How Tammy and Steve regained their health

January 6 by in Diabetes stories, Keto, Success stories

After being diagnosed with several health issues, Tammy found the keto diet and got her husband on board to try it. This is their story:

Keto for life…literally!

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, fatty liver and high blood pressure in June 2015. My HbA1c was 8.0 at the time. I immediately started reading anything I could find about diabetes. I started LCHF a couple of weeks later. When I went back for my three-month visit with the doctor I had dropped my HbA1c to 5.1! I did not use medications, just changed my eating lifestyle.

My husband and I have lost around 90 lbs (40 kg) between the two of us and regained our health. I am now 52 years old and obtained certifications to coach ketogenic and LCHF eating.

Tammy Kidd and Steve Kidd,
Bethalto, Illinois USA

Comment

That’s great Tammy and Steve! Congratulations. Dropping in A1c from 8 to 5.1 is amazingly good, and should drastically improve the chances of a long and healthy life.

Best,
Andreas Eenfeldt, MD

Get started

Do you want to try what Tammy and Steve have done? Sign up for our free 2-week keto low-carb challenge!

Alternatively, use our free keto low-carb guide, or for maximum simplicity try out our keto meal planner service with weekly delicious keto menus and shopping lists – it’s free to use for a month.

All success stories

Share your story

Do you have a success story you want to share on this blog? Send it (photos appreciated) to frida@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:

Share your story!

Keto for beginners

How to lose weight

Keto

Part 2 of eating keto with Kristie: Build a keto plate
11:16
Are you confused about what a plate of keto food should look like? Then this part of the course is for you.
Keto for beginners: Introduction
08:02
Learn how to do a keto diet right, in part 1 of our video course.
Part 1 of eating keto with Kristie: Introduction
01:47
One of the hardest parts of starting a keto diet is figuring out what to eat. Fortunately, Kristie will teach you in this course.
Part 3 of eating keto with Kristie: Know your portion sizes
15:29
Kristie teaches us how to eyeball the right amounts of fat, protein and carbs in order to ensure that we can easily stay within ketogenic ratios.
Part 4 of eating keto with Kristie: Stocking your keto kitchen
19:03
Kristie shows us exactly what staples she always keeps at home to make keto super simple.
Tips for eating out - part 5 of eating keto with Kristie
10:10
Do you find it difficult to stay on your keto plan when you're dining out and still don't want to miss out on those lovely moments with friends and family? Then this episode is for you.
"I'll do this or I'm going to die trying"
19:23
Kristie Sullivan struggled with her weight for her whole life in spite of trying every diet imaginable, but then she finally lost a 120 pounds and improved her health on a keto diet.
How to make keto sustainable
15:00
How can you make the transition to a low-carb or keto diet as smooth as possible?
Keto and fast food
10:28
Can you get low-carb food at fast-food restaurants? Ivor Cummins and Bjarte Bakke went to a number of fast-food restaurants to find out.
Fat Chance
1:05:43
Is it possible to ride a pushbike across the Australian continent (2,100 miles) without eating carbs?
Eating keto to survive cancer
28:51
Audra Wilford on the experience of using a ketogenic diet as part of treating her son Max’s brain tumor.
My success story with Jim Caldwell
02:23
Jim Caldwell has transformed his health and gone from an all-time high at 352 lbs (160 kg) to 170 lbs (77 kg.
How to formulate a low-carb keto diet
48:32
Low-carb pioneer Dr. Eric Westman talks about how to formulate an LCHF diet, low carb for different medical conditions and common pitfalls among others.
All things keto with Keto Connect
16:44
What is it like running the very popular YouTube channel Keto Connect?
Challenging the dogma
16:47
Dr. Priyanka Wali tried a ketogenic diet and felt great. After reviewing the science she started recommending it to patients.
A life without migraines
15:44
Elena Gross' life was completely transformed with the ketogenic diet.
Exploiting cancer metabolism with ketosis
44:42
Can a ketogenic diet be used in cancer treatment? Dr. Angela Poff at the Low Carb USA 2016.
Low-carb living
1:00:21
How do you successfully eat low carb for life? And what’s the role of ketosis? Dr. Stephen Phinney answers these questions.
Is lower insulin the key to better brain health?
46:36
What is the root cause of the Alzheimer's epidemic – and how should we intervene before the disease is fully developed?
A new life with a keto diet
13:38
If your muscles can't use stored glycogen, is it then a good idea to eat a high-carb diet to compensate for this? Or can a keto diet help treat these rare glycogen storage diseases?
LCHF and diabetes: science and clinical experience
45:59
What is the root of the problem in type 2 diabetes? And how can we treat it? Dr. Eric Westman at the Low Carb USA 2016.
80 pounds lighter and no medications
09:12
Is it possible to reverse your diabetes with the help of a strict low-carb diet? Definitely, and Stephen Thompson did it.
Treating cancer with a keto diet
17:07
Can a strict keto diet help prevent or even treat some cancers, like brain cancer?
My success story with Gillian Szollos
02:55
Gillian had a normal life when she all of a sudden started to get seizures. She suffered terrible side effects from the meds so she started a keto diet.

