The following is a reprint from my new blog called "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb":

I came across this press release for yet another new weight loss book from some "diet guru" trying to explain the answer to the obesity problem by firing accusations about low-carb that warrant discussion.

Communicating that low-carb products will not help you lose weight (hmmm, where have I heard that before), author Ori Hofmekler proclaims we have "never been fatter, never so unhealty" in what he describes as the "Dietary Dark Ages" today. He says this because so many people are on diets, but the obesity rates and the associated health ailments that follow keep going up and up to an all-time high.

Zeroing in on the low-carb food industry, Hofmekler said low-carbers buy these low-carb products to help watch their carbs, but are unsuccessful at keeping the weight off using these products.

Say what? Is this guy related to my friend Duncan Margetts (he sure sounds a lot like you, doesn't he Duncan)? While I know there are those who shun any and all Frankenfoods because they are not the "natural" foods that we should be eating, I have found them to be excellent helpers in my low-carb lifestyle. In my previous post, I listed a typical menu in a day. And, yes Sandy, for the most part, that's exactly how I ate even during my weight loss. I mix it up quite a bit, but the template for my food choices is found in that menu.

Hofmekler claims, "In the long run a low-carb dieter will most likely suffer from a fat gain rebound, gaining more weight then they initially lost."

It doesn't have to be that way. If you stick with livin' la vida low-carb as your new way of eating for the rest of your life, then you should be able to manage your weight forever. I have kept my weight off for nearly eight months since losing 180 pounds in 2004 and I firmly believe I will keep the weight off by continuing to with my low-carb plan. Of course, I do splurge every once in a while, but then I'm right back on the program.

There are two main reasons low-carb products do not lead to long-term fat loss, according to Hofmekler.

"One: Low-carb diets adversely affect the human capacity to generate energy, build tissue and maintain optimum health," he declared. "Two: Low-carb products are often made with low-grade carb substitutes, chemical additives, artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohol and often hydrogenated oil."

I get plenty of energy from my protein-rich foods while I am low-carbin' it! And my health has never been better in my entire life. I just can't believe I waited 32 years before finally doing something that was going to help me attain my greatest physical health. Oh well, but better late than never.

As for the low-carb products being too processed with additives (Hofmekler has to be related to Duncan Margetts now!), I will agree that many of them are, but who cares? While some people look at those products as irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, I am very thankful they exist to help people like me and millions of others reach the promised land of permanent weight loss.

Should I cut back on them? I probably eventually will, but they have been such an integral part of my success story that I will not shun them now. My weight has remained stable and I certainly don't get the sugar spikes anymore. Some people claim you are simply trying to "fool your body" into thinking it is having sugar and will make you crave sugar. I don't buy that argument. I despise anything and everything that has to do with sugar and you can credit this mental strategy for that. I do not knowingly put any sugar in my mouth and refuse to eat it anymore.

While people are using the alleged death of low-carb to push their products (remember this guy?), the fact is that so many of us who are livin' la vida low-carb are not detered by this negative attention and will keep on living our low-carb lives with a big smile on our faces. Lasting weight loss feels good, doesn't it?