Keto Success Story: Lilian Lost Over 75 Pounds and Took Control of Her Health

Keto is a life changer! 🙌

We are so excited to share with you the transformational story of Hip2Keto follower, Lilian. She was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes back in 2014, which forced her to make some major health changes. Read about how she has lost over 75 pounds on the keto diet and isn’t looking back! WOOHOO! 🎉

How did you first discover keto?

By happy accident, I began practicing the keto lifestyle back in 2014 – even before the word “keto” was the buzzword it is today. I was at the time, 75+ lbs overweight, and feeling very unwell.

My chest felt tight all the time and I couldn’t breathe properly. Fearing a heart attack, I went for a complete health screening. The good news was that I did not have heart disease. The bad news was that I had Diabetes Type 2.

The doctor immediately put me on Janumet and told me that if I didn’t find a way to lose the extra weight, I would very likely end up with a host of other serious health issues as a result of diabetes. Ultimately, this would be the catalyst to how I discovered the Keto Path.

Do you count macros/calories/etc?

Do I count macros? Well, I have always hated doing math… always. It frustrates me and gives me panic attacks. So, no. I have never ever tracked macros or calories.

However, when I started, I did a lot of reading on the subject of ketogenics (the first book I ever read was Keto Clarity by Jimmy Moore). I worked out that as long as I could figure the correct amount of meat protein I should eat each day, and use that as my cornerstone, I would then be able to work out the amount of clean carbs and fats I could take and that would definitely throw me into deep dietary ketosis.

The only thing I ever measure out on a weighing scale is my meat protein. And this is only when I am doing my once yearly keto reset.

Are you strict keto or lazy keto?

I deeply believe that we need to practice very clean/strict keto at the start of our keto journey. Only after having trained ourselves to fully live and comprehend strict keto rules, can we only then know how to safely break them from time to time without detriment.

The longer one practices clean keto, the stronger and more efficient one’s fat adaptation will be. Lazy keto is alright once in a while, but for successful, accelerated, healthy weight loss and weight maintenance, clean/strict keto is the golden key.

Do you incorporate Intermittent Fasting into your lifestyle?

It can be a sensitive subject, but it is interesting that 95% of the keto community believes you must practice intermittent fasting in order to be successful on the keto diet. This simply isn’t true.

Don’t get me wrong. I 1000% wholeheartedly promote intermittent fasting for the purpose of autophagy, improved cognitive function, controlling blood sugar levels, etc. The many benefits of intermittent fasting are incredible.

However, I would never personally promote IF as a weight-loss tool – especially not during the initial 5 weeks when a person starts out on their keto weight loss journey.

One of the major functions of the keto diet is to reset our sluggish metabolic rates and retrain it to perform at optimum levels again. I feel that introducing IF in the early stages of the keto diet sends the body confusing mixed messages and it will backfire in the long run.

My personal advice is to refrain from IF until after 5 weeks of practicing clean keto. Why 5 weeks? Because that is the minimal amount of time it takes for proper metabolic recalibration to happen.

What would a day look like for you meal wise?

My way of keto eating is very straightforward and simple. Every day, I start my morning with 1 tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with 1/4 cup water. Then I drink another 500 ml of water together with my vitamins and supplements. Breakfast is always 2 eggs cooked up anyway I like.

Lunch and dinner are always meat or fish and vegetables. The meat I choose is always fresh and must look like a part of the animal it came from. I stay away from deli ham and sausages and other processed meats. I usually prefer to pan-fry or sauté my food with butter or coconut oil.

I season with spices, herbs, and Maldon sea salt flakes. I also incorporate a lot of homemade bone broth into my meals. Sometimes I will use liquid aminos and fish sauce, but other than that, I don’t use any other store-bought bottled sauces or condiments.

What helps you to stay on track?

I would say that practicing Cyclical Nutritional Ketosis (aka carb loading/carb cycling) has easily helped me stay on track for the past 5 years. Once every week or two, I practice clean, low-glycemic, non-junk, carb-loading.

Carb loading helps me build metabolic flexibility – meaning I can eat fat and carbs, and my body will know how to use them both. It helps me curb my carb cravings and enables me to stick to my keto diet for the long-term. It keeps my hormones equilibrium and helps me maintain a healthy weight and look my best.

My advice is to wait until you have achieved full and strong fat adaptation (at least a minimum of 3 months) before you start to practice carb loading.

Any advice for those starting out on keto or having a hard time sticking to it?

Everything worth doing will always require some form of sacrifice. If losing weight were easy, then everyone would have success. Remind yourself every day why you started out on this keto journey in the first place.

Sticking to clean/strict keto may seem difficult in the beginning, but as time progresses it will get much easier. You will become more determined to push forward towards your goal once you can tangibly SEE the results. Trust me. The weight loss and changes will come very fast, provided you are doing it correctly.

Always remember that you are either IN ketosis or OUT of it. There is no such thing as ‘sorta kinda ketosis’. So please make sure you don’t cheat. Whatever your own personal story may be, find your fuel source. Tap into it, and keep that fire burning.

Congratulations, Lilian! 🎉

Thank you for taking the time to share your keto experience with us and our Hip2Keto community! We’re cheering you on to reach your goals and continue on with your improved, healthier lifestyle. You have inspired us! ❤️