How did you discover keto?

(Jane- Old Inky Crone) #21

I think it was that line that made my husband wake up and watch the show!

#22

Started with Atkins in the mid 2000ā€™s and figured out real quick (after a descent regain) that only the first phase of it was useful for me at the time for loss/maintenance. The Atkins induction phase IS keto, just a little more restrictive. A couple years in is when I started hearing about this ā€œketoā€ thing around the interwebs and said, hmmmm, same thing but I can eat moreā€¦ DEAL! Here I am! Seeing how itā€™s grown I never realized I stumbled across something that was gonna turn this big. Iā€™ve always like the fringe stuff nobody knows about that woks better than anything else. Now that itā€™s become a fad status it kills me that Iā€™m not going to dump it, makes it look like Iā€™m on the bandwagonā€¦ for the wrong reasons.

(Mary) #23

Iā€™ve been a binge eater for probably 40 years, right from the time I became independent with a drivers license and my first job (independent meaning I could buy my own food in secret). For the past 4 decades I have literally either been strict Atkins or binging my head off with sugar. Iā€™m very much an all or nothing person and there was no middle ground. I canā€™t believe Iā€™m still alive, frankly, and shouldnā€™t be the least surprised by my serious insulin resistance.

I hung around on low-carb friends for a few years and right before it shut down, someone was talking about keto and Jason Fung. I started to research and realized that it was all about the insulin, not the calories. Very quickly, I found myself watching youtube videos (Butter Bob, anyone?) and eventually discovered the dudes.

Weight loss has been glacially slow but it is coming off and thereā€™s also been some decent recomposition. But the most amazing thing is that Iā€™m no longer locked in the diet/binge cycle. If I have something off plan, it no longer throws me into a six month binge - I just make better choices for my next meal. I canā€™t begin to tell you how astonishing this is.

The other thing Iā€™ve noticed is Iā€™m becoming less secretive. Binging was incredibly shameful for me and I didnā€™t realize how it affected every part of my life. Iā€™m becoming much more open with my husband, which is good for our marriage, and also finding myself admitting to a serious binge eating disorder to strangers on the internet. Who knew?

Thank you to everyone who has shared their story - this is a wonderfully supportive community and Iā€™m so glad I found you.

(Consensus is Politics) #24

I have listened to the ā€˜SecurityNow!ā€™ Podcast since episode one back around 2004/5. Steve Gibson, the main host of the shoe struck me as a very intelligent, down to earth type of guy. The kind that convince you with truth and logic why something should be done a certain way. The podcast being computer security and the threats thereof, a very good fit for him.

He would go off on tangents on rare occasions. There was his healthy sleep formula, basicaly he researched the best mix of supplements to get a peaceful nights sleep. And then there was the Vitamin D3 episode. In that episode he explained the whyā€™s howā€™s and whatā€™s its of D3 so well, that a co-worker and I both started supplementing 10,000 iu of it a day. And for the past 12 years have avoided pretty much all cold and flu since then while everyone else we worked with fell victim as it was passed around the office.

Then I felt Steve went off the rails. He mentioned a book, i think it was called ā€œpoison cropā€ or something similar. It got him started into a self health journey of very low carb, and ketones. I felt like he found a faddish diet, and didnt listen very close to it. All the while thinking it was a non issue. After all, we already knew the food pyramid was the proper way to eat. It was scientifically based, right? I mean, science is science.

A couple of years later I heard him talk about how much better he felt, how ketones seem to be having strange health improving effects. This made me go back and listen to that original podscst again with critical ears. It amazed me. So I followed his advice doing a <50 gr carb a day approach.

I remember hitting the wall at two weeks. Didnt know it was electrolytes, figured just carb withdrawl or adaptation to ketosis. And then noticed I had lost 20 pounds in two weeks! Ok! There is something going on here! And i was never hungry! I even forgot to eat for three days! That last one scared me a bit.

So after three months And 30 pounds lost, I missed my pizza, pasta, and kimbap too much and gave it up.

Fast forward a few years and few dozen poundsā€¦

I am Dx with T2DM, with a BG reading of 594. 600 being considered leathal, I was at deaths door knocking loudly (and didnt even know it!).

The ADA official diet for me did relatively nothing. My BG was still varying wildly between 200 and 300 everyday for 6 weeks. Then it occurred to me. Ehat is diabetes but a blood sugar problem? What is it that i do that raises blood sugar? Eating carbs. I already knew from listening to Steve Gibson that I could cut WAAAY back on carbs and most likely help with that. But could I do it being a diabetic. All the rules for a diabetic seemed to be different.

