Hope your success is continuing as well. Thank you for your kind words.

Got a low-carb weight loss or health improvement story to share with me? Send an e-mail to livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Let's show this world the awesome results we KNOW that livin' la vida low-carb can produce.

More Incredible Feel Good Success Stories About Healthy Low-Carb Living

Wanna be a low-carb success? Read about other successes!

Success always begets success begets success.

Just in case you haven't noticed it before, I like to encourage people. It's always been in my nature to pass on positive thoughts to those who need an uplifting word to get them through a difficult time. I'm a "can-do" kinda guy and want others to be able to experience all the best that life has to offer them. For all intents and purposes in my mind, it's the way things are meant to be.

That's why I LOVE hearing from people who have been able to accomplish incredible things with their health while livin' la vida low-carb. And that's not by accident either. This way of eating, whether the media and those so-called "experts" ever want to admit it or not, is an incredibly amazing and simple way to bring about massive improvements in not just your weight but your health, too.

I've blogged about so many ways your health is supercharged with low-carb living, but let's just take a look at a few right now, shall we?

When you start eating low-carb:

- Weight loss commences without counting calories
- Triglycerides drop below 100 very easily and quickly
- Blood sugars stabilize
- HDL "good" cholesterol rises above 50
- Sensitivity to insulin is improved
- Blood pressure decreases
- Insulin levels in the body are reduced
- Muscle mass is preserved
- Epilepsy is virtually cured
- Cancer is not allowed to spread and grow
- Concentration and clarity of thought emerges
- Energy like you haven't seen before
- More sound sleep
- A positive mood and attitude
- NO HUNGER!!!
- Beaming confidence about yourself
- Incredible fat loss

I could go on and on and on, but I've blogged about these and so many other ways your health gets better and better as a result of livin' la vida low-carb. Today, I wanted to share some more incredible feel good success stories about healthy low-carb living from some of your fellow readers who were inspired to tells their great news to me.

After sharing about my wife Christine's 55% drop in her triglycerides in just six weeks and my own incredible lipid profile numbers, the floodgates opened up and you couldn't help but express how much the low-carb lifestyle has and is STILL changing your life for the better. Be encouraged as you read these remarkable changes that have happened without the use of any prescription medications or other medicinal interventions.

Just diet, baby--a low-carb one, that is! ENJOY! :D

Hey Jimmy,

I left the American Heart Association diet to eat only meat, fish, eggs, butter and vegetables. No grains, sugar, fruit or starchy veggies of any kind. My blood pressure went down from 141/90 average to 116/65 average also was able to stop all my BP meds. Total cholesterol went from 241 down to 180 and HDL went from 43 to 62. Was able to stop taking Lipitor. Sorry but Atkins was more or less right. I no longer buy the no-fat nonsense.

YOU GO BOY! Your health improvements are indeed SPECTACULAR!!!

Jimmy,

Thank you so much for your support in my new way of eating. I read and listen to you almost every day. I read your blog about your blood sugar woes with great interest. I have been Livin' La Vida Low Carb for about 6 months only for blood sugar issues. I have had high fasting blood sugar for over 20 years. It has never progressed to anything beyond that and all other tests are normal.

I lost 30 pounds 2 years ago through sheer willpower and my fasting blood sugar did not improve. I have low trigylcerides and high HDL, and my BMI is 21. My only issue is the fasting number. My post meal numbers seem normal. I am so lost and I can't seem to get these numbers down. I am lucky my new physician has agreed that 30 carbs is a good daily max. Is there anyone out there can help me understand why nothing is helping these morning numbers!! Maybe I need to eat more fat and less protein.

I did read about a form of diabetes called mature onset diabetes of the young (MODY) where the only problem is fasting blood glucose and it never progresses to anything beyond that if carbs are controlled. I didn't start controlling my carbs at all until about a year ago and then really got serious about 6 months ago.

Can you point me to any good information about this?

It certainly sounds like you're on the right path, so don't give up hope. If you missed my podcast interview with Dr. Keith Berkowitz from last week, then you really should check it out because he may have some information that could help you. I'll be following up with him in another podcast soon, so let me know if you have any specific questions you'd like for me to ask Dr. Berkowitz. You're doing GREAT!

Hi Jimmy,

I found your podcasts today as I embark again on my low-carb "adventure." I have spent most of the evening listening, watching your YouTube videos and reading your blog and it's been a great inspiration.

I too was an Atkins follower back in 2003 and shed about 30 pounds to hit my goal weight and it was great. But things change and I left the low-carb way and I have paid for it. Still here we go again and I'm truly excited and will continue to listen and watch and read you as my body flips back (hopefully!) into the low-carb lifestyle!

