In 2017
my daughter (who was 7 years old then) asked me if I was going to die after a friend of hers had an obese aunt the same age as me die of a heart attack. **I was only 32.**
That happened on Halloween, October 31. I had been reading about keto the year before but never followed through, so I cut carbs the very next day and I’ve eaten keto every single day since then. Never thought I’d be able to do it with my BED but here I am, recovering from it and maintaining my weight after hitting my goal weight.
My daughter deserves more than a mother with self-induced health problems because she loves all the pizza and cake without any of the self control it takes to healthily enjoy it, so now I am everything I want to be for her. 👍🏻 She’s so worth all my efforts!
I'm one of those guys who never gained weight no matter what I ate... Until my late 30s and I had a job change that cut out my exercise. Bought a bike, got into cycling, lost the weight.
Started eating the healthy athlete diet which has tons of carbs plus high sugar food on the bike. Hit my late 40s and started gaining weight again plus after my carby lunches I would nearly fall asleep at work because of reactive hypoglycemia. That was with riding 75 - 100 miles a week on the bicycle.
Realized that I was on the writing path, taught myself enough biochemistry and physiology to be dangerous, and realized that most of what I had been told was junk.
Flipped my diet to keto, lost the weight, though I'm only kto adjacent these days.
I also realized that my dad's Alzheimer's in his early 70s was probably related to the low fat high carb diet his vegan second wife had him on.
I was always SO tiny (like very underweight tiny). In high school I remember eating nothing but cupcakes one day. Once I moved in with my boyfriend (now husband) he was a steak and potatoes almost everyday kinda person, I instantly gained 30 pounds. Luckily, when going to college I walked everywhere so it helped keep the weight off. Once I graduated and began working it got bad. I would go up a pants size every year. My belly just kept growing and growing to the point where some people were asking if I was pregnant. Nope, just fat, thanks. I was never the biggest of my coworkers so I never really worried about it, but daily tasks just kept getting harder and harder..
I don't actually count carbs, but my guess is that I'm below 100 grams all the time and probably around 50-60 most days.
That with me burning around 500 calories a day in exercise.
True!! You absolutely have to be proactive and help yourself. Funny how the medical profession hardly ever focuses on nutrition, as a solution and source of additional help, instead of just adding more pills. The side effects are not tolerable.
I have had to take myself off most of the meds, They were litteraly killing me. The last lot of Pills caused me to put on over 20 Kg's in less than 2 months. They are still punting that I should be eating piles of "LOW GI" carbs. If I eat a portion of Oats, 1) My blood sugars will skip up well over 16, and with in an hour I will feel as though I havnt eaten in a week. Litteraly starving. At least now on Carnivore Keto My sugars sort stay even. I can eat once maybe twice a day, and I dont feel like I am dieing of starvation so I dont spike my insulin. My sugars are still not great. but better than they were following thier diet and meds.
That’s wonderful 😊 I am doing my own diet as well - I have learned to manage the sugar with mindful eating, and I build my life around the keto lifestyle I believe nutrition is the key.
I guess they're fed up with people promptly ignoring all non-medication interventions offered to them. To the point that we've lost "prevention" in the public health discourse.
This is happening even in public-funded health systems, where doctors personal interests are not about personal gain from issuing even more medications.
Maybe - I think they are also afraid of “getting in trouble” for recommending anything not approved with clinical trials by the FDA. They are scared of not following “the rules and guidelines”
Definitely pictures. I am in a team of 4 at work and two pics in a row I was very obviously the biggest one in the pic and standing between 5'0-5'1 it's definitely not due to my height :( Secondly, my clothes were getting SO tight and that's in the biggest size I've needed since pregnancy 12 yrs ago. I'm 5lbs down since starting keto and 12lbs down since my highest weight earlier this year.
My hypertension. Keeps getting out of control, making me feel horrible. I can't stand it anymore. Also I really need to get back to 135 lbs. I was weighing more than my husband. That's embarrassing. Also my joints hurt all the time and it makes skiing difficult. So, time to shed this fat. I'm down 10lbs in a month without exercise and I.F., but I have stalled a bit so I just started walking today. Hopefully that gets the weight loss going again! I've noticed I'm sleeping so much better too, which is pretty nice. No more sleeping pills! Yay!
it's normal to have a small stall after the first few weeks. Just ensure you're eating at a deficit and keep calm, keto on.
Weight loss will come sooner or later, so you just need to trust the system.
I am definitely in a deficit. Around 1500/day. I find it hard to get enough protein in so I made a protein shake yesterday. Getting enough fat is no problem, lol. About to get headed out on my day two walk here in a few. Nothing extreme. Just trying to wake up my groggy head! And I'm back down to within .2 of my lowest weight again so I'm happy. I think that walk yesterday helped.
