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

Dana Carpender still reigns supreme in the low-carb community

When you stop and think about who the most influential voices in the low-carb community are in the mainstream of public health, only a handful of people come to mind. I mean people who have been out there in the trenches working to help change people's lives for the better with the positive and healthy message of low-carb living in the midst of a world that still believe the low-fat diet hung the moon.

Who pops in your mind on a short list of low-carb champions like this?

Immediately, I think of people like Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades from Protein Power who are some of the strongest and most consistent voices for livin' la vida low-carb on the planet. And Dr. Jonny Bowden, author of Living The Low-Carb Life and The 150 Healthiest Foods On Earth, who is dedicated to getting people to eating less sugar and refined carbohydrates for the sake of their weight and health.

But one name sticks out above all the rest: Dana Carpender. If ever there was a more enthusiastic proponent of livin' la vida low-carb, I haven't met that person yet! Want some proof of this? Okay, no problem! Just go check out this post I wrote about a column by Carpender called "Take this low-fat diet and shove it!" You gotta love the gumption of that woman!

Then, earlier this year there was a fabulous study released by researchers from Stanford University and published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that found the Atkins diet was best for weight loss and health improvements among a list of popular diets, including the Zone diet, a high-carb, low-fat diet called LEARN, and the ultra-low-fat Ornish diet. The results of this study precipitated a unique discussion presented by Revolution Health which I shared on my podcast show in two parts here and here. Wanna hear classic Dana Carpender? Just take a listen to that audio and you'll see exactly what I mean!

For the sake of those who have never heard of her, Christine and I share about all of Dana's bestselling book in Episode 19 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube." Seriously, anyone who is living the low-carb lifestyle should be aware of who Dana Carpender is and they'll be a lot more familiar with her contributions to the low-carb community after watching our latest video. And pay a visit to her web site LowCarbohydrate.net sometime for more from Dana!

Allow me to introduce you to the one, the only Dana Carpender:



There were a bunch of books listed on that video, so here's a link to each:

- How I Gave Up My Low-Fat Diet and Lost 40 Pounds
- 500 Low-Carb Recipes
- 500 More Low-Carb Recipes
- 200 Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes
- 15-Minute Low-Carb Recipes
- The Low-Carb Barbecue Book
- Low-Carb Smoothies
- Every Calorie Counts Cookbook

Coming up in January, I'm going to give you a chance to win your very own Dana Carpender library with all of the books I featured in Episode 19. Additionally, I'll be featuring my review of each of these books, although I've already written a review for Every Calorie Counts. That's all coming up really soon, so keep reading for more information about this!

The winner of the THREE DOZEN EGGLAND'S BEST EGGS from the contest on Episode 17 was announced, so be sure to tune in to see if that winner was YOU! :) And leave your comments for Episode 19 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" to share what you think about Dana Carpender and her dazzling set of books to help you on your low-carb lifestyle change.

We're building up quite a listing of YouTube videos now, so be sure to go back and watch any of them you might have missed. We work hard to make these as entertaining and informative as possible on a wide variety of subjects pertaining to diet, health, nutrition, and practical low-carb living. Subscribe to our videos e-mail us your feedback at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. It's our pleasure to serve you and we look forward to continuing our videos for you in 2008. By the way, you'll be pleased to know "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show with Jimmy Moore" podcast will be returning in January. WOO HOO!

Labels: book, Christine, Dana Carpender, health, Jimmy Moore, livin' la vida low-carb, low-carb, recipes, video, YouTube

"The Biggest Loser" is indeed changing lives for the better

It's no secret that I'm arguably one of the biggest fans of the hit NBC television reality series "The Biggest Loser". Since Season One aired in 2004 right smack dab in the middle of my own 180-pound low-carb weight loss success-in-the-making and watching those contestants give it their all to lose weight and get healthy, the positive impact that show has made on the lives of real people is undeniable. Sure, it's not a perfect plan, but it has worked a miracle in the lives of those contestants who have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with Bob Harper, Jillian Michaels, and Kim Lyons over the past four years.

With the tremendous success of this Fall's Season 4 of "The Biggest Loser" (I previewed the contestants for you in this blog post back in September 2007) and the continuing writer's strike in Hollywood has prompted NBC to push up their next installment of the show beginning on January 1, 2008 where couples will once again be featured as teams fighting to shed the pounds and get their life back. I personally can't wait to watch even more lives get transformed and I'll be blogging about those contestants real soon before the show debuts. Stay tuned!

