Jennifer Christmas's Story

After years of yo-yo dieting, Jennifer Christmas was at her heaviest in December 2017. She decided to make a lifestyle change for the better. Christmas was introduced to keto by a friend and once she had done some research she began her keto journey right away.

“I was having hip pain and knee pain, my feet were swollen all the time, and I had just been diagnosed with high blood pressure a few months before,” she said. “So I knew I needed to make a change.”

Within the first 30 days, she lost 25 pounds (11 kg) and after 90 days she had lost 55 pounds (25 kg). Seeing these results encouraged Christmas to stick with it.

She didn’t learn about Dr. Berg until over a year after starting keto. She realized she was doing “lazy keto” before his videos. “Dr. Berg's videos help tremendously with information,” she said. “Some of the major lessons I've learned from Dr. Berg are that you don't necessarily have to get all the fat and calories in for the day, that it's important to get lots of veggies, and if you eat too much protein it could stall your weight loss.”

Now, Christmas says she feels amazing—with enough energy to work out six days a week and walk five miles every morning. “If I could have done anything differently, it [would have been] to start exercising sooner,” she said. “I was able to take myself off of blood pressure medication after just three months and I am at my lowest weight [since] high school.”

Because of her past experience with losing weight, only to gain it all back (and then some) shortly afterward, Christmas was determined to keep the weight off for good this time. “The hardest part about losing weight is all of the temptations and not having enough time to prepare for meals,” she said. “[But] the best part is being able to go clothes shopping and fitting into smaller sizes [without] having to shop in the plus-size section anymore.”

In 14 months, she lost 150 pounds (68 kg). But she still sees herself as a work in progress. “Don't give up—it will all be worth it in the end,” she advises. “You may not lose on the scale every week but you are getting healthy and losing inches. Read labels and eat as freshly as possible with no processed foods and you will succeed.”

Favorite Way to Exercise: Bootcamp and an outdoor walk

Favorite Keto Recipe: “My favorite keto recipes are chicken thighs cooked in the air fryer and Brussels sprouts cooked with bacon and a little bit of butter,” says Christmas. “Also, I like having a big salad with mixed greens with egg, avocado, parmesan cheese, and Caesar dressing.”