How Gayle managed to change her life to the better at 66

Gayle was struggling with numerous conditions and diseases and felt hopeless about her situation. Her daughter told her about Diet Doctor, and that she should give keto a try. Gayle signed up for the newsletter but it took her another six months before she found the courage to get started. This is her story:

Hi, my name is Gayle, and I live in a country town in New South Wales, Australia.

I have always struggled with my weight my whole life and the older I got the worse it became.

I was struggling with obesity, sugar addiction, fibromyalgia, inflammation throughout my body, arthritis pain especially in my right knee, and was constantly out of breath. I also knew there was something wrong with my lymphatic system.

The beginning of 2018 had been quite a stressful time for me, I was having panic attacks and was not well. In December 2018, I had also been diagnosed with lipoedema, lymphoedema, and Dercum’s disease. I was so fatigued, aching from head to toe, burnt out and not coping well.

My daughter, Jo, first told me about Diet Doctor in about October 2017. Jo told me about a lady at her work had lost about 40 kilos (88 pounds) on it, and that it may work for me. I signed up for the Diet Doctor newsletters that came by email. I would look at all the success stories and think (sorry, just thinking and excuses) yes that’s ok for all of you, you are all so young looking and in your 20s and 30s but it’s a lot harder for a woman in her 60s. Plus it was coming up to Christmas 2017 and I thought it would be too hard to do with my family coming (another excuse).

So, I thought I’d put it off until at least February 2018. Well, that went on till May 2018 (more excuses). By then I had put on an extra 15 kilos (33 pounds). On the 9th of May, I was in tears and it all felt so hopeless and I knew things had to change… I prayed and asked for help…

I woke up on the 10th of May 2018, and I heard these words in my heart: Today is the day everything will change… Not knowing what that meant but later that morning I opened the Diet Doctor newsletter and went to the success stories and I saw the picture of Christine and her story and I thought oh she looks a little older, maybe there is hope for me. I knew I was about 16 years older than Christine and I had different health problems than she did but I said to myself if she can do it maybe there is hope for me and maybe I can do this too. You may have seen Christine’s success story on the Diet Doctor website.

Then I heard these words in my heart “Do what she did…” So I started the keto way of eating on the 10th of May 2018 at the age of 66 years and weighing 135 kilos (298 pounds) and 159 cm (5’3″) tall.

It is now one year ago today since I had my wake up call and I started on keto. So here I am, one year later and I have lost 42 kilos (92 pounds). I followed what Christine did, and I learned from her and Diet Doctor. I am so grateful to you both for your encouragement along the way and your success stories.

My biggest challenges are:

• Winning the battle in my head
• Changing my mind-sets
• Loving myself
• Not listening to the lies in my head
• Getting more sleep
• Exercising more regularly
• Asking myself am I really hungry
• Enjoying every mouthful of food
• Eating more slowly

I have not been able to see my results as others see them, I still see myself as an obese person. It is slowly changing little by little, though. Also being in a four-month weight stall from the end of December to the end of April, up and down in a 5-kilo (10 pounds) range, but my body shape was changing. I am still working on these things.

Yes, I wish I had known about all of this a lot earlier in my life but by sharing my story may help someone else to get started earlier than I did.

It has improved my health, I am winning over the sugar addiction moment by moment and one day at a time.

The fibromyalgia has improved, the inflammation throughout my body has improved, my knee has improved, no more shortness of breath, my lymphatic system is flowing a lot better, no more panic attacks. I have lost lipoedema fat which I was told by the specialist I would have to have it surgically removed. No surgeries. The Dercum’s lumps are still sore and I have flare-ups from time to time. The aches and pain and fatigued have improved greatly.

Thank you so much, Diet Doctor and Christine, for your wonderful success stories, they have brought me so much hope, courage, strength, wisdom, and insight. (Christine’s webpage Joyful Keto Life).

Thank you for reading my story,
Gayle

Comment

Thank you, Gayle! Now you have your own amazing story and I bet many people will be as inspired by you as you were by Christine. Congratulations on all your success!

Best,
/ Andreas Eenfeldt, MD

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Do you have a success story you want to share on this blog? Send it (photos appreciated) to amanda@dietdoctor.com, and please let me know if it’s OK to publish your photo and name or if you’d rather remain anonymous. It would also be greatly appreciated if you shared what you eat in a typical day, whether you fast etc. More information: