When You're Low-Carbing Perfectly And Producing No Weight Loss--What Gives?

I've been guilty of it and now I realize it was just plain wrong.

Here's the scenario: somebody sends me an e-mail and says, "Jimmy, I'm doing everything exactly as I am supposed to on my low-carb lifestyle and I'm just not losing weight." Okay, the first inclination that most of us, myself included, have is to suggest that person seriously evaluate what they are eating to look for hidden carbs and sugars, reminding them to follow their chosen low-carb plan exactly as the author prescribes, and then to determine if they are doing anything differently since the scale stopped moving downward. This should do the trick.

It certainly sounds like good advice, right? Well, maybe not.

Certainly, there are people who allow some old habits to slip back into their routine again and they experience the dreaded "carb creep" that has haunted many an unsuspecting low-carber as they live this lifestyle over the long-term. It's usually easily remedied simply by bringing your carbohydrate intake back down again to a level where you can still maintain or lose weight. I went through this myself a couple of years ago and it happens. But you get right back on plan again and all is well.

So, let's say you are low-carbing perfectly and yet you are producing no weight loss. Aside from the occasional weight loss stall that can hit anyone at anytime, I have told people that the absence of weight loss while livin' la vida low-carb should make you very suspicious. You just never know what's going on inside your body that could be related to your weight refusing to go down or, worse yet, going up despite being on a low-carb diet. Even when you have that steadfast resolve to make better choices for your health, this can easily befall you.

And I should know. It's exactly what's been going on with me this year and I'm baffled as to why it is happening. As my regular readers are already aware, I started lifting weights for the first time in my life beginning in December 2007 and was excited about getting stronger and firming up areas of my body that were still plagued by loose skin from my 180-pound weight loss. A trainer friend of mine suggested I start taking creatine to supplement my resistance training in the first couple of months to help get me going. He warned me that I'd gain some weight taking it, but that the weight would come back down again after I come off of it.

After loading up for a few days on the creatine, I religiously took that stuff daily for about six weeks. When I started working with my personal trainer in mid-December, my weight was 235 pounds. Six weeks later, I weighed 260 pounds--A 25-POUND INCREASE! Holy cow! My trainer friend sure wasn't kidding when he said I'd gain weight on creatine. It was at this point that I decided to come off of the creatine in early February since that weight gain was sorta freakin' me out a bit. I fully expected the weight to come back down some (but not all since I was building up some good muscles especially in my upper body).

But it didn't happen and it hasn't happened. In fact, although my diet didn't really change from what I was doing before I started lifting weights (except for maybe a little more protein since I was trying to grow muscle mass), I have been hovering around 265 pounds for nearly four months in a row. It has been so disconcerting to me that I went to see a low-carb doctor earlier this month about it to see what was going on. What was I doing wrong, if anything, and how can we get the weight to come back down again? I was adding muscle to my body, yes, but my waist has also increased by a few inches. What gives?

Of course, when I started sharing about this recent weight gain at my forum and at my menus blog, the typical responses started pouring in from people trying to offer their own guidance about what I should do: you're eating too much food, your calories are way too high, you consume too many low-carb "products," you aren't eating often enough, you don't exercise enough, yadda yadda yadda! I know everyone means well and I sincerely appreciate their suggestions for my diet. But I wasn't convinced I was doing anything at all wrong with my low-carb lifestyle and I still don't. Nevertheless, I'm stuck.

That's why I went to see this low-carb doctor. Perhaps he could pinpoint exactly what's going on with my weight. He ran a series of tests on me, examined my dietary choices, looked at the supplements I am taking, and asked me about any changes I have made since the weight gain took place. I told him about the weight lifting and adding more protein to my diet. I also switched brands of fish oil since then as well as adding cinnamon to my daily vitamins.

His proposal for me was to put me back on a very strict Induction diet for two weeks and to cut out all of my supplements as a temporary measure of seeing if they are the reason for my inability to lose these 30 pounds. Additionally, I reduced my diet soda consumption voluntarily to make sure that wasn't a culprit as well. The two-week Induction period began on May 7th and ends today. Wanna know the grand total of the amount of weight loss I've experienced since cutting out all the low-carb "Frankenfoods" (which have never been a MAJOR part of my diet, just some chocolate and the occasional treat), eating strictly low-carb Induction for the past two weeks, and never wavering or cheating at all during that time? Zip, zero, nada! That's right--NOTHING!

And, in case you are wondering what I ate these past two weeks, see for yourself:

May 7, 2008
May 8, 2008
May 9, 2008
May 10, 2008
May 11, 2008
May 12, 2008
May 13, 2008
May 14, 2008
May 15, 2008
May 16, 2008
May 17, 2008
May 18, 2008
May 19, 2008

My diet could not have been more perfect following strict Atkins Induction. I did it even more strict this time around than I did in 2004 when I lost my weight the first time. I checked my ketosis levels using Ketostix every single day and I was DEFINITELY excreting ketone bodies. My carbohydrate intake remained at or below 20g daily and I basically did everything exactly right. I didn't even have any one bite of my low-carb chocolates during this time which was a BIG sacrifice for me. The net result of this effort was NO weight loss. COME ON!!!

It's at this point that most people would be ready to just throw their hands up and give up on this stupid low-carb diet thing. I mean, you follow it like you are supposed to and this is the reward you get for that dedication?! AAACK! But I'm not looking at it that way. The way I see it, even if for some odd reason the weight NEVER comes back down again (I know it will, but let's just pretend it won't), the low-carb way of eating is so incredibly healthy that I wouldn't dare think of eating any other way.

Remember, even if the scale isn't moving, your healthy is still improving. I'll be sharing some exciting numbers with you about my health soon that will both shock and inspire you as you continue down this journey to better health the low-carb way. Even my low-carb doctor was amazed at my numbers, but he said I am exactly where I need to be to keep my risk factors for cardiovascular disease at bay. That's a sweet sound to hear especially in light of my weight concerns! :)

So what now? Beginning this afternoon at 6pm, I will begin something that I swore I'd never do again--the intermittent fast. If for some reason I am consuming too many calories even on my low-carb lifestyle as some have proposed, then this should do the trick. The last time I did it, I lost 4 1/2 pounds in a week although I hated it. But if we can get those few stubborn pounds to start moving again, then it'll be worth it. I'm ready to figure out what's going on and I'm certainly doing everything I can in my diet to make that happen.

My doctor says there may even be a non-diet related reason for my weight gain which intrigued me. Yes, some of the weight is indeed muscle as my biceps, triceps, shoulders, neck, chest and legs are all noticeably bigger now five months after beginning my weight lifting, the fact my stomach has gotten bigger is the greatest concern. There may be an underlying internal issue going on that could be the culprit in my abdominal weight gain.

Even before my low-carb lifestyle began in 2004, I have had trace amounts of blood in my urine during routine physical exams. I've been to see a urologist before, they've performed an IVP (shooting dye through me) as well as a very expensive 30-second cystoscopy test only to be told there is nothing wrong with me, and to take an antibiotic. After I take the antibodies, the blood goes away for about six months and then it comes back. When I go back to the urologist, they want to do another IVP and cystocopy followed by antibiotics again. UGH! Obviously, something is going on, but heretofore nobody can tell me what it is.

That blood in my urine may indeed be the reason why my weight is increasing. I'm aware of two other prominent low-carbers who have been through similar strange and unexpected weight gains over the past couple of years. I won't share their names because of privacy concerns, but one gained about 50 pounds and ended up eating just chicken and pickles for a year trying to get the weight back down again. It turns out, there was a cyst pressing up against the pancreas causing constant insulin to be released. And we know what that does! Since the cyst has been removed, the weight has come back down again in short order.

The other person had another strange issue with the development of a fibroid in the stomach. Although the body was normal elsewhere, this person's belly was protruding out. When the doctors found the fibroid, this person was relieved that nothing was seriously wrong. Of course, the naysayers pointed to this well-known low-carber and claimed that they can't seem to follow their own advice. You get that when you put yourself out there, so you learn to ignore it. This person now faces a pretty major surgery to remove the fibroid and is putting it off until the end of the year.

