From 316 to 203 Pounds: My Keto & Intermittent Fasting Success Story

How did you discover keto? 

Before Dr. Berg’s program, I tried every diet known to mankind. I tried low-calorie diets, potato soup diets, and the Atkins diet, where I had temporary success at losing about 40 pounds in about 3 months, but after that, I gained not only that back but then some. 

I discovered Dr. Berg’s new “healthy” ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting program in October 2016, and finally found real, simple, lasting solutions presented in clear, trustworthy language.  

I was very impressed by how he presented it and how simple it was–and most of all, by how knowledgeable and straightforward Dr. Berg is. These short, simple videos give people all the tools they need to lose weight in short, simple formats that suit a busy lifestyle. 

Did you have any problems with your weight or health before going on keto? 

I was always chubby growing up. I always felt overweight and self-conscious. When I reached high school, I already weighed 190 pounds at 5’9″. 

Then I got married, which seemed to cause more weight gain for me. I don’t know if it was “love” or getting too comfortable or spending too much time sitting around, but I ended up gaining morethan 100 pounds in less than 10 years.  

But most of all, I think what triggered my weight gain was that although my body began to change in my twenties and I seemed to gain weight more easily than before, I continued eating like when I was younger, and it just slowly packed on until I was very obese. 

Before keto and IF, my joints hurt all over, badly, every day. I learned from Dr. Berg that this could be inflammation caused by bad food, refined grains, and sugar. I really don’t like the way I feel when I eat non-keto food. 

When I first began Dr. Berg’s program, I weighed 316 pounds. 

What did your diet look like prior to adopting keto? 

My ten-year weight gain was full of eating a lot of sugary foods, which I love, and drinking about 2 liters of soda every day. Not to mention eating all day, which I also love. 

How has your health improved since you started keto? 

Yesterday, I weighed myself, and I am down to 203 pounds. I lost my first 113 pounds in just 10 short months. And ten months go by so quickly as an adult. So, you go from fat to thin in the blink of an eye on this program. 

I’ve found a whole new way to live through Dr. Berg’s program. I’ve never felt happier, more energetic, or healthier. Each day is like a new gift. 

How does an average day of eating/fasting look for you on keto? 

The way I’ve approached Dr. Berg’s program is this. I started out eating three meals a day, like he advises, while eating no snacks between meals. Before long, I was doing one meal five days a week. 

What I do is a blend of 1 meal a day/2 meals a day intermittent fasting, so I can eat and bond with my family. 

Monday through Friday, I have one meal a day. I eat kale, spinach, and all the green vegetables I can eat with oils like olive oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil. In those days, I also eat protein. Then on Saturday and Sunday, I eat two meals a day so I can eat with my family. I feel great these days. I mean, I feel as good on my two-meal days as I do on my three-meal days. 

But I can tell you this… if there are days when keto food is not readily available, I feel like crap the next day; groggy and tired. This happens whenever I eat non-keto food, so I try to eat keto only. Why feel bad when you can feel good, right? 

Now, I eat mainly green vegetables, grass-fed butter, fatty, grass-fed meat, and nutrient-dense foods. 

Does exercise play a role in your success on keto? If so, how? 

I never used to work out or eat healthy, but now, I feel so great that I work out five times a week, doing both weight training and cardio training. 

If you could offer advice to someone starting keto, what would you say? 

It was only hard the first THREE days. I recommend that anyone starting the program start it on a weekend, when they have a few days off, so they can really devote themselves to getting through the initial, more challenging period. 

Not that it’s THAT hard, it’s not. The food you eat on a ketogenic diet is so filling that you never get hungry. But real carb junkies, like I was, will go through a few days of sugar withdrawal. Dr. Berg has all kinds of tips for that, and they all work very well. 

I was used to drinking sugary sodas and coffee laden with sugar and creamer all day. Now I drink water and black coffee, and I don’t miss it at all, I feel great. If you are eating like I was, you will go through a kind of “detox” period while your body adjusts to that initial sugar withdrawal. You may feel a little bit out of sorts. 

In short, I couldn’t recommend this program highly enough to anyone wanting to lose weight AND feel great. 

Any other details you want to share?   

This diet is the easiest, fastest, and produces lasting results. It’s the best diet I’ve ever done and the only diet that has kept the weight off. 

But wait, it’s not a diet. It’s a way of eating where the weight just jumps off. 

I’m proud of what I’ve done–losing over 100 pounds, but more than that, I’m happy about all the people I’ve been able to recommend to Dr. Berg’s site who have witnessed my weight loss and wanted to know how I did it. 

Of course, I still consider myself young at 41. But that’s because I felt so much older before starting this program. 

For people beginning this diet, I lost 12 pounds in just the first week. Some of that was water weight, but there was fat loss too. 

I still have a way to go; I want to lose another 8 to 10 pounds. Ideally, I’d like to get down to 180-190 pounds, but I’m so happy to feel better that I’m really in no rush now. 

If you’re on the fence about whether or not to try this diet–keep it simple. Remember this: Simply keep following Dr. Berg, and you’ll soon see the results of weight loss and better health.