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

It's that time again we all know and love...Teeeerrrrific Tuesday at the "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge! Our purpose here is to inspire you along in your low-carb lifestyle with weekly inspirational messages designed to help keep you motivated and strong as you shed the pounds and get healthy. Let's hear how you are doing in your journey this week, okay? :)

When it comes to making the decision to start eating right and living healthy, it is a huge leap of faith that takes a great deal of courage and tenacity to go into unchartered territory. Especially those of us who have tried diet and after in the past with merely nominal or no success, this is a shaky proposition even for the most optimistic of people. I admire anyone who makes an effort at it because I've been there!

But we are our own worst enemy sometimes, aren't we?

If we as individuals think our diet is boring or too methodical, then those are merely excuses we use to rationalize getting out of our responsibility to do something about our weight and health problem before it is too late. How many of us have been guilty of doing that? I sure have...in the past.

Low-carb living has never been about being the "perfect diet" (although it's pretty darn close!). Instead, what I've learned is that this way of eating is always a work in progress that you will do for the rest of your long and healthy life. It's been nearly four years and counting for me and I expect it to continue for 10, 25, even 50+ more years that the good Lord keeps me here on Earth.

Despite this undisputed fact, some dieters just can't help trying to sabotage their own efforts (whether knowingly or otherwise) to shed the pounds as evidenced by the following e-mail I received from a reader this week who is new to low-carb and has allowed a silly little electronic device to beat her down and spit her out like some worthless piece of trash. How sad!

Here's what she wrote to me in that e-mail:

My husband and I have been on the low-carb diet for about two months now. He has lost 18 pounds so far and I have only lost 5 pounds.

I have to admit that about every five days or so I eat something that is not low-carb and I know that's silly because I'm only hurting my weight loss efforts.

It has been two weeks now and I have not cheated one time and yet I have only lost one little pound! I'm so very frustrated because I am committed to losing weight now. But it just seems like it won't come off.

I have even started going to the gym and doing cardio workouts to see if that would help me any. I was wondering since you had so much success with low-carb if you would have any suggestions for me.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my e-mail.

Oh, if I had a dollar for every e-mail I received like this one, then I could afford to have that tummy tuck I need already! It breaks my heart to see these same recurring themes over and over again from people who would otherwise experience amazing success on the low-carb lifestyle. This usually hits people who are just starting off on low-carb and seeing slow results or who have hit the dreaded stall in their weight loss.

Aside from the fact that she admits to and realizes her cheating has severely slowed her weight loss and now she's resorting to desperate and perhaps meaningless measures like walking on a treadmill to kickstart her weight loss, there are some deeper problems that need to be addressed first and foremost.

Unfortunately, people like this dear woman are allowing that scale to dictate their attitude about how the diet is working. When I personally counsel people one-on-one about low-carb and weight loss and hear such statements like "I have ONLY lost 5 pounds," I try to immediately give these dear souls a reality check.

Um, hello, YOU LOST FIVE POUNDS!!! That's five pounds that you will NEVER see again and you should celebrate that! Also, it's time to get excited about losing that next 5, 10, even 20 pounds in small chunks at a time until you reach your goal!

Check this out because it is a good point to remember--I didn't lose 180 pounds in 2004. Instead, I lost 10 pounds eighteen times! :D There's a BIG difference!!!

It goes back to that idea of perspective I keep harping on over and over again lately and will continue to do so until it finally sinks in. If seeing a number on a scale is going to cause you to give up hope and quit (this is NOT an option, by the way!), then put that stupid scale away in the closet for a full month and simply follow the plan faithfully like it's working perfectly!

Something incredible, even magical will happen.

You'll become more excited and keep that gung-ho attitude you had about the low-carb lifestyle that was present when you first started. Your focus will be on the process rather than the perceived results. And this is vitally important!

Before long, those feelings of wondering what's wrong with your low-carb plan will be replaced with elation and joy that you are not just losing weight, but you are gaining confidence, beaming with pride from your accomplishments, and feeling better than you ever have before. That's precisely what happened for me in 2004 and my body did a miraculous turnaround, too!

Getting befuddled and beleaguered by that dreaded scale is a surefire sign that you need to implement this simple, yet effective strategy into your program. Regardless of how long you've been low-carbing, putting that scale away for a temporary amount of time may be just what you need to do to get moving again with your weight loss.

I for one absolutely LOVE the scale and get on it multiple times throughout the day. Regardless of what the number is, I don't get too excited or depressed about it. It's just a number and a fleeting sign of my progress. As I blogged about earlier this month here at "30-In-30," you have to enjoy the process of this or there's no point in even TRYING. Get EXCITED people! Your life is changing for the better!

Also, something this e-mail points out is how we like to compare our weight loss progress with others. I just have one thing to say--DON'T DO THAT! Sure, Sally may have lost 7 pounds this week, but that doesn't mean your 2-pound weight loss was any less significant.

When you go on this journey to improve your weight and health, then you must remember it's all about YOU and YOU ALONE! Stop comparing yourself to others especially if that is discouraging you. In some ways, I hate telling people I lost 30 pounds in my first month and 40 more pounds in my second month on the Atkins diet. People feel inferior if their results don't match up to mine. Again, it's about YOU, though, and nobody else.