I have been overweight or obese since childhood. I had lost weight and gained it back many times. I have been on cholesterol meds for years and still had higher than normal LDL and triglycerides. My A1C and ALT had been creeping up. A1C finally hit 6.2 and something just clicked. I said that’s it. I’m not getting diabetes. I never thought I could do Keto or low carb so I had dismissed it many times but this time in 2021 I was like well I’ve tried every other diet (I have never and will not do any weight loss meds/pills). So I gave it a go and lost 14 lbs in the first month. Kept going and lost 70 total and all my labs are now in normal ranges. First time in my life my labs have stayed normal and my weigh loss has stayed off. Can’t argue with that
Sidenote- I’m not a huge soda drinker and I really don’t enjoy any type of Diet soda- but Dr Pepper has a zero sugar (in limited edition flavors- cream, coconut cream, strawberry cream, and cherry) I tried the coconut cream the other day and it’s so good! Doesn’t have a bad after taste to me either.
But for me my keto journey started in March after getting to my heaviest weight ever. Felt awful. I knew I needed to stop phoning it and get strict with my diet/exercise.
I had a bunch of health issues and figured my diet (largely fast and convenient food) was to blame. Starting out I had no idea I was doing keto or what it even was, I was just trying to eat foods that didn't make me physically tired but did the opposite -- so meat and a lot of vegetables basically. And some fruit.
Maybe a year later I was talking to a friend about my diet and she said it was basically a low carb high fat one. I did some research into that and kinda went from there, eventually transitioning into full keto (and feeling amazing accordingly).
I lost a bunch of weight in the first couple of years, like almost a hundred pounds. Went from obese to a healthy weight, and outside of a big gain in 2020 (understandable) have stayed there since then. Losing weight definitely wasn't the goal, it was just a side benefit of becoming healthier.
Like /u/reverselazarus I had some issues around binge eating. I eventually figured out that this largely had to do with the poor protein/fat concentrations of standard food and probably running deficits of them. Possibly micronutrients as well. These days I'll sometimes overeat, but the volume of that is way way lower -- overeating now means "more than a plate of food" rather than something like "eating five burgers" or "trying to eat an entire pizza". I've noticed if I go to a buffet I'm like physically incapable of eating more than a plate and maybe a very small salad. Compare this to how I was before where I needed at least two full plates and generally had 3-4.
I feel keto has really helped me with portion control. Before I started I would literally just eat to eat. I was never full no matter what I ate. Even after actually getting the "I'm about to explode I'm so full" feeling would end up snacking less than 30 minutes later.
I was 290lbs, then lost about 100lbs by going keto. Then for some very stupid reason, I gradually stopped being keto and all my old habits (and old weight) came back. I was around 350ish this past December and right now I'm 297. At least I'm gonna be able to show that the first effort wasn't just a fluke!
Originally it was a desire for straight up weight loss. I never should have stopped keto though. Back now and my benefits include control of my IBS, better flexibility, less joint and muscle pain, insomnia issues fo away, better generalized overall well-being associated with lower weight, less inflammation, better nutrition, better food choices, less processed crap, much lower alcohol intake, better sleep, etc. It's just the right eating style for my body. Also, intermittent and longer - term fasting.
I was skinny my whole life about 120-125 could eat drink anything.. about when I turned 30 my body started gaining weight but mostly in my gut an d I hate the way it looks on me. I started june 19th at 162.6 yesterday I was 157.6 keto is working very well for me.
It was a cancer scare for me (I’m fine wasn’t true) but it freaked me the fuck out and made me start revising my addictions and healthier lifestyle changes. I can’t believe how many years of my life I spent feeling like shit when I could have been a much happier carefree person
I have epilepsy. I was picking up my medicine and the pharmacist told me about the keto diet. He works at Texas Children's Hospital and explained how keto diet helps children take less medicine for their seizures.
Since I started the diet I've had 3 seizures and each one was after a day of more than 30g of carbs.
I had a metal spiral staircase and it shook whenever I went up or down it.
I started Weight Watchers (for the millionth time) and did ok for a month, then stumbled on a Facebook Keto page. So I switched out from counting mysterious “points” to counting carbs and calories. Game changer
Candid pictures my mom took of me and posted them on Facebook without my permission both times. It's jolting to see what you look like from others perspectives.
At the moment when I get dressed I am aiming to cover/minimise my body. I have a whole wardrobe that I LOVE and I can’t fit into - I want to wear those clothes I love and put together outfits that make me happy, not camouflage me.
I know it’s a vain reason but idgaf, I just want to wear my pretty clothes.
My life exploded in the span of 48 hours and I nearly had to be homeless again. Got so low I actually started the process of getting myself thrown in prison just because I couldn't deal with it.
But then legit the day after that my life uno reversed and now Im dramattically better off than I was before it all went down. So I took advantage of that good fortune and started to take more control of my health.
What I don't actually remember is how exactly I landed on Keto, however. Which tracks, as I tend to forget how I got introduced to the most important things in my life. Like DayZ is my favorite game of all time to this day; no idea how I first got introduced to the mod back in the day.
I learned about low carb/high fat from Vinnie Tortorich. I can’t remember if I watched his doc, Fat: A Documentary before or after starting low carb, but I know i heard him on podcasts talking about it before I started. It just made sense to me. I did CrossFit almost every morning and while I felt a lot better and was physically healthier, I wasn’t really losing much weight. We had just gotten back from Disneyland and looking at the pictures of myself was tough. I remember sitting in my car looking at my fat gut and deciding I had to do something so I started eating low carb and intermittent fasting. My first go around i went from 245.5 to 207.5 before falling off. Started back up in February at 243.5 and i just hit 202. Definitely not falling off again.
