Judi Discovered Keto: A Lifelong Weight Struggle Turned into Sustainable Health 

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

My struggle with weight loss has been a long one; so long that I eventually tried to make my peace with my weight and accept myself as a “heavy person.” 

Back in the 50s and 60s, we didn’t necessarily have the most wholesome diet, but it’s not nearly as unhealthy as it is now. For example, we rarely had soda or ate at fast food restaurants. Sugar was a treat to be eaten on holidays or special occasions. Not the unhealthy, crop-dusted additives that have taken over the food industry.People are now born into this crazy life of sugar and fast food. But I didn’t grow up in a time like now. 

Still, I fought my weight throughout my life. 

Now, as far as my body goes, I’ve never been exactly “skinny-skinny.” I was more of what you would call “voluptuous.” You wouldn’t have called me fat. I was more buxom. Curvy. But no one called me overweight or fat. My personality was so big it made my body seem smaller, I think. 

So, I maintained a voluptuous but average-sized figure until I graduated in 1976. Suddenly, I started gaining weight and gaining weight. And at first you do the whole questioning thing… “Well, maybe it’s because I moved back in with my mother. Maybe it’s from having a baby. Maybe it’s stress or depression?” 

When I got really heavy, up past 220 pounds (I’m only 5’ tall, by the way), I tried every diet imaginable. I mean, low-cal, low-fat, Atkins, the Zone—and I was going down to extremely low-calorie intakes of maybe 500 calories a day or less. As far as different diets go, I was on Weight Watchers many, many times. Heck, I probably paidmore to them than I did for my house! In the early 90s, I tried The Zone Diet—and I lost about 60 pounds with that—but it wasn’t sustainable.  I gained it back quite quickly. 

I think I just always had a bad relationship with food from that point on. And I thought, “Well, maybe I should just make peace with being heavier.” Later, in my 30s and 40s, I got up to around 230–240 pounds. But people didn’t seem to notice so much. For one thing, my friends and family accepted me the way I was. I was such a “big personality person,” it made weight seem unimportant.  I was an overweight but very happy, funny person. People didn’t seem to notice so much. We all came to accept me as I am. A bigger person, but an extremely cool, slightly round, very smart, and vibrant lady. 

What did your diet look like prior to adopting keto? 

The first diet advice I heard that made sense was “Only eat when you’re hungry…” This was a revelation to me because, heck, I was always hungry. And I think one thing I was doing wrong was starving myself. I think my calorie and fat intake were so low that it was throwing my body into a cortisol and fat storing hormone-spiking state of stress that made weight loss impossible. So yeah, before discovering Dr. Berg. I tried every diet possible. If it was even called a “diet,” I tried it.  

I did all the things I thought I was supposed to do to lose weight. Starved myself, dined solely on chicken breast with no skin. I thought steak wasn’t allowed because of the fat, of course. So, no steak, which I love and would have LOVED to eat if I could (which I can eat every day, now—if I want to). And we ate far too many low-calorie breads like wheat and whole-grain diet breads, low-fat cookies, and low-fat chips. 

It was all low-fat, low-fat, low-fat. Along with low-carb, low-fat, or Atkins, I was also combining that with a low-calorie approach. So, I was always hungry and never felt good or energetic. I felt tired and lethargic all the time. Like, I just wanted to sink into a couch. I thought it was just me. Whatever approach I was using, my total calorie intake was surprisingly low—like 400 or 500 calories a day—but I was gaining, not losing, weight.  

I tried Atkins and had some success. Only to regain the weight.  

In the early 90s, I tried the Zone Diet and had some minimal success—but I was always hungry, and it was NEVER sustainable. The weight always crept back. 

Then, I decided that dieting was OVER for me. I decided I needed to accept myself the way I am. 

I tried to love myself as I am, voluptuous and curvy. I thought to myself, apparently my body just wants to be at a certain weight, and I said to myself, “I am never going to do this to myself again.” 

So, suddenly, I’m only 5 feet tall, and at my highest weight, I weighed 240 pounds.  

Then, I was getting older. Well, into my 50s, I decided: no more rollercoaster. I told myself, “Accept yourself the way you are, dear.” 

At some point, I got so sick of being fat that I began doing some serious research and happened upon Diet Doctor. That was one of my first wake-up calls. He said something that really set off a lightbulb in my head that got my attention. “Eat when you are hungry.” That’s it. I had a kind of epiphany then. 

In my rush to worry about how many calories I was taking in and all the foods I wasn’t going to eat, I was setting up this cycle of deprivation and relapse into bad eating that was damaging my body and my psyche. One thing I was doing wrong was eating too little, especially too few nutrient-dense foods. I know now from Dr. Berg that becoming nutrient-deficient leads to holding onto toxins in the body that are stored in fat tissue and make you manufacture more fat. It also leads to hormone imbalance and stress on the body that causes even more weight gain. But I’m from the starvation diet age—and that always seems like the right thing to do! Just do not eat or eat minimal calories. 

How did you discover keto? 

I stumbled upon Dr. Berg and learned about high-fat, low-carb eating. His short, simple videos were so easy to understand and full of useful information that taught me so much about how food can be used to actually make weight loss happen. It was like I could learn one topic and try it, and then another topic and try it. I would master one simple trick and then another. And that REALLY helped me. 

How has your health improved since you started keto?   

I’m down now 91 pounds; from 240 to 149 pounds. I look and feel absolutely great. I sleep better. I have more energy. My health has improved in every single way. 

The first year, it came off really fast. But the second year, it slowed down a little bit, and I actually think it’s because I still over-restrict calories. After all, I’m so brainwashed by bad diet advice from the 60s to 90s that it’s hard for me to eat a lot without fear of weight gain. I mean, all that low-calorie is good and fat is bad kind of thinking. For example, I found that I wasn’t taking enough vitamins and minerals to even manufacture the hormones I need to burn fat. 

All these things have helped me lose weight, stay satisfied, and never feel hungry. I now have a Facebook group where I turn people on to the principles of Dr. Berg’s program. And I’m helping hundreds of people lose weight and feel great too. 

Dr. Berg’s Gallbladder Formula, Trace Minerals, and Electrolyte Powder have helped me immensely. 

Anyway, now that I’m eating more calories and getting more minerals and the bile to digest these high healthy fats, I’m back on track and losing weight again! 

Any other details you want to share?   

I came to Dr. Berg’s keto and IF program relatively late in life. But I’m so grateful I did.  

People say, “Are you happy at your current weight?” And I say, “Heck yeah!” I’m 149 pounds. If I lose more, cool, if I don’t, cool. I just know I feel healthier and happier and that I finally found a healthy, sustainable way to stay leaner, stronger, and happier. 

I turned 60 in January, and that was quite a milestone. I didn’t mind that birthday because who would have thought I’d feel better at 60 than I have since I was in my 20s?