Lisa Fotu's Story

One day in April 2018, everything just “clicked” for Lisa Fotu. She had reached her heaviest weight of 198 pounds (90 kg), ate fast food every day at all hours, and suffered from depression. “I had no motivation to do better and no love for myself,” said Fotu. She was looking at photos of herself, feeling sad because of how much she’d “let herself go.”

That moment suddenly sparked something else: her determination to find and stick with a healthy diet, no matter how slow the progress might be.

Internet searches led Fotu to Dr. Berg. “Finding [him] was like finding a pot of gold,” she said. “He was so informative and taught me everything I needed to know about keto. I became addicted to watching his Instagram and YouTube videos and wanted to soak in as much information as I could.”

As she soaked up Dr. Berg’s videos, she embraced intermittent fasting—which she claims was a “game changer.” She also aimed to reduce stress and get ample rest after Dr. Berg explained how much they affect weight loss. But the hardest part for Fotu was having patience.

To combat feelings of frustration when she didn’t see instant results, she set smaller, weekly goals to stay motivated. “My husband encouraged me to keep going,” she said. “At parties, he would remind me that the cake really is not worth it.”

Additionally, she and her best friend Judy worked out together five times a week in Fotu’s garage. “I don't know if I would have been able to continue for so long without my support system,” she said.

Although she still has challenges—like the struggle to eat more veggies—she makes her health a priority every day. To do so, she knows she has to put in the work. “Doing something that you don't really want to do is hard,” she explained. “But the rewards from doing these things are so worth it in the long run and my mind finally understands this.”

So far, she has lost 60 pounds (27 kg) since starting keto and is thrilled at being able to fit into her 14-year-old daughter’s clothes, much to the young girl’s embarrassment. Along with losing weight, Fotu’s acne has cleared up and her menstrual cycle has normalized.

“My favorite quote is ‘Remember, the day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit,” she says. “Be patient and do not give up. It's the little choices you make every day that add up in big ways. Just keep to the journey no matter how long it takes.”

Favorite Way to Exercise: Weight lifting, and boxing for cardio

Favorite Keto Recipe: Chicken mushroom Alfredo with broccoli replacing the pasta