Looking back, I thought I was, in general, a healthy individual, ate a fairly balanced diet and exercised daily but boy my life was about to change in 12 short weeks. At the end of August, I was lucky enough to be invited onto a course to give myself a bit of a shakeup, as albeit I was at a normal weight, there was stubborn belly fat that no number of sit-ups would ever shift.

At our initial meeting, I was introduced to the trio of Julie, Danny & Gary. They were very passionate and knowledgeable about the KETO lifestyle and I certainly left the meeting wanting to take up this new regime knowing that I had their full support at all times.

In theory, it was simple – cut out carbs and sugar and stock up on all the foods that I had previously avoided, fatty meats, skin on chicken, cheese, cream, nuts, full-fat everything! I thought that this would be a huge hurdle to overcome as I had for years stayed clear of the above on the basis of the fat content but actually it proved rather easy. I am partial to a little chocolate and a sucker for crisps, but I used the mantra of anything processed AVOID – easy.

I ate real, natural whole foods. The proteins I ate were beef, pork, chicken, fish,  seafood, eggs, lamb, bacon, etc. For fats, I ate butter, coconut oil, olive oil,  olives, avocado, cheese. For my carbs, I mostly ate leafy greens (lettuce, kale, spinach), tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. Salt, herbs and spices I used in abundance. Chef Danny, provided so many fantastic KETO recipes that I was spoiled for choice.

The first few weeks were a mixture of euphoria that I was embarking on something new coupled with complete exhaustion. Being a fit person, I really struggled at the gym without carbs and while out cycling – I just couldn’t keep up and had to stop early. I knew though, through our weekly meetings that this was all normal and eventually I would get over this lull and come out the other side…YEP! Soon, I felt amazing – sleeping better, a higher level of concentration, reduced appetite, glowing skin and greater fitness. I didn’t have any spikes in energy (sugar/carb induced) and had a sort of constant energy throughout the day. What surprised me the most was that I had ZERO cravings for chocolate, crisps, bread etc – absolutely nothing!

As the programme advanced, I became very aware of the amount of sugary/processed foods that we are not only surrounded by but engulfed by on a daily basis – Gary calls this ‘Eyes Wide Open’ and it can be overwhelming. Probably one of the greatest results of being on KETO was that even on the tough days, I realised I could give up sugar/carbs and just be fine – it felt both amazing and empowering. I was never hungry despite eating more calories per day than I ever had which proves that it’s not the amount of calories but the type of calories that you eat.

The weekly meetings were fantastic, each week a different theme from Gary on the benefits of KETO, along with Chef Danny providing new recipes ideas for the week finished off by Julies’ insightful meditation. The meetings for me were crucial in this new way of life – a group of twelve or so initial strangers swapping their stories from one week to the next, supporting each other and gradually watching each and every one shift pounds.

Which gets me to my reason for trying KETO – belly fat…GONE. Those pesky rolls over the jeans have finally gone.

I only told a few people about being on KETO as I feared being judged by those who didn’t understand what the programme was about. However, after being not only successful but having had amazing results I am quite happy to endorse and forever follow the KETO lifestyle under the guidance of Gary, Julie and Danny.

Eimear

My name is Charlotte, I am 42 years old. I decided to give Healthy Keto Lifestyle a go after seeing the positive impact it had on Gary. I had nothing wrong that I could identify, but I was feeling a bit like everything was starting to unravel. My symptoms included extreme fatigue: falling asleep at 7-8pm most nights, which also meant that I was getting snappy and grumpy, and finding life a bit of a struggle generally. I wondered if I was heading into depression. I felt bad enough to google the symptoms, which also included thin hair, brittle nails, bloated stomach and terrible brain fog. I basically had most of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. I was convinced that this was it, so I went and had a blood test, and was actually shocked to discover my thyroid was normal.

