The Zone Diet will soon be featured in FIRST magazine
I got word from the people at the Zone Diet today that they are teaming up with the popular First magazine to do a story on people who have implemented the Zone strategies for weight loss. What they REALLY want to see are people who have been using fish oil supplements with GREAT success in improving both their weight and health. Here's your chance to have YOUR story heard in a well-known national publication!
Those of us who are livin' la vida low-carb recognize the importance of getting the proper balance of essential omega fatty acids to reduce inflammation and this is a subject that is near and dear to the heart of Zone creator Dr. Barry Sears (who by the way is coming out with a new book in September 2008 entitled Toxic Fat: When Good Fat Turns Bad). They want first-hand testimonials of women (sorry guys!) who have experienced an amazing turnaround in how they look because of the Zone diet and fish oil supplementation (like Zone spokesperson Sue Knorr who I recently featured at my podcast show).
Time is of the essence and this story is on a deadline, so get on this ASAP if you are genuinely interested in sharing what happened to you. Here are the requirements:
- You MUST be female - You MUST be willing to reveal before and after photos - Your story MUST include your testimony about the Zone diet/fish oil
If you fit all of this criteria and can send me your story quickly, then please e-mail this information to me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. I'll forward them to the people at the Zone diet and cross my fingers for you that yours will be chosen. GOOD LUCK TO YOU and remember--DON'T DELAY! Send your story in today.
Atkins Nutritionals Wants YOUR Atkins Low-Carb Success Story
Atkins Nutritionals looking for low-carb testimonials
The Atkins Nutritionals web site is in the process of being updated right now and they are looking to add some Atkins weight loss success stories and testimonials to the new and improved site. If you've experienced weight loss, successful weight maintenance or improved health and energy from following the Atkins Nutritional Approach, then they'd love to hear from you. And there's a payoff for those of you who do--you'll win a special Atkins prize if your story is chosen.
What they are looking for is first-person stories about how the Atkins Nutritional Approach, Atkins products and the Atkins community have changed your life. Here are a few questions to consider as you write your story:
- When did you start following the Atkins approach, and over what period of time? - What inspired you to try the Atkins Diet™? - Are you still following the Atkins principles? Which phases, principles and aspects of the Atkins Nutritional Approach have proved to be the most practical, helpful and easiest to follow? - What Atkins products have helped you with your weight loss goals? We want to know if you used Atkins products, which ones you used, and your opinions about our products. - Did you succeed? What were your keys to success? Did you modify the Atkins plan to suit your own lifestyle and preferences? - What has changed in your life–for example, if you lost weight, have you maintained your weight loss and how have you benefited from following Atkins? - What obstacles did you have to deal with while following the Atkins Nutritional Approach, and how do you overcome them?
If you send pictures, these should also depict your personal experience–from before you started on the Atkins Nutritional Approach to your "after" picture, showing where you are now or when you finished your last Atkins phase.
You can e-mail your first-person success story to testimonials@atkins.com. Be sure to include your name, address, and the best way to contact you (phone and e-mail address). If you have an Atkins weight loss success story, then send clear digital .jpg before and after photos (be sure the pictures do not include other people). When you send in your story, keep in mind you will be contacted by Atkins Nutritionals if they are interested. It may take some time for them to go through the submissions, so be patient.
If your story is chosen, then they will send you a release form to sign. They will not use your story unless you send the signed release form back to them. They will not use anything you send them without your explicit permission and they will not use anything without a signed release form from you.
GOOD LUCK to everyone who shares their Atkins success story! :)
Micah McCain shedding the pounds on BRAVO-TV's "Workout"
During this special "Week Of Weight Loss Wisdom" on my podcast "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore," we're hearing some truly remarkable low-carb weight loss turnarounds from people just like you and me. On Monday, Sue Knorr told us all how The Zone Diet has been making a positive difference in her life for the past 12 years and counting. Today we have another guest who only recently learned about the power of the healthy low-carb lifestyle.
In Episode 148 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore," we hear from Micah McCain who is currently a contestant on Season 3 of the hit BRAVO television weight loss reality series called Workout. When this show first came out in 2006, I blogged about it as yet another program on national television to inspire others in their own weight loss efforts and it has flourished ever since! Micah is one of the people who has experienced a tremendous turnaround and I'm pleased to share my interview with him today as part of this "Week Of Weight Loss Wisdom."
Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 148:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 148 [21:18m]: LISTEN NOW | Download
Micah McCain discusses how his weight shocked him out of nowhere when he saw some video footage of himself. This is a subject I've blogged about before and it's true--if you wanna see what others see when they look at you, then have someone take a video or photograph of you and there it will be. It's a stark reality that hit Micah right between the eyeballs and made him want to do what he had to do to get that weight off.
Dealing with obesity his entire life, Micah needed an incremental approach to shedding the pounds. His trainer and nutrition adviser started him out eating more vegetables and fruit and then began substituting some healthy options in place of some of the junk food he was eating. The slow change in Micah's diet then took a low-carb turn when the sugar was removed first followed by flour, dairy, starchy veggies and even some fruits (because they're too high in sugar!). WOW! Pretty soon, Micah was full-fledged livin' la vida low-carb and he hasn't looked back since!
Weight loss motivation and inspiration is yours anytime by:
In this second interview in the "Week Of Weight Loss Wisdom", Micah McCain was quite open and honest about how he struggled with his weight for most of his life until he became educated about what healthy living is. What do you think about his trainer's incremental approach to change? Is it better to go slow and ease somebody into the low-carb lifestyle or to switch them cold turkey to low-carb immediately? This oughta be an interesting discussion, so feel free to express yourself in the show notes section of Episode 148.