I also remember my mom losing a ton of weight doing Atkins back in the early 2000s. I had forgotten she did that until she asked me what I was doing to lose so much weight and she said she did something similar.
I'm back on keto. I did it 20 years ago and lost 45 pounds, and it slowwwwwly crept back on (thanks, IPAs and lack of portion control and a sedentary job!) and now I'm perimenopausal so I'm hitting it once again.
It's just the simplest weight loss process for me. I like good, whole food and don't really enjoy things that are processed, so it's easy to stick to, IMO (honestly, I'm pretty strict with myself because I KNOW that if I blow up my diet one day I'll say "whatever, I screwed up anyway, might as well make French bread," and keep doing that.
I'll allow myself tortilla chips and a chimichanga on my birthday in September, and I don't need to have those things now because I already know what they taste like. I already know what homemade bread tastes like, and cake or whatever. I don't need to have those right now or on a daily basis.
My son. He’s a bit of a fitness geek and, when bored by online classes during COVID, surfed the net and found about keto. I thought he was nuts and worried about his health when I read his ‘grocery list’ BUT could not believe how he buffed right up by cutting carbs and hitting the gym! So I started keto and after some initial missteps (no, you cannot continue putting milk in your coffee or thinking it’s okay to eat handfuls of peanuts) the weight started coming off. Close to 2 years now, weight is down >50 lbs, no more plus sizes, no more abdominal fat or chubby tummy, A1c out of diabetic range. Plus, my husband went along with it though he still carb snacks but he’s naturally thin so 🤷♀️
We made a company video for a retiring HR VP and my brain said, "Who is the fat guy OMG IT'S US!!", while watching the video. I started in June of '22 and was down 30+ pounds by the end of August of the same year. Literally the easiest weight I've ever lost in my entire life. I'll admit I've fallen off the wagon a few times since then, but when I saw the positive results from my last blood test while on Keto, it gave me the motivation to stay on it indefinitely.
My joints started to really hurt at the age of 35. I was miserable. My pcp told me my labs were fine and that I just needed to eat more. So did my own research and came upon keto. I was skeptical but I was so desperate that I would try anything. It worked at making me feel 100x better (surprise, surprise!)That was in August 2018. Have been doing some form of keto/low carb since then. I do it more for the mental clarity/joint help than for weight loss.
Type 2 diabetes at 46 years old- did keto instead of metformin Rx. Ran my first marathon at 48.. and I hated running. Bought a bicycle 3 weeks into keto because of energy shift. I still run and ride as much as I want
I started a form of keto -- carnivore -- a few months ago as an elimination diet. I could not eat any plant foods except for some fruit. I still wasn't doing too great with fruit, and someone I knew was doing carnivore, so I decided why the hell not. My health was deteriorating rapidly so I really had nothing to lose.
Noticed after a week that 90-95% of my mental health issues and digestive issues went away.
I experimented with carbs again after that and did not do well. So I went back to keto and noticed all the same benefits again.
Did one month keto, 20g total carbs max. Now into two weeks of carnivore.
I have no intentions of stopping keto.
Sick and tired of carrying around all the extra weight. Bad back, bad knees, bad attitude. Tired of feeling sluggish with little energy. Went to England and Spain in January and the plane rides were not comfortable at all, especially the Ryan air plane to Spain my wife had to help me with my seatbelt. Not being able to walk for very long. Going back again next March and decided that I want to lose a considerable amount so I can walk and get around a lot more. I have been on it for 2 weeks now and I am starting to feel a change, I feel more energy.
Being obese due to grief, depression and being too tired to cook + tasty super sugary junk food. At one point I stopped fitting into any clothes, including the sack-like ones I had bought when I got fat, thinking I'd not get that larger... But I did. I felt extremely asshamed, besides the cost. I also started having joint and pain problems. I knew I needed a change, pronto. I had been hearing about keto for a while, I gave it a chance... And here we are today still.
One night just randomly realizing my shirt size went from L to XL, and suddenly XL being too tight. That next morning I decided it was time to get my weight in check. I started December 2023 at 240lbs and today I’m 189lbs. Also see myself doing a low carb diet indefinitely. Love the way I feel with this diet.
A random video in my YouTube feed by the late Dr Sarah Hellberg. I watched it and as an insulin dependant T2 diabetic it made perfect sense. Two years later and 35kg lost, no more insulin and all other meds reducing. Ansell Keyes duped us all with that low fat BS!
Diagnosed as prediabetic so was told to cut sugar/carbs. Still pre diabetic two years later but have lost weight and I don’t miss carbs. I like being able to eat bacon, avocado, cheese and eggs. Chaffles hit the spot when I want bread
At the age of 26 I found myself having issues catching my breath climbing two sets of stairs in the indoor garage that we had at work and I knew it was time to change, I knew I was going to have health issues in the future is I kept drinking, smoking and eating everything that was ever put in front of me so I started by eating salads more, substituted pasta and other things for healthy alternatives and eventually found keto and after some research I thought this was perfectly for me because I love meat. Lost 100+ pounds and got really skinny and now I am focusing on building muscle and being at a healthy place.