My investigation into this quandary, led me to this forum. The science was all there. Thats what I was missing. It was very easy for me to make that decision on the spot. COLD TURKEY, CARBONONGRATA! A new Ketonian was born.

Its been over a year and a half now, and 55 pounds down. BG rarely over 100 unless I splurge. Kidney stones gone! Used to passing one per month on average for the past 10 years. Suddenly GONE! Hairgrowthā€¦ wtf?? Got hair growing were it stopped growing decades ago.

Best of all, this community. Not everyone agrees on everything. But then how boring would that be. Just give me the science. Let actual truth lead the way, no opinions or consensus :sunglasses:

Keto Vitae!

(Jeramy Koval) #25

Iā€™ve known about keto for a few years but only recently did I commit to trying it myself. Iā€™ve struggled with my weight since childhood and ballooned to a whopping 343lbs about 10 years ago. I lost over 130lbs over 2.5 years by exercising and following the LCHP diet. It worked well for me but counting calories and the constant hunger was difficult to manage.

Over the years Iā€™ve been back up to 242 back in 2015 but have been working to keep myself under 210lbs. Iā€™m now almost 5 weeks into keto and enjoying it so far. The cravings and hunger are gone which is fantastic. I can easily fast 24hrs but generally find myself in the 16/8 IF range as that just fits my schedule the best.

Not really losing much weight at this point but definitely believe that Iā€™m fat adapted. Urine test shows positive when Iā€™m 16+ hours fasted. But I may be consuming too many calories or perhaps not enough fats when I do eat. So Iā€™m going to keep an eye on things.

My doctor would like to see me get down to 185lbs which would be fantastic. Only 18lbs to go but I can already tell Iā€™m going to have loose/saggy/crepe skin from being so overweight for the better part of 3 decadesā€¦

(Steaks b4 cakes! šŸ„©šŸ„‚) #26

It gets better too :blush: I find Iā€™m so much more at peace these days. Itā€™s a nice feeling!

(less is more, more or less) #27

Fantastic question, @MooBoom I love the resulting discussions.

Same here. Iā€™ve detailed my road to Damascus on my blog, which I highlight the critical part here

One day, while incidentally checking out the official Duke University video feed, I found a presentation featuring Dr. Westman, of Duke University, giving a talk on ā€œThe Science and Practice of Low Carb Diets.ā€ I had done Atkins with great weight-loss success, only to backslide after the Atkinā€™s maintenance plan failed, to the point of complete remission. What if I had the help of a doctor? I asked for, and got, a referral from my GP to see Dr. Westman.

I have been seeing Dr. Westman since. My next appointment with him is this June, marking my second full year of low-carb living.

Boy, can I relate with this sentiment.

I wasnā€™t depressed or worse, but I feared that the standard American diet and CICO, the current, though now declining recommendation, was condemning me to obesity for the rest of my life. I did not expect, nor was prepared for, the continued success of low-carb that Iā€™ve enjoyed now far beyond my previous efforts.

(Bethany) #28

Great question. Amazing to read everyoneā€™s stories!

My brother had tried keto after learning about epilepsy in children and suggested it to me. I was exhausted and at the end of my ropes with my health. I had previously lost a lot of weight doing P90x and LCLF, but gained it all back (and then some).

With my first attempt at keto I got great results, but then had an unexpected surgery before I learned how to really make it a lifestyle. My second attept in Sept 2015 took and itā€™s been my default lifestyle ever since. I remember also being extremely motivated after a random person on the street made fun of my size - he pointed to a road sign and said ā€˜youā€™re supposed to share the road.ā€™ Although I know it probably came from his own insecurities, it hurt a lot. In the beginning, I held onto it to prove him wrong. Eventually I was motivated to prove myself wrong. After the initial weight drop of 60+ lb, researching and remembering where I came from has kept me motivated.

With research, I realize how amazing of a feat it is for anyone who is obese to not just lose that weight, but to rewrite their chemical/hormonal pathways, and work to change their gene expressions. I have a lot of respect for anyone on this journey.

My brother now uses keto cyclically to get him ā€˜back on trackā€™ and to have the cellular benefit of ketones. Heā€™s metabolically healthy - works out a lot and otherwise eats low carb via resistant starches, and is not afraid of fat (and has lots of craft beer lol). I was extremely obese, and started my health journey a lot later in life, so have some pretty set deranged pathways to reverse. We both share science and our n=1ā€™s with keto now.