Got someone you'd like for me to interview on an upcoming episode of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore?" I'm working on quite a few right now for the next few months, but I welcome your ideas and suggestions. Call our podcast hotline anytime at (206) 202-6516 and leave a message or you can e-mail me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Be sure to come back again TOMORROW for my interview with my friend and fellow Atkins diet weight loss success story and blogger Kent Altena who dropped 200 pounds on low-carb and is now running marathons! DON'T MISS IT!!!
Sue Knorr lost 100 pounds and has kept it off for 12 years!
This is a special week at "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" because we will be presenting more than our typical two podcasts. For this unique week only, we'll be sharing FIVE big podcast interviews with people who have quite a bit to say about the subject of weight loss and healthy living. I've dubbed this the "Week Of Weight Loss Wisdom" and can't wait for you to hear from all these incredible individuals who have faced their own obesity demons and beat them silly!
In Episode 147 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore," we start this "Week Of Weight Loss Wisdom" with a woman by the name of Sue Knorr. She is the official spokesperson for the lower-carb Zone Diet created by Dr. Barry Sears. How did she earn that prestigious position? Well, losing 100 pounds following that particular nutritional approach certainly didn't hurt. :) Hear what she has to say about her own weight loss journey on The Zone Diet.
Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 147:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 147 [25:33m]: LISTEN NOW | Download
We hear all about how The Zone Diet works to help people not just shed the pounds, but find incredible health. The key, according to Sue Knorr, is balancing your omega fats and getting in your own personal customized "zone" with the macronutrient ratio of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that work for you. And we also get an update on the most famous Zone Diet adherent today--Manuel Uribe. It's quite a podcast that I encourage you to listen to.
Find inspiration in your weight loss efforts anytime by:
In this first interview in the "Week Of Weight Loss Wisdom", Sue Knorr did a fantastic job of sharing about how The Zone Diet has improved her life. What did you think about what she had to share about her weight loss success? Give your feedback about it in the show notes section of Episode 147.
Share your LIVE audio feedback with us by calling (206) 202-6516 and leaving a message or you can e-mail me anytime with your comments at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Listen in again on Tuesday for my interview with the flamboyantly charismatic Micah McCain.
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!
Dr. Keith Berkowitz reveals his low-carb hypoglycemia theory
Last week I shared with you about a bewildering blood sugar issue happening with me right now. My blood sugars actually DROPPED after a meal rather than the typical rise and then gradual drop that happens in most people. This jogged my memory about a guest blog post I shared about a year ago about this very issue.
In Episode 144 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore," we hear from the man behind the hypoglycemia theory associated with long-term low-carb weight loss success stories named Dr. Keith Berkowitz from the Manhattan-based Center For Balanced Health. Dr. Berkowitz worked with the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins and inherited many of his patients who lost significant amounts of weight. Now he's seeing those patients dealing with hypoglycemia and is implementing strategies for dealing with this.
Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear Episode 144:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 144 [21:18m]: LISTEN NOW | Download
Ever since I blogged about my crazy blood sugar issues, people have been wanting to know more about this perplexing phenomenon. Dr. Berkowitz has been mulling this observational theory about reactive hypoglycemia around in his mind for a while now and is actively seeking a researcher to look into this for the sake of those low-carb dieters who have lost a lot of weight and then it just stops. This is something so many of us can relate to in our low-carb lifestyle.
Dr. Berkowitz identifies what this condition is, why reactive hypoglycemia happens even when you eat low-carb, and what you can do to overcome this. This isn't just some quack theory because I'm living it right now. Practical, easy-to-implement strategies in response to hypoglycemia are shared by Dr. Berkowitz in today's podcast and I can personally attest that they WORK! Since I've added many of the suggestions he recommends people with this do, I have lost over 10 pounds in the first week. I don't expect this torrid pace to continue, but it is very encouraging so far. See my menus blog to see EXACTLY what I'm eating, how often, and the composition of the foods.
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What's your reaction to what Dr. Keith Berkowitz shared in today's podcast? Have you experienced a hypoglycemic reaction to eating low-carb and feel "stuck" in your weight loss? Share your experiences with this in the show notes section of Episode 144. I appreciate Dr. Berkowitz sharing his time and expertise with us in today's podcast about this critical issue. If you are concerned about possibly having this condition, then you need to get a glucose tolerance test as soon as possible. This could be the answer you've been looking for.
Tune in again next week as I share an eye-opening two-part interview with Dr. James E. Carlson, the author of a fabulous new book called Genocide!: How Your Doctor's Dietary Ignorance Will Kill You. If you support the high-fat, low-carb nutritional approach to weight loss and health, then you are gonna fall head over heels for Dr. Carlson! Let's just say he's not very fond of the current dietary recommendations of a high-carb, low-fat diet. DON'T MISS the next edition of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore."
Last week I had a contest on my podcast show where I asked people to share their real life stories of how livin' la vida low-carb has changed their lives. Three winners were chosen at random--Justin Wallraven, Maya, and Steve Whitley--for a complimentary copy of the DVD of the documentary My Big Fat Diet. CONGRATULATIONS to the winners! :)
The responses were so amazingly encouraging and uplifting that I just had to share them with the readers at my blog. Special thanks to each of the men and women who so openly shared and GREAT JOB on your success. Keep it up!
Justin Wallraven wrote:
Low carb has changed my life.
I’ve struggled with weight (and been on some form of diet) for as long as I can remember. For a long time, I assumed it was my own self-discipline that caused me to remain overweight. All that changed when my wife and I began seriously talking about having a baby. Not wanting to be the “fat dad,” I threw myself into what was “everyone knows” is the healthiest weight loss program. Weight watchers. I counted every point and never cheated. I lost about 12 pounds the first month but then my weight lost stalled.
I thought, “No problem. I’ll exercise.” I threw myself into an intense exercise program. I worked an hour and a half a day, 5 days a week. Exercise helped me lose about 4 more pounds…then the scale stopped moving downward for me permanently.
