Jimmy Moore's '30-In-30' Challenge

The post that appeared here has been removed for not promoting the low-carb community in the professional manner I have come to expect from myself. THANK YOU!

Read this blog post for more information.

Labels: Amy, Atkins, diet, health, inspiration, Kimkins, low-carb, motivation, struggle, success, weight loss

Hey everyone and welcome to Terrific Tuesday here at the "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge. After a lot of thought and contemplation about the future purpose of this blog, I decided to stop keeping tally of the weeks in the challenge.

WHAT?! Are you quitting on us, Jimmy? Say it ain't so?

Well, it AIN'T so! But the more I looked at what has happened with this challenge with brand new people joining each week, it only makes sense to scratch the hard dates over the 30-week period. While I am in Week 25, someone else is in Week 19, another one is Week 4, and for some this is their first week. That gets confusing.

So, henceforth, I will no longer refer to the week we are in for "30-In-30" because it is different for everyone. But the mission to lose 30 pounds over 30 weeks remains. That will NOT change. Also, I will let you keep track of my weight loss as well by posting my progress at the top of this blog each Tuesday.

You will notice I included my original starting weight from January 1, 2004 when I weighed 410 pounds because some of the new people had no idea I had lost nearly 200 pounds. Plus, it's good for me to remember how far I've come in this journey to keep me motivated to reach that next goal of 199 that I am striving to achieve.

What does this change mean for you? Not much because you will still comment on your progress in your weight loss and provide uplifting messages for your fellow participants just like you have been doing. I want this to continue being a supportive community of people who care about seeing the weight go down and the health improve. THANK YOU for giving of yourself so freely to help others.

Before I end this post today, I have to tell you something that has been heavy on my heart this past week. I'm going to do something right now for the first time ever at any of my blogs--purposely vague in describing something about myself.

Okay, here goes...

It came to my attention late last week that an issue I thought was taken care of over a decade ago had not been. This thing has very likely been at the center of why so many opportunities have passed me by ever since and has directly impacted my personal life is more ways that I had even realized.

The revelation of this hit me hard when I found out about it and I am now in the process of getting it taken care of now. It's gonna cost me a lot of time and money to do, but is absolutely necessary to be done.

Let's just say hearing about this brought both relief and stress all at the same time. This certainly answers a lot of questions I have had about circumstances that have been going on in my life, but it also makes me regret this hasn't been brought to my attention sooner.

So how is this tied to weight loss, Jimmy?

GOOD QUESTION! How many of us used to think we were doing something good for our health by eating a low-fat diet? You may be one of the millions who has remained faithful to eating that way because you've been convinced it was what you needed to do to take care of your weight and health.

But then you found out about the low-carb lifestyle and how it could not only help you lose weight eating great-tasting foods, but that fat is not as evil as you thought it was. At first, you don't believe it because of the years of indoctrination, but now you are forced to face the truth head-on.

Being on this lifestyle will open your eyes because the nutritional facts speak for themselves. When the debate over the health and safety of low-carb diets is argued, it is generally based on ignorance and lack of education. Once the cold hard facts are shown to people in clear language, it's difficult to ignore and respond appropriately.

Do you have any thoughts about the low-carb revelation you experienced? Was it as stunning to you as this news I received last week was to me? Let me hear from you!

Also, do you like this new focus for the site? I think it will keep people more interested if they can join at their own leisure and provide updates in their low-carb progress. I have literally received requests to join this challenge EVERY SINGLE WEEK since I started it in August 2006, so it only makes sense to open it up this way.

Keep coming back on Tuesdays for weekly weigh-ins and regular inspirational messages from me. I am committed to doing that for YOU! THANKS again for your dedication to your weight and health. I am ALWAYS here to help you in any way that I can. Please feel free to e-mail me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net.

Labels: 30-in-30, challenge, weight loss

Mary Smith is smiling today, but life hasn't always been so cheerful

Do you remember that People magazine story that hit newstands around the beginning of the new year featuring people who are now "Half Their Size?" Well, you may recall that the beautiful blonde-headed woman on the right-hand side of the front cover is Kimkins low-carb weight loss success story Mary Smith. Mary's inspiring and dramatic 125-pound weight loss has made her a full-fledged celebrity in her community and across the country.

Mary credits both the Atkins diet along with Kimkins for her incredible accomplishment, but this Albuquerque (NM) Tribune column reveals the journey was a lot more difficult and tumultuous than simply learning how to eat right and exercise.

The forgotten part of obesity is that usually it is tied to some sort of pain that has happened in the past for so many of us. It could be physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual, but that hurt is at the very center of how we allowed our weight to become so out-of-control. For Mary Smith, it was no different.

But what she had to go through at such an early age is something NONE of us would ever want to wish upon our worst enemy because it is too cruel and inhumane to even think about. Nevertheless, Mary lived through it day-by-day, minute-by-minute, second-by-agonizing-second. This was the living nightmare of an adopted eight-year old girl who should have never had to go through what she did.

Mary's adopted father sexually abused her night after night, but nothing was done to stop it. When she attempted to tell her foster mother what was happening, the response she was given was just as life-shattering to this impressionable little girl.

"She looks at me and tells me he didn't do anything, it never happened, never talk about it again," Mary recalled her adopted mother saying. "Then she cuts my hair off, dresses me like a boy and chubs me up."

Robbed of the natural beauty of her youth, Mary eats and eats to medicate the deep dark secrets she was carrying inside of her like an undeserved curse she had been given. The albatross around her neck would haunt her into adulthood as she kept getting bigger and bigger from all the poor eating habits she had picked up from this experience.

Once she was able to move out on her own as an adult, the threat of high-cholesterol loomed large as she was pressing her luck with being in the high percentile for getting diabetes and heart disease which ran in her bloodline. Naturally, Mary attempted to diet like tens of millions of other Americans do every single year.

The plans she tried--Weight Watchers, low-fat, low-calorie, grapefruit diet (EWWW!), and more--did nothing to help her actually lose weight. They merely made her more frustrated than ever about her weight which caused her to eat even more. UGH!

As if her life wasn't already painful enough already with what she had to go through, Mary was in a bad marriage to her first husband and they had three kids who had to endure the divorce. Plus, her youngest son got brain cancer and she felt like life was tumbling in on her again.

Wouldn't you know it, though, Mary Smith was about to get an angel from God to come in and sweep her off her feet to give her the love, affection, and support she had undoubtedly prayed for a millions times before. This time that prayer had been answered encompassed in the man she nows calls husband--Richard.

"He was the first person in my life who loved me unconditionally," Mary asserted. "He was my saving grace."

Richard was Mary's shelter in the time of storm to get her life back on track and to give her something worth living for. The turning point in Mary's new lease on life happened on July 2, 2002. That was the day she confessed what all had happened in her life--the sexual abuse by her adopted father, the failure of her first marriage, the brain cancer of that precious child of hers, and even her ever-growing weight problem--so she could FINALLY move forward and out of the shadow of the skeletons from her past.

It was the first day of the rest of the storybook life she is now living.

"I've never looked back," Mary proclaimed. "If you think about it, this was that child, that little blond-haired girl, taken away from me. And now I've reclaimed her and get to live her again. I got that kid back."

Nearly five years removed from that fateful moment in her life, Mary Smith has lots of reasons to smile and live life to the fullest. Not the least of which is her weight loss imploring the concepts she learned from being on the Atkins diet and more recently Kimkins. This former carbohydrate addict is religious about her commitment to eating healthy--which means no more sugar or anything that could turn into sugar inside of her body. She has since lost any desire to eat another unhealthy carb for the rest of her life.

In fact, Mary was so committed to livin' la vida low-carb that she ate yogurt and almonds instead of her wedding cake when she married Richard four years ago. Now THAT takes dedication. But Mary knows if she is going to keep her weight down, then she is going to have to eat this way for the rest of her life. It really has become a permanent lifestyle change for her.

What does she usually eat in a day?

BREAKFAST--Omelet with peppers and green onions
LUNCH--Grilled chicken and a side salad
SUPPER--Steak with a side salad

As most of us who have lost over 100 pounds can attest, just because you lose a bunch of weight doesn't mean those old habits can't somehow find a way to creep back inside of our heads every now and then.

"I don't want a 4-ounce steak, I want a 16-ounce steak," Mary admitted. "Going from a size 28 to size 4 doesn't change everything."

LOL! I TOTALLY understand, Mary. I fight that same battle and sometimes forget I'm not that morbidly obese man I once was. But then taking a quick look in the mirror or glancing at old "fat" pictures usually brings me back to reality again to keep me from going astray.

With all that she has gone through and with her newfound fame thanks to her cover story in People magazine, Mary has decided she wants to reach out and help people who want to know more about livin' la vida low-carb by organizing low-carb support groups all across the country to provide the emotional support for people following this lifestyle. Think of it as a Weight Watchers for people who are on the low-carb lifestyle (since THEY use a low-fat, low-calorie, portion control diet exclusively in their program!).

Additionally, with a heartbreaking story of tears to triumph (hey, that could make for a great title, Mary--From Tears To Triumph: Mary Smith's Miracle Low-Carb Weight Loss Story), Mary is now wanting to share it with the world in a book about her life. With all the pain she has been through for the majority of her life, there's no doubt others are going through many of the same kinds of struggles that Mary did. She wants them to experience the joy and happiness that has rejuvenated a life that many would have given up on a long time ago.

Like so many of us who have lost a lifechanging amount of weight, Mary has a heart and passion for helping others overcome their demons and get the weight off for good. If Mary Smith was able to come face-to-face with these evil giants from her childhood that held her back for so long, then so can the millions more who are still living in their real-life nightmare. It's a daunting challenge, but one that Mary is ready, willing, and able to take on to pay it forward for the miracle she has been given.

If you would like to be a part of Mary's mission to take the positive message of livin' la vida low-carb to the nation, then please e-mail her to let her know how you could help. Also, how about leaving a comment about Mary Smith's story in the comments section for this story at the Albuquerque Tribune site to share your thoughts. There are a few there right now (including one from ME!), but it would be great to push the comment total up to 25+!

Here's the comment I left about Mary's story:

Hey Mary,

THANK YOU for telling what is obviously an extremely painful story and I cannot wait to see the millions of lives you are going to impact with the book about your journey to get where you are today. What an amazing woman you are and I am so thrilled for the good things happening for you now. That's what I call God's grace!