Thanks very much and I hope your battle with the 30 pounds is not dragging you down too much. I am sure you will crack it!

THANK YOU so much and welcome back to livin' la vida low-carb. I urge you to make this your permanent lifestyle change and never let life get in the way again. Low-carb eating is HEALTHY eating, so there's no sense in ever eating any other way again, right? As for my recent weight woes, I'm not discouraged. Even if for some reason these 30 pounds refuse to budge, I KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that I'm healthier than I'd EVER be eating any other way. The good news is I feel better now at the age of 36 than I have in my entire life. How many people can say that? :)

Hi Jimmy:

It's your fellow low-carb buddy here. I have been following your info about Christine's triglycerides on the blog and I just had to share some related news of my own that I got last week!

I got my first ever cholesterol test done since I've been low-carbing now for about 8 months, and let me tell you it was SOOOO VALIDATING!!!

Here are my numbers:

Total Cholesterol: 197
HDL: 64
LDL: 120
Triglycerides: 61

What I find absolutely fascinating about these numbers is when you compare them to my last test in 2004 when I was in the middle of doing Weight Watchers to lose the last of my pregnancy weight. I have the food journals I kept during that 30-pound weight loss and it was soooo carb heavy (it's amazing I even lost weight). I was also exercising 1 hour a day during that time. So here's what the numbers were:

Total Cholesterol: 210
HDL: 72
LDL: 100
Triglycerides: 188!!!!

When I compared the two triglyceride numbers (61 now on low-carb, 188 then on high-carb, low-fat) I just about fainted. Totally amazing. So I wanted to add my story as more proof that consuming massive quantities of fat-laden foods does not kill you, it makes you healthier--AS LONG AS YOU KEEP YOUR CARBS LOW!!!

Oh, I had such a great time this weekend showing this to all my friends who are FREAKING out because I eat whole milk, butter and steak. It was great. I hope Christine continues to see her levels stay healthy.

The only question I have is: Can you have triglyceride levels that are too low? Any danger in that one? I hope not, cause I'm sure proud right now. Keep up the good work!!!

WOWSERS! I love the enthusiastic response you have for livin' la vida low-carb and can only tell you to keep doing what you're doing. The difference between your low-fat triglyceride numbers and your low-carb ones is astonishing. Not surprising, though, since you eat so many carbohydrates on a low-fat diet. We should pay more attention to triglycerides when we talk about heart health, but doctors usually only give it a cursory glance compared to the LDL and total cholesterol which is their be-all, end-all for determining your cardiovascular risk. Puhleez! Give me low-carb any day of the week. And I wouldn't worry about "too low" triglycerides. Mine were once as low as 43, but when they're below 100 it shows you are indeed doing low-carb the right way. YOU GO GIRL with your bad self!!! :D

Changing the world one dietician at a time!

In all seriousness though, think about what keeps people from doing low-carb in the U.S., which we know works for the vast majority of people, for weight loss and so many other levels. I've thought about this in my own efforts to help those in my own small circle that have asked for advice in achieving some of the success that I've enjoyed with low-carb. Even with the proof of a real human being standing in from of them, it's can be difficult for people to convince themselves that it's worth a try. It's not lack of knowledge, because the research has been done. It's not poverty or lack of access to the right foods. It's what I would call the "social" factors.

I stole this term from the computer world where they refer to computer hackers (sorry to have to use the "h" word) doing "social" hacking, as opposed to "technical" hacking. That is, taking the route of sweet talking or deceiving people into giving up their passwords, as opposed to using some program to guess the password, which is a lot more difficult. The white hat guys that focus their efforts on preventing the "social" hacking, by convincing users to create tough passwords and guard their information, are doing a lot more good, just in terms of sheer scale of hacking prevented, than the guys focused on the technical approach like installing better firewalls.

I make the analogy to what you are doing with helping people get past the barriers to starting low-carb. They're not technical barriers. Rather, it almost takes a rebel these days to do low-carb in the face of official opposition, in spite of the well-documented benefits and logical physiological underpinnings. Most doctors don't advocate it or they even discourage it. The USDA, ADA (OK, a glimmer of hope there), AHA, Ornish, Oz, and other high profile entities actively discourage it. If people can get past these "barriers to entry," then they will, in all likelihood, be successful.

Jimmy, you are helping to break down these barriers and in effect giving people permission to do low-carb without thinking that they will drop of a heart attack after 6 months from the fat intake. In so doing, you're doing more good to address the biggest health issue in the U.S. (and much of the world) today--the obesity and diabetes epidemics--than probably hundreds of doctors do in their lifetimes.