Lose weight

How to maximize fat burning
03:52
Dr. Fung's fasting course part 2: How do you maximize fat burning? What should you eat – or not eat?
"I'll do this or I'm going to die trying"
19:23
Kristie Sullivan struggled with her weight for her whole life in spite of trying every diet imaginable, but then she finally lost a 120 pounds and improved her health on a keto diet.
The 5 common mistakes on LCHF
09:25
Is it hard to reach your goal weight, are you hungry or do you feel bad? Make sure you're avoiding these mistakes.
Pie-making champion goes low carb
03:23
Learn how this pie-making champion went low carb and how it changed his life.
How to make keto sustainable
15:00
How can you make the transition to a low-carb or keto diet as smooth as possible?
How to motivate your patients
50:25
In this presentation from Low Carb Denver 2019, Drs. David and Jen Unwin explain how physicians can finetune the art of practicing medicine with strategies from psychology to help their patients reach their goals.
Will a low carb diet shorten your life?
30:57
In this highly insightful presentation from Low Carb Denver 2019, Robb Wolf takes us through studies which can help us better understand weight loss, food addiction and health on a low-carb diet.
Part 8 of Dr. Jason Fung's diabetes course
05:21
Dr. Fung gives us an in-depth explanation of how beta cell failure happens, what the root cause is, and what you can do to treat it.
How to think about how to eat — Gary Taubes
30:34
In this presentation from the Low Carb Denver conference, the amazing Gary Taubes talks about the conflicting dietary advice we are given and what to make of it all.
My success story with Chuck Hicks
02:39
At nearly 500 lbs (230 kg) Chuck could barely move at all anymore. It wasn’t until he found a keto diet that thing started to change.
My success story with Kenneth Russell
02:52
When Kenneth turned 50, he realized that he wouldn't make it to 60 the way he was going.
What's it like being a low-carb doctor on TV?
17:40
What’s it like working with patients and giving controversial low-carb advice in front of a TV audience?
The pathways of insulin resistance
30:41
Are we chasing the wrong guy when it comes to heart disease? And if so, what is the real culprit in the disease?
My success story with Jim Caldwell
02:23
Jim Caldwell has transformed his health and gone from an all-time high at 352 lbs (160 kg) to 170 lbs (77 kg.
How to formulate a low-carb keto diet
48:32
Low-carb pioneer Dr. Eric Westman talks about how to formulate an LCHF diet, low carb for different medical conditions and common pitfalls among others.
What to do instead of counting calories
16:02
Why is counting calories useless? And what should you do instead to lose weight?
Insulin toxicity — Dr. Jason Fung's diabetes course
09:03
Dr. Fung looks at the evidence on what high levels of insulin can do to one’s health and what can be done to lower insulin naturally.
My Big Fat Diet
42:31
What would happen if an entire town of First Nation people went back to eating the way they used to? A high-fat low-carb diet based on real food?
Living low carb with Jill Rieder: Finding her way to health
08:32
Meet Jill Reider and get to know all about her experiences on a keto diet.
Weight loss and type 2 diabetes reversal on low carb – is it sustainable?
31:51
In this presentation, Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt goes through the scientific and anecdotal evidence, and also what clinical experience tends to show, regarding the long-term effects of low carb.
Therapeutic fasting
46:09
What if there was a more effective treatment alternative for obesity and type 2 diabetes, that is both simple and free?
Carb-Loaded
1:14:40
This may be the best (and funniest) low-carb movie ever. At least it's a strong contender.
The cause of obesity
38:45
What is the real cause of obesity? What causes weight gain? Dr. Jason Fung at Low Carb Vail 2016.
Q&A with Franziska Spritzler
09:52
Questions about how to formulate an optimal low-carb or keto diet.