For 4 more months, I counted every WW “point” and exercised religiously. Despite my effort and dedication, I was horrified to find that not only was I NOT losing weight, I began to GAIN weight! Weight watchers was making me fatter! When I got back within about 5 pounds of my starting weight (despite my religious dedication to the diet and exercise program), I quit Weight Watchers.
I was incredible frustrated, but at least I now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it wasn’t my level of dedication that was keeping me over weight. The dedication was there. I just had bad information. That’s when I began reading about low carb.
Weight loss—for me—has always felt like an uphill battle. The analogy I like to use to describe it is pushing a rock up a steep hill. It’s a tremendous amount of work, and I know that if I slip up even once, the rock is going to roll right back over me, and I’ll be right back where I started (or worse.) Even if I could somehow find a way to lose weight, I knew that I would find it impossible to keep the weight off. It was just too hard.
Eating a high fat/low carb diet completely changed that. Losing weight still isn’t easy for me. I still have a few more pounds to lose, and I have to watch my carbs, portions and exercise (The trifecta!) in order to LOSE pounds, but now it’s possible when it wasn’t before!
However, the magic of a high fat diet—at least for me—is in the maintenance. I’ve lost over 55 pounds, and I find maintaining the loss to be effortless. I don’t even think about it.
I have found that when I keep my carbs low, I am unable to gain weight no matter how much food I eat, and remember, I’m the kind of guy who can LOOK at a donut and gain weight. Being able to eat as much as I want without gaining weight is a completely foreign concept!
For me, THIS is the miracle of a low carb/high fat diet and it has changed my life.
Dan (aka Renegadediabetic) wrote:
Low carb has also changed my life. I have always struggled with my weight and tried to follow the low fat dogma for close to 20 years. I always suffered from insatiable cravings, which drove me to overat. I would pig out on “health, complex” carbs with plenty of fiber, but they failed to satisfy me. I was just on a weight roller coaster and eventually ballooned up to 350+ lbs. I became so frustrated that I just gave up on trying to lose weight. I thought it was impossible.
Then I got my wake-up call after being diagnose with type 2 diabetes. I had to do something. In diabetes education, they told me to eat low fat, high “complex” carb. However, it soon dawned on me that they were telling me to do the same thing I had been doing before, which had failed me big time.
Insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results. I had to end the insanity and tried low carb. I was shocked to see that I was getting about 70% of my calories from fat, but I quickly got used to the idea. Fat is yummy and much more satisfying than carbs. Even though I now give myself permission to eat as much as I want, I find I don’t want as much and don’t eat as much. There are still some “mindless eating” situations, but I find it much easier to deal with them now that the cravings ar gone.
The results are that I’ve lost over 110 lbs to date. More importantly, my blood sugar has improved greatly and I have been able to get off some of my meds. I have adopted low carb, high fat as a permanent lifestyle and will never go back to my former way of eating (or my former weight for that matter.)
Amy Dungan wrote:
Low-carb has been my saving grace. Before starting my low-carb lifestyle I was an overweight, lethargic, depressed stay-at-home Mom who felt completely useless, hopeless and defeated. Keeping up with my two young children was a monumental task. I saw no hope for change. After being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, someone recommended I try a no-sugar diet. I started researching sugar-free diets and naturally it led me into low-carb diets. I was skeptical, but bought Dr. Atkins book and read it cover to cover. I was amazed. I felt like this might just be the answer I’d been looking for.
Since that day I’ve learned a tremendous amount about health and the benefits of low-carb dieting. I’ve lost weight, improved my health, and regained my life! My energy levels are high and my FMS pain is non-existent. Besides weight, I’ve lost Acid Reflux, IBS, joint pain, and my depression is under control WITHOUT medication. I enjoy living again!
I’ve learned a lot about myself as well. My emotional and mental state has improved beyond what I could have ever imagined. I have a self confidence that I don’t think I have ever had. Low-Carb has given me the courage to branch out and help others with their low-carb lifestyles. I now run a low-carb website, a low-carb blog, and help in various other capacities. It’s exciting to see others discover this amazing way of living. I’ve also gained the confidence to further my education and start my own business.
I simply would not be who I am today if it had not been for the low-carb lifestyle. I would still be sick, miserable, depressed, and scared of living life to it’s fullest.
Maya wrote:
I’m not sure which came first the depression or the fat. Regardless the loss of control I felt gaining weight for the first time in my life after a lifetime of being small was a huge jolt. I had always felt slim and beautiful and was if anything...cocky and suddenly I didn’t know who I was anymore. I came the low carb desperate. I was heavy, hadn’t dated in over two years and allowed myself to be hurt in far too many ways because I honestly felt I didn’t deserve better.
I gave up on my BA one unit shy because that tiny obstacle seemed so huge and I was tired of trying. I gave up three years smoke free. I never looked in the mirror or ate with my kids for the two years. As a single mom that was the worst, one time my kids asked why I never ate with them anymore and I just couldn’t admit the shame; I changed the subject.
Low carb made sense, it seemed to follow what my ancestors would have eaten. I made a false start once and it felt right but I wasn’t quite ready. While I wasn’t ready I knew I had found the key. I just wanted to do it right. I abandoned my effort after three weeks. Instead I choose to quit smoking three days before Christmas and caffeine a few days after all in preparation for low carb.
My official low carb start was February 5. That is what I would consider my new birthday. Not for physical reasons but because of all the emotional and life changes low carb has given me. I had never stuck to any diet more than a few weeks. This didn’t feel like a diet though; it felt like a new life.
Low carb showed me my own strength. It showed me that given the right tools I can succeed and that I can give those tools to myself. It helped me get ahold of my ADD and asthma when I ran out of health insurance and medication. Finding that inner strength allowed me to find joy in exercise for the first time in 10 years. I feel strong regardless of being assaulted not long ago.