It's not that the technical medical advocates aren't important, but I don't think they have the potential for the scale of impact. You're doing it with ideas, and by making the ideas accessible to millions through the Internet. Let's review that again, because I really mean it, and I get the feeling you may be too humble to have digested it the first time--doing more to help more people than hundreds of doctors do in their lifetimes!

We can only imagine how many more husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, children, and grandchildren would have many more quality years with their loved ones if the professionals and professional organizations were to actually SUPPORT the low-carb approach. And I know you're working on them too! I think that day will come in our lifetimes.

OK, that turned into a long speech. But I've been thinking about these matters a lot since I got past the anger I felt initially after educating myself with information from books like Good Calories, Bad Calories. BTW, I'll be listening to more of your podcasts right after I'm finished writing this.

So, keep up the good work. Hopefully I'll get to go on one of your cruises eventually, but unfortunately I won't be able to make it this year. Phenomenal line-up you've got though, and very reasonably priced as well. Enjoy it.

What can I say to something like that? THANK YOU! I never realized when I decided to start blogging about my experiences on the low-carb lifestyle that my writings and other projects would reach so many people. All I wanted to do was have an outlet for sharing my experiences with this way of eating to show others there is an alternative to the failed low-fat diets that have been shoved down our throats for decades. It is humbling for me to think about the over three million people who have graced my blog over the past three years. I hope to keep this going for as long as the fire is inside of me to write passionately about the transforming power of low-carb living. Right now, that looks like it's gonna be FOREVER! :D THANKS for your support!

Jimmy,

I love your web site and appreciate very much what you are doing. I am just dropping a line to let you know I am a devout follower of yours and am better physically and mentally for it. Please never quit what you're doing for us low-carbers out here. Your impact is tremendous.

I have posted my story along the way on the Active Low-Carber forum. I was chronically obese, adult onset, for over 10 years. I tried dieting with Weight Watchers and on my own versions of a low-fat plan. But it never worked. I had to do something because I was definitely starting to see physical problems compiling.

My family physician--mum on diet plans--suggested I see a psychologist about my weight problem and he has been great. The first visit he had me get a copy of Protein Power. Since that January 2007 visit to him I have lost 125 pounds and counting (330/205/185). My life has improved so much.

I soak in all of your postings, all of the Drs. Eades postings, everything Gary Taubes writes, and whatever else I can find. I feel like I really understand my body now and can keep my weight stabilized without much effort. I have people all the time asking me how I've done it. I say low-carb. Most tell me they could never do it. I say I could no longer eat the way they are now because it was killing me. Anyway, thank you so much again.

Now that's interesting. Your doctor was clueless about what other diet options were out there to put you on, but he recommended a psychologist who said you should try livin' la vida low-carb. HA! That's hilarious. So a mental health doctor is better equipped to help you with your physical health than your own general practitioner?! Unbelievable! Maybe that's why people are losing faith in the medical profession and turning to alternative health sources like psychologists, chiropractors, and even online bloggers like me to give them truth that can help them truly change their lives. Your story is remarkable and probably more indicative of what is actually happening right now in our society. Physicians have let us down, so now we must take back control of our own health.

Hi Jimmy,

Thank you for the wonderful insights and speakers you provide on your blog. I just got through listening to the Berkley talk given by Gary Taubes. Actually, I found you because of him. My sister, who is a writer, is friends with him and told me about his work.

I have really enjoyed your blog and have been living low-carb for a little over a month now. Wow! What a difference! I am so happy that there is somewhere to go that provides insight, cooking tips, and general positive messages.

My husband and I are both eating this way and it has truly opened up an exciting new world. I can't shut up about it and am even chronicling my journey in a book that I am writing. I would love to send it to you when I am finished. This change has been a long time coming, but with all the information out there and my deep desire to make life better, it is a snap judgment. There is no return and that's a good thing.

I love that I have taken away my mode of coping with discomfort (food, sugar, sugar, and lots of carbs) and left myself no other option but to find real solutions. My husband and I both enjoy all the information and tips. (I tell him everything I learn.)

Thanks again and congratulations on Christine's triglycerides.

AWESOME! I look forward to reading that book when the story is completed. :)

Hi Jimmy,

The blogging world sure does take a while to get used to. I have a large number of blogging friends on MySpace and we all blog about weight loss and try and support each other. I am the only one that is living low-carb and I have a few blogging friends who don't like it when I post about low-carb.

One of them posted a blog today called "The Risks of Low Carb." It shocked me since I support all of their different lifestyles and have never posted anything bad about their diets. I was even more shocked when I read what it said. Anyway, to make a long story short I just told her that my lab work shows I am living a healthy lifestyle.

