Weight was something Rachel had struggled with for her entire life. In grade 8, she weighed 200 lbs and that number continued to rise through college graduation. At her heaviest, she was 264 pounds and had a whole list of health issues weighing her down.

“At 21 I had already been diagnosed with PCOS, GERD, Sleep Apnea, and had been labeled pre-diabetic.”

The mounting list of health problems wasn’t enough to make a lasting change, however, and the final straw came right before her brother’s wedding.

“I was asked to be a bridesmaid for my brother’s wedding. The dresses that were selected for the bridesmaids only went up to size 14 and I wore a 22. My parents had to purchase two bridesmaids’ dresses and my grandmother sewed them together to make one to fit me. That was it — that was when I knew I needed to make a change.”

Weight loss had never been easy of course, and like many of us, Rachel’s previous attempts had gotten less than favorable results.

“I had tried everything! Slimfast, Weight Watchers, Herbalife, Jenny Craig…everything! And I was always left hungry and dissatisfied.”

But when she stumbled across a low-carb lifestyle, things finally started to look up.

“I started this journey 7 years ago. I don’t think the term ‘Keto’ was even used back then. I started out following the Atkins diet and things finally clicked for me! Food was delicious, I felt full, I had tons of energy, and the numbers on the scale were dropping quickly.”

That’s not to say Rachel hasn’t had her share of bumps on the road.

“Keto is the only thing I’ve ever done that was satisfying. It’s not just a diet, it’s a lifestyle. It’s been a long journey for me. I lost 104 lbs and then took a short break where I quickly gained back 50. I then went back to Keto and lost that 50 lbs plus an additional 17 lbs and have maintained. I’ll never go back again.”

Now, after losing 121 lbs, Rachel’s typical day starts with a hot cup of coffee with collagen and sugar-free syrup, followed by an electrolyte beverage, and she couldn’t be happier.

“Keto lets me eat foods I love and I never feel hungry anymore! I usually eat lunch and dinner with the occasional Keto dessert before bed.”

…and she loves getting her Keto Krate every month!

“Keto Krate is such a money saver! I’m a teacher and mom of two, so I’m working on a budget. Being able to try many different products without having to buy full cases of them helps me pick and choose what I like without having to buy tons of product that I don’t know if I like yet.”

Some of her favorite snacks include Pizoots Peanuts, Sukrin Chocolate, Chocorite, Shrewd Food, and Stoka Bars.

When asked what advice she’d give to others trying to lose weight with Keto, Rachel said:

“Start by only counting your net carbs and aim for under 20 a day! Don’t worry about all of the other macros, etc. until your body is used to this way of eating, and don’t change anything until what you’re doing stops working. If/when you hit a stall, THEN change something. Keep doing that until it doesn’t work.”

So what’s in Rachel’s Keto future?