With 280 pounds lost, Jane feels “better than ever”
Before she committed to the ketogenic diet in the spring of 2020, Jane was close to losing her mobility.
Diagnosed with Stage 3 lipedema, her legs were so swollen, heavy, and painful that she had to walk with two canes or a bariatric walker. Her weight had hit a high of 460 pounds (208 kilos).
She’d tried many diets before and always ended up gaining back everything she had lost and more. However, she’d heard through lipedema support groups that a ketogenic diet might help.
(Diet Doctor has written a guide about lipedema as well as a special article about women’s experiences using the ketogenic diet to improve their weight and symptoms.)
When she hit rock bottom in February 2020, Jane decided that she, too, would commit to ketogenic eating.
“I feel truly alive for the first time in a long time. I have a new vitality that I never thought would be possible for me at the age of 49,” Jane said in September 2021.
By December 2021, she had even more success and had lost a total 278 pounds (126 kilos). Jane’s story has been lightly edited.
What’s your name, age, and where do you live?
I’m Jane; I’m 49 and live in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
How did you discover keto or low carb?
I’d been aware of keto/low carb diets for about a decade. I dabbled with reducing carbs but I found I could never stick with it and could not maintain the losses or the lifestyle — until this past year!
In recent years I had also learned I had lipedema, a female disorder of painful fat accumulation on the hips, legs, and upper arms, that’s resistant to diet and exercise.
Through lipedema support groups (lipedema-simplified.org and lipedemaproject.org) I learned that the ketogenic diet might help, and I became active in their wonderful online community. I also asked my doctor for a referral to the Toronto Metabolic Clinic (founded by Dr. Jason Fung), for support in incorporating intermittent fasting into my new ketogenic journey.
In the spring of 2020, I committed to a higher protein, ketogenic diet with additional medical support. I invested in ketogenic and nutritional coaching from Australian Clinical Nutritionist Megan Pfeffer in June 2020. Diet Doctor recipes and educational information also became very important and inspiring to me.
I continue to do a clean, high protein ketogenic diet, accompanied by intermittent fasting.
And, I’ve now lost 280 pounds (127 kilos)! I feel better than ever, I’ve regained my full mobility, improved my overall health, and I’m comfortable in my body and enjoying life again free of pain.
Did you have any health or weight struggles before going low carb or keto?
Absolutely! I battled weight gain for more than three decades.
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at age 10 and started at that time on life-long thyroid medication.
I tried many different diets over the years with no sustainable success, always gaining back more than I lost.
I now firmly believe that I have an intolerance and addiction to sugar and carbs. Moderation does not work for me. As soon as I added back the carbs and the sugar, the weight would come back on, and the vicious cycle of non-stop cravings would return.I noticed that once I hit my 40’s, my lipedema was getting much worse. Like most women with lipedema, my waist and torso were always smaller, but my legs were becoming increasingly heavy, swollen, and painful, and this was seriously impacting my mobility. My body just ached from head to toe, and even standing for more than a minute would become excruciating.
I feel like I had spent most of the last 10 to 15 years in a “fog.” On the outside, I was always cheery and personable to those around me, but on the inside, I was consumed by feelings of distress, depression, and utter helplessness.
Before I started the ketogenic diet, I became dependent on using two canes for simple walking, even at home, and then moved to a bariatric walker because of the pain in my knees and ankles; my legs were just so bulky and heavy. The fat pads around my knees had grown so much that my walking had become a forced and irregular waddle. I felt in utter despair.





















Jane has traded in her canes for trekking poles; her husband has lost 50 pounds
I started making some small changes in the snacks I was eating at work. The COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, when I started working from home, actually was a silver lining, helping me to block out distractions. I could finally focus on self-healing and my nutrition.
Now my life has completely turned around. My health and wellbeing have dramatically recovered and continue to improve from day to day in so many wonderful ways!
What were you eating before making this lifestyle change?
