Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Jimmy Moore: Livin' La Vida Low-Carb

Jimmy Moore is Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb. That’s the name of his book, and it’s the theme of his life.

At age 32, Jimmy weighed 410 pounds. He was being treated for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and labored breathing. He had no hope for his life.

“I believed that was just the way I was supposed to be,” he says. “My family was fat, and I had been fat my whole life. My mom was a single mom who had to feed three growing kids, so she bought what she could afford, which was pretty much junk food.”

Over the years, Jimmy tried many diets, all of them low-fat. But even when he dieted, he piled on the sugar. “I was addicted to Twizzlers—a naturally fat-free food!” he says.

In 1999, he lost 170 pounds on a zero-fat diet. But he was grumpy and "psychologically messed up,” he says. And, ultimately, he couldn't stick with it. After one slip-up with a McDonald's meal, he quickly gained back all 170 pounds.

In the fall of 2003, Jimmy attended a church festival that featured a climbing wall. He thought that at 6-feet, 3-inches tall, getting to the top would be a breeze.

“I started up and on the first step, my foot slipped and I fell,” he says. “I tried again, and again I fell. On the third try, I slipped again and this time, I sprained my ankle.”

At that moment, the defeated climber thought to himself: “Jimmy, you are out of control!”

Jimmy knew two people who had succeeded on the Atkins diet. On January 4, 2004, he began. Right off, he ran into trouble. “That first day, I thought I was going to die. I had the worst headache, my body ached. I pleaded with my wife to just kill me,” he says.

Within a few days the symptoms subsided, and in two months, Jimmy lost 70 pounds. Some of the loss was undoubtedly because Jimmy started using a treadmill, but obviously, he was thriving on a diet comprising about 60-70 percent fat, but just 20 grams of carbohydrates a day, including two cups of low-carb vegetables.

In a little over a year, Jimmy lost 180 pounds. Today, he continues with Atkins, limits carbs to 30-35 grams a day, engages in aerobic exercise and works out with weights.

Succeeding at the Atkins diet has literally changed Jimmy Moore’s life. In 2005, he self-published Livin' La Vida Low-Carb: My Journey from Flabby Fat to Sensationally Skinny in One Year. He is at work on his second book, 21 Life Lessons From Livin' La Vida Low-Carb: How the Healthy Low-Carb Lifestyle Changed Everything I Thought I Knew. He blogs, writes for nutrition and health-related websites, and creates podcasts and YouTube videos for the low-carb cause. Read Jimmy's blog here and tune into his podcasts here.

Jimmy pleads with others to take control of their lives, no matter what weight loss plan you choose.

“Do it like you’ve never done anything before,” he urges. “It’s not about will power; it’s about steadfast resolve. Commit to it, even when it hurts. It is so worth it.”

8 comments:

  1. "A blog of weight loss success stories from people who have lost weight and kept it off"

    Interesting concept. Thirty people, thirty weight loss stories.

    Sounds familiar. I'm just one person, but I think I've tried at least 30 diets. It's a struggle.

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  2. Maybe that should be your blog, "One Dude. Thirty Diets." Seriously, my very best to you. I hope my stories provide some inspiration. If it's any consolation, everyone I interviewed failed at earlier diets before settling on what worked for them. We're all in this together!

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  3. I think I've tried at least 30 diets myself. Like Jimmy, I finally found low carbing, and 70 pounds later have never looked back. Thanks for posting this story in your fantastic blog.

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  4. Yes, thank you for posting about Jimmy Moore...he has been an important part of my on-going journey to re-gain health. For me, his blog has been entertaining, educational, inspiring and thought-provoking.

    Oh, I and LOVE LOVE LOVE to read success stories...they give hope. They show that "if they can do, so can I." My current favoriote is the blog of Sean Anderson's The Daily Diary of a Winning Loser. He just had his 1 year anniversary of when he started out, at 505 lbs. He has now lost 212 lbs, and still going strong. You might want to keep an eye out for him, and include him in a future project!

    I will be following you, thanks,
    Loretta

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  5. Thanks for the tip, Loretta. I checked out your blog... you're doing GREAT. I'll be including you in a future project for sure!

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  6. I love Jimmie Moore! I read his blog every day and listen multiple times to his fantastic podcast interviews with the "big lights" in the low carb and diabetes world.

    I, too, am living la vida low carb -- I've lost 60 pounds (and then put back on 30 when I went on hydrocortisone for adrenal fatigue. {sigh}) I still have a bit over 100 pounds to go, and Jimmie helps keep me motivated to stick to it!

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  7. Congrats, Elenor and Kim, on your success! I'm sorry your meds messed with your weight loss plans, Elenor. But I know you'll figure it out! Keep on going!

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