I was wondering where to turn next when I signed up for the HKL course.  I will never forget the first meeting, hearing the list of symptoms for an insulin dependent diet, and realising it was the exact same list of problems that I was experiencing. No one had told me that my diet could be the problem, despite several desperate trips to the doctor. I have been vegetarian since I was a small child, so I thought I had a relatively healthy diet, although in hindsight it was very dependent on carbs for energy. I was basically addicted to carbs, giving up sugar was a walk in the park compared to giving up carbs for me. I am not sure that I would have been able to do it without the support and guidance that the group gave.

It is a huge undertaking, and I was really worried about getting the correct nutrients and the correct balance of fats etc.. Gary made all this clear to understand, and every week we found out yet another reason to persevere with the change to our diets. Who knew that sugar has such a wide-reaching and dramatic effect on our bodies! One of the important messages we learnt was that insulin is also released with stress. Julie helped us to learn how to fully relax, and how to cope with stress, ensuring that both mind and body had a chance to heal.

This was a really important lifestyle change which I am really grateful for. The new lifestyle will also involve more cooking from scratch, which actually becomes a real pleasure as the food you eat is much tastier, and more nutritious. I found that the HKL course made this much easier to do because Danny showed us some good ideas for staple dishes. It was really interesting and inspiring for us to learn how to cook such delicious and easy keto food. He was also always very thoughtful to include a veggie option for me (if you are veggie and wondering!).

Finally, I guess I should say that having started this thinking that I would ‘give it a go’, I am now forever changed. I feel so completely different in my body and mind. All of the symptoms and other hormonal issues I had have gone, as has a stone in weight so far. I am half a stone away from where I was before I had my 3 kids, which I am very happy about! The best bit is that I haven’t really found it that hard. I take a huge salad with cheese/nuts to work for lunch, and I have a ‘hot meal’ for dinner. My body has stopped craving crisps and I now crave spinach and avocado! I know it’s hard to imagine life beyond a cheese sandwich, believe me I never thought I would do it. Give it a go though, it’s 12 weeks, by the end you won’t even like the smell of bread!  Final, final, I could go on all day about this! My skin looks amazing, my hair is actually growing, I am awake till 11pm (hello husband!), I am super aware of how food makes me feel, and I am way more confident generally.  Especially since everyone keeps telling me that I look amazing!  If you are reading this and you decide to give it a go… Good Luck!  I promise you won’t regret it!

Charl x

Hi, my name is Rob

At the time of writing this, I’m 7 wks. into living a Healthy Ketogenic Lifestyle. Unlike the majority of people who may be attracted to this way of eating, I’ve come into this with no ambition, or intention, of losing weight! Let me explain.

For the past 13yrs I’ve been living with a condition called Fibromyalgia. It’s a chronic illness that whilst it’s non-life threatening, is very debilitating to live with. The list of symptoms is long, but pain and chronic fatigue live at the top of the list! I’ve learnt over the years, various coping mechanisms that have helped reduce its impact on not just myself, but also friends and family. In the last 12mths it has begun to rule and dictate how I live, not good.

Now let’s rewind 10wks or so. I’ve tried to modify how I eat in an attempt to help me cope, but never looked at food, and the way we eat it as a whole package. A lot of Fibromyalgia sufferers struggle with weight gain, not something that affected me (but we’ll get to my weight later). I’m genetically predisposed to be on the lean side of body types, (reads ‘skinny’ ), so thought my diet was okay. But when I sat down and honestly analysed what I ate, I was horrified by how carbohydrate driven my diet was. I did some (lots) of research, and came to the conclusion that the only safe, sustainable way of eating, a low carbohydrate diet, was the ‘Keto’ way. I also realised during the course of my research, that there’s so much conflicting information, or sometimes ‘misinformation’, I couldn’t wing this, I needed help. This is where Gary, Jules and Danny came into play.

