36 / M / 5'8"
Starting weight: 180 lb (at my heaviest, in Spring of 2017)
Current weight: 153 lb
Been doing keto on and off for 3 years, but I've sustained it now for several months along with IF and I honestly feel like this way of eating is the single greatest life change I've made as an adult. I can't emphasize enough how great my body feels now that I've completely removed sugar and other carbs from my diet. Lately I've been slowly drifting more towards a carnivore diet, but I still make it a point to eat spinach, asparagus, and broccoli as these are my favorite greens. While I initially switched to a ketogenic diet for weight loss reasons, I've decided to keep going due to the numerous other health benefits I've encountered. My mood and energy levels are now stable and consistent every day, my sleep has never been better, all of my inflammation and joint pain has disappeared, blood pressure is now back to normal, and I just generally feel better than I have in years. I've also started to incorporate meditation into my daily routine and I think that helps a lot with my mood and stress levels as well.
I will also say that I firmly believe that no one diet is a perfect fit for everyone. I've known many folks who have achieved similar outcomes to me by adopting plant-based/vegan diets which are high in complex carbs (but still low in sugar). Personally my body does not respond well to a fully plant-based diet, but I know it can work for others. Since I naturally eat a ton of sodium and foods that are rich enough in potassium/magnesium, I've never experienced any keto flu symptoms, which has made switching to this WOE much easier for me than it is for a lot of others.
Also, I have come to fully embrace fasting as a way to control weight and I also believe in the healing/restorative powers of fasting. I think a good portion of my noticeable health improvements are also due to consistent 16/8 fasting w/ an occasional 24 hour fast thrown in once a week or so. As a result I no longer get insane hunger cravings or the urge to binge eat.