Before and After Intermittent Fasting and Keto Success Dr Berg Interviews Aysha Islam

Dr. Berg:

All right. So welcome everyone. We have a, a great interview today. Aysha. Is with us. And hello? Hi.

Aysha Islam:

Hi. It's so nice to finally talk to

Dr. Berg:

You. Nice meeting you too. And so what I wanna do is I wanted to, I saw you before keto and after, and I was very impressed and I wanted to get to know your story and what happened before and then after, can you tell me a little bit about yourself as far as your, you know, weight or health in the past?

Aysha Islam:

Yeah, so I've always struggled with weight. I remember being in kindergarten and, you know, being teased for having like a belly or chubby legs. I was always like the chubby kid in school, always. So I was always bullied and, but, and, you know, eventually as I grew older, I became a teenager and adult. I was always rapidly gaining weight and I wasn't really losing any. So I didn't know why, what was the reason? Why am I gaining weight? So, because I was eating the same meals, my friends were the same stuff. My siblings were eating. So why is it that I was gaining good weight. So just recently I found out that I have something called insulin resistance. So that's why, you know, I was putting on so much weight and I've done everything. I've done a crash diet. I've been on extreme weight loss programs. They like help temporarily. I lose like about four to five kgs. And then as soon as I stop, I gain it all back. It feels like I gain it overnight.

Dr. Berg:

And what, where do you live? Are you in India?

Aysha Islam:

No, I'm in Karachi, Pakistan.

Dr. Berg:

And what's the food like over there? Is it really healthy and all really low carb?

Aysha Islam:

No, no, no, no, no. <Laugh> no, it's it's very high carb, lot of meat, lots of nons and rots. It's not healthy at all. People are becoming health conscious, but we don't really have access to good quality, like vegetables and fruits, and it's cheaper to eat like flour, rice and pasta. So yeah.

Dr. Berg:

So rice is, rice is really big there, right?

Aysha Islam:

Yeah. Rice and also flour.

Dr. Berg:

Wow. Yeah, no wonder you had struggles. Are, are there people too gaining weight as well?

Aysha Islam:

Oh yes. Yes. Yes. Like in Pakistan, diabetes is like the number one killer, like diabetes. Everybody is diabetic. Like everyone, I know their families, like the grandparents are diabetic, their parents are diabetic. I'm pre-diabetic. My doctors had told me, but that's the thing, you know, because it's a, because of a diet.

Dr. Berg:

Wow. Question. Your grandparents growing up in Pakistan, was there a problem back then? Let's say, you know, 70 years ago,

Aysha Islam:

I think maybe not as much, but yes. I think the diet then was to maybe they just had smaller quantities because like my grandparents have always told me that we were from like poor backgrounds and we didn't have a lot to eat, so maybe they ate less, but it was, I think generally the

Dr. Berg:

Same food. Interesting. And then the other question I had was has like GMO foods gotten into Pakistan yet. Are they growing genetically modified foods there now?

Aysha Islam:

Yes. Like we have, I, I see a lot of videos on Facebook as well, you know, not just like we, I see like pictures of Betty's being dye and we have watermelons that are being spray painted with cans. And like, we <laugh>, that's, that's the concern, you know, I keep seeing all this, like I, I try to eat healthy, but then I don't, I'm not sure if my like, even if my salads are, you know, dipped and die, because that's what I'm seeing on social media. So, so even if I'm eating healthy, I don't really know if I'm eating healthy.

Dr. Berg:

Oh my gosh. So here you are. You're going along, struggling with your weight. And then at what point did you hit your worst weight where you're like, okay, that's it. I can't get any bigger.

Aysha Islam:

Oh, that was two, two years ago. I think two, one and a half, two years ago. Yeah. I was like, I was really, really overweight. And then I tried, you know, I went on an extreme weight loss program. It's called the 42 day challenge here in Pakistan. And I lost about four cages and it was like a month and a half long. And I only lost like four cages, but that's also because the diet, you know, I, I have insulin resistance and they ask you to eat sweet potatoes and have one apple have a smoothie. And it just did not suit me. It didn't work for me. And I always knew that, you know, this is, there's something wrong, you know, there, there must be something else for me. And then in December last year I was I had to attend a wedding.