It reminded me that I can overcome and achieve. My weight gain was full of emotion and as the weight comes off so do those emotions. I have began to shed hurt, pain, and confusion with every pound. I’ve also began to own my own body again.
On Saturday I graduate after 10 years of being in and out of school and having given up last year. In OCT I am taking the LSAT and applying to Law School. It sounds really over dramatic but Low carb reminded me of who I am. Everything suddenly became much easier because I knew I was committed and stronger than something that most people never overcome. Quitting smoking or applying to law school back east doesn’t seem so scary.
I am braver now. I guess Low Carb changed my life the way some Marathoners talk about that first race. So for me the gains emotionally have been far more that physical. I am in awe at the human capacity for strength and healing.
Teresa H wrote:
At the young age of 34 I had already been on every low-calorie low-fat diet out there. I was in poor health and getting fatter every year. Then once I started the low-carb high-fat lifestyle my life started to change. My health started to improve and the weight started coming off.
As a child, I loved beans and corn bread night! My grandmother used to tell us, “You better eat your beans because they stick to your ribs” (little did I know they really would stick to me!). Because of our wonderful diet I was over weight all my life. I remember going on my first diet the summer before my freshmen year in high school. I limited myself to 500 calories a day. I ran a mile in the morning and before bed.
During this time I also had summer Marching band practice and color guard drills all on 500 calories a day. I lost 25 pounds that summer just to regain it as fast as I lost it. So started my yo-yo dieting of starving and low-fat eating which lasted around 19 years and left me weighing a whopping 325 pounds.
In November 2007 I sat in my doctors’ office with type 2 diabetes, PCOS, high blood pressure and taking all kinds of medications for all my ailments. My doctor came into the room with my lab results shaking his head. He told me my results were not good and then went on to tell me that he was going to have to add another medication to my list because my cholesterol was high.
It was then I knew I was going to die if I did not make a change. The doc then told me that if he sent me to a dietician it will only make me sicker. I looked at him in shock. He then handed me a two page diet outline he wanted me to follow. After looking it over I realized he just told me to go on a low carb diet.
I went home, talked to my husband and started a new chapter in my life. Low-carbing was hard at first. I wanted bread so bad I could taste it. I started researching and joining low-carb support groups and cooking at home. It only took a few weeks to start feeling like me again. I started working out and coming home and eating bunless hamburgers with a side salad and low-carb pizza with loads of vegetables (which did feel a little strange at first). I was no longer hungry all the time and my blood sugar was under control. I also started having monthly menstrual cycles again and the weight was falling off.
Six months later I went to my doctor for a follow up appointment. My doctor was in shock! I had dropped 59 pounds, my blood pressure was normal my cholesterol was down and my Diabetes was under control. He took me off my medications for all my ailments and cut my Diabetic medication in half! My doctor told me I was his first diabetic patient to ever change there health around the way I had and that he wished he could have someone follow me around to see how I did it. I was thinking “What?”, “I am living the low-carb lifestyle like you told me” but he was out the door before I could say a word. The doctor was out in the hall telling his staff the great news! I was on cloud nine.
In conclusion, my new found low-carb high-fat lifestyle has taken me from a young dieing woman with uncontrolled Diabetes, PCOS, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, taking all kinds of medications and a whopping 325 pounds to a healthy young woman with controlled Diabetes, PCOS, only on one medication and down 59 pounds! Low-carb is my life and living this way will keep improving my health and help drop the pounds so that I will have a long and fulfilling life.
Taiwan gal wrote:
I am still new to the low-carb lifestyle. I stuck to a low-fat diet in my early 20’s, and managed to lose around 50 pounds. I hovered around 105 pounds for about many years, which wasn’t healthy, I know. But I loved being thin. Unfortunately, I lost my menstrual cycle for 9 years due to distance running, low body fat, and a messed up thyroid. My pituitary gland was “frozen,” according to the doctors, and I probably saw up to 30 different doctors during those 9 years.
Strangely enough, even though I still exercise a LOT, I have gained about 30 pounds in the last 3 years. I DID need to gain some weight…but I could stand to lose about 5 of those pounds. I would feel a lot better if I did. Since low-fat living wasn’t working for me anymore, I needed to try something else. Finding Jimmy’s web site has been a real eye-opener for me.
I have had a phobia of fat for as long as I can remember. Even now, it’s sometimes hard for me to acknowledge that fat is GOOD for me. But after 5 years of dealing with no menstrual cycle and infertility, I realized that my diet needed to change. I have always had a sweet tooth, and I know now that I can’t eat 3 brownies and then just “run it off.” It doesn’t work that way anymore.
Therefore, I am trying my hardest to live a low-carb life. I am also taking Chinese herbs to help get my body back in balance, and for the first time in NINE years, I have had several menstrual cycles ON MY OWN. (with no help from hormone shots or birth control pills). It is truly a miracle, and I think that a low-carb/ high-fat diet plus Chinese meds plus God’s mercy is the reason my body is slowly getting back where it should be.
I would like to give up sugar/flour/wheat for good, and I am taking steps in that direction. I hope someday I can bear my own children. I hope I can spread the news about low-carb living here in Asia, where I live. And I hope I can someday see the DVD, My Big Fat Diet, so I can continue to learn more about this life-changing way of eating.
Thank you for asking us to submit an essay, Jimmy. I enjoyed writing down my thoughts, and I hope I didn’t get too personal. But you’re always so transparent and REAL with us that I don’t think you’ll mind all the details. :)
TigerEyes wrote:
I started getting interested in nutrition sometime around last year, as my family has a history of degenerative diseases, including Celiac Disease from my grandfather, Diabetes from my late grandmother, and a tendency to gain weight (both my parents). My father has also had problems with his appendix and gall bladder (both are now removed). I started researching nutrition in hopes of helping them and also not ending up like them.