As a fellow low-carb weight loss success story, I cannot be prouder of you at this moment in time. When you lose a lifechanging amount of weight--I went from 410 down to 220--it radically alters the direction your life was going in ways you can't even imagine yet! The best is yet to come!

While much of the media and the so-called health "experts" keep beating the drum of negativity and public scorn against plans like Atkins, Kimkins, South Beach and other healthy low-carb programs, people like you and me just keep on living our lives as an example of triumph over a lifetime of weight and health problems proving all the naysayers WRONG!

So, henceforth, shine on, Mary, for all the world to see. You are so very special and deserve the love and support you are getting for your remarkable turnaround--both inside and out!

Please let me know if there is ANYTHING I can ever do to support you in your future endeavors. God bless you, my friend!

Do you have a message for this amazing woman? Feel free to also post it here at my blog and I'll make sure Mary sees it. :)

Labels: abuse, diet, inspiration, Kimkins, low-carb, Mary Smith, motivation, People magazine, weight loss

LISTEN NOW to Episode 21 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" by clicking on the PLAY IN POPUP link below (REMINDER: You DON'T need an iPod to listen!):

On the eve of debuting a brand new feature for next month I'm calling "Fact-Filled February," I highlight an alarming study in Episode 21 that should scare the bajeebies out of people. We may think obesity is bad now, but if the results of this study come to fruition then it looks like not one single person will be able to escape from the clutches of the fat monster. Yep, that's right, we are heading for 100 percent obesity and it's supposed to happen in MY lifetime. EEEEEK!

I'd love for you to listen to today's podcast and then tell me what your reaction is to it in the show notes section of today's episode or by calling our listener comment line at (206) 203-4192. Let me hear from you TODAY!

You can check out the podcast many different ways:

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

Is universal obesity really an inevitable fate that will overcome us in just a few decades? How can we allow this to happen at a time in our history when information is so readily available about how to lose weight? Share your comments and express how this study makes you feel. Are you scared to death or do you remain hopeful the message of livin' la vida low-carb will alter this fatalistic prediction before it can happen?

Be sure to come back on Mondays and Thursdays throughout the month of February as we bring you even more studies arming you with the truth about the healthy low-carb lifestyle. You won't want to miss a single episode. Tell you friends and family to listen to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" for more education and encouragement than you can shake a stick at. For those of you who don't speak Southern, that means it's pretty good. :D

LISTEN NOW to Episode 20 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" by clicking on the PLAY IN POPUP link below (You DON'T need an iPod to listen!):

Okay, listen up all you supporters of the low-fat, low-calorie diets that are supposed to save the planet from obesity and disease. It is absolutely MANDATORY that you listen to this podcast show today because I offer you hard scientific evidence backing up my claim that livin' la vida low-carb is indeed a BETTER and HEALTHIER nutritional approach than your failed diets will ever be.

There's no denying the very clear fact that the low-carb lifestyle is a high-quality, proven weight and health management program that could very well be the answer we've been looking for in this great obesity crisis of our day! Share your comments about what you heard today or call the listener comment line for "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" at (206) 203-4192.

Tune in to the show by using any of the following ways:

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

Have you been on a low-fat, low-calorie diet in the past because you bought into the lie that it was the ONLY way you could lose weight and get healthy? When it failed to help you keep the weight off over the long-term, did you find the low-carb lifestyle was a better option for you? Leave your comments here and please share your story. We've been graced with the presence of an anti-low-carb zealot over the past few days who wants proof that people can really eat the way that we do and be healthy. Tell her YOUR story!

THANK YOU for listening to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore." Thousands of people are flocking to my podcast show because it is providing positive, uplifting, encouraging and educational audio episodes much in the same manner that you get here at my blog.

If you are one of the few who has not yet listened, it only lasts about 12 minutes so take a listen for just this one episode. Love it? Hate it? Either way, please let us know what you think and feel free to offer your suggestions for future podcast topics. I'm never short on ideas, but I am always open to what YOU want to hear.

Tell a friend, co-worker, or family member who could benefit from this podcast to give it a listen. It very well could change their life forever! That would be totally awesome, wouldn't it?

So share "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" with the world by putting it in your signature on your e-mails and when you post comments on your favorite low-carb forums. We have a message to share and it's getting out there! THANKS again for your help!

Weight loss shouldn't be lonely, so why not get a buddy?

Have you taken advantage of the oustanding weight loss resource called Weight Loss Buddy yet? I've previously blogged about this outstanding FREE resource and was even named their "Expert of the Month" in October 2006.

I urged my readers to give Weight Loss Buddy a try for the new year and to take advantage of their generous FREE offer to join! I'm pleased that many of you have been able to find the faithful support you need as a vital part of your weight loss commitment so far. Aren't buddies great?!

You can access quite literally thousands of people just like you who are in the extensive buddies database, experience the ONLY three-dimensional weight loss chat on the Internet today (it's REALLY cool!), get your weight loss questions answered by any of 100+ experts, trade weight loss tips with fellow buddies and even rate whether the advice is good or not, track your water intake and weight loss progress, find a comprehensive list of tools to set reasonable goals for yourself, and even participate in a very active message board. It's all available for FREE from Weight Loss Buddy.

Why not give it a try (did I mention it's FREE!)? It doesn't cost you a thing and they have made some major improvements to the site in just the past month or so. Weight Loss Buddy is probably the most user-friendly FREE weight loss support web site on the Internet today and I cannot recommend it highly enough to you if you struggle to find accountability and encouragement in your weight loss efforts.

Support is extremely important when you are livin' la vida low-carb. So find YOUR weight loss buddy who will help you reach your ultimate goal of being thinner and healthier than you've ever been in your life. Don't do it alone--get your Weight Loss Buddy TODAY!

Labels: health, support, web site, weight loss, Weight Loss Buddy

Hey there, ho there everybody! It's Week 25 of The "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge and I am so thrilled you have decided to take your weight and health seriously once and for all. It was the best decision I EVER made to start the Atkins diet on January 1, 2004 and today I weigh 190 pounds less than I did on that fateful day in my life. I'll NEVER be the same again.

Since it's Tuesday, that means it's time to weigh-in:



A 2-pound weight gain this week. Back and forth it has gone which leads me to wonder if I'm at the weight I'm supposed to be at. To many, 220 pounds sounds like I'm still a big guy, but the opinions about my weight have run across the board.

Check out this e-mail I got from one of my readers in response to a post I wrote about my loose skin over at my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog:

Erm, you DO look overweight, Jimmy. Those pictures of you with your shirt off show the droopy skin. But front to back and side to side, you look overweight. My husband, who is a physician, experiences this all the time in his office. Parents come in worrying that their kid is too skinny, but by the charts the child is normal weight or slightly overweight. We've just gotten so used to Americans being fat that we no longer see what we're seeing.

My husband (the doctor) doesn't listen to his own advice and now has diabetes. It's not a good condition to have. Your body doesn't care how fat every other American is. It cares how fat YOU are. Jimmy, you already know how to lose the weight. Please quit rationalizing and just do it. Please?

OUCH! You know I had to respond:

WOW, that's what I call brutal honesty! LOL! Hmmm, pondering over your comments, I'm quite intrigued. I agree that people's perceptions about themselves are skewed downward in America, but if you saw me in person I think you would have a different take.

My arms are very skinny and you can see the bones in my hands! EWWW! My collarbone couldn't be more visible and I feel FANTASTIC!

All of that notwithstanding, I acknowledge I need to lose some more weight which is why I started my "30-In-30" and have set a goal to get down to 199. Is that gonna be low enough for my 6'3" body, Marilyn? Should I keep pushing for the recommended "normal" BMI weight of 165-170? That seems extreme to me.

I ask all of this truly out of sincere curiosity about what you think. So, if I'm "fat" now, then what weight will I no longer be fat? :) THANKS for the engaging conversation.

Here was her response back to me:

A little known truth--even a fat guy looks good in a good suit! But those pictures of you with your clothes off (eeek!) tell the story. Your arms may be sticks, but what counts is the fat around your belly.

When we lose weight, we don't do it uniformly over the whole body. In women, the last areas to release their fat are usually the hips and thighs. That presents no particular problem other than appearance. In men, however, the last area to release its fat is the abdomen, and that IS a problem. The technical term for it is truncal obesity.

Do a Google search for truncal obesity. Two of the articles you will find are here and here. There is quite a bit of medical terminology to deal with in these articles, but the take-home message is that you have an elevated BMI, kind of squirrelly bloodwork, and the type of fat distribution that puts you at risk for cardiovascular disease and Type II diabetes.

How much weight should you lose? If you're a female nurse and have a BMI of 25, you have 5 times the likelihood of developing Type II diabetes than if you're a female nurse and have a BMI of 21. If you're a female nurse and have a BMI above 30, your risk of developing Type II diabetes is 28 times higher. At a BMI of 35, it's 93 times higher. (Weight Gain as a Risk Factor for Clinical Diabetes Mellitus in Women, Annals of Internal Medicine (1995), Volume 122, Issue 7, pages 481-6)

There are all sorts of issues with the validity of BMI. There are all sorts of issues with cholesterol levels. And since you're neither female nor a nurse, the statistics in the article I just cited don't apply to you. But I'd suggest that you read the truncal obesity articles and think about them. Only you can decide what weight is right for you. But I'd like to know that you've considered all the factors before you decide that losing 20 more pounds plus some loose skin will be enough.

Shoot, I don't know. Reaching a BMI of 25 certainly isn't going to hurt you. Even if you get that loose skin removed, you won't fall below a BMI of 18!

You might measure your waist-to-hip ratio, check out what is a good level of risk that you could live with, and then lose weight to whatever that measurement is. It would be nice if "spot reduction" worked, but it doesn't!

There is obviously a lot of material for you to absorb from that PDF article and a lot of risk factors for you to consider. And you now have contacts in the nutritional/medical community to help guide your thinking.

Not a simple answer or a simple number, but I've given you enough blogging material to last for a very long time!

That you have and I'm listening to what you have to say. Let's just put it this way. If I lost the 20 pounds I am trying to right now to reach 199 AND get the tummy tuck surgery removing another 20-25 pounds or so of skin, then I will weight about 175-180 on my 6'3" body. That would be WELL within what ANYONE would consider "normal" (or even BELOW normal in the perception of most people!). I'll hit that 1-9-9 and then we'll go from there.

