How April dramatically improved her active life with keto

April lived an active life, and what she thought to be, a healthy life. One day when she and a friend were hiking, she saw some pictures taken of her and was appalled of how big she had gotten. She decided to do something about it. A few days later another friend told her about low carb:

Before I went LCHF/keto in June of 2016, I thought I was a pretty healthy person. I was a lacto-ovo vegetarian, ate plenty of “heart healthy” grains and starchy vegetables, declined dessert foods constantly, and walked near-daily for exercise. I ate salad, beans, and lentils, but not many dark green vegetables. I did not get much protein on a daily basis. At 5’1″ (155 cm), I weighed 172 (78 kilos), a bit too much for someone with my small frame.

One day, I was on a hike with a friend at a state park. My friend took a picture of me with my pack and GPS in hand, as well as a few additional pictures later in the day when we did a rope-and -tree-climbing adventure. When I received the pictures by text message later that evening, I was appalled at how heavy I’d gotten. I think I’d been fooling myself by looking at people around me and mentally reassuring myself that compared to others, I was doing “okay“. I attributed my weight gain to hormones because of my age: mid-forties. I was partly correct: it was hormonal, but not because of my age. Rather, it was because of my dietary habits.

A few days later, I spoke to a different friend who had been low carb successfully for several years, and she coached me into a basic low-carb plan. The next day while googling for resources, I located Diet Doctor online, and that was a game-changer. I feel lucky to have found it quickly so that I didn’t follow the sketchy, hack-type advice that many online social media sites provide to people new to LCHF/keto. The Diet Doctor taught me how to eat, what to avoid, and how to invest for long-term change.

Three years later, I am 58 pounds (26 kilos) lighter. I have integrated additional protein, mainly seafood and chicken. I wear smaller pants (4-5 sizes down), a smaller shirt (2-3 sizes down), and I no longer have daily acid reflux. I can get up and down easily when seated on the floor. I can go for many, many hours without being cranky or feeling tired if I have not eaten. I sleep well, and I have boundless energy for my favorite hobbies and activities.

My biggest challenge, in the beginning, was being consistent meal-by-meal in a country (the USA) where highly processed, sugary and starchy foods are available 24-7 at the store, restaurants, conferences, meetings, coffee houses, and gas stations. In the beginning, it was really easy to find a reason to justify eating “off plan,” but I learned that it is critical to stay consistent so that over time old habits could turn into new, optimal ones. Once my mental switch flipped around the two-month mark, it wasn’t really hard anymore because I deeply wanted to make changes, and I could see and feel a difference.

My only wish is that I’d known about LCHF/keto twenty years sooner because, at 48, I feel better than I did at 28.

April Roberts,
Georgia, USA

Comment

Congratulations April. I’m happy to hear that our site was useful for you in your journey!

Best,
/ Andreas Eenfeldt, MD

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