Aysha Islam:

My, one of my closest friends was getting married and I wanted to look fit and I tried losing weight. I did lose some weight. I lost like five kgs. And, you know, I lost a lot of interest around my waist and I looked good for a few days, but once the wedding was over, <laugh> I get it all back. And then I think I was on YouTube, just like just searching about insulin resistance and what it really is because I just didn't really know what it was. And then I came across one of your videos about carbs and insulin resistance. It was just like two or three minutes long. I was like, okay, the rest, all the other videos are like 45 minutes long. I can't watch those. So I started watching videos and I loved it and I watched all of them in one go.

Aysha Islam:

And then it was like, you know, it just clicked when I saw that video on insulin resistance and how you are supposed to eat less frequently or else you spike your insulin. And then I was like, okay, this makes so much sense. Maybe, you know I was eating healthy before when I was doing those diets, but I was eating like 5, 6, 7 times a day. So even if it was just salads and grilled fish, I was still, you know, gaining a lot of it. So I was like, it just made sense. It was like, your videos are like pieces, of the puzzle. Well, you know, they all fit. And I was like, okay, it's something in me just, there was just like a light bulb pent off. And I was like, okay, I'm gonna have to try this. I know it's going to work this time.

Aysha Islam:

So, and yeah, ever since it's been seven months now, but I'm not gonna count this one because I'm slim and it's a month of Ramada. So I have to eat two meals a day or as I was just eating one meal a day. And so in December, I just, the first thing I did was I got rid of all sugar. I, I just was like, I'm not gonna have any sugar. I got rid of all five the white carbs, no rice, no potatoes, no nothing. And I started losing a lot of weight. So the first five kgs, I lost, it felt like I lost them overnight, but I was like, no, you know I've done this before I lost the four kgs I gained back. But then I was like very consistent co consistency was key for me. I was very patient and consistent.

Aysha Islam:

And I St I started noticing that I started, I was still losing weight. And before I knew it, I had lost 10 gauges. And I think I was like, I lost most weight by March mid-March. Beginning of April, I was slimmest. And then I went on vacation <laugh> I went on vacation to visit my family. And I was, at that time I started having, like, I was already having one meal a day, but, you know, we, I went there and they were like house parties and we were going out and I was eating stuff. <Laugh>. So

Dr. Berg:

What weight did you start at and what weight did you end up at at your lowest?

Aysha Islam:

My highest weight was 102 kgs, and I think it was

Dr. Berg:

A hundred and

Aysha Islam:

And pounds. I'm not sure because we really just, we

Dr. Berg:

Don't use, I think it's 2.2 pounds. Okay. That's fine. And then how many, how much is that? I'll have to use my calculator. I'm terrible at math. So then at the, your lowest weight, how many kgs

Aysha Islam:

Right now? My lowest was 90 kgs.

Dr. Berg:

90. Okay, good.

Aysha Islam:

Yeah. So right now I'm 91.3. I just checked, but that's because I've been eating a lot of fruit for six months. I had no fruit, nothing, not even a bite of fruit, except the occasional smoothie Berry we make at home. But other than that, I had no app because once I heard you say that an apple has 19 grams of sugar, I, I, that was like, I was just so shocked and I stopped eating fruit and people look at me like, I'm crazy. <Laugh> but yeah, but it helped.

Dr. Berg:

So when you ate one meal a day, what did you eat?

Aysha Islam:

I usually eat like five to six eggs. I eat like a big omelet. I put an entire capsicum in, in the lots of tomatoes and onions. And I put, throw in some like turmeric and salt and pepper and richly. And I just, you know, make like a giant do. And I eat that. So it's, it's like a breakfast, but not really. I eat around, I eat around, we say around 12 30, 1 o'clock, but I'm starting to, like, I'm going to start eating after I'm done ends. I'm gonna eat around three so that I can like, you know, go longer. Like, cause around sometimes I sleep late and then I'm like, I start getting hungry. So I don't want that. Even though I have like coconut oil and all of that, I have it regularly.