My reader wrote me one more time (long conversation we had!):

I Googled "ideal weight" and found this site, which is very interesting. Even more interesting is his discussion of the formulas used for calculating ideal body weight.

All of these would suggest that a weight of 185-195 for a 6'3" man is probably a reasonable number. Not that far from your goal of 199 pounds. I think the concern I expressed previously arises from a feeling that you have convinced yourself that it's okay to hover between 220 and 240 and are relying on a dream of surgery to take you down to 199. I could well be wrong about that, though.

Yep, you are. I have and will continue to strive for 199 and then will consider the skin removal surgery. We'll see how all this progresses in 2007.

But...it didn't end there. You'll never believe what another reader wrote to me about this issue with my weight and "loose skin." Check this out:

Dear Jimmy,

I hate to be brutally honest, but I'm afraid I have to agree with the doctor's wife who made so many brutally honest comments about your excess skin. I've seen lots of shows on the Discovery Channel of people who have had the surgery to have excess skin removed after losing 100 or more pounds. One woman had lost about 400 lbs after having a stomach reduction, and she had a tremendous amount of "excess skin" on her trunk, legs and arms.

I put the words "excess skin" in quotes, because when they cut into her "skin", they had to keep cutting, down, and down and down. About 4 inches deep, the doctor says "When we get down the the fascia, we'll see how much weight she's really lost". (The fascia is the thin membrane that separates your skin layer from the organs underneath) Now, we already know how much weight she'd lost - somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 lbs. What he was trying to avoid saying on camera, since he knew she'd be watching it later, was more along the lines of "We know she's lost 400 lbs, but when we get through all the subcutaneous fat that's still here, we'll be able to see thorugh the fascia and know whether her organs are still surrounded by pockets of fat".

He ended up taking a strip of "skin" off of her that was about 6 or 7 inches thick. I'm sorry, but that wasn't all skin! You could SEE that there was a thin layer of skin as he cut into her, but the yellowish stuff he kept cutting down through to get to the fascia was fat.

Try this little experiment. Using your fingers, pinch up the skin on the back of your hand. It's maybe an eighth of an inch thick, right? That's how thick actual skin IS, pretty much over your entire body. Now, pinch the skin on your belly. Can you even get ahold of a thin layer on your belly like on your hand? If you can pinch more than that on your belly, or your legs, you're not pinching just skin, you're pinching fat too. To be fair, there's actually a thin layer of fat under the skin on your hands too. No matter how thin your hands are now.

If you had as little fat under the skin on your midsection as you do on your hands, you'd be literally nothing but a skeleton with muscle and a few organs under your skin. We all have some fat under the skin, it's just a matter of how much there is. Remember the old "pinch an inch" commercials? How much do you pinch when you pinch your belly skin? Unless you have a very odd pocket of air around your midsection, that is indeed fat on there. You're not going to get rid of ALL of it no matter how much weight you lose, unless you literally starve yourself to death.

As brutally honest as it may be, and as sorry as I am to have to agree with the doctor's wife, what you have around your midsection isn't just skin. I hope you don't take this as some sort of "Let's bash Jimmy Moore" rant. On the contrary, you've done a tremendous job of losing a huge amount of weight, and you've even managed to lose more of it in the last few months. Both accomplishments are very worthy of commendation - you've done remarkably well! Congratulations!

But like the doctor's wife, I have to agree that you still need to lose more. I don't know so much about the stuff she was quoting about your continued risk for diabetes and heart disease at that particular BMI, especially given your low carb diet that isn't likely to ever raise your blood sugar high enough to qualify you as a diabetic and the blood workup that showed you had fluffy LDL, but there is still more there that you could lose. Getting down to the 185-195 range might be a little too low though, I don't know. I think mostly the BMI and ideal height-weight charts have figures that are far too low for anyone who has an ounce of muscle on thier bodies.

Speaking of muscle, I know from reading your posts that you do time on the elliptical machine or treadmill just about every day. But what about resistance training? You say your arms are downright skinny, which indicates to me that you don't have a lot of muscle in your arms and possibly not in your shoulders, judging by the photos on your site, but that may depend a lot on how large your frame is--if you're small framed and actually have a lot of arm and shoulder muscle, please forgive me for speaking of that which I know nothing about.

But that's not really what it looks like to me, so I'll continue on, just in case it does apply. You know of course that muscle takes a lot more energy to maintain than fat does--I don't mean just maintenance time on the resistance machines, but as far as how many calories it uses. (even though we don't count calories on low carb, it's still somewhat of a factor in our weight loss)

You're a guy too - and guys find it a lot easier to build lots of arm and shoulder muscle than females do. So in theory, it should be easy for you to stick to the low carb eating plan you've been using for the last few years, and lose a lot of the weight around your middle just by building up your upper body muscle. This may cause you to actually gain weight initially (muscle weighs more than fat), but as you build muscle, it'll maintain itself on the protein you eat, and body fat will need to be converted to glycogen to cover the rest of your caloric needs.

You're probably thinking that your legs are strong enough and you don't need to build up your leg muscles, but treadmills and elipticals only go so far to build leg muscles. Depending on your walking style, the treadmill and eliptical may actually build buttock muscles a lot more than leg muscles. So you could even do some of the leg muscle building resistance machines, if you don't already, because the more muscle you can build on your body, the more calories your body will take to maintain that muscle, hence the more calories it will need to take from fat stores to keep you going.

The general rule of thumb when it comes to muscle building is that you work the same sets of muscles only every couple of days, not every day, but if you go more than 3 days without working those muscles, you're losing ground. A little bit of discomfort between workouts means that you've damaged the muscles, but that damage is a good thing, because as the muscle works to repair itself, it builds more muscle. A little damage to those muscles is a good thing, lots of damage isn't--I don't want you to be in serious pain!

Sorry this is so long, and I'm really not trying to be rude by agreeing with the doctor's wife. Just putting in my own 2 cents, based on the things I've seen.

With the greatest respect for someone who shows us daily what low carb is all about--THANK YOU!

Again, I can appreciate where all of these comments are coming from and rest assured I am already in the process of working on losing more body fat as I resolved to do at the beginning of the year and to increase my resistance training which I admit tailed off in 2006. THANK YOU for caring enough to share this with me. I'm a big boy, so I can take criticism. Bash away! :D

But, there was one reader who said this issue is moot:

Jimmy,

You published an e-mail you got from a doctor's wife, who said that according to your BMI you are still obese, and in danger of terrible disease due to that.

While I agree that being overweight can contribute to many diseases, and is the cause of many diseases, I'm convinced that those of us who are living a low carb lifestyle, even though we have much weight to lose, are less likely to get those dire diseases and complications (i.e. diabetes and heart disease) because we are eating healthful foods, we have eliminated the junk that causes the health problems.

Doesn't it make more sense that it's the food we are currently eating that affects our health much more than the fat on our body? I'm not saying that being overweight is good; I'm just thinking that we don't need to be so afraid of these diseases as long as we stick to our way of eating, regardless of what we weigh at the moment.

The 300-pound man who is eating good quality protein, fresh vegetables, drinking lots of water is surely much healthier than his counterpart who weighs the same, but is eating fast food every day, skipping breakfast, drinking sugary sodas instead of water, etc.

Even though you have more to lose, you've taken control of your diet, you eat wholesome foods, you've gotten rid of the junk in your diet - so, you are bound to be much healthier than the person who is at his perfect weight eating doughnuts and Big Macs, wouldn't you say?

People are so bad about judging our health based on our weight, rather than looking at the entire picture. They assume that, because we are overweight, we are prediabetic, on the verge of a heart attack, and have clogged arteries, when, in fact, many of us are the healthiest that we have been in years. We've cleared up our acne, have fewer arthritis problems, our nails and hair are healthy, we have more energy! All thanks to our low carb eating habits.

Thanks for you blog. You are providing a great service for many who are new to this lifestyle, and helped those of us who have been committed to it for a long while to stick with it.

Excellent points to ponder, don't ya think? What DO you think about all of this? Is it possible to get to a point in your weight loss where it just doesn't do any good to keep trying to shed pounds when perhaps you are exactly where you are supposed to be? Hmmmm? Let me know what you think!

Only 5 weeks left in this first phase of "30-In-30" but we will DEFINITELY continue on with a new 30 weeks starting in March. Anyone who wants to start anew on that challenge, then here's what you need to do to get started:

1. Make up your mind you are going to be serious about this.
2. Read the low-carb book of your choice from start to finish.
3. Follow that plan exactly as the author prescribed.
4. Continue with that plan until you reach your goals.
5. Keep doing that plan for the rest of your life.

Weigh-in days will continue to be on Tuesdays and you can leave your feedback anonymously if you do not wish to make your identity known. We just want to hear from you so we can provide help and encouragement in this sometimes difficult journey. YOU CAN DO IT!!! If you join, then just drop me an e-mail to let me know!

How was your Week 25? Any progress? Getting closer to losing that 30 pounds in 30 weeks? It's time to share your feedback, so don't be bashful!

Labels: 30-in-30, challenge, Jimmy Moore, loose skin, obese, weight loss

LISTEN NOW to Episode 19 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" by clicking on the PLAY IN POPUP link below (You DON'T need an iPod to listen!):

Those so-called health "experts" are back at it again trying to tell us what we need to do to lose weight and get healthy in 2007. Unfortunately, despite convening a panel and coming up with strategies for addressing the obesity epidemic in the United States, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is STILL clueless about how to actually resolve this ever-growing problem because the low-carb solution continues to be ignored. UGH UGH UGH!

Check out my show today and let me know what you thought about it. As always, you can also call our listener comment line anytime day or night at (206) 203-4192.

You can check out the podcast many different ways:

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

Are you tired of the so-called health "experts" continuing to get it wrong year after year with no accountability for it? If you could give those nuts at the NIH a piece of your mind, then what would you say to them? Leave your comments here and don't hold back. We must unite our voices together to stand up to this garbage they are spreading that will do NOTHING to solve the problem.

Come back on Thursday when I will outline several specific reasons why the low-fat, low-calorie diet is a failed dietary approach and why livin' la vida low-carb has got it beat hands down! You'll be inspired!

THANKS as always for listening. If you've never commented on the show but have enjoyed it, then PLEASE share a quick comment with us this week. It would mean more to me than I could adequately express. Take care!

