The Low-Carb Man

31. August 2007 William Davis (4)
If ever there was an enthusiastic disciple of deceased Dr. Robert Atkins of Atkins' Diet fame, it's Mr. Jimmy Moore.








Jimmy tells the story of how he was transformed by the Atkins' approach, losing 180 lbs in the course of one year. He continues to develop this conversation, in many ways elaborating on the conversation in more sophisticated ways than even Atkins did in his lifetime.

Though we've agreed to disagree on some points of nutrition, Jimmy and I had a recent discussion about heart disease, the mis-guided ways of conventional cardiac care,and the evils of processed carbohydrates. We do differ on the role of saturated fat in heart disease and health, but beyond that difference I was impressed (reading his Blog and listening to his many webcasts) with his level of understanding of the issues. Jimmy is not some over-enthusiastic dieter. He has a grasp of the issues that exceeds that of 99% of my colleagues.

If you are interested in reading our discussion or just perusing a really fun, informative Blog/website, go to LivinLaVidaLowCarb.com. The interview is posted at:

http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com/2007/08/davis-wanna-cut-plaque-in-your-arteries.html


See Jimmy Moore's before and after pictures at http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com/2005/07/my-before-pictures.html. He's quite an entertaining read.
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Comments (4) -

  • Anonymous

    8/31/2007 9:13:00 PM |

    Is giving up wheat best cold-turkey? I think there is something to this theory and why my LDL, Trig have stayed high and my HDL low.
    I find the more wheat I hvae the more I want and that it sets off cravings for it. Even the ww pasta and whole grain, high fiber bread seem to be a problem for me.
    I imagine I could find support on your web-site. I would like to know how others did it. I think it is a key in my heart health journey. It also would probably help me get rid of my new belly, on the small side but still I never had it before!
    Greg

  • Dr. Davis

    9/1/2007 12:01:00 AM |

    Yes, a "cold-turkey" approach is generally best. The cravings are most likely to dissipate the quickest this way. You will be amazed at how much more control you will gain over appetite, however.

  • jpatti

    10/6/2007 4:56:00 AM |

    I don't much care for his books and don't follow his plan, but IMO, this is one of the most useful contributions Atkins made to low-carb: the idea of "induction" in which one goes very, very low-carb for a week.  A lot of us find it much easier to cut it out entirely than to cut back.  

    To me, cutting out carbs feels like withdrawal and I know I'll feel poorly for a few days before I bounce back.

    Once the ickiness goes away, add more carbs in a bit at a time, starting with nonstarchy vegetables, then low-sugar fruits, then whole grains  up to whatever your own carb tolerance is for whatever your goals are (mine is bg control).

    IMO, the most important bit isn't the macronutrient content of the diet, but that the "base" of my own personal food pyramid is vegetables.  Eat enough veggies and you just don't have enough room for much bad stuff in your diet.

  • Dr. Davis

    10/6/2007 11:41:00 AM |

    Interesting observations.

    The "induction phase" process can yield some interesting lessons in the truly carbohydrate-addicted, a phenomenon I am absolutely convinced is genuine.

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Burn off the fat

Burn off the fat

9. May 2006 William Davis (0)

If you've ever wondered just how many calories you're burning with various activities like yard work, driving, climbing stairs, etc. go to this great website that will calculate it for you: http://www.caloriecontrol.org/exercalc.html.

Here are some examples:


Dancing for 30 minutes(fast, e.g., tango): 193 calories
Yoga for 30 minutes: 204 calories
Washing the car for 30 minutes: 173 calories
Vacuuming for 30 minutes: 88 calories

(All are for a 170 lb person.)

As you see, physical activity does not necessarily have to consist of exercise. It doesn't require fancy equipment or expensive outfits. But it does require you to keep moving. Sedentary work is among the most common reasons I see in my patients for failing to control weight and its associated lipoprotein patterns, like low HDL and small LDL.

If your work is sedentary, then a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity per day is necessary to begin to correct weight-related patterns. If you gauge by calories burned, then a useful goal is 500 calories per day in physical activity--at a minimum.
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