I still have a ways to go, but Iā€™m at what used to be my ā€˜I wish I wasā€™ weight. I wanted to lose weight but secretly was resigned to being the smart and hard working obese person. Iā€™d try a bit, then get derailed by another emotional binge. That initial introduction and my persistence to make keto a lifestyle has been absolutely life changing. I finally feel comfortable in my own skin, and feel much more confident and capable in other areas of life. Iā€™m excited to see what the next 3+ years of this life transformation brings!

(Marianne) #29

I just devoured this thread. Every single one of these is a success story, without the pictures.

I was at my highest weight ever and so out of control, I had no hope of ever being able to stop my overeating and bingeing. I thought about my weight and how ashamed I was of my size just about every minute of every day. It consumed me and I was so depressed, all Iā€™d do is eat and sleep.

One day I was reading Yahoo.news, and there was a story on there about someone dropping a lot of weight ā€œeffortlessly.ā€ I read it and it was about someone who had done it following the keto lifestyle. My niece had recently adopted keto, but I donā€™t see her enough to pick her brain about what she thought or how she was finding it, but it once again introduced me to the term.

After reading on yahoo, I googled ā€œketoā€ and found Simply Keto, where I calculated my macros. I ordered the book but still was feeling hopeless about again, another ā€œdiet.ā€ I researched for about six weeks and during that time found Diet Doctor and this forum. God bless you all for your help and guidance and understanding. You gave me the courage to start, although I was terrified. Within 1-2 days, I was completely hooked and have never felt so grateful. This has been a piece of cake - I mean, bacon.

Before this, I felt so completely broken and hopeless, my last resort was to pray to God to please, please show me something. Shortly after, I saw the yahoo article.

I feel keto has been such a deliverance to me. I was honestly soul sick before, just like anyone who is in the throws of addiction and who canā€™t see their way out. It hurts me now when I see people ā€œdietingā€ or fat people in the grocery store with a cart full of crap and junk food (not throwing stones - that was me, too), but now I know. I wish so much that keto would be legitimized and replace the SAD and food pyramid, so people would know and then at least have a choice.

#30

Similar story, here.

Iā€™d been somewhat overweight since college (though not extremely), but then for a bunch of reasons put on another 30 lbs. very quickly and had slipped over the line into obesity. I was was incredibly frustrated and had heard about low-carb diets being a great way too lose weight. ā€œOf courseā€ they were really unhealthy. I told my sister that I didnā€™t care if it was bad for me; being fat was bad for me, too. I remember sitting on the floor in a Borders bookstore digging through all the diet books on low carb and finally choosing Protein Power by Michael and Mary Dan Eades, because it had so much science in it. I figured that must be better than some tacky, trendy diet like Atkins. :rofl: (Oh, what Iā€™ve learned since then.)

That book was my lightbulb moment. Over the course of a year, I slowly lost 30 lbs. and was on track to keep going to my goal weight. Then 9/11 happened. Or, as I like to say, someone pointed a 747 at my head and tried to kill me. I lived in DC and for weeks (maybe months), we lived with the sound of fighter jets circling over the city. We got advice on how to evacuate the city in case of chemical attack. We dealt with anthrax. And I thought ā€œWell, if Iā€™m going to die, Iā€™m not going to spend my last weeks giving up Ben & Jerryā€™s ice cream. Whatā€™s the point?ā€

I put back on all the weight I lost and eventually then some. Despite trying, I just couldnā€™t get in a groove long enough to get down to a truly healthy weight. Iā€™ve tried to eat a low carb diet for nearly 20 years, but lack of sleep, work stress, long work hours that encouraged me to order a lot of delivery food, long days at work with lunches brought in (almost always sandwiches, sometimes pizza, etc.) always made it a battle to stick to it.

Honestly, it still is. But since the beginning of the year, Iā€™ve recommitted myself. Since Iā€™m working from home and have, at least for now, found a way to get enough sleep, Iā€™ve neutralized those factors. I track every bite I put in my mouth and Iā€™ve added IF. Iā€™m down nearly 25 lbs. in 4 months (a better result than 30 lbs. in a year), but Iā€™ve fought for it every day.

There are some other benefits for me. I have ADHD and low carb helps my brain quite a bit. Youā€™d think this would be a huge motivation for me, but it never turns out to be. I still tell people that I think a lower carb diet should be the first line of defense for people with ADHD and doctors should prescribe it. But a ton of my motivation comes from the scale. Every day that I get up and itā€™s lower, I celebrate my tiny, tiny win. And when itā€™s not, itā€™s a reminder that I have to fight for it. Fight hard. Every day, all day. To make the right choices about what to eat or not eat or whether to eat at all.

