The keto diet: “I have come back from the dead”

May 31 2018 by , medical review by in Autoimmunity, Diabetes stories, Intermittent fasting, Keto, Success stories

Kellie has lost 187 pounds (85 kg) and reversed type 2 diabetes with a keto diet and intermittent fasting. And as if that wasn’t fantastic enough, a test for lupus, an autoimmune disease which previously made her bedridden, came back negative after the diet switch!

Her whole family is now eating keto, and her husband and son have also transformed their health. This is their story:

Dr. Andreas,

I stumbled upon Diet Doctor early on in my journey in 2016. I was 340 lbs (154 kg) and bedridden from lupus. I was a 12-year vegan following the 80/10/10 principal and fruitarian for six months. My weight sky rocketed and I was then diagnosed as pre-diabetic. I decided that I had to change something or I was going to die.

I researched paleo and ate my first fish since 2005. I cried… I felt guilty BUT I also felt something I hadn’t felt in over a decade… satiety. Unfortunately with paleo I still had immense cravings and was making paleo brownies daily. Someone in my over eaters anonymous group suggested keto and the rest is history.

I went from bedridden to doing muay thai kick boxing and boxing. Keto and intermittent fasting reversed my pre diabetes and my ANA is now NEGATIVE. I used to have positive SSI and now it’s negative. I have come back from the dead.

My entire family is keto now. It has reversed my young son’s type 2 diabetes, and my husband lost 140 lbs (64 kg) and was able to get back into the military.
Thank you for your low carb mission. You have changed lives and given life back to many of us. My entire family is keto now. It has reversed my young son’s type 2 diabetes, and my husband lost 140 lbs (64 kg) and was able to get back into the military.

Kellie

Kellie’s husband

Comment

Thank you for sharing your fantastic story, Kellie! It’s very inspiring to hear about whole families doing keto together.

Get started

Do you want to try what Kellie has 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

Keto for beginners

How to lose weight

How to reverse type 2 diabetes

Keto

Keto for beginners: Introduction
08:02
Learn how to do a keto diet right, in part 1 of our video course.
"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.
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.
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.
Diet Doctor Podcast #31 – Dr. Ken Berry
51:26
Dr. Ken Berry wants us all to be aware that much of what our doctors say may be a lie. Maybe not an outright malicious lie, but much of what “we” believe in medicine can be traced back to word-of-mouth teachings without a scientific basis.
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.
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.
All things keto with Keto Connect
16:44
What is it like running the very popular YouTube channel Keto Connect?
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.
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.
A life without migraines
15:44
Elena Gross' life was completely transformed with the ketogenic diet.
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?
Fat Chance
1:05:43
Is it possible to ride a pushbike across the Australian continent (2,100 miles) without eating carbs?
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.
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.
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?
Treating cancer with a keto diet
17:07
Can a strict keto diet help prevent or even treat some cancers, like brain cancer?
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.
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.
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.
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.
Losing weight with less protein
09:24
Jimmy Moore talks about the greatest insight that made it possible for him to get rid of 80 stubborn pounds (36 kg) without hunger.
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.
Q&A with Miriam Kalamian
15:26
Do cancer patients tolerate chemotherapy better when fasting or being in ketosis?

Weight loss

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?
Living low carb with Yvonne Lane
05:51
Yvonne used to see all those pictures of people who'd lost so much weight, but sometimes didn't really believe they were real.
Living low carb with Valerie Mugridge
04:01
Valerie wanted to lose weight by cutting calories, giving up things she really loved, like cheese. But this did not help her with her weight.
"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.
Diet Doctor Podcast #33 – Dr. David Unwin
43:25
Dr. Unwin was on the verge of retiring as a general practice physician in the UK. Then he found the power of low carb nutrition and began helping his patients in ways he never thought possible.
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.
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 do an LCHF or keto diet
1:00:45
Dr. Eric Westman explains how to do a well-formulated LCHF diet.
Pie-making champion goes low carb
03:23
Learn how this pie-making champion went low carb and how it changed his life.
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?
Living low carb with John Holding
04:57
John used to suffer from a myriad of aches and pains which he simply dismissed as “normal”. Known as the big guy at work, he was constantly hungry and grabbing for snacks.
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.
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.
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.
Are all calories the same?
20:04
Are all calories created equally – regardless of whether they come from a low-carb, low-fat or a vegan diet?
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.
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.
The hidden costs of medications
44:51
Can medications prevent or hinder your efforts to lose weight and become healthy? Jackie Eberstein at the Low Carb Cruise 2016.
Insulin resistance and sexual health — Dr. Priyanka Wali
23:24
Is there a connection between insulin resistance and sexual health? In this presentation, Dr. Priyanka Wali presents several studies that have been made on the subject.
Living low carb with Sue Acres
04:33
Sue used to be 50 pounds (23 kg) overweight and suffered from lupus. Her fatigue and pain was also so severe that she had to use a walking stick to get around. But she has reversed all this on keto.
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.
Is obesity caused by too much insulin?
25:27
Is obesity mainly caused by the fat storing hormone insulin? Dr. Ted Naiman answers this question.
200 pounds lost and a health journey for the family
15:05
Larry Diamond has transformed his life and lost 125 lbs (57 kg) on a low-carb diet, and here he shares his insights from his journey.