My mom and youngest sister have started to adopt some of the things I tell them, although not as much as I think they should, especially my mom who still has some weight to lose. I’m not perfect either, as I don’t regularly have access to grass-fed meat and dairy and organic, local produce, and all that at the moment. Going low-carb has helped clear up my acne and relieve me of my insomnia and menstrual cramps though, and I’m extremely thankful for that. Little by little, we’re all getting healthier!
Nicholas Hahn wrote:
I was–and still am in the military–and while I could still pass the physical fitness tests, I could see that I was gaining weight, even though I really didn’t eat that much. Additionally, I ran on average 32 miles a week, but I was still 235 pounds. Obviously, there was a disconnect. I think I actually eat more now than I did when I was eating all the carbs, yet I weigh 30 pounds less. I knew nothing about hormones and all the effects they have on us.
I came across the Zone diet and learned about hormones, GI, GL, and how these things can affect not only how much fat we carry, but how hormone levels are probably better explanations for “diseases of civilization” than simply obesity. Then I read Taubes’ book. He was saying that all these diseases were the effect of probably one cause–carbohydrates and it all made sense. It was a revelation to me.
I started by cutting out all bread, jellies and cereal. Later, I cut out oatmeal. Now, I eat leafy greens, non-starchy fruits and veggies, and lots of meat and olive oil.
I’m not sure if all the science is true or not, but I’ve started suggesting to all my friends that they try it out. I tell them all the benefits: I don’t get food coma any more, I rarely get hungry, and I’m not overweight. My fasting blood sugar is 88, and my cholesterol is 128. I tell people those figures and they just play it off as genetic or because I exercise more than them.
I still can’t believe how long the high carb myth has persisted so long. I’ve gotten a few converts and hopefully I’ll get more. Thanks for your blog.
Steve Whitley wrote:
120 Pounds Down in 7 months!
At 345 pounds I would look in the mirror and feel that I wasn’t that overweight. I was just big boned you know. I figured out that walking down the stairs backwards was easier on my knees. Not because I was fat of course, but because I had arthritis in my knees. Hearing my stomach growl 15 minutes after eating a whopper and fries meant that it was time to eat again, goody! I had to listen to what my body was telling me to do so another trip to the drive through was called for. I avoided having my picture taken. not because I was fat, but because I wasn’t photogenic.
So many more examples, but then something clicked. I saw a picture of myself cooking dinner at a party and realized I wasn’t fat, I was OBESE! I got mad at myself. It wasn’t fair to my better half, I was letting her down. How could she stand being around me? I became embarrased at the way I looked. That’s what it took. None of that big and proud crap for me, I was a medical time bomb. High blood pressure, arthritis, allergies, anxiety, I had issues.
I looked on the web for weight loss information and soon found out about the evils of carbohydrates. I decided that I would start my journey by staying away from everything white - sugar, rice, pasta, white flour, and no more fruit juice either and the pounds started to come off. I got motivated and bought a “trainer” for the bicycle I owned. That’s a device that you attach to your bike to make it a stationary bike you can ride indoors. It was a struggle to do more than 10 minutes--my knees hurt, but I just kept them moving. It got easier after the fourth day. I would peddle for 15 minutes at a shot 3 times a day after eating breakfast, lunch and dinner. Luckily I have the luxury of being able to come home from work for lunch so it worked out well for me.
Then I stumbled across the Livin’ La Vida Low Carb podcast site. I listened for a couple of hours straight. It really kept me motivated and on track over the ensuing weeks. Following the advice I was hearing led to more weight loss with very little hunger cravings. This eating fat and protien idea really seemed to work for me.
I’ve lost 120 pounds, my allergies are gone, I’m off half the medications I was on. And the best part is it has seemed pretty easy, just stay away from carbs and move my body some everyday.
Jimmy, please keep up the great work. I’ve motivated about 5 other people so far to actually start a low carb weight loss program and use your site as a tool to keep them going. Great interviews an links on your site. Thanks!
P.S. My stomach hardly ever growls any more. That’s a good thing.
Wanna share your story? Please feel free to do so in the comments section below. And if you have a passion for sharing how low-carb living has changed your life, then consider sending your story to the American Diabetges Association, the United States Department of Agriculture and the American Heart Association. These key health organizations need to know low-carb is working for real people. Let 'em NEVER forget this fact!
The low-carb lifestyle changed my life much more than physically
After you lose weight, a whole lot about your life changes. Besides the obvious physical differences in how you look and feel, there are some rather unexpected emotional and psychological issues that happen whether you know it or not. Some of them are good and others will blindside you if you aren't ready for them.
In Episode 34 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I talk about the amazing changes that happen in your life after experience low-carb weight loss. It's the fun part of going on the low-carb lifestyle being able to reap the rewards of your efforts and basking in the glory of achieving success and accomplishment when so many others have not been able to do the same. Hopefully seeing how our lives have changed following the low-carb miracle will encourage you in your lifestyle change.
See just a few ways our lives have changed in today's video:
In my book Livin' La Vida Low-Carb: My Journey From Flabby Fat To Sensationally Skinny In One Year, you will see exactly how much my life has changed since I was that 410-pound gargantuan man in January 2004 compared to the man I am today. The changes were dramatic and the way people treated me seemed to suddenly switch, too. To this day, that is the one thing that surprised me the most about my weight loss experience.
The book I wrote about my low-carb weight loss experience
Just a friendly reminder, you only have a few days left to enter my 3rd blogiversary giveaway contest, so be sure to sign up for your chance to win one of 100 great low-carb prizes! GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!