Labels: experts, health, Jimmy Moore, low-carb, NIH, obesity, podcast, The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show, weight loss

LISTEN NOW to Episode 18 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" by clicking on the PLAY IN POPUP link below (REMINDER: You DON'T need an iPod to listen!):

Just when you think you've heard it all from the people who oppose livin' la vida low-carb, along comes a story like the one I share out of Great Britain in Episode 18 which should remind you that these people will stop at nothing to discredit this healthy lifestyle change so many of us have chosen. You'll never believe what they say is HEALTHIER than the Atkins diet!

Check out today's podcast show as thousands of your fellow readers have already done and then leave me feedback in the show notes section of today's episode and let me know what you thought. Are you enjoying the podcast and feel it's worth the time you invested listening to it? Let me know by calling our listener comment line at (206) 203-4192.

You can check out the podcast many different ways:

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

Do you get people telling you how unhealthy your low-carb lifestyle is? What do they say to you and how do you respond? Leave your comments here to let us know what you did to combat the naysayers. This is an area that many new low-carbers aren't used to handling, so some of you old-timers should share your wisdom about dealing with this topic.

Tune in next week on Monday and Thursday as I'll have two new podcast shows for you on how government and health leaders keep scratching their head wondering why obesity exists while they continue to ignore the low-carb lifestyle and verifiable reasons why the low-fat, low-calorie diets are inferior to livin' la vida low-carb. You WON'T want to miss either show!

One more thing: please leave feedback at iTunes this week for "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" if you like listening to it. Also, if you regularly hang out on any of the low-carb forums, chat rooms, or message boards, could you put in a plug for my podcast? We have a polished, well-produced show that we know would interest thousands more, maybe tens of thousands more listeners. Won't you help us spread the word?

THANKS so much for your enthusiastic commitment and support for what I am doing!

Labels: Atkins, diet, health, healthy, Jimmy Moore, lifestyle change, low-carb, podcast, The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show

The post that appeared here has been removed for not promoting the low-carb community in the professional manner I have come to expect from myself. THANK YOU!

Read this blog post for more information.

Labels: diabetes, diet, health, inspiration, Kathy, Kimkins, low-carb, motivation, nurse, pre-diabetic, success, weight loss

Ahoy mates and welcome to the ever-exciting Week 24 in the "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge! Ever since the new year came roaring in a few weeks ago, I have been getting e-mail after e-mail from tons of new people wanting to join the fun we are having losing weight the healthy low-carb way. So, when this 30 weeks is up, I'll probably start another one in March. Stay tuned!

My weight has hit the brakes in recent weeks hovering right around the 220-pound mark. I'm not sure what's going on, although I did have another bout with a cold about a week or so ago that kept me away from the gym for several days in a row. Like I said before, I'm not gonna let this ruin all the hard work I've invested to get where I am today--heck, I've STILL lost 190 pounds overall, which is no small feat. So, let me be straight with you--I'm NOT discouraged! :)

Here's my official weigh-in day tally for this week:


It was another push week with no weight lost. But that also means I didn't gain any weight, so I consider that progress. One of the things I don't like about the weight loss tool I recently told you about called "The Google 15" is that they consider ZERO weight loss a bad thing.

The message reads "Danger! You are moving away from your weight loss goal!" Um, call me a stickler, but isn't ZERO a neutral number--as in NO weight loss and NO weight gain? So why is ZERO such a bad thing within the context of weight loss?

Sure, the goal is to actually bring the scale down and lose weight, but why do we berate ourselves when we experience a steady week? We use phrases like "I've stalled" or "I guess I've hit a plateau" as if these are inherently bad things that are devastating to us.

Come on, people! Aren't there better things to worry about?!

Even a slight weight GAIN is not the end of the world. When you think about this weight loss journey as a continuing timeline that will last for the rest of your long and healthy life, then a silly little gain or zilch weight loss in a week isn't gonna ruin everything you've done to get where you are today.

Keep the big picture in your mind at all times and you'll never lose focus.

I know how hard it can be when you still have 25, 50, 100 or even 200 pounds to lose for you to see the weight just stop. But you really need to get over it already. These things happen, but they shouldn't change your attitude about what you need to do. Keep your eye on the ball by continuing on with the program.

For the life of me, I've never understood this little game we like to play with ourselves when we are trying to lose weight that goes a little something like this--you start a weight loss plan, you lose a few pounds, the weight loss slows or stops, you get frustrated and end up eating something off the plan to comfort yourself, you feel guilty about splurging and think you've failed on your diet, so you surmise that since you've already messed up that you should just give up on it for good.

CAN I GET A WITNESS ANYONE?!?!?!

How many times must we put ourselves through that torturous process before we let it sink into our thick skulls that weight loss isn't about the here and now--it's about our future. Those extra years you will be adding to your life that will enable you to be with your family that much longer. The quality of life that will be vastly improved when your health is finally in order. Your sense of confidence and general well-being boosted higher than you ever thought possible. These are the realities that await you!

Do you REALLY want that? Is this something you have hoped and dreamed for your entire life but it has always eluded you in the past? Then make up your mind right now that you will stop living in the here and now with your weight loss mindset and start thinking long-term about what you are doing for yourself. It'll make the difference between whether you successfully shed the pounds for good or continue to toil in obesity la-la land.

Weight loss can and should be LIFECHANGING for so many people. When I started out at 410 pounds in January 2004, I honestly had no idea the incredible experience that was about to happen to me. All I knew is that I needed to lose weight and FAST! My weight and health were arguably at the breaking point of no return for me, so it was crucial that I did something immediately or suffer the consequences.

Thank God I started livin' la vida low-carb and my life will never be the same again. I can stand up today and proclaim that 190 pounds are off of my body forever! WOO HOO! Yip-yip-yippee! B-bye fat boy and hello Mr. Skinny Man!

Yes, I'm proud of the weight I have lost and it's an awesome feeling I have to remind myself of day in and day out. Even I have bad days sometimes thinking I really don't feel like a success or that I'm teetering on the edge of slipping back into that obese man I once was again.

When this happens, all I have to do is reflect on what I have been through over the past three years and I can't help but smile. That grin from ear to ear brings it all in perspective for me as I call to mind what I went through to get where I am today.

Sure, there were time I could have given up in 2004--when the pain of exercising got to be worse than I expected, when my weight loss stopped for 10 weeks in a row, when I looked at myself in the mirror and didn't feel like I was getting skinnier--but I didn't lose hope. Now, look at me in 2007--healthy, vibrant, and wildly passionate about living life to the fullest.

I'm livin' la vida low-carb, baby! :D

Keep your head held high and your commitment to low-carb living strong in 2007. If you promise yourself RIGHT NOW that you will see this thing through to the very end, then you can't help but experience the same kind of weight loss success that I did and even GREATER! And that will enable you to keep the weight off forever! YOU CAN DO IT and I'm happy to help you get there. NEVER GIVE UP!

So, how was your Week 24? We are quickly approaching the end of this first "30-In-30", but a lot of you have gotten quiet lately. It's kinda eerie when I don't hear from you because it makes me wonder what happened. Are you still doing it or have you gotten discouraged from a weight stall or weight gain like I discussed today? It's okay, we've all been there.

But remember I care about each and every one of you and want to see you become the weight loss champion that you deserve to be! Don't be ashamed if you have not done as well as you had hoped. Share your thoughts, concerns, and challenges with us all. We're here to help each other as we seek to lose the weight--FOR GOOD!

You comments and questions (which can be anonymous if you would like) are welcomed below. :)

Labels: 30-in-30, challenge, discouraged, inspiration, low-carb, motivation, weight loss

A very nice gentleman sent me the following e-mail this week about my podcast show "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore."

Hi Mr. Moore,

I would like to congratulate you on your podcast show, as far as I can see it is the longest more frequent low-carb podcasts around and I do have to say the format is very good. What I like the most is the information you provide. It seems to me it is for the listener to take whatever it is useful and to see if it can be applied to their own lifestyle. Keep up the good work.

THANK YOU for listening to my show and for understanding that my mission with it is to act as an extension of what I do here at my blog to give people information they can use for their own personal situation. That's EXACTLY what I try to do with each and every episode. You are an astute listener and I appreciate your fantastic feedback!

Today's Episode 17 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" is ready for listening right now--just click on the PLAY IN POPUP link below (no need to download unless you want to save it on your hard drive or upload to your iPod--but remember, you don't need an iPod to listen):

Episode 17 gives me the chance to tell you the REAL reason why I started blogging, podcasting and writing books about livin' la vida low-carb. You may think you know, but wait until you hear it from my lips. It might just surprise you!

I encourage anyone who wants to lose weight the low-carb way to start their own blog and/or podcast show for accountability. You will recall I told you about Marc Sage's new low-carb podcast show last week and new low-carb blogs are popping up all the time. Send me an e-mail if you have a blog or podcast show about livin' la vida low-carb you would like to share. I'd LOVE to add it to my links blog.

Don't forget to share your comments about this show in the show notes section of today's episode and tell us what you thought about the show. Or, you can call our listener comment line at (206) 203-4192 to tell me what you have to say.

Tune in to the podcast (YOU DON'T NEED AN IPOD!) in any of these ways:

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

Are you a low-carb podcaster or blogger and want to share your experience having one of these as it pertains to your weight loss and weight maintenance efforts? Share your feedback here and let us know how it has worked for you. Do you feel more motivated and accountable having a blog or podcast since you know people are watching you? Do tell, do tell.

"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" will be back on Thursday with an episode about whether the Atkins diet is really as healthy as it claims to be. You won't want to miss it!

Gov. Daniels and Smith want Indiana to lose 10-In-10

As I was browsing around the Internet this week when I came across a brand new weight loss initiative in the state of Indiana similar to the "Shrinkdown" campaign that is happening in my home state of South Carolina. But imagine my surprise when I saw what they were calling it:

The 10-In-10 Challenge

Hmmm, I wonder where they could have gotten the idea for this? LOL! While I suppose the Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, "The Biggest Loser" Indiana representative Pam Smith, and former Indiana Pacer George McGinnis could have come up with the "10-In-10" Challenge on their own, it sure sounds a whole heckuva lot like what we are doing right here at the "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge.

Even if they did get the idea from me, I think it's awesome what they are doing encouraging the people of Indiana to do something about their weight. Losing 10 pounds in ten weeks is most certainly attainable as I have shown with my "30-In-30" Challenge--TIMES THREE! Perhaps these participants will keep going with their pound-a-week goal. I hope they do.