And that's the other issue with all that's going on with my weight right now. I've become more self-conscious about how I look again. Are people looking at me judging that I must be letting myself go again since I've gained weight? Do people nervously say to my face that they're happy to see I'm still keeping the weight off after all these years while simultaneously thinking, "Oh boy, here he goes gaining it all back again! I knew it would happen eventually!" These psychological games are virtually impossible to ignore, although I'm trying very hard to do just that--IGNORE THEM! It just adds another layer to this developing story.

What exactly is happening to me right now, I don't know. I wish I did so I could help others going through similar circumstances. We're getting closer to knowing than we did before and that's a good thing. Rest assured you will know when I know and I covet your thoughts and prayers as we try to figure this all out. I'm not worried at all because I know I have a plan of action that will put me in position to lose the weight I've put on since December.

I am very pleased that my weight has NOT increased since February. I've been right around 265 for the past three months although my muscles continue to get bigger and bigger. So, in essence, I have been losing some weight while gaining the muscle, but it has been offset. That's encouraging and I wouldn't mind seeing my muscles continue to grow in size as long as my weight remains where it is. A 6'3" man with big muscles could easily weigh 265 pounds, right? :D

Let this be a gentle reminder that low-carb living is always a work in progress and we should assume anything about anyone who is following this lifestyle. There are just too many underlying issues at work to make judgments about someone who is not losing weight while following low-carb. Yes, some are preventable...but others like me are not. This has opened my eyes to a new level of appreciation and compassion for anyone who is struggling with their weight and health and concerned about what to do. You are NOT alone.

THANK YOU again to everyone who has offered advice and support during this time and I will report back to you my progress on my intermittent fasting experiment for the next two weeks. It certainly can't be worse than what I've experienced the past two weeks on strict Atkins Induction. You can see what I'm eating at my menus blog and provide your continued feedback. I will likely add back in some low-carb chocolate again on the days I'm not fasting and staying low-carb the rest of the time. Let's see what happens!

Can You Actually Get Fatter On A Low-Carb Diet?

We all know low-carb is great for weight loss, but can you gain?

When people first start livin' la vida low-carb and come to me with all their wide-eyed inquisitive questions about this and that regarding this truly amazing lifestyle change, I am always happy to share from my own experiences eating this way for the past four years as well as asking some of my low-carb expert friends who are studying, researching, and working daily within the scientific community into why and how the low-carb diet works so well to help people lose weight and improve their health.

One question I received from a reader in the Netherlands has been partially addressed before in a previous blog post. Longtime readers may recall in December 2006 I wrote a blog post entitled "Can Low-Carb Evolve Into Making You Fat?" It was about a ridiculous study done on caterpillars fed a high-protein/low-carb diet that claimed that their metabolism actually changed over time to begin storing the few carbohydrates they did eat into fat. Preposterous to say the least and many of my low-carb expert friends agreed.

But what if it was possible that livin' la vida low-carb could actually make you fatter somehow? It this even within the realm of possibility? That's what my reader wanted to know when he sent me the following e-mail:

Hi Jimmy,

I've been reading all the low-carb/high-fat diet books including Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes and I'm following all the major low-carb blogs, too. Of course, I am applying what I've learned and started with The TNT diet from Dr. Jeff Volek and Adam Campbell ever since late October 2007. So far, I have lost 9 kilograms in 3 months and 10 centimeters from my waist. However, ever since I hit that weight of 87 kg, I have been stuck there. So, I have a question for you:

Is it possible for you to actually get fatter on a very low carb diet?

I am like you--I really can't tolerate more than 50 grams of carbs a day. So I only eat avocados for my fruit and I eat the right kind of vegetables. For the rest I eat all kinds of fatty fish (herring, salmon, sardines) as well as beef and pork. I also like sugar-free whipped cream and sometimes I eat mixed natural nuts. I think that's 50-60% fat and the rest is protein with the vegetables. I also take a good multivitamin, fish oil, and potassium.

So I'll ask it again: Is it possible to store fat with such a diet? I measure myself every now and then and my waist size can fluctuate from 84 cm to 89 cm. That's happened a lot lately. I travel a lot visiting clients and I only eat nuts with some cranberries. But that has resulted in the extra centimeters.

Can you eat too many calories on low-carb? As far as I can tell, I never eat much more than 2500 calories (most of the time it's more like 2100) and I am 6'2" and weigh 87 kilograms. For exercise, I run three times a week for an hour.

As I understand it, Gary Taubes says being overweight is NOT caused by eating too many calories, but is caused by too much insulin released in the body from eating too many carbs. So why am I getting fatter?

WOW, what a loaded question and one that is certainly worth taking up as an important topic again here at my blog. I've addressed this sensitive subject of weight gain while on low-carb before and I even talked this week about how my weight has gone up by about 30 pounds ever since I started weight lifting in December 2007 (thanks to everyone who has offered their various opinions about this, by the way! I really appreciate it!). But can you REALLY get fatter on a low-carb diet? Is it metabolically possible to gain weight while eating this way?

To answer this question, I asked one of the most knowledgeable and highly-respected low-carb scientists of our day Dr. Richard Feinman from SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn, New York and Co-Editor-In-Chief of Nutrition & Metabolism to answer my reader's question. Here's what Dr. Feinman wrote:

Gary Taubes' position is an exaggeration. The way we describe it to medical students is that insulin (via carbohydrate) is like the handle on a faucet. The handle regulates the flow from dietary fat into stored fat. If you turn down the handle, the flow is drastically reduced but if you supply enough fluid pressure from the reservoir, you will increase the rate through the faucet--it's not a perfect analogy but you get the idea.

Remember that there is always insulin--whereas insulin turns off production of glucagon (the hormone that signals low glucose). And glucagon turns on insulin production. For many people--my guess is probably half the male population--keeping carbs low makes it very hard to overpower the inhibition in the fat storage mechanism but for some people the level of total calories that is required to continue to lose weight may be very low indeed.

The impact of the ideas behind Livin' La Vida Low-Carb is that fat plays a passive role and that its disposition (storage or oxidation) is controlled by insulin and other hormones which are control elements--it does not mean, however, that fat is not important. You can overpower a low carb diet and, depending on your age, 2500 calories may be a limit on weight loss.

On the other hand, from a practical standpoint, the real advantage of Livin' La Vida Low-Carb is that you don't have to think about food all the time and maintaining your weight is actually a real accomplishment. There are some tricks that may help--I have observed anecdotally and Dr. Mike Eades (from Protein Power) saw this regularly in his clinic that the three things that look okay on a low carb diet but may actually be trouble are cheese, nuts, and peanut butter. But if you are living in the Netherlands, giving up gerijpte Gouda (is that the right term?) might be a major sacrifice.

Hope this helps,

Richard D. Feinman

THANK YOU Dr. Feinman for that explanation. I appreciate the fact that you acknowledge for about half of us, watching calories may be necessary while restricting carbs may be necessary to lose and/or maintain weight loss. I've never personally counted calories while on the Atkins diet, but I know many of my readers who have to if they want to see success on their low-carb lifestyle. It's also important that you stated that "fat plays a passive role" in your diet and that eat too much of it can pile on the calories for those who need to be mindful of their total caloric intake. Outstanding information!

At the same time, your belief that eating low-carb makes it so you don't have to think about food is dead on the money. Listing those three culprit carb foods--cheese, nuts, and peanut butter--is gonna help so many people (myself included!) improve their low-carb weight maintenance plan immensely. Although I don't eat peanut butter (not the ones that are loaded with sugar, though), I have consumed my fair share of cheese and nuts. Perhaps it's time for me to cut back on these things. :)

The response provided by Dr. Feinman was very much appreciated by my reader who answered back with his gratitude about his inquisitive question:

Thanks Dr. Feinman,

In my case, I guess it's nuts and cheese (I don't eat peanut butter) because I observed that especially when I ate many nuts and also in the case of a lot of cheese I immediately stored fat around my waist. But I thought all the time: "This can't be true, because fat doesn't trigger insulin, so why am I getting fatter anyway” and I read in many low-carb books that the amount of calories don't matter."