If you feel like giving up because of your lack of weight loss or perceived "failure" in your diet, then let me encourage you to not lose heart. You WILL overcome and beat that defeatist attitude if you CHOOSE to do it. Therein lies the bottom line dilemma that we all must come to terms with if we are going to progress or regress in this journey.

The CHOICE is up to YOU!

What's your feeling about all of this? Are you easily swayed negatively by what you see on the scale or by the diet success of others? Let's hear your feedback and give us an update on your progress.

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

D'oh! Are you a donut dreamer? Then WAKE UP ALREADY! :)

Donuts...donuts...donuts...mmmm...hot and fresh...mmmm...

SPLASH!

Whew, what a nightmare that was! All I could think about was what I consider the WORST POSSIBLE FOODS YOU COULD EAT on a low-carb diet. In case you missed my subliminal hints, that would be donuts as I share about in Episode 73 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore." Believe it or not, you will hear about how one Krispy Kreme franchise owner has promoted his sugary, flour-laden products as the PERFECT item for people on a diet (NO JOKING!). Hear all about it in today's podcast:

I was a big-time sugar addict before I started livin' la vida low-carb in 2004 and it is undoubtedly the #1 reason I became morbidly obese and on my way to becoming diabetic. THANK GOD I was able to get out of that dreaded direction my life was heading before it was too late. And people like this wonder what's so wrong with sugar! UGH!

Low-carb podcasting excellent coming to you anytime by:

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

While there are low-carb alternatives to donuts, most people opt for the regular kind that pack on the pounds. These things are addictive and easy to down a half dozen or more very quickly without even thinking about it! I've done it and it's no fun.

How about you? Are you still tempted by donuts even as you are livin' la vida low-carb or do you consider them "rat poison" just like do? And what about this notion that donuts can be a part of a healthy lifestyle even when you are on a diet? Are you buying that at all?

Let's talk about it and share your experiences so we can all learn from one another.

THANK YOU for listening to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" today and I invite you to come back again on Thursday for another show about the amazingly healthy low-carb lifestyle!

Labels: diet, donut, doughnut, Jimmy Moore, Krispy Kreme, low-carb, obesity, podcast, sugar, The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show, weight loss, white flour

With time away in Missouri to rest, relax, and reflect on everything that's happened over the past few months, I've now come to realize that my writing has changed in many ways and is headed in a direction that I feel isn't in the best interests of the larger audience of readers who come here. Because of that, I think today is a good day to share some of my sincere regrets, what I have learned from those, and where I recognize I need to be refocusing on from this day forward.

In the last few months I have made some very real mistakes which have caused many people to question my intentions and motivations. Admittedly, I was unwilling to listen to the criticism from those who were only trying to help me and I began growing frustrated to the point that my frustrations got the better of me.

For that, I sincerely apologize.

There has also been a growing concern from those in the low-carb community about my promotion of Kimkins. I had failed to openly disclose my affiliate relationship with that diet plan and I now realize I should have. Additionally, my insistence that Kimkins was just another low-carb diet similar to Atkins, Protein Power or South Beach as well as my posts encouraging readers to join me when I started what I believed to be the K/E option was overzealous to say the least.

Again, I apologize for not being more upfront about that.

More importantly, my refusal to properly review and then hold Kimkins to the same standard as other plans and approaches I've praised and criticized was a glaring mistake of omission for which I regret. My intentions were good, but now I can see why there were questions arising about me and my business relationship to Kimkins.

I'm sorry.

Call me stubborn, but for the life of me I could not see what the problem was; I truly believed I was indeed following K/E and honestly had not reviewed the other plans on the site. Now I know I should have.

So I am hoping today to begin anew on a path that will enable me to serve my readers here at "30-In-30" and at my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog and their best interests, to be cognizant of a standard of excellence I must hold myself to each and every day as I write about livin' la vida low-carb, and remember the all-important bigger picture--YOU, my readers, our common goals and desires, our interconnectedness that makes us an online community on the same path, finding what works for each of us along the way and our mutual agreement and understanding that for the long-term, good health is attainable with healthy low-carb living.

Click here to read the full version of my public apology to the low-carb community.

Labels: apology, controversy, diet, health, Jimmy Moore, Kimkins, livin' la vida low-carb, low-carb, weight loss

What does Kimmer have to say about her infamous blue sweater shot?

There's no sense in prolonging the Kimmer interview any long, so the remaining three segments will all air in Episode 72 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore." It's a little longer than normal, but there has been such a high demand to finish up this interview series I am happy to oblige. Listen in and ENJOY:

In this third and final interview, Kimmer from the Kimkins diet answer the rest of YOUR questions for her, including some more difficult ones about her diet, her mysterious mental condition, and her ever-changing identity. This is the part of the Kimmer interview many have been waiting for, so tune in to get the full scoop straight from the horse's mouth.

If you like this low-carb podcast, then be sure to try to hear it 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

Respond to Parts 3-5 of my Kimmer interview and share whether you have been satisfied by the answers she provided to the hard questions you had for her. Were you enlightened or do you just have more questions than ever before? I'd love to hear what you think!

Tune in to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" on Monday as we return to the regular format with more topics of interest in the wonderful world of low-carb living. Let me know if you have a specific issue you would like for me to address in a future podcast by e-mailing me anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. THANKS so much for listening!

Oh, by the way, stay tuned for a major announcement at my blog coming soon...

