David Duarte's Story

When he was out shopping for new pants, David Duarte held a size 44 in front of him, wondering “What has happened to me?” This moment prompted him to call his sister, who had found success with keto, and his weight loss journey began.

Duarte was a wrestler in high school and had followed that with service as an active-duty soldier, so being overweight was not the way he wanted to live the rest of his life. “For years, I've known I needed to lose weight but just thought it would be too hard,” he said.

While searching the internet for information on intermittent fasting, Duarte came across Dr. Berg’s videos. With the support of his sister and a Facebook group to answer questions, provide recipes, and share success stories, Duarte was encouraged by how easily the weight came off during keto and intermittent fasting.

To others who read Duarte’s story, he advises: only eat when you’re hungry and take advantage of apps that can help you count your macros. “If you feel hungry, drink a glass of water, wait 15 to 30 minutes, and if the hunger goes away then don't eat,” he said. “If you have a day that you go over your carbs, don't beat yourself up; your body is very forgiving while living keto, just start the next day fresh.”

Although he wishes he had cut out carbs years ago—now that he knows what damage carbs were doing to him—Duarte managed to lose 82 pounds (37 kg) in seven months and today is maintaining a weight of 155 pounds (70 kg). “[I feel] 20 years younger!” he said. “No more knee pains, I can do small things like put on work boots without feeling dizzy, and I'm able to exercise now.”

Favorite Way to Exercise: Indoor rowing machine and body weight exercises such as pull-ups, push-ups and dips

Favorite Keto Recipe: Keto tacos