Sponsored by the government-sponsored INShape Indiana, the 10 week challenge to lose 10 pounds is set to begin on January 15, 2007. Indiana Health Commissioner Dr. Judy Monroe is excited about this challenge.

"This is the time of the year that many people devote to making healthy changes in their lives," she noted. "The 10 in 10 Challenge is a great way to help those who have resolved to change their eating habits and exercise more, plus stop smoking along the way."

Smith, 25, appeared on NBC's hit reality weight loss television show "The Biggest Loser" as the Indiana representative in their special Season Three twist featuring people from all 50 states. She lost 40 pounds on the show and another 28 since coming back home. Now this "Biggest Loser" wants to help her fellow Hoosiers do the same for themselves.

"Losing weight was hard, and I still struggle with it, but I decided to take charge of my life and set the example for my children," Smith exclaimed. "I've not only lost 68 pounds, but I've gained inner peace and self confidence for the first time ever. That is the most priceless gift a mother can ever give her kids. I remember that every time I want to skip a workout and go get fast food!"

GOOD FOR YOU, PAM SMITH! I'm so glad to see she is using her experience on "The Biggest Loser" to impact her fellow citizens in the state of Indiana. Even those of us who have lost over 100 pounds STILL struggle with the weight loss thing, Pam, so don't feel bad. It's a neverending battle, I always tell people.

Right now, they are registering people in Indiana to begin the challenge starting next week when the participants will receive an e-mail outlining ways they can prepare themselves for the challenge like keeping a food diary, taking inventory of the food they should purchase, and other weight loss tips. Weekly advice from a professional trainer and nutritionist about how to lose that one pound will be sent to their e-mail as well.

At the end of the ten weeks (around the beginning of April), the participants will report back their weight loss. Isn't this just GREAT?!

Well, I have mixed emotions about it. While it is indeed admirable that the governor has put this thing together to help the people of his state lose weight, what are they going to recommend to these people to start living a healthier lifestyle? Let's take a look.

On the Nutrition page, you see the government-indoctrinated Food Pyramid is HIGHLY touted as the healthy way to eat for a "well rounded diet" which means the same old nutritional advice to cut your fat, cut your calories and reduce your portions. Sigh. Can't we have just ONE of these programs tell people about the healthy low-carb alternative to this dietary lie? It's a question I asked in my own state.

Best wishes to everyone in Indiana who begins the "10-In-10" Challenge. But I encourage you to come join us at "30-In-30" when you start to feel the pain of being on a weight loss plan you REALLY don't see yourself doing for the rest of your life. That is a key concept in being the success you so desperately want to be.

Labels: 10-In-10, 30-in-30, challenge, Indiana, INShape, Mitch Daniels, Pam Smith, weight loss

LISTEN NOW to Episode 16 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" by clicking on any of the following links:

We have a special BONUS episode of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" for you this week with this Thursday edition of the podcast. We will continue to provide two new shows on Mondays and Thursdays in the month of January, so don't miss an episode!

In Episode 16 I discuss the falacies of the "eat in moderation" diet advice. While this may SOUND like a good way to lose weight, the fact is limiting portions and calories for most people just doesn't work. See what I have to say to people who say otherwise...YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT!

Please share your comments about this show in the show notes section of today's episode and share your feedback with us. PLUS, you can call the listener comment line at (206) 203-4192 and we may use what you say in a future episode of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show."

Listen to the podcast (without an iPod!) in any of these ways:

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

I appreciate your faithful listenership to my podcast show and welcome any feedback you have for Episode 16 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore". Do you agree with my opinions about the "eat in moderation" advice? Disagree? Why? Make this show interactive by making your voice heard, okay? :)

Come back again on Monday for another thrill-packed episode of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore."

The post that appeared here has been removed for not promoting the low-carb community in the professional manner I have come to expect from myself. THANK YOU!

Read this blog post for more information.

It's a new year and a fresh perspective on weight loss right now as we conclude Week 23 of the "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge. Before I talk about how my week went with my weight loss efforts, let me share with you something I did on Monday. I joined something called "Shrinkdown" sponsored by my local YMCA in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Last week I blogged about a man who lost 128 pounds last year after beginning his weight loss journey with the "Shrinkdown" challenge, an effort taking place all across the state of South Carolina over the next eight weeks.

As I was standing in the line of hundreds of people waiting to sign up for this, I couldn't help but notice it was primarily women and most had at least 50 pounds they needed to lose. In other words, the overweight or obese. What a beautiful sight it was to see so many people wanting to do something about their weight!

When the line that wrapped around outside the building finally made it inside, we registered our name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, etc. for the volunteers to know who was participating and they handed each person a "Healthy Living Guide" three-ring binder and a T-shirt. Participants will be able to track their progress at the Spartanburg "Shrinkdown" web site.

Once you got past the sign-in table, you entered this big room with three different color-coded lines. All of them were exactly the same to help facilitate moving people through as quickly as possible. After waiting in one of the three lines, you got weighed first, then had your body fat percentage calculated, followed by your BMI, blood pressure, and finally your flexibility.

It took a little more than an hour to get through all of this and I had the opportunity to speak with many of the people waiting in line. Several had lost weight before only to gain it back while others were desperate to know what to do about their weight.

When I encouraged them to find a plan that works for them and stick with it which is what I did, they asked how much weight I had lost. When I told them nearly 200 pounds, their eyes all bugged out! How'd you do it, have you kept the weight off, what's the secret? Hmmm, should I tell 'em it was livin' la vida low-carb? YEP!

To my surprise, there was not a single snide comment about my way of eating from any of them. Not a one. I explained that I wanted to join the "Shrinkdown" to lose that last 20 or so pounds. While I didn't say this to them, I also wanted to see what this program is recommending people do to lose weight.

Flipping through the materials they handed out, it should come as NO surprise to anyone that this plan is focused on increasing physical activity (a VERY good thing since exercise goes hand-in-hand with low-carb living) and good nutrition. What does that mean? You know--low-fat, low-calorie, portion control! UGH!

Using the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid which is basically the same as the government-indoctrinated one, they recommend eating lots of fruits, veggies and whole grain carbohydrates (ARGH!) while reducing your intake of protein, fats, and sweets. Well, at least they got the sweets part right!

Browsing the sample menus and recipes included in this "Healthy Living Guide," I was stunned by the massive amount of carbs all of these meals had. A white bean with couscous recipe had 43g; chicken fajitas with zucchini and black bean salad had 55g; blueberry buttermilk pancakes with fresh strawberries had 50g. And they call this "healthy?" Come on people! That term has become so subjective and senile, hasn't it?

I just had to keep shaking my head in disapproval as I read that carbohydrates "provide your body with energy" and are "beneficial to your health." Regarding healthy fats, they should be used "in moderation." Protein sources should be "lean" and dairy sources like cheese are "high in saturated fat so use it sparingly or use lower fat versions." Oh yummy! NOT!

The specific plans were either 1200, 1600, 2000 calories per day consisting of more than half of your calories from carbs depending on your weight and exercise level. While I can appreciate that they list all the health ailments that come from being overweight or obese, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, back pain, and more, the method they use for getting people to lose weight is so one-sided.

Why can't organized weight loss programs like "Shrinkdown" EVER acknowledge the low-carb lifestyle as an equally healthy and beneficial plan for losing weight and keeping it off forever, hmmm? Who died and made the low-fat diet the ONLY way to lose weight and improve health?

If we are EVER going to move forward with REAL progress in the obesity epidemic, then this monopolistic treatment of obesity must END IMMEDIATELY! Share low-carb principles alongside low-fat ones and let people decide which one they want to do. Is that really too much to ask for?

It broke my heart to think how many people at that "Shrinkdown" sign-up yesterday will lose a few pounds in the next couple of months eating foods like the apples, fruit bars, and water they provided at this event only to get frustrated by the disgusting choice of foods and from being hungry so much eating this way. That was my experience on a low-fat diet in 1999 and it wasn't pretty.

The more I got to thinking about this "Healthy Living Guide" and contemplated for a moment what it would be like to begin this kind of program to lose that last few pounds, I quickly came to my senses KNOWING that transitioning from a low-carb lifestyle to a low-fat one would make be balloon up when I reintroduced all of those carbohydrates into my diet again!

My body burns fat for fuel, not carbs (your body doesn't NEED that many carbs!), so it makes no sense to go back to that again. But, anyone who is on a low-fat diet can EASILY move to a low-carb plan because it's a natural progression to better health. Allow a few days of Induction-level low-carbing to put your body into ketosis after burning off those last few carbs in your system and then you can start burning fat for fuel and lose weight, too.

It's an amazing process that unfortunately is NOT being taught in mainstream programs like "Shrinkdown" which will only further frustrate those who are desperate and hungry (sometimes literally!) to find a weight loss plan that will really work. That's why I keep blogging about the low-carb lifestyle because it IS that plan for so many of us. I'd rather people learn about it sooner rather than later.

Sorry to be so long-winded, but I had to share my story about "Shrinkdown." Let's hope they learn they need to change and then will be able to find what works for them over the long-term...before it's too late.

Here's my latest weight loss progress chart:



There was no change in my weight last week with only seven weeks left in the challenge. I suppose at this point getting to my original goal of 210, which would be 30 pounds lost in 30 weeks, is more feasible than my 199 goal. But I'm still shooting for 199 by the end of the year as one of my five health goals for 2007. I WILL do it!

So, can I lose that last 9 1/2 pounds in the next seven weeks? That's only a little more than a pound a week. I'm sure I have room to lose some more, so we'll give it all the effort in the world to make it happen. But I'm not gonna fret if I don't do it there since the best part is I'm KEEPING the 180+ pounds off I lost three years ago! YEAH!

How's it going for you this week? I haven't heard from many of you in a while, so share what's happening for you. We're counting down to the final weeks of this first phase of "30-In-30" and I am seriously contemplating beginning another 30 weeks starting in March! Let me know what you think about this idea and share with others that they can start anew in their weight loss efforts with this. Have them e-mail me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net if they want to participate. The need for weight loss NEVER ends, it just goes through different phases for people at different times.

Week 23 updates anyone? :)

Labels: 30-in-30, challenge, Jimmy Moore, low-calorie, low-carb, low-fat, obese, overweight, portion control, Shrinkdown, South Carolina, weight loss, YMCA

LISTEN NOW to Episode 15 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" by clicking on any of the following links:

Getting back into a more normal schedule this week with my podcast show after five straight episodes last week, the producers at Grasshopper New Media have decided to let me do TWO shows per week now. So, I'll be posting BRAND NEW podcast shows on both Mondays AND Thursdays beginning this week for the month of January. Call the listener comment line number at 206-203-4192 and let them know what you think of having more than one show per week.