But first, with the big GRAND FINALE of "The Biggest Loser" 4 coming up on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 and all those amazing transformations we are gonna see, there will be a whole lot of people wanting to find out what their favorite contestants are up to now that the show has concluded. I've contacted quite a few of them after looking for a web site or some sort of online connection page for them. So far, I've only heard from one: Black Team member and Final Four contestant ISABEAU MILLER. Here's what she wrote to me:

Jimmy!

I read your blog all the time!! Nice to put a face with a name. Thanks for taking the time to write, and support us and congratulations on your own journey. It's so inspiring and impressive what you've done!!

Anyway, I'm off to the gym! :) Talk to you soon!

xo
Isabeau



That was very sweet of Isabeau (who has this promotional web site for her music career she hopes will take off now with her national television exposure) to write me back like that and I was surprised to hear she reads my blog. Small world now with the Internet, isn't it? :D I've asked for an interview with her although I'm sure her world is about to be turned upside down especially if she ends up winning the whole thing. We shall see.

Isabeau wasn't the only one I found online among "The Biggest Loser" 4 contestants. Here are a few more familiar names from this season and their presence on the World Wide Web:

The rest of the FINAL FOUR from the Black Team are:


JULIE HADDEN


HOLLIE SELF


BILL GERMANOKOS (who many believe will be the winner this season...can he continue the winning streak by men?)

And here's the rest of the Black Team:


JEZ LUCKETT


JIM GERMANOKOS

The Blue Team members on the Internet include:


NEIL TEJWANI


JERRY LISENBY (this "old man" looks pretty good!)


KAE WHANG (will she be the $100,000 at-home winner?)


NICOLE MICHALIK (I hope her teeth are okay now!)


RYAN RODRIGUEZ

No web site found for: PATTY GONZALEZ

And then there's the Red Team members:


BRYAN "B" WASHINGTON


LEZLYE DONAHUE


DAVID GRIFFIN


PHIL HAWK

No web site found for: AMY ZIMMER and AMBER WALKER

I'm sure each of these contestants would LOVE to hear from their fans, so let 'em hear from you! :D Remember, these are real people just like you and me who were blessed with a rare opportunity not only to be on national television, but also to work with some of the finest trainers and health experts in the world to radically alter the direction of their life.

I know from personal experience that going through something like this changes you. You feel a purpose and a mission to share with others the miracle that has happened to you. Season 2 contestant Pete Thomas said as much in my interview with him and I've seen it in my own life. You just want to help open the eyes of people and let them know it's not as hard to be healthy as you think. Allow these contestants to motivate and inspire you anew as you continue down your own journey to better health.

If you are aware of any web sites for the other contestants who I did not list ones for, then please feel free to share them with me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. I can't wait for the next season of "The Biggest Loser" to begin! :)

Labels: Biggest Loser, Bob Harper, Jillian Michaels, Kim Lyons, NBC, success, television, weight loss

Look out world, the "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Bar" has arrived!

First there was the Babe Ruth-inspired "Baby Ruth" candy bar. Then there was Reggie Jackson's "Reggie" bar. Although I'm certainly no athlete with the amazing credentials of a Ruth or a Jackson, I now have my very own candy bar like they do--it's called "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Bar." This is a chocolate lover's delight!

Yes, this new raspberry dark chocolate bar is both sugar-free AND low-carb and is presented to you by the makers of the amazing ChocoPerfection chocolate bars. It's been over a year in the making, but "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Bar" is hitting the low-carb/diabetes market with a big splash debuting this week at CarbSmart!

My wife Christine and I talk about why we decided to come up with this new low-carb chocolate bar in Episode 18 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube." With so many other low-carb chocolate choices out there, what's gonna make this one so different? You'll learn EXACTLY why when you tune into this video.

Hear the story behind why "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Bar" was created:



Not to necessarily take anything away from those "other" sugar-free, low-carb chocolate companies, but quite frankly many of them just don't get it. They insist on using cheap, inferior ingredients in their products like the sugar alcohol maltitol which has a well-known disturbing side effect. Why can't we have the opportunity to have a high-quality low-carb chocolate experience without having to go through all that?

That is precisely what attracted me to the ChocoPerfection bars two years ago when I described them as the best-tasting low-carb chocolate bars on the planet. But, like all great things, there are ways to make them even better and that's exactly what we've done with "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Bar."

It is the same chocolate recipe that so many of you have grown to love so much from ChocoPerfection, but now there's an added twist. We've included real raspberry oil as well as coconut oil in it for a special truffle-like center that begins melting as soon as it hits your tongue. And the intense raspberry flavor is what I personally like best about this new chocolate bar. It's an entirely new experience for a low-carb chocolate bar!