Type 2 diabetes

Living low carb with Yvonne Lane
05:51
Yvonne used to see all those pictures of people who'd lost so much weight, but sometimes didn't really believe they were real.
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 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.
Living low carb with John Holding
04:57
John used to suffer from a myriad of aches and pains which he simply dismissed as “normal”. Known as the big guy at work, he was constantly hungry and grabbing for snacks.
"I have been following the wrong advice!"
16:39
How Antonio Martinez finally managed to reverse his type 2 diabetes.
How to reverse type 2 diabetes
10:21
Dr. Fung's diabetes course part 1: How do you reverse your type 2 diabetes?
How to help patients reverse type 2 diabetes
27:43
How exactly do you as a doctor help patients reverse their type 2 diabetes?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
The problem with sugar
50:01
Is it fat or sugar that has triggered the unprecedented epidemics of obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic disease? Taubes at Low Carb USA 2017.
"I knew nothing"
28:51
How come Professor Tim Noakes completely changed his view on what constitutes a healthy diet?
The science of low carb
16:07
Here Dr. Eric Westman – one of the researchers behind the modern scientific trials of low-carb diets – takes you through the results.
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?
Everything goes in the right direction
09:53
Arjun Panesar is the founder of the diabetes organization diabetes.co.uk, which is very low-carb friendly.
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.

Support

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

Start your free trial here

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.

27 comments

Top comment

Eileen
May 31 2018 4
Kellie you are an inspiration. Keto for life!

Read more →

All comments

2 comments removed
3
Vicky
May 31 2018 3
Great looking couple! Nice Job
1 comment removed
5
Leno
May 31 2018 2
The photos of the husband look photo shopped .......all his moles disappeared in the after photo..In any diet balance and exercise are always gonna be your keys to success.

Reply: #27
6
WarblingLisa
May 31 2018 2
Congratulations, Kellie, to you and your husband. It's wonderful keto has improved the health of your entire family. Thanks for sharing your story with us!!
7
Kathleen
May 31 2018 3
Congratulations, Kellie. Super news!
8
Kellie
May 31 2018 2
Hi Lizzy not a bunch of crap a bunch of truth. I have been documented every step of my journey with my various doctors, pcp, rheumatologisrs, endocrinologist and gyno through regular lab work. If u have ANY questions feel free to ask ?
9
Kellie
May 31 2018 1
@leno my husband actually does several videos and live videos.. Feel free to watch them on his
IG @theketorock . I can ASSURE u he is every bit as gorgeous in person. If u have any questions i am on
IG @QueenTasiLeao
10
Kellie
May 31 2018
@leno oh and one more thing.. His 1 mole in the before pic is covered by his sunglasses.. Haha ?
11
Kellie
May 31 2018 2
Thank u Lisa and Kathleen! I wish they had posted a pic of our youngest son (who is now 10) too. He was pre-diabetic. We got him on keto and he lost 20lbs and his A1c is completely normal
12
Terrie
May 31 2018 1
Been doing keto for 6 wks nothing i think its bs to cant be good for your heart and arteries eating all that fat
13
Kellie
May 31 2018 1
@terri keto is a tool to help supress hunger, regulate hormones, insulin levels and burn off glycogen stores. U still need to be in a caloric deficit. There is A lot of actual research and data out there that has proven unequivically that animal fats do not cause heart disease. Any credible cardiologist will tell u to reduce carbohydrates and sugars. In fact there are many articles promoting LcHf written by cardiologists and talks given that are on youtube.
Best wishes! And keep doing ur research.
14
Ryan Mesler
May 31 2018 2
while you can reverse diabetes by switching from processed junk to whole foods as seen in the magic pill, what you don't realize is the damage your arteries are undergoing because they're being pumped full of fat.

olive oil is pure fat too, refined and bottled for your convenience. the health "benefits" of olive oil are grossly exaggerated and are nullified by the damage they cause your arteries. short term AND long term.

fact is, ketosis is an emergency mechanism your body uses when you're starving. it is not meant as a lifestyle or a diet solution.

there are plenty of studies by real doctors that can back all of this up.