Catch up on all our previous YouTube videos and then go subscribe to our videos for the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" series. E-mail us your thoughts and questions anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net and feel free to share a topic of interest you would like for us to cover in a future video. THANK YOU for watching and supporting our YouTube videos.
"The Low-Carb Chef" is thankful for the miracle of low-carb
It's so much fun telling other people about how livin' la vida low-carb has changed my life for the better. People can hardly believe it when I talk about all the wonderful foods I am permitted to eat while on a "diet" and that I NEVER get hungry. There's such incredulity about the healthy low-carb lifestyle because people think if it's too good to be true, then it must not be. Well, this is the exception to that old adage!
But I'm not the only one who has been successful at losing weight and improving my health. I've highlighted several amazing low-carb transformations recently, including Manuel Uribe, Randy, Phill Novak, and Jo Heeley, just to name a few. There are many more stories out there even if the media chooses to ignore them and today I have another one to share.
It's from someone who calls herself "The Low-Carb Chef" although she admits to being neither "a chef who has any official training nor have I been a life long great cook." But what she has been is successful--VERY SUCCESSFUL!--on the low-carb lifestyle. And not just her, but her husband, too! She's lost an amazing 140 pounds while he has shed 100 pounds in response to eating low-carb to ward off pre-diabetes. Mission accomplished!
Wanting to help educate others who think this way of eating is boring, "The Low-Carb Chef" created this web site for sharing the basic principles of low-carb living, including the rules for doing low-carb, this helpful low-carb shopping list, and this sample 30-day supper menu. This is an invaluable resource for anyone looking for information about how to get started livin' la vida low-carb the right way.
She also set up this blog called "Low-Carb Miracle" to talk about the outstanding turnaround in the life of her and her husband. I just love the motto of the site: "To Eat Great And Lose Weight." That's livin' la vida low-carb in a nutshell! We see in this recent post as well as in an e-mail to me, "The Low-Carb Chef" was so excited about the changes that have happened in the health of her husband.
In early 2007, her husband weighed over 300 pounds and she weighed in at 290. A visit to the doctor gave him the grim news about his health--his cholesterol number and fasting blood sugar were through the roof! They both decided to live the low-carb lifestyle beginning in June and the health results culminated in the following letter from the doctor after his visit on February 1, 2008:
Dear George,
I'm writing about your lab work and am extremely pleased that the total cholesterol is 112 which is down from 180. The good cholesterol has increased from 39 to 44. The bad cholesterol has dropped from 111 to 58. The fasting glucose was down to 95 which is where it should be.
Needless to say, they are "jumping for joy at this good news" and celebrated by having an amazing meal with protein and veggies. YUMMY! CONGRATULATIONS "Low-Carb Chef" and George! We are proud of the weight loss and just as proud of the health improvements. Keep on shining as a bright example for the low-carb life and never stop sharing about how your life is forever changed. THANK YOU for all you are doing to spread the positive message of livin' la vida low-carb!
You can e-mail "The Low-Carb Chef" to congratulate her and her husband for sharing their incredible low-carb success story at chef@low-carbchef.com.
2-17-08 UPDATE: Well, file this one under the WHOOPS department because I made a boo-boo in telling the story about "The Low-Carb Chef" and her hubby. Here's the part I messed up:
I want to honestly confess that Jimmy got one little bit of our story ahead of itself. My weight loss goal is 140 pounds but I’ve “only” lost 80 pounds so far. George hopes to lose 100 pounds but has ”only” lost 65 pounds. We will get to our weight loss goals some day soon but we just could not wait to tell the good news about a healthy way of eating to others. I felt I had to make sure you knew the real numbers.
I guess I was trying to wish that goal on your quicker...but you're gonna get there because you happily livin' la vida low-carb! THANKS for the correction and I wish you well as you continue on in this journey. KEEP IT UP!!! :)
Randy Peels Off A Pound A Week For Four Years On The Low-Carb Lifestyle
Randy's stunning 231-pound weight loss transformation
Nothing inspires someone to make a major change in their life like weight loss quite like seeing average, everyday people just like them accomplishing great success. It is why I like to feature low-carb weight loss success stories early and often here at my blog because sometimes you need a little motivation and inspiration as you begin this journey for yourself.
Today I have another such story to share with you and this is quite an amazing one indeed! It's about that guy at the top of this post named Randy. In late 2003, Randy weighed in at 410 pounds--the exact same weight that I was when I began my Atkins diet in January 2004. Randy started his low-carb lifestyle a couple months before I did and set out to lose the weight slow and steady.
As a heavy child, teenager, and then adult, Randy could always conceal his weight because of his height. I can relate since my 6'3" body frame prevented people from realizing my weight had climbed above 400 pounds. And yet reality is reality and Randy knew he needed to do something after a specific even triggered that the time had arrived for him to do something about his weight.
"I think the straw that broke the camel's back was a trip to Sea World in Florida, and I was too big to sit in the chair for a rollercoaster ride," Randy admitted. "They had a chair set up outside the ride for you to get in, and I couldn’t. How embarrassing! I did not realize how big I had gotten until then."
It's funny how when you are overweight you just lose track of where your weight is because for the most part you just don't care. There's a sense of inevitability that obesity will always be your lot in life and Randy felt that until this experience at Sea World jolted him back into reality again.
After just a few short months of livin' la vida low-carb, Randy had dipped below 400 pounds and was well on his way to produce a slow and steady decline in his weight over the next four years. Part of his weight problem had to do with a "serious problem with food" that was a result of several issues Randy needed to deal with.
"I would eat to solve boredom, pain, depression, and anger--every reason except for hunger," he stated.
Unfortunately, as has happened to many people who have ballooned up to morbid obesity, Randy didn't have any sense of what a normal serving of food was supposed to be.
"For a family of three we would have to order two large pizzas and breadsticks and going to the buffet required three trips to the buffet table whether I was full or not," he exclaimed. "Leftovers? What are leftovers? I would eat until there was nothing left!"
