Sarah Fleischer's Story

Sarah Fleischer is a self-proclaimed “Monday-er.” During each of her myriad failed dieting attempts, she would mess up on Wednesday and tell herself, “It’s OK, I’ll just start again on Monday.” Unfortunately, this policy allowed her weight to climb to 231 pounds (105 kg). And at a height of only 4’11”, she knew this weight wasn’t at all sustainable.

Fleischer gave birth to her daughter at age 20; prior to becoming pregnant she had always been naturally thin. “I had the mindset that I was always thin and I’d always be thin,” she said. “I was completely ignorant [of] the idea of becoming overweight.”

But it happened to her. Suffering from lack of sleep, aching joints and low energy levels, she was debilitated by body issues and low self-confidence. She became reclusive, she avoided friends, family and cameras, and these only contributed to her weight gain.

Once she found keto, Fleischer spent five months doing research that finally took her to Dr. Berg’s videos. “I became obsessed with his knowledge of this lifestyle,” she said. “I watched hours of videos every night, taking notes and gaining the courage to start keto and IF.” When she found that both fit into her lifestyle, Fleischer finally decided to give keto a real shot.

The biggest lesson Fleischer learned from Dr. Berg is that you have to get healthy to lose weight, not the other way around. She admits that in the past she wanted a quick fix—but now she embraces the veggies and vitamins that have been making such a difference.

In addition to keto, intermittent fasting has been a real game-changer for Fleischer. With her busy work schedule, she was already used to having only one meal a day. Now, she’s doing it the right way, swapping McDonald’s for a balanced keto-friendly meal.

She is regaining her confidence, too. “I was tired of hiding and not doing things with my friends because my weight made me insecure,” Fleischer said. “My skin, hair, nails, sleep, confidence, my smile, my joints and energy have literally done a scary 360.”

Beyond her daughter — who encourages Fleischer by saying, “Mom, you’re not fat!”—she doesn’t have a huge support system so she has to be her own biggest fan and keep pushing herself to stick with it.

Still, her self-discipline seems to be paying off: since she started her keto journey, Fleischer has lost 41 pounds (19 kg). Although she knows she has more weight to lose, she is sure that she can get there with keto. “Keep going and trust the process,” she advises. “You deserve this!”

Favorite Way to Exercise: HIIT, interval sprints and weight lifting

Favorite Keto Recipe: Bacon and eggs