In Episode 15 I get to talk about one of my favorite subjects in the entire world--EXERCISE! While that word may not encite warm, fuzzy feelings of joy and excitement in you, it most certainly should! When I started livin' la vida low-carb, exercise was so despised by me that I wanted to puke just thinking about having to do it. But once I started doing it and made it a regular part of my life, now it's hard to stop! Today's show will tell you why YOU should add this element to your low-carb lifestyle.

Don't forget to visit the show notes section of today's episode and share your comments with us. Are you a low-carber who DOESN'T exercise? If so, then tell us why! Plus, if you are an avid exercise nut like me, then share what it was like for you to begin incorporating it into your healthy lifestyle. It's okay if the experience wasn't pleasant because I was pretty honest about how hard it was for me in my book Livin' La Vida Low-Carb: My Journey From Flabby Fat To Sensationally Skinny In One Year. Tell us YOUR story!

Listen to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" in any of these ways:

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

THANK YOU for listening to Episode 15 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" about the importance of exercise in your low-carb lifestyle. Have you listened to my podcast show in iTunes yet? If not, then can you do that this week and leave feedback for the show there? A lot of people have stumbled upon my podcast surfing around iTunes and YOUR feedback would show them what kind of response people have about the show. THANK YOU!!!

Be sure to tune in on Thursday for a BONUS episode of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" when I will bring up the touchy subject of "eating in moderation." You WON'T want to miss it! Be sure to tell a friend, family member, or even an enemy (HA!) about my exciting new low-carb weight loss podcast show this week!

Labels: diet, exercise, fitness, health, Jimmy Moore, low-carb, podcast, The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show, weight loss

When January 1, 2007 was celebrated at the stroke of midnight last Sunday night, I knew it was merely the beginning for me and other weight loss blogs and web sites out there providing information about shedding pounds and getting healthy. While I thought my life was busy before, this week is evidence that it can always get even crazier. But I LOVE IT!

After doing an entire week of my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" podcast to start off the new year, the traffic at my blogs have more than DOUBLED the numbers I had in December 2006. I knew it was going to increase, but I had no idea it was going to SKYROCKET! :) Again, what a thrill it has been!

I'd like to share with you some of the e-mails I have received during my explosion in traffic over just the first few days of 2007 so far. This will show you a little bit of what I have been experiencing from your fellow readers:

Hi Jimmy,

I have been reading your blog for quite a while and love the new podcasts. I have been listening faithfully from the first broadcast. Beginning in the summer of 2004 I began low-carbing and lost over 60 lbs. I stopped short of my goal to see if I could actually maintain this lifestyle change and in the next year I lost another 10 lbs without even trying and with no deprivation. Now, food choices are not even an issue. I don't worry that I will ever go back to eating the old way. When people ask I tell them the key was giving up sugar, which for me was so powerful.

In the summer of 2006 I decided to change my life direction (I'm 49 years old) and began to study for certification as a personal trainer. I think the changes in my life were so profound that I had to find a way to share them with others - not unlike you, eh?! Anyway, the point of writing you today is to encourage your goal of resistance training. My trainer (yes, personal trainers often have their own personal trainers) and I have been working a program that includes 5-6 days a week of cardio (I've actually been road running again for the first time since my 20's) and 3 days of weights. I've come to love the weights for two reasons: 1. feeling strong is wonderful, and 2. my body has changed in very pleasing ways.

As I have increased my strength, I have noticed a tightening of my loose skin. Now admittedly, my loose skin from a 70 lb weight loss is not what it would be from a 180 lb weight loss, but none the less I see a difference and it pleases me. One thing that I am profoundly humbled by is the realization during my weight loss and in the time since then that body image and self image are distinct and yet connected and that after significant weight loss it takes time to alter the mental and emotional landscape that informs our sense of self.

In a very real way, the weight loss while it is a great accomplishment just sets the stage for what comes next which is the transformation of our lives as we step up to embrace the next challenge that comes our way. So my advice is, trust your trainer. Don't expect the results to show immediately - first you have to condition the muscles and then grow them - good
training takes patience and persistence, but in 3 to 4 months you should be looking in the mirror with renewed appreciation.

If you get really interested check out Tom Venuto's Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle website. Venuto isn't a low carb advocate per se - most fitness experts aren't (and yet many of them follow low carb diets themselves while calling it something else) - but he does acknowledge that for some people it is necessary to cut carbs quite low while eating whole foods and plenty of protein. There is much to his system that is very useful and you might find his business model including what he has to say about "the fifth element" - a support network of positive people - quite interesting.

While you are working at reducing your body fat I am doing the same and looking forward to good results in the upcoming months. All the best to you!

Can you tell she's gonna be a GREAT trainer? I think so! Of course, she's referencing my 2007 Health New Year's resolutions to lower my body fat and start weight lifting again. I appreciate the encouragement and the story!

Here's someone reacting to my blog post where I state that calorie counting and portion control are irrelevant when you are livin' la vida low-carb:

Jimmy,

Just catching up on some of your old posts. I'm sure I'm not the first person to play the "calorie counting and portion control" card, but after trying everything it seems that counting, however annoying it is, is the best way to go, for me at least. All the best in 2007!

Like I've said many times before, find what works for you and then do it! If counting calories and portions floats your boat, then you won't see me stand in your way. I want to see you succeed HOWEVER you choose to do it.

Next up is a guy who is sick and tired of being overweight and wants to get into shape so his 2 1/2-year old daughter will have a healthy daddy for many years to come. Here's his story:

Hello,

I have been overweight my whole life. I am 6'1" and I weigh 255 pounds. At my heaviest I was 263. I know that the low carb lifestyle is effective because I go on and off it all the time. I stay on for about 2 months and lose around 20 pounds and then I start feeling sick. Literally sick. I get sick to my stomach and end up hating the food I am eating. I am normally acarnivore. I prefer to have seconds of my dinner than to have dessert. Is it normal to start feeling sick around this time? It is almost like I am very anxious. Kind of like that feeling you would get in high school on Sunday night as you are going to bed you realize you didn't study for the test on Monday morning.

Well, to make a long story even longer, I have decided to go back on the wagon. I am sick of being fat. I have a beautiful healthy 2 and 1/2 year old daughter who loves me very much. I also have the most beautiful and fit wife who supports me as best as she can. I want to live long enough to enjoy it. Your blog posts have inspired me to do that.

I am going to keep an online journal on my blog to track the change. You WILL be getting updates because I WILL be successful. Keep up the good work. I will keep your brother in my prayers. Thanks!

Here was my response back to him:

That's a vague question, but I assume by "sick" you mean lethargic, run down, and just an overall sense of BLAH! Am I right? If so, then you are still fighting addiction to carbs. The longer you go without sugar and refined carbohydrates, the better off you will feel. But if you give in even a little to temptation, you WILL feel bad. I'm not saying you've done this, but if you have STOP! :)

Make sure you are taking adequate supplementation and that you are eating enough high-protein, high-fat foods to keep you satiated and energized. People usually don't eat enough food when they are livin' la vida low-carb, so try not to fall into that trap. YOU CAN DO THIS! Thanks again for your e-mail!

Not long after sending this response, he e-mails me again with the following:

You know why I love this lifestyle? Because of your last paragraph. What other "diet" lets you speak like that! THANKS!

It's the miracle of livin' la vida low-carb, my friend, and I'm proud of you for giving it the old college try yet again. By the way, my brother Kevin is doing okay for now and I appreciate your prayers for him. It's at the point where HE must decide to change if it's gonna happen.

Another reader is starting back on low-carb again this week after a tumultous 2006 caused her to gain all of the weight she had previously lost on the Atkins diet:

Hello,

I have just started today back on my low carb eating. Back in 2003 I realized I was not happy with my weight. I am 5'8" and weighed 185 lbs at the time. I went on to a VERY STRICT Atkins diet and stuck to it like never before with any other diet. I started on October 1st that year and by the end of the month I had lost 15 lbs and by the end of November I was at 155 lbs--EXACTLY where I wanted to be. Everyone told me that I would gain it right back but I didn't. I kept it off in fact fluctuating between 145 to 160 until January 2006. That's when I changed jobs and got to work from home which was bad for me because I didn't move with excercise. I just worked and took care of the house and my three kids.

I slowly gained back the weight and now I'm back to my 185 lbs again. But I know I can get back down and am determined to do it, so TODAY is the first day back. I am tired of my pants being tight and I REFUSE to buy new ones. I know I can do it. I was surfing the Internet and came across your articles and decided to email you. I am up for this 30-In-30 challenge but hopefully less. Hee hee! So I dont know what we do here whether I have to buy something or we just all team up. But I will look forward to your response.

Yes, you'll need to purchase 10 copies of the book "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" and pass them out to...JUST KIDDING! If you want to sign up for my "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge, then simply visit the blog and comment with your fellow participants. We weigh-in on Tuesdays so come share your weight loss success with us and don't be afraid to talk about your struggles. Let "30-In-30" be your support system during your journey!

You might just be a success story like the next e-mailer who was so excited to share with me her amazing new "Weight On My Mind" blog. Although it's only a few days old, I REALLY like what she has to say and the way she says it. Sorta reminds me of--ME! Here's what she wrote:

Hi Jimmy,

I've not got a success story as such for you to link to, but I have just started a blog about my success lowcarbing and I was thinking maybe you could add it to your list of blogs about weight loss.

In a nutshell, I've lost around 100lbs, plus and minus 5 pounds or so, and am now at around 155lbs. I started off with Carbohydrate Addicts over five years ago, switched to Atkins 4 years ago, and have been maintaining my weight loss ever since.

I've been a member of various online low-carb forums, but this blog I've started is very personal and right now I'm keeping my identity anonymous. Take a look and see if you'd like to link to it. It's called "Weight On My Mind." Thanks for your own fantastic web site.

I GLADLY added this blog to my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Links" blog. If anyone has a low-carb blog or web site that they would like featured at my links blog, just drop me an e-mail.

Finally, I received the following e-mail today to just broke my heart when I read it:

Hi,

I was reading your blog and am finding myself in the place that many have been before me. I am a female who is 6'2" and weigh just over 400 pounds myself. That's a lot of weight for a girl to be carrying and I want 2007 to be my year. I was reading about the low carb thing and am interested to know how one goes about leading a low-carb lifestyle. I'd really appreciate it if you emailed me back.