Dr. Berg:

Did you find that you had the gr gradually go into eating one meal a day? Did you still like two and then eventually one and then you were good?

Aysha Islam:

Yes. So in December, I started right. From the beginning of December, I started with three meals a day. And then I came down to two meals a day quite quickly, like not even a month. Yeah, it was, it was so easy. And I started having two meals a day. And then in March, I switched to one meal a day, but I still feel like the two meals a day was the best. I felt like most energetic. I just loved it. And then the one meal a day was maybe it was psychological. I was thinking, oh, that's too crazy. One meal a day. I'm not gonna survive, but I'm, I'm still alive. So I think the one Wheeler day is fine until I reach my goal weight. Sometimes, occasionally I have two meals when, you know, if I'm like, if I'm doing too many chores or I'm going out, so I feel like I need to have two meals only. Then I have two meals, but else I just have one and, and I don't get hungry. My skin is glowing, always. So yeah, my skin has completely transformed. Like,

Dr. Berg:

That's fascinating because when you, when you drop insulin, you improve androgens, which then get rid of acne, especially for women, their polycystic variant syndrome thing clears up if you had that, but here's the other, here's the other, there's two. You have that too. <Laugh> there's, there's two points I wanna make. Number one. Egg pretty much has almost every single nutrient almost. So it's very balanced. So you could actually do very well in eggs. Also the people that I recommend, one meal a day are those people who either really need to lose a lot of weight, you know, and they wanna lose it in the fastest way possible. And then are those people who maybe have thyroid issues and have no metabolism left because they've destroyed it through dieting over the years. And there maybe menopausal, you know, they need like one meal a day.

Dr. Berg:

And I had bodybuilders that are eating one meal a day and they they're fine. But the problem is trying to get all your nutrients in that one meal. It's a lot of food to consume. So you have to eat such quality. And some people they do, they do intermittent fasting with junk food. And I'm like, no, you don't wanna do that because you may lose weight, but you're, you're gonna be unhealthy cuz you're just putting garbage in your body. So so tell me so you would do eggs and you do spices and tomatoes and Curry and

Aysha Islam:

Salads, big, big bowls of salads. You recommend 10 cups. I think I have more than that because I'm also eating the omelet and then I'm having like a big salad and that fills me up. Sometimes I make a big like chick salad. I love chick salads. I have that. I have lots of wheated cross juice. Yeah. It fills me up. I don't need food after that. I, I don't create like, you know, sugary snacks. I used to crave a lot of chips. This time, last year I was having, like I was having snacks regularly, you know, I would hang out with my friends and watch TV shows and we'd have like popcorn and chips and it was like a regular thing. And then I had like breakouts and it was just terrible and hair loss. I don't have a lot of hair loss now, but I was always struggling with hair loss. Also. I was, I always had a digestive problem and like for like a couple years I was always just constantly constipated. It sounds disgusting. Yeah. But I was every single day, I was just, I just had such terrible constipation. <Laugh> it's so nasty. Yeah. So I, yeah, so I just started having a lot of lemon juice as well and a lot of apple side of vinegar and that really helped. That was like instant remedy.

Dr. Berg:

Yeah. Because that's gonna improve your digestion. And then what about your energy level? Has that improved?

Aysha Islam:

Yes. My energy level also my memory, I have such terrible memory. I still do, but I had like such horrible memories, especially in college. I remember, I wouldn't even remember what I had for breakfast that morning or what I was wearing yesterday or what I got for homework. So my memory has really improved, but I still need to improve it. So yeah, I'm almost halfway there. I still need to lose about 21 kgs, I think.

Dr. Berg:

Okay. Well you, you know, over time it's gonna, you're doing it a minute. Fasting with keto is going to actually regenerate brain cells. It's gonna actually help. But it does take some time to really, you know, completely change over. People always want, want like, oh yeah. In six months I'm gonna, yeah. But it takes longer. And then I was gonna ask you do, when people look at you now probably kind of strange, like why aren't you eating all this? And they're probably pushing all this food with parties and events. Right. So how do you do, how do you deal with that?

