Riz Vicious's Story

There’s just one word to describe how Riz Vicious feels after keto: alive.

Two years ago, Vicious weighed 440 pounds (200 kg); he was suffering from health issues and feeling nearly dead. Living in Asia in a heavy carb culture, he had been obese all his life. Although he was only in his thirties, he knew something had to change when he was out of breath from walking just a few blocks in search of his favorite cheesy puff snacks.

He first attempted to fix his life by buying a bike and trying a low-fat diet. But the progress was minimal. Then a friend who was keen on health and fitness mentioned the ketogenic diet. The gist of it stuck with Vicious—high fat, low carb.

“The first week was hard getting adjusted,” Vicious said. “But after three weeks I saw my weight drop 11 pounds (5 kg) and I became very motivated to stay on this diet.”

In doing his own keto research, Vicious found Dr. Berg’s videos. He learned about proper intermittent fasting, the difference between healthy and unhealthy fats, and the importance of having 6 to 7 cups of vegetables a day. This knowledge helped him stay determined. And seeing his weight drop every month was certainly encouraging.

With keto, Vicious was surprised to discover that he no longer has food cravings either. “Your brain fixes itself and your relationship with food changes,” he says. “Cravings are no longer physically crippling. It’s just in the head.”

In ten months, Vicious reached his goal weight of 176 pounds (80 kg) through keto, intermittent fasting, cardio and HIIT training. His biggest problem now is buying all-new clothes!

Favorite Way to Exercise: Cycling and hiking

Favorite Keto Recipe: Cauliflower Mash. “I’ve probably perfected it, too,” Vicious says. “My friends think it’s potato!”