How One Woman Lost 120 Pounds on the Ketogenic Diet

With so much information coming out about the ketogenic diet, you might be wondering if it's worth the hype. Will it really help you lose weight? Will you still feel energetic without carbohydrates? Is it a realistic lifestyle change?

Suzanne Ryan's story proves that the ketogenic diet lives up to its claims. She's lost 121 pounds simply by following the diet. She first decided to go on the diet after realizing "how fragile life is" when her friend's baby was diagnosed with a terminal disease. This, combined with her desire to have the energy to keep up with her daughter, inspired Suzanne to begin her weight loss journey.

Suzanne's journey has also allowed her to mend her fractured relationship with food. Before she went on the diet, she said she "used to think about food all the time, and I was hungry all the time." With the ketogenic diet, she is able to feel full and satisfied, and food no longer occupies all of her thoughts.

And no wonder, since Suzanne is still able to enjoy healthy, nutritious meals on the diet, which she calls "a lifestyle change." Her daily food intake now hasn't changed compared to her diet while on her weight loss journey; she still enjoys three meals a day, and ensures those meals are high in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbs, helping her body continue to burn fat rather than carbohydrates for fuel.

A sample of Suzanne's daily food intake during her weight loss journey looked like this:

Breakfast: Eggs, avocado, bacon or sausage

Lunch: Lettuce wrap with chicken salad, egg salad, lunch meat and cheese or bunless burger

Dinner: Chicken/steak/pork with salad with ranch, green veggies with butter, or cauliflower mash.

Today, Suzanne's daily food intake looks much the same:

Breakfast: Eggs and avocado slices and coffee with heavy cream

Lunch: Bunless burger with side salad or chicken salad in a lettuce wrap

Dinner: Chicken/steak/seafood with veggies cooked with butter or coconut oil.

Suzanne attributes the majority of her weight loss to changing what she ate, and while she now describes herself as "more active in general," when she first started the diet, Suzanne says, "I actually didn't work out much at all during my first year of keto, and I lost 100 pounds."

The diet has stabilized her food cravings, given her more energy, and boosted her confidence.

"I learned that I was truly capable all along, and that part of weight loss is just getting out of your own way and believing in yourself," she said.

Suzanne also notes that having a support group is crucial, especially in those first few weeks when your body is getting used to a reduced carbohydrate intake.

Suzanne is now a role model for women around the world, showing them that "change truly is possible." She has her own website, KetoKarma.com, as well as a newly released book, Simply Keto, that explains how to start the diet, recipes, meal plans and grocery shopping tips.

Her advice for others? "Success consists of getting up just one more time than you fall."

Article written by: Emily Keyes. Follow her here.