Everything. I soothed my emotions and filled my days with huge portions of fast food, sugary sweets, pop (regular and diet), chips, ice cream, and bread. It was a toxic mix of unhealthy fats/oils, sugar, sweeteners, and preservatives.
This food and drink served as a “comfort” and pleasure to me in those moments, but immediately afterward I had overwhelming discomfort and pain, bloating, sleepiness, and sluggishness. But soon, I’d seek out “comfort” again.
Now I can’t believe all the terrible food I ate, (and their astonishing carb counts). No wonder my whole body felt like it was on “fire” (with inflammation). I was swollen, achy, and extremely unhappy.
What does a typical day of eating and/or fasting look like for you now?
I now enjoy two delicious and satiating “clean” ketogenic meals each day, with no snacking in-between. I eat high quality protein like meat, fish, eggs, cheese, healthy fats, and plenty of above-ground vegetables.
On a typical day, I skip breakfast but have some good quality black coffee that I sip throughout the morning. I also enjoy green and herbal teas (with no sugar or additives), but my main “go-to” drinks are water and coffee.
If I feel a twinge of hunger (very rare now), I‘ll dissolve a small chunk of sea salt or Himalayan pink salt on my tongue (like a Tic Tac!) — a tip I learned from others at Lipedema Simplified. The hunger sensation disappears and I keep my electrolytes up while fasting.My fasting routine is generally 18:6 or 16:8, with the occasional OMAD (one-meal-a-day) or extended fast (36 to 48 hours) thrown in just to shake things up!
By the time 12:30 or 1 pm rolls around, I have my first meal. One day I might scramble three eggs with butter, fresh chives, and flavorful cheese (and maybe some low carb veggies or seasonings). I will have that with four strips of bacon, maybe three cherry tomatoes, salt/pepper, and enjoy a coffee with cream at this time. I’ll have three Brazil nuts daily for the selenium.
I’ll finish eating/drinking within that hour and only have water, tea, and black coffee until my next and final meal, most often between 6 and 8 pm.
Dinner will consist of another high protein item, most often chicken or beef, occasionally fish, along with a healthy serving of low carb veggies with butter, some form of cheese and other healthy fats, salt/pepper, and seasonings.
My routine is focused on meals with high protein, moderate/high, healthy fat, and low carb. I have no sugar or sweeteners. I stick to a max of 20 carbs/day, which has enabled me to burn off so much of my excess body fat.
I no longer think of food as a comfort or an escape. I think of it as precious fuel for my body and mind and make sure I am only choosing high-quality fuel from a rich variety of protein sources, healthy fats, and a wide variety of lower-glycemic vegetables.My husband joined me in my keto way of life during Christmas 2020! He’s now lost more than 50 pounds.
Occasionally, we’ll have take-out food like dry-rub or salt-and-pepper chicken wings, Greek souvlaki (no rice or potatoes), and salad.
I’m amazed at how, once I became fat-adapted and detoxed from the refined sugar and other inflammatory foods, my cravings for all those things disappeared and have never come back!
Now I eat really solid, satisfying meals and once I’m done, I’m done until the next meal. My body is satisfied, and my mind is calm.
While I lost a lot of weight in the past, this feels very different now – it is just life, and I feel like I’m not even “trying” or sacrificing in the least.
In what ways has your health improved?
In so many ways!
Losing 250 pounds (113 kilos) has resolved my mobility problems and erased my joint and leg pain. I can walk again, strong and confidently without the need for canes or a walker! [By December 2021, Jane informed Diet Doctor she had lost a total of 278 pounds (126 kilos).] I can now ride a stationary bicycle and this summer enjoyed riding a bicycle outside for the first time in years. I also kayaked for the first time in two decades! I have recently added yoga, Pilates, and strength training. I have also rediscovered my passion for hiking, and I love to say that I have traded in my two canes for trekking poles!
I am excited now about other physical adventures. My body feels motivated to move now, and I want to take it places.
I now feel in the best health of my life. My blood sugar is normal, my blood pressure is normal. I have healthy cholesterol levels. My inflammation is gone, and my thyroid medication dose has been reduced twice.