Labels: diet, health, interview, Jimmy Moore, Kimkins, Kimmer, low-carb, podcast, The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show

Hey there "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge participants and THANKS so much for checking in today for Teeeeeeerrrific Tuesday (aka "Weigh-In Day") yet again. I'm now down to 216 pounds--my LOWEST WEIGHT EVER AS AN ADULT--and feel absolutely fantastic! Let me hear from you in the comments section below to know how you are doing, okay? I love it when you interact, so don't be shy. :)

I came across a brand new study this week from the preeminent UK government health authority that concluded something I really never thought much about: whether it's a healthy or an unhealthy lifestyle change--it's YOUR choice. Hmm...

This BakeryAndSnacks.com column reports on how the poor actually eat the same amount of nutritional garbage as the rest of the population, despite the stereotype that poverty promotes pudginess. But the fact is there are fat rich people as well as fat poor people.

Looking at this idea of a weight and wealth connection from an objective position is the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in Great Britain--the British equivalent of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. They conducted a study whose results were published recently showing that making a poor personal decision about diet is as much a lifestyle change as changing to a solid nutritional approach like livin' la vida low-carb is.

This is something I never really thought about before, but it makes sense. The concept of "lifestyle change" is indeed within the framework of virtually every successful diet and health story because you can't go back to your old ways. Until you realize your previous choices are what got you to be obese in the first place, then you will NEVER reach your fullest potential with getting a real handle on this aspect of your life.

Now, the same can be said about making bad dietary choices, too.

The FSA researchers have been looking closely at the specific foods consumed by the members of the lowest 15 percent income bracket since early 2006 to determine what if any differences there are between this group and their wealthier counterparts. When all was said and done, the FSA noticed that the wealthy and the unwealthy all consumed an excessive amount of sugary sodas, fat, and sugar.

Their conclusion: People are making the conscious CHOICE to eat unhealthy.

What will likely happen next as a result of this study is a change in government policy concerning dietary recommendations. Oh how I wish the FDA and USDA here in the U.S. would follow suit because it is obvious the current path is just not working. But the protection of the food manufacturers' best interests is superceding the concerns for the general public at this point, so we are at an impasse. It's not impossible to break, but it will take a major shift in thinking by everyone involved.

In the UK, the food companies are quaking in their boots bracing for what this will mean to their bottom line. As well they should be worried because there is a certain cause and effect factor at work here. The study found that the number of overweight and obese among the study participants was identical to the most recent statistics for the country as a whole:

- MEN--62 percent
- WOMEN--63 percent
- BOYS--35 percent
- GIRLS--34 percent

Two-thirds of the children get empty calories from sugary soft drinks and fruit juice, although the study found soda consumption dropped among the older participants. Also, cakes and other sweets comprised 14 percent of adult caloric intake among study participants--higher than the recommended daily allowance.

Total fat intake, something the FSA made a big deal about but shouldn't, was as follows:

- MEN--79.1g
- WOMEN--59.4g
- BOYS--76.7g
- GIRLS--67.0g

The primary sources of fat among the adults in the study was meat and meat-based products (24 percent), cereal (18 percent), dairy (18 percent), fatty spreads (15 percent), and chips/potato products (9 percent).

Interestingly, the FSA found these poorer people actually get MORE vitamins and minerals from their food than what is recommended. However, there is an iron, folate, and vitamin D deficiency among this group which is common amongst the entire population.

Another area of the diet which falls miserably short is fiber consumption with over half of men and over two-thirds of women not getting the recommended minimum of 18g daily in their diet. There is debate over the value of eating high amounts of fiber, but I think it is an important part of a healthy lifestyle that should not be completely ignored.

With obesity-fighting measures being stepped up thanks to research like this, look for the food manufacturers to feign concern over the issue and make mostly symbolic gestures about caring about the subject. I'm not convinced it's gonna do anything to bring about meaningful changes, but that's just the cynical man inside of me screaming for REAL change to FINALLY come about. We are approaching a place where any chance for an obesity turnaround may NEVER happen.

I don't know why food companies get so uptight about studies like this because it can help them cater to a customer base that would become loyal to their health-conscious products. At some point, these people who are overweight or obese will want to lose weight and will be looking for foods that will help them do that. The smart food companies know this and are meeting the consumer demand while others only pretend to care and keep pumping out junk.

ARGH!

That's where the individual must evaluate what is best for them before making choices about what they will eat. Obesity has always been about individual responsibility to me and people must make the decision about what's best for them. Those who are obese CHOOSE to remain that way and each person must CHOOSE to treat their obesity when they are ready to do it. Grab that bull by the horns and MAKE IT HAPPEN!

It's a lifestyle change whether you choose to be healthy or unhealthy. Which way will YOU choose?

What do you think about the issue of CHOOSING to make a healthy or even an unhealthy lifestyle? Do you buy into this either/or scenario or is there an in between? Share your comments below as well as an update on your weight loss progress.