At the beginning of my low-carb lifestyle in the first few months, I really could eat all the fat I wanted. But ever since January 2008, I suddenly noticed a big difference: I was gaining fat/weight with exactly the same diet as the three months before and in those months I had lost weight!? So that was the riddle: how can one first lose fat/weight and after 3 months start gaining fat/weight with the same diet?

I love to eat and a lot of it and again that was no problem the first 3 months of Livin' La Vida Low-Carb (what a sensation: eating a lot and losing fat!). But what a disappointment that suddenly I had to watch the amount of calories and now I am convinced it's the nuts and cheese. So that's how one can be blinded by an idea. And although I saw the difference, I just couldn't believe it, because all the books say you can eat all what you want as long it is fat and some protein and vegetables.

So thanks a lot, and yes some cheese we call "gerijpt" but that's a bit old. I prefer the younger cheese, because it's fattier. Thanks Jimmy, I appreciate your help with this a lot. You once wrote in your blog that you reply to all e-mails and indeed you do!

It's my pleasure, my friend. THANK YOU for your question and I hope Dr. Feinman's advice helps you tweak your diet so you start losing again. Remember, even if you aren't losing weight while livin' la vida low-carb, the improvements you are making to your health are just as if not more important in the grand scheme of things. DON'T GIVE UP HOPE! You're doing fantastic and are well on your way to some awesome accomplishments in your life. I'm proud of you!

Do you have a question about the low-carb lifestyle that's been bugging you? Never hesitate to e-mail me directly at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. If I don't know the answer, I've got a lot of people who support the work I do here who are more than happy to help. By the way, I'll be meeting Dr. Feinman at that obesity conference in Phoenix, Arizona next weekend, so I hope to interview him for my podcast show. He's one truly remarkable man with a depth of knowledge as deep as anyone else when it comes to the subject of low-carb diets.

Three Months Of Resistance Training Down, A Lifetime To Go!

Lifting weights for the first time in my life has been hard

I've been getting a lot of e-mails lately from so many of you asking about my progress with my resistance training program I started in mid-December 2007, so I will endeavor to update you today after 15 weeks of working with a personal trainer and on my own to build muscle and tone up areas of my body where the remnants of my former 410-pound self still haunt me.

You'll recall from my one-month weight lifting update in January 2008 that I was already seeing some measurable results from the work I have invested. Right now I meet with my own personal trainer at the gym once a week for a 30-minute session and then various other days my weight lifting is self-guided. It's been good for accountability to report to a personal trainer I have to look at week in and week out because it forces me to stay serious about this and resist the temptation to slack off.

I'm gonna be dead honest with you about this experience--I HATE IT! My body has never been this sore in my entire life. I thought it was only gonna be a temporary pain, but I'm experiencing some sort of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and other chronic muscle pain after EVERY SINGLE TIME I workout. There are some days following my intense workouts that I absolutely cannot move. Last week was a prime example and you can read about how debilitating my workout was in this post from my menus blog. OUCH is the operative word!

But as the old saying goes, "No pain, no gain." And I'm doing my best to put on a happy face in the midst of the pain. It's not just muscle soreness either. I've been having intense headaches that feel like migraines (and I NEVER got headaches before!) and my weight has increased by about 30 pounds and sustained there for over a month. I can deal with the headaches, but the weight gain is freaking me out a little bit.

This was one of the reasons I was apprehensive about lifting weights during my weight loss in 2004. I had always heard that when you build muscle, you will gain weight and it's a good thing. And I wholeheartedly agree with that notion because you absolutely want to have muscle on your body so you can burn more fat and calories on a regular basis. That's why I took the plunge and decided to embark on this journey a few months ago because I knew it would be worth it to me.

And I can't argue with the results I've seen so far. Check out these comparison pictures from when I started in December 2007 and the ones of myself I took today:



The first thing you'll notice from this front view comparison is my neck, shoulders and arms are noticeably bigger. I've been working those three areas of my upper body very hard for the past three months or so and that investment is paying off. Before I began my resistance training, I was basically bony all across my upper body as you can see in that picture on the left. But there is real definition kicking in now and the "loose skin" in my arms and neck from my weight loss is beginning to stretch out with muscle. WOO HOO!



With the side view comparison, first take a look at my arms. You'll notice my elbow is kinda pointy in the left picture and then is rounded out with muscle in the one in the right. And my bicep and forearm are much larger than before. My wife Christine noted that my chest has grown too and now matches my stomach. Hopefully the chest will continue to puff out as I bench press and my waist will shrink (although the "loose skin" in my belly ain't going anywhere anytime soon).



Finally, looking from the back side, my triceps, neck and shoulders are more muscular than they were before. That was to be expected. But I couldn't help but notice that my hips are getting smaller. This is real progress and I can't wait to see what the difference will be in another three months when I update my 6-month progress.

But the weight gain remains. As of today, my weight is 259 and I'm not happy about that. Sure, you can attribute some of that gain to the new muscle on my body and I LOVE that. But what's up with gaining 30 pounds in three months after lifting weights? Check out my menus and you'll see I've been eating VERY good since beginning this regimen and have even seen my calorie and overall food intake shrink in recent days. I'm not doing anything that different from before except maybe a little bit extra protein to supplement my workouts.

I did take the supplement creatine when I first started my weight lifting to try to give myself a bit of a boost with the workouts since I'd NEVER lifted weights in my life. I stopped taking it after a couple of months of the training since my weight started predictably going up to see if my weight would come down a bit. It hasn't yet, but I'm noticeably larger now in my arms, neck, shoulders, chest and legs from all the resistance training. This is the best thing I've done for my health since I lost my weight in 2004, though. For that, I am extremely happy.

Let me be clear--I'm not worried about this to the point that I feel like there is no way to turn this situation around. I've already mapped out a course of action if my weight does not start coming down soon and that includes going to see a doctor to find out if there is something metabolically going on with me that is totally unrelated to my resistance training. It seems too coincidental for it not to be related in some way, but I'll know with certainty if I can get checked out. That may happen within the next month or so.

In the meantime, I'm closely monitoring my weight on a daily basis as I always do and I'm feeling fabulous (other than the muscle soreness!). My strength has increased dramatically which has made other parts of life (like lifting boxes, carrying groceries, and even my golf game) more pleasurable than they were before. I'm no Heman yet, but with continued effort for the rest of my life I WILL be! :)

THANKS to everyone who has encouraged me as I began this new weight lifting routine and I hope my experience will be just what you need to get started on your own program real soon. I HIGHLY suggest you check out Fred Hahn's Slow Burn plan because it is helping a whole lotta people with busy schedules squeeze in a solid workout that is changing their lives forever. Whatever you do, don't let those demons inside your head tell you this is impossible. It may be hard--VERY HARD!--but it is NOT impossible. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Does 'Erratic' Weight Management Negate Previous Triple-Digit Success?

My weight decline: 410 in 2004, 230 in 2005, and 229 in 2007

When you put yourself out there front and center as a pretty major low-carb weight loss success story, the reaction that people give you about your progress is as varied as there are people in the world. Most people applaud your accomplishments and stand in awe of your continued success. Others doubt you can keep the weight off and stay healthy over the long-term.

But sometimes you receive a "different" kind of response. Before I get into what someone had to say about my weight loss progress over the past four years, I received a related e-mail from a reader who is a bit disappointed about her own low-carb journey that is rather illustrative of what can happen on any diet program when you fail to make it a permanent lifestyle change. This will become relevant to the topic of this blog post as you will see in just a moment.

Here's is that e-mail from my concerned reader:

Hi Jimmy!

Today I'm writing because I find myself in a situation I'm pretty unhappy about and could use some advice. Quick background: I quit smoking about 10 years ago after losing Mom to cancer. At that time, I weighed about 150-155 (I'm 6 ft tall). Instead, I just let myself eat whatever I wanted, and over the next 5 years or so gained a LOT of weight, ending up over 210 lbs and feeling really crappy about it. About 3 years ago, my sister got tired of my whining and convinced me to try Atkins, and I figured why not. The result was that I lost about 60 lbs and got down to the 150s area, wearing size 12 like I had been 10 years earlier. Woohoo!