For me, I donā€™t think this will ever be as simple as ā€œCut your carbs to 20g and let the rest of it take care of itself.ā€ But I also know I could never achieve what I want to and maintain it by just restricting calories. The science (and my personal experience) just doesnā€™t hold up.

#31

Over a decade ago I had great success losing baby weight and more with a low carb diet from a doctor (it was calorie restricted to 1100-1200 calories from the get-go which I now know was wayyyy too low for my weight then, it also promoted frequent small meals and while it was 20 carbs or less per day it promoted very high protein). I totally fell away from low carb during a following pregnancy and rapidly gained lots of weight and developed gestational diabetes (controlled only with diet changes until delivery).

Over the next 7 yrs I yo-yoā€™d like crazy on low carb diets and became extremely insulin resistant, developed lots of hormonal issues, etc. Before going Keto, I tried Vegan eating, some issues were better and some became much worse! Was put on Trulicity for a while but was getting pancreatitis issues and still not really losing weight and finally gave up taking it when insurance wouldnā€™t cover it. CRP and ESR were high (doc couldnā€™t find reason after many tests). Had a benign growth removed from my stomach later, but still no improvement in inflammation markers or weight/general health).

I started researching why low carb was no longer working for me for weight loss and came across some articles on Ketoā€¦by chance actually saw Al Roker talking about his weight gain post weight loss surgery and how Keto helped him. Started actively looking up testimonials on it and then final straw was not being able to heal from a flu while Vegan. Started overnight 100% in late February. I thank God and all the knowledgeable caring people who helped me stick with this, as I no longer have to trade one bad symptom for another, but can feel the healing slowly but surely across the board!

(Kirk Wolak) #32

%40Before_And_After_FINAL

So, I struggled most of my life with weight. I had a few good years, but itā€™s a long story. Nothing worked because my focus was on losing the weight, NOT on getting healthy.

This last round, I researched anti-inflammation diets after my 3rd bout of gout. Doctor said no red meat, that made ZERO sense to me, since it was chocolate, carbs, and alcohol that kicked this one offā€¦

Heard Joe Rogan/Jordan Peterson. I knew from Dr. Gundry I was Lectin intolerant. But Mikhalia Petersons story was bizarreā€¦ But it made sense. I had some testing done, and found out I am allergic to Egg Whites, and ALL Dairy, plus everything from the plant kingdom (that last test came a bit later).

It explained why I felt MISERABLE on Atkins (also back then I used artificial Sweeteners). Then during the research, I found Dr. Fung. AND BAM, I had the facts I needed.

I went OMAD with some veg and the weight start coming off easily enough. Then the tests came back showing issues with Vegetables and nuts. So I cut them 90% out. And the weightloss ACCELERATEDā€¦ OMG like 1.5lbs a day on OMAD, day after day. In 10 days I felt so good I was amazed.

I kept trying to find what I could tolerate every monday, and eventually gave up and learned to live with a near carnivore diet. I am carnivore for health, not choice. I would LOVE to eat dairy and stuffā€¦

But the clarity. I know see, crystal clear, why I failed at every dietā€¦ I was eating PURE TOXINS. And I could tolerate them for 1-2 months, and I HAD to stop, it was killing me.
And the rebound gains were impressive.

I am AT Target in under 10 months. I want to thank EVERYONE:

  • DietDoctor for making it clear ā€œYou cannot out run a bad dietā€
  • Dr. Fung: Breaking it down, making Fasting GOOD again
  • Petersons: For Sharing
  • Dr. Baker: For making me realize that you could be CRAZY Healthy on meat alone
  • @amber for her posts and honesty about everything carnivore (my mood improved)
  • Atkins: For starting it all, and running those clinics
  • Virta Health: for publishing the amazing results
  • EVERY KETO COMMUNITY for taking the time out to support othersā€¦
  • Dr. Boz, Dr. Ken Berry, Dr. Berg and so many other YouTubers for getting the word out!

We are standing on the shoulders of those who came before us.
And THAT is exactly how societies are grown and improved.

I typically eat MWFā€¦ So I fast more days than I eat. Even now, while I am at target weight. I eat a little more recently because of some PKD dietary testing of stuff, and a temporary abstinence from BACON!!! But my overall schedule is MWF of eating. I love it. That is Dr. Fung and the team at IDMProgram at work.

But I devoured everything I could on Keto/Carnivore and in weeks my life started to change. I remember realizing I FINALLY had the answer I wanted my entire lifeā€¦ How to be in control of my eating and my weight and therefore my health!