Labels: 30-in-30, challenge, choice, diet, food, FSA, government, low-carb, personal responsibility, poor, recommendations, research, study, UK, weight loss

After an overwhelming response to Part 1 of my interview with Kimmer from the Kimkins diet last Thursday, many of you have been anxiously awaiting today's Part 2 of my world exclusive five-part series in today's Episode 71 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore." You can listen to it RIGHT NOW:

In today's podcast, Kimmer talks about specifically what foods she eats along with the calorie counts (even I was surprised by how she responded!). Additionally, she discusses who should NEVER do Kimkins (just like any low-carb plan, you need to find the one that is right for you) and responds to the criticism that she recommends a very-low-calorie nutritional approach. Read all of my questions for Kimmer for all five segments of my interview with her.

"The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" can be heard by:

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

What's your reaction to Part 2 of my Kimmer interview? Feel free to share your feedback and tell us what you think!

Incidentally, here is the broadcast schedule for the three remaining interview segments:

Part 3--Thursday, July 26, 2007
Part 4--Monday, July 30, 2007
Part 5--Thursday, August 2, 2007

If you miss an episode, then you can listen in the archives section at TheLivinLowCarbShow.com. THANKS for all the comments about my exclusive interview with Kimmer. It has certainly garnered the attention of so many of you both positive and negative! ENJOY!

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

Okay, it's here! Episode 70 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" brings you Part 1 of a special 5-part series featuring my exclusive interview with the much-maligned Kimkins diet founder Kimmer. I was surprised by how forthright she was in the interview with some especially difficult questions I asked her.

This is the first and only interview I have ever seen Kimmer do and I was appreciative she agreed to let me share her answers to these burning questions from friend and foe alike. If you're curious at all about the real Kimmer and this diet she calls Kimkins, then you won't want to miss this interview.

Click on the PLAY button below to LISTEN NOW:

In Part 1, Kimmer discussed her philosophy on calories, which has been the subject of some controversy among low-carbers, and talks about her days as a member of the Low-Carb Friends Forum in 2001-2002. She admitted to me how difficult it was to endure the criticism of some members who didn't like her approach to low-carb living and the aftermath of getting booted from that site. She was honest in sharing how upset that made her which precipitated the formation of her own web site in 2006.

You can get podcast availability anytime by:

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

What do you think so far? Kimmer seems to be a very intelligent woman who has an obvious heart for helping people who desire weight loss. Do you believe her more or less now that you've heard her voice for the first time? Tell us what you thought about Kimmer and her explanations about the Kimkins diet so far.

We're just getting started with this interview, though, so be sure to listen to "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" again on Monday for Episode 71 and Part 2 of my exclusive interview with Kimmer from the Kimkins diet!

Labels: diet, interview, Jimmy Moore, Kimkins, Kimmer, podcast, The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show, weight loss

It's Tuesday again, so you know what that means--another inspirational message and weigh-in day here at The "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge. I bought a brand new scale on Sunday, so I had to adjust my weight up a little this week. Bummer! But this will not discourage me since I'm sure the downward cycle I have been enjoying will begin again soon enough. :D Let's hear from you in the comments sectin below!

I see the same thing happen time and time again. Somebody FINALLY gets excited about wanting to lose weight and is rip-roaring ready to go with diet in hand and expectations galore! They buy some diet books, read up on the Internet, and go to Wal-mart to buy a brand new scale to get started right.

So they begin their own great adventure towards Thinville with all the best intentions, motivations, and desires to be added to the list of the cherished weight loss success stories only to find themselves quitting for good after only a few weeks or months.

What the heck just happened? Where'd that gung-ho spirit go?

Unfortunately, this is the ruthless cycle that millions of people put themselves through year after year and I think I know why it continues to happen more times than not. I have a working theory about this issue, but I think it applies. See if you agree.

When you begin on a weight loss program like low-carb, the prevailing thought is that the diet will automatically take care of shedding the pounds for you without any effort on your part. And, to the credit of this way of eating, it does indeed work REMARKABLY!

But...(and you knew there was one of those coming, didn't you?)

The thing I see most people forgetting to do when beginning a new journey to lose weight and get healthy is the whole experience of it all. As cheesy as that may sound, think about it--you are on the verge of changing not just your physical appearance by shrinking, but also your mind, heart, and soul, too.

Unless you have lost a TON of weight and seen this happen for yourself, then you can never know what I'm talking about. For me, it all came down to soaking it all in and simply enjoying the experience of losing weight.

Say what?! ENJOY! What's to enjoy about going on a diet?!

Ahhh, now we're getting somewhere. From some odd reason, the conventional wisdom regarding ANY weight loss plan is that it is going to be hard, dreadful, and probably won't work anyway. Why do we beat ourselves up like this before we even get started?

And yet it happens.

If that's you, then let me just impart a little experience I have learned while going through this process of losing weight. No matter how you feel at any given moment about your weight loss journey, you are already a success. Tell yourself that and think about the good things that are happening to you.

When you dwell on the negative, it's no surprise your thoughts will turn that way, too. Break that cycle by focusing on the positive changes that are happening to you. Do you think NOTHING good is happening?

Try these other benefits of the weight loss journey on for size:

- Are your clothes getting looser?
- Do you feel like you are getting healthier?
- Have you started resisting temptations?
- Can you get out of bed in the morning refreshed?
- Has your life gotten a little less hectic?

How'd you do? Did you answer YES to any of those questions? If so, then you may just now be realizing how very blessed you are to be traveling on the path you have chosen to shed the pounds and get your life back.

