‘Turns out the 40s are the best years’

Crystal’s health used to be in a bad state. She suffered from GERD, mood swings, and low energy. Her weight kept increasing despite eating foods she thought were healthy.

Knowing that type 2 diabetes was common in her family, she felt that she was heading down the wrong path. But she couldn’t figure out what she was doing wrong. She considered getting medical help but couldn’t muster enough courage to do so.

In 2015, she spent several months taking her father to different hospitals. He had a serious foot injury that didn’t heal (a complication of not having any circulation in his leg) and arterial plaque around his heart.

The doctors told them that they’d have to choose between surgery to restore the circulation in his leg or surgery to remove the plaque in his arteries. If they went ahead with the former, they would put him at risk of dying from heart disease. If they went ahead with the latter, his life would be extended, but they would risk losing his leg.

They decided that leg surgery would be the best option. But only two months later, he tragically passed away in a heart attack. Although Crystal was devastated, the shock catalyzed her to start dealing with her health issues.

The doctor that she saw recommended a low-carb diet, and she got started with it right away. She was surprised by how easy it was to stay below 50 grams of carbs per day by just eliminating the major sources of sugar and starch.

She began losing weight immediately, and her health started improving, so she became interested in the science behind low carb. That lead her to Diet Doctor. The expert articles lured her in to begin with, but she also loves the recipes and the Diet Doctor Facebook community (where she’s now a moderator).

Today, Crystal is 86 pounds (39 kilos) lighter, takes no prescription medications, and has awesome moods. “I feel like I’m in my 20s! Turns out the 40s are the best years.”

Crystal’s daughter agrees. “You’re no longer GRRRRRRRR all the time mom,” she said to Crystal when they were baking low-carb cookies.

Crystal’s way of eating

Crystal ate three meals per day when she lost the most weight. Some eggs and coffee with cream for breakfast. Strict keto meals for lunch and dinner. Here’s a meal plan showing a typical week of eating.

Crystal’s favorite recipe for eating with friends and family? Hearty keto carnitas. And if you want to quickly add fat to a meal, she recommends keeping parmesan butter and chipotle mayo near at hand.

Has exercise helped Crystal lose weight? She doesn’t think so, but she’s become more active as she’s lost weight. Now she enjoys walking with her family and lifting weights with her husband.

Crystal’s top tips

Here are Crystal’s top tips for people starting keto:

1. Write down your reasons for starting and any benefits you reap over time. Remind yourself in tough times. It helps you push through until keto becomes the norm.
2. Plan for the unexpected. Keep appropriate foods at home and cook large batches so you can grab something quickly.
3. Be positive. Focus on all the delicious foods you can eat. If other people see how happy you are with keto, they will pick up on that and become supportive.

Comment

We are thrilled with all your success, Crystal, and we are truly grateful to have you as one of our Diet Doctor community moderators. Thanks for sharing your success and experience with our members!

Best,
/ Dr. Bret Scher

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