I now sleep very well at night and awaken well-rested and refreshed, and am almost to the point of no longer being dependent on the use of a CPAP machine for sleep apnea.
I am especially proud that I was able to reduce my HbA1c levels from borderline type 2 diabetes to now in normal range (high 4’s) – I am not even pre-diabetic anymore!
My asthma is well-controlled and I am no longer out of breath on the slightest exertion. My brain fog is gone. I feel an overall sense of calm and clarity and boundless energy. I was able to eliminate my antidepressant medication months ago, too, because my doctor and I felt it was no longer needed.Have you learned from any mistakes in your journey?
Yes, there have been lots of lessons, but three that others may learn from are:
- I can’t do moderation.
Several of the weight loss programs of my past had the philosophy “all things in moderation.” Now I know this simply does not work for me. As a carb and sugar addict, my cravings were constantly being triggered by “moderate” carbs, and I wasn’t making the connection. I now understand the physiological and psychological reasons why. Sugar and excess, poor-quality carbs are non-negotiable now. If I want to lose weight, feel good, and truly feel healthy in mind, spirit, and body, I MUST eat “clean.” There is no such thing as “cheat days” for me! - I must read labels carefully.
Just because a product says “keto,” it may not be the best choice for me. I rely mostly on whole foods and homemade keto meals now. I carefully read the labels of any processed items to ensure they do not contain any of the oils, sweeteners, or inflammatory ingredients that I have successfully eliminated from my diet, even if the product is otherwise low carb or keto. - I learned to love cooking!
I used to despise cooking because I found it too painful and cumbersome, so most often would default to take-out (in unhealthy quantities!). It feels like another miracle, but learning how to cook delicious keto meals from scratch helped transform my relationship to food. Now I love to cook, especially discovering and using keto-friendly Diet Doctor recipes.
- Keto crack chicken for slow cooker (the first keto DD recipe my husband and I ever made!)
- Keto pancakes with berries & cream
- Keto skillet pizza
- Keto chicken Caprese casserole
- Keto avocado Alfredo sauce with zoodles and chicken
- Keto Mexican scrambled eggs
- Keto Tex-Mex casserole
- Keto sheet pan fajitas
I think exercise is necessary for overall good health and wellness, but you can still experience incredible success on low carb even with minimal physical activity. I am starting to implement a regular exercise routine into my life now that I feel so much better and have lost so much weight.
In hindsight, I wish I would have incorporated some small routine of strength and cardio right from the start, but at 460 pounds I was also dealing with so many aches and pains and diminishing mobility that exercising was just too distressing.
I knew there would come a time, though, that my body would feel ready again to move freely without pain and restriction, so I just listened to it and took things gently (e.g., chair exercises). When it felt safe enough to exercise is when I began – little by little.
What are your top three tips for people starting low carb?
- Be patient with the process – start slowly, only making a few changes at a time. This worked for me, just making a few changes from week to week and getting used to them, so I didn’t feel too overwhelmed and give in to old, self-destructive eating habits.
- Keep your salt intake up and hydrate I only use Redmond real salt or Himalayan pink salt – be mindful of your labels when using iodized table salt. Realize that some salt brands contain dextrose and other additives?
- Learn to make more of your own keto meals. Use the highest-quality natural ingredients you can afford rather than buying processed keto snacks or meals. Some keto products helped serve as a “bridge” for me at the beginning to get me used to eating lower carb, but I eventually traded most in for homemade or whole-food keto choices.
I feel truly alive for the first time in a long time. I have a new vitality that I never thought would be possible for me at the age of 49, all thanks to committing to a clean, ketogenic lifestyle along with intermittent fasting. I feel incredible now and am looking forward to living FIT at 50!
Follow Jane and her journey:
Website/blog
Instagram
Twitter
YouTube Channel
What an amazing and inspiring story, Jane! Your success with keto and your renewed vitality for life is so encouraging. Congratulations.
