Kristiana had been unhappy with her weight and trying to diet it off for 24 years. But attempting to lose weight - by eating low fat, high carb, calorie-reduced recipes - always left her starving.
Eventually, she would stop and then gain back more than she'd lost when she resumed regular eating.
In February 2022, after stress eating during Covid lockdowns, the busy young mother had reached 231 pounds and was finding it hard to get up off the floor when playing with her twins.
She'd thought keto was a crazy fad. But finding a Diet Doctor video with Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt was a "light bulb" moment in which the science of low carb eating finally made sense. She and her husband joined Diet Doctor and started following the Diet Doctor recipes on March 10, 2022.
The results started nearly right away, including an almost immediate stop to her husband's regular migraines. Her weight is slowly but steadily coming off, at a pace of 12 pounds (5.4 kilos) a month in the first two months. She has lost 28 pounds (13 kilos) at the time of writing.
For the first time in her adult life she loves the food she is eating, has no cravings or hunger, and feels confident she can maintain this way of eating until she reaches a healthy weight that is right for her.
"I just can't believe that we found a way of eating that took away my husband's migraines, that is allowing us to lose weight steadily, and that tastes fantastic. It all feels so amazing," Kristiana said.
Kristiana's story has been condensed and edited.
What is your name, age and where do you live
I'm Kristiana. I'm 40. I live in Stafford, UK, in the West Midlands of England.
Tell us about your history of dieting to control your weight
Well, I've been yo-yo-dieting unsuccessfully for 24 years. I have never been happy with my weight since the age of 16, although I didn't really put on weight until my 30s.
I managed to keep slimmer in my 20s by doing massive amounts of exercise, by being at the gym all the time. But I basically partied, and I drank alcohol instead of eating. But you can't keep that up, right?
Many times over the years I've done a very popular diet program in the UK called Slimming World (it's kind of like Weight Watchers). It's totally low fat. I might lose 10 pounds (4.5 pounds) over six weeks, but it was always a real struggle. I would be constantly starving. And I would always gain the weight back.
The program would let you eat almost all the carbs you want, without fat. I could eat a big bowl of pasta Bolognese, but I could never understand how I could eat that and still be hungry, wanting more food.
I married, and I gained the married weight - you know, you are happy as a couple and you both add on a bit of weight.
And then five years ago I became pregnant with our twins. About eight months after their birth I went back to work. I had a really busy job with a long commute and a lot of national traveling. So I never lost the baby weight.
Then Covid hit and the heavy lockdowns in England were just horrendous. Trying to work and look after the kids at home? Oh my goodness! I was stress eating. I would consume an entire big bag of crisps (potato chips) most evenings.
In December of 2020 we decided that I would give my career a break and I would focus on raising our kids for a couple of years. But my only exercise was walking the kids in the afternoon to their nursery program. I was basically immobile!
This past winter I was at my heaviest. I had this big long winter coat that went down to my knees and covered me, but it was getting really tight. And I started to panic about what would happen in the summer when I had to take the coat off!
I realized that I had reached 231 pounds (104 kilos). Nothing fit. Getting up off the floor with the kids was a struggle. I thought, ' This is ridiculous. I gotta do something!'
I don't have many before pictures because I really did not want any taken.
How and when did you find Diet Doctor and keto eating?
I'd heard about keto, but I'd only heard bad things. Like it was crazy fad. I did some Google and YouTube searches and found a few things, and I started doing keto on my own for a couple of weeks.
I lost a few pounds - just by cutting out chocolate and chips and that sort of thing - but I didn't really understand it or know what I had to do.
But then I found some of the Diet Doctor videos with Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt. And he was so great! It suddenly made total sense to me. If you're feeding your body sugar, or foods that turn into sugar, you won't lose weight. It was a total lightbulb moment. I couldn't believe it. I was like. 'That makes absolute sense!" There was a science behind this way of eating and it wasn't a crazy fad.
I signed up with Diet Doctor right then and there, March 10, 2022. And I just started watching all the videos, listening to the podcasts, and reading the articles.
What was your first impression?
Well, I looked at all the recipes and at first, I just couldn't believe some of the flavor combinations - like soy sauce and cream - and I said to my husband, "This isn't going to taste nice."
But it was like the best food we've ever eaten! The other day we made the turkey burger recipe, where you add mayonnaise, and that also struck me as odd. But it was delicious!
