Scotty Braccia's Story

Scotty Braccia learned about the ketogenic diet over a year ago, when he was tired of feeling depressed, fat, lazy, and just not himself. That feeling was what prompted him to really kick himself into gear. After reading a book about keto on Amazon and listening to various podcasts, he turned to YouTube—where he found Dr. Berg’s videos.

There he gained enough knowledge to start living the keto lifestyle in May 2018. In just ten weeks, Braccia lost 43 pounds. While that was still far from his goal weight, he was much closer to the goal. He was ecstatic to be feeling more mental clarity and more confidence.

“I can go to the beach or a pool now and not have a complex about taking my shirt off, where just 10 weeks ago I probably would have just avoided places like those, knowing I would feel embarrassed,” he said.

He found that whenever he had a question about the process, Dr. Berg had a video to answer it, so he subscribed to Dr. Berg’s YouTube channel. “Dr. Berg is still my go-to when I come across something I’m unsure of,” said Braccia.

Having a strong support system is key when it comes to achieving goals. As a single father of two, Braccia found support in his kids. The fact that they offered to help cook meals “and substitute keto-friendly recipes for things we used to eat” really helped Braccia stay with it.

“My daughter Sasha has even taken up the keto lifestyle and watches Dr. Berg’s videos too,” Braccia smiled. “I helped coach her through it and when it comes to my kids, just like I want them to be happy, they want me to be happy.”

Beginnings can be hard; Braccia’s weight-loss journey was no exception. He wished he had started a year earlier when he first learned about the ketogenic diet. He urges anyone considering keto to just do it… just start!

“Once you get past the first two weeks of keto, it gets easier and easier and you start feeling better and better,” Braccia says. “You will be amazed by how much energy you have—and just lifting up my shirt, seeing my progress, and just feeling better is all I need to keep going.”

Intermittent fasting has been a life-changer for Braccia. It’s this lesson from Dr. Berg that has resonated with him the most. “It’s easy to get right back on track with keto through intermittent fasting,” he says. “With keto, you fuel with fats and with fasting you run off those fats.”

Favorite Way to Exercise: Walking, at first—but now you’ll find him running by 4:30 every morning and lifting weights in his garage. He’ll run his first 10K in a few months!

Favorite Keto Recipe: Big Green Leafy Salad with avocado, hardboiled eggs, and meat cooked in coconut or olive oil. Braccia likes to keep it simple but strict.