~Anne Mullens
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18 comments
Wow, Abby!! So much going on for you right now, and juggling it all while dealing with the pandemic over the past few years sounds like it has been quite a challenge!! I am SO happy to hear that reading my story has inspired you to maybe have a 'reset' of your own, and really take note of those specific things you know you personally can't 'do' in moderation ... That truly was a game-changer for me, once I established my 'non-negotiables' and actually stuck with them so that I don't even have to try now ... it's just life. Otherwise, I was constantly retriggering the cravings for more and more of certain things, even though I thought I was doing the 'right thing' at the time (SO many times! lol) in just the usual 'diet' of restricting of calories and not really understanding (on a molecular level) what these foods were actually doing to me, even in small quantities! I know you've said that you'll plan to recommit for yourself once your kitchen is back in working order, which is FANTASTIC ... but hey, I bet there are even one or two small changes you could make now (why wait?), even if you can't full-out cook and go wild in the kitchen, you may be able to swap out some of the higher-carb choices in your daily meals with some lower-carb alternatives (while keeping the taste, ideally! lol) ... Just a thought, anyhow :) Best of luck with all the renos and all the wonderful stuff going on in your life (like your kids experiencing university!) Thank you so much for your kind comments and for sharing that you also know what it's like to be living with lipedema and some of the challenges that come along with it. Be well!! :)
Hi, Christine! I am smiling so wide right now reading what you've written because what I'm reading/hearing is pure HOPE :) I am so happy to know you are going to (and probably already have by now!) research about lipedema. The information is out there and it's ours to discover. Just like me, I had no idea that a condition called lipedema even existed until about 2-3 years ago, but have always wondered why even at times I would lose weight over the past 3-4 decades I was still always left with the bulk of my weight still in my legs, hips, and eventually upper arms, too. Most of all, though, was how much pain, swelling, and stiffness I was living with when I was going hog wild with the horrible carb choices (and esp. being hooked on sugar most of my days!) ... I can relate... I'm sorry you're experiencing daily pain right now ... it is hard to remember how it feels to be without it when you're right in the thick of it every day, but please know that even the tiniest of positive lifestyle change can make such a noticeable impact on pain reduction... Like you said, you suspect that maybe eating certain carbs in 'moderation' might not be working for you, either, so I hope my story might have helped to inspire you to maybe take a hard look at some of the food choices you are defaulting to and maybe make a little change for the better ... you might find eliminating a certain item from your diet may help improve your inflammation levels and, in turn, help to calm the pain to some degree (my wish for you!) ... Looking back, I never imagined I would get the range of motion and just feeling of 'calm' back again after so many years of feeling like I was 'on fire' (and knowing full-well I was still feeding that fire with the poor food choices I was making). I am excited for you and feel like you may have found a new 'spark' of inspiration that is going to lead to you in the right direction towards some serious 'self-care', that you are most deserving of. That's exciting, too, that you are curious about possibly trying to incorporate intermittent fasting (IF) along with your keto, too! Do your research and make sure it will be a safe option for you (there are so many different regimens to IF and you just need to find the right combination for you) ... Even just within Diet Doctor, alone, there are SO many articles and videos that can guide you and I haven't even scratched the surface of the ones I want to check out, to be honest ...LOL For a trusted medical source of info on IF, I highly recommend looking up Dr. Jason Fung (if you aren't already familiar with him) .. and I hope you will try out some of those recipes I had listed! lol ... My favorite is the Keto Pancakes, I think, but it's really hard to choose ..haha Thank you SO much for your kind words of support and for taking the time to comment. Wishing you joy in the days ahead with your OWN renewed commitment to YOU ... :)
After reading your story, I too realize that moderation my not be the best mode to progress with my own goals!
Thanks for sharing your truly inspirational story!
