Jacob Lost 100 Pounds with Keto 

For most of my 26-year life, I’ve been a rather healthy individual. My father works at a family-owned, local butcher shop called Winters Meat Market in Blue Springs, MO. My father also grew up on a farm and understands the importance of home-grown, organic vegetables. At the time, I was completely oblivious to why we’d drive 1.5 hours away to care for a garden. Then come home and spend hours snapping peas, canning tomatoes, pickles, and bagging brussels sprouts, spinach, peppers, and everything in between. It wasn’t until I had moved away that I realized just how fortunate I was.  

What did your diet look like prior to adopting keto? 

For the first time in my life, I began to eat junk food. As a growing young adult, you bet I could eat…a lot.  

I started working a retail job where I’d get an hour break. During this time, I’d eat easily 2500 calories in fast food. I started becoming increasingly addicted to soft drinks, sugar, and fried foods. Initially, I didn’t see much of a change physically. After a couple of years, I was up to eating fast food twice a day and a 12-pack of soda a day. My weight skyrocketed up to 250 lbs. by age 24, approximately 3.5 years. 

I felt awful constantly. I began throwing up once a week, and I had no desire to do anything beyond the minimum effort required of me. The day I decided enough was enough: McDonald’s was doing their 2 for $5 promo. I could get a double quarter-pounder and a Big Mac together for $5, and 2 large fries for another $5. So, I did, but not just once. Not just twice, but 4 times in 12 hours. I had consumed nearly 8000 calories in 12 hours, not including the soft drinks. As I ate my last Big Mac, I looked down at my throbbing, bulging belly and said, “Enough is enough.” I signed up for a workout program at home and began meal prepping. Chicken, asparagus, and potatoes every…single…day with BBQ sauce. After a month had gone by, I had little to no results. I pushed on. Two months, still no results. I was absolutely frustrated. I started taking a “fat burner” pill. After the whole bottle, 0 change.  

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

It wasn’t until I found Dr. Eric Berg’s YouTube Channel that I started losing any sort of weight. I didn’t jump into keto all at once. I started small with carb cycling, adding more vegetables and a 16:8 fasting period. Finally, the scale started moving!! 

Week by week, I was making small changes to my nutrition, one less carb day a week, a longer fast 3 days a week to four days a week. I ended up at OMAD eating a ginormous salad with chicken, eggs, bacon…the works! (Disclaimer: ACV 30 minutes before a meal like this will save you a digestion nightmare. You’ve been warned.) 

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

I changed my workout to a HIIT cardio session. 

How has your health improved since you started keto?   

 After just over a year, I dropped roughly 100 lbs. and can actually see my abs and definition in several areas of my body with great vascularity! I’m very fortunate that I had the opportunity to go through this journey. 

Any other details you want to share?   

Through Dr. Berg, I obtained a newfound power and the deepest appreciation for my father. Currently, I am a Store Manager at GNC, and I always do my best to take a nutritional/keto approach to all my recommendations. I also give Dr. Berg’s name out on a daily basis to clients who are interested in keto. As much as I’d love to get very in-depth with them, it takes more than a 15-minute conversation to become educated. I hope to see their success from you soon!  

Dr. Berg, thank you for giving me the tools I needed to become confident in myself again and find greater meaning in my life, and my family’s lives as they have begun following in my footsteps.

Your friend,

Jacob A. Beck