The keto diet: “My body moves and feels better than it did 20 years ago”

Mary had tried everything to lose weight but nothing would last. She went from binge eating to counting calories for decades. In her 60s she stumbled upon the Diet Doctor website and tried a keto diet:

Dear Diet Doctor,

This is my story.

I am a 60-year-old female, I live in Grand a Forks, British Columbia, Canada. Today marks seven months since I came across the Diet Doctor site and my life changed.

I was never overweight growing up, in fact, the opposite. I am 5’7” (170 cm) and my weight was between 135-140 (61-63 kg) from late teens until I was about 25 years old. I never gave weight much thought and didn’t notice at first the slow gain, about 5-6 pounds (2-3 kg) a year. After the first 25 pounds (11 kg), I went to Weight Watchers, weighing 167 (78 kg) and had success – I went back down to 140 (63 kg). I didn’t really change how I ate however, and I was right back up to 165-170 (75-77 kg) quite quickly, then back to the slow gain at 5-ish (2 kg) pounds a year. So, by the time I was 40, I was obese, over 200 pounds (90 kg), most in my belly, an “apple” shape. I had a terrible night-time sugar eating habit and would eat “dessert” (after pasta or potatoes or garlic bread) in the form of cakes or cookies or chocolate bars …or toast and jam if that was all that was in the house… from after supper until I went to bed.

In 2006, at 48 years of age, I weighed 226 pounds (103 kg) and rejoined Weight Watchers. I did fairly well, until at 182 pounds (83 kg) I plateaued. Inevitably, my weight started to creep back up, this time 6-7 pounds (2.5-3 kg) a year, until in 2013, now 55 and freshly retired, I was back at 210 plus pounds (95 kg). With all kinds of time on my hands, I attempted weight loss again. This time, I counted calories, eating a maximum of 1200 calories a day, walking, and following a protocol in which I limited calories for two weeks, then I had an “eat up” day where I would eat the amount of calories I would need for maintenance (1800) which basically amounted to a “cheat meal”. I would do that for two weeks, then add an extra “eat up” day so I was “eating up” twice a week for two weeks, then back to once a week. I did this for 12 weeks, and lost a bunch of weight, going down to 168 (76 kg).

I started eating lower carb at that point… I was beginning to understand that real, whole foods resulted in weight loss, however, I still had a huge sweet tooth, and felt that as long as I counted calories and kept moving I could eat everything, including starch and sugar. I maintained 168 (76 kg) for almost a year, but never lost another pound, even though I tried by continuing to cut calories. Frustrated, I stopped trying. I went back to work part-time, went back to eating sugar all night, and by December of 2017, now almost 60 years old, I once again weighed 210 pounds (95 kg), was in excruciating joint pain, to the point I could no longer enjoy walking or any physical activity. Worse, confirmed by blood work, I was pre-diabetic, and ripe for heart disease, with triglyceride levels off the chart.

So I went back to Weight Watchers, and quite quickly lost 10 pounds (4.5 kg). I could not lose another ounce, no matter how many points I counted. I would get frustrated and binge, which resulted in overnight gains of 5 pounds (2 kg) that would take a week to get rid of. I was losing the same 5 pounds (2 kg) over and over! Of course, I blamed myself, my lack of willpower, my laziness, all that negative, nonproductive self-talk, none of which was even true as I was about to find out.

In February of 2018, I stumbled across the Diet Doctor site, I don’t even remember how. I took advantage of the 30-day free membership and went first to the video section. I watched the video “Konvincing Kids Kounting Kalories is Kooky” and suddenly, it all made sense. I joined the LCHF 2-week challenge, and instantly, within the first few days, I saw results. My night-time eating was the first thing to go, effortlessly. I would realize it was bedtime and I hadn’t thought of food since dinner. My joint pain decreased. I started to sleep well. And the weight was falling off me, at the rate of a half pound a day (0.2 kg). I spent hours on the site, utilizing the many resources available, watching videos, educating myself on the science of weight loss.

Fast forward to today. LCHF has ceased to be a “diet” and is now a way of life. Once I became “fat adapted” I started incorporating intermittent fasting, usually 16:8 but I have done 24 hours as well. I only eat when hungry, and often this amounts to only once a day. I have lost 40 pounds (18 kg), but the weight loss has become secondary. My blood-work has improved exponentially. I can walk 7k with no pain. I sleep 7-8 hours a night. My mood is better. My skin is no longer dry. I look (and feel) 20 years younger. I no longer binge, if I eat more than I should, there are never overnight 5 pounds (2 kg) gains.

Is eating LCHF a magic pill? No. LCHF doesn’t ADD anything. It REMOVES the toxins that make you fat and sick! It’s science, pure and simple. This is how we are meant to eat, and when we do so, the body responds immediately, which is all the proof I need.

I still have 12-15 (5.5-7 kg) pounds to go to get to my “goal” weight, and slow but steady its coming off. I’m learning more and more every day about this way of eating and this way of life. And I have a new goal: to shout from the rooftops so that all the people I know, and there are many, who are fat and sick and tired, and in chronic pain and who think at 40 or 50 or 60 years of age that their life is over. I want the whole world to understand that it’s the FOOD they are consuming that makes them feel that way! And I want them to know most of all that everything we eat, even dessert, can be “keto-ized” – LCHF food is delicious! There is nothing I love more than having “non-keto” guests over for dinner. Especially those who are skeptical of the keto lifestyle. They leave full and satisfied, and surprised that they just had lasagne made with sliced deli chicken or keto lemon meringue pie and never even noticed!!!

I’m freshly retired (again) at 60 and I look so forward to the next 20 years…no kids to raise, no job to worry about, and a body that moves and feels better than it did 20 years ago. Thank you Diet Doctor. You saved my life.

Comment

Wow, Mary! What a journey you’ve done. Thank you for sharing your story and a big congratulations on your success!

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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.