Okay, so over the past year, I fell prey somewhat to carb-creep, allowing occasional slices of whole wheat/low-carb bread back into my diet, occasionally even splurging on a local restaurant's breaded/fried mozz stixs. However, when I realized my weight was climbing as a result back in June, I cut back again and upped my exercise. That should have worked.

But it hasn't.

Instead, my belt keeps feeling tighter and tighter every day and I'm just thoroughly miserable. My friend who hung with me through the original weight loss months is one of those lucky ones who can eat an entire pan of sweet rolls with no obvious weight ramifications (I used to be like that in my 20s - not anymore!), so she's sympathetic, but she really doesn't understand how upset I am over a few pounds. Her reply is to just undo my top pants button or go elastic. Don't wanna do that again! Don't wanna be fat again!

So I'm trying to figure out what's going on. Is this just my body's way of saying "Sorry, you're 48 now and the pounds are going to settle around your waist no matter what you eat or how much you exercise?" Or am I eating more carbs than I think I am?

A rundown of recent days meals:

I'm one of those can't-eat-breakfast types. It makes me sick and always has. So I have a cup of coffee with cream first thing, then I take 4 1-oz low-fat mozzarella sticks with me to work, eat 2 at about 9am and 2 more at 10:30am.

Lunch: big "baby lettuces" salad with a can or pouch of drained tuna, a handful of shredded cheddar, 4 grape tomatoes and 3 T ranch dressing (2g carbs per 2T)

Snack: a handful of roasted almonds or 2-3 T of I.M. Healthy soy nut butter (1g carbs per 2T)

Dinner: grilled chicken breast or grilled pork tenderloin or hamburger w/cheese, side of steamed broccoli w/butter or sauteed zucchini or blanched/sauteed rappini (always using olive oil for the sautee). Usually with the cheeseburger, I put it on half a low-carb tortilla (so 2.5 g carbs there) and grill a quarter of a vidallia onion and a few crimini mushrooms to go with plus a few more grape tomatoes.

Sometimes before bed I have 2 squares of ChocoPerfection dark chocolate (more than that makes me positively zeppelin-gaseous from the fiber :) ).

My beverage choices for the day are the cup of coffee with cream, decaf Diet Coke, Lipton's diet White Tea w/Raspberry (0 cal/0 carb), or water. I also always mix 2T of Fibersure into my drink with dinner each night.

I've increased my exercise to walking to and from work every day (4-5 blocks), jumping jacks and other like exercises in the backyard while I toss the Frisbee for my dog every afternoon, crunches and similar exercises in the evening while watching TV, etc. I don't go to a gym so I fit it all in where/when I can, take the stairs at work each day, always park far from a store and walk, etc.

I honestly thought once I lost all that weight a few years ago that if I just continued to never again eat all the things I had stuffed my face with for years -- donuts, Cadbury chocolate bars, sweet rolls, potatoes, pasta, cookies, etc. -- that I'd basically be okay. Now I'm finding that even low carb w/moderate exercise isn't enough to keep the weight at bay, and I'm truly depressed about the whole situation.

Any ideas? I vowed once that I'd never start buying larger sizes of clothes again, but now I'm faced with that scenario as I sit here being almost bisected by the waistband of my size 12 pants :)

It isn't pretty and I'm discouraged (can you tell?). As my husband says almost every day (he's 55), getting old sucks. I do, however, love the side benefits of eating low-carb overall -- the acid reflux is completely gone, my blood work is stellar, etc. I will definitely keep eating this way, I'm just feeling a little let down by it right now, I guess.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have!

Pretty grim, huh? And frankly it's not all that uncommon either. Weight loss stalls and even weight gains can happen eventually even when you're doing everything right. After all, weight gain is the latest dieting craze over the past few years! We are all different and have varying levels of tolerance for carbohydrate. It is possible like this reader to allow that extra bread and splurge to make an impact on your weight and it happens to the best of us.

That's why I tell people livin' la vida low-carb is always a work in progress and you never fully arrive. When you think you have, then you are setting yourself up for disaster. People think the fact I have maintained my weight since 2004 means I don't struggle anymore, but nothing could be further from the truth. But the difference is I know how to respond when difficulty comes.

I shared with my reader that she might want to try adding more fat to her diet and pay very close attention to the kinds of carbs she is consuming, including that soy nut butter (EWWWW!), as well as any hidden carbs. It could be her carb counts are perfect, but she's not eating enough fat. She wrote me back and said she will begin adding more fat in the form of butter, full-fat cheese, nuts, cream and other sources. Fat is good for you as long as carbohydrates are reduced.

Okay, so what about this guy who was critical of my weight loss progress? This "different" response was actually very well thought out and documented by a reader on Amazon.com who read the thread I started in August 2006 called "What Are Your Criticisms Of The Low-Carb Lifestyle?" You'll recall I've blogged about some rather heated, but always educational posts there a couple of times before here and here.

The Amazon username for the person who questioned me about my weight loss progress is 2bluesky2 and I was quite impressed by the background he did at my blog prior to writing his comments at Amazon. I do believe he was being very sincere in asking these questions in his post and I'm happy to address them today.

Wanna see what he wrote? Here it is:

Jimmy, I want to ask you about your own weight odyssey, which you discuss frequently on your blog. In looking over your blog, I found frequent references you made to your weight. You also frequently say that your goal weight is 199 lbs. Here is a table compiled from your blog showing your weight over several years:

1999. Lost 170 lbs on lowfat diet, regained it in 4-6 months
01-01-2004. 410 lbs. Started Atkins diet
01-01-2005. 230 lbs. Lost 180 lbs in 2004 on Atkins diet.
11-27-2005. 225
08-14-2006. 240
11-21-2006. 215
12-12-2006. 215-217
12-31-2006. 220
01-31-2007. 229
02-08-2007. 220
06-05-2007. 248
06-08-2007. 235
06-12-2007. 229
06-25-2007. 223
06-26-2007. 222
07-02-2007. 219
07-05-2007. 219
07-06-2007. 218
07-19-2007. 216
07-20-2007. 212
10-04-2007. 220-225
10-09-2007. 223

The table shows your amazing 180 pound weight loss during 2004 for which you can justifiably be proud.

But the table also shows that from November 2005 to August 2006, you gained 15 pounds going from 225 to 240. By November of 2006, you had lost 25 pounds and weighed 215. But by June 2007, you regained 33 pounds and were up to 248. By late July 2007, you had lost another 36 pounds, but since then you regained another 10 pounds or so. I didn't find any listings of your weight after October 9, 2007. On your September 17, 2007 podcast, you mentioned that your weight had topped out at 253, but you didn't' mention whether that occurred in 2006 or 2007.

Achieving major weight loss, as you did in 2004, is a major accomplishment. Thereafter, consistently maintaining weight loss presents different challenges. Your 2004 weight loss is truly remarkable. But your up and down pattern since November of 2005 seems dubious. In the past 2 years you have gained 15 pounds; then lost it and more; then regained 33 pounds; then lost it and more; then regained another 10 pounds or so. Now you are about where you were in November 2005 when you started your up and down pattern. During all of that time, you still never reached your goal weight of 199. As you know, at 6 foot 3 inches your current BMI is in the "overweight" category (and will be until you reach your goal weight of 199). As you have recently pointed out, BMI might not fairly categorize people like yourself who have a significant sagging-skin problem after major weight loss. Still, the 199 target was your own choice, and you haven't achieved it yet.

Your huge weight loss in 2004 was an inspiring accomplishment. But most people are not facing the challenge you were looking at on January 1, 2004. I think most people face the challenge you faced in November of 2005: maintain current weight, but also hopefully lose another 20 or more pounds. Your 4-year record is awesome. But your last 2 years are erratic. Those who have a major weight problem like you had in 2004 should consider doing what you did. It accomplished a lot for you. But should your recent track record inspire those who have a much smaller weight problem? Your program just doesn't seem to be working as well for you as you deal with long-term maintenance and losing those last few pounds.

