Anthony LaVacca's Story

Dr. Anthony LaVacca is an American board certified prosthodontist, former wrestler, judo practitioner, and cyclist who loves Italian wine. Five years ago, his hips began to deteriorate, resulting in a bilateral hip replacement. After the replacement, Dr. LaVacca gained a lot of weight despite the fact that he returned to his normal workout routine.

“[I’d have] multiple protein shakes during the day and did the typical six meals a day containing a significant amount of lean protein,” said Dr. LaVacca. “I began to feel very heavy and my wife told me I needed to lose some weight for my kids’ sake and for my health.”

Dr. LaVacca was so convinced that these protein shakes would help him stay fit that he never believed his wife when she urged him to try something new. But then he found keto and began listening to Dr. Berg online.

When he started eating bacon and eggs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Dr. LaVacca began to see the weight come off. Two months later he took Dr. Berg’s advice and added intermittent fasting. That’s when he found he was shedding pounds fast. Now he eats within an eight-hour window and fasts 16 hours a day.

Dr. LaVacca keeps a strict keto lifestyle but admits that he will have a small glass of wine every once in a while. “I’m Italian, what can I say?” LaVacca smiles. “I love my wine — I make wine — I love to cook, I love to eat, and I love to entertain our family.”

Using a ketone meter to measure blood glucose levels has been incredibly helpful, according to Dr. LaVacca. He keeps his ketones at 1.5 and won’t eat if the levels fall below. Now weighing in at 226 pounds (103 kg), Dr. LaVacca hopes to reach 200 pounds (91 kg) within the next few months.

“Dr. Berg -- I would like to thank you for your dedication and passion to this field,” says Dr. LaVacca. “I have sent your channel to many of my patients to help them lose weight, which in turn will decrease their sleep apnea and diabetes. [Again], thank you for your time, your patience, and your passion.”

A Day in the Life of Dr. LaVacca:

Wake at 5:00am

Cup of coffee, sometimes with cacao powder (cacao seems to spike glucose slightly) 

Huge glass of water with 2-4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and cream of tartar — alsoa glass of this several times during the day, including one prior to lunch

Lacroix waters, black coffee, and also lots of plain water, sometimes adding Himalayan sea salt until lunch at 12-2 pm 

Pre-made lunch but cooked with butter, keeping the 70,20,10 rule

Fasting for about 16 hours and eating within an 8-hour window

• Tries not to snack between lunch and dinner 
•  Has 1 to 4 keto coffees per day
• Has a huge dinner with 6-10 ounces of meat, cauliflower, and asparagus