Type 2 diabetes

My low-carb story with Marc Gossange
03:01
After living somewhat of a high-carb life and then living in France for a few years enjoying croissants and freshly baked baguettes, Marc was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
The essential problem with type 2 diabetes
05:09
Dr. Fung's diabetes course part 2: What exactly is the essential problem of type 2 diabetes?
Why low-fat diets don't work — Dr. Jason Fung's diabetes course
09:16
Does a low-fat diet help with reversing type 2 diabetes? Or, could a low-carb, high-fat diet work better? Dr. Jason Fung looks at the evidence and gives us all the details.
Living low carb with Chris Hannaway
08:19
What does living low carb look like? Chris Hannaway shares his success story, takes us for a spin in the gym and orders food at the local pub.
How to reverse type 2 diabetes
10:21
Dr. Fung's diabetes course part 1: How do you reverse your type 2 diabetes?
What's it like being a low-carb doctor on TV?
17:40
What’s it like working with patients and giving controversial low-carb advice in front of a TV audience?
How to formulate a low-carb keto diet
48:32
Low-carb pioneer Dr. Eric Westman talks about how to formulate an LCHF diet, low carb for different medical conditions and common pitfalls among others.
How to prevent chronic disease – Dr. Trudi Deakin
16:22
In this interview, Kim Gajraj interviews Dr. Trudi Deakin to learn all about her and other health care professionals work at X-PERT Health, a registered charity in the UK.
Insulin toxicity — Dr. Jason Fung's diabetes course
09:03
Dr. Fung looks at the evidence on what high levels of insulin can do to one’s health and what can be done to lower insulin naturally.
My Big Fat Diet
42:31
What would happen if an entire town of First Nation people went back to eating the way they used to? A high-fat low-carb diet based on real food?
Diet & diabetes – how to normalize your blood sugar
16:26
Dr. Eenfeldt's get-started course part 3: How to improve type 2 diabetes dramatically using a simple lifestyle change.
Weight loss and type 2 diabetes reversal on low carb – is it sustainable?
31:51
In this presentation, Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt goes through the scientific and anecdotal evidence, and also what clinical experience tends to show, regarding the long-term effects of low carb.
Carb-Loaded
1:14:40
This may be the best (and funniest) low-carb movie ever. At least it's a strong contender.
Therapeutic fasting
46:09
What if there was a more effective treatment alternative for obesity and type 2 diabetes, that is both simple and free?
How to help patients reverse type 2 diabetes
27:43
How exactly do you as a doctor help patients reverse their type 2 diabetes?
"I have been following the wrong advice!"
16:39
How Antonio Martinez finally managed to reverse his type 2 diabetes.
The 2 big lies of type 2 diabetes
42:54
Why is the conventional treatment of Type 2 Diabetes an utter failure? Dr. Jason Fung at the LCHF Convention 2015.
LCHF and diabetes: science and clinical experience
45:59
What is the root of the problem in type 2 diabetes? And how can we treat it? Dr. Eric Westman at the Low Carb USA 2016.
"We are not designed to be chronically ill"
25:54
80 pounds lighter and no medications
09:12
Is it possible to reverse your diabetes with the help of a strict low-carb diet? Definitely, and Stephen Thompson did it.
A disease of insulin resistance
09:30
Part 3 of Dr. Fung's diabetes course: The core of the disease, insulin resistance, and the molecule that causes it.
Diet Doctor podcast #7 – Megan Ramos
54:01
In the seventh episode of Diet Doctor Podcast, Megan Ramos, co-director at IDM program, talks about intermittent fasting, diabetes and her work together with Dr. Jason Fung at the IDM clinic.
"I knew nothing"
28:51
How come Professor Tim Noakes completely changed his view on what constitutes a healthy diet?
A low-carb diet for T2D reversal – Dr. Sarah Hallberg
34:15
What is the best approach to type 2 diabetes reversal? In this presentation, Sarah takes us on a deep-dive into the matter and she puts studies and evidence under the microscope.

Support

Do you want to support Diet Doctor and get access to bonus material? Check out our membership.

Start your free trial here