In addition to his out-of-control weight problem, Randy had another reason to start living the low-carb life--diabetes runs in his family!
"My granddad had it, my dad has it, and my older brother has it. I knew at my weight that I would be next if I continued down the same path," he revealed.
Now that he's taken the weight off, Randy says, "Thank the Lord I don’t have it and if I continue this healthy way of eating then hopefully I will never get it."
I know the feeling, Randy. My situation is very similar because my brother Kevin has diabetes that resulted from his obesity and I was well on my way to a similar path before my weight loss success. Praise God for giving us the strength to overcome this mountain in our lives and allowing us the opportunity to share with others how they too can beat the obesity monster once and for all. It's what motivates Randy as he lives his life as a lean man today.
"The biggest enjoyment I get out of losing this extra person that I used to carry around on my back is now being able to help others learn more about this healthy lifestyle change," Randy explains. "I love being a motivator and inspiration to others."
Weighing in at 179 pounds now--an eye-popping 231 pounds lighter than he was in late 2003!--Randy has his sights on hitting 175 for a nice round number. But he's so happy now with the turnaround in his weight and health that his life will never be the same again.
"This is such a wonderful way to live and feel that it is hard to explain and put into words," Randy remarked. "I have never been skinny in my life and even when I look in the mirror I still see a heavy person looking back at me despite the fact that others don’t see that person anymore."
Boy, can I relate. It's gotten better with time, but people just don't understand the years of psychological torture that has been inflicted on fat people by others and even within the mind of the person himself. There's a healing process that has to take place so you can accept the new person that you have become and nobody ever talks about that. Although the outward changes can happen quickly, it can take years--maybe decades--for some to fully realize the change that has happened to them internally.
Today, Randy realizes he had a "disease" of being addicted to food and livin' la vida low-carb cured him of that condition by giving him a "better handle" on dealing with it.
"There are times that it is hard and I still want to eat that large pizza by myself," Randy admitted. "But all I do is remember where I was and where I am now and I like the present much better than I like the past."
Well stated, Randy! Leave the past behind you and push forward to that bright future ahead of you full of such promise and hope. That will drive you to keep up the fantastic work you have done for the rest of your long and healthy life thanks to the low-carb lifestyle. And the good news is, Randy KNOWS this is something he can do "for the rest of my life."
To all the low-carb naysayers, Randy has a message for you.
"There are so many false ideas about the low-carb way that certain people think it is all just meat and cheese," he said. "These people are just so misguided because I now eat more veggies than I ever did when I was obese."
And eating this way has produced one heckuva story for Randy to tell his grandchildren someday.
"I have lost over 230 pounds in four years which is just a little over one pound a week," Randy recalled of his low-carb journey since 2003. "I believe that is a very healthy weight loss plan and lifestyle."
Healthy and effective! CONGRATULATIONS Randy and keep up the great work on your low-carb lifestyle. We are all so very proud of you for being yet another example of the lifechanging ability of this way of eating on the lives of real people who buck the trend and give it a chance to work for them. God bless you buddy and NEVER GIVE UP! :)
The media missed the story, but Jo's here to set 'em straight!
If there's one thing we can always count on almost automatically from most media coverage of people who have lost weight on the low-carb lifestyle is they're just gonna get it wrong. The great Dr. Mike Eades blogged about this very subject just last week with a low-carb success story named Phill Novak appearing on CNN recently (they only gave a cursory mention to his diet and focused almost exclusively on his exercise--I interviewed Phill about his DIET for my podcast show on Monday). It's just a sad reality in mainstream media coverage these days that we have to come to terms with.
As a writer myself, I try to make sure the information I provide is as accurate as possible according to the research and knowledge I have about that subject. With that said, sometimes there is pertinent data missing from articles I have written and I respond accordingly. Such is the case with this December 2006 blog post about a low-carb weight loss success story named Jo Heeley. She lost a total of 84 pounds following a low-carb eating regimen and her story was featured in a popular British newspaper called The Sun.
Unfortunately, the author of that article (apparently no longer available online) took judicious liberty to make up and embellish the story to appear as if UK nutritionist Amanda Ursell had something to do with Jo's success. Well, in a word--WRONG! I recently heard from Jo Heeley herself and she said the column was fraught with so many "errors" it wasn't even funny.
Jo wasn't impressed by what The Sun editors did to her low-carb story.
"I find it quite frightening how these articles are literally changed to suit the point of view of whoever pays the money," Jo shared with me in an e-mail. "My issue is only a trivial one, but what inaccuracies are in 'big' news!!???"
That's true! But we'll leave that discussion for other blogs about media to discuss. For now, I wanted to hear THE TRUTH about the REAL Jo Heeley low-carb weight loss success story and she's been gracious enough to provide it for us here today. She actually began following the Atkins diet (BY THE BOOK!) in June 2003 about "half-heartedly" since she "didn't think it would work" and went on to hit her goal weight in February 2004. Now, she's been continuing to eat this way ever since because "I love it and it's so easy."
AMEN TO THAT, Jo! CONGRATULATIONS on your success and I'm very pleased and honored to provide your story in your own words with my readers today. Keep on shining bright as an ambassador for livin' la vida low-carb and inspiring people in the UK and around the world to follow in your footsteps to better health!
Here is Jo's story from Jo herself:
Several years ago I was bumbling along, weighing in at 210 pounds and growing. I loved my food and had a very sweet tooth. I would spend my days eating chocolate, cakes, biscuits, crisps and then have three big meals a day. At night I'd feel quite sick, laying in bed with heartburn, indigestion, wishing I hadn't been such a pig and vowing to start my diet tomorrow!!! But the next morning I'd be up eating all over again.