I had a conversation with Gary about what I was going through, and he was incredibly positive, and confident he could help me. Myself and my wife joined Gary, Jules and Danny’s Healthy Ketogenic Lifestyle classes a little ways behind others in the group. Hence me writing this testimonial after 7wks and not 12wks, a 12wk one will be coming once I complete it! I thought my progress after 7wks was significant enough to be worthy of mention. Here’s a brief overview so far.

I have more energy than I’ve had in a very long time, and that energy comes without the highs and lows it had before. I have a very physical job, and by the time I got home from work, I was usually spent. I have now embarked on physical training routine, that is already producing results, (I only started training 3wks ago, I’m 53yrs old and haven’t been this motivated to improve my physical health in decades).

I sleep better than I have since I was in my teens.
I ‘feel’ better, calmer, more aware of how my emotions ruled me beforehand.

My weight, (said I’d get to it later), quite significant this one. I had no intention of losing weight as I’ve said. However, it became clear to me very early on, that I was a skinny fat bloke! My weight had stayed the same for years, but my percentage of muscle had gone down, and my percentage of body fat had gone up. After only a few weeks my shape was changing which highlighted just how poor my physique had become. I started to realise this was a new beginning for me, and I’m grabbing it with both hands.

I’m going to go all out now and make a very bold prediction. This is not me attempting to impress, it’s not ego, I truly believe this….

I’m 55yrs old in June 2020, and I confidently predict….

I will be fitter than when I was 25yrs old.
I will be stronger than when I was 25yrs old.
I will, undoubtedly, from a medical standpoint, be healthier than when I was 25yrs old, probably the boldest claim of all!

I feel more contentment than I have since before I was ill, after only ‘7wks’. I’m still in pain every day, I still suffer from some, not all, of the symptoms I did before adopting a Healthy Ketogenic Lifestyle, I just feel like I’m back in charge!

All of this and more just by embracing an easy, sustainable, change in lifestyle and mindset. I’m deprogrammed already. No desire to return to the ‘before’ version of me.

If this all seems a bit farfetched after 7wks, trust me, no one is more surprised, and delighted, than me.

Now, put quite simply, I could not have done this alone, no way. I’ve been on this journey with my wife Doreen, and that has helped massively, we’re a team. But the team responsible for my success are my HKL coaches.

Gary’s enthusiasm knows no bounds, his knowledge and insight means you can put your faith in him. All of his ‘students’ are very different people, unique, yet he’s helped us all to understand why we used to do what we did, and what we need to do now, and why we do it.

Jules has given me something I didn’t know I needed. I’m very independent, strong willed, opinionated. Jules has helped me become more accepting of both myself, other people, and situations that previously had my stomach in knots. Stress is incredibly destructive, we all know that, yet lead lives filled with it! The ability to de-stress and learn to relax has helped so much.

Danny has literally taken the fear factor out of how to eat, living a Healthy Ketogenic Lifestyle! Initial thoughts of a bland, restrictive diet have been banished, instead, replaced by flavour, choice, creativity. When we truly have control over what goes into our bodies, it’s enlightening. I’m now confident that I can prepare and cook great food, 40yrs of Danny’s experience literally handed to me on a plate!!!

My future is bright, my coaches have given me the tools and confidence to go forward independently, always knowing if I need any help, they’ll be on hand for me. An exciting new chapter has begun.

Rob.

Well after 12 weeks on Keto I will now summarise my thoughts and actual physical changes that have taken place.

At my age, mid 70’s, I must be the eldest in the group although they were far too polite to tell me, and I was a little apprehensive as to whether I really needed a change in my lifestyle! Well, it has become obvious that I did.

I was neither overweight, well maybe 1/2 stone, or eat badly. I now have shed the 1/2 stone and all the sugar in my system thus feeling SO much better.

The thing is I no longer yearn for those crisps, cakes, biscuits, bread etc. and as I am now aware of what goes into processed food I cook healthy fresh ingredients and love it.