I am not a health professional or expert, but I think an effective weight management program should do three things for a person in your situation. First, within a reasonable amount of time it must get you out of the obese weight range and within, say, 10% or so of your target weight. Low-carb did that for you. Second, within a reasonable amount of time thereafter, it should get you to your target weight. Ignoring your unwanted volatility, you have been basically stuck at around 220 for the past two years. Maybe you should just redefine your target as 220, maybe not. I don't know. That's for you to decide. But if 199 is a realistic target, then low-carb is not getting you there anymore. Third, once target weight is reached, the program should enable you to maintain a stable weight with low fluctuations of, say, 2% or so over some extended period (ideally: permanently). Even if you redefine your target weight as 220, low-carb has not enabled you to achieve a stable weight over the past 2 years. You fluctuate too much. Your weight increases of 15 pounds in 2006 and 33 pounds in 2007 are alarming. Those recent gains may seem trivial in view of your major weight loss in 2004, but you are in a different league now. You are not a fat guy anymore. Your 2006 and 2007 fluctuations are very inappropriate for your present size and weight.

My quick-view evaluation:
Major weight loss? Yes!
Achieve goal weight? Not really, unless you fudge the goal.
Maintain stable weight? Nope, no way. Needs improvement.

So where does all this discussion lead? Well, you have to decide that. I think that your program needs some tinkering, and maybe some strategic rethinking. If I were to make a single simple suggestion to you it would be this: start posting your actual and goal weight on your website on a regular basis. Your readers and fans will alert you if/when you need a kick in the behind. That may be all the motivation you need to keep "weight creep" from getting out of control again. I think you will agree that your fluctuations over the past 2 years are not in your best interest. They also do not reflect well on your advocacy of a low-carb program for long-term maintenance.

In this forum you have asked for comments on low-carb. I have had my say. You may not like hearing it all, but I think my observations and comments are within the scope of what you asked for. What do you say? I look forward to your always interesting comments!

See, I told you this guy put a LOT of time and thought into that post. And I can appreciate all of the comments that were shared. It's gratifying to know that when you blog there are real people who are watching you to see how you are doing. This Amazon comment is a gentle reminder of that reality and I am grateful for it. Accountability in my weight loss is one of the reasons I started blogging to begin with.

Let me begin my response by saying I do not consider this criticism by 2bluesky2 to be malicious or purposefully negative in any way. He raises questions that I'm sure others have thought about and never vocalized. From the outside looking in, he seems to make some points that ring true. But since he doesn't have the advantage of knowing what I am thinking (and that would be a good thing for him! LOL!), the reality is he doesn't have the full picture in mind.

It is true I have often talked about my weight fluctuations here at my blog and gladly so. I think it is beneficial for people to realize that once you hit your weight loss goal, the journey isn't over. In fact, it really just begins. After losing 180 pounds in 2004 to get down to 230 pounds, my goal in 2005 was DON'T GAIN IT BACK! The longest I had ever kept weight off after losing over 100 pounds was about two months before I started gaining weight. I was bound and determined not to let that happen this time.

Of course, unlike my 170-pound low-fat weight loss experience in 1999 that he mentioned, I was not miserable and tired of my low-carb lifestyle even after eating that way for a full year. Yes, the diet had become so routine to me that I didn't think of ever going off of it again. That's a lesson that will serve anyone well who expects to keep their weight off long-term. And today I'm happily livin' la vida low-carb.

But as you can see from the graphic that was shared about my weight ups and downs over the past three years, the "success" of my efforts seems pretty dismal or "erratic" as he puts it. In fact, he missed the date when I mentioned my high weight of 253 pounds from earlier this year which precipitated me to try that infamous diet plan we all love to hate now that will remain unnamed.

What should be most interesting about those numbers is the fact that when they went up even slightly, I did what I needed to do to bring them back down again. In the past and with many other people who lose weight, when they see the "creep" begin to happen they just throw their hands up in the air and concede defeat. Predictably, all the weight comes pouring back on them and then some.

But that hasn't happened with Jimmy Moore.

And there's a good reason for this. Am I somehow immune to the inevitable weight gain that can overtake even the person with the strongest willpower? Heck no! I'm like most people who have battled obesity their entire lives and deal with the same temptations, frustrations, and aggravations that come with weight control. It ain't easy and anyone who tells you it is can't possibly understand. But I do have a steadfast resolve to make smarter choices now than I ever have before.

That said, let me address the past two years which is the premise of 2bluesky2's comments. When I began this journey at 410 pounds, I never would have thought in a million years that I could get my weight down to 230 and keep it there for the next three years. My track record for weight management in the past was dismal at best, so the hope of keeping weight off didn't look very good.

By the end of 2004, I was at my goal weight at the time of 230 pounds. It felt good being at a "normal" size and I wanted to stay there. Unlike my low-fat weight loss experience, low-carb made me feel good while I enjoyed the way I ate. That was the major switch that made this "diet" work for me this time. So I kept eating this way to maintain. As it stands today in 2007, my weight is STILL maintaining at 229 pounds. Regardless of what it has done over the past few years, I would say that is doing a pretty good job of keeping the weight off, wouldn't you?

Yes, my weight has fluctuated from 215-253, but that is a normal part of maintaining. Granted, you shouldn't have major fluctuations all at one time, but they can add up. Five pounds up, three down, then eight up, two down, then four up, and two down is quickly a 10-pound weight GAIN! This happens when you allow extra carbs in your diet for those who are carbohydrate sensitive like me. Taking your eye off the ball can lead your weight to slowly rise which is why I originally started my "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge.

The continued journey to maintain my 180-pound weight loss success from 2004 requires that I stay challenged. It is what drove me to lose the weight in the first place and it is what drives me now. If I have a goal to pursue, regardless of how long it takes me to get there, then I am always in pursuit. But once that is removed, there is little incentive to keep that fire burning within. That's why I have a goal of hitting 199 pounds.

Does that mean I need to hit that goal anytime soon? Heck no! It's a very long-term goal for me that could be met when I finally get that long-awaited tummy tuck surgery done to remove all the excess loose skin in my abdomen which weighs about 15-20 pounds. For me, the low-carb lifestyle is more about eating healthy and getting my overall health under control as much as it is about my weight. When I allow foods into my body that aren't as healthy sometimes, my health and weight can suffer. It's all about finding what my body can tolerate and realizing my limits. That's a learning process you never stop doing.

Yes, I realize at my current weight that I am considered by the body mass index to be obese which I can live with perfectly fine for the rest of my life. I feel GREAT at my current weight and anywhere between 220-230 pounds. When I get below 220, though, my body just doesn't feel right. I've been lightheaded, dizzy and even blacked out when I've forced myself to try to lose weight beyond 220. I don't like that feeling and wouldn't wish it on anyone.

So the pursuit of 199 on paper is more about keeping my weight in check than it is to actually reach that goal as soon as possible. I know I'm eating healthy right now--healthier than I ever thought possible! The Atkins diet was indeed a godsend for me and I'll never regret one moment of my decision to begin eating this way. For the first time in my life, I feel like I am in control of my weight and health. And I am despite my minor ups and downs.

The difference now between my 10-15 pound weight swings and before is I know what I need to do to get my weight managed. Previously, I'd lose 100 pounds, but then gain back 125. I'm not playing that game anymore because there's too much heartache and pain involved. Instead, livin' la vida low-carb helps keep me on the straight and narrow for now and in the future. It's the best thing I have ever done for my health.

Regardless of the concerns by 2bluesky2, I think anyone who reads my blog can be inspired in their own weight loss efforts to begin this lifestyle because the track record speaks for itself--180 pounds lost in one year and maintained for the next three years. I challenge anyone to tell me that accomplishment is unworthy of admiration because I've worked my butt off to make it happen.

Again, I appreciate the conversation starter that 2bluesky2 brought up at Amazon and I welcome your feedback. Do you see anything wrong with how I have managed my weight since losing 180 pounds in 2004? Does "erratic" weight management negate my previous triple-digit success? Tell me what YOU think and be honest about how you feel.

I look forward to reading what you share! :)

'Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show' Episode 87: Get A Good Game Plan For The Dreaded Weight Gain

Some people think the worst thing that could happen to you after you lose a significant amount of weight is to g-g-g-gain some or all of it back. While you wouldn't want to put ALL of it back on (NOPE, not gonna be 400+ pounds ever again!), I do think it's okay to be challenged by a 10-15 pound weight creep to see what your lifestyle change is made of and I talk about it in Episode 87 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore."