We only used the highest quality of ingredients in this bar, including cocoa butter, coconut oil, raspberry oil, oligofructose (chickory root providing 12 g fiber per bar), and erythritol. These are expensive raw materials, but they combine to make one of the most decadent low-carb treats you'll ever sink your teeth into. I'm very proud of "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Bar" and gladly put my name and photo on it as my endorsement of such an excellent product for people who are diabetic or are on the low-carb lifestyle.

As I said, the grand release of my new chocolate bar is now here and exclusively at CarbSmart.com where you can purchase them individually or by the dozen. In a few weeks, they'll be available from the ChocoPerfection web site and other fine online retailers. But I'd like to give YOU an opportunity to win some too! Does that sound like a good deal? GREAT!

Here's what you need to do:

Go to Episode 18 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube" and leave some kind of feedback for the video. It can be comments or even questions about the new candy bars if you'd like to share them there. Then send an e-mail to me at livinlowcarbman@charter.net with the subject line "LLVLC Bar Giveaway." Include your YouTube username so I can verify you left a comment, your full name and mailing address, and a paragraph or two explaining why you'd like to be one of the first people to try "The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Bar."

The first ten people to do that will receive a special package from me with a FREE SAMPLE of my new chocolate bars. I wish I had enough for EVERYONE to try it, but I only have enough for ten. Watch the video, leave a comment, and send me your address and you might just get a chance to taste these low-carb bars before everyone else. :D Even if you don't win, I hope you will at least order these remarkable new low-carb chocolate bars for yourself, friends, co-workers and family!

Don't forget to watch all of our previous YouTube videos and stay up-to-date with them by subscribing to them. As always, please feel free to share your comments with us about the show anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. We're still having a load of fun making these videos, so keep the ideas for future shows coming!

Labels: chocolate, ChocoPerfection, Christine, Jimmy Moore, low-carb, sugar-free, The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Bar, video, weight loss, YouTube

When you think of sugar as rat poison, you'll never want it again!

How in the world can you possibly reduce or eliminate sugar from your diet forever? I get asked this question quite a bit by people who want to lose weight and get healthy, but many of them are too afraid they'll never get to enjoy anything sweet ever again. AAAACK! Oh the horrors!

Seriously, if you are concerned about how you can get rid of your desire to put anything made with sugar in your mouth again, then you're gonna want to watch Episode 17 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube." What can seem like an impossibility to those of you who are bona fide sugar addicts (and I was before January 2004!), you'll quickly realize it is not as difficult as you think when you implement a rather simple negative visualization technique that I made up. AND IT REALLY WORKS!

Get ready to beat sugar addiction for good after watching today's video:



I remember the days I used to chow down on a whole box of Little Debbie snack cakes and didn't think twice about it. To this day, I don't have any idea why I did that other than I was bored and I could. Heading into 2008, though, you wouldn't catch me eating even ONE of those nasty things anymore because of four sweet words I hear echoing around in my head when I look at them: SUGAR IS RAT POISON!

For those of you who have read my book Livin' La Vida Low-Carb: My Journey From Flabby Fat To Sensationally Skinny In One Year, you know that's the title of the chapter where I talk about all the negative effects of sugar on your body. So how do you convince yourself that consuming sugar is tantamount to eating rat poison? This study from UC-Irvine psychologist Elizabeth Loftus explains the mechanism.

Creating that false negative image of sugar in your mind will turn you off from that slice of chocolate cake or pecan pie. It really will! Look at that image at the top of this post with the sugar and the rat poison. When you see anything sugary, immediately visualize in your mind that box of d-CON. It sounds CRAZY to even equate the two, but watch what it does to your behavior.

You'll pause even for a moment before reaching for a fork to dig into a bite. And that momentary lapse may be just what you need to reject the carb-loaded, sugar-filled treats that will try to tempt you on a daily basis. Once you've been livin' la vida low-carb a while, it gets a WHOLE lot easier to say "no." People don't even bother asking me if I want dessert anymore because they know I can't. IT'S RAT POISON! :)

Besides, sugar is proven to be very unhealthy despite the fact you don't hear the same outcry against it as you do fat. And that is such a crying shame since sugar raises insulin levels in the body which leads to obesity and health problems. Until we get serious about challenging the amount of sugar we consume as Americans, we'll never make a dent in the increasingly growing and seemingly inevitable problem of obesity.