ENJOY the ride and learn to have fun with it. Come up with games and challenges to push you to that next level because they really work. I used to set a goal to lose 10 pounds and would push myself to hit that goal. When I did, I'd celebrate with the happy dance and begin another 10-pound goal.

Watching that scale go down day-by-day, week-by-week, month-by-month was what allowed me to remain so positive about my progress. I didn't put any needless pressure on myself to lose a certain amount each day or week because even a small weight loss was STILL A LOSS.

Perspective, perspective, perspective. I cannot emphasize that enough for people who want weight loss so bad they can taste it. Don't let those little demons in your head convince you to fail. If you think you can't lose weight, then that's exactly what will happen.

The flip side is you can take charge. Beginning RIGHT NOW, if you are on a weight loss regimen and want to be successful, then do this. Take it all in, have fun by golly, enjoy the experiences you will go through, celebrate what is happening to you even if others don't join you, and never lose your focus on the prize that awaits you at the end of the race--amazing weight loss success, stunning health improvements, and a brand new lease on life.

Don't believe it? I'm living proof of it! If this former 410-pound gargantuan of a man can cut his weight nearly in half and keep it off over the long-term, then there is indeed hope that YOU can lose the 10, 25, 50, 100, or 200 pounds that you need to get rid of as well. Take heart in knowing you WILL prevail when weight loss is no longer dreaded, but instead it becomes a lifechanging experience you'll LOVE.

What about YOU? Have you learned to make your diet something wonderful in your own life? If not, then why not? If so, tell us how well that is working for you. As always, let's hear from you about your weight loss progress this week. I look forward to hearing from you!

Labels: 30-in-30, diet, inspiration, motivation, weight loss

As a leader in the low-carb community, all that has been happening at these low-carb forums and message boards about the Kimkins diet over the past few months has been disheartening and disappointing. Here we have another low-carb option in the arsenal against obesity and a fringe minority who supposedly support low-carb are in full-fledged attack mode against this diet and its maker as well as anyone else who stands in the way of their agenda.

That's why I devoted Episode 69 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" to get everything out in the open about this diet from my perspective as someone who has an affiliate business relationship with Kimkins as well as using this diet as a means for personally losing weight. I issue a public challenge to all those who have been using this as a means for destruction rather than for the good. LISTEN NOW:

It is so utterly disgusting how personal this Kimkins fiasco has become to the people orchestrating this underground smear campaign against a diet they oppose for whatever reason. They have done everything they can to paint Kimkins founder Kimmer as a lying, deceptive fraud simply because she has been successful at marketing her low-carb service to the public.

Where's this same anger and disgust over the founder of Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and all the rest of the weight loss support sites out there, hmmm? And most of those push a high-carb, low-fat diet! UGH! Come on people, don't we have bigger fish to fry in the grand scheme of things? Aren't there REAL people who need our help getting their weight and health under control rather than wasting time on this pettiness?

Get all of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" by:

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

What's your take on all of this Kimkins controversy? Is it really worth all the weeping and gnashing of teeth that has been bantered about over these past couple of months or is all of this much ado about nothing? Share your comments about Kimkins and explain why you think this is happening all of a sudden since the Kimkins diet is well over a year old now.

Be sure to check out Thursday's historic podcast show because I will feature my exclusive interview with Kimmer herself for the first time ever. It will feature many of the exact questions that were submitted to me over the past week or so by my readers and listeners about Kimmer and Kimkins. Once this airs, then there should be nothing else to discuss and debate, right? HA!

7-16-07 UPDATE: Kate Welch from "The Steaks Are High" blog chimes in with an unbiased report on this Kimkins debate that is worthy reading for everyone involved. THANK YOU, Kate, for sharing your perspective.

7-16-07 UPDATE: Now add Morgan Macleoid from the "Good Carbma" blog to the list of reasoned responses to this Kimkins controversy. Excellent point, Morgan, many of which I have no qualms with whatsoever. All I can say is listen to my podcast interview later this week.

7-16-07 UPDATE: Even more evidence that the other side of this issue has come completely unglued from all sense of reasonable thought is the creation of this new blog set to "expose" Kimkins as an anorexic diet. Sigh. See, this is the kind of stuff I'm talking about that is unproductive in the low-carb community. :(

Labels: controversy, criticism, Jimmy Moore, Kimkins, Kimmer, low-carb, The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show

Yo, yo, yo, what's going on everyone?! You've reached Teeeeeerrific Tuesday here at the "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge and I'm so happy to be here today. People all around us are losing weight and changing their lives for the better. Isn't that what it's all about? YOU BET IT IS and I'm thrilled just to be a part of it.

I want to share a personal story with you today from my life to illustrate an important point as it relates to your quest to lose weight and keep it off forever. I've never written about this before, but I think it will encourage anyone who has been told they can't do something.

Here's the story:

When I was in the 8th grade, I was finally getting serious about my studies. My 7th grade year was fabulous--I excelled academically like I had never done before scoring all A's and B's. I realized my potential at the time was good enough to get me to college someday, so I applied myself to every subject I enjoyed.

One of those subjects was English. Because of my accomplishments in the 7th grade, I was placed in an advanced English class in the 8th grade. It was further affirmation that I was on the right track in school and I excitedly embraced the challenge of the more difficult assignments. BRING IT ON! :D

I remember the day my 8th grade English teacher, an elderly lady who looked liked she could keel over at any moment and whose name totally escapes me now, announced the school-wide poetry contest. She encouraged anyone who enjoys writing poetry to submit their entry within a week.