I believe it's healthier to eat a diet that allows me not to have to take my medications rather than eating carbs and have to be on medications all the time to stop the side effects carbs have on my body. It just made me feel so sad for her. She has diabetes and PCOS and I know this lifestyle is what she needs so badly.

What a witness you are for this way of eating and I admire you for standing up for the convictions of your heart about this. I've never understood the abject animosity people have for those of us who are livin' la vida low-carb. Here we are with a diet full of healthy and (GASP!) delicious whole foods like eggs, meats, butter, cream, cheese, nuts, etc. and all they can do is poo-poo it? If somebody wants to eat a low-fat diet, then knock yourself out. You won't find me criticizing you for doing so and I expect the same consideration about the way I eat, too. Remain firm in what you know is right for you and never let anyone convince you otherwise. WAY TO GO!!!

Dear Mr. Moore,

I was on the net today looking for info on Gary Taubes and his new book. I read about him in a magazine and am in absolutely in agreement with his science. The reason why I agree with him is this--I am a 60-year old woman who, when I was 22 or 23, read an article in Time magazine that dispelled the myth of eggs raising the level of cholesterol. At that time, folks were all talking about cholesterol.

A survey for cholesterol was done by some company in America, in which they took a few hundred people and put them on an egg diet. Some folks had one egg a day and the another lot had two, another three and so on up to some having 5 eggs a day. At the end of the survey which I think was done over a year, the amount of cholesterol level that the folks who had 5 eggs a day had risen minimally! There were figures and other proofs but I can't remember them, it was all so long ago.

I was particularly interested in the Time magazine article because my family had a cholesterol problem so it seems with my granddad and my father dying from heart attacks. Anyway I decided at that vain age of 23 that I would go on an egg diet in spite of the family's history and lost several pounds feeling healthier and happier.

Recently, in spite of the Atkins diet being vilified, and me being 28 pounds overweight, after having tried several diets, I reverted to the egg diet and lost those all those pounds within 3 weeks. A month has gone by and now and because of my age, I almost live on eggs and am healthy strong and still enjoying my nursing career.
If you know Gary Taubes email please send him a copy of my email to him. I'm sure he would be really happy to hear about the Time magazine survey of so long ago. Maybe he could pull it out of the archives and say, "There you are, I told you so."

LOL! That's GREAT! You sure are a fireball and I like it. I hope to have at least that much energy and vibrancy when I reach 60 in another quarter century. :) It truly is amazing that low-carb is so well-documented throughout scientific history with studies just like the egg one you noted and yet all we hear about is how Atkins low-carb is just a "fad" that is "dangerous" to your health. Oh really? If it's that bad, then why has it continued to stick around for 150 years if you go all the way back to William Banting's day? Wouldn't we be seeing massive sickness and death of Biblical proportions if low-carb was truly as bad as it has been made out to be? Me thinks these nincompoops protesteth too much! THANKS for your note and I did forward it to Gary Taubes who expressed his sincerest appreciation.

I saw the doctor today and I have GREAT NEWS. Everything went great at my check up!! I got on the scale and it said 266!!!! He looked back in my chart to see my starting weight from when he put me on his low-carb diet and was shocked to see how much weight I had lost!!! 59 pounds to his charts!!! Woohoo!! Woohoo!! Woohooo!!

He is keeping me at 500 mg of Metformin but I don't have to take any others meds!!!! He is a small town doctor here where we live and he told me that in his 30 years of practice he has never had a diabetic patient do so well and change their health around the way I have!!! Another Woohoo!!! He said he wished he could have his other patients follow me around so I could teach them how to do it!!!! LOL! He made my day! I also told him about your blog and he said he was going to look it up!

WOO HOO is right! This is the kind of story that needs to get out there to other doctors who are struggling with knowing what to do for their diabetic patients who keep getting WORSE on their recommended low-fat, low-cholesterol, high-carb diet. Put 'em on low-carb and watch how better they get almost instantaneously. This is what low-carb practitioners like Dr. Mary C. Vernon, Dr. Eric Westman, Dr. Jeffry Gerber, Dr. Keith Berkowitz, and so many more so in their practices on a daily basis. Changed lives because of livin' la vida low-carb. It's something EVERY doctor should know about and use for their patients who have not been successful on the more traditional treatment methods.

Dear Jimmy,

Last summer I was sent to a heart specialist who wanted to put me on statins for high cholesterol. I told him that I wanted to try diet and exercise. I followed a low-fat, high-carb diet dutifully for four months and lost 50 pounds. I was so excited to go in and get my cholesterol checked. I was stricken and dumbfounded when total cholesterol improved only marginally and HDL dropped and triglycerides rose.