Click on the "Play In Popup" link below or download it to your iPod:

 "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" Episode 87 [13:24m]: Play in Popup | Download

Although much of the focus when you are livin' la vida low-carb is placed on the weight loss phase of the diet, I contend that is the relatively easy part of this amazing journey. The REAL work begins when you attempt to maintain that weight loss for the rest of your life. Think about it...you take a few months, a year, or even two years to lose weight. But then you've got decades left to live and KEEP that weight off forever. It's much more daunting than people realize!

I've dealt with the struggles that we all face of seeing my weight climb back up again ever-so-slowly even when I've been faithful to my low-carb lifestyle. It's an adjustment our body makes which causes us to adjust, too. Unless you recognize this is happening, then you may find yourself wearing tighter and tighter clothes wondering what the heck happened.

Wherever you are, get low-carb encouragement anytime by:

1. Listening at the official web site
2. Going to iTunes
3. Calling (818) 688-2763 to listen via Podlinez
4. Subscribing to the RSS feed

What has been your experience attempting to maintain your low-carb weight loss? Do you have any proven strategies to share about how you KEEP your weight off over the long-term? Is there anything that you would recommend people NOT do when they find themselves gaining weight again after significant weight loss? Bestow your wisdom on us all and tell us what has worked for you.

THANKS to YOU, "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" has become the most popular low-carb podcast show on the Internet today! I am grateful that you listen and are encouraged by the positive and healthy message I present about the low-carb lifestyle in these podcasts. If there's anything you'd like for me to address in a future episode, then please don't hesitate to send those suggestions to me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.

Does Caffeine Impact Ketosis On A Low-Carb Diet?

In an ideal world, there would be clear-cut criteria laid out in black and white about how to do a low-carb diet. While there are certain basics that apply to virtually every low-carb plan, there are also what I would describe as "gray areas" where it will really depend on the individual to figure out for themselves.

One such issue is caffeine. If you have read Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, then you know the late great Dr. Robert C. Atkins addresses this subject a couple of times--but only in passing. Here are the two brief references I found in my mass paperback version of the book:

Page 189--"Excessive caffeine has been shown to cause a hypoglycemic reaction, which will provoke cravings and cause you to overeat. Omitting caffeine may be a big sacrifice for you, but, in my experience, weight loss often starts up again as soon as people remove caffeine from their regimen."

Page 222--"Consume caffeine only in moderation."

Other than those two points, Dr. Atkins didn't say much else about caffeine consumption. Obviously he felt there was enough of a negative metabolic response to caffeine intake for him to dissuade Atkins dieters to try to steer clear of it as much as possible.

But what about the impact of caffeine on ketosis? Is there any and what guidelines can people following a low-carb diet use to gauge what amount of caffeine intake they can tolerate while still losing weight? These are some of the questions that were explored by one of my intelligent readers in the following e-mail:

Hi Jimmy,

I would like to clear something up with your help. I feel there needs to be a summary, possibly a FAQ, on caffeine. Here's my question: What are the effects of caffeine, ESPECIALLY when one is in ketosis?

When talking about caffeine, there are several hurdles most web articles don't get over.

1. The reasons why caffeine use is discouraged on low-carb.

A. I don't use caffeine because I don't want my weight loss/maintenance to be based on a drug.

B. I don't use caffeine because it negatively affects my mind, sleep, heart rate, or other.

2. I use caffeine because it speeds up my metabolism.

Okay, most agree it speeds up metabolism. How about difference in metabolic effect between ketosis and non-ketosis?

3. Caffeine causes release of adrenaline, which causes the liver to break down glycogen, causing a temporary increase of blood sugar, which causes insulin to be released. Thus the dreaded blood sugar/insulin roller coaster.

This I cannot find an answer for. Does this same process happen under ketosis?

As you know, Jimmy, everything changes when in ketosis. Most studies do not differentiate, which usually means NONE of the subjects studied were ever in ketosis, and thus they don't know. This seems to be true in every area of science, which is why so many nutritionists are so ill-informed and against low-carb.

Since I don't have problems under #1, and #2 seems to be a benefit, my whole use of caffeine hinges on #3, and I don't know the first thing about testing blood sugar levels on myself.

If caffeine causes the rollercoaster in ketosis, then I will stop using it. But how do I find out this fact? Is a caffeine FAQ a good idea?

As always, thanks for being such a great resource for everything low-carb!

Now THERE is somebody who's putting on their thinking cap about how he needs to be livin' la vida low-carb. I can appreciate anyone who cares enough to contemplate what's best for them that they would go through the trouble of analyzing something like caffeine consumption so closely. KUDOS to my reader!

My personal experience with caffeine consumption, primarily through diet sodas, has been negligible if non-existent regarding my weight loss and maintenance. I'm a fairly heavy diet soda drinker and switch back and forth between the ones with caffeine and the ones without (depending on what's on sale).

The only adverse effect I have noticed are the headaches when I switch to the non-caffeinated diet sodas. It lasts a couple of days and then I'm better. My weight does not change enough one way or the other, so caffeine doesn't bother me. But not everyone is this way.

For some, caffeine can cause their blood sugar levels to go haywire and bring on intense sugar cravings that lead to binge eating. This is NOT a healthy reaction when you are trying to overcome carbohydrate addiction and shed the pounds. So, are there any studies on caffeine and ketosis that might shed some light on this reader's questions?

I went directly to the most knowledgeable Atkins diet expert I know--Jackie Eberstein--who worked directly with Dr. Atkins for three decades treating obese and diabetic patients with a low-carb dietary approach. Here's what she had to say about this issue:

Jimmy,

I am not aware of any studies that have looked at caffeine and ketosis. I can only comment upon my experience with myself and any number of my patients over the years.

Caffeine for someone with an unstable blood sugar can cause the blood sugar rollercoaster regardless of ketosis.

Some people are more sensitive than others and of course the amount of exposure matters. Other factors matter such as having caffeine when the blood sugar is more stable after eating a low-carb meal may have no or only limited negative effects. For some of us caffeine when we are stressed for other reasons can really provoke symptoms.

One needs to determine their tolerance. I recommend that people with an unstable blood sugar avoid caffeine intake and others limit to at most about 3 servings daily.

Hope this helps,

Jacqueline Eberstein, R.N.
Controlled Carbohydrate Nutrition, LLC

THANK YOU, Jackie! So the jury is still out about caffeine on a low-carb diet. I know I try to avoid it as much as possible just as I steer clear of aspartame and maltitol. There are plenty of alternatives to these that I enjoy, so there's no use in forcing myself to consume products with these ingredients in them.

When I forwarded Jackie Eberstein's e-mail to my reader to let him know her perspective about his thought-provoking questions, here's what he had to say:

Hi Jimmy,

Thank you so much for replying to my email. It seems very true when they say we are 50 years away from fully understanding the affect of food on our physiology. The essence of Ms. Eberstein's message is "see how it affects you and act accordingly."

Until we have the scientific facts, we all have to make little experiments in our diets. That makes your blog and forum one of the most valuable things because people's experiences become most important where the science is lacking.

Again, Thanks!

This reader actually was the inspiration for a brand new section of my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Discussion" blog called the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Lab" where people who are low-carbing can express their own "Empirical Data" about "What's Working For You" and even make suggestions about "What Research You Would Like To See" about the low-carb lifestyle. I encourage you to get active in this section of the forum because we can learn a lot from each other's experiences.

Excellent discussion topic regarding caffeine and ketosis and I welcome your feedback on this subject matter in the comments section below. How has caffeine affected you? Does it kick you out of ketosis or lead to weight gain? Or do you avoid it like the plague so you don't have to mess with it? Let's hear from you!

Snap Out Of Your Diet Dreamland, Thinderella

Dr. Dennis Gage says weight loss is more about living than dieting

THINDERELLA: Mirror, mirror on the wall, what's the best diet of them all?
MIRROR: It's the one you can make your permanent lifestyle change.
THINDERALLA: No, seriously, which diet can it be?
MIRROR: Don't do a diet, live a diet. That's the path to success.
THINDERELLA: There's got to be more to it than that.