I laugh now, because itā€™s kinda simple! Not always easy. But kinda simple.

Donā€™t Eat!

When you do, do it first to fuel your body.

And if a steak doesnā€™t sound delicious, wait a few more days, until it doesā€¦ :slight_smile:

(Doug) #33

April 11, 2017 was my ā€˜411ā€™ information - my doctor said I was Type 2 Diabetic. Denial and rationalizations fell away, and I was scared. I quit eating right then, and fasted for 4.5 days. Would have gone longer (felt fine) but chickened out on a Sunday night, fearing Iā€™d feel too low-energy at work the next day.

With all the time I freed up by not eating, I checked out what the internet had to say, and it was heartening - for many people, Type 2 Diabetes is not an unstoppable ride to worse and worse health.

Dr. Jason Fungā€™s inestimable blog came up, and I read every post over a few days. Megan Ramos was commenting on a few of them, and she mentioned this blog weā€™re on right here.

#34

OMG, I sooooooo relate to this!

(Helen Taylor) #35

Iā€™ve known for years that I prefer my main meal at lunchtime and then donā€™t need anything in the evening, and canā€™t face breakfast most days bar a single square of very dark chocolate and two or three mugs of decaf coffee with semi-skimmed milk (half & half to most of you).

So once a day is nailed down. Have gained a load of weight from booze in the evenings so now have decaf diet coke for then and have lost a bit. Still drink super-dry white wine at the weekends, though. Life has to be lived after all. This then is a short fast, 22 hours. Quite good.

So, then looking at fats, paleo eating and vegetarian meals which we eat three or four times a week, usually with lentils or pasta. Iā€™m off the pasta, canā€™t drop those delicious parcels of fibre and protein that are brown lentils but can restrict how much I eat. Love avocado so thatā€™s ok.

Had a dig around onā€™t net and here I am.

Iā€™ve discovered pork scratchings, <2g carb a 100g pack, 48g protein and 86g fat and a great but GREAT snack. Sometimes have this evening or morning, a very small bag if Iā€™m desperate. Canā€™t upset my macro load that much.

Iā€™m interested in reducing inflammation. Inflammation ages a person.

I have neurological things going on that are as yet undiagnosed, get depression and am perimenopausal. Perhaps this diet can fix two of three.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #36

I was following YouTube recommendations, looking for physics lectures, and somehow came across Peter Attiaā€™s TED talk and Robert Lustigā€™s fructose lecture, ā€œSugar: The Bitter Truth.ā€ From there, I believe, I started watching Stephen Phinneyā€™s various presentations at LCDU events.

It was Dr. Attia who introduced me to the notion that obesity doesnā€™t cause diabetes, but rather it and diabetes are caused by the same factors. Dr. Lustig scared me into confronting my sugar addiction, since diabetes runs wild in my family. And Dr. Phinney showed me the way out.

At first, I just gave up sugar and sweets, but I started feeling so much better that I soon gave up grains, bread, and the like, as well. I ended up going full-bore keto almost without having to think about it. And after I discovered the Dudes and these forums, it was off to the races! :bacon::bacon::bacon:

(Marianne) #37

@CaptainKirk, great job!

Live Long and Prosper!

(Marianne) #38

Where is this? Dr. Fung, Dr. E., are my heroes (along with many others).

Thank you.

(Karim Wassef) #39

I had always done Atkins in college to cut.

When I hit 255lbs at 44yo, my doctor sat me down and said these words: pre-diabetic, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, familial cancer history, joint degradation, cholesterolā€¦ then he prescribed statins.

I took them two times and NEVER again. He said thereā€™s other drugs or I can lose 100lbs and laughed! So- it was on.

Started researching Atkins again and YouTube was my friend. And yes - Dr Berg was my first easy access source. So he helped me find the first steps and I am grateful. From then on - it was pubmed and I shed weight faster than I could buy new clothes.

#40

I first read about it many years ago in one of Dr. Atkinā€™s first books. I think he had a chapter on it (not by the keto name) and suggested it for short term use, as they werenā€™t sure of long term implications at the time. In 2017, I decided it was time to take charge of my weight and health, and I knew low carb worked well for me from previous experience. I started off with more liberal low carb (out of fear and apprehension coming from years of unabashed SAD eating) and over time started reducing carbs further. When I discovered that reducing carbs to keto levels helped eliminate sugar/carb cravings and made eating non-SAD not a form of constant cravings and an uphill battle, I knew this was the answer for me.