You've got questions, LOTS and LOTS of questions. So I'm here to help answer the most frequently asked questions, aka FAQ. This will be an ever-swelling amoeba of the common everyday kinda stuff people ask me about livin' la vida low-carb. Here goes:
Who is Jimmy Moore and why is he talking about low-carb?
I'm that Jimmy Moore character and I am overjoyed about low-carb because it changed my life forever beginning on January 1, 2004. That's the day I started the Atkins diet (yes, I read the book and survived!) at 410 pounds and I went on to lose 180 pounds in the span of one year. It was an amazing experience I detailed in my first book Livin' La Vida Low-Carb: My Journey From Flabby Fat To Sensationally Skinny In One Year and I'm absolutely convinced the low-carb lifestyle is the way I should eat for the rest of my long and healthy life! It may be what's right for YOU, too!
Are you still eating low-carb?
Yep, absolutely I am STILL eating this way (in fact, I'm working on my second book about this very subject right now tentatively called VIVA! Livin' La Vida Low-Carb: Strategies For Long-Term Weight Loss Success). My philosophy is to "dance with the one that brung ya" and livin' la vida low-carb is it! I lost my weight by following the principles of the Atkins diet (yes, the book Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution that was actually written by Dr. Robert C. Atkins and not just some arbitrary "meat, cheese, and eggs" diet!) and I'm keeping it off by continuing to follow a controlled-carbohydrate approach.
Do you have "loose skin" after losing all that weight?
Regardless of what you have "heard" about the issue of "loose skin" after a large weight loss, let me tell you the truth from my firsthand experience--you lose the elasticity in your skin and it can only be taken care of with surgery. Sure, there are some people who still should lose a little more weight, but most of the skin will just stay there. That's the way I has been for me since I lost nearly 200 pounds. Someday, I will be able to afford to have the surgery done to complete my weight loss success. You can see all my columns about this subject by clicking here.
Don't you NEED to eat carbs in your diet?
Contrary to what you may have heard from well-meaning health "experts," there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate in your diet. There just isn't! The body no more "needs" carbs than it does poison. The reality is the body can make all the carbs it needs to live on through an amazing process known as gluconeogenesis just as our early ancestors did. And they didn't have the weight and health issues of modern society. With that said, the average person eats way too many carbs and most would benefit if they lowered their carbohydrate intake to less than 100g daily and much less for weight loss.
How often do you weigh yourself?
I gotta tell ya, I LOVE LOVE LOVE getting on the scale. I don't know what it is about stepping on that scale and watching the number go up and down like it does, but it motivates me either way. If the weight is up, then it makes me determined to get it down. If my weight is down, then I rejoice and let that push me to even greater success. In fact, this study proves those who weigh often are usually the most successful at keeping their weight off over the long-term. I believe it! For some people, though, the scale creates negative tension and can cause them to stumble and fail. If that's you, then put the darn thing in the closet for a while and just work the plan as if everything is working beautifully. You'll thank me later for this. :)
What supplements do you take on your low-carb lifestyle?
I am a BIG BELIEVER in taking dietary supplements because they are an essential part of any healthy lifestyle change. While it is Pollyanna-ish to think you can get all of your vitamins and minerals from diet alone, the fact is you can't. That's why I wrote a whole chapter about supplements in my book and take all of these supplements on a daily basis. Additionally, when you are first starting out on low-carb, it's a GREAT idea to take potassium supplements to ward off leg cramps. With the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) aggressively attempting to regulate the vitamin industry until they are run out of business, I am becoming more and more convinced this is a much better way to control my health than with prescription drugs.
Aren't you worried about eating an all-meat diet?
Well, contrary to what you may have "heard" about low-carb diets, it's not just all meat. You get to enjoy healthy servings of non-starchy vegetables like green leafy ones, cauliflower, broccoli and squash, just to name a few, and can even indulge in low-glycemic fruits like berries and melons. Additionally, you are privileged to consume delicious and nutritious eggs, nuts, seeds, full-fat cheeses and cream...the list goes on and on! As you can see, this is not just some "meat-only" diet and a survey found that vegetable consumption DOUBLED for people who went on a low-carb diet.
Is it true low-carb only works once and then it stops working?
Ahhh, the infamous "one golden shot" theory about low-carb. The question is about whether low-carb is a one-time deal. Very simply put, the answer is NO. If you have lost weight on a low-carb diet before, then you will most assuredly do it again. This time around, though, try making it a permanent lifestyle change and NEVER stop doing it for the rest of your life. You'll be so glad you did!
KEEP CHECKING BACK--MORE QUESTIONS COMING SOON!!!
Don't see YOUR question answered here? Drop me an e-mail at livinlowcarbman@charter.net and ASK AWAY!