As far as the mental and physical side goes I am definitely not so tired, have more energy and even bought a puppy as I now feel I could cope with one!!!!!

My hair has changed texture and is now silkier. Your mind, somehow, seems to be sharper.

The help and knowledge you receive from Gary and his ‘crew’ will see you safely through with any questions thrown at them answered knowledgeably and in a very understanding and personal way.

Danny gives his demonstrations on ideas for various meals with such enthusiasm and know-how that you just want to cook them yourself asap.
You also get to taste what he has cooked. Brilliant!

Then you have Jules to work on the mindfulness of life, and these days it is so essential and a welcome relaxation.

My summary then is……….. there is no age limit to want to live better, you just need the will and they provide the way; it’s so easy when you have a group of people with the same mindset, and by the end you have a wonderful set of friends with plenty of laughs on the way.

I would encourage exercise of some sort, be it only walking, As this will tone you up after the weight loss. Some of the Keto group I have been with have lost stones in weight but you will only go down to your ‘proper’ weight – the weight your body should naturally be.

Should you decide to participate in this wonderful venture, and we all need something like Keto these days, then Good Luck, you will enjoy the journey.

If anybody wishes to speak personally to me then Gary is free to give you my contact number.

Pauline

Hi, my name is Doreen and I’m 52.

I started the Health Keto Lifestyle (HKL) just over 10 weeks ago, with my husband Rob. It was Rob that had done all the research on it and was full on to give it a go. He told me the basics of what it was about, and as we are so close and do a lot of things together anyway (like cycling) this was going to be the ideal opportunity for me to get back into shape, and Rob to get healthier and fitter, as he does have an illness that makes this extremely difficult for him to do.

My weight had been creeping up and up over the years. Although I have done some dieting before, I could only seem to lose ½ stone for a short time, then it would creep back on again. My eating routing was mostly carbs and would consist of toast with peanut butter for breakfast, Sandwich at lunch followed sometimes with a bag of crisps, then a meal at night which had to include potatoes, rice or pasta, as that’s what I’ve done for as long as I can remember.

We both attended our first HKL session with Gary, Jules and Danny, a little nervous but also very keen to find out what it was all about. We were among other people who were also looking at making this same lifestyle change.

Gary- Gave us a complete and thorough run down of what Keto was about and all the different stages our bodies would be going through. He made sure we all fully understood and answered any questions we had. It was mind blowing hearing this, as most of us just take our bodies for granted (well I did) and don’t even think of how they work, it is truly fascinating. All this information made me fully understand and be more committed to making this lifestyle change.

Jules – Shared her skills and was wonderful in explaining how your mind has been programmed over many years, and how you can change this. A great tip she shared was, if you do a large salad (which obviously I now know is vital for the HKL) it always looks quite daunting and boring, so you start to think “how am I going to eat all this” well the tip is to chop it up smaller so it looks a lot less. Do you know what, she was right!!, and I still do that now. Jules also ended the programme with a few meditation sessions, something I had not done before. This was absolutely amazing and has helped Rob a lot with his current condition. Her technique allows you to drift away into pure relaxation, reducing our stress levels, which is a wonderful experience.

Danny- Well, what can I say. He was amazing at showing us all how you can make the simplest meals, with great ingredients, some of my favourites were the soups, dips, mayonnaise, salads and my most favourite, sausages laid out on large gem lettuce leaves with homemade mayonnaise and onions. My mouth waters just thinking about it! Something I would never have thought to do (something hot with something cold) I can honestly say, Danny has given me the confidence to enjoy being in the kitchen, cooking meals and using a wide variety of vegetables and salads, something that used to be such a chore for me.

All 3 of the team are what made this whole experience so rewarding, and my commitment to keep going grew stronger as each week passed, I saw and felt the changes to my body and mind, and my confidence soared. Each one of them aided us and proved it was not difficult to do, and what can be achieved by it. We also shared our experiences & achievements week to week on the WhatsApp group, so someone was always there to offer support or advice if you were finding things hard.