Aysha Islam:

People look at me like I'm crazy. You know, they look at me and they're like, wow, you've lost so much weight because you know, I, I never really lost any weight. Now. All of a sudden I'm losing weight. So, and they're like, what, what do you have? What's your mean plan? And what, what diet are you following? I'm like, it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle. And when I tell them what I'm eating and how I'm eating it, they're like, they look at me like, I'm crazy. They give me like such dirty looks like you're crazy. You're going to collapse one day. This is so unhealthy. And what are you doing to yourself? You're going to get like this disease and your bones are going to get weak and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, look at me. And this is the, like the healthiest I've been in years. I remember being 11 and 12 and not like fitting into any genes, not being able to find clothes. Yeah. So, yeah. I don't know. I'm, I'm proof that it's okay. They're like, oh one day you're going to like

Dr. Berg:

Collapse. Yeah. I'm gonna give you a little tip cuz I run into that all the time. Okay. So here's a little tip, especially with family. Never tell them what you're doing. Have them go to a video because they have to get the why first they have to get the why you're doing it and explain a little bit of why versus the, Hey, just do this cuz it doesn't seem to be as impactful because they don't understand it and it flies against their fixed ideas. And so it's just, they're gonna reject it and I've done it. I mean, so many times

Aysha Islam:

Also sometimes I feel like when, you know, I'm telling somebody, I mean they're asking the show interest and then when I tell them it feels like it's sad because I feel like they don't want to listen. It's it's not like they know that carbs. Aren't good for you and sugar. Isn't good for you, but it's like, they just don't want to listen. They don't want to stop eating. And it's sad. Like it hurts me now.

Dr. Berg:

Yeah. I know. And I think when, cause I run into that as well. I'll I'll do something like this. I'll say, well, do you wanna know what I did? If I, you know, of course, if I told you they have to kill you. So I just kind of play with them back and forth and I'll say, well, I'll tell you what I will let you know in about a week from now. So just call me, like, I'll kind of push him away, get him to reach a little more and then I'll, I'll send him to a video. But because here's the thing you have all these people that are not ready to change. They almost have to hit bottom just like you did. Like I did, I had to be really sick before I actually said, okay, that's it. I'm willing to do whatever it takes. You know? So with those people, they might wanna know. I wouldn't actually tell them, I would just say, well, go watch this video. And that way they can be a little bit more enlightened. But I do know what you're running up against. It's like frustrating. You wanna help everyone. But some people aren't don't want your help. So it's kind of crazy.

Aysha Islam:

We go out and eat, you know, if like we're going out with friends and I always eat like with the fork, like I, I eat barbecue with the fork and everybody's having like this delicious like nuns. And then everyone goes like, who wants dessert? And I'm like, I really want it, but I'm not going to eat it. It's it's actually, I don't let allow myself to think as soon as the question is asked you want is that I'm like, no. And sometimes I even surprise myself. I'm like, okay. I just said that so quickly. But I always say no before I say yes, that helps.

Dr. Berg:

Yeah. Because I think that's your biggest challenge, especially in Indi or Pakistan is like people around you dealing with all the people around you with the food and, oh my gosh, it's just such a, it's part of the culture. Like what you don't want rice, are you insane and potatoes? I mean like, no, thank you. <Laugh> so I know I, I feel your pain. So well this has been awesome. So you've done really well. I've seen them before and after. So we're, we're posting them throughout this interview, so it's quite amazing. But anyway, I wanna thank you for your story. It's gonna inspire a lot of people and maybe we'll do like a little follow up in several months to see, you know, when you hit your ultimate goal, we'll just kind of do a little post video interview.

Aysha Islam:

Thank you so much for your videos. I'm so grateful. Seriously. It's such a motivation to watch your video

Dr. Berg:

Videos. Oh my pleasure. Thank you. Okay. Have a great afternoon. Goodbye.