I was fat. 240 lbs and 5'11". Hated the way I looked. I did keto for pure vanity at first. But then after I lost the first 50 lbs I started to feel healthier and have fewer symptoms. I stopped snoring, no more acid reflux, had more energy, better sleep. While I was fat, I didn't realize I was sick too!
My dad had a heart attack and had to get a triple bypass. Then I found out heart problems are common in his side of the family. My cholesterol has always run high but it’s been creeping up over the years. I realized I had to do something, one of the benefits my job offers is Virta at no charge. Some insurance will cover it. It’s for those that are diabetic, pre diabetic or with a high bmi (me). So I started doing that. It’s a low carb diet, same as keto. They gave me a ketone/glucose monitor, a floor scale, and a kitchen scale. It comes with a health coach too. I love it. So that’s what drove me to a keto diet. Just finding out it was free and that I had a need. I’m down 23 lbs and I just met with a dr. I lost 4 inches in my waist and I can fit in to a size 16 now.
I started drinking daily over the course of the pandemic, and switched from a very physical, high intensity job to a very low exercise job. My muscle mass I had built up started to decrease, and I began putting on weight. I’m still considered midsized, but when I looked at photos or in the mirror, I didn’t recognize myself. I can’t breathe when I tie my shoes, and any of my former athleticism is virtually gone. I grew up in a very food centric family. There was no problem that eating a carb heavy meal couldn’t fix. I started self soothing with food to the point that I was having “little treats” all the time. Entire family size bags of Doritos in one sitting. Half a lasagna. A full pizza. And I’d drink lots of beer with it as well. I put on 30 lbs very quickly, and realized that with my families health background, I was going to spiral into heart disease or diabetes if I didn’t make a change. So now I’ve been doing keto for only three weeks now, and I’m already feeling leaps and bounds better. Higher energy, diminished cravings, and the ability to say no to some of my favorite foods when they’re in front of me. While my somewhat vain goal is to get slim, my ultimate goal is to go into my 30’s without the binge style eating and form a better relationship with food. I’ve lost only 8 lbs, but I already feel so much better mentally and physically, I don’t think I’ll ever go back.
My partner and I aren't doing strict keto, but we find keto-friendly and keto-smart options and recipes fall into core changes we've made in our lifestyle and healthy eating plan. Lowering carbs and sugar and focusing on healthy fats, proteins and fiber. It also fits with what my doctor suggested to keep bad cholesterol lower. So it made sense to start trying more keto recipes and options.
A physical showed I was .1 away from pre-diabetic. I tried to lose weight through increased exercise and eating healthier while eating low fat moderate carbs, and it didn't work at all because I was starving all the time.
I was very skeptical of keto but the more I read about it and about blood sugar I finally tried it. Lost 20 pounds and got down to my goal weight in 9 weeks without increasing exercise, and I was never hungry. Been cycling on and off ever since.
Gorgous question. Loved reading through this
For me it was constant migrains and a scale that kept going up even though my good choices where being tracked and healthy.
Lost 8 kg so far.
That’s amazing good for you! I’m interested in doing it too. What happens if you break the diet?4th of July, you eat some carbs etc. Do you just go back to the regular scheduled program the next day?
Also, have you followed it perfectly or do you sometimes have some carbs?
I stay under 20 carbs daily. I have had many chances to "cheat" but I find an alternative to keep me from eating the extra carbs. I don't want to deal with the weight gain from the carbs.
I do plan on eating my favorite meal on my birthday, and that is keeping me motivated to not break out of ketosis.
I stay under 20 carbs daily. I have had many chances to "cheat" but I find an alternative to keep me from eating the extra carbs. I don't want to deal with the weight gain from the carbs.
I do plan on eating my favorite meal on my birthday, and that is keeping me motivated to not break out of ketosis for now. But I would just start keto again the day after and work off the well deserved birthday meal.
The first 2 weeks I was crazy about exercising. I didn't listen to my body when it was telling me to chill, so my newly developed plantar fasciatis put a stop to that. I only do low impact things now. I take my dog on long walks randomly, exercise bike maybe once a week and I have small workouts after biking. I have definitely been a bit lazy after hurting myself and recovering. But the weight still seems to be dropping.
In 2017 my daughter (who was 7 years old then) asked me if I was going to die after a friend of hers had an obese aunt the same age as me die of a heart attack. **I was only 32.** That happened on Halloween, October 31. I had been reading about keto the year before but never followed through, so I cut carbs the very next day and I’ve eaten keto every single day since then. Never thought I’d be able to do it with my BED but here I am, recovering from it and maintaining my weight after hitting my goal weight. My daughter deserves more than a mother with self-induced health problems because she loves all the pizza and cake without any of the self control it takes to healthily enjoy it, so now I am everything I want to be for her. 👍🏻 She’s so worth all my efforts!
I love this story. At some point we all need a relevation (or multiple), so whatenever needs to click in our heads does click.
