The keto diet: Feeling the best you ever have at 40

When Amy was about to turn 40 she was the heaviest she had ever been. She was depressed, had hip and back pain, and terrible menstrual cycles. After having tried every diet in the book with no results, her friend told her about the keto diet, and her life changed.

Keep reading for this amazing success story!

I received these before and after pictures from a friend last night as she could hardly believe the changes I have made in exactly one year. I started my journey in February 2017 and didn’t take any “before” pictures because I couldn’t stand to see myself in the mirror, but also because I didn’t believe that I would stick with anything long enough to take a meaningful “after” photo.

I turned 39 in February 2017 and was the heaviest I had ever been. I was so depressed, tired, suffered from panic anxiety attacks, and I was living my life on autopilot just going through the motions. I kept having to buy bigger clothes and when I wasn’t working I was sleeping my life away. I had no motivation, no dedication, and was getting very close to settling for being overweight and unhappy. I had chronic hip and lower back pain that lead me to the chiropractor’s office at least once per month. I was having terrible menstrual cycles that caused me to be extremely anemic and had to start taking a mega dose of iron every day.

Something about knocking on 40’s door ignited a tiny spark in me, though. For my 39th birthday, I joined the gym that my best friend had bought the month before and I started a blind fitness quest. I had no plan, no goal, but I thought if I started working out to the point of pain every day that I would magically become a healthier person. I was so wrong. I decided I was going to be a runner and alternate cardio with heavy lifting. One month after being dedicated to the gym every day, I had shin splints that were so severe that the pain made me physically ill. I had such extreme pain in my left shoulder from improper lifting form and lifting too heavy that I could barely sleep. All of this hard work, no changes in my diet and I hadn’t lost one pound in a month. I was so discouraged. I went from running on the treadmill to using the elliptical and started working out with my best friend who is also a trainer. Changing up my cardio and learning proper weight lifting techniques definitely helped, and I lost about five pounds (2.5 kg), which is where I was in this “before” picture in June of 2017.

Fast forward to October 2017. My best friend had been living in ketosis for two years and gave me some information to look into after I had voiced frustration with my inability to lose weight. Sunday, October 8th, 2017 was the first day of my two-week trial run with Diet Doctor’s two-week meal plan. This is when the game changed completely, and I started getting my life back. I had lost seven pounds (3 kg) at the end of the first week and six pounds (2.5 kg) at the end of week two. I was totally motivated and excited for more! I loved the meals that I was making and I didn’t miss the sugar! I went off of sugar cold turkey the day I started the keto lifestyle.

There was only one problem: I had no endurance for cardio and couldn’t do more than ten minutes on the elliptical. I couldn’t lift heavy and felt like I had lost all of my strength. I just could not lift weights the first three weeks on keto. I couldn’t understand what was happening! I was sleeping better at night, I had a much clearer head and was much more efficient at work, but I could not keep up in the gym. I read up on keto flu and the changes you might feel during the time of transitioning carb fuel to fat fuel and vowed to stick with it, making sure I was drinking LOTS of water and getting plenty of earthy mineral salt. I abandoned my cardio and weights routine and started taking a yoga class twice a week and completely fell in love with yoga. Amazingly, I kept losing a couple of pounds a week WITHOUT all that gym time! In November 2017 I added back a bit of cardio and weights and lo and behold my stamina was back! Not only was it back, but it was even more than before. I had made it over that hump and I felt incredible.

With the help of my friend and her gym I began my yoga instructor certification in December 2017 and was certified to teach in March 2018. Now, yoga is the only workout I do regularly besides walking my dogs daily. I haven’t lifted weights, nor done that excruciating 30-45 minutes of the elliptical since December. Just yoga, walking and keto. I have lost a total of THIRTY POUNDS (14 kg) since October 8th, 2017. I weigh what I weighed at 19 years old and I turned 40 four months ago. The weight loss isn’t my greatest accomplishment with keto though. My trophies are that I haven’t had to see the chiropractor since October 2017. I have ZERO hip or lower-back pain! I am no longer anemic and don’t take those nasty iron tabs anymore. I haven’t had a single panic attack and other than that occasional rough day we all have sometimes, I have no feelings of depression! I don’t nap anymore because I just don’t need the sleep that I used to need. I feel better than I have EVER felt in my life. Every single day feels hopeful and full of promise.

I am so thankful for finding Diet Doctor and for all of the information and education that it gave me to take this leap of faith to get back to my true self. I am PROOF of what a keto lifestyle can do for a body, mind, and spirit.

Comment

Such an inspiring story! Thank you for sharing it with us Amy, and congratulations on your success!

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