So, instead of listening to her lecture that day, I wrote a poem right there in class. Letting my imagination go wild in the unpredictable mind of a 13-year old kid, I wrote the following in about a half-hour:

Nature is a special thing
that sometimes make you want to sing.
The birds flying across the sky
to you make you even want to sigh.

How beautiful nature can be
the sight and sounds you can hear and see.
The birds, the trees, the squirrels around
every move makes a sound.

Nature is hard to say "goodbye"
and even makes you want to cry.
But don't let tears come out your eyes
cause nature is never going to die.

I called the poem "Nature" and submitted it to my English teacher after class. She raised her eyebrows as if to say, "You can't possibly expect to have a poem for me already!" But I did and I felt good about it, too.

Thinking nothing more of my little poem, I went on about life until one day an announcement came on over the P.A. with the winners of the poetry contest. "And in third place..." they started, it wasn't my name. "And our runner-up winner..." the announcement continued, again it was not me. So I stopped listening.

The next thing I know, they played a drum roll and with an enthusiastic voice exclaimed, "And our first place winner for the best poem in the entire school is Jimmy Moore." What?! Me? REALLY?! Cool!

I remember sitting in my 8th grade English class with all my classmates looking at me like I was a superhero or something. It was thrilling, a bit embarrassing (I was a LOT more shy then than I am now), but incredibly magical. I was the top poetry writer in my school and nobody could ever take that away from me!

Or, at least I thought.

While the accolades for having the best poem in the school entitled me to a dinner for two at the district contest (I didn't win there, but I got to take my mom out for filet mignon for the first time--I'd never seen bacon wrapped around a steak before!), little did I know my 8th grade English teacher wasn't impressed.

At the end of the year, the teachers were required to make recommendations about which high school classes the students should be placed in. Imagine my horror when I saw I was placed in a regular English class--NOT in advanced English--for my freshman year in high school. I was devastated and steaming mad!

I confronted her about it and she said, "Jimmy, I just don't think you are gifted enough to be in an advanced English class in high school. You'll never be that good at English." I pleaded and begged, but she wouldn't budge from her opinion.

WHY? Who is this decrepit old lady telling me I don't belong in advanced English in high school? How dare she judge me and put me in a box like that. Did she conveniently forget I won the poetry contest in the whole school? ARGH!

But you know what? This only motivated me that much more to prove just how wrong she was if it was the last thing I do.

When I got to high school, I sat in Mrs. Huhn's regular English class for a couple of weeks with classmates who obviously did not want to be there. That's one good thing about the advanced classes--most are college-bound and the behavior problems were virtually nonexistent.

My teacher almost IMMEDIATELY noticed I was in the wrong class and she came up to me after class early on in the school year asking, "Why aren't you in advanced English class?" When she said that, I bet I had the biggest grin on my face you'd ever see. Mrs. Huhn asked if I'd like to transfer to her advanced English class and I jubilantly accepted.

All of my friends from the 8th grade English class were there and I finally knew I was where I belonged. I remained in advanced English classes every single year until I graduated high school. But I wasn't satisfied with that.

Because of that 8th grade English teacher telling me I wasn't good enough, I decided to do something challenging--not only would I pursue a Bachelor's degree, but I would pull a double major. Can you guess what one of the subjects I chose was? :D

I graduated from college in just three years at the age of 20 (I took a full course load, including summers, and worked full-time jobs to pay for my education) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and ENGLISH! HA! How ya like them apples, Ms. 8th Grade Teacher?!

Not only that, my GPA in English was 3.9 (I made my only B in the last English class I took because I made a D on the final exam. I woke up with the stomach flu that day and the teacher would not let me reschedule the test. I'm surprised I got a D on the all-essay test, but I think he felt sorry for me.). WOO HOO!

After college, I took a year off and then went to graduate school to get a Master's degree--something that required a culminating thesis to get your degree. Did that!

Then, after I lost my weight in 2004, I embarked on a journey to write a book about my low-carb weight loss experience which culminated with the release of Livin' La Vida Low-Carb: My Journey From Flabby Fat To Sensationally Skinny In One Year. Add to that my highly-successful "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" blog along with all the other sites I write for and I'd say my writing skills and talents have been fully validated.

Now, I am working on a second edition of my book, my blog is still breaking traffic records, and a sequel to my first book is imminent. Writing has now become my full-time career--a dream since high school--and the best I believe is still yet to come!

I know she's long gone by now because she was about ten years older than God when I knew her, but I'd love to look at that 8th grade teacher in the eyes just one more time and say, "Na na na na na na!" while giving her a raspberry or two. LOL!

Why did I share this story with you? Because there will always be people who will readily tell you what you CAN'T do. I don't know if these people are just natural pessimists and don't even realize they're dragging you down. But they can have a devastating impact on your life. Or, as my story shows, you can let it motivate you to be that much more determined to do what you've been told you can't do.

Applying this to your low-carb weight loss efforts, the moral of the story is to NEVER let ANYONE tell you what you CAN'T do! People will always have their opinions like that 8th grade teacher of mine (God rest her ignorant soul!), but that doesn't mean they are right.

Respond the way I did and you can't help but be successful at weight loss and in life. It's a lesson I'll never forget!