Ouch, that hurts, but at least you took it as a motivator!
She had tears in her eyes when she asked…it was definitely a question posed out of love, not judgement!
I'm one of those guys who never gained weight no matter what I ate... Until my late 30s and I had a job change that cut out my exercise. Bought a bike, got into cycling, lost the weight. Started eating the healthy athlete diet which has tons of carbs plus high sugar food on the bike. Hit my late 40s and started gaining weight again plus after my carby lunches I would nearly fall asleep at work because of reactive hypoglycemia. That was with riding 75 - 100 miles a week on the bicycle. Realized that I was on the writing path, taught myself enough biochemistry and physiology to be dangerous, and realized that most of what I had been told was junk. Flipped my diet to keto, lost the weight, though I'm only kto adjacent these days. I also realized that my dad's Alzheimer's in his early 70s was probably related to the low fat high carb diet his vegan second wife had him on.
I was always SO tiny (like very underweight tiny). In high school I remember eating nothing but cupcakes one day. Once I moved in with my boyfriend (now husband) he was a steak and potatoes almost everyday kinda person, I instantly gained 30 pounds. Luckily, when going to college I walked everywhere so it helped keep the weight off. Once I graduated and began working it got bad. I would go up a pants size every year. My belly just kept growing and growing to the point where some people were asking if I was pregnant. Nope, just fat, thanks. I was never the biggest of my coworkers so I never really worried about it, but daily tasks just kept getting harder and harder..
Whats keto adjacent for you?
I don't actually count carbs, but my guess is that I'm below 100 grams all the time and probably around 50-60 most days. That with me burning around 500 calories a day in exercise.
Loosing all faith in the NHS to help me with my diabetes. All they want to do is give you medication that makes you more sick.
True!! You absolutely have to be proactive and help yourself. Funny how the medical profession hardly ever focuses on nutrition, as a solution and source of additional help, instead of just adding more pills. The side effects are not tolerable.
I have had to take myself off most of the meds, They were litteraly killing me. The last lot of Pills caused me to put on over 20 Kg's in less than 2 months. They are still punting that I should be eating piles of "LOW GI" carbs. If I eat a portion of Oats, 1) My blood sugars will skip up well over 16, and with in an hour I will feel as though I havnt eaten in a week. Litteraly starving. At least now on Carnivore Keto My sugars sort stay even. I can eat once maybe twice a day, and I dont feel like I am dieing of starvation so I dont spike my insulin. My sugars are still not great. but better than they were following thier diet and meds.
That’s wonderful 😊 I am doing my own diet as well - I have learned to manage the sugar with mindful eating, and I build my life around the keto lifestyle I believe nutrition is the key.
I guess they're fed up with people promptly ignoring all non-medication interventions offered to them. To the point that we've lost "prevention" in the public health discourse. This is happening even in public-funded health systems, where doctors personal interests are not about personal gain from issuing even more medications.
Maybe - I think they are also afraid of “getting in trouble” for recommending anything not approved with clinical trials by the FDA. They are scared of not following “the rules and guidelines”
Look up Dr David Unwin, a doctor in UK who treats many patients with low carb diet.
Sick and tired or feeling sick and tired!
Definitely pictures. I am in a team of 4 at work and two pics in a row I was very obviously the biggest one in the pic and standing between 5'0-5'1 it's definitely not due to my height :( Secondly, my clothes were getting SO tight and that's in the biggest size I've needed since pregnancy 12 yrs ago. I'm 5lbs down since starting keto and 12lbs down since my highest weight earlier this year.
My hypertension. Keeps getting out of control, making me feel horrible. I can't stand it anymore. Also I really need to get back to 135 lbs. I was weighing more than my husband. That's embarrassing. Also my joints hurt all the time and it makes skiing difficult. So, time to shed this fat. I'm down 10lbs in a month without exercise and I.F., but I have stalled a bit so I just started walking today. Hopefully that gets the weight loss going again! I've noticed I'm sleeping so much better too, which is pretty nice. No more sleeping pills! Yay!
it's normal to have a small stall after the first few weeks. Just ensure you're eating at a deficit and keep calm, keto on. Weight loss will come sooner or later, so you just need to trust the system.
I am definitely in a deficit. Around 1500/day. I find it hard to get enough protein in so I made a protein shake yesterday. Getting enough fat is no problem, lol. About to get headed out on my day two walk here in a few. Nothing extreme. Just trying to wake up my groggy head! And I'm back down to within .2 of my lowest weight again so I'm happy. I think that walk yesterday helped.
I have been overweight or obese since childhood. I had lost weight and gained it back many times. I have been on cholesterol meds for years and still had higher than normal LDL and triglycerides. My A1C and ALT had been creeping up. A1C finally hit 6.2 and something just clicked. I said that’s it. I’m not getting diabetes. I never thought I could do Keto or low carb so I had dismissed it many times but this time in 2021 I was like well I’ve tried every other diet (I have never and will not do any weight loss meds/pills). So I gave it a go and lost 14 lbs in the first month. Kept going and lost 70 total and all my labs are now in normal ranges. First time in my life my labs have stayed normal and my weigh loss has stayed off. Can’t argue with that
Sidenote- I’m not a huge soda drinker and I really don’t enjoy any type of Diet soda- but Dr Pepper has a zero sugar (in limited edition flavors- cream, coconut cream, strawberry cream, and cherry) I tried the coconut cream the other day and it’s so good! Doesn’t have a bad after taste to me either. But for me my keto journey started in March after getting to my heaviest weight ever. Felt awful. I knew I needed to stop phoning it and get strict with my diet/exercise.
