After one year of low carb: “I am 70 years old today and have never felt better”

April 1 2018 by , medical review by in Cholesterol, Diabetes stories, High blood pressure, Intermittent fasting, Keto, Success stories

Thanks to low carb, everything has changed for Maria in only one year. She has reversed pre-diabetes, improved her fitness significantly and lost 76 lbs (34 kg).

This is how she did it and what she eats:

I started my journey on March 13th, 2017 and as of March 13th, 2018 I have lost 76 pounds (34 kg). I am 70 years old today and have never felt better.

A year ago, everything in my body ached… my hands, my knees, my hips. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, on numerous medications and also pre-diabetic with an A1c of 5.9. I couldn’t walk 50 feet (15 m) without stopping for a breath. Today my A1c is 4.8. I’m not on any blood-pressure medications or statins.

Now at 70. I can walk three miles (5 km), without stopping to catch my breath. I purposely park at the far end of the parking lots and walk as much as I can.

I still work full-time, so meals are quite simple. Eggs, meat, cheese, butter and some vegetables.
I still work full-time, so meals are quite simple. Eggs, meat, cheese, butter and some vegetables. Have tried recipes on this site and I do enjoy them when I have time to cook.

I would still like to lose at least 10 more pounds (5 kg), so I am now fasting, drinking only bone broth, for 48-72 hours.

Above is a picture taken one year apart.

With regards,
Maria

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Congratulations and thank you for sharing, Maria! :-)

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16 comments

1
Karen
April 2 2018
Congratulations. You look healthy, strong and beautiful.
2
Keith
April 2 2018
Great work Maria an exceptional success story and an inspiration to others. So glad you found the DietDoctor.
3
Mary Boles
April 2 2018
Congratulations, you look great. You're dedication paid off.
4
WarblingLisa
April 2 2018
Congrats, Maria! What a wonderful birthday present to give yourself. You look fabulous. No doubt you'll reach your weight goal!
5
janet
April 3 2018
Well done! It's never too late to become healthy. This is a great inspiration for us older folk! I'm late 60's and also never felt better.
6
Andrea
April 4 2018
You go girl! You look fantastic and are radiant. You can really tell from the pic how good you are feeling. Such an inspiration! Thank you for sharing
7
Terri
April 4 2018
Maria you are an inspiration, and I have the luck of being inspired daily! ;) t.
8
Sue
August 8 2018
Did you have problems with loose skin? If so, did you find a solution? Thanks
9
Kathy
August 24 2018
Omg! You look fabulous..I just turned 60 and only 12 days into this awesome way of eating and living..you are a true inspiration..thank you for sharing and congratulations!
10
Mary Catherine
March 20 2019
Thanks Maria. I'm 71 years old and have worked hard on the low carb high fat diet for a couple years. So many unfortunate things have happened in the last couple years and I have found it hard to maintain. I have lost about 50 lbs on my small 5'2" frame. Already I have my abdomen and arms hanging. Called a clinic that looks after post weight loss patients. It will cost about $15,000 Cdn to have the surgery. They recommended to lose another 20-25 lbs before they do anything. Did you have surgery? Are you in Canada? Are you somewhere that the cosmetic surgery is partially covered for seniors in a province? You need not answer these questions if you prefer. But thank you for your story.
11
Kim
April 5 2019
Congratulations Maria, you look amazing. Thanks for your inspiring story.
12
Jane
April 5 2019
Thank you, so inspiring! I've been struggling, mainly due to lack of time to be organised to cook. You've reminded me to keep meals simple.
13
Jeri
May 17 2019
Thank you so much for sharing your story and congratulations on your success. You do look wonderful; trim and fit. It's such an inspiration for me to see that being a bit beyond the "ideal" age to lose weight is no hindrance. I'm in my mid-60's and have been following this way of life for 6 weeks. It really gets me down to see the general negativity attached to losing weight in older stages of life (though this website is a breath of fresh air). 34 kilos in a year is a massive achievement and you really give me hope that I can achieve something similar.
14
Carol S
August 30 2019
I wonder if you lose slow and daily do exercises that focus on those fat loose areas - would that help to keep loose skin from forming?
I haven't started yet. I am about 175 and want to go to about 140. I haven't been able to shed a pound so far. I am 72 female.

Reply: #15
15
Reply to comment #14 by Carol S
Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
August 31 2019

I wonder if you lose slow and daily do exercises that focus on those fat loose areas - would that help to keep loose skin from forming?
I haven't started yet. I am about 175 and want to go to about 140. I haven't been able to shed a pound so far. I am 72 female.

Welcome Carol! You may find some good information in this guide on our website.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/top-tips-lose-weight-low-carb-women-40
16
STARRIS Smallwood
January 29 2021
You are definitely an inspiration to us all that would like to follow in your footsteps I am on my way to success as well with a keto diet

After one year of low carb: “I am 70 years old today and have never felt better”

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