And so goes the kind of e-mails that have come my way this week by the hundreds! I answer every single one, so don't hesitate to send me one at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Whether you are brand new to my blog or a long-time reader, I LOVE hearing from you so tell me what's on your mind. This is why I'm here--to encourage, educate and help YOU in any way that I can. THANKS for reading my blog!

Labels: blog, health, Jimmy Moore, livin' la vida low-carb, low-carb, New Year's resolutions, podcast, The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show, weight loss

ATTENTION**TECHNOLOGY ALERT**ATTENTION

Due to the number of brand new people to the Internet, blogs and podcasts, I'd like to provide assistance to anyone who has had trouble listening to my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" podcast. One of my regular readers wanted to know how she could listen when she sent me the following e-mail:

"Do you have to have a mp3 player or can it be listened to on my computer? I am sorry for my ignorance but I am not very knowledgeable about these things."

What an EXCELLENT question and I'm so glad she asked it. Podcasting is still in its infancy, so there are many people who don't understand what they are exactly. The short answer to her question is this:

- No, you don't need an mp3 player like an iPod to listen
- Yes, you can listen to it on your computer

Now here are more specifics about how you can access the show:

1. Go to the official web site and click PLAY IN POPUP
2. Go to the official web site and click DOWNLOAD
3. Go to the official web site and click on
4. Go to the official web site and click on the right arrow (play button)
5. Listen through iTunes by downloading it and type "Jimmy Moore Low-Carb" in the search box. Click on the square box with the show's logo to listen and leave feedback.
6. Call (818) 688-2763 and listen to the latest episode on your telephone
7. Subscribe to the feed to be alerted about new shows

Those are ALL the ways you can listen to the show. Of course, there is ONE more way you can listen as well to the latest episodes of my podcast show--RIGHT HERE AT MY BLOG!

LISTEN NOW to Episode 14 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" by clicking on the button, the PLAY IN POPUP link, or the DOWNLOAD link below:

On this final day of podcast shows during this special week at "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore," I bring it all together to explain why livin' la vida low-carb is the healthiest diet on the planet and why it should be promoted alongside the low-fat diet as a way for people to lose weight and get healthy. But I do make a statement in this podcast that will shock supporters of low-carb and low-fat alike! Check it out!

After listening to Episode 14, please leave a comment for me about the show in the show notes section of today's episode. I appreciate all the EXCELLENT comments so many of you have made about the show which tells me I must be doing something right. Oh, and if you'd like to have any of your low-carb questions answered on a future podcast show, then leave me a voicemail at 206-203-4192. You can also use this number to tell us anything you want. Let us hear from you this week!

THANKS so much for listening to Episode 14 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" and for supporting me everyday this week with my podcast shows. If you missed any of them, I encourage you to go back and catch up. Here they are again for your convenience:

Ep 10: Making Low-Carb Your New Life Resolution In 2007
Ep 11: 10 Practical Tips For Starting Low-Carb The Right Way
Ep 12: Don’t Attempt Low-Carb Without Educating Yourself First
Ep 13: Gluconeogenesis Is Your Internal Carb Factory

Tune in next week as we expand to TWO weekly podcast shows on Mondays and Thursdays. THANKS for your unbridled enthusiasm for "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" podcast.

Labels: blog, iTunes, Jimmy Moore, low-carb, podcast, The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show

LISTEN NOW to Episode 13 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" by clicking on any of the following links:

Four days, four podcast shows! Wheeeee! This has been quite a week for "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" and I appreciate everyone who has listened to my podcasts each day. And the good news is we've got one more to go on Friday! WOO HOO!

Today's Episode 13 gets into the nitty gritty about gluconeogenesis, a scientific nutritional concept I've blogged about before. But this is something that bears repeating often enough until it becomes a part of the regular lexicon of any discussion of the supposed necessity of carbohydrate intake. The science doesn't back this claim one bit.

If you have listened to the show and never left me feedback, then please go to the show notes section of today's episode and share your comments. You can even call my podcast voicemail at 206-203-4192. Be honest! I'd LOVE to know what you think about the show even if you hate it. Tell me what you think about it regardless. Can you do that for me? THANKS!

"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" can be accessed 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

THANK YOU for listening to Episode 13 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" and I encourage you to come back one more time this week tomorrow for the fifth and final podcast of this special New Year's week of shows. We'll probably be expanding the show to two per week starting next week (on Mondays and Thursdays), so keep tuning in for more news and commentary about livin' la vida low-carb for your listening pleasure. :)

Labels: gluconeogenesis, Jimmy Moore, low-carb, podcast, The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show

LISTEN NOW to Episode 12 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" by clicking on any of the following links:

It's Day Three of the special week-long edition of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore." In case you missed Episode 10 or Episode 11, be sure to check 'em out!

Today's Episode 12 details the story of a woman who thought she was doing the Atkins/low-carb diet, but actually she was doing it on her own with discouraging results. It's a lesson learned that educating yourself about low-carb is the all-important first step before you start livin' la vida low-carb.

Please visit the show notes section of today's episode and let us know what you think. We REALLY appreciate hearing from you if you are listening to the show, so don't be a stranger--share your comments with me! You can even leave me a voicemail message by calling 206-203-4192. I can't wait to hear from you!

Tune in to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show":

1. Listen at the official web site
2. Go to iTunes
3. Call (818) 688-2763 to listen via Podlinez
4. Subscribe to the RSS feed

Listen to Episode 12 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" and don't forget about the final two podcast shows on Thursday and Friday. I appreciate the thousands of you who have supported this podcast show. THANK YOU!!!

Labels: Atkins, diet, Jimmy Moore, low-carb, podcast, The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show, weight loss

Low-carb success on cover of January 8, 2007 issue of People magazine

I suppose I now owe the editors at People magazine an apology. Last year about this time, I openly berated them at my blog for ignoring all the wonderful livin' la vida low-carb weight loss success stories in their annual "Half Their Size" column that comes out during the first week of the new year. They had printed story after story of people who had lost weight on virtually EVERY OTHER DIET out there, but not low-carb. In fact, there wasn't even a single example of someone who had lost weight following what is arguably the hottest diet out there today--the low-carb South Beach Diet program!

In fact, here's a quote from that blog post I wrote about this subject:

If I was your average Joe reading this People magazine article, then I would conclude that NOBODY is doing low-carb to lose weight anymore or else they would have shown at least a singular example. But it wasn't in there. Was it a simple act of omission by the People magazine editor or did they purposely avoid any and all low-carb weight loss successes for whatever reason?

Yes, I was just a tad bit upset about this because people who regularly read my blog get to see some truly remarkable transformations that have resulted from the low-carb lifestyle all the time. In fact, you can read any of the OVER 30 low-carb weight loss success stories that I have posted at my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Links" blog. They are just as inspirational and motivational as the ones People magazine printed.

Well, I guess the editors got the message for 2007 because they actually featured a woman who lost weight using low-carb to do it, too. But they did even one better than that--THEY PUT HER ON THE FRONT COVER!!! WOW! Now that's an "I'm sorry we forgot about you" if I ever saw one! Our low-carb weight loss champion is the lady on the right side of the front cover of the January 8, 2007 issue of People magazine.


First Atkins, then general low-carb helped Mary Smith shed 110 pounds

Her name is Mary Smith and she looks absolutely fabulous at 40, doesn't she? This 5'3" tall woman had been fat for nearly three decades since her childhood when she decided to go on the Atkins diet in 2002 after her weight climbed to over 250 pounds and her doctor told her she was pre-diabetic. That's when she went on the plan I used to lose over 180 pounds--the Atkins Diet. As most low-carbers will tell you, this way of eating is quite literally the perfect diet for people with insulin resistance and diabetes. The scientific evidence continues to support this as a proven fact.

Mary did her homework about the Atkins low-carb lifestyle by actually reading the book and quickly lost 70 pounds in one year. By getting rid of pasta and bread in her diet and replacing it with meat and green leafy vegetables, she discovered how the healthy low-carb lifestyle could change her life forever. Mary made sure to steer clear of sugary and starchy veggies, though. That's livin' la vida low-carb, baby!

But when she hit the dreaded weight loss stall that befalls even the best of us when we are losing weight, Mary turned to the Internet to see if she could find some support to lose those last few pounds. I don't know if she stumbled on any of my blogs or web sites, but somehow she found EXACTLY what she needed to reach her ultimate goal.

Mary Smith scoured the World Wide Web to look for something (ANYTHING) to help her get past the wall she had run into and came across others who were tweaking the low-carb lifestyle for THEM. This kick started her weight loss moving downward again.

In just a little more than a year, Mary was able to shed those final 40 pounds to reach her goal weight of 128 pounds that she is today. What a testimony of endurance, perseverance, and determination to lose weight for good! WOO HOO! You go on with your bad self, Mary. I'm so proud of you for winning at losing weight. Awesome!!!

You really need to pick up this special issue of People magazine with Mary's gorgeous picture on the front of it. Turn to page 68 and you can read all about this incredibly inspiring low-carb weight loss success story featured in a major national magazine. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!

Then, you'll definitely want to turn to page 72 of the magazine to read the "Food Confessions" where each of the people in the "Half My Size" feature talk about what the difference is between being fat and thin. It's quite enlightening and mirrors many of my own thoughts about being a former obese man who has gotten skinny--still feeling fat, in disbelief about how much better I look now, being steadfast to avoid the wrong kinds of food, realizing that thin shadow really is you, etc. The floodgates of emotions flow in this article, so don't miss it!

Finally, on page 77 there is a chart with the heading "How They Did It" that shows exactly what each of them ate in a typical day to lose their respective weight. Not surprisingly, Mary had an omelet for breakfast, Parmesan chicken and salad greens for lunch, a ribeye steak and salad greens for supper, and pork rinds as a snack. For exercise, she regularly does one-hour hikes with her husband about 4-5 times per week. Now that's what I call LIVIN' la vida low-carb. And she's livin' well, too!

Kudos to People magazine for getting it right this year including a low-carb success in the annual "Half Their Size" feature article. The influence Dr. Robert C. Atkins has made on our culture concering carbohydrates is something worthy of recognition in any discussion of weight and health management. Mary is merely one of the millions of us who have had our lives radically changed for the better because of low-carb.

