“Two years ago today I woke up in tears. I had not slept much the past several days due to chronic pain and I was quickly approaching my breaking point. I was taking NSAIDS and opioids in an attempt to numb the pain that constantly haunted my body. I was pretty sure, at 56 years old that I was going to end up as a cripple and/or a junkie, which ever came first. At that point though I really didn’t care. Doctors had already removed everything from my body that I didn’t really need and started replacing things I did. Both hips had been replaced and I was looking at knees next. I was over 300 pounds which didn’t help my situation. I had fatty liver disease with critical high liver enzymes, IBS, osteoarthritis, ADHD, dumping syndrome due to an unsuccessful gastric bypass surgery 20 years prior, degenerative disc disease, acid reflux … well … the list went on and on. I was taking enough medication to sink a boat and was at my proverbial bottom. All I wanted to do was sleep but I couldn’t because of the pain. If my body didn’t cripple me, the depression certainly would. I was all out of hope. At this point there was nowhere to go but up … or down about 6 feet. I was a mess … a big, fat, sick, depressed, hot, mess.

That morning, as I hobbled through the living room with my walker, I saw something on the TV that caught my attention. There was a woman on a morning show who had lost 50 pounds and healed her chronic pain by eating Keto and practicing intermittent fasting. There was no special foods to eat, no drugs to take and no special supplements. She just eliminated grains, sugar and processed foods and ate real, whole, nutrient based meat, eggs and vegetables. It couldn’t be that easy! Could it … really???

The more I listened, the more interested I became. I knew that I HAD to do something. I wasn’t living. I was just … alive. And to be honest, I didn’t want to live like this any longer. So I started reading everything I could get my hands on concerning Keto. Good and bad… I wanted to know it all. Within a few days, I had my fridge and pantry cleaned out and I was keto compliant. I logged everything that went into my mouth and allowed the food to be the ingredient. I ate simply but very nutriously.

Before I knew it, I was off the walker and the pain started going away. The weight just FELL off. Soon I found I no longer needed the pain medication. Within a few months I was off of all medication including my Adderral for ADHD. Suddenly my thoughts were no longer muddled and erratic. My memory improved and the brain fog was completely GONE. Every day was better. No special foods or programs, no boot camp exercise, no shakes, shots or pills!! I was eating the healthy foods I liked and I was never hungry nor did I ever feel deprived. It was definitely a HUGE “ah ha” moment.

I read textbooks and journals on nutrition which led me to go back to school and get a certification from Cornell University in Human Nutritional Science. And then later obtain a Keto coach and separate supplement certification through Maria and Craig Emmerich. The more I learned, the more I wanted to. I have became a sponge for knowledge on how the body works. And I want EVERYONE to know what I did and be able to experience what I have. I became a self professed, keto evangelist, talking Keto to anyone that would listen and probably even a few that really didn’t want to. But regardless, I felt that if I changed just one person’s mind about prioritizing their health it was worth it. That really was what spurred my decision to become one of Maria’s coaches. I wanted to help others experience what I have by changing how I eat.

I think about all of the years of yo yo dieting and the misery and torment I put my body through. I had been doing it all wrong. Very, VERY wrong. Fast forward two years today, I feel better both mentally and physically than I remember ever feeling in my entire life. My fatty liver disease is gone. I now have normal liver enzymes. My ADHD is virtually nonexistent and my memory and mental state is better than it has ever been. My cholesterol is great and I have the energy to enjoy my grandkids and life in general. I feel like I have been reborn and everything is falling into line. I’m still a work in progress. I feel when we stop working on improving ourselves, we stop growing both physically and emotionally. This is not a program with a start and stop date. It is a process that grows and evolves as we do. It is my life and what a great life it now is!

If you are still on the fence about going clean keto, please wait no longer! I am 58 years old and wish every single day that I would have had the insight and knowledge to do this when I was 30 … or even 20!! Is it always easy? No it’s not. But it’s SO worth it. Every single second of it. Never doubt that. And each day gets easier to the point that you no longer even have to think about it. You just eat that way because it becomes your new normal and you actually WANT to. I have absolutely no doubt this saved my life. It has had that much of a profound effect on my life.

Happy 2 year Ketoversary to me.

I am a warrior.”

 Elle Douglas