Are you a Thinderella thinking you can diet for a while and control your weight permanently? Hello?! It's time to snap out of your diet dreamland and wake up to the reality that lasting, effective weight loss can only come when you not only equip yourself with the right eating plan but also a strategy for taking control of your weight for the rest of your life.

This is precisely what internist Dr. Dennis Gage helps you do in his book entitled The Thinderella Syndrome. While there are thousands of weight loss books available from A to Z these days, Dr. Gage is one of the only ones who shows people how to get past that long-term barrier to lasting weight control with a clear and conciise step-by-step plan to do it.

In my recent interview with Dr. Gage at my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog, he mentioned the biggest health problem Americans face to today is "yo-yo dieting." It's all a matter of keeping the same kind of intense enthusiasm and motivation AFTER your weight loss has happened as you did DURING your weight loss experience.

This involves not just the physical changes in your diet and exercise, but also some specific behavioral changes that Dr. Gage discusses at great length in The Thinderella Syndrome. Additionally, there are some tangible and practical Dr. Gage teaches about making this lifestyle change stick, including the creation of a food record so you can see exactly what and how much you are eating. The truth about what you are eating will shock you!

What I can appreciate about Dr. Gage's book is that he is not just another self-righteous doctor spouting out what others need to be doing for their weight and health. He has LIVED the very principles he wants others to follow with great success. You gotta respect anyone who walks the walk while talking the talk. That's what you get from Dr. Dennis Gage.

Changing your bad behaviors can be a tricky thing to do, but Dr. Gage gives you the three R's to help you overcome them: Realization makes you face the facts about your current dietary habits; Regimentation forces you to inact ways to bring your diet under control; and the most important one is Reorientation which involves living a positive and lifelong healthy lifestyle that works for you.

In The Thinderella Syndrome, Dr. Gage says it is better to develop "defensive eating" techniques through the use of the "Red Alert" system he uses with his own patients. When your weight gets to a certain level, it's time to get serious about bringing the weight back down. If you allow yourself to go above this amount, then you are merely giving yourself permission to keep going up and up and up...the ruthless cycle continues on for millions upon millions of people.

In the battle against obesity, we need more people like Dr. Dennis Gage engaging the culture and sharing the vital importance of developing long-term, permanent, lifestyle choices that will help keep them happy and healthy for the rest of their days on Earth. This is THE message of the future as it relates to weight loss and health and I am personally glad to see books like The Thinderella Syndrome opening people's eyes to what it takes to control their weight forever. Isn't that what every overweight and obese person is desiring when they go on a "diet?"

Low-Carb Living Is Always A Work In Progress

I am both criticized and praised for the way I write the posts here at my blog. You see, I'm not content with simply regurgitating health and weight loss information in a very dry, impersonal manner that does not give people any practical context for using it in their own lives. Instead, I make every effort to share from my own experiences to help others who may be going through similar circumstances.

Some say they don't care what some former fat guy has to say about diet and nutrition because all he is basing his comments on is what he has gone through and not basing his writings on any professional medical opinion. That's true and I've never claimed otherwise. Plus, I make that point abundantly clear every single time I write a new column. If you don't like what you see here, then nobody is forcing you to read it. There are plenty of drab and boring web sites out there to fit your tastes just fine.

At the same time, though, there are many more who are intrigued by my weight loss success story because I am able to connect with them on a personal level that helps them deal with their own journey because it is a very personal thing to go through. That's why I write like I do to hopefully convey that livin' la vida low-carb is about real people going through the struggles of life like everyone else.

Today, I have an example of someone who empathizes with my slight difficulty in keeping my weight from creeping up. As my regular readers recall, I gained 10 pounds back of my total 180-pound weight loss by the middle of 2006 which is why I started The "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge. While I lost down to 215 at one point, the weight has since crawled right back up again to the mid to upper 220s again.

The fact that I have blogged about my up and down battle with those last few pounds instigated the following response from another Atkins weight loss success story to share her similar experience and concern. Here's what she wrote:

I, like you, lost a big chunk of weight on Atkins/low-carb. Over 13 months I lost 75 pounds. I kept it off over a year AND I'm now seeing 5 pounds come back that I just cannot lose. I don't understand how I could lose the 75 pounds very steadily and not feel hungry or deprived but cannot seem to get going on this 5 pounds.

Now my friends, co-workers and even the owner at Curves say "But you are so skinny--you don't need to lose any more weight." Ah, but my thinking is if I allow myself to gain 5 pounds over the last 4 months, then what is to come? Another 5 in 4 more months and then another. Before long I don't think I'll be able to stop and I'm worried this.

I see you almost in the same boat with your 20 pounds that sneaked up on you and you also are having trouble getting it back off again. So, what is it that made us able to lose such a large amount and now we can't get this little amount off?

I know it has to be mental. I've tried all sorts of mind games with myself. The best I can figure out is that after losing all that weight I feel like I "deserve" a little glass of wine on the weekends and an extra handful of nuts. I also know I am eating past the comfortable level and into the stuffed area at times--even though it is low-carb/high-protein, it is still WAY to much for me to be eating.

It's obsessive behavior because I can't stop eating even when I know I'm over eating (like an entire bag of microwave popcorn)!! This is the stuff I did to gain the weight in the first place.

What is going on with me? I love my new body. I love the clothes. I love being healthy. Why am I sabotaging myself AGAIN?

Jimmy, thanks for listening to my concerns. I love your blog and read your posts daily. I also love the news, the tips, the interviews and everything else. Keep up the great work.

WOW, this e-mail couldn't have come at a better time since I was just thinking about blogging this VERY issue. I guess this confirms I needed to blog it, so here goes.

First, let me share with you my quick e-mail response:

Don't try to overanalyze it. Just keep livin' la vida low-carb (which is what I am doing) and get your smile on. Remember how far you've come so you have perspective on where you are going. It's gonna happen, just hang tough. I appreciate your honesty about this, but I urge you to keep at it.

Simplistic answer? Perhaps, which is why I'd like to expand upon my thoughts some more for this post. Let's look at the reasons for the weight gain. Mine happened because I allowed those extra indulgences like the dinner rolls at the restaurant to become way too regular in my diet. Sure, I felt like I "deserved" it, too, but I have since learned that livin' la vida low-carb is all the indulgence I need.

My slight weight gain last year wasn't 20 pounds, but rather 10. Still, like you, I didn't want it to turn into 10 more and then 10 more until I was right back up over 300 again in no time. NOT GONNA HAPPEN! In fact, the bells and whistles went off in my mind when I even THOUGHT about hitting 250 again. EEEK!

Your supporters are well-meaning when they say you look good enough now after your weight loss, so don't worry about trying to lose anymore. Trust me, I get the same thing all the time from people I know when I tell them I'm trying to get down to 199 pounds. They look at me like I'm some space alien for wanting to lose any more weight. They just don't understand that this is something I need to do for ME.

Remember this--these are probably the same people who very likely told you that you looked good when you were overweight, too, so they have a history of not being completely forthright with you. More than anything else, it is YOU who must make up your mind whether you need to lose weight or not.

Nobody can decide that but YOU. If you feel good at the weight you are at right now, then do everything you can to stay there. Otherwise, start on a plan that will help you lose it again! Don't obsess over all of this, though, because that can lead you right back into bad eating habits again that you will use to soothe your emotional pain. Then the weight goes up and you're back in that ruthless cycle that ensnares so many. Don't be one of them!

As of today, my weight is 229 pounds. That's one pound less than I was at the end of 2004 following my 180-pound weight loss that began at 410 pounds. Some may see that as a failure to lose any weight for more than two years. Another way to look at it, though, is I haven't GAINED any weight since 2003--THAT HAS BEEN OVER THREE YEARS IN A ROW!!! Now that's keeping the right perspective.

Is it frustrating to see livin' la vida low-carb be more challenging this time around than it was before (and, no, I don't subscribe to the one golden shot theory about low-carb)? Sure. But keep in mind that your body is different now as the skinny, healthy person that you are. It doesn't have to be a mental problem necessarily. Quite possibly it is physiological and paying attention to calories and portions may be what is needed for you now.