If a major magazine like People can do this, then why can't our government and health agencies get their act together for the purpose of educating the public about how to best manage their weight problem? Just put all of the plans out there on equal footing side-by-side with those who have done well on each of them and let individuals decide which one is best for them. What are we so afraid of in this country that we feel the need to conceal information that could actually lower obesity rates? It doesn't make any sense to me at all.

Let People magazine know how much you appreciate their inclusion of Mary Smith's low-carb weight loss success story by dropping them an e-mail at editor@people.com.

Perhaps you struggle with your weight and you have a question about how the livin' la vida low-carb can help you, I'm available anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net to answer your questions, provide encouragement and advice, and most of all listen to what you have to say. Don't be a stranger, let me hear from you. I'm happy to do whatever I can to help you become a success like Mary Smith, too!

Labels: Atkins, inspiration, motivation, People magazine, success, weight loss

Happy New Year fellow "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge participants! It's Week 22 and I'm personally excited about the new year and the prospect of improving my health even more in 2007. Check out my New Year's health resolutions to see what I have prioritized as important for ME in the new year.

After several weeks of gains in the challenge, my weight finally started coming back down again this past week. Here's my current progress:



I lost 2 1/2 pounds in the first week since I stopped drinking diet sodas. Yep, I got a head start on my resolutions by having my final diet soda last Wednesday on my way back to South Carolina from Virginia. I don't think there's anything wrong with drinking diet soda, but for me it was time for water to be the exclusive drink for my body now. With that said, I'm VERY thankful that I had diet soda to transition myself off of sugary soda.

With that said, I hope you listen to today's Episode 11 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" for more tips on how to do the low-carb lifestyle the right way. LISTEN NOW by clicking on any of the following links:

Do you like the new and improved version of my theme music? I asked my producer to come up with something a little less hokey than the previous theme I was using so that it sounds more cutting edge and fun. What an amazing difference and I'm sure you'll agree that it's light years ahead of what was there before. Check it out!

ENJOY this second of five shows during this special week-long edition of my podcast show. Episode 11 provides you with a convenient list of my 10 favorite quick-start tips about what you need to do to begin your low-carb plan the right way to be the success you deserve to be! I really wanted it to be practical for people who are brand new to livin' la vida low-carb as well as a refresher course in the basics for all of you long-time low-carbers.

Please visit the show notes section of today's episode for links mentioned during the podcast as well as a full transcript of the show. You can also leave feedback about this episode in the comments section, too.

I just found out today that we now have a BRAND NEW way for you to leave me feedback that I think you'll like. I now have voicemail that you can access by dialing 206-203-4192. When you call, you will hear a greeting message from me and can then provide direct comments about any specific episode, the show itself, or even your questions about livin' la vida low-carb. I'd LOVE to hear from you and may even use what you have to say to me on the show. Hey, YOU CAN BE A STAR! :D

Wanna listen to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show"? Here's how:

1. Listen at the official web site
2. Go to iTunes
3. Call (818) 688-2763 to listen via Podlinez
4. Subscribe to the RSS feed

Listen to Episode 10 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" and then be sure to come back yet again tomorrow and the rest of the week for more of the best low-carb podcasts around. Okay, I'm a little biased, but we have worked hard to make them as GOOD as they can be. THANKS to YOU, the show is a smash hit success!

How was your week? Has the new year got you fired up to do low-carb like never before? Let me hear from you! If you are just finding this blog for the very first time and wondering what the heck "30-In-30" is, CLICK HERE to learn more about it and how YOU can join in the challenge to lose 30 pounds in 30 weeks, too!

Labels: 30-in-30, challenge, Jimmy Moore, low-carb, podcast, The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show, tips, weight loss

LISTEN NOW to Episode 10 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" by clicking on any of the following links:

HAPPY NEW YEAR and it's good to be back in the saddle again at "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" podcast. As I mentioned over the weekend, the producers of my show and I have a very nice treat for you to celebrate the new year--FIVE BRAND NEW EPISODES!!!! WOO HOO! For the first time in the history of the show (all three months of it!), we will be presenting DAILY podcast shows to help anyone who is desiring to lose weight by livin' la vida low-carb. It was quite challenging trying to find the time to do this, but I think you'll be pleased with the results.

Today's episode is extremely special to me because I get to share with you my celebration of THREE YEARS since I made the decision to begin the Atkins diet. January 1, 2004 was the beginning of not just a New Year's resolution to lose weight in some temporary fashion as the vast majority of people do. Instead, I wanted this to be my New LIFE resolution to shed the pounds, get healthy, and then STAY healthy for the rest of my life. That commitment has held for three years and counting!

Are you wanting to lose weight or do you need to hear some words of encouragement and inspiration to light the fire inside of you to start livin' la vida low-carb again? If so, then I encourage you to leave a comment at the podcast show web site. I sincerely want to help you do this for good this time, not just some passing fling that you'll think about doing. If you are dead serious about losing weight and getting healthy, then listen to these podcast shows this week and DO IT! I promise you that it will be one of the greatest decisions you ever make in your entire life.

There are many ways to listen to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show":

1. Listen at the official web site
2. Go to iTunes
3. Call (818) 688-2763 to listen via Podlinez
4. Subscribe to the RSS feed

If you like the show and want to help us out, then can you Digg it? Click on the link and vote for the show as well as your favorite episodes. It's super easy and will show others that this is a podcast worth listening to. If you don't like the show, then ignore the previous sentences in this paragraph. :)

Listen to Episode 10 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" and then tune in again tomorrow and the rest of the week for FIVE STRAIGHT DAYS of low-carb podcasting coming at ya! You won't wanna miss it!

Labels: Jimmy Moore, low-carb, New Year's resolutions, podcast, The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show, weight loss

When I made the decision to start the Atkins diet on January 1, 2004, it was probably the first time I ever made a New Year's resolution that I intended to keep. Why do put ourselves through all the efforts involved in making resolutions if we're not going to follow through on them? Human nature can be a strange thing sometimes.

But thankfully I was able to not only keep that resolution, but see it through to the end--losing 180 pounds by the end of 2004. Now it's three years since the day I began my low-carb lifestyle and I've been able to keep that weight off with relative ease now for two years. Unbelievable and amazing all at the same time!

While I don't think I'm out of the woods yet until I can keep the weight off for a minimum of three years (which will be one year from now on January 1, 2008), I do think I've proven that livin' la vida low-carb is indeed a long-term solution to obesity. There's no denying it based on my own experience. Anyone who says otherwise hasn't walked a mile in my shoes.

With all that said, I believe there are areas of my health that still need some additional work and I'm willing to resolve to work on them in 2007. That's right, I am making a list of New Year's resolutions for 2007 to improve my health even more.

After a good deal of thought, here's what I want to do:

1. Get below 200 pounds

Currently I weigh 220 pounds and I've been unable to go below 215 pounds since my weight loss in 2004. I have challenged myself with "30-In-30" to get my weight below 200 pounds. While I am certainly NOT bemoaning my situation because at least the weight is staying off, I'd personally LOVE to get down to 199 just to say I'm back in the 100's again (or that coveted ONE-derland!). I haven't been at that weight since the 5th grade! Yeah, I was pretty chunky as a kid, but not anymore. Considering I've lost 20 pounds since August, I don't think losing 21 pounds in 2007 is unreasonable. That's less than two pounds a month. It's doable and I'M GONNA DO IT!

2. Get my body fat percentage down to 6%

When you weigh over 400 pounds with a body fat percentage in excess of 50%, you don't really care too much about it. There's just no concept in your mind of what single-digit body fat would be like. But now that I've been livin' la vida low-carb for a few years and have kept my weight relatively stable, I'd like to focus on reducing my body fat significantly. The last time I had it checked, my body fat percentage was 11 percent. I am in the process of having that checked again and working closely with a well-known trainer to reach my goal of 6% body fat. It's gonna take some work, but I'm willing to do what it takes to get there.

3. No more diet sodas

Yep, it's time for me to give up one of my last remaining vices in the world. While I still believe drinking diet soda is MUCH better for you than regular sugary soda, I've reached the point where I no longer feel like I have to have that in my life. This is HUGE for me considering I used to guzzle a case and a half of regular sugar-filled soda before my low-carb lifestyle and consumed my fair share of diet soda over the past three years. But when I committed to giving up aspartame a few months back, I knew it was time to eventually wean myself off of all diet sodas. In fact, I've actually given myself a head start on this one and went cold turkey on them since Wednesday. Yes, I miss them, but I'm committing to drinking even MORE water than I do already. So far, so good.

4. Consistency with cardio workouts

Everyone who knows me will tell you I am a workout fiend. Since I began my low-carb program, I have committed myself fully to walking on the treadmill, getting on the elliptical machine, playing volleyball at my church and many other aerobic activities that get my heart rate up and makes me sweat. I LOVE cardio workouts tremendously! But I noticed in 2006 that I'd allow myself to slack off to only 30 minutes per day and sometimes skipping a day or two here and there. It's not a big deal, but enough for me to want to resolve to be more consistent with my cardio in 2007. I will be!

5. Get serious about resistance training

I have to admit, I HATE lifting weights. I tried it for the first time in 2006 and did it for about two months before I just gave it up. Sure, I felt somewhat better while I was doing it, but I guess I got bored. I would much rather go run on the treadmill. But, resistance training is important in the grand scheme of health and I KNOW I need to get serious about it. I'm working with a trainer who will help me develop a fun plan for getting solid. If my loose skin doesn't get better after all of this weight lifting, then I KNOW I will be having a tummy tuck done.

So that's it! Those are Jimmy Moore's 5 New Year's Health Resolutions for 2007 and I fully intend to do them all. I'm all about incremental changes and believe in my heart that NOW is the right time to do these things for myself. Of course, you know I'll keep you informed about my progress on each one at my blog and will share with you my success as it happens.

There's no doubt I'll hit the weight loss goal with the focus on reducing my body fat and lifting weights. I should be able to hit my body fat percentage goal as well and remaining consistent on the cardio. While it will be tough, giving up diet sodas shouldn't be that hard either. The most difficult one will be the weight lifting. I'm PUMPED to do this, so I think I'll be ready to show off my improved physique before the end of 2007. Again, I'm skeptical about it doing much for my loose skin, but here's hoping!

That's my New Year's resolutions for better health in 2007. What are YOURS?

Labels: body fat, cardio, diet soda, exercise, New Year's resolutions, weight lifting, weight loss, workout