How do you handle negative comments about your diet from people who say it can't be done? Do you let them get to you and agree with them or do you suck it up and move forward? Share your comments below. Don't forget to let us know how your weight loss progress is going.

Currently, I'm down to 214 pounds--my lowest weight EVER as an adult! It's incredible to have the weight pouring off so fast right now, but I'm LOVIN' it!

How about you? Share your progress in the "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge.

Labels: criticism, diet, inspiration, low-carb, motivation, weight loss

Dr. Michael Eades encourages skipping meals to naturally cut calories

I've been getting a lot of traffic coming to my blog as well as e-mails from people lately regarding the concept known as "intermittent fasting." We first heard about this nutritional concept from low-carb expert and Protein Power co-author Dr. Mike Eades last Fall.

That's why I dedicated Episode 67 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" to this subject and recalled my own personal experience trying this "intermittent fast" for myself. The results of this experiment for me were quite captivating in ways I couldn't have imagined at the time--to say the least! Hear all about it in today's podcast:

I'm all for people finding new and exciting ways to help them reduce their weight and get their health in order. When I weighed 410 pounds in 2004, the Atkins diet was my chosen method for getting there. Over time, as your body adjusts to your new weight, something like an intermittent fast to help naturally reduce calories may be needed for weight management. Dr. Eades recognizes that which is why he supports this idea.

Lovin' this low-carb podcast? Get even more of it by:

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

What do you think about Dr. Eades' "intermittent fasting" and skip-a-meal recommendation for naturally reducing calories? Have you implemented such a strategy into your own diet? If so, how did it work for you? Good? Bad? Ugly? :D

Tell us all about it and let's hear what happened to you. It wasn't a pretty picture for me, but perhaps it's EXACTLY what YOU need to help kickstart your low-carb lifestyle into high gear. I look forward to your responses.

Plus, I'm happy to announce a special contest being conducted with our new sponsor Atkins Nutritionals. Go to the show notes section of Episode 67 to find out how YOU can win a cool prize to the first ten people compliments of Atkins.

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

Today, we'll continue what was started in Part 1 of my podcast show on Monday with my revealing interview with Andrea Fanti from the Dial & Speak radio show on WBTC-AM in New Philadelphia, Ohio last Thursday.

In Episode 66 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore," I'm pleased to offer Part 2 of this fun and exciting interview I was able to be a part of about low-carb and my weight loss experience. Listen NOW:

You'll notice right away that the quality of the telephone connection was MUCH better in Part 2 when they called me back on a land line during the break. It was so refreshing to hear a host like Andrea Fanti express so articulately and impassioned her love for livin' la vida low-carb. Can we clone you, Andrea? :D

Get all the low-carb information and inspiration you need 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

We bounced around from topic to topic talking about the hypocrisy of groups like the American Diabetes Association, the overabundance of corn-related products in virtually everything we eat, ways to make low-carb living more compatible, recommendations for low-carb recipe ideas, and so much more! It was quite freeing to share so openly and honestly about what low-carb means to me on a public radio show.

Listen all the way to the end to hear a rather "interesting" call from a gentleman who sounded like he was about one fry short of a Happy Meal! :D

If case you missed it, go back and listen to Part 1 of my interview and then you can share your feedback about Part 2. I hope you enjoyed listening it as much as I loved doing it.

Labels: Andrea Fanti, interview, Jimmy Moore, low-carb, podcast, radio, The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show, WBTC

It's time for another weigh-in day on Teeeerrrrrific Tuesday here at the "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge. Lots of new faces have been hanging around here lately and I'm happy to see such an enthusiastic interest in losing weight and getting healthy. Share your progress in the comments section below.

With all the debate over the Kimkins diet lately, I couldn't help but think about this subject of weight loss and diets more so than normal. While trying something new to help you lose weight is an admirable thing you can do to shed those stubborn pounds, it's those people who feel compelled and obsessed about trying all the latest and newest diets even when they have found success before.

I recently blogged about this idea of "diet-hopping."

People ask me all the time if I'm still eating a low-carb diet. In fact, one lady from my church recently wanted to know if I'm "still on that crazy diet." Well, I'm still livin' la vida low-carb if that's what you mean and happily so! It helped me lose weight and keep it off for good.

Always dance with the one that brung ya, I say!

Unfortunately, too many people hop around from diet to diet always searching for the next best thing in the battle of the bulge. Such is the case of a woman who e-mailed me about her recent dieting adventures.

Here's what she wrote:

Hello Mr. Moore!

I'm a Mississippi girl who enjoys what you have to say about weight loss. I like the fact that you have tried all kinds of diets.

I did Kimkins and lost 18 pounds and I am still a member. But I have had a hard time getting back on Kimkins.

So now I have been doing Weight Watchers and lost 7.5 pounds in a week and a half. My problem seems to be that I get bored with any diet after a few weeks. I'm also a big cook. I cook meals every night except Saturdays which my husband calls "Sandwich Day" (he likes it).

All the women in my family after around age 35 have huge stomachs. I am medium-boned have small arms and legs and 5 foot 3 inches tall. Right now I weigh 195 pounds after being as small as 115 and big as 235.

I do have high blood pressure and as of right now it is normal. I don't know what my problem is but it seems once I lose about 18-20 pounds on a diet I seem to fall off the wagon.