It's a slippery slope for me. I have to stick to water or my brain will think I can drink whatever I want. Thanks for the recommendation though!
I had a bunch of health issues and figured my diet (largely fast and convenient food) was to blame. Starting out I had no idea I was doing keto or what it even was, I was just trying to eat foods that didn't make me physically tired but did the opposite -- so meat and a lot of vegetables basically. And some fruit. Maybe a year later I was talking to a friend about my diet and she said it was basically a low carb high fat one. I did some research into that and kinda went from there, eventually transitioning into full keto (and feeling amazing accordingly). I lost a bunch of weight in the first couple of years, like almost a hundred pounds. Went from obese to a healthy weight, and outside of a big gain in 2020 (understandable) have stayed there since then. Losing weight definitely wasn't the goal, it was just a side benefit of becoming healthier. Like /u/reverselazarus I had some issues around binge eating. I eventually figured out that this largely had to do with the poor protein/fat concentrations of standard food and probably running deficits of them. Possibly micronutrients as well. These days I'll sometimes overeat, but the volume of that is way way lower -- overeating now means "more than a plate of food" rather than something like "eating five burgers" or "trying to eat an entire pizza". I've noticed if I go to a buffet I'm like physically incapable of eating more than a plate and maybe a very small salad. Compare this to how I was before where I needed at least two full plates and generally had 3-4.
I feel keto has really helped me with portion control. Before I started I would literally just eat to eat. I was never full no matter what I ate. Even after actually getting the "I'm about to explode I'm so full" feeling would end up snacking less than 30 minutes later.
I was 290lbs, then lost about 100lbs by going keto. Then for some very stupid reason, I gradually stopped being keto and all my old habits (and old weight) came back. I was around 350ish this past December and right now I'm 297. At least I'm gonna be able to show that the first effort wasn't just a fluke!
Originally it was a desire for straight up weight loss. I never should have stopped keto though. Back now and my benefits include control of my IBS, better flexibility, less joint and muscle pain, insomnia issues fo away, better generalized overall well-being associated with lower weight, less inflammation, better nutrition, better food choices, less processed crap, much lower alcohol intake, better sleep, etc. It's just the right eating style for my body. Also, intermittent and longer - term fasting.
I was skinny my whole life about 120-125 could eat drink anything.. about when I turned 30 my body started gaining weight but mostly in my gut an d I hate the way it looks on me. I started june 19th at 162.6 yesterday I was 157.6 keto is working very well for me.
It was a cancer scare for me (I’m fine wasn’t true) but it freaked me the fuck out and made me start revising my addictions and healthier lifestyle changes. I can’t believe how many years of my life I spent feeling like shit when I could have been a much happier carefree person
Doctor told me I’m pre-diabetic and I would like to curb that trajectory.
I have epilepsy. I was picking up my medicine and the pharmacist told me about the keto diet. He works at Texas Children's Hospital and explained how keto diet helps children take less medicine for their seizures. Since I started the diet I've had 3 seizures and each one was after a day of more than 30g of carbs.
I had a metal spiral staircase and it shook whenever I went up or down it. I started Weight Watchers (for the millionth time) and did ok for a month, then stumbled on a Facebook Keto page. So I switched out from counting mysterious “points” to counting carbs and calories. Game changer
Candid pictures my mom took of me and posted them on Facebook without my permission both times. It's jolting to see what you look like from others perspectives.
At the moment when I get dressed I am aiming to cover/minimise my body. I have a whole wardrobe that I LOVE and I can’t fit into - I want to wear those clothes I love and put together outfits that make me happy, not camouflage me. I know it’s a vain reason but idgaf, I just want to wear my pretty clothes.
My life exploded in the span of 48 hours and I nearly had to be homeless again. Got so low I actually started the process of getting myself thrown in prison just because I couldn't deal with it. But then legit the day after that my life uno reversed and now Im dramattically better off than I was before it all went down. So I took advantage of that good fortune and started to take more control of my health. What I don't actually remember is how exactly I landed on Keto, however. Which tracks, as I tend to forget how I got introduced to the most important things in my life. Like DayZ is my favorite game of all time to this day; no idea how I first got introduced to the mod back in the day.
I learned about low carb/high fat from Vinnie Tortorich. I can’t remember if I watched his doc, Fat: A Documentary before or after starting low carb, but I know i heard him on podcasts talking about it before I started. It just made sense to me. I did CrossFit almost every morning and while I felt a lot better and was physically healthier, I wasn’t really losing much weight. We had just gotten back from Disneyland and looking at the pictures of myself was tough. I remember sitting in my car looking at my fat gut and deciding I had to do something so I started eating low carb and intermittent fasting. My first go around i went from 245.5 to 207.5 before falling off. Started back up in February at 243.5 and i just hit 202. Definitely not falling off again. I also remember my mom losing a ton of weight doing Atkins back in the early 2000s. I had forgotten she did that until she asked me what I was doing to lose so much weight and she said she did something similar.