Reply: #31
15
Eileen
May 31 2018 4
Kellie you are an inspiration. Keto for life!
16
Kellie
May 31 2018 2
@ryan actually ketosis is a NATURAL mechanism ur body goes through when depleted of glycogen stores. Pregnant women go into a natural state of ketosis and babies are born in a state of ketosis. Pretty neat huh? And considering my BuN, CrP and all antibodies have dropped to normal levels, and also my critically low vit d levels(when i was vegan) of (an 8!) rose to a normal level of 64... After 2 years keto and without mega high dose of prescription Vit d.. 50,000iu a day. (that is what i was prescribed by my endo when i was first diagnosed and as a vegan at that... And those levels didnt budge putting me in the Critically low catagory). If u want to talk stats i would LOVE to talk stats. Because i was so sick i became a professional patient on a positive note i let ALL of the kab results do the talking rather than resort to conjecture and random FB posts by Random people.

Btw i wad also prescribed statins as a low fat high carb vegan because my LDL was so high. Go figure
17
Yvette
May 31 2018 2
You did it,) cheers to everyday being a better you.
18
Tanner
June 1 2018 1
A 380 lb fruitarian ? Lmao, lard isn't a fruit.
19
Kem
June 1 2018 2
Tanner most fruits turn into sugar. Do your research. Why you have to be so rude.
20
Kem
June 1 2018 1
I have lost 40 pounds since March 2, 2018 by just cutting out carbs. I do not do all the high fat as my doctor told me it is not good for me and it raises your cholesterol levels, I use the keto strip and my body stays in ketosis without the high fat intake. I now weigh 150 pounds and have 10 more to go and I am sure I will be at my goal by June 1st. Carbs are not good for our body and if you want to lose weight lose the carbs it works.
21
Alex jones
June 1 2018 1
lol if you're starving yourself of course you're going to loose weight. Like what is this keto nonsense. You can eat literal crap and loose weight if you're eating 1000 calories a day. Why not eat whole plant based diet and be satiated and satisfied and not worry about anything. The weight just comes off, like Greyhound lean and mean. Plants plants plants love your body and what you put in it.

Reply: #22
22
Reply to comment #21 by Alex jones
Jennifer
June 1 2018 2
"I was a 12-year vegan following the 80/10/10 principal and fruitarian for six months" Right there she said she was vegan if you read it.

Reply: #26
1 comment removed
24
Kris
June 1 2018
Thruth about ketogenic diets. You can accomplish just about all that is claimed in this article on a McDonald's diet. Losing weight reverses type 2. Doesn't make it healthy in the long term.
1 comment removed
26
Reply to comment #22 by Jennifer
Kris
June 1 2018
You can be a junk food vegan. I think Alex is talking about eating a whole foods plant based diet. Sounds like she failed Miserably for 6 months on a fruititarian diet. But we don't know what she ate and this is an anecdote. Check out my video link below for long term side effects of a ketogenic diet
27
Reply to comment #5 by Leno
Mark
June 1 2018 3
Great job, Kellie and fam! Ignore the haters.
28
Kellie
June 1 2018 1
@kris, i was vegan for 12 years sweetie and a raw foods chef. I was fruitarian as a last ditch effort to help with my lupus which rendered me bedridden. A fruitarian and 80/10/10
Caused a diagnosis of type 2, occular migraines (because of the fructose). So that high fructose diet failed Me... And the thousands of people that have tried it. The vegan, raw, fruitarian community is based out of pseudo science and fear tactics. Aside from losing 200lbs now, the horrific experience of being disabled from an equally horrific diet changed my career and field of study from unsubstantiated vegan propaganda to dietetics.

U should gather information before forming outlandish assumptions. Its reflective of small mindedness.
29
Kellie
June 1 2018 1
@alex in terms of "starving yourself", u must be in a caloric deficit of ur tdee in order to lose fat.. This is true. But, i eat to substain and enhance my activity level and athleticism. Which is Muay thai and boxing, training at arguably one of the best MMA gyms in the world.
30
Kellie
June 1 2018 2
@kris the people here are way too educated to fall for ur vegan propaganda. And people who are on my Social media know exactly what i've eaten for the past 2 years as i have posted daily and in several dozen live videos.
So, good try.
31
Reply to comment #14 by Ryan Mesler
Ken
June 6 2018
While opinions are enjoyable to hold and invite others to share, I challenge you to provide references for your claims, which sound a lot like old diet-heart hypothesis junk, which has been repeatedly debunked at vast expense by the very people trying to prove it. For extensive exploration of this subject I refer you to the work of ; Nina Teicholz, Zoe Harcombe, Gary Taubes and many others.
32
Liz
January 17
Kellie, I have Lupus and have been on Keto diet for 3 weeks.
My body no longer aches, I am able to move effortlessly. I have lost 21 pounds and feel great! I do not eat a lot of fat, but I go consume a lot of salad and green vegetables. My choice of protein are eggs, turkey sausage, ribeye, seafood and uncared bacon occasionally.
Congrats to you. Dismiss the haters.

The keto diet: “I have come back from the dead”

Comment

Get started

Most popular success stories

All success stories

More