That may seem like a foreign concept to you in a discussion of livin' la vida low-carb because you never counted calories or portions while losing weight the low-carb way. But, again, that was when you were much bigger. Things have changed for the better and now your diet should change for the better, too.

One thing this e-mailer wrote that really hit home with me because I find myself doing the same thing lately is the part where she said she "can't stop eating even when I know I'm overeating."

Oh my gosh, it's confession time people. I've caught myself doing this just his week. I don't know if it's the cold weather, being indoors a lot, or what, but I have found myself eating a very healthy low-carb dinner and less than 30 minutes later opening up the cabinets to see what I could munch on. WHY AM I DOING THIS TO MYSELF? I'm NOT hungry!

Plus (even MORE confession!) I've let my cardio exercise slip up this week. I've cut my workouts short on the days I have done them and I've skipped the past two days altogether. Why am I doing this? Am I getting lazy even though I know how good exercise makes me feel when I do it? Talk about "sabotage!"

Let this all be a lesson to everyone reading my blog that old habits really do die hard. Even still, this is no time to panic. The key is to recognize when these feelings hit you and immediately find something else to occupy your mind until it passes. Remember, that's exactly how you did it the first time and I urge you to conjure up the spirit of that strength you had before. It will help you now.

You see, isn't it good to know that you're not the only one who has these thoughts because they can hit even the best of us? I constantly remind myself that I'm not there yet despite my successes in the past. It really does take a DAILY CONSCIOUS EFFORT to remain focused on the goal at hand and we must stay alert and ready for anything that could derail us, including our own self-pity.

More than anything, stay encouraged and don't give up hope. We beat ourselves up enough when we haven't been perfect, but it's not the end of the world. Recommit yourself starting RIGHT NOW to do this lifestyle change like you've never done it before. I'm telling myself this message more than anything because it is something I need to do as well. Just be glad you're not livin' la vida low-fat! Talk about torture! AAAACK! :)

Livin' la vida low-carb is always going to be a work in progress. If you ever think you have fully arrived, then watch out! Letting your guard down is in a sense being cocky and self-reliant when you know you are susceptible to having the whole house of cards come tumbling down on top of you at any moment. Zero in on what you need to do and then JUST DO IT!

I'd like to say a special THANK YOU to my reader for bringing up this incredibly important topic because we don't need to ignore it. This goes to the very heart of why people fail so often when it comes to weight loss and improving their health. Will it be easy to see this to the very end? Nope. But at least you actually care and want to do something about it. How many people can say that?

Now that's what I call progress. KEEP IT UP!

If Tyra Banks Is Fat, Then I'm Brad Pitt

Can you believe people are debating whether Tyra Banks is fat?

So I'm running around doing a long list of errands today when I see the front cover of the February 5, 2007 issue of People magazine on newsstands now with a picture of former supermodel Tyra Banks with the caption "You Call This Fat?" blasted across it. Say what?! This immediately captured my attention, so I opened up the magazine flipped through the article.

Despite the fact that Tyra Banks was once considered the epitome of "the look" that Hollywood and the entertainment industry has tried to convince women everywhere about what it means to be "perfect," now turnabout is fair play as even Banks herself is being judged by her own impossibly high standard. Impossible, you say? Well, it's true and she doesn't like it one bit.


Banks on the cover of Sports Illustrated's 1997 Swimsuit issue

It all centers around the fact that Banks has gained about 30 pounds on her 5'10" frame from the petite waistline she displayed during the height of her career in the late 1990s. Now that she has been retired from that life for the past two years and moved on to other passions including a highly successful television talk show and a primetime reality show, the 33-year old Banks in 2007 weighs a modest 161 pounds.

At her current height and weight, Banks is still considered "normal weight" according to her BMI reading of 23.1. But it goes back to the fact that she has always been seen as a very thin model throughout most of her career. So the general public perception is that she's fat compared to what she used to weigh when in actuality she's now "normal" perhaps for the first time in her life. Oh the horrors!

Too bad for Banks that reality has not stopped the media from being their typical ruthless selves in poking fun at her expense, describing her in headlines as "America's Next Top Waddle" or "Tyra Porkchop." Can you believe we live in a society that thinks that picture of Tyra Banks on the front cover of People magazine is of a fat person?! Man, we are one mixed up culture!


Tyra Banks decided to fight back against being called "fat"

In an exclusive interview with People magazine this week, ironically the same publication that featured a cover story just a few weeks back on Americans who are now "Half Their Size?" after enormous weight loss, Banks lashed out at her critics in the media who she said exhibited "a strange meanness" when they were overjoyed claiming she was "fat."

"It was really hurtful to me," Tyra told People.

What's interesting is Banks didn't even know about the "fat" cat calls that were happening in the media until a flight attendant on a trip back from Australia told her she didn't think Banks looked as fat as "they" said she did.

"I had no clue what the woman was talking about," Banks admitted.

But now she knows and she has chosen to use her star status symbol to address this extremely hostile topic for the sake of herself and her fans. Banks said so many girls STILL idolize what she looks like today despite the fact that she's not as thin as she once was and these claims that she is "ugly" and "disgusting" for putting on a few pounds is actually hurting the self-image of those young girls.

"What does that make those girls feel like?" Banks continued with People. "I still feel hot, but every day is different."

Some would argue that Banks herself made little girls feel bad about themselves by the image she portrayed during her modeling career since it was impossible to ever attain for most of them. Even still, you can tell this is really bothering her to the point that she's saying something about it.

Banks is now getting to feel what it is like to deal with the day-to-day struggle of keeping her weight and health in line. You have to admit, it's a little funny in an evil, maniacal way hearing this supermodel that every guy in America used to drool over telling stories like this one.

"It's when I put on the jeans that used to fit a year ago and don't fit now and give me the muffin top, that's when I say, 'Damn!' I feel more comfortable when I'm lighter--I sleep better, I snore less, I have more endurance when I work out, my arms look better," Banks explained to People.

Tyra Banks has a "muffin top" when putting on jeans? And she snores, too? Hey, she IS like most of us, isn't she?! She admits this experience has given her "pain" because it hurts her being portrayed as "fat" after so many years of making beauty her moneymaker in her career. But "fat" is not a word she wants synonymous with her name because "usually it's just gross."

"Being fat is cool if you're a sumo wrestler or a circus freak or a hot dog eating champion," Banks contended to People. "I'm not saying fat people can't be sexy, they just have to be clever about it. You know, like printing out a full sized poster of a supermodel and taping it to their neck. Or getting everybody in the world drunk. Or not being fat."

I have no idea what that quote is about, but I THINK she's saying people who are overweight should be striving to lose weight doing what they can to make it happen. To a former supermodel, being described as "fat" and by inference "ugly" must be the absolute worst thing you could possibly say. That's indicative in her quote about "fat" people.


Remember Tyra in the 350-pound "fat" suit? Now THIS was fat!

You may recall the publicity stunt that Banks conducted in late 2005 wearing a "fat" suit that made her look like a 350-pound woman which made her artificially realize the abuse that overweight and obese people endure just because of their size has taken a cruel twist of fate. Now the comments she is receiving are real and about HER! Unbelievable, isn't it?

The fact is Tyra Banks is STILL a hottie even with the extra weight, which she says has fluctuated between 148 and 162 pounds since she left her modeling career (if you want to know what being REALLY "fat" is for a former hottie actress, just ask Catherine Bach who played Daisy Duke from the original Dukes Of Hazzard television show). She permits her weight to be higher now because it gives her more credibility with her audience to be "relatable" as one of them. That's probably a good move on her part, too, because the average woman will connect with her like they do Oprah. Or at least that's what her producers hope will happen.

We've seen this controversial issue of weight gain and image recently with such famous people as Kirstie Alley, Katie Couric, Patricia Arquette, and Britney Spears. And Tyra Banks won't be the last either.

Why is our culture so obsessed with famous people and their weight? Has the entertainment world gotten to be so boring that now we must nitpick at something as irrelevant and mundane as gaining a few pounds? Come on people, get a life!