I commend you for all your hard work in losing your weight and your interesting blogs and web sites. You ARE helping so many people and I want to thank you!

What I wanted to ask you about "30-In-30." I assume you mean losing thirty pounds in thirty days. But but do you mean by choosing my own diet choice such as Atkins, Kimkins, South Beach or Weight Watchers?

I just want to be clear in what your saying. Please let me know. And again THANK YOU for being there for me!

Is your head spinning as much as mine after reading that? HA!

Seriously, she epitomizes exactly what I'm talking about in this post today. Rather than celebrating her successes on all the diets she has tried, she allows herself to very quickly lose her enthusiasm about what she is doing.

If you wanna lose weight, then the best advice you could ever hear is DON'T go on a diet. What I mean by that is what I tell people all the time: find the plan that will work for you, follow that plan as prescribed by the author, and then keep doing that plan for the rest of your life.

That's it! Nothing fancy or difficult. Super simple!

For me, I had tried many diets in the past, but didn't ever think of ANY of them as a lifelong, forever-and-ever-amen, never gonna eat another way lifestyle change--until I started on low-carb in January 2004. Every other diet was merely a temporary way that I HAD to eat so I could lose weight and get back to eating the way I want to again.

It just doesn't work that way.

Until you wrap your head around this idea of making permanent changes in your way of life, then you'll always be stuck in "diet" mode. Sadly, this is where most people live and they keep wondering why they can't lose weight and keep it off. It's a rude awakening for most people to learn you have to change your habits and keep them changed.

The GREAT NEWS is that changing is not as difficult as some may think. When I started livin' la vida low-carb over three years ago, the process of radical change was happening inside of me that enabled me to reject sugar, white flour, rice, potatoes, pasta, and other garbage carbohydrates that my body doesn't need. It just happened and now I'm utterly repulsed by those things.

It's a lesson for people like this reader who e-mailed me to heed about what they should do. She lost 18 pounds on the Kimkins diet, but now is having a hard time trying it again. It sorta begs the question--why did she stop if it was working? Now she's on the high-carb, low-fat Weight Watchers diet and has lost 7.5 pounds.

But she says she's "bored" with it and every other diet she's ever been on?! Aw, come on! If you are seeing success, then you need to let that motivate you to continue on with your plan with expectancy, not give up for no other reason than being "bored." UGH!

My best advice is to find the plan you are LEAST "bored" with that will help you lose weight, get on that plan and read everything you can about it, find people who are on that same plan to help encourage you along in your weight loss journey, and STICK WITH IT until you reach your goal and beyond. It's a proven strategy for success!

THANK YOU for your kind comments about how my writings are encouraging you, but I hope you take what I have written today to heart. This isn't a game, it's REAL LIFE we're talking about. And your health and wellbeing is at stake here for the sake of those who love you the most.

Incidentally, the "30-In-30" Low-Carb Weight Loss Challenge is not about losing 30 pounds in 30 DAYS! Yikes! No, "30-In-30" means 30 pounds in 30 WEEKS! Pick your plan, work it as the author recommends, and push for that goal of 30 pounds in 30 weeks. If you hit your goal early, then start another "30-In-30" or however much you need to lose and MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!

Just stay focused on the task at hand and DO IT!

You can't be successful at weight loss if you keep dropping out just when you're doing GREAT! Yes, you will have a few stalls and weight gains, but that's all just a part of the process of losing weight. YOU CAN DO IT, but now you need to get serious.

Are you ready? :)

Do you have any nuggets of wisdom to share with this precious Mississippi woman about her dieting dilemma? Maybe you've been there (or perhaps you are in the same boat as she is!) and can tell firsthand stories about how you overcame it. Let's hear from you!

All opinions are welcomed and I look forward to hearing from you!

Labels: 30-in-30, diet, health, weight loss

Just as I promised this weekend, I am pleased to provide you a special audio rebroadcast of my interview with Andrea Fanti from the Dial & Speak radio show on WBTC-AM in New Philadelphia, Ohio last Thursday on my podcast show.

Listen to Episode 65 of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" for Part 1 of this two-part interview about low-carb and my weight loss experience. Check it out:

Andrea Fanti was an amazing host with a long history of nutritional expertise (in fact, she said she once wrote a book about being a vegetarian which she now completely renounces--HA!). As a retired educator and now radio talk show host, she is always interested in hearing many opinions in terms of health. I don't think I disappointed her! :)

Get your fix of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show" 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

The first-half of this two-part interview was a little difficult to hear sometimes because my cell phone kept cutting out (this problem was remedied in the second-half of the interview when we spoke on a land line--TUNE IN THURSDAY!).

Even still, we hit all sorts of topics, including why low-carb living is healthy, making a career out of my low-carb weight loss, explaining what a blog is and why I chose to start this format to talk about low-carb living, and sharing some of the latest research advocating livin' la vida low-carb.

Plus, I received a very special surprise telephone call from one of my readers from Mississippi who gushed about how much my blog has meant to her life. WOW! That was so neat and it gave me the opportunity to talk about the feedback I receive from hundreds of readers each week.

Share your comments about what you heard in Part 1 of the interview and be sure to listen to Part 2 on Thursday!

Labels: Andrea Fanti, interview, Jimmy Moore, podcast, radio, The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show, WBTC