It has taken since September 2007 for me to read and talk to enough people to finally get to the truth of the matter. I have been re-reading Atkins, Taubes, and other resources recently to figure this thing out. I have been following Atkins imperfectly for the past several months. I say imperfectly because following a non-traditional way of eating requires some very intense faith. My logic and emotions say that Atkins is great. My traditional Food Pyramid, clean your plate upbringing tells me to run to the nearest bag of carrots. With the help of the nurse today and my great HDL reading (85) and low triglycerides (78), the high-fat message has finally sunk in.

Total cholesterol 264
HDL 85
LDL 164
Triglycerides 78

All of those readings are better than my August test after two and a half months of the low-fat program, especially, the two most important indicators of heart health HDL and triglycerides. The nurse was definitely in agreement with a high-fat, low-carb diet. She told me she had been cautioned twice against this by her superiors and asked me not to mention our conversation to anyone. This is a big hospital with a huge pharmaceutical component.

Thanks so much for everything.

Now that's so scary! Here you have a nurse who "gets it" and has to engage in a covert low-carb mission to help patients like you get better. Why does a nurse who doesn't have nearly the amount of education and experience of a doctor (okay, maybe the experience, but not the book knowledge!) know more about healthy nutrition than a trained, professional doctor? What is WRONG with this picture? Frankly, I'm surprised they didn't give you a hard time about your LDL cholesterol being 164 and total cholesterol being 264. My own doctor freaked out with similar number and I haven't even shown him my recent 326 total cholesterol yet. He'd faint if he saw it! Keep fighting the good fight, my friend. You're doing super!

Do YOU have a story of low-carb success you'd like to share with me? I'd LOVE hearing from you, so don't be a stranger. Send me an e-mail with your fabulous low-carb results anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. THANK YOU for being such a beacon of light in my life and giving me the motivation to keep doing what I'm doing for the sake of livin' la vida low-carb. The truth WILL prevail if we keep sharing it with a world full of people who feel so hopeless and helpless about what to do about their weight and health. God bless you guys!

Food Network Casting 'Amazing Stories' Surrounding Food For A New Show

Here's your chance to be in a new Food Network series

Ever since we got cable back in our household about a year ago, my wife Christine has gone through phases of watching one particular channel at a time. At first, it was her favorite cable channel of all-time, the Sci-Fi Channel, and she got her fill of space aliens, ghost stories, and all things otherworldish! Then she switched over to the Discovery Channel for hours upon hours of Dirty Jobs, Cash Cab, How It's Made and Mythbusters. Great shows indeed!

But lately she's been in a cooking mood and you know what that means--THE FOOD NETWORK. Yes, our home has now been overtaken by Paula Deen, Rachael Ray, Emeril, Bobby Flay, Tyler Florence, and so many more. I like walking by and seeing what is being made if it is particularly low-carb (and many times it is or can be adapted to be low-carb!). Watching those professional cooks on The Food Network makes me wonder if maybe someday somebody I know will have a chance to appear on one of their shows.

Well, that might just happen sooner rather than later!

Right now, The Food Network is looking for what they describe as "amazing stories for a groundbreaking new series." Here's a brief set of questions detailing specifically what they are looking for.

"Do you or someone you know have an amazing food related story to tell? Do you know someone who has gone from being homeless to the owner of their own restaurant, makes pop art out of pineapples, or eats nothing but peanuts? Do you know someone who is battling food fears or phobias? Has food helped to cure an illness, changed the course of your life, or helped to inspire you in some dramatic way?"

If you can say YES to any of these questions, then this may be your big opportunity to appear on a national cable television network to share your story. They want a wide variety of stories to share, including ones that are "odd or humorous" so they can be featured on this new television series for The Food Network. If you have a strange or interesting food-related story to tell, then let them hear from you.

Casting us now underway and submitting your information is super-easy. Just send a brief description of your story, the best-looking photo you have of yourself, and all your contact information and e-mail it directly to Michael Raptist at michaelraptis@alroker.com. You can also call Michael at 646-723-9848 if you would like to be considered for the show.

I called Michael last week about this opportunity and shared with him about my 180-pound low-carb weight loss success story. He asked me all kinds of questions about my life, including how long I've been married, how many kids I have, why I want to do this, etc. At the end of the conversation, he wanted me to send him an e-mail with more information, so wish me luck! And I hope it works out for some of you, too! Let us know if you get chosen to be on the show so we can look for you.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!! The Food Network--this is HUGE!