Tell us what you have done to kick sugar out of your life at Episode 17 on YouTube so we can learn even more tricks and tips for ditching the sugar for good. If you do leave a comment at YouTube, then you will become eligible to win THREE DOZEN EGGLAND'S BEST EGGS just for watching. I recently posted some recipes with Eggland's Best eggs, so check 'em out! GOOD LUCK in the contest!

Since the previous episodes are starting to add up now, I've moved them all to their own little page at my links blog for you to access anytime. If you're new to our YouTube videos and want to see even more of them, then check out that page for a full listing of each episode along with the theme for that particular show. Christine and I enjoy recording these each week and we know you'll learn something every time you watch them!

As always, you can subscribe to our videos and stay up-to-date on all the latest episodes as soon as they are posted to YouTube. I've met so many wonderful new people through this format that I only wish I had started doing this sooner. Oh well, better late than never! We love hearing from people who have found us through YouTube, so drop us a line anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Your feedback and suggestions are always welcomed and encouraged. We do this for YOU and sincerely hope you get as much out of it as we do recording them. Take care!

Labels: health, livin' la vida low-carb, rat poison, sugar, weight loss, YouTube

We're just days away from millions making resolutions for 2008

It's coming in just a few weeks, so you had better get prepared for it RIGHT NOW! What is it? New Year's Resolutions, baby! That's right, it's the one time of the year when people feel like they have a clean slate, everything in the past is over and done with, and today is a new day to begin anew.

Of course, there's nothing magical about January 1st because you can start whatever you want to do anytime you want to do it. You don't need the calender to dictate when you should be going after something that you so desperately desire. And that includes weight loss and living a healthy life.

Sure, those of you who have read my book know all the dirty details about my own personal weight loss journey beginning on New Year's Day in 2004 where I went on to lose 180 pounds in that year alone. While probably 99.9% of people who have good intentions about losing weight in the new year never stick with it long enough to be successful, I did and it is something that I believe ANYONE can do if they simply apply the same concepts that I did to shed the pounds nearly four years ago.

In Episode 16 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube," Christine and I share with you 10 effective tips for how YOU can get started the right way on the healthy low-carb lifestyle. There's nothing mysterious or mindboggling about any of these ideas, but perhaps hearing them from someone who's been there before will be just the spark you need to DO IT this time.

You don't have to wait for New Year's to begin implementing the following:



Here are some links to blog posts and previous YouTube videos with some of the suggestions and advice we presented in Episode 16:

- You have to care and be committed to a lifestyle change
- Don't try to do low-carb without reading the book
- Never underestimate the importance of the Induction phase
- Take good vitamin supplementation on your low-carb lifestyle
- Net carbs are easy to figure out, so don't make it hard
- Lots of small meals better than three big ones
- Get all your facts about fat before thinking it's unhealthy
- Weighing yourself daily can help you shed the pounds

Of course, nothing replaces the lessons you learn from the low-carb book you choose to follow. So don't just use these suggestions in our video--do your own reading and research and find what works for you. Then implement it and make it happen like you're life depended on it. And it very well may!

Share your own tips and ideas at Episode 16 on YouTube and let us all know what helped you get going in the early days of livin' la vida low-carb. Any tricks or advice you have may help someone struggling to get started on this amazing way of eating! Or if you're new to this way of eating, what are the questions and concerns you have about going on a low-carb diet?

Congratulations to Mertiebelle for being the BIG WINNER of the Cal-Carb Clicker from our contest in Episode 15. She left a comment and her name was chosen among the many that were left for that episode. THANKS for watching and participating in our video contests. Stay tuned because we'll have LOTS MORE COMING SOON! :)

Can't get enough of our YouTube videos? Watch 'em all from the beginning:

- Promo video--A half-minute promotion of the new video series
- Episode 1--Introduction of Jimmy & Christine Moore
- Episode 2--What kind of fruits can you have on a low-carb diet?
- Episode 3--What kind of veggies can you have on a low-carb diet?
- Episode 4--What does a low-carber do for something sweet?
- Episode 5--Why is fat so healthy for you on the low-carb lifestyle?
- Episode 6--Which restaurants can you go to on the low-carb lifestyle?
- Episode 7--What are the best new low-carb books you need to read?
- Episode 8--Why should you be eating a lot more eggs?
- Episode 9--If you're gonna do Atkins, do it by the book
- Episode 10--What supplements should you take while low-carbing?
- Episode 11--What are some of the foods you eat on your low-carb diet?
- Episode 12--How should you respond when you weight loss stalls?
- Episode 13--What can you do to survive the high-carb holidays?
- Episode 14--Is it okay to ever splurge on your low-carb diet?
- Episode 15--What are some really good low-carb gift ideas?

