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Stories“I’m going to continue keto forever”
Lance has been on an incredible keto journey, to say the least. He initially started the diet as a way to manage his epilepsy, and ended up losing 70 lbs (32 kg) and reversing pre-diabetes.
Here is his story and inspiring words for anyone who wants to do the same thing:
My weight and health was out of control. My doctor said I was borderline diabetic and sent me to diabetes and nutrition classes. They were interesting and I learned a lot, but a calorie-restrictive diet wasn’t working.
I’m a carbohydrate addict. It’s a real thing. Corn, potatoes, macaroni and cheese, bread, pasta, Australian licorice – these are drugs to me. I also have a portion-control problem. Growing up in the south I was used to large portions of comfort food all day long. If I was celebrating, I ate. If I was depressed, I ate. If I was bored, I ate.
It got worse. I have a genetic form of epilepsy that didn’t kick in until I was 40. I started having very serious seizures. Medication wasn’t working very well, and after having to take higher and higher doses of medications that made me dizzy, confused, caused poor memory, gave me blurry vision and caused depression, my neurologist told me that keto might be helpful.
The more I read, the more a keto diet seemed to be the answer to all of my problems. I couldn’t find enough information to really get started – until I found dietdoctor.com. The advice here finally kicked me into keto, and I recommend anybody struggling take the info here and continue to read and use the diet plans and videos.
It took me four days to get into ketosis, and I used a keto blood meter to check my levels every few days. It wasn’t always easy, and I cheated and had to get back into ketosis 4 times, but I lost over 70 pounds (32 kg) in nine months. I feel amazing. I had two accountability buddies who lost over 90 pounds (41 kg) in the same timeframe. My seizures and epilepsy symptoms are under control. My blood glucose levels stay steady around 95 mg/dl (5.3 mmol/L), and before I started my fasting level was 130 mg/dl (7.2 mmol/L). I think faster, I feel full, and my general health and blood panels are excellent.I’ve been meditating and started my new goal – to put on 20 pounds (9 kg) of muscle while losing 8 more pounds (4 kg) of fat, and keto is a great benefit there as well.
I’m still a carb addict and sometimes it’s difficult – I actually dream about macaroni and cheese. It was tough to learn my body, and what food effect me differently than they might other people. My advice is to stick with it, it does work. Don’t be discouraged when things don’t go well, you will find the foods and patterns that get you where you want to be with keto.I want to thank Andreas and the Diet Doctor team for the info and inspiration I needed and still count on. I’m going to continue keto forever, it’s risky if I don’t, and the fear of diabetes and seizures outweighs the brief rush of carbohydrates.
Keep it up everyone, if I can do it, so can you.
Lance
Lance on Instagram: inlancewetrust
Lance’s website (about to launch in a week): Advanced Biology
Comment
What an inspiring story Lance! Thank you for sharing.
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PS
Do you have a success story you want to share on this blog? Send it (photos appreciated) to andreas@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.
N.A.K.I. trans fats are from vegetable oils (like margarine), not animal fats.
Migraines gone! 3 day long episodes with auras and vision changes and nausea... Gone!
Christie
I am a newbie to Keto and I have researched nutrients, ph balance for years yet, I have not been able to lose the weight.
For that past two weeks, I have begun the Keto lifestyle change. I have not lost any weight yet but I have not gained weight either. My energy level has risen and my clothes are fitting to lose so, while the scale is not reading the numbers that I would wish to see in regards to weight loss the non-scale victories are present. I am confident that as I begin to learn more about the Keto lifestyle and adjust my dietary needs to the program the weight will begin to come off.
Awesome Ross! In order for me to avoid gaining weight I have to stay in what in Atkins is called Induction. That's just how my body works.
Janice you are clearly a shill for the industrial farming lobby. That's a joke. I half agree with you, and I used to sound just like you. My personal opinion is you should challenge that classic advice with new findings, and some old ones that simply weren't popular with the mainstream (insert conspiracy theory here). Fruits, in particular, for me are death. My blood glucose level spirals out of control and I gain weight even in moderation. Things like fruit, potatoes, bread of any grain configuration, pasta, and anything that tastes sweet are what nearly pushed me all the way into Diabetes. Potatoes, dipped in anything or just plain naked appear to be the reigning king on the glycemic index and glycemic load chart - they're bad for you. Corn, no matter how it is prepared, is incredibly risky, but cheap to grow. But I think you are dead on about what I think you are expressing beyond that - clean food is healthier food. That's why I go out of my way and pay more for the most local, organic (not organic because the sticker says so) and least processed food I can find. I recently went to Sedona and ate perfectly clean for a week, drank only the unfiltered spring water, stayed in ketosis, and felt amazing.
Joy, you get it.
Christie, go to the doctor ASAP.
Greg, my story is barely an opening act for yours. You're the kind of person that inspired me to keep going.
Jose, thank you for setting the record straight.
Arne, keep going, you're awesome.
Karen, I find that for women, dieting is twice as hard, and half as fast as men. Keep learning and stick with it!
Journnie, good for you!
Thanks Paul!
Warbling Lisa, thank you so much. Your well-wishes help in this next phase that I predict will be slooooow.
Mary-Ann, Thank you and I feel healthy too.
Ken, this is true. The point is that it's a lot easier for me to total net carbs throughout the day than calories as you would on a calorie restricted diet. Calories come in all shapes and sizes, and keto allows me to worry a lot less about that.
TeeDee, I have thought about that a lot - the pain vs pleasure principle, and how we are more motivated by not wanting something bad to happen to us than wanting something good to happen to us. In my last seizure I broke my nose, my cheek, bit through both lips, and got banged up all over the place, all because I was simply standing at the bathroom sink when it happened. Scary stuff. And I understand exactly what you're talking about regarding the conquer of cravings, it's a powerful feeling.
Thanks you guys!!!
Tamarah