Regarding my weight loss, at the 3rd to 4th week, I had lost about 10lbs ( i started at 11st 7lbs, I’m not very tall so felt very heavy at that weight ) and started to experience some amazing changes. I was having a more relaxed sleep, and not doing all the tossing and turning I used to. I also woke more awake than ever and with more energy. I was also seeing visible changes, like the change in my stomach size, wrist size (had to put watch strap tighter), and ten weeks in I’ve lost 20lbs, just under a stone and a half! I’m now wearing clothes that are two sizes smaller, scales are important but the best indicator of weight loss for me is feeling clothes that were far too tight, slowly become looser, then baggy, and then donated to a charity shop!

The amazing things I have got out of a HKL are:
In 10 weeks, I have not had an instance where I have been craving to have carbs or sugar, even though there are plenty of them at home, we’re a family of five, all grown up, with just myself and Rob being Keto. I don’t get the hunger signs which carbs were causing me to feel before.

It has also helped me control my stress levels. Stress is not good for anyone and more so for someone taking on a dramatic lifestyle change, the transition to a Healthy Ketogenic Lifestyle has felt easy for me, having the safety net of Gary, Jules and Danny almost guarantees that. As I have a very stressful job, I was constantly getting worked up and stressed all the time. Since learning how stress affects the body and about HKL, I now have the ability to control this, which is such a wonderful feeling.

As I approach 11wks of living my new life, my weight loss has slowed, as I get ever closer to my ideal weight and shape. I’ve recently begun a home-based fitness and exercise program, which is going to help me to finish sculpting and shaping the new me, I can’t begin to imagine the thought of going back to living the way I was.

I want to thank the team so much, it’s not an understatement to say a Healthy Keto Lifestyle has changed both mine and my husbands lives in such a positive way.

Doreen.

So I started at 16st 4lbs (228lbs) and I am now 14st 10lbs (206lbs) = 22 lbs loss.

At the end of August I was very fortunate to be offered a place on Gary’s programme. To be honest, I thought it was another gimmicky diet that would last a few days, possibly even a week and then we would be back to our usual way of living. Eating fat to lose weight certainly wasn’t a concept that I was used to. Not that I was unhealthy by any means but definitely could do with a shake up. Suffering from scoliosis, I tend to have more pain and sciatica when I am carrying a few extra pounds, so anything to relieve a bit of back pain was definitely worth investigating.

Our initial meeting was quite daunting, as I honestly couldn’t believe that it was something I could do but Gary, Julie and Danny were so focused and looked amazing that I really wanted to try. Each week our meetings focused on other topics as to why carbs and sugar are so bad for our health and how we are being manipulated by world food agencies. It’s utterly fascinating but deeply disturbing how the world is intoxicated by sugar and processed carbs. Having weekly meetings were vital as I don’t think I could have done it on my own. Gary is hugely knowledgeable about the stages your body will go through from week to week which is vital to sticking with the programme.

Within a very short space of time I was hooked with KETO because not only did it all make sense but the pounds dropped off – I was proving to myself that I could do it.

While it is tough to give up carbs, it is the best way and easiest way to lose weight quickly, safely and effectively. It helps you build confidence in yourself because it is a major accomplishment to do what myself and many others have succeeded in doing with this diet. I no longer crave carbs, I can fast for 24hrs easily, my energy levels are constant and I am certainly more focused because of it. Finally, I am sleeping better as my sciatica has gone due to the weight loss.

Against the odds of being away from home travelling on business and spending considerable time in hotels and restaurants, it was also proven that I could maintain my programme, therefore it didn’t affect my day to day life.

I am so thankful that I discovered this Life style change through Gary, Julie and Danny because it’s easy, tasty and more importantly doesn’t stop you living.

Don’t give up on it because it won’t give up on you.

Miles