Me 1 - Insulin Resistance 0

I am Rubal, aged 45 years from India. I was born overweight and have been overweight all my life. As I aged, it turned into full-blown obesity. I was always conscious that I needed to get rid of the extra weight and naturally thought that exercising was the only option. My lifestyle is sedentary and even after multiple attempts, exercise never seemed to work for me and neither was I inclined towards it. That is till the day I saw a post from a friend on social media about the ketogenic diet. What caught my attention immediately about this diet was that it threw all commonly held notions out the window as well as I realized that I could easily adapt to it with a few minor changes in my existing diet, by getting rid of carbs and sugar to be precise.

I am a meat-eater, so this seemed doable. This sent me on a journey of exploration and research and pretty soon I found out about Dr. Berg's channel I devoured his videos and the science seemed to add up in theory. Next was the litmus test and I went off carbs and sugar for a while to my surprise, I started shedding weight like crazy. At this point, however, I was not committed to the diet and after a few months, where I had lost quite a bit of weight, I went back to my earlier eating habits and all of my gains were immediately lost. And then Covid happened. I just sat at home, eating anything and everything out of sheer boredom and gaining even more weight than I previously had. I would eat and snack multiple times a day, loaded with carbs and sugars. I did not have any major health issues but had been suffering from insomnia for decades (which I never imagined could be cured), early signs of dementia (runs in the family), gut issues, low energy levels among a few others. Then I woke up one fine day and decided that it was time to go on a new journey, a new lifestyle. I wanted to get rid of the excess weight which was growing at alarming levels and reverted to the once tried and tested method of the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting. The toughest part (and I knew right away) was getting rid of sugar from my diet. I was a sugar addict by then.

So, I spent the first week only making sure I had zero sugar intake in any form. This was quite tough and the cravings and mood swings were huge but I stuck to my guns. After about a week, I was cleansed of my sugar addiction. Next, I decided it was time to dive right into a full-blown ketogenic diet as well as intermittent fasting. Some people like to ease themselves into it, but I decided I could take the plunge into the deep end right away (as I had done it once before). So, there I was, cutting out all carbs and sugars and going on intermittent fasting from the very start. The waistline kept reducing and the accompanying weight loss was a huge encouragement. In the initial months, I was losing up to 5 kgs / 11 lbs per month. As my weight kept reducing, the weight loss was slower but I kept on reading more from Dr. Berg and trying out various things within the ambit of this lifestyle.

Eventually, even though it got harder to lose more weight with each passing day, the weight loss did continue, albeit slowly. And so, here I am, today, 9 months down the line, having lost 30kgs / 66 lbs, which was my initial target. I do intend to take this further and carry on with this lifestyle and by no means give up on it. This lifestyle comes so easy to me now and the diet, as well as the fasting, has become my second skin. And amazingly enough, I have seen tons of health benefits along the way. My decades-old insomnia is cured (I sleep like a baby now at will), my dementia shows signs of reversing, all my gut issues have healed and I am full of energy all through the day. This is nothing short of a miracle as far as I am concerned and to top it all, I am in the best health of my life with no medical issues at all.

I have done my bloodwork and everything seems perfectly normal except for cholesterol, which is on a slightly higher side, but I am not too worried having read Dr. Berg's take on it. I have recently started cycling and I feel quite rejuvenated with the activity, even though I am mostly on OMAD these days. I wake up early, eat around noon (chicken, fish, meats, veggies, eggs), and go bicycling in the evenings. The only supplements I take are vitamins, ACV & electrolytes. I work from home and have a busy day at work, but this lifestyle has made everything so easy for me. I am able to dedicate more energy at work as well as in my personal space. Before I sign off, I would like to once again thank Dr. Berg for his contribution on the subject and the knowledge he has shared with all of us that has allowed us to lead this healthy lifestyle. To those who have read this far, here is my recipe for success

1. Discipline: Stick to this lifestyle and do not give in to your cravings or lack of movement on the scales.

2. Water: The only liquid I have had in these 9 months, I am in love with water.

3. Avoid falling out of this lifestyle. I made that mistake once and all your gains would vanish in no time.

4. And finally, everyone is different and what works for me may need to be tailored by you for you.

The secret is research and exploration and trying out various things within the ambit of this lifestyle. My enemy was insulin resistance and overpowering that via this lifestyle not only led to weight loss but for improved my overall health as well. Thanks for reading, Rubal.