Best,
Rob
Thank you once again
x
Yes, vegetables can certainly be a part of a keto or low-carb diet! This article may be helpful for you! https://www.dietdoctor.com/weight-loss/vegetables
Thank you so much for your kind words, Rob! My apologies for the delay in acknowledging your reply. I am SO happy to know that you felt inspired in reading my story and had the realization that perhaps moderation wasn't the best fit for you, either, as you advance towards your own goals! Learning that some things had to be 'non-negotiables' for me to heal was truly an eye-opener for me, as for YEARS I had been trying to conform to the idea of 'moderation' as I tried diet after diet, not realizing that as long as I was even indulging in the slightest bits of what I know now are my 'trigger' foods (e.g. popcorn, and just about anything sugar-filled or highly processed!) I was just setting myself up for failure as my body (and mind!) would continue to crave these things to no end ... And, in that horrible cycle that so many of us have experienced, I would lose my way again, eat even MORE of the poor quality food/drink items that I was trying to 'moderate' and feel the sense of defeat and hopelessness all over again. I never thought I would break out of that cycle, but I DID and it's been 2 years now and still going strong. This is LIFE now, and it feels incredible. I hope over the past few months you have been able to figure out what things in your own day-to-day nutrition are the things that needed to be eliminated completely to allow you to move ahead and that you are feeling better every day for it! Best of luck in your continued journey towards better health & wellness! :)
Hello, Eunice! Thank you so much for the cheers of support and for sharing your own personal experience and challenges. I sure know how it feels to work so hard to lose 50 or so pounds (on a number of occasions over the past several decades!), only to regain it and lots more, afterwards! It is devastating. Honestly, until I discovered keto (along with intermittent fasting) I thought I was doomed to be on that horrible cycle for the rest of my life, truly a sugar and carb addiction that was 'calling out to me' at every minute of the day and night, myself - I felt like a prisoner in my own body! :( I want you to know that if I was able to find my way to self-healing over these past 2 years after being at such a low point physically and mentally and FINALLY breaking out of that never-ending cycle of carb and sugar obsession, there IS totally hope for you and I have no doubt you can find your way, too!! I think you might need to identify your own personal 'non-negotiables', just like I did, and decide to STICK to them. It's amazing how even just the smallest of changes in your nutrition can make a world of difference in the way we feel and the weight can start to drop off as a 'side effect'! :) When you reach that point of calm and the cravings are gone, keep on going and don't look back!! LOL ... It's SO worth it. Thanks for your comment about me looking like a 'different person' - that makes me so happy to hear because I truly do FEEL like a different person. Please know, though, that when I look back at the 'before' pictures of me I look at the woman I was at that time with compassion because I remember the pain and despair I was in and so desperate to find the answer ... I hope you look at your own 'past you' and present you in the same light, and remind yourself that you are WORTH taking good care of and not fueling yourself with things that are only going to hurt and inflame you. It was so sweet of you to ask about my social media, too ... I hope to one day, soon, be able to share my experience and journey more widely online, and I hope when that happens you'll be able to find me! :) All the best in finding the courage to start again from where you are and running with it!! Thanks for your kindness and support xoxo
Hi, Annett! Thank you for your kind compliments ... it really means a lot to me! :) After losing 280 lbs, I'm actually surprised how well my skin did in 'pulling in' all over, but I definitely DO have areas of loose, crepey skin as a result mainly in my upper thighs, upper arms and buttocks. I have lipedema fat in my lower body and upper arms and wear medical-grade compression (from waist down) which have been a huge help in keeping me 'in place' and supporting my blood vessels and stability, too. In hindsight, I wish I had have started implementing strength training and regular exercise earlier in my journey (it was extremely hard with the pain and stiffness I was living with at my higher weights), but it is never too late to start and I am finding myself feeling energized to take my health to the 'next level' now that I have made ketogenic eating my lifestyle and am hoping to further tone up my muscles along the way! It's just amazing how so much weight can be lost by simply choosing to eat low-carb and being mindful of avoiding inflammatory foods... I still have to 'pinch' myself sometimes when I look at that number, but it's REAL... and it happened ... :) I hope you are finding your own success with the support of Diet Doctor, too, and will reach all of the personal health goals you are aiming for. All the best! :) xo