My husband is joining me in the diet. (The twins aren't keto, but I am adding more fat to their vegetables and food, such as instead of steaming cod, frying it in butter. I realized I was giving them no fat at all.)
At first, my husband was skeptical about doing it. But now he is totally loving the food and feeling great.
He just said to me yesterday after another delicious meal, "I can't believe this is diet food."
We are just eating two meals, a late "brunch" at about 11 am and then dinner at 6 pm. And at first he thought there was no way he could do just two meals. He would have to do three. But now he says he can't fit in three meals. He just feels too full.
It is the first time in my life I have done a diet where I did not feel hungry, and I am still losing weight and feeling great. I can't believe it.
What improvements have you experienced so far?
It's incredible.
First, my husband: He's suffered from migraines for many years. He has them a lot. But within a week of starting keto, his migraines stopped. He hasn't had one in more than two months. That is so significant for him. He is losing weight and feeling great. But the lack of migraines, to us, is amazing.
I am losing weight in a slow and steady fashion, about a stone (12 pounds, 5.4 kilos) a month. I am down to 202 pounds. My goal is 160 pounds, so I still have a ways to go. But I feel confident for the first time in 24 years that I can do it. It doesn't feel like a struggle. Instead, I feel like I can eat like this for the rest of my life. And I've lost my crisps (chips) obsession. I just don't need to eat them. I'm not craving them.
But I've had lots of other health improvements. I used to have very red, inflamed itchy patches across both my cheeks. I used to have to try to cover them with makeup. They are gone! I don't have to wear makeup for the school run.
My gut has totally calmed down and that used to get quite bad. But what I really notice is that my belly used to be really hard and pushed out, almost like a pregnancy when I wasn't pregnant. I think it was bloating. But now that is gone, too.
And I really notice the improved energy and lack of body aches. I used to lie in bed in the morning and feel like it was a real effort to get up. I used to feel so poorly and sluggish. I thought it was just having young kids, especially when they'd jump on us at 6 am.
Well, they are still coming in to jump on us, but I feel so totally different. So it must be all the carbs we aren't having! I feel great in the morning. It's unbelievable.
What are your favorite Diet Doctor resources?
All the information and videos are great to learn about the science and how to do keto.
And the recipes are beautiful. I feel like they have really helped me become more confident in the kitchen. Now that I understand the science behind it, I feel that I can mix this-and-that and put things together. I can improvise more, and still keep keto.
I would say out of our 14 meals a week, about six or seven are Diet Doctor recipes. The other meals are me just putting things together or winging it. I do feel empowered.
Like I said, with the recipes, some of the ingredient combinations surprised me. But we just went with it. And we were so overwhelmed with how beautiful everything tasted.
Spicy keto beef stew with fried cauli rice
Keto bacon burger casserole
Did you have any struggles or challenges?
Well, I got Covid the very first week I joined Diet Doctor, so I really don't know if I had keto flu or just Covid. But it wasn't that bad.
Sometimes people say that keto is too expensive. But I honestly haven't found that at all. I think our food costs have actually gone down because my husband and I are only eating two meals a day, we are satisfied and not snacking, and we aren't buying all the rubbish we used to buy.
What are your top three tips for people who may want to try keto or low carb diets?
First: Sign up to Diet Doctor. It is worth every penny.
Second: Watch all the videos and podcasts. Read all the information available. Download the app. Use all the various resources. They all really help you understand and feel really confident. Because I think if you understand the reason why your previous dieting habits have not led you to lose weight, you will then understand keto more and it will help you to stay on track.
Third: Trust the recipes. Try new ones, even if you are worried you may not like them. They work. They taste great.
Any final thoughts or takeaways?
I have just been kind of shocked that for 24 years I have eaten "low fat, plenty of fruits and grains," as I always had drilled into my brain for all those years. And I feel so much better now. I really ate no fat at all. And I recently learned that we need some fat to absorb vitamins, minerals, and other trace elements your body needs.
I still have another 40 pounds (18 kilos) I want to lose but for the first time in my adult life I feel I have a sustainable eating plan, that doesn't leave me hungry. In fact, it is the best food I have ever eaten in my life. I'll keep in touch and let you know how it goes.
I just can't believe that we found a way of eating that took away my husband's migraines, that is allowing us to lose weight steadily, and that tastes fantastic. It all feels so amazing.
Kristiana, your enthusiasm is so inspiring. We are delighted to hear that you've had significant health and weight improvements in just 2.5 months into changing your diet. Thank you for sharing your story
~ Anne Mullens