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!
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:
Gayle, my dear friend! You did this by loving yourself! I am so beyond the moon thrilled for you and your success. It’s been awesome keeping in touch with you. I’m so happy I was able to inspire you a wee bit - and now YOU will inspire many others by choosing your health. I love the strategies you listed. They will help many.
Age 66 too. Started keto and fasting last March. Lost about 50 Lbs so far. Glucose much better controlled (not diabetic now) and blood pressure much better. Another 40 lbs to reach my healthy weight. Good job Gayle! This really works.
Hi Gayle, well done. Please could you let me know where you had the lipodema in your body, I have it in upper and lower arms, my chest, torso, upper and lower legs, I have over 28stone of lymphatic fluid stored all over my body. I have 8.5 stone in each leg. And I have tried so many diets over the years, and healthy eating, did Atkins that out me in ketosis, and was hospitalised. Did Rosemary Connolly with my gp and ended up in intensive care.
So very happy for you. thanks for sharing your story.
With warmth
Cathy
Gayle, Thank you so much for publishing your story and congratulations on your weight loss. I am 66 as well and I really needed to see this. I started my Keto diet with intermittent fasting on January 4th of 2018. I had already lost 30 pounds through regular dieting over many many months and over the next 6 months on keto I Lost another 40 pounds. At that time in the summer I went to a party and had my 1st piece of cake and 6 months along with my 2nd and 3rd pieces. I was never able to get back on to my keto diet again and even though I held the weight loss until November, Over the next 6 months I have gained back 50 pounds. I'm just broken-hearted and I feel like an addict who made the mistake of having just one drink or just 1 cigarette. I look awful because all the weight came back right in the middle instead of being well distributed like it was before.
I really needed to read your account from a woman my age in order to give me some hope that I can recover my loss and not make the same mistake again. I wish you the absolute best of luck in keeping your good health and once again, congratulations on your weight loss.
Hi Cathy
Thank you.
I had and have got lipoedema in the upper and lower arms, my chest, torso, upper legs it stopped just below the knees.
I have lost lipoedema fat and obesity fat from all over my whole body.
I still have away to go yet.
liposuction was not an option for me........
Everyone is different and you have to find out what works best for you.
In the last three years they are finding out that Keto eating can help with Lipoedema fat in quite a large percentage of people. But not all, I am one that it helped,
I eat clean Keto as much as I can, also because I’m sugar addicted as well.
“Lipedema- The Disease They Call Fat” Facebook page and “Sugarbomb in your brain” Facebook page has helped and encouraged me a lot, as well as Diet Dr and Christine. I hope this helps you, all the best on your journey.
Linda
Thank you so much for your encouragement.
I am sugar addictive “Sugarbomb in your brain” Facebook page has helped and encouraged me a lot, as well as Diet Dr and Christine. I hope this helps you, all the best on your journey.
I’ve had success with keto before thanks to Diet Doctor but sadly, like most life-style changes, I should have made it a way of life. You have inspired me to get back to this healthy way of eating. Thank you from another “seasoned” woman named Gail!
Hi Lynda, I let sugar back in and was unable to re-establish keto for nearly a year. Regained 20 of 25kg lost. I needed to completely remove all sugars (I was behaving like an addicted person) and then become 100% sugar free for keto to be easy to sustain again. I think my body was really fighting to hold onto sugar. If you think sugar and/or flour cravings are driving everything, find 100% abstinence and see what happens? I read lots about the effects of sugar in my body (so I really strongly knew I didn't want to eat it) then found Rational Recovery website (Jack Trimby, it's drugs and alcohol focussed so just do the word substitutions in your head) via a quit sugar health coach, Florence Christophers. I have not eaten sugar since and will never eat it again. I have found keto easy ever since and the weight is coming back off. I'm in my 50s. You can do it!!!
Hi Gayle
I too am from a country town in NSW. Loved your story(similar to mine). I too am approaching 66 and have started Keto. Hoping for weight loss of 30kg because of buggered knees. Have read and re-read your story three times today.....very inspiring. Congratulations on your weight/health results. WELL DONE.
A lot of comments here are about the difficulty of getting back on keto after letting sugar in- that the body becomes addicted. I indulged a little and then a lot over the holidays. I became addicted to sugars too. So I got a variety of low carb treats and Atkins Bars. Each one had 2 or 3 carbs. Once I had an alternative, including sugar free jello (0 carbs) --diet soda (0 carbs)--- sugar free gum(2 carbs) ---atkins bars (3 carbs)
Russell stovers sugar free individually wrapped sugar-free chocolates (2 carbs) etc, once I had a sweet alternative, my cravings eventually went way down. I still have an occasional treat. I keep them handy. They saved my keto! And I'm still losing weight. Next year during the holidays I plan to have them handy. Several birthdays and Valentine's etc, when the family had their cake or treats, I had my sugar free ones. It worked. I've been staying at 20 carbs even with sugar free treats!
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God bless you!
Christine
So very happy for you. thanks for sharing your story.
With warmth
Cathy
I really needed to read your account from a woman my age in order to give me some hope that I can recover my loss and not make the same mistake again. I wish you the absolute best of luck in keeping your good health and once again, congratulations on your weight loss.
Thank you.
I had and have got lipoedema in the upper and lower arms, my chest, torso, upper legs it stopped just below the knees.
I have lost lipoedema fat and obesity fat from all over my whole body.
I still have away to go yet.
liposuction was not an option for me........
Everyone is different and you have to find out what works best for you.
In the last three years they are finding out that Keto eating can help with Lipoedema fat in quite a large percentage of people. But not all, I am one that it helped,
I eat clean Keto as much as I can, also because I’m sugar addicted as well.
“Lipedema- The Disease They Call Fat” Facebook page and “Sugarbomb in your brain” Facebook page has helped and encouraged me a lot, as well as Diet Dr and Christine. I hope this helps you, all the best on your journey.
Thank you so much for your encouragement.
I am sugar addictive “Sugarbomb in your brain” Facebook page has helped and encouraged me a lot, as well as Diet Dr and Christine. I hope this helps you, all the best on your journey.
Thank you from this side of the planet, all the best on your journey.
I too am from a country town in NSW. Loved your story(similar to mine). I too am approaching 66 and have started Keto. Hoping for weight loss of 30kg because of buggered knees. Have read and re-read your story three times today.....very inspiring. Congratulations on your weight/health results. WELL DONE.
Thank you
Tricia
Russell stovers sugar free individually wrapped sugar-free chocolates (2 carbs) etc, once I had a sweet alternative, my cravings eventually went way down. I still have an occasional treat. I keep them handy. They saved my keto! And I'm still losing weight. Next year during the holidays I plan to have them handy. Several birthdays and Valentine's etc, when the family had their cake or treats, I had my sugar free ones. It worked. I've been staying at 20 carbs even with sugar free treats!