At the end of May 2003 my cousin came to stay with us for the weekend, he was raving on and on about the Atkins diet and had lost 28 pounds. I thought it sounded like total rubbish and had heard through the media that it was dangerous. But my cousin kept on and on and I have to say I couldn't believe what he was eating and still claimed he was losing weight! Anyway, before he left he brought me a copy of "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution" and told me to try it--just for two weeks...I didn't read the book but just glanced at the "allowed" foods on the Induction page.
The first few days, I exchanged my usual high-carb foods with low-carb snacks. Every time I wanted chocolate or crisps I'd have a piece of cheese or meat. Meals would be roughly the same as I'd always had but without the fries, pasta, potatoes, etc.
On day 3 of Induction, I remember thinking I was coming down with flu or something because I felt "headachey" and miserable. I didn't give up on my low-carbing because by the end of the first week I felt absolutely great with more energy, my IBS had vanished, my aching joints had gone and I even FELT THINNER!!
Two weeks in and (I remember this vividly now) I was sitting in the garden enjoying the sun and I looked at my watch at 2:15pm when I suddenly I realized I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast! This was a MAJOR breakthrough for me because never before in my life had I ever forgotten to eat!
It was at that point I went and got the Atkins book out again and actually read it. I finally realized that everything about low-carb living I was experiencing was true just as Dr. Atkins wrote! I was indeed a major carboholic--totally addicted to them and without even realizing it. At this point, I knew I'd broken free from my addiction.
I lost 10 pounds in that first two weeks and after a while I realized the weight loss formed a pattern. I'd lose about 5 pounds over two weeks which would then be followed by two weeks where I didn't lose weight but I lost inches.
One day, I decided on a pursuing a target weight to reach for a specific goal. I'd never gotten far enough into a diet before to even think about that one!! I went for 140 pounds (10 stones for my fellow British) which seemed like a nice sensible weight for my height of 5'7" tall. As I got closer to it by November 2003, I started to wonder how to actually stop "dieting." I talked it over with another low-carber who just said "why stop?" Well, I was enjoying my food and I wasn't feeling deprived so I didn't stop. To this day I'm still eating close to Induction-level carbs (occasionally I may add a few low-carb bits and pieces--nuts in particular).
Jo Heeley got a tummy tuck and looks great after her weight loss
My weight actually got down to 126 pounds and then just stopped going down anymore! I'm absolutely fine with that! I'm so much happier today than I ever have been, I love going out with my family and friends, I love clothes shopping and I have so much more energy and confidence now. My life has been transformed completely because of the low-carb lifestyle.
The only regret I have about this experience is that I waited until I was 40 years old to do this and I blame the media and all the scare tactics they use in their stories to prevent people like me from learning the truth about this way of eating. When you think of the kind of rubbish people eat today, it amazes me that something as natural and unprocessed as the Atkins diet can be deemed "bad" for you!
Some mornings I wake up and just have to look in the mirror to make sure its all real. It really was so easy I never knew I was on a diet.
WOW, Jo, THANK YOU for sharing your story. You are a true inspiration to all of us who have realized the power of livin' la vida low-carb in our own lives and can relate to your remarkable story on so many levels. I appreciate you contacting me about getting your story straight and I apologize if my original blog post was demeaning to the work YOU very clearly did to make this happen.
NEVER STOP TELLING YOUR STORY and I'm delighted to have had the chance to share it here for my readers today.
Meet the lady that created the Jimmy Moore you know today
When looking back at the span of your life in hindsight, isn't it funny how you can point to some very clear, defining moments that shaped you into the person you have become? For good or bad, there are most certainly events and occurrences that happen in our lives that have forever molded us into the people we are today--especially from our childhood. Today I am going to share one such story with you from my own life to illustrate a point as it relates to your quest for weight loss and getting healthy.
In Episode 109 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" I bare my soul to you about an unforgettable encounter I had with my 8th grade advanced English teacher (no, that's not really her at the top of this post, but it's pretty darn close!) that forever changed my outlook on life and created this self-motivated monster of a man you know today. The challenge of proving to her that I was worthy of more than she was saying about me very likely gave me the drive to go on to be the success in weight loss and life that I enjoy in 2008. It was THE turning point in my life that quite literally made me into the man I was meant to be.
Click on the "LISTEN NOW" link below or download it to your iPod to hear today's podcast:
"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 109 [17:09m]: LISTEN NOW | Download
When that old hag 8th grade English teacher outright told me that I'd "never be that good at English," it lit a fire within me to prove to her just how wrong she was. But not everyone responds that way to adversity. Unfortunately, some people react to criticism by crawling into a shell and accepting it as fact. NOT ME! Maybe I just needed the right circumstance to pull that out of me and boy did it ever!
Remain encouraged and inspired about your low-carb life by:
Have you ever been told you're not good enough to do something, including weight loss? How did you respond to your critics who say you CAN'T when you honestly believe you CAN? Do you let people like that get under your skin or do you suck it up and move forward with what you know is right for you anyway? Provide you feedback in the show notes section of Episode 109 and tell us YOUR opinion about all this. Are you an overcomer or do you let what other people say overcome you? I'm anxious to hear your thoughts!
One final thought: Don't forget to go vote for Dr. Mary C. Vernon to become "Diabetes Educator of the Year." As an ardent supporter of the healthy low-carb lifestyle (listen to my podcast interview with her in Episode 50), we need to put Dr. Vernon over the top for this prestigious distinction to provide mainstream recognition within the diabetes community for the cause of livin' la vida low-carb. You only have until next Friday, February 15, 2008 to cast your ballot, so DON'T DELAY and do this TODAY! Let's make sure that's Dr. Vernon they're applauding for her fabulous work with diabetes patients. THANK YOU for rallying behind this nomination and awarding Dr. Mary C. Vernon the "Diabetes Educator of the Year."
