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

I’ve been an army colonel for 28 years now. Although army workers do stay active, we don’t necessarily eat healthily in the service. As I was getting ready to retire, I looked at it as an opportunity to become somebody new. I decided I was tired of being the “old, fat colonel,” and I told my wife, “I might not be able to do anything about getting old—and I certainly cannot change the fact that I’m a colonel—but I can certainly try to do something about being fat. I can make positive changes in that area. 

I decided right there and then that I was going to work as hard as I could to lose the 70 pounds I’d put on over the years. Suddenly I wanted – needed – to lose weight. I was getting ready to retire, and I said to myself: I’m tired of being the old, fat guy. I couldn’t change the old factor, but I could change the part about being fat. 

For the first few months of our weight loss journey together, my wife and I just ate right and exercised hard. We also took in all the major food groups, not limiting carbs but lowering our daily calorie intake. We worked out 6, sometimes even 7, days a week. 

At first, this worked just fine. After about 9 months, I had lost 35 pounds, but I was still plump and didn’t have the lean body I’d envisioned. I’d hit a plateau that I couldn’t break away from. 

I didn’t know what to do. No matter how much I exercised, I was stuck at a weight of about 202 lbs. 

How did you discover keto?  

I started researching other diets that seemed to promise real, healthy weight loss. And then I happened to come across an article on the ketogenic diet. 

It stood out as being the most effective and the healthiest diet around. I convinced my wife to try keto too, and she has really gotten into keto-eating. She loves researching delicious keto recipes to keep us full and satisfied while burning fat. 

How has your health improved since you started keto?   

All the other benefits you hear that come with ketogenic eating are true for us. Enhanced mental health, major physical energy boost, better sleep.  

Now that I have started keto, I have lost an additional 27 pounds. I’m down to 177 pounds. 

I lost this much weight in just 3 months. Summing it up, I’ve lost a total of 62 pounds. 

Before I found keto, I’d often have to use my lunch break to take a nap instead of eating. Right now, I’ve hit my goal weight. For me, doing this is a lifestyle that helps me maintain my goal weight and build muscle.  

Any other details you want to share?   

For us, the ketogenic diet isn’t just a diet. It’s a lifestyle. I’ve been doing keto for 5 to 6 months now. My wife is doing it with me. We are both very excited about Dr. Berg’s program. 

When I first started losing weight, I was doing mostly habitual, high levels of exercise. No matter how much I worked out, though, I wasn’t as lean as I was when I was younger. After everything that I read about the keto diet, I thought, “This sounds like a way to lose weight that is actually good for the body.” I am truly happy about it.