THANK YOU so much to everyone who has subscribed to our videos so you can watch them as soon as they are uploaded to YouTube. We just passed 200 subscribers and over 5,000 channel views. We are in awe of the warm reception these videos are receiving on YouTube as we take the message of livin' la vida low-carb outside the friendly confines of the blog. Your feedback for us about how to make the show even better as well as any topic ideas are welcomed anytime at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. Keep watching and sharing our videos with your friends, family, and co-workers who need to hear the positive message of the healthy low-carb lifestyle. SEE YA!

Labels: advice, Christine, diet, health, Jimmy Moore, livin' la vida low-carb, low-carb, New Year's resolutions, weight loss, YouTube

Christmas is coming, do you know what to get that low-carb loved one?

The Christmas shopping season is underway and the hustle and bustle of this time of year makes me wanna stay home inside the comfort of my house especially on the weekends when people go bonkers out shopping at the mall and Wal-mart like they're gonna run out of stuff next week! It took me what is normally a 5-minute drive to the post office today a total of 20 minutes to get there! Then there was a line of about 30 people waiting to send off packages. UGH!

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas and the festive attitude it conjures up in people this time of year. But I'm just not the kind of person who likes crowds and traffic. Nevertheless, there are gifts to be bought and that includes for people who are livin' la vida low-carb. So what in the world are you supposed to get somebody on a low-carb diet anyone?

That's exactly what Christine and I address in Episode 15 of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube." We tried to provide a wide variety of gift ideas that are applicable not just for Christmas, but any gift-giving occasion for that low-carb loved one in your life. These are gifts that I personally would enjoy receiving and most are practical suggestions that you may not have even thought about before.

Get your pen and paper ready with this YouTube video for low-carb gift ideas:



Just in case you missed any of the gift suggestions or would like to learn more about some of the ones that were mentioned, here are some links for you to check out:

- ChocoPerfection low-carb chocolate bars
- Responsibly Slim Protein Powder
- Living The Low-Carb Life by Jonny Bowden
- CARB WARS: Sugar Is The New Fat by Judy Barnes Baker
- Digital Camera
- Gift Certificate To A Low-Carb Restaurant
- The March 2008 Atkins Diet Cruise

This is by no means a comprehensive gift list for people who are livin' la vida low-carb. But hopefully Episode 15 will give you a few ideas you may not have thought about as you begin searching for that perfect present for your low-carb friend or family member. Don't be bashful about suggesting these and other gifts for yourself as gifts, too! I know the gift giver would appreciate it!

Provide your favorite low-carb gift ideas with us at Episode 15 on YouTube and you could win a FREE GIFT from me and Christine. All you have to do is leave a comment at YouTube for this video by Friday, December 7, 2007 and you'll become eligible to win your very own Cal-Carb Clicker compliments of "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb On YouTube." GOOD LUCK in the contest everyone!

Are you getting behind on our YouTube videos? Watch 'em all right now:

- Promo video--A half-minute promotion of the new video series
- Episode 1--Introduction of Jimmy & Christine Moore
- Episode 2--What kind of fruits can you have on a low-carb diet?
- Episode 3--What kind of veggies can you have on a low-carb diet?
- Episode 4--What does a low-carber do for something sweet?
- Episode 5--Why is fat so healthy for you on the low-carb lifestyle?
- Episode 6--Which restaurants can you go to on the low-carb lifestyle?
- Episode 7--What are the best new low-carb books you need to read?
- Episode 8--Why should you be eating a lot more eggs?
- Episode 9--If you're gonna do Atkins, do it by the book
- Episode 10--What supplements should you take while low-carbing?
- Episode 11--What are some of the foods you eat on your low-carb diet?
- Episode 12--How should you respond when you weight loss stalls?
- Episode 13--What can you do to survive the high-carb holidays?
- Episode 14--Is it okay to ever splurge on your low-carb diet?

Keep up with the latest videos we post at YouTube by subscribing to them like the nearly 200 others who have done so already. With my podcast show still down for likely the rest of 2007 to let my producer Kevin Kennedy-Spaien heal from the injuries he sustained from a car accident, Christine and I are committed to doing more YouTube videos to fill in the gap. THANK YOU for watching and please continue to send your comments and suggested topic for future videos to us at livinlowcarbman@charter.net. We are so happy to be a small part of your life and look forward to continuing to share with you about the amazingly healthy low-carb lifestyle! Merry Christmas!!!

Labels: Christine, Christmas, gifts, Jimmy Moore, livin' la vida low-carb, low-carb, presents, video, YouTube