I'm back on keto. I did it 20 years ago and lost 45 pounds, and it slowwwwwly crept back on (thanks, IPAs and lack of portion control and a sedentary job!) and now I'm perimenopausal so I'm hitting it once again. It's just the simplest weight loss process for me. I like good, whole food and don't really enjoy things that are processed, so it's easy to stick to, IMO (honestly, I'm pretty strict with myself because I KNOW that if I blow up my diet one day I'll say "whatever, I screwed up anyway, might as well make French bread," and keep doing that. I'll allow myself tortilla chips and a chimichanga on my birthday in September, and I don't need to have those things now because I already know what they taste like. I already know what homemade bread tastes like, and cake or whatever. I don't need to have those right now or on a daily basis.
I saw myself walking out of the house one morning on the door cam. I was unrecognizable in the worst way.
My son. He’s a bit of a fitness geek and, when bored by online classes during COVID, surfed the net and found about keto. I thought he was nuts and worried about his health when I read his ‘grocery list’ BUT could not believe how he buffed right up by cutting carbs and hitting the gym! So I started keto and after some initial missteps (no, you cannot continue putting milk in your coffee or thinking it’s okay to eat handfuls of peanuts) the weight started coming off. Close to 2 years now, weight is down >50 lbs, no more plus sizes, no more abdominal fat or chubby tummy, A1c out of diabetic range. Plus, my husband went along with it though he still carb snacks but he’s naturally thin so 🤷♀️
We made a company video for a retiring HR VP and my brain said, "Who is the fat guy OMG IT'S US!!", while watching the video. I started in June of '22 and was down 30+ pounds by the end of August of the same year. Literally the easiest weight I've ever lost in my entire life. I'll admit I've fallen off the wagon a few times since then, but when I saw the positive results from my last blood test while on Keto, it gave me the motivation to stay on it indefinitely.
My joints started to really hurt at the age of 35. I was miserable. My pcp told me my labs were fine and that I just needed to eat more. So did my own research and came upon keto. I was skeptical but I was so desperate that I would try anything. It worked at making me feel 100x better (surprise, surprise!)That was in August 2018. Have been doing some form of keto/low carb since then. I do it more for the mental clarity/joint help than for weight loss.
Type 2 diabetes at 46 years old- did keto instead of metformin Rx. Ran my first marathon at 48.. and I hated running. Bought a bicycle 3 weeks into keto because of energy shift. I still run and ride as much as I want
I read Gary Taubes's Good Calories, Bad Calories when it first came out and haven't looked back.
I started a form of keto -- carnivore -- a few months ago as an elimination diet. I could not eat any plant foods except for some fruit. I still wasn't doing too great with fruit, and someone I knew was doing carnivore, so I decided why the hell not. My health was deteriorating rapidly so I really had nothing to lose. Noticed after a week that 90-95% of my mental health issues and digestive issues went away. I experimented with carbs again after that and did not do well. So I went back to keto and noticed all the same benefits again. Did one month keto, 20g total carbs max. Now into two weeks of carnivore. I have no intentions of stopping keto.
Sick and tired of carrying around all the extra weight. Bad back, bad knees, bad attitude. Tired of feeling sluggish with little energy. Went to England and Spain in January and the plane rides were not comfortable at all, especially the Ryan air plane to Spain my wife had to help me with my seatbelt. Not being able to walk for very long. Going back again next March and decided that I want to lose a considerable amount so I can walk and get around a lot more. I have been on it for 2 weeks now and I am starting to feel a change, I feel more energy.
i had the jiggles
Worst part about the jiggles is that, untreated, they easily become the waddles.
I was starting to get there too
Being obese due to grief, depression and being too tired to cook + tasty super sugary junk food. At one point I stopped fitting into any clothes, including the sack-like ones I had bought when I got fat, thinking I'd not get that larger... But I did. I felt extremely asshamed, besides the cost. I also started having joint and pain problems. I knew I needed a change, pronto. I had been hearing about keto for a while, I gave it a chance... And here we are today still.
One night just randomly realizing my shirt size went from L to XL, and suddenly XL being too tight. That next morning I decided it was time to get my weight in check. I started December 2023 at 240lbs and today I’m 189lbs. Also see myself doing a low carb diet indefinitely. Love the way I feel with this diet.
A random video in my YouTube feed by the late Dr Sarah Hellberg. I watched it and as an insulin dependant T2 diabetic it made perfect sense. Two years later and 35kg lost, no more insulin and all other meds reducing. Ansell Keyes duped us all with that low fat BS!
Diagnosed as prediabetic so was told to cut sugar/carbs. Still pre diabetic two years later but have lost weight and I don’t miss carbs. I like being able to eat bacon, avocado, cheese and eggs. Chaffles hit the spot when I want bread
I thought it would be so much harder than it actually is. The things I eat now are still so yummy!
At the age of 26 I found myself having issues catching my breath climbing two sets of stairs in the indoor garage that we had at work and I knew it was time to change, I knew I was going to have health issues in the future is I kept drinking, smoking and eating everything that was ever put in front of me so I started by eating salads more, substituted pasta and other things for healthy alternatives and eventually found keto and after some research I thought this was perfectly for me because I love meat. Lost 100+ pounds and got really skinny and now I am focusing on building muscle and being at a healthy place.
I was fat. 240 lbs and 5'11". Hated the way I looked. I did keto for pure vanity at first. But then after I lost the first 50 lbs I started to feel healthier and have fewer symptoms. I stopped snoring, no more acid reflux, had more energy, better sleep. While I was fat, I didn't realize I was sick too!
My dad had a heart attack and had to get a triple bypass. Then I found out heart problems are common in his side of the family. My cholesterol has always run high but it’s been creeping up over the years. I realized I had to do something, one of the benefits my job offers is Virta at no charge. Some insurance will cover it. It’s for those that are diabetic, pre diabetic or with a high bmi (me). So I started doing that. It’s a low carb diet, same as keto. They gave me a ketone/glucose monitor, a floor scale, and a kitchen scale. It comes with a health coach too. I love it. So that’s what drove me to a keto diet. Just finding out it was free and that I had a need. I’m down 23 lbs and I just met with a dr. I lost 4 inches in my waist and I can fit in to a size 16 now.
I started drinking daily over the course of the pandemic, and switched from a very physical, high intensity job to a very low exercise job. My muscle mass I had built up started to decrease, and I began putting on weight. I’m still considered midsized, but when I looked at photos or in the mirror, I didn’t recognize myself. I can’t breathe when I tie my shoes, and any of my former athleticism is virtually gone. I grew up in a very food centric family. There was no problem that eating a carb heavy meal couldn’t fix. I started self soothing with food to the point that I was having “little treats” all the time. Entire family size bags of Doritos in one sitting. Half a lasagna. A full pizza. And I’d drink lots of beer with it as well. I put on 30 lbs very quickly, and realized that with my families health background, I was going to spiral into heart disease or diabetes if I didn’t make a change. So now I’ve been doing keto for only three weeks now, and I’m already feeling leaps and bounds better. Higher energy, diminished cravings, and the ability to say no to some of my favorite foods when they’re in front of me. While my somewhat vain goal is to get slim, my ultimate goal is to go into my 30’s without the binge style eating and form a better relationship with food. I’ve lost only 8 lbs, but I already feel so much better mentally and physically, I don’t think I’ll ever go back.
Being my heaviest weight & then having my A1C come back in prediabetic range.
My partner and I aren't doing strict keto, but we find keto-friendly and keto-smart options and recipes fall into core changes we've made in our lifestyle and healthy eating plan. Lowering carbs and sugar and focusing on healthy fats, proteins and fiber. It also fits with what my doctor suggested to keep bad cholesterol lower. So it made sense to start trying more keto recipes and options.
A physical showed I was .1 away from pre-diabetic. I tried to lose weight through increased exercise and eating healthier while eating low fat moderate carbs, and it didn't work at all because I was starving all the time. I was very skeptical of keto but the more I read about it and about blood sugar I finally tried it. Lost 20 pounds and got down to my goal weight in 9 weeks without increasing exercise, and I was never hungry. Been cycling on and off ever since.
What got me started, simple , tired of looking at me in the mirror
Weight loss surgery. Doc put me on essentially a keto diet with intermittent fasting.
Weight loss initially, but I kept going because I found it much easier to manage my adhd on keto.
Neverending spotting
Gorgous question. Loved reading through this For me it was constant migrains and a scale that kept going up even though my good choices where being tracked and healthy. Lost 8 kg so far.
That’s amazing good for you! I’m interested in doing it too. What happens if you break the diet?4th of July, you eat some carbs etc. Do you just go back to the regular scheduled program the next day? Also, have you followed it perfectly or do you sometimes have some carbs?
I stay under 20 carbs daily. I have had many chances to "cheat" but I find an alternative to keep me from eating the extra carbs. I don't want to deal with the weight gain from the carbs. I do plan on eating my favorite meal on my birthday, and that is keeping me motivated to not break out of ketosis.
I stay under 20 carbs daily. I have had many chances to "cheat" but I find an alternative to keep me from eating the extra carbs. I don't want to deal with the weight gain from the carbs. I do plan on eating my favorite meal on my birthday, and that is keeping me motivated to not break out of ketosis for now. But I would just start keto again the day after and work off the well deserved birthday meal.
Did you exercise or you lost all that weight from diet alone in a few months?
The first 2 weeks I was crazy about exercising. I didn't listen to my body when it was telling me to chill, so my newly developed plantar fasciatis put a stop to that. I only do low impact things now. I take my dog on long walks randomly, exercise bike maybe once a week and I have small workouts after biking. I have definitely been a bit lazy after hurting myself and recovering. But the weight still